Thursday, April 26, 2012

Our Newest Game: Tricky Ys

"Words ending in "Y" all make different sounds."
Little Learner, quite confused by all the "Y" words in a recent workbook page (yes, we do them occasionally) voiced her opinion about why "Y" shouldn't have so many sounds. Tricky "Y".

I decided to take learning off the page and put it into her hands.

I made a list of all the words I could ending in "Y" taking on the sound of either long e or long i. I designed 2x3 inch cards, one word to each card, and printed the cards on 100 pound cardstock (colored makes it more fun). Little Learners helped me cut through the straight lines with their blunt tipped scissors.

Once cards were cut, I created a "Y" from one business- and one letter-sized envelope. After sealing the envelopes, I trimmed 1/4 inch off the top edge to make two pockets. I formed the "Y", securing with tape on the back, and traced around the outside edges with a black Sharpie to make the "Y" more pronounced. I wrote "long e" on one envelope pocket and "long i" on the other.




We have played this game many ways, in fact the littles like making up new rules. One round (played with a 5 and 8 year old) we read through the cards. I helped the 5 year old and it was great review for the eight year old. Then we placed the cards face down in the center of the play area and took turns drawing a card, saying the word, and letting it slide down the correct pocket.

This morning, we look the game with us on the morning dog walking adventure. The girls each had a handful of random cards, took turns reading their word and placing it in the correct pocket. I helped read words which had been forgotten.



We've had great fun and success with our new game, Tricky Ys. We also learned the meanings of some new words: wity, sly, and rely. So, chalk one up for vocabulary. Today, learning with our hands (and outside) was delightful.


Sunday, April 22, 2012

College Admission Requirements for Home Educated Applicants

Over the past several months, I have been speaking to rooms full of parents (some larger than others) considering the home education journey for their middle and high school children. Most often, we talk about specifics and how-tos. At some point during the Q&A portion, I am usually asked, "What about college admission?" 

Generally colleges welcome home educated students, but it is always wise to check on the admission requirements of particular schools of interest. Don't assume. Contact admissions counselors. Some universities have one counselor designated for home educated students. Finding out valuable information early enables parents and young adults to plan well for the high school chapter of a student's life. 

Finding the specific requirements for home educated students on a college site can take time. In an effort to help parents, I have created this blog with links, hoping it might save someone, somewhere, time. I will add to the list as I am able, so check back.

Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA

http://www.agnesscott.edu/admission/undergraduate/high-school-students/how-to-apply.html

Amherst College, Amherst, MA
https://www.amherst.edu/admission/apply/firstyear/homeschooled_stud

Arizona State, Phoenix Area
https://students.asu.edu/homeschool

Auburn, Auburn, AL
http://www.auburn.edu/admissions/faqs/admissions.html#homeschooled (Scroll to the bottom)
http://www.auburn.edu/admissions/apply/requirements.html

Baptist Bible College, Clarks Summit, PA
http://www.bbc.edu/college/future_students/admissions_homeschooled.asp

Bellhaven University, Jackson, MS
http://www.belhaven.edu/admission/home_school.htm

Belmont Abbey College, Belmont, NC
http://www.belmontabbeycollege.edu/admissions/application-process/home-school-students.aspx

Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME
https://www.bowdoin.edu/admissions/apply/testing-policy.shtml
https://www.bowdoin.edu/admissions/apply/home-school-applicants.shtml

Bradley University, Peoria, IL
http://www.bradley.edu/dotAsset/117865.pdf
http://www.bradley.edu/admissions/documents/homeSchoolSupplement.pdf

Bryan College, Dayton, TN
http://www.bryan.edu/prospectivehomeschool.html

Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA
http://www.bucknell.edu/x17346.xml

California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
http://admissions.caltech.edu/applying/homeschooled

Cedarville University, Cedarville, OH
https://www.cedarville.edu/Admissions/Admission-Guidelines/Home-Schooled-Students.aspx

Charleston Southern University, Charleston, SC
http://www.csuniv.edu/admissions/homeschool/index.html

Clearwater Christian College, Clearwater, FL
http://www.clearwater.edu/admissions/undergrad/homeschoolnextsteps.asp

Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, GA
http://www.covenant.edu/admissions/undergrad/home-schooled

Emory, Atlanta, GA
http://apply.emory.edu/apply/requirements.php
http://www.emory.edu/admission/admission/first_year_application/home_schooled_applicants.html

Emory-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL
http://daytonabeach.erau.edu/financial-aid/applying-for-aid/supplemental-forms/2013-2014/2014%20FV4CV4.pdf

Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers, FL
http://www.fgcu.edu/Admissions/Prospective/homeschooled.html

Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL
http://www.fit.edu/ugrad/freshman/

Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

http://admissions.fsu.edu/freshman/counselors/admissions.cfm
http://registrar.fsu.edu/bulletin/undergrad/info/admissions.htm

Furman, Greenville, SC 
http://www2.furman.edu/admission/EngageFurman/apply/Pages/FirstYearApplicants.aspx
http://www.furman.edu/admission/EngageFurman/Freshman-Applicants/Pages/application-instructions.aspx

George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
http://admissions.gmu.edu/freshmen/homeSchoolInfo.asp

Grove City College, Grove City, PA 
http://www.gcc.edu/Homeschool.php

Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI
http://admit.indiana.edu/apply/freshmen/standards/homeschooled.shtml

John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
http://apply.jhu.edu/apply/faq_all.html (see Other Questions)

Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
http://www.k-state.edu/admissions/apply/

Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA
http://www.liberty.edu/undergrad/index.cfm?PID=16427

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
http://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/homeschool

Mercer University, Macon, GA
http://gomercer.com/admissions/freshman-admissions.aspx

Messiah College, Grantham, PA
http://www.messiah.edu/admissions/homeschool_students/

Oberlin College and Conservatory, Oberlin, OH
http://new.oberlin.edu/arts-and-sciences/admissions/first-year-applicant/homeschooled.dot

Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, GA
http://www.oglethorpe.edu/Admission/undergraduate/home_school.asp

Ohio University, Athens, OH
http://www.ohio.edu/admissions/upload/Homeschool-Guidelines.pdf

Patrick Henry College, Purcellville, VA 
http://www.phc.edu/Application_Requirements.php

Pensacola Christian College, Pensacola, FL
http://www.pcci.edu/Academics/AdmissionsRequirements.html

Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/tips_for_home_schooled/

Rice, Houston, TX
http://futureowls.rice.edu/futureowls/Home-Schoolers.asp

Rollins College, Winter Park, FL
http://www.rollins.edu/admission/admissioninfo/requirements-deadlines.html

St. John's College, Annapolis, MD and Santa Fe, NM
http://www.stjohnscollege.edu/admissions/requirements.shtml

Stanford University, Stanford, CA
http://admission.stanford.edu/application/freshman/home_school.html

Stetson University, Deland, FL
http://www.stetson.edu/administration/admissions/first-year-applicants/application-instructions.php

Southern Methodist University, Dallas TX
http://www.smu.edu/Admission/Apply/FirstYear/HomeSchool

Taylor University, Upland, IN
http://www.taylor.edu/admissions/undergraduate/application-process/homeschool-students.shtml

Texas Christian Universtiy, Fort Worth, TX
http://www.admissions.tcu.edu/freshman_admission.asp (home educated students ask to contact home education admission counselor at the university)

The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA
http://www.wm.edu/admission/undergraduateadmission/applicationprocess/freshmanapplicants/homeschooledapplicants/index.php

Trinity Lutheran College, Everett, WA
http://www.tlc.edu/admissions/first_year_apply.html

Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
http://admission.tulane.edu/apply/now/homeschool.php

United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO
 http://www.academyadmissions.com/img/assets/PDF/homeschool_pamphlet.pdf
http://www.academyadmissions.com/admissions/advice-to-applicants/home-schoolers/

United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD
http://www.usna.edu/admissions/faq.htm#homeschool

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
http://catalogs.ua.edu/catalog10/500400.html

University of Dallas, Irving, TX
http://www.udallas.edu/futurestudents/admiss/homeschool_1

University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
http://admissions.illinois.edu/faq/home_school.html

University of Evansville, Evansville, IL
http://www.evansville.edu/guidelines/homeschooled.cfm

University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/ugrad/frqualify.html

University of Georgia, Athens, GA
https://www.admissions.uga.edu/article/home-educated-or-non-accredited-high-school.html

University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
http://admissions.illinois.edu/faq/home_school.html

University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
http://admissions.unh.edu/apply/home-school/

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
http://testwww.admissions.unc.edu/Apply/First_Year_Students/Requirements.html
http://testwww.admissions.unc.edu/ask_carolina.html?query=home+schooled+applicants&x=0&y=0

University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL
http://www.unf.edu/president/policies_regulations/02-AcademicAffairs/EnrollmentServices/2_0381R.aspx

University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
http://admissions.nd.edu/admission-and-application/prospective-first-year-students/application-faq/#home (scroll to the bottom)
http://admissions.nd.edu/admission-and-application/prospective-first-year-students/evaluation-criteria/

University of Richmond, Richmond, VA
http://admissions.richmond.edu/process/homeschool.html

University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
http://usfweb2.usf.edu/Admissions/Freshmen/other-academic-factors.aspx

Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/prospective/homeschool.php

Washington State University, Pullman, WA
http://admission.wsu.edu/requirements/home.html

Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL 
http://www.wheaton.edu/Admissions-and-Aid/Undergrad/Prospective-Students/Homeschooled

Thursday, April 19, 2012

A Handsomely Fabulous Way to Learn Measurement


Searching the internet, I happened across a great way to teach or to reinforce units of capacity. I love hands-on, interactive ways to teach and to learn math, so Measurement Man was right up my alley, I mean abacus.

My girls LOVED this activity which is the best I have found to teach this concept in a hands-on, concrete method.

I posted the link on the Flip Three Pancakes page of my website. If you liked Measurement Man, you will love the other activities I posted.