COVID19 EMERGENCY HOMESCHOOLERS and others!
How do teachers create lessons? Simply put, there are 3 basic components to every lesson.
1. Preparation - What is the student expected to learn in this lesson?
2. Execution - What activity will best fulfill the learning goal of this lesson?
3. Assessment - Did the lesson achieve the goal?
For professional teachers, each component has many smaller components incorporated in it. There is a great deal of time spent on preparing and assessing lesson plans. But the beauty of homeschooling is that the parent comes fully equipped with all the information they need for 'Preparation' and 'Assessment' because if given a list of learning goals, they instinctively know what the child still needs to know and when the concept has been mastered.
Let's use an example.
1. A Grade 1 child is expected to learn to add so the goal for a lesson might be -- Adding single digit numbers. Most parents know if their child can add single digits or not. If the parent is uncertain it will take 10 seconds to find out. Give them a math question: 1+ 6. Are they able to add it or not?
If no, then here is a lesson they need.
2. So now you must come up with a lesson that will teach them this skill. At this level, Gr. 1 students do better with 'manipulables'. That's a fancy word for 'beans'....or buttons.....or toothpicks....or whatever. Get their favorite manipulable and start counting. eg. 1 bean + 6 beans gives 7 beans. Do this with different combinations and different manipulables until they can readily count the totals of items less than 20.
3. Do you need to test your child to see if they learned it? Of course not. You are working with them the entire time. Tests are only for teachers, not parents (unless you have 20 or more 6 year olds in your family!).
The big question for every teacher and parent is, What are the expectations for every grade and every subject?
For Emergency Homeschoolers (ie short term) this is NOT a priority. You are in the School Of Life and to make homeschool an adventure you will discover the lesson as it happens. How easy is that!?
Perhaps you're baking with your child and measurements are used. While your child is happily measuring 2 cups of flour you begin thinking like a teacher. What skill is your child learning right now? Measurement? Counting? Adding? Reading? Did you have to help? Explain? Repeat? (ie acting like a teacher!) When the flour dust has settled, did your child master a new concept? Yes or no? No test needed. No curriculum needed. Simply a parent who has had at least a Gr 8 education, enjoys being with their children, and looks for adventure!
For those parents who are considering full time homeschooling I've included below the BC Ministry of Education (MOE) link to lists of concepts to be learned in each grade. Be forewarned! The List is extensive and intimidating. HOWEVER, there are private companies that still produce textbooks and workbooks such as A Beka, Bob Jones, Math U See, Saxon Math, etc. Thrift stores sometimes carry used materials as do many online homeschool websites. If in doubt how to proceed send me your questions and I'll do my best to help you.
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/overview
How do teachers create lessons? Simply put, there are 3 basic components to every lesson.
1. Preparation - What is the student expected to learn in this lesson?
2. Execution - What activity will best fulfill the learning goal of this lesson?
3. Assessment - Did the lesson achieve the goal?
For professional teachers, each component has many smaller components incorporated in it. There is a great deal of time spent on preparing and assessing lesson plans. But the beauty of homeschooling is that the parent comes fully equipped with all the information they need for 'Preparation' and 'Assessment' because if given a list of learning goals, they instinctively know what the child still needs to know and when the concept has been mastered.
Let's use an example.
1. A Grade 1 child is expected to learn to add so the goal for a lesson might be -- Adding single digit numbers. Most parents know if their child can add single digits or not. If the parent is uncertain it will take 10 seconds to find out. Give them a math question: 1+ 6. Are they able to add it or not?
If no, then here is a lesson they need.
2. So now you must come up with a lesson that will teach them this skill. At this level, Gr. 1 students do better with 'manipulables'. That's a fancy word for 'beans'....or buttons.....or toothpicks....or whatever. Get their favorite manipulable and start counting. eg. 1 bean + 6 beans gives 7 beans. Do this with different combinations and different manipulables until they can readily count the totals of items less than 20.
3. Do you need to test your child to see if they learned it? Of course not. You are working with them the entire time. Tests are only for teachers, not parents (unless you have 20 or more 6 year olds in your family!).
The big question for every teacher and parent is, What are the expectations for every grade and every subject?
For Emergency Homeschoolers (ie short term) this is NOT a priority. You are in the School Of Life and to make homeschool an adventure you will discover the lesson as it happens. How easy is that!?
Perhaps you're baking with your child and measurements are used. While your child is happily measuring 2 cups of flour you begin thinking like a teacher. What skill is your child learning right now? Measurement? Counting? Adding? Reading? Did you have to help? Explain? Repeat? (ie acting like a teacher!) When the flour dust has settled, did your child master a new concept? Yes or no? No test needed. No curriculum needed. Simply a parent who has had at least a Gr 8 education, enjoys being with their children, and looks for adventure!
For those parents who are considering full time homeschooling I've included below the BC Ministry of Education (MOE) link to lists of concepts to be learned in each grade. Be forewarned! The List is extensive and intimidating. HOWEVER, there are private companies that still produce textbooks and workbooks such as A Beka, Bob Jones, Math U See, Saxon Math, etc. Thrift stores sometimes carry used materials as do many online homeschool websites. If in doubt how to proceed send me your questions and I'll do my best to help you.
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/overview
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