Comments on: How to Set Up Your Household for Homeschooling

on 1/30/2006 Set up a small table with one or two related books, a small game or art activity all on the same theme (change it out often). You don't have to make a big "to do" about it. Just let it sit. Your naturally curious youngster will gravitate toward it and quietly absorb the information. They think they are sneaking, but you get quiet and they teach themselves!

on 1/30/2006 Get a sheet of foam core and spray with 2 or 3 coats of blackboard paint. We use it for daily handwriting exercises. Write up a quote. First, my first grader reads aloud the quote; we then discuss what it means. Then, both she and her fourth grade brother copy out into daily journals. Finally, the fourth grader uses different colors and symbols to label parts of speech. 3 subjects, 2 kids, 30 minutes.

on 11/22/2005 If you've no room for a whiteboard on the wall, try whiteboard software on your computer instead. The one I'd recommend is NotateIt ($29). By changing the backgrounds to graph paper, lined paper or even Venn diagrams, it's a really versatile learning tool for home. Plus you can save and print your boards as well.

on 11/22/2005 Instead of purchasing a dry erase board from an office supply store, try using tile board from a home improvement store. It runs about $12 for a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet, and it works just fine.

on 11/22/2005 Hang a blackboard on the kitchen wall. Its uses include practicing alphabet letters, working math problems, keeping little ones busy while older ones work - lots of things!