(on) The Road (to becoming a) Scholar: Beginning Fine Motor Skills

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Beginning Fine Motor Skills

As I was writing about Kindergarten, I mentioned working on fine motor skills. One wonderful resource I have found is the Ed Emberley books. My kids, including my preschoolers, love Ed Emberley books. These wonderful books are a great introduction to drawing and following instruction.

Ed starts out with the premise that if you can draw a few very basic shapes, you can draw anything! And he is right. My four year old was kissing this book last night, our most recent library resource. Don't tell him, but I just purchased his own copy for school next year.

Starting out with these drawings, we will be working on the fine motor skills necessary to write and retell stories. Next year will be filled with read aloud stories. He will need to retell them to me orally and also to draw pictures of them.

One more note...my son that ~~has~~ had fine motor delays is also finding pleasure in drawing with these books because they so clearly illustrate what to add step-by-step.

Another approach to take with this is using finger prints. Ed Emberley has several books on "funprints". We used this idea to make Mother's day cards this year. We'll be using it in our school work, too.

Both of these books are available in our county library system. However, I am opting to purchase them as Amazon is running a 4 for 3 sale right now. Lots of books I will use the whole year are in the sale. While I tend to buy a lot of books, many that we'll use are available from the library. But, some I can't pass up when they are so handy the whole year round.

Art will be playing a larger part of our school year next year as we draw in our Nature Journals and as we work on our drawing, painting and Art appreciation skils.

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The Road Scholar

Cathie and her husband are blessed with six children and have home educated them since 2003. Before children, Cathie developed curricula and taught classes for adults around the world on a variety of topics in the computer industry at the corporate and technical school level. She loves to develop curricula, teach homeschool co-op classes and organize book clubs. For five years, she held board positions on a large homeschool support group such as general coordinator, membership coordinator and advisory member.

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Topics:

Beginning Homeschooling - Beyond the Basics

Are you new to homeschooling? Where do you start? How do you ensure a very good (not just adequate) homeschooling experience, especially in that important first year? This practical how-to session will help you determine the appropriate first steps on your homeschooling adventure. We'll talk about picking a curriculum, scheduling and strategies for developing an independent child as well as strengthening your family and social relationships.

Get Your Game On!
Using EASY, Almost No-Fuss Games to Help Keep Learning Fun

Kids love games and so much is gained by playing games: learning to taking turns, good sportsmanship, patience and development of relationships. By using games, we can tailor to the needs of the child - not just academically, but socially, too. Come join in the fun yourself and learn how easy it is to put together games for your children—and you don't have to be creative to do it, either! Besides learning how, you will walk away with instructions, tips and resources to make your own games at home.

How to Get Your Kids to See the Light (or Feel it or Hear it)!

Teaching different learning modalities requires different tactics. Learn how to determine which modality your child uses and find ways to present material so that it sticks the first time, especially if it is different than your own learning modality.

This Old Schoolhouse

The school marms and school masters of yesteryear taught several children at different levels and formed many of our favorite American heroes. We will look back at how those school marms ran their one room schools and take some tips on making our school days more successful. We’ll talk about schedules, curriculum, discipline, independence, character development and motivation for the one room school in your home.

Socrates Meets Homeschool Mom

If Socrates could teach you one thing, it would be to use his method (the Socratic Method) for literary analysis. This presentation addresses the fundamentals of literary interpretation from within the accessible world of children’s literature, so even young students can easily identify the language of literary analysis. As they mature they will readily spot these fundamentals in more difficult works, enriching both their understanding of the literature and their appreciation for the author’s handiwork. Learn the aspects of literary analysis and how to help kids appreciate and find the meaning in all the great books they read.

The Motivation Myth

What do sticker charts, time-outs and spelling bees have in common? They are examples of “Carrots and Sticks.” Over the last 40 years, study after study has shown that "Carrots and Sticks" don't work for long term motivation, especially when thought is required in the process. How are you motivating and inspiring your kids to study, do chores and reach goals? Learn about what truly motivates kids, how to mentor them and help them become successful in their endeavors. I will dispel the myths and reveal truths about human motivation and mindset. And here’s a hint. It’s you, not them. I hope you will join me to find out what that means.