Frugal Homeschooler: Music

Ok folks, you know how we all have a couple of subjects that just aren't our gifting? Mine are art and music. Well, we can't use that as an excuse to not teach them so today I am looking at some music education resources. Remember that this isn't just learning an instrument but also about great music. So let us jump in!

First up is Classics for Kids. They have a radio show, which you can listen to online, about specific composers and other classical music items. They also have samples of orchestral music instruments. They have activities, online games and just recordings of classical pieces.

For those of you brave enough to buy you kids a drum set, Free Drum Lessons has everything they will need to know in order to learn to play. They have beginning lessons that cover how to set up your kits and how to buy a set. This site also seems to have great advanced lessons as well as tuning lessons and certain types of cultural music lessons.

There is a section at About.com on Musical Crafts. These don't seem to difficult. They seem to mostly be made with used household items and kids, at least mine, will love playing with them afterwards.

My last offering is for those who do know a little music. Here is a link to print blank sheet music with a Treble Clef. This way your creative geniuses can write to their heart's content without having to go out and buy expensive paper.

This is just some of the wonderful musical freebies out there. I hope you will all go broaden your kid's musical horizons. Look, explore, use and if you have any great resources please share with me. As always remember homeschooling doesn't have to be hard or expensive!

Tupperware Joy

So for those who don't know, I am a bit type A. But without the time to act it out as much as I would like;). To further my organization attempts I purchase some Tupperware containers to organize my pantry. I was inspired to share with you based on a blog post I read some where quite a while ago. So here you go!



I even used my labeler!

Index Card and Shopping

Not all things that I bring to you will be concrete. Some will be great ideas that you can make for yourselves. So I was over at Tipnut and they had a great idea for an Index Card Shopping Master. This is where you take an index card and list all the important things you buy for your things. Take your printer, do remember off the top of your head which cartridge it takes? How about the batteries for the remote? Your husband's inseam? You create 1 index card with all of this and put it in your purse. Then if you find a bargain on the fly you can get it! Go check it out.

Frugal Homeschooler: Pi Day

It's Pi Day and Einstein's Birthday. If that isn't a day for learning what is?

I wanted to share these pictures from one of my yahoo group members. Her kids write Pi out as far as they can down the middle of the rad every year.
So here are a couple of fun learning resources.
First up is Pi Day: The official site. It has "classroom activities" that others have done.

The Exploratorium has an awesome Pi Day sight with activities, haiku's and making hats!

So go, eat some Pi and party!

Technorati Tags: Pi Day

Frugal Homeschooler: Math

Hey fellow educators, we meet again! This time I have some great math resources for you.

First up is is AAA Math. It has real time problems and evaluations. One of the best things is that it has a little explanation or lesson and then the area you work. It has a start button and as you do the problems it evaluates you. It starts at addition and goes all the way up to Algebra and Geometry.

Then there is NLVM. It has a variety of on screen (Java driven) manipulatives and games. This is perfect as a help while doing other homework, reinforcement, or conceptual learning. It says that it is for grades 3-5 but I see stuff I will use for my preschooler and my first grader. So look for yourself to see if it something for you.

For those who like paper and pencil I give you the Math Worksheet Generator. They have a variety of elementary math subjects and types of sheets to choose from. These are great for drills because they even give you specific 3 and 5 minute drill sheets.

So here are some great math resources. Look, explore, use and if you have any great resources please share with me. As always remember homeschooling doesn't have to be hard or expensive!

Why I Sneez, Shiver, Hiccup, and Yawn

This was a good book on reflexes that we read aloud over the weekends. The kids loved the illustrations and activities included in the back. It was a simply put book that explained why you have physical reactions to some things. It could have been an independent read except for just a few words. I like that they included real phrases such as plantar reflex yet keep it simple enough for kids to grasp. I would recommend this book!