Here are some interesting things about military kids:

• There are over 1.5 million children who have a military-affiliation.
• Most military children will move more than 5 times during childhood! I moved 10 times before I was 18 AND I went to 18 different schools!
• Most people don’t realize that less than 10% of military kids attend a Dept. of Defense School! The majority of military kids are at public schools, and some are at private schools, as well! We can’t forget our homeschool families that make up a small percentage too!
• Children who grow up in the military world are more likely to join the military one day! You could even say…it runs in the family! Both my husband’s father and my father served. My husband serves and so does my brother .
• With so many unknowns in their world, military children tend to carry levels of anxiety and depression. This is something to monitor for sure, and make sure to reach out to the many resources that are available to the military families for this!
• With all of the moving and having to make new friends, many military kids tend to be very outgoing!
• One of the big challenges in their world is that most military children will experience one, or even both parents, being deployed at some point. There are some who will experience this many times too.

So let us celebrate our little troops, because they are truly amazing and resilient individuals! So, Purple Up all month long!

Find Out More with MyMilitarySavings.com and Military Life & Family!

Reality – As a homeschooling parent, I have found that my children learn MORE when I engage them in things that they are interested in. When children are in a public school setting, its about the entire class, not the individual student. Pediatricians will tell you that your child learns through play, and that is true, but children are sponges, they learn through doing!  Math was never my favorite subject, I always preferred writing and history. My youngest enjoys math, so much that most days he does not want to do anything else. However we have found ways to engage and persevere through other subjects that are not “as fun.”

1. Grocery Stores – you can use this for fractions and multiplication learning. I have found it is easier with fractions. Addition and subtraction can also be taught this way.
2. Library – who doesn’t love a library?? We have a library day once a week, where we go and read, participate in games and learning activities that they have. Besides promoting a love of books, reading helps develop cognitive skills as well as an extensive vocabulary. Be daring! Find something outside of your comfort zone to try out! You might just be surprised.
3. Sports – get involved in a sporting activity. This not only helps with muscular development, but is also social. Kids need to be involved!
4. FIELD TRIPS – this one is my favorite! Visit an old battlefield, art museum, historical sites, Presidential libraries and childhood homes, etc. The possibilities here are endless! We have field trips planned for police and fire stations.
5. PCS – you might be wondering how this could be educational, but hear me out. We recently PCS’d from Fort Lewis to Maryland, and as we drove through the many states in between, we went over a lot of geography. We talked about mountains and rivers, capitals and state birds. There are so many games that you can devise and play while you are moving!

Education does not always have to be boring. There are a ton of documentaries and kits available to help in areas that are not favorites. You can use board games to teach math (think money and counting), movies can be used to incorporate music and dance. We will grab an old musical and watch, then ask “Did the music pull the movie together? What kind of instruments were used? Was there a scene where you felt it was out of place?” There are so many ways to include education in play. Lincoln logs, legos and more. Build a city out of those boxes from your last move and let your kids take turns being the town sheriff. Have them think of ways that laws could be used to benefit their town (see, you just incorporated government into their play).

Home schooling is more than just sitting down with a curriculum and working through benchmarks. I have pointed out in other blogs where we can see where one child might struggle. I don’t have to worry about 15 other kids who get it, I am focusing on the one child that needs extra help. Grab a bag of chocolates or pretzels and use them as counters. Use more hands on methods, and work at their pace. So you take longer to complete something.. its okay!!  You have to have a basis (curriculum) for what you are teaching, but adding in the ideas mentioned above, you are gaining, not losing!

I am going to add my addendum here, I don’t think public schools are bad. They are needed, and they work well for many students. We chose homeschooling due to moving, and being able to jump some hurdles that we felt our children needed more help with. I am not putting them down or knocking them in any way. I just felt that we could benefit more from a one on one situation.

What are you favorite teaching methods in home schooling??