I was just checking out pinterest  and  stumbled across this fun YouTube clip.

 
 
_  The Australian Seasons Mnemonic Chart – I designed this to help teach my two youngest the seasons.

the_australian_seasons_mnemonic_chart.pdf
File Size: 178 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

_ Days of the week – Has three wheels the child turns to show the day that corresponds. Yesterday (red wheel), Today (green wheel) and Tomorrow (orange wheel).

days_of_the_week.pdf
File Size: 276 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

 
 
WOW... I just had to share this great site!   Being very visual learners my kids love to learn by DVD / movie whenever they can and because of that I think I may have just found the site for us.  The Great Courses website offers a range of courses that are available on DVD, CD and Audio / Visual download, their full price is a little exuberant but they regularly have sales (sometimes up to 70% off) and I think they may be one of those things that could be a great investment if you have more than one child.



They actually have a sale on now; you can see their courses on their site www.shopgreatcourses.com  or if you are in Australia like us  their Australian site www.shopgreatcourses.com.au



I’m seriously going to look into some of their High school and maybe some of their writing courses for my eldest.



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cool view of the phases of the moon.
 
 
_ 
Abcteach – lots of pintables, some free some only for members.
http://www.abcteach.com/

  




_
Animal cell poster (Free) =
(Clip Art: Cells: Animal Labled Color)
  I printed it as 1 page on 4 pages
http://www.abcteach.com/directory/clip_art/science/biology/#21467

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Plant cell poster (members only) = Poster : Plant Cell
http://www.abcteach.com/directory/basics/science/plants/

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Large Math Poster: Measuring a Circle (members only)
http://www.abcteach.com/directory/basics/math/geometry/geometry_posters/

_
Alternative options

_  MΔth Warehous∑ - not a printable but explains the geometry of circles (free).
http://www.mathwarehouse.com/geometry/circle/index.php

Geometry math sheet & Trigonometry definition math sheet  (free) – if you download these two sheets they have all the information that is on our circle poster. (my eldest uses these).
http://www.ecalc.com/math-help/


_
Keith’s think Zone – (Math, Science, History, Geography, Language, Art & Music)
http://thinkzone.wlonk.com/

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Ten Events in the history on the universe (Free)
http://thinkzone.wlonk.com/TenEvent/TenEvent.htm

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The Periodic Table of elements (free).
Available in words and in pictures
http://elements.wlonk.com/#Particles


_
Video math tutor – they have a variety of math videos
http://www.videomathtutor.com/

 
_
Greek Alphabet [pdf] – the one we have on the wall (free)
http://www.mathpodcast.com/PDFs/Algebra-GreekAlphabet.pdf

Free Greek Alphabet video & the poster from above are halfway down the page.  http://www.videomathtutor.com/Algebra/

_ Other Greek Alphabet Options
_  Greek Alphabet with pronunciation (free)
http://www.akronphitau.org/images/greek_alphabet/greek_alphabet.pdf

Greek Alphabet with pronunciation – easier (free)
http://www.livingwaterbiblegames.com/greek-alphabet-flash-cards.html

Greek Alphabet flash cards (free)
 http://www.livingwaterbiblegames.com/greek-alphabet-flash-cards.html

Learn to write the Greek alphabet worksheet  (free)
http://www.livingwaterbiblegames.com/greek-alphabet-handwriting.html

 
 
_ I had always wanted one of those magnetic whiteboards on wheels  like this one here http://empirefurniture.com.au/Shape-Mobile-Whiteboard.aspx?p27550 , but I being budget minded was in no way going to pay that sort of money.   I ended up finding two magnetic whiteboards on clearance for a couple of dollars, and then whilst in a local thrift shop several months later I stumbled upon a old portable clothes hanger for $10.  I brought it not knowing what I was going to do with it until I got home and spotted the whiteboards, I instantly knew what I wanted to use it for.  It only took me half an hour and under $30 and I had created my own portable whiteboard.


_ Here are the building instructions for our double sided magnetic whiteboard.











_  1 second hand clothes hanger












_ 2 magnetic white boards.
_ You could use painted flat sheet metal as an alternative









_ 8 cable ties
_ Wire could be used, maybe even strong string.






_  2 bulldog clips
_  Use 2 of the cable ties to attach them to the crossbar of the hanger.

Don’t tighten the cable ties, this will allow you to flip all the posters to the other side of the hanger.
_ (only if you want to attach posters to your whiteboard like we have)





_ Our whiteboards have hanging points on the back; I used one cable tie at each end to join the two whiteboards together. 

_  Please note: note don’t tighten the cable ties all the way until you have attached the boards to the hanger.









_ Use 2 more cable ties
(1 each join).  Loop the cable tie around where the two boards are joined.
















_ Slide the two whiteboards over the top of the hanger so they are back to back.

Then use your last two cable ties to loop through the loops from the previous step, and then wrap them around the top of the hanger a couple of times.



_ If your hanger doesn’t have the same ball on either end ours dose you may be able to screw a screw part way in to help hold the whiteboards in place.

Attaching the flippable posters.





Use a hole punch to punch 2 holes in your posters, then put all the posters on a split ring.

(make sure that all the holes are going to  line up before making the hole)









_ By putting all the posters on 2 large split rings you can then easily un-clip them from the moveable whiteboard and flip through them to change which poster is on top.



_

Use the bulldog clips to attach the posters to your new whiteboard.

 
 
_ Many of you know that we have an eclectic learning style and that still hasn’t changed, although over the last year our curriculum has evolved to become mostly student lead. I used to set a large amount of their work for them and use a workbox system (based on Sue Patrick's Workbox System )to help organise their work, for ages it worked really well but last year I started to trust in my children’s desires to learn and gave them more control.

This year the kids have almost complete control of their own educations, I say almost complete control because I believe they need to learn that sometimes we have to do things in life that we don’t always like.  Each of my children have a subject that they hate (T=mathematics, L & F=Writing),  I believe that by strongly encouraging them in the things they consider less desirable  they are more likely to become accepting of life’s little ups & downs. 



_  Below is a sample of what we have done with the kid’s workboxes.

_ What used to be the kids workboxes have now become communal workboxes, each drawer is dedicated to one subject.  I have found this worked extremely well. First it saves us a lot of time filling boxes and second it allows the kids their more natural learning style they crave.  As the kids are working they go to the desired drawer and take the objects they want to use and when they are finished they return the item to its drawer.

_  A sample of what’s in the boxes.

_  Magnification drawer

_  Zoology drawer
_ Like many of the other drawers our zoology draw contains family,
three part cards, flash cards and quiz cards.

_  Map drawer
_ The map drawer contains a variety of maps, an atlas and a wooden map (has flags with facts about the country on the back).

_ Money drawer

_  Reading drawer
_  Our reading primers are kept in our reading drawer, each of the kids have their own book storage system in their rooms for their books.  The reading drawer is just for our beginner reader and will be retired once she progresses past this stage.

_Music drawer
_ The Music drawer has a variety of music books, flash cards and the Legacy Learn and master Guitar DVD’s.



To find a balance that both the kids and I’m happy with took a fair amount of negotiation, the system that we eventually decided would probably work best were a form of task cards.  I ended up making three sets of task cards for each child, this works out as one for each month of a class term.  At the start of the term I fill out the skills that I want each child to cover for the following three months and divide them so that the skills are spread over the three sets of task cards for each child.  When I have completed all of the kids task cards I let them choose which set of cards they wish to complete in each month, taking away each set as it has been completed.   It is up to each child how and when in the month that they complete those skills.

Example of skill;   a child may have measurement on a math skill card, they can then choose how they are going to meet that criteria.

 1. They may decide to do some backing and work out how to adjust the amounts in a recipe to make enough for more or less people.

 2. They may want to do some worksheets.

3. They may go outsides and measure things (taking notes).

4. They may come up with some other creative way of meeting the requirement.


_ Below is a picture of our blank laminated task cards, I write the required skill studies on them with a dry erase marker.

 
 
_ Here is part 2 of our school area; or rather areas as our supplies are spread throughout the house wherever we can find a little spare space.

_  The pictures below are from our main living area.

_
The following pictures are of our enclosed veranda.

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The shelves in our dining area.