A lways a pleasure visiting Currclick – enormousy Proud to have The Little Match Girl Mega Activity Gift Box
by St Aiden’s Homeschool, South Africa as a featured Product – Thank you to Currclick. This is really a Beautifully presented Gift Box of Educational Goodies sure to delight any child. ~ Thank you, Donnette 🙂
CurrClick.com Weekly Newsletter
|
Teaching Kindergarten Through Visuals and PlayI read an article the other day that really tugged at my heart. The author mourned the fact that kindergarten as it should be seems to be a thing of the past. Gone is the free play, the crayons and paint, the housekeeping center, the emphasis on learning social interactions and skills. She painted such a poignant picture of sunlit rooms and happy children thriving and creating. She decried todays widespread, headlong dash towards increasing academics in kindergarten. No matter how much I agree with the authors viewpoint regarding the true work of kindergarten, I am not sure there is much we can do about the push toward more learning for beginners. Because I am totally aware of those who frown on teaching young children anything smacking of school, I always squirm a bit when customers write me that their preschoolers are devouring our stylized SnapWords. I think my guilty conscience is rooted in a book I read by David Elkind called Miseducation. The premise of the book is that we are going to create a whole generation of at risk children if we push academics onto preschoolers. Elkind followers apply a blanket rule towards teaching preschoolers. You cannot do it, apparently, without mistreating them. Elkind makes an impassioned point, but still I raise a timid hand to ask, Might this only be one part of the story? Do I believe kindergartners should play? Yes I do. Do I also believe in teaching very young children? Yes I do. So what I believe lies somewhere in the middle of the argument for and against teaching young children. I do not believe that you prevent learning problems by starting to teach children when they are younger. You can only prevent learning problems by changing the method of teaching. Ive heard from several parents recently who said they were distressed because their kindergartners were beginning to cease to love books. The children were not responding to drills and flashcards, and they began turning away from an earlier love of books and reading. In cases like this, stop what is being done. I think the decision about whether or not to teach young children can be made by answering the following questions. Is the child playing? Is he having fun? Is she engaged? Does he want to do this? If the answers are no, the only option we have is to immediately stop what we are doing or we will cause harm. What we can do is change how our children learn the basics. If we use visuals and play, kids will gain the knowledge they need, but will not feel the stress of doing school too early. Best of all, using visuals and play has the effect of cutting school time greatly. When I taught kindergarten in my home, the children far surpassed grade level expectation, but we did all our learning through creative play and visuals and in less than two hours a day. What we were doing was working inside a system, but not using the regular systems methodology. I went where the kids went and to what drew them. Out of this experience came the Easy-for-Me Reading Program, a sequence of multisensory lessons to teach reading. I think in the debate about academics and kindergarten, the point might have been totally missed. The point is not whether we should teach the very young, but rather how we should teach them. At Child1st, we believe that if you have an engaged child, that child will learn and will love learning. Take advantage of your young child’s natural bent to learn and teach through visuals and play! Sarah Major, CEO of Child1st Publications, grew up on the mission field with her four siblings, all of whom her mother homeschooled. As an adult, Sarah homeschooled a small group of children in collaboration with their parents, and has taught from preschool age to adult. Sarah has been the Title 1 director & program developer for grades K-7, an ESOL teacher, and a classroom teacher. As an undergraduate student, Sarah attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. where she received a B.A. in art. Sarah then received her M.Ed. from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI. In 2006 Sarah resigned from full-time teaching in order to devote more of her time to Child1st. In her spare time Sarah enjoys gardening, cooking, pottery, quilting, and spending time with her family. Child1st Publications, LLC |
||||||
Pick of the Week |
|||||||
|
|
|||||||
New at CurrClick.com |
|||||||
|
|||||||
Join Us!
|
Join Us!
|
Publisher Product Discounts
 School…Monster Truck Style! – A Notebooking Projectby Grace Bound Books http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=28713&it=1&discount=74379&SRC=newsletter Normal Price: $4.00 Discount Price: $1.99 Rev up your child’s holiday break by purchasing School…Monster Truck Style! – A Notebooking Project at half off. Some of the activities included in this project are: Number the Trucks Wide Load Custom Paint Job Same & Different Monster Math A Monster Mess!! Monster Truck Matching Monster Dot-to-Dot Monster Truckin’ Maze Tricky Treads A Monster Snack Monster Coloring Pages and Name Tracing Monster Truck ABC’s A Monster Puzzle A list of supplies is given for each activity, as well as what objectives will be learned from completing each lesson. All of the printables and graphics are included in this project. |
 My ABC Scrapbookby 212 Mom http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=30564&it=1&discount=85113&SRC=newsletter Normal Price: $3.50 Discount Price: $2.00 Start the new year right with your younger child. This set of pages will be a great creative project to use for teaching, reinforcement, or review of the alphabet. Your child will have a beautiful keepsake project when he/she is finished. |
 Sensational Short Storiesby 212 Mom http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=30562&it=1&discount=57886&SRC=newsletter Normal Price: $7.50 Discount Price: $5.00 Sensational Short Stories is a great way to walk your Middle-High School student through the structure of short stories. They are also guided through writing their own short story . This is a beautiful, high-color, set your student will be able to complete almost totally independently. Study guide notes are included. |
 Star-Studded Poetryby 212 Mom http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=30014&it=1&discount=34167&SRC=newsletter Normal Price: $9.95 Discount Price: $5.00 Star-Studded Poetry is a complete study of the structure of poetry. Geared toward Middle-High School students, this unit takes students through literary terms associ ated with poetry, a study of famous poets, and a study of the basic structure of poetry. Students are also given the opportunity to write some of their own poetry. Students will have a beautiful, complete keepsake poetry notebook when they are through. |
 Live Class! Winter/Spring Creation Science Clubby Lessons Worth Learning http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=32581&it=1&discount=66156&SRC=newsletter Normal Price: $30.00 Discount Price: $25.00 Sign up f or Science Club and make a homemade lava lamp, a crabitat, and grow tadpoles to frogs with me…. just to name a few of our projects!! Creation-based science with live lessons, project packs, games, and our own class blog. Classes begin soon! One price for the whole family! |
 Teaching Astronomy Through Artby Visual Manna http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=32685&it=1&discount=68756&SRC=newsletter Normal Price: $12.00 Discount Price: $8.00 This book makes learning all about the night sky exciting! Students learn how to use oil and chalk pastels to picture different phenomena such as nebulas, asteroids, comets, planets, etc. They draw telescopes and famous astronomers. This makes science fun for visual and kinesthetic learners. |
 Connect The Thoughts – Manners Courseby Connect the Thoughts http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=23383&it=1&discount=74203&SRC=newsletter Normal Price: $18.00 Discount Price: $8.00 The secrets of how to get along with others, for ages 9-adult, from Connect The Thoughts. One of our best-selling course, on sale until the end of December for only $8.00! To redeem at the special price, use this link, and then make your purchase: http://www.currclick.com/index.php?discount=74203 |
Newest Free Products
 Kindergarten Mini Helper #1by homeschool bits http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=32955&it=1&SRC=newsletter I hope you enjoy this Kindergarten Mini Helper #1. This can be used anytime throughout the year. Includes various subjects, topics, and skills. 15 pages. |
 December Daily Assignments – Mini Helperby homeschool bits http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=32668&it=1&SRC=newsletter A homeschool bits Freebie! I hope you enjoy this December Daily Assignments Mini Helper. I use these assignment sheets to give my children a starting point each day. I attach them with a paper clip to their notebook or folder. |
 FREE LIVE CLASS: Science Jim’s Astonishing Atoms Dec 22by Science Jim Classroom http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=32646&it=1&SRC=newsletter Science Jim’s Astonishing Atoms Have you ever wondered what you’re actually standing on? When you drink water, what’s really going down your throat? When you put on your shoes, what is really on your feet? Well, Science Jim is go… |
 What Did You Say? Bookmarks Freebie!by homeschool bits http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=32501&it=1&SRC=newsletter This What Did You Say? Bookmarks Freebie! would make a great companion to our lessons titled What Did You Say? A Fun Mini Lesson! These are five different sayings and phrases, and their meanings. You can use these as a great quick lesson to… |
 Amazing American States Sample Bookby Eagles Wings Educational Materials http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=32485&it=1&SRC=newsletter Award-winning author and illustrator, Susan Mortimer, has developed Clever Comics Memory System, a complete series to enable mastery of every aspect of our amazing American states. Cartoon flash cards are used to teach the… |
Newest Products
 Snow and Ice NaturExplorers Unitby Shining Dawn Books http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=32958&it=1&SRC=newsletter Price: $14.95 Not everyone thinks of nature study when the temperatures dip below freezing, but God has some amazing discoveries in store for you when you venture out during the winter months! In this unit, you will train yourself to see the beauty and delicate intric… |
 The Little Match Girl Mega Activity Gift Boxby St Aiden’s Homeschool, South Africa http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=32957&it=1&SRC=newsletter Price: $10.00 $7.50 This book is compiled in A4 format and UK English. Extensive Comprehension Activities and Teaching Ideas and Lesson Plans are located toward the end of this book. This Beautifully presented Educational Activity Pack consists of not one, but FIVE of Ha… |
 Mishpatim or Exodus 21-24 Interactive Lap Folderby Naaseh Venilmad http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=32956&it=1&SRC=newsletter Price: $5.00 $3.95 This is the only comprehensive lap folder about Mishpatim, Exodus 21-24 that can be found online. Use our special interactive-learning product to learn about some of the laws and rules that G-d commanded the Israelites. Also learn what the Israe… |
 All Chocolate! A Fun Study!by homeschool bits http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=32954&it=1&SRC=newsletter Price: $1.00 My kids were amazed to find out that chocolate comes from seeds, and that at one time, you had to be rich to get it! This unit is suggested for grades K-5 but is very flexible for lower & higher grades. All Chocolate! A Fun Study! is intended to… |
 1st Step Elementary Science VI I- Our Solar Systemby 1st Step http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=32952&it=1&SRC=newsletter Price: $30.00 $15.00 The first science course in semester 4 (the last semester) for Elementary, students ages 7-8. A massive course that covers what our sun is, the eight planets (and poor Pluto), moons, asteroids, comets, the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud, and other thing… |
Donnette Fry (nè Davis)
St Aiden's Homeschool - Our Other Blog 
Leave a comment