| Are you planning your homeschool program for | | | | that support your area of study and have a |
| next year yet? I realize that may seem an odd | | | | series of movie nights. Movies won't always |
| question for the month of May, but if you're not | | | | present information with 100% accuracy, but |
| already thinking about next fall, you may lose | | | | there are many that will be great lead-ins to your |
| valuable teaching opportunities this summer! Be | | | | study. For instance, if you are studying the Civil |
| careful, though - I didn't say you had to "do | | | | War next year in your History studies, an |
| school" in the summer, although many | | | | excellent movie is Gettysburg. For studies in |
| homeschoolers do, but you can be laying the | | | | science, depending on your topic, a few great |
| groundwork for next fall, now by doing some fun | | | | movies to recommend are October Sky, or |
| summer activities with your homeschoolers this | | | | Apollo 13. By seeing a few selected movies over |
| summer. | | | | the summer, your students will be much readier |
| Think about the topics you will be covering next | | | | to visually create pictures in their minds of the |
| year. If you know that you will be studying a | | | | real events and people when they begin their |
| particular time period or topic in History, or a | | | | studies in the fall. Nothing does this more readily |
| certain scientific discovery or inventor, do some | | | | than a movie. |
| advance research for museums near you, or | | | | Many times, homeschoolers think of doing these |
| special events that will be going on this summer | | | | types of activities while they are in the middle of |
| that delve into this topic. This will begin to set the | | | | a particular study. However, doing this over the |
| backdrop for your future studies. One of the | | | | summer, in preparation for next fall, is an |
| easiest ways for students to learn, and that | | | | excellent way to create an interest, build some |
| clearly includes homeschool students, is through | | | | foundational exposure, and help to make things |
| visually entertaining stimuli that create emotions | | | | more interesting for future study. This is called |
| for us. Attending a museum and touring exhibits, | | | | building "schema" - when we create familiar pieces |
| particularly with hands-on activities, will help to do | | | | of information to which additional facts can be |
| this and become highly valuable tools as | | | | added later for increased comprehension and |
| introductions to future studies. It will allow you to | | | | application. |
| create a layer of information to build from next | | | | Use the fun and the interesting to build schema |
| year that can be conveyed in a relaxed and | | | | for next year - it will make learning easier and |
| casual atmosphere now. | | | | you will enjoy some good family activities over |
| Another option is to review a variety of movies | | | | the summer, too! |