Promoting Literacy: Guam Homeschool Association Curriculum Fair

Annual Curriculum Fair - April 21, 2011 –Thursday 1:00pm – 5:00pm @ Tamuning Christian Fellowship, Camp Watkins Rd.,Tamuning ($2.00 FEE PER FAMILY)

Click on the image below to view details of the curriculum fair.

Lesson Reflection - April 5

The Real Pocahontas

On this day - April 5 - my son was tasked to discuss and write about a famous Native American, namely Pocahontas.

Here's the following task he had to reflect on: "Native American Pocahontas married English colonist John Rolfe on this day in 1614. Rolfe took Pocahontas back to English with him where she became an instant celebrity. What changes do you think Pocahontas may have had to make in her new life? How do you think she might have felt? Why might the English have been curious about her?"

It was amazing to hear how analytical he was. He mentioned of how Pocahontas was challenged and experienced culture shock. He also said that she was initially lost, because she had to adjust to a new culture. He further stated that the English were also curious about her, similar to the way she may have been curious about them. She was not of their kind, so they naturally were curious and may have been prejudice against her because of the color of her skin. This lesson certainly brought to light the importance of being culturally responsive. My son appreciates multicultural literature, and I'm glad that he views other cultures as a source of richness. There's no doubt that the "world is a rainbow!"

Source: 365 Multicultural Activities

Image source: http://pocahontas.morenus.org/

Homeschool Resources to Enhance Learning

The following are resourceful websites I found useful in preparing my homeschool activities. I found the graphic organizers to be extremely useful with my son.

*www.everythingesl.net (articles)
*www.enchantedlearning.com (activities; membership fee required)
*www.dltk-cards.com/bingo/ (bingo games)
*www.abcteach.com (flash cards; membership fee required)
*www.colorincolorado.org (great information)
*www.readinga-z.com (leveled books and reading ideas; membership fee required)
*www.learnenglish.org.uk (songs, poems, resources)
*www.mes-english.com (printables)
*www.brainpopesl.com (animated videos, free trial membership)

Progressing in Math and Discussing Columbus's Landing

As you know, the curriculum I have my son engage in is a twofold of themes and preparation for the GED. Aside from completing his homeschool experience, I want him to complete his GED as well. All the content areas we have reviewed has enhanced his schemata, so that he can be able to grasp the content necessary for this goal we have collectively decided to complete.

In any event, he is exploring the basics of Math, including Whole Numbers, Word Problems, Integers and Number Lines, etc. He is progressing, and that is a good sign.

We also explored the theme regarding Columbus's travels. In fact, he is tasked with contemplating the following:

It's believed that Columbus's first landing in the New World was at San Salvador, an island in the Bahamas. The Bahama Islands are located off the coasts of Florida and Haiti. The islands are lined with warm sand beaches, so many people go there to swim and walk by the ocean. Many of the islands also have forests and swamps with much wildlife. Discuss about the islands, its features, and the uniqueness of living in the islands.

Source: Multicultural Activities

Homeschool Resource: March IRA 2011 Newsletter

Click here to view the Guam Council IRA March 2011 Newsletter.

Thematic Lessons and GED

Happy New Year 2011! With the start of the new year, we will focus on each of the content areas with thematic lessons. The interdisciplinary unit has been quite resourceful, so I decided to extend the lesson with a daily theme (i.e. A Day in History) throughout the year. In the meantime, my son and I have a duo mission. We will focus not only on meeting the different content area skills, but also work on ensuring that he is prepared to take the GED this year.

A DAY IN HISTORY FOOD FOR THOUGHT - JANUARY

January 1: First day of the first month of the Gregorian calendar year, Anno Domini 2004, a Common Year, and (until July 4th) the 228th year of American independence.

Source: The Teacher's Calendar

End of the Year Reflection

Homeschooling my son has been challenging, as I also have my full-time teaching job as an ESL Teacher/Coordinator, as well as my adjunct teaching positions at UOG and GCC. Nevertheless, I make it a point to have my 4-hour nightly sessions with my son. It is obvious that I'm truly a teacher in every sense of the word, from morning to night! I'm grateful for the opportunity to teach my son at home, because he has unique accommodations that both the private and public school systems could not provide. Because of his unforunate eczema condition, it was difficult for him to put on his uniform daily, and it was painful to see him suffer like that. As a result, as per Guam Law (17 GCA Chapter 6, Section 6109), we ventured into the world of homeschooling.

My son has learned a great deal at his own pace in each of the content areas. He has even set a goal that aside from completing his homeschool experience, he will take the GED exam. I'm proud that he is looking ahead, because next school year he'll be a senior. However, if he becomes truly ambitious, he might even take the GED before then and be able to attend college a year earlier.

As you can see, homeschooling has worked to accommodate my son who has unique needs that we, as parents, made sure were provided. As I further reflect on my homeschool teaching, I think my husband and I made the right decision. My son is happier now, since he doesn't have to fight with his uniform. His skin specialist has seen some improvement, although we still go in for follow-up visits, because his condition still mildly exists. Improvements in every level have made a difference! We are looking forward to another wonderful year of homeschooling!