| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp |
| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp. All rights reserved. |
| about the book |
| The Homeschool Diner's Guide to Homeschooling by Subject PE, Health & Safety and Driver's Ed by Julie Shepherd Knapp, copyright 2006 A sampling of resources available to homeschoolers PE Programs fro Homeschoolers: For individual and team sports opportunities, check the offerings of your local YMCA, City Park and Recreation Departments, County Parks, Aquatic Centers, private homeschool sports leagues, homeschool learning co-ops, and local school districts (some districts allow homeschoolers to participate, others do not). Also consider involvement in "life-long" sports, such as hiking, golf, tennis, bicycling, skiing, skating, skateboarding, running, or swimming. Exercising as a family, on a walk or bicycle ride, can provide time for talking, learning, and enjoying each other's company, as well as counting toward your PE goals. The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book by Guy Bailey -- covers games that can be played by 2 - 4 players, such as red light/green light, kick ball, tether ball, etc President’s Challenge -- a version of the President's Physical Fitness Challenge that can be used by homeschool families. Balance First -- by Discovery School.com, in partnership with the President's Council on Physical Fitness, a health curriculum that address healthy eating and the need for exercise Homeschool SportsNet -- a national organization, includesTEAMFIND to help locate homeschool sports groups in your area VERBNow.com -- a fun website sponsored by the US Dept of Health and Human Services, lots of sports related activities, create animated clips that represent your own level of activity, generate new game ideas, watch short video clips of kids giving tips on how to do things in various sports Dance, Dance, Revolution Mario Mix for Nintendo Game Box and Dance, Dance, Revolution for PlayStation -- two games that require movement to play them! Both games come with a floor mat that is controlled with foot movements, instead of a hand-held game controller. Both are great aerobic exercise that parents can join in on. :-) The original PlayStation game is geared toward teens, plays teen-type music, and the screen figures are more teen-looking as they dance. There are several other more recent versions available, including a Strawberry Shortcake version, search game websites for others The Nintendo game is more kid-friendly, the music is like that found in children's video games, including "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" (the easiest song to learn the game on), the "dancing" is more like hop-scotch than dancing, there is also an actual Mario game included that is played by foot movements on the mat. Martial Arts Videos -- martial arts are a great way for homeschoolers to stay fit, check your yellow pages for training centers (dojos) near you, if you aren't able to locate, travel to, or afford a martial arts class you can help your child learn karate from these instructional videos Also consider The Performing Arts as a way to get exercise Also consider that chasing after paper airplanes is great exercise! ;-) Health and Hygiene Resources for Homeschoolers: There are dozens of books available at public libraries and thru major book sellers. Buying your own copy means that you can remove the chapters from the binding, staple or put them in a separate folder, and give them to your student as you feel he or she is ready for each chapter. (just as you would dispense any other curriculum resource) NUTRITION DETECTIVES® "Teaching Kids to Make Healthy Choices" -- a curriculum by Drs. David and Catherine Katz Nutrition and Fitness: 50 Lessons and Exercises -- for any age US National Institute of Health Curriculum Supplements -- (K - 12) free learning modules for various topics in health and biology, online web version or paper copy (one per homeschool) are available Food and Nutrition -- an extensive website that discusses all aspects of food, nutrition, food processing, the food industry, food additives, and agriculture, from the University of Saskatchewan The 5 a Day Program from Dole -- free lesson plans, downloads and activities Values, Emotions, and Respect from the U of Illinois Literature That Teaches Kids Values from Mrs. Rushton's Spectacular Second Grade -- a nice list of books by topic Henry the Hand -- fun but solid info for young kids on benefits of hand washing, food safety, disease/germ control, etc Handwashing Tips from the Mayo Clinic Don't Sweat IT! Every Body's Answers to Questions You Don't Want to Ask by Marguerite Crump - An award-winning book on general hygiene and sex education for those entering puberty. It is "cartoony" and humorous. [Note: parents who are currently only looking for hygiene info can remove the chapters on sex ed to give to their child at a later age, if they wish] Core Concepts in Health by McGraw-Hill -- a high school level textbook which has a lot of support information, activities and games on its webpage. You can purchase the textbook (check eBay ;-) or just use the online resources to build/supplement your own curriculum. Safety Resources: Safe Kids Worldwide - health and safety tips for kids McGruff.org - activities and video clips for kids on Stranger Danger and Bullies Caution: The Intenet is not Rated "G" by Julie Knapp - tips and resources for "safe Surfing" Driver's Education: Check with your state and your insurance company to find out details of what is required and acceptable. I have not used any of these programs... but it is a place for you to begin your own research. National Driver’s Training Driver's Ed in a Box Driver Zed -- interactive software gives students real-life situations and asks them what to do Teen Driver - Parent Contract -- a nice idea, from Wisconsin |