Summary: <a href="http://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Begin-Your-Homeschool-With-A-Bang-1.jpg"></a>Begin Your Homeschool Year with A Bang! with Felice Gerwitz<br> Episode #216<br> <br> It appears that as parents we have competition with the back to school crowd, you know your kids may have friends who are shopping for new clothes, back packs, lunch boxes and school supplies that their schools require. I know I’ve been asked to donate to the back to school funds for needy kids – teachers association and the like.<br> <br> So what is a homeschool parent to do?! Let me share my back to school routine with my kids and how exciting it was each and every year! Even in the high school years!<br> <br> Visit Our Sponsor - Begin Your Homeschool With A Bang<br> <br> Visit our podcast sponsor! Get all these books from our <a href="http://www.mediaangelsmembership.com/">Media Angels Membership</a> website.<br> <br> <a href="http://mediaangelsmembership.com/"></a><br> <br> Show Notes - Episode<br> <br> * Create a party atmosphere – why not? Lead up to the day with some hints and some hidden surprises. I’ll share some of these surprises later on…<br> * Create a banner –super easy to do on the computer AND as a bonus – I’ve added one to this post –podcast – look under VHM or PODCAST # and I’ve added several. One you can have the children color and one if you want to splurge with a colored printer. I always added the children’s pictures to the banner –and their grade.<br> * Hand out the new books – each child gets their books (or you may have a family book pile) … go through them, introduce the topic and make it sound exciting! “This year we will learn about the stars and the oceans! How fun!”<br> * Hand out new supplies. Crayons, markers, art books, pencils, pencil sharpeners, etc.<br> * Have a fun project ready to go – either a craft… like decorating a box where they will keep their school supplies, even if it is a plastic see-through case, you can purchase fun stickers for the kids to use to make it their own…or a fun science activity. Something spectacular is fun… see my podcast on fun science activities –<a href="http://ultimateradioshow.com/summer-activities-kids/">Summer activities for Kids</a>.<br> * Remember to get some work done the first day. It might be an open ended story the kids need to finish (younger kids can dictate it or you can write it on a marker board or large sheet of paper to use as copy work.)<br> * Be careful of the reproducible monsters. Too many worksheets – it is a disaster to grade or to keep track of…<br> * Use photos to keep track of the year – make Friday night pizza or (whatever night) and<br> * Give a year end notebook. This is the place where you will put work samples to keep track of progress in the year. The children can label the dividers, decorate the notebook or label it in some way.<br>
