Teaching Kindergarten and Preschool Math

The way math is presented to children makes a tremendous difference in their success as learners, as well as your success as an educator. Children need to take part in activities that encourage them to experiment, to investigate, and to record their observations.

Preschool and kindergarten students always need to have things to move around or manipulate in order to make sense of math concepts. In the education world these are called "manipulatives" and there are a great assortment of these available, such as blocks, counters and pattern blocks. Give children ample time to play with the manipulatives in order to satisfy their curiosity about the materials before attempting to use them to teach a math concept. Introduce new math vocabulary as the children play, as this will help them when they participate in teacher led experiences.

Keep structured lessons short to begin with and do not assume the children understand your expectations. Spend a week teaching proper use of materials and proper cleanup. Teach the children to use mats to identify and define their work area.

The following steps work well when teaching young children. First, demonstrate the math activity two or three times before you give the children materials. You will quickly lose the children's attention if you pass the materials out first. Second, give materials to the children and ask them to try the activity. Check to see all have understood the concept and are experiencing success. Assist children that are having difficulty.

After a few days of the same or similar lessons, record your math experience as the children observe. Keep it simple. For example, after a lesson making repeating patterns print the words, I made a pattern. Say, "I used a red block, a blue block, a red block, a blue block." Draw the pattern and color the blocks. Pass out paper and have the children draw what they did and record words using their knowledge of letters and letter sounds. Recording the activity gives children an opportunity to share and solidify their knowledge.

Teaching Kindergarten and Preschool Math

Basic Photography Lessons

Teaching Kindergarten and Preschool Math

Teaching Kindergarten and Preschool Math
Teaching Kindergarten and Preschool Math

Basic Photography Lessons

Special Needs Homeschool Curriculum: Creating a Lesson Plan for the Learning Disabled

Are you struggling with your current homeschool curriculum? Does it seem like your special needs child is moving backward rather than forward, or perhaps not progressing at all? Perhaps you're new to the homeschool scene and simply need help creating a suitable lesson plan for your special needs child. It may be time for you to reassess your child's needs. Whatever the case may be, there are a number of avenues that homeschool parents can explore to find and create the most suitable curriculum for their unique situation.

When you teach your child at home, there opportunities are limitless. You have the freedom to teach based on your child's needs and interests. (Do always remember to check your state's guidelines for reporting and record keeping.) And particularly with a special needs homeschool curriculum, you're free to use your imagination in order to help your child grasp learning concepts in a fun and engaging way.

Before you begin your homeschooling journey, determine your goals. What do you want or need to teach? What method would your child be most receptive to? Most kids with learning disabilities respond better to an interactive learning environment, one where they can use their hands or be free to move around to express their ideas. Multi-sensory instruction is a useful tool for working with any child, but those with special learning needs often respond well to this type of instruction.

With so many options, how do you begin? First, look for ways to make the lesson plan visually appealing. Use picture books, drawings, colorful flash cards, etc. You can incorporate hands-on experiments and field trips that allow kids to 'see' what they're learning. For example, you can help your child to better understand the concept of first, middle, last or simple directions by teaching these concepts using a recipe for a favorite treat, and following the steps in the recipe.

You'll also want to implement auditory methods into the lesson so your child can 'hear' the steps while seeing them. Use a book on tape or a how-to video of the recipe. You can read aloud or even create a fun jingle so that your child can sing along with each step. See the following example, which uses repetition:

First, we gather up what we need, what we need.
Next we're gonna mix it up, mix it up.
Roll the balls of cookie dough, cookie dough.
Put them on a pan and bake 'em up, bake 'em up.
Clean up the dishes while they bake, while they bake.
When they're done, we can eat, eat, eat...eat, eat, eat."

Finally, add other sensory tools such as movement and touch. This can be done with dance, artwork, manipulatives, etc. Continuing with the recipe example: Have your child seek out the materials/ingredients with a fun scavenger hunt, while singing the jingle. Let him then mix the ingredients and feel the dough. Don't forget to have your child help with the cleanup process, as this will help reinforce social skills.

As the 'ending' nears, you can go over your child's knowledge of comprehension as the cookies bake. For instance, you can include memory games relating to the lesson using pictures and match them to words-a picture of a mixing bowl with the word mix, a picture of an oven with word bake, and so on. Have your child then put these in order from first to last. Then, give the reward of the finished product: a tasty treat.

Creating a lesson plan for children with learning disabilities need not be a challenge. By implementing a fun and engaging special needs homeschool curriculum methods, the lessons being taught become much more meaningful and will result in better memory retention.

Special Needs Homeschool Curriculum: Creating a Lesson Plan for the Learning Disabled

Basic Photography Lessons

Special Needs Homeschool Curriculum: Creating a Lesson Plan for the Learning Disabled

Special Needs Homeschool Curriculum: Creating a Lesson Plan for the Learning Disabled
Special Needs Homeschool Curriculum: Creating a Lesson Plan for the Learning Disabled

Basic Photography Lessons

Photography Lessons

The traditional way to get photography lessons is to attend a photography school or program outside of the home. Nowadays there are Online and distance education options available as well. However, for the amateur photographer who just wants some help improving their skills, and doesn't desire to enroll in a school, there are some great free options available.

Nowadays, the focus is definitely on digital photography. However, there are still classes being taught in more traditional photography. Despite the fact that film is obsolete, the rules of exposure and composition are exactly the same in digital photography. So, many photography professionals still recommend that students get a basic knowledge of film photography, in addition to their digital training.

Today's cameras have such advanced automatic functions, that the majority of amateur photographers don't feel the need to take any photography lessons, and learn more advanced techniques. However, having a mastery of light, exposure, depth of field, and composition can take your photography from the realm of the "snap-shot" to the polished look of a professionally taken photograph.

There are people who choose to pay a professional instructor for one on one lessons in photography. This can be a real boon since all of the attention that would be spread thin over an entire classroom, is then focused in on you the individual. Also, some people are shy about having their photos shown in front of a classroom, and would rather be evaluated more privately. Also, this is a great option for those who don't care to earn a degree, but simply want to learn the needed skills.

It is possible to get some great photography instruction at absolutely no cost. There are many websites offering free lessons in photography, which are often of very high quality. In fact, for the very independent person who doesn't care about earning and degree or certification in photography, free lessons can be a wonderful option. Free instruction can also be helpful to the photographer that is already accomplished, as nobody can know everything, and being able to quickly look up the answer to a photography related question is very convenient.

The true drawback to free lessons is the lack of support from an instructor. Getting your photos critiqued by a real person can be invaluable. Often friends and family will just tell you that your work is nice no matter what they really think, or they don't have a sufficiently trained eye to offer real help in improving your photos. Still, free photography lessons can dramatically improve your photos if you really make the effort to learn from them.

Photography Lessons

Basic Photography Lessons

Photography Lessons

Photography Lessons
Photography Lessons

Basic Photography Lessons