Homeschoolers most used item?

My electric pencil sharpener. My 1950″sh dictionary. I’m glad when my facilitator told me that we didn’t have to do EVERY math problem on the page once we had mastered the concepts.

Tough one, it’d have to be my laptop. I was going to say library card, but we only go a few times a week, not every day.

My computer is my connection to the world, I can find all sorts of resources, ideas, support. The kids use theirs daily as well.

The one thing I’m glad someone shared with me? A really amazing support group IRL that we’re members of. I’ve made the best friends, and my children have an extended family. Other groups were okay, but didn’t fit our style, this one is perfect.

One thing…wow. I don’t know if I can pick just one? Maybe my library card ? 🙂 I’d be lost – and broke – without the library.

My son is very auditory, so a good portion of his curriculum is by audio book and DVD/CDRom. He would be really miserable without the DVD or CD player. He understands the information about 1000 times better, and longer, if he can listen to it.

Lastly, things like Cup Stacks and sports skills DVDs have proven to be really, really beneficial for them. He’s also very kinesthetic, and if he knows that in between sets of 3 subjects or so he can get away and move for 10-20 minutes, it’s a lot easier for him to focus on what he’s doing and get it done well.

Hope that helps!

Mine’d have to be a skipping rope. Ten minutes of skipping out on the back yard *really* helps me concentrate and helps clear my head making it heaps easier to understand the concept that I just couldn’t make any sense out of ten minutes earlier.

Second to that’d be the pen and notebook I carry around with me all the time…never know when or where inspiration is going to strike.

The best thing anyone ever shared with us: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be the individual who can not read or write but the individual who can not learn, unlearn and relearn” (Alvin Tofler)

Hannah

I would have to say my laptop, were I study German and Spaish

Do research on people, countries, history and Soooo many other things, a computer is a amazing tool to learn with.

I agree fully with the first persons answer about

“I can do anything I want. If I want to learn something I can.”

very good answer nicoleband0

My PC. I cannot live without it. I use Google to research things all the time. I use Merriam Webster dictionary online all the time. I use Google Images to find pictures of specific things. I use Yahoogroups to stay connected to other homeschoolers.

I cannot go a day without my agenda book, without it I would be lost. During the summer I make an agenda book with the things that I must complete.

It would have to be my thin, one-subject notebooks. Great for taking notes and doodling in! I also use the computer alot in school now that I am in high school. Other than the fact that I have to write alot of reports and essays, I love to type.

My dry erase board. I take it everywhere with the kids. There is no paper to clean up and they are still occupied without using TV or a video game.

*Electric pencil sharpener

*Paper cutter

*Three-hole punch

*Laminator

*”Desk Apprentice” from Staples (#1 on “shared” list):

(Y!A won’t let me post the link – you can search at Staples’ site)

*MS Office programs: Outlook (calendar & tasks), Word, Excel, Power Point, Access

*Different colored pens

*Storage clipboard

*Dry erase paper (GoWrite!) (can’t post this link – do a ‘net search for “MyGoWrite”

*Dry erase boards and markers (used mostly on a glass sliding door)

*Our curriculum, K12’s, online planning and progress tools

…sorry, I couldn’t pick just one thing…if I had to, I suppose the Desk Apprentice… 🙂