Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Summer Binders

I love the idea of home school, even though I've never had to actually do it since my kids are plugging away nicely in public school and, you know, learning things. But I love school supplies and the idea that my family would collaborate and pursue our interests and use file folders and markers. So I have been working on summer binders for months. Having a new binder makes anything fun.

I start by going though Rebecca Rupp's book which I love. She lists suggestions for what kids ought to be learning each year.


My kids have usually covered everything they were "supposed" to cover but if there are any lapses, I take note. I printed out some geography activities for Ben's binder because he needs more help reading maps-even though they talk about geography all the time in grade school. I hate geography. The only instance of geography that I like is when Kate Middleton talked Will into changing his major to geography--it does seem a befitting major for a king! I also bought "Gifted Math Workbooks" for each of the grades Ben and Maggie just finished by way of review. Here's a parenting tip: Call things "gifted." And Sam has to do some sort of typing program (besides Minecraft, which he tries to convince me is a typing program) before he starts high school next year. So that's all the boring stuff--made exciting with its own tab in a binder!

The "fun" stuff (known by my kids as "nerdy," "lame," or simply, "stupid") is what I like to call learning augmentation. It's extra wonderful topics they don't get to do in school. For example, they all have a birding life list in their binder. There are a lot of birds around my house! Can you imagine how fun it will be to track them? Ben's binder focuses on life science because of his interest in dirt and water in our back yard. I printed out Genus and Species flash cards for him and constellation cards for Sam. (Lots of sources here.) Maggie's binder focuses on arts and humanities. Sam's binder focuses on Science and Math but mostly it's full of articles I've ripped out of magazines which I think he'll find interesting. One of them is from BYU Magazine about finding your calling in life. That sort of thing. I also got a bunch of Mad Libs (which  count as grammar.) I'm not going to teach them lessons but the binders will beckon in all their glory. Each binder has a fox mask in it. Who could resist that? I know the binders will call to my children and they will answer with hours of self-directed study.

14 comments:

  1. So, if my kids are out of school on Friday, maybe it's a little late to throw these together?

    Great idea.

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  2. Cool idea. I hope you're planning a follow-up post when summer is over!

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  3. When are you opening the Etsy shop? These will fly off the shelves and then I won't have to do the work:)

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  4. you "know the binders will call to my children and they will answer with hours of self-directed study"? Really? hmmm....obviously you have Much Better Children that I do - but hey, good luck, and let us know how it goes! :)

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  5. "hours of self directed study..." you make me laugh. I finally posted about our chores.

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  6. I used to organize summer classes and doing trades with a friend - I taught her kids French and she taught my kids botany.

    I'm not sure what they learned, but the kids are all still good friends.

    I admire your effort - and 2nd Phoebe's motion that you sell them.

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  7. I really really love this idea. Thanks for sharing it.

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  8. Dad, sitting at the office at 11pm makes me think you are right. Nothing ruins something like turning it into a business. But if Kacy asked me if she should, I would tell her to do it because I'm a glutton for punishment.

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  9. Kacy, you just made my summer goal of "surviving" look super lame. Thanks a lot.

    But seriously, how awesome are you?

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  10. Cool.

    Every year my mom would sit us down on the first day of summer for a meeting about our schedules and what she expected of us (chores, piano practicing) and the fun things we'd do (zoo, swimming). Her program lasted approximately 3 days, and then we just did whatever we wanted.

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  11. I am trying binders this summer thanks to you--so thanks for the inspiration!

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  12. This year I am pushing reading. Because I like to read (in fact, it's my only goal of summer vacation: to read), so it's easy to model this behavior. And, I can take the kids to the library (I'd much rather go to the library than the pool or park, anyway) once/week and feel good about doing my part to "educate" them. I don't have binders, but I AM calling it "reading club," which really has my girls excited.

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  13. I like this binder thing, I'm going to try it. Thanks!

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  14. Kacy, you are just like me. Just a grown up who never wanted to stop playing school. I love school stuff too. I had that same revelation about Mad Libs this week. Genious. I love your binder idea. I think I will steal it.

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