Friday Five

Five Great Home Learning Tools
(Or, Why We Don't Spend a Ton on Curriculum)

(Note: I didn't say "homeschooling," because I believe home can be a great source of learning whether or not you're conducting your formal education there.)

1. This globe. Yes, it's on the pricey side unless you get a rockbottom deal like I did at Amazon a few months ago, but when your five year old can tell you exactly where Libya is, and your three year old can find not only Russia but also MALI, both on the globe and on the world map, you know your dollars are well spent. I mean, seriously, people. I'm not sure I knew exactly where Mali was, and I'm thirty two. At least, I didn't know until my husband and I became wicked competitive over the GeoQuiz feature on this globe.

2. Magazine subscriptions: National Geographic (great for making collages!), Ranger Rick, Highlights. Who doesn't like to get mail? I also have my eye on a subscription to some of the Cricket magazines, like Spider and Ask.

3. Dice and cards. Nope, not running a gambling parlor here, but do you know how many math games you can play with these cheapies? Thinkfun makes a good game called ThinkFun Math Dice, but even a pair of plain dice can yield plenty of game possibilities. For suggestions, I recommend the great book Games for Math.


4. Jim Weiss CD's. I know, I know, I've mentioned these before. And I don't own stock in the company, seriously. It's just that ... well ... my children know and enjoy the stories of Robin Hood, Gulliver's Travels, the Three Musketeers, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Sherlock Holmes, etc. etc. etc. as a result of Mr. Weiss's storytelling, which I think will make the classics all the less daunting to them when they're older.

5. Nature guides, like Stokes Butterfly Book. Great for identifying those caterpillars you find all over one particular garden plant, or the snail the young 'uns dig up, or the birds that steal your chickens' feed and build nests under the eaves. Makes Mom look pretty smart, too. And we like that.