It all started with a tweet. A thought-provoking thread on Twitter by Ann S. Her post got me thinking about libraries’ focus on quantity when it comes to programming. The day after I read Ann’s tweet, I ran a homeschool program for three students. Inspired by both of those things, I tweeted the following, which went my level of viral.
Author: Kary Henry
Homeschool Book Club Activities
I offer two homeschool book clubs, both based on the Illinois Readers’ Choice Awards. The younger students read books from the Bluestem list, and the older students read from the Caudill list. Recently, I was struggling to create engaging and fun book-based activites that would work in a virtual setting. My niece, Amanda, came to the rescue! Amanda is a brand-new (and, proud aunt brag, fantastic!) elementary school teacher and had created a cool activity for her students. She graciously shared the idea with me. I’ve now adapted it into multiple versions. Each time my homeschool students have said things like, “This is the coolest thing ever!” and “Can we do this again next week?”
Take a Smile! Leave a Smile!
When I was growing up, I remember that our local dime store (yes, that was a thing) had a little dish of pennies next to the (manual) cash register. The sign above the dish said, “Take a Penny! Leave a Penny!” As a child, I was fascinated by that little dish and its sign. My dad had to explain the concept of making change and how just one penny might make a difference, might make it easier for the cashier to make change. Given that we all might enjoy some uplifting content, I decided to tweak that old-fashioned sign for one of my own: “Take a Smile! Leave a Smile!” Sharing stories that bring smiles to each other is priceless. In that spirit, enjoy these stories…and then please leave one of your own!
Homeschoolers Have a Hoot!
Birds of prey are fascinating to me and the homeschool students I serve. Programs about raptors and owls have been successful for my homeschool programming, whether bringing in the pros or creating my own activities.
Homeschool Projects
Are you a project person? I am! Whether it’s scrapbooking, knitting, or making cards, I like to have a variety of projects to work on. In looking at my homeschool programming choices, it’s obvious that my “project personality” extends to the Library as well. I enjoy creating month-long series of programs, which culminate in some sort of project.
Challenged by Nostalgia
Isn’t it funny how a random conversation can lead to something more….like a blog post? One day, I was talking with a friend about library memories, feeling a sense of nostalgia. I might have mentioned my elementary school librarian, Miss Secrist.
Globetrotters’ Adventure Club
Our Summer Reading Program theme is “Reading Colors Your World.” This theme is perfect for colorful and diverse programming such as a Globetrotters’ Adventure Club . This series of programs, focusing on art and world cultures, would be perfect anytime, not just during the summer.
Picture Books + Homeschool Science = Win, Part 2
Last month, I shared my picture book/STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) series for younger homeschool students. This month, I’ll focus on the older students (ages 11-14) and the “Spring into Motion” physics series I created for them, using picture books and STEAM concepts.