Home School Resources

Articles and Games for Home School

On this page, I've collected together a few articles on home-schooling that I think are particularly useful.

Also, just to help you out, I've gone through all the games on this site, and evaluated them with you, the home-schooler, in mind.

It's my sincere hope that these resources will make your home-schooling a little more joyful - or a little less burdensome - wherever you may now be in your home-schooling journey.

First, the articles

There's so much information on the net about homeschooling. I've picked out some articles I particulary like, and with the author's permission, I've reproduced them here.

• Pamela Connolly has written an excellent three-part series on "Learning Styles". Each child is unique, and each learns in a different way. That's one of the main points about homeschooling, of course - you can tailor your teaching to each tyke's temperament. The big question is how? Pamela answers by showing you how to understand your child better, and giving tips on what kind of activities will really gel the most well. Start at Part 1, or skip forward to Part 2 or Part 3.

That's all for the articles (so far!). Now for the games!

• The 1 to 9 game, being a two player game, is just perfect for the home environment. The game's page shows how to vary the rules to make it suitable for any age group.
• Along similar lines, the Arithmetic Math Game is a good game for a few players, needing good arithmetic skills to compete well. It's more complex though, so if your kids are still young, save it for later.
• Not a game per se, but a whole bunch of Addition and Subtraction Worksheets (up to 10 plus 10) including one that is carefully designed to teach important relationships between addition and subtraction.
• This set of tiles will be a great help if your child is struggling with multi-digit arithmetic (addition and subtraction). Print, cut out, and follow the steps given.
• These arithmetic puzzle worksheets could keep your kids occupied for hours. If you need some time, but the kids need some school, this may be just the trick.
• In the chess jigsaw puzzle, a chessboard has been broken into eight pieces - can you join them back together again? Can your child?
• If your kid need fractions practice, teach them the Fractions Card Game, and watch them drill each other in addition and subtraction of fractions. Or play it with them yourself!
• The Dot Joining Game is a simple paper-and-pencil game, with many hidden mathematical formulae to discover. You can play this game with your kids, and lead them (I show you how on the page) how to help them unlock its hidden mathematical patterns.
• Are you finding flashcards a drag? Try your child on the Flashcard Stepping Stones game. It's easy to set up, and the rules are simple.
• Try Fish Plus One if you are looking for a simple two-player math card game, to teach basic addition facts up to 10. Have your kids mastered adding 1 to numbers? Try Fish Plus Two, Fosh Plus Three, or maybe even Fish Plus Plus...
• Another tool for helping kids "get" multi-digit numbers is the foldable number sheet. Print as many as you want, cut and fold, and watch the movie for tips on their use.
• Magic Square Puzzle Worksheets are good ways to promote an interest in math while giving kids practice with their arithmetic.
• There's a Math Board Game that will teach kids arithmetic skills as they aim for a goal.
• Similarly, this Math Card Game will make your kids actually like practicing their sums!
• These Times Table Mazes are good for puzzle-loving children who are learning their 7 and 8 times tables.
• Playing Mathino is a card game you canm play with an ordinary pack of cards, which will make your children keen to practice their mental arithmetic!
• Feel like something different? A break from the normal pen-and-paper routine? Try Mathteroids, the math asteroid game or the other interactive games on this site.
• In the Pizza Cutting Puzzle kids try to cut up a square pizza to make it fit in a round tray. Try to cut as few pieces as possible!
• The Sight Numbers exercise is designed to help kids memorise their addition, subtraction and multiplication facts in an efficient way. This exercise, even if introduced through a school classroom, would depend mostly on parental involvement - about 5 minutes a day with your child - so it's ideal for the homeschooler!
• Is your child artistically inclined? Try him or her on this Spirograph Applet. As they enjoy themselves making swirly whirly designs, they are actually picking up some math too.
• Times Tables Memory is a memory game that will help transfer times table facts from short-term to long-term memory. It can be played solo, or with a friend.
• If your kids like more action, and they are at the same level with their times tables, try Times Tables Snap!

That's all for now. Of course, there are many more games on this site than these. Perhaps some of those I missed would make excellent home-school resources, but I just didn't see it. Browse around and see what you find!

Yours, Mike H...

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