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Free Elementary Valentine’s Day Activities (Printables, Lesson Plans, Tips, Crafts, and More)

1/30/2015

 
by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff
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Valentine's Day is a fun time for many children. During this celebration, you will want to teach the children the meaning of this day, as well as provide fun crafts and activities to entertain and stimulate them. Below you will find enough lessons, crafts, and activities to cover an entire day (or more) worth of Valentine's Day fun and learning.

Preparation


Before starting the day with the children, be sure you have Valentine's Day books and supplies for any activities ready. To make this day run smoother, provide each child with a plain-colored pocket folder that contains all of the paper materials needed for the day. This way when it's time to do each activity, the child will be prepared. This will also serve as an easy way for the child to take the finished work home.

Below is a fun way for each child to personalize their folder. For supplies that won't go into the folders, place a bin containing enough supplies to share at each desk or group table. To complete all projects below, you will need to have glue, scissors, a sharpened pencil, and colored pencils/crayons/markers for each student.

You'll also need to have a jar with each child's name inside on folded papers.

Handy Tips

For certain activities, you may want to let the children know how much time they have. An easy way to do so is to is to tell them which number the big hand on the clock will be on when their time is up.

You may want to prepare a children's collection of music to play on Valentine's Day that is related to love, sharing, and caring. For instance, one song that could be included is the "I Love You" theme song for Barney and Friends.

Craft #1: Decorating The Valentine's Folder

Supply each student with a white pocketed folder that contains their worksheets for the day. Instruct the children to write their names in the top right corner with their favorite dark color. Once they have done this, instruct them to write "My Valentine's Day Folder" in the middle. If your students cannot yet write, you may choose to do those first two things beforehand. After the labeling, instruct the students to draw things that represent love and Valentine's day on their folders. Allow them to draw and color whatever they wish.

Story Time #1


For this first story session, you will need to have a children's book that tells the meaning of Valentine's Day and/or love. Some good books for this are as follows.

"Hearts, Cupids, and Red Roses: The Story of the Valentine Symbols" by Edna Barth
"I Love You Stinky Face" by Lisa McCourt
"You Are My I Love You" by Maryann Cusimano and Satomi Ichikawa
"I Want To Say I Love You" by Caralyn Buehner

The above books are all appropriate for elementary ages. If you would rather not purchase books, remember that a local library likely has plenty of Valentine's Day books and many will order books on request if they do not have what you want on hand.

Active Discussion - Once the story is read, ask the children leading questions that will provoke understanding of what Valentine's Day is for and/or the meaning of love.

Activity #1: Secret Valentines

For this game, the children will each need a heart-shaped paper. The lined heart paper in the activity section of this article is good for this purpose. You will need to have your name jar out. Walk around the classroom and allow each student to draw a name from the jar. If a student gets his or her own name, that student must place the name in the jar and draw again. Once every student has a name, the students should write a nice message or poem on the heart-shaped paper for that person. If the children have started with a white heart paper, they may want to color it red or pink before writing a message. Instruct the students to think of something nice the other person has done to make the messages more meaningful. The students should then fold the valentines in half and write the person's name on the outside. You will then need to come around the class and collect the valentines in a basket and then pass them out. The students can then read aloud the valentine they have received.

Story Time #2


For this next story, you will want to choose a book that underlines an example of good and bad things that can happen on Valentine's Day. Some good books for that are as follows.

"Arthur's Valentine" by Marc Brown (K - 3rd grade)
"Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink" by Diane de Groat (2nd - 5th grade)
"Please Don't Be Mine, Julie Valentine" by Todd Strasser (4th - 6th grade)
"Super-Fine Valentine" by Bill Cosby (Pre-K - 3rd grade)

As mentioned above, if you do not wish the purchase books, check the local library.

Active Discussion - Once the story is read, ask the children leading questions that make them think about what is okay to do on Valentine's Day and what isn't. Also, let them know that it should not be embarrassing to love a friend. Friends are special.

Activity #2: Valentine's Day "Fish For That Valentine" Card Game


This game will be played just like "Go Fish". If you don't know how to play, instructions can be found by searching the internet. Where you would normally say "go fish", tell the children to say "fish for that valentine". Before the game, you will need to make the children decks of cards with different things related to Valentine's Day. Remember that in a "go fish" deck, there will be two pairs of each design, as the players will be matching them.

Be sure to make enough decks so that you can split the children into groups of 4 players. To duplicate the first deck you made, just make copies of it. Laminate all the decks to make them last longer. When the children are playing, you can walk around and help them if needed.

Craft #2: Valentines For Family Members

Provide each child with various shapes of hearts out of a variety of different types of papers in pink, white, and red. Instruct the children to make their family members valentines with special messages. If they glue items together, be sure they know to allow the items drying time before placing them in their folders.

Try not to limit students to choosing one family member. This is a mistake some teachers make. Some students will feel pressure or anxiety when choosing whether to give this special gift to mom, dad, or a grandparent because they don't want to make the others feel bad. An easy way to do this without the children getting too carried away with making a large amount of valentines is to say "Let's make valentines for parents and grandparents." This way, it limits it to a certain point, but does not make the child choose between their most loved relatives.

Coloring and Activity Pages

Below are links to some coloring and activity pages related to Valentine's Day and love.

Various Hearts Color Pages
Lots of Hearts (Color Page)
Bear With Heart (Color Page)
Cupid With Hearts (Color Page)
Lined Valentine Heart Paper (for stories, poems, etc...)
Free Valentine’s Day Word Puzzle
Valentine’s Day Bingo Printables
Free Valentine’s Day Crossword Puzzles


*I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network

5 Simple Free Counting Games for Preschoolers

1/29/2015

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by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff
Picture
Learning to count is a common and necessary skill for preschoolers to tackle. But it doesn't have to be all pencil and paper. Use simple counting games to make it fun and enhance skills at the same time. As a mom and homeschool teacher, I use a variety of ways to teach my kids lessons. Here are 5 of my favorite simple counting games for preschoolers.

Bring me this many! Test your preschoolers knowledge and practice counting by having her bring you a certain number of items. For instance, you might say "Bring me 10 yellow blocks". If she only brings you only eight, you might say "How many yellow blocks is that again? I still need 2 more to make ten." This simple counting game can be played throughout the day at various intervals.

How many words make this sentence? So your child has mastered counting objects? What about sentences in his stories? This helps with both reading comprehension and counting skills. Point to sentences and have the child count how many words he sees from the capital to the period. Doing so helps teach the child what a sentence is, as well as practice numeration.

Tap to my beat. Whether you use a pencil or a drumstick, instruct your child to tap the beat in songs. Choose a specific section of the song and tap the beat, counting together how many taps there are. This counting exercise helps the child learn about rhythm and song. But it's also great counting practice that you can sneak in disguised as fun.

Toss a penny in. Need a use for that old egg carton? Take off the top and use the egg holder portion to play penny toss. Number the slots 1-12 (or higher, depending the carton size). Grab a handful of pennies and hand them to your child. You might say "Toss 5 pennies into the number 1 slot". This simple counting game tests your child's hand-eye coordination, offers counting practice, tests number recognition skills, and more.

Red cars speed on by! Ever watch the cars go by with your kids? Turn it into a simple counting activity. Ask questions like "Let's see how many blue cars go by before the light turns red." Another may be "The light's green. How man red cars are speeding by?" Observe what's happening and use it to count the cars in various ways. This can be played during the homeschool day. But if your kids attend school outside the home, you can also play it with them on the way to and from school.


*I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network
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Tips for Teaching Kids Lines for a Screenplay or Musical

1/29/2015

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by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff
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Does your child need to memorize lines for a school music or screenplay? Perhaps it's a family or church performance or your child is performing in a local event. As a parent and homeschool teacher, I have taught my kids lines many times. Help your child learn his lines with some of the various memorization techniques I've used with the kids over the years.

Use index cards with before and after scenes to get them to remember what's next. Index cards with the lines on them may also help with memorization. But try mixing it up and writing the lines that come afterward or prior. These should both be other lines your child has, as well as lines from other roles in the play or musical. This helps the child remember in which order to do things when it's time for the performance.

Do mini-versions of the play or musical during practice. Not only does this help with memorization, but it also helps prevent nervousness. Many times kids get stage fright because they are afraid they'll forget their lines. It won't prevent all cases, especially those unrelated. But it can certainly help. Some kids learn by performing actions. Even for those who don't, hands-on experience is beneficial.

Record them saying the lines and play it back to them. This can be a fun memorization method for kids because they get to record themselves or have you do it. When they record the lines, they are free to read from their study book or sheet. The lines can be played back while in the car or while they do other things. Auditory learners will greatly benefit from this screenplay line memorization method.

Have them write down the lines. This helps visual learners. But it also helps the brain process the information. By writing the lines for the play or musical down, a child needs to read them, as well as think about them. Repeating the process helps keep them memorized. For each succession, have the child write the lines down at least three times each and read them aloud afterward.

Be consistent and persistent with a variety of methods. Practicing often for a good length of time will prove to be beneficial. Make sure they spend ample time every day practicing their lines, using the above methods, as well as any others you can think of. No matter their learning style or how the scenario plays out when they perform, they can feel confident they know their lines all around.


*I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network
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Teaching Kids to Read with Simple Daily Activities

1/25/2015

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by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff
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Teaching kids to read can be rewarding, but it also can be frustrating for some. Daily activities that blend in with the normal routine can be beneficial. This technique is especially helpful to reluctant learners. However, it can be used when teaching most kids how to read. As a former nanny and a current home school teacher and parent, I have taught plenty of kids how to read by using simple daily techniques.

Identifying Objects With Phonics

Whenever you hand your child an item, say the letter and sound it starts with, followed by the name. For instance, if you give your child a cup, you can say "C" then the sound, followed by "Cup. Here is your cup." This daily activity can set the foundation for reading comprehension.

Phonic House Walk


Using the daily activity mentioned above, walk around the house with your child. Point to and pick up objects, identifying them with phonics. Not only does this help with reading, spelling, language, and comprehension, but it familiarizes your child with the surroundings. If you label certain items with the corresponding word, it makes the phonic house walk even more effective.


Reading


Well, you may have expected this daily activity to be on the list. Nonetheless it needs to be included. Reading is essential when learning to read. Huh? That almost doesn't make sense. But of course, the parent will be the one reading at first. Point at the letters and read slowly, sounding out words, so that the child understands how you are reading. Ease into the child reading certain words onto complete sentences and entire books. Daily family reading circles are great for this technique.


Daily Phonics Games

Playing phonics and reading games daily also can help in teaching kids to read. These can be board games, computer games, or DIY games like Spelling Memory, Stop and Read, and Make This Sentence. Flash cards are also great for this and can be used in a traditional way or as part of a more detailed game. If you make up your own games, try to keep the rules simple and the game lighthearted and fun. This will help hold the child's interest.


Letter Writing Practice

Writing the letters daily can help kids further identify with the alphabet. It's especially helpful if the child is asked to state the letter's name and the sound it makes when writing it. The child can even copy words and sentences before knowing how to read. This action can increase understanding of the way words, sentences, and stories are formed. Comprehending that is an essential skill when it comes to reading.


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*I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network
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Free Reading Activities for Kids: Make This Sentence Game

1/25/2015

 
by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff
PictureImage (c) Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved
In addition to regular reading, related activities and games are great for practicing and developing essential skills. Not all children learn in the same way. As a homeschool teacher and parent, it's common practice to come up with such games and activities for the kids. Here's one of the homemade games I play with my kids called Make this Sentence.

Materials

  • index cards
  • list of sentences
  • scissors
  • permanent marker
  • timer
  • paper and pencil for scoring

Making the Game


To create Make this Sentence, the first step is creating a list of sentences. These should be formed based on reading and writing levels. Sight words are a great base for these. Now, cut the index cards in fourths. Write the words for each of the sentences on the index cards. Each word should have its own card. Common words can be written on two or three cards.

Playing Make this Sentence


This game can be played with two or more players or teams. One person needs to be assigned to reading out the sentences. This can be a parent, teacher, or student. The same person also gets to keep score. Spread the cards out in the middle of a table or floor. The words should be face-up so that the kids can easily see them.

When the first sentence is read out, the timer needs to be set for one minute. The first player or team needs to create the sentence with the cards. If the sentence is created before the minute is up, the player or team gets the point. If not, no points are awarded. For a variation, some might give the point to whomever is next when a player or team doesn't create the sentence in time. Move on to the next player or team and continue in the same fashion.

Beneficial Skills from the Game

When used in conjunction with regular reading, games and activities can help children develop and enhance reading skills. Whether children are hesitant to read or they enjoy it thoroughly, Make this Sentence can be beneficial in many ways. Hand-eye coordination is practiced in the act of searching for the right cards and assembling the sentences. Important organizational skills are taught when the child arranges the sentences in the proper order. This action also is another form of reading practice. The child has to read the words in order to create the sentences.

More Reading Activities on Life Successfully

*I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network

Free Reading Activities for Kids: Stop and Read Game

1/25/2015

 

A Fun Game to Motivate Kids to Read

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff
Picture
Reading practice is essential to a child's development. Getting creative with reading can be not only fun, but rewarding to the child as well as the parent. As a parent who strives to implement fun and exciting ways to enjoy reading into the lives of my children, as well as many others, I have invented many activities that encourage children to read. "Stop and Read" is one of those activities. Below you will find instructions on this activity.

Materials Needed

  • Stopwatch or timer
  • 2 or more players
  • books at appropriate reading level

Instructions For Playing the Game

Before beginning the Stop and Read game, a teacher or parent should seat the children in a circle. This game will be played in increments. The first book should be placed in one of the children's hands. Set the timer or stopwatch for 3 minutes. The child with the book will read out loud from the book until the time is up. Once the time is up, the teacher will say "Pass The Book", at which point the timer should be re-set for 30 seconds. The children will then pass the book around the circle clockwise until the time is up. The person using the timer will yell out "Stop And Read" once the time is up. Whomever is in possession of the book will read for 3 minutes, just like the first child did. The game should continue for at least 20 minutes, preferably longer, providing the children are interested.

Benefits Of Playing Stop and Read

There are many benefits to playing this game with children. This game provides oral reading skills, which are very helpful in school and in the workforce. A child can also learn how to share, as well as learn that not everything in life is fair because some children may get to read more often than others. Hand-eye coordination is also practiced when passing and receiving the book. The more a child reads, the more brain cells he or she will be gaining, which can contribute to absorbing knowledge well. Reading skills help a child to achieve in every academic subject.

How To Handle Disagreements


At times children might argue over who was in possession of the book. When this happens, one solution might be to hand the book back to the last reader and start the "Pass The Book" round over again. Some children might complain if others get to read more often. One solution could be to just encourage the children to continue play and let them know there's a chance they might get to read on another round. Each instance will be different, so base your response to the child's argument on each child and situation. Just be sure that your response incites positive behavior from the child.

Remember

Every child is different. While some children will enjoy and benefit from this activity, there is no guarantee that every child will. Use your own discretion when implementing ideas into a child's curriculum or educational activities.

~ ~

Have you tested this activity with a group of children?
Did you enjoy reading this content?
Do you have another activity suggestion?

This author welcomes and appreciates your feedback in the comments section below.

More Reading Activities on Life Successfully

*I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network

Free Reading Activities for Kids: Spelling Memory Game

1/25/2015

 
by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff
Picture
Memory (sometimes called Concentration) is a classic game loved by many - kids and adults alike. Have you ever thought about using it to help teach kids how to read? In our homeschool, I like to get creative with the teaching to keep the kids interested. Here's how to make and play Spelling Memory. Use it as both a fun craft and an interactive learning game.

Materials
  • poster board
  • scissors
  • permanent marker
  • word list

Making the Game


Parents or teachers can make this game themselves or turn making the game into a fun craft for the kids. Have handy a list of sight words or spelling words for the appropriate level. First cut out even-sized squares from the poster board to write the words on. Once they are all cut out, write each word on two squares. This is so that each word has a match.

Objective

Kids who play this game regularly should be able to quickly recognize and read the words used in the game. Word recognition and reading practice are essential to succeed in reading, spelling, and other academic subjects.

Playing the Game

Playing Spelling Memory is about the same as the classic game, except that there are words instead of pictures. Shuffle all the word cards by placing them on a table or floor face down. This is sometimes referred to as kindergarten shuffle because even small children can participate. Once the cards have been mixed well, line them up next to each other to form an even pattern, such as a square or rectangle. Keep them all face down.

The first player needs to turn over two cards from any two locations. If the cards match, that player keeps those cards as a match. Each time a match is gained, that player takes another turn. This continues until no matches have been made. It is then time to move on to the next player and repeat the process. The game goes on until there are no more matches left. Count each player's matches or cards. Whomever has the highest number is the winner.

Lessons from the Game

Spelling Memory can help teach children their sight or spelling words. Regular word practice is essential to spelling and reading comprehension. Distinguishing whether words are a match or not can help with recognition, thinking skills, and reading practice. The game can be used to practice for tests, enhance skills, or even just for fun.

More Reading Activities on Life Successfully

*I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network

Family Time How-To: Reading Circle

1/25/2015

 
by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff
Picture
Family time is a precious commodity. Yet, many families do not spend time together as often as they should. There are many ways to spend time without spending money. One of these ways is to create a special reading circle.

Here you will learn how to host a reading circle. This can be done with just members of the family or it can be done with a large group of people. If the latter is chosen, you may want to split people into groups of four of five so that everyone gets a turn. Mix the ages up in each group for diverse reading.

Objective:

This family time event has two objectives. One goal is for families to open communication as well as to grow closer and gain a better understanding of each other. The second goal is deeper reading comprehension. When stories are openly discussed by people of varied ages, it will help aid in greater comprehension.

Materials:

  • Books for each child's and adult's reading level (or just one or two books everyone can read together)
  • An open and comfy area and one center chair or other seating object

Directions:

Everyone should sit in a half circle around the center seating object. The first reader sits in or on the center object and begins to read. Each reader should read for 10 minutes each. Then, the cycle should begin again. Repeat the process until each person has read for at least 20 - 30 minutes.

After each person reads, the listeners and the reader should discuss the book a bit. A good focal point for discussion could be open-ended question, such as "What would have happened if the story ended like this instead of this". Open-ended questions lead to greater and more in-depth discussion. However, keep in mind that you will also want to have basic questions as well, so that everyone understands the story fully.

After the story time ends, it is good to have easy snacks out. These can be set up ahead of time. To keep it simple, try using snacks that are mainly finger food, to avoid a long preparation. That way, they can be prepared quickly and easily and stored in the refrigerator on trays. When you are ready, they can be easily pulled out and placed on a table or counter for easy access. Don't forget napkins and dessert-size paper plates

More Reading Activities on Life Successfully

*I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network

Classroom Separation by Grade Levels: Time for a Change? 

1/11/2015

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Schools and Students Might Benefit from Repealing Grade Level Segregation

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff
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Image (c) Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved
Many schools are structured in a way that separates students by grade level, but is it time for a change? Categorizing children in this manner may be detrimental to their social as well as academic development. Studies have shown that children who attend multi-age classrooms, those that teach a variety of ages in the same classroom, learn more efficiently and are also more prepared for dealing with the outside world.

The Multi-Age Classroom or Mixed-Aged Grouping


A multi-age classroom is one in which children of different ages are grouped together and are also taught together across the curriculum. These children are not given separate work or assigned separate seating, due to their ages, but are encouraged to work together to complete the assignments and projects. This type of instruction has shown to create children who work well together and blend well socially in society.

Multi-Age Grouping and Social Skills

When children learn to work together with all age groups, rather than to separate into age-related categories, this prepares them for the outside world. In the outside world, people are not separated by age. When you go to the gym or to the store, you will come across people of all ages. At a park where children enjoy socializing, the other child won't always be the same age as your child. At the library, museum, or zoo there are children and adults of all ages. When your child grows up and goes to work, the people he or she works with will not likely be all one age. Not only that, but at work, the position you are given does not factor in your age. It is based upon your experience, just as is the model of the mixed-age classroom.


Schools that use multi-age grouping methods have been proven to be more effective in developing vital social and academic skills. Much of this may be due to the fact that when children are grouped together, they are welcomed to advance at their own individual level, not a level they are required to be in, due to age. This allows children to advance when they need to and also to get more practice when needed. This model generally allows for children to go beyond their grade level in one subject if they know the facts as well as to gain more practice in weaker areas.


Choosing Mixed-Aged Grouping to Help People Work Together

If a child does not learn how to interact with people of all ages, this can cause differences in many aspects of life. Another factor that can cause these differences is when children are disciplined for working together or talking to each other. While there is formal time where children do work quietly, in a multi-group classroom, you will usually see children discussing things together and helping each other solve problems. It's amazing how much one child can help another. Not only can they explain the way they do things, but by nature, children look up to each other, and like to please each other. This quality is what brings this process together. When children want to please each other, they will work harder to do so, which is great for their academic achievement.

"Traditional" Classrooms Used Mixed-Age Learning Methods


If you think back to when the traditional schoolhouses were run, you will recollect from studies that these were run with multi-age grouping. After some point in time, schools slowly began to conform to the rules that we know today. While there are times that children work together in a traditional school setting, the time spent doing this is usually limited to certain projects and certain times. Even worse, the time spent with children of other ages may only be done during recess or if it is done at other times, it is on a strict and limited schedule.

How to Implement Multi-Age Learning

There are a variety of ways to give your child an education that involves multi-age learning. There are private schools who implement this structure as well as many early learning centers or daycare centers. The most common of these is probably the in-home childcare center. This is a home in which the person who lives in the home provides childcare services. Since these services are inside of a home, it is more difficult to separate the children, so by default, most of these types of centers are run with the multi-age factor. However, it is still important to check with the caregiver to learn his or her policy on this. The smaller children might still be kept separate from the larger children for a variety of reasons. Some people feel that smaller and larger children should be kept separate for safety. Others feel that if they are nurtured and supervised correctly, there is no need for separation. Keep in mind that many schools and centers that offer multi-age grouping often will be on the higher end of pricing, but they are also often on the higher end of quality as well.


If you would rather not send your child to an expensive school, another growing option is homeschooling. Homeschooling is almost always centered around multi-age grouping. If a homeschooled child has siblings that automatically defaults the multi-age factor. Also, many homeschooled children enjoy learning with others, rather than staying at home, so many parents will combine resources and share tutoring duties. Usually, the children learning together will be of different ages because not all parents will have only one child and rather than spend the whole day going over one level at a time, homeschool can be structured to fit all age and grade levels. The children of lower grade levels may be working on addition at the same time that others are working on multiplication because the parents can go over each lesson one at a time. Then, when instructions are finished, the children can work together to figure out the problems.

How is a Child Tested for Skills in a Multi-Age Setting?


You may be wondering how the parents and teachers will know if a child is grasping the concepts or just getting the answers from the peers. Well, just as in regular school settings, the children must still take tests for assessment. During testing time, the children will not be allowed to talk to each other. This is the main quiet time in many of these types of schools and homeschools. It is still important that the teachers and parents know where the child stands in grasping their skills. They have just decided to think outside the box and try a proven method that is often overlooked.

SOURCES:


Can "Free" Schooling or Unschooling Help My Child Succeed in Life?  by Lyn Lomasi

Should All Schools Go Back to Mixing Age Groups?
by Lyn Lomasi


Critical Issue: Enhance Learning Through Multiage Grouping by NCREL

Multi-Age as a Class Placement Approach by Seattle Schools

Children's Social Behavior In Relation To Mixed-Age Or Same-Age Classrooms by Early Childhood Research & Practice






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