Is $1 Cheap Enough?

I am always looking for an inexpensive and quick

 learning manipulatives.

File folder games work well for me because they are easy to store,

and can usually be self-correcting.

During back to school shopping,

Target sold file folder games in their dollar section.

That's cheap enough for me!

Using one of my favorite DIY tools,

self adhesive laminating sheets,

I quickly covered the game board...

and the pieces.

A cheaper and easier to find alternative is clear Contact paper,

but the laminating sheets are clearer and a bit stiffer.

Then using another favorite tool,

my little cutting thing,

I cut apart the game pieces.

DONE.

You can use the pieces as a memory game,

with pieces turned down,

or as a matching game,

where you put down one set of cards,

then match up the second set.

The only caution in buying school materials not created by

educational companies, is to watch for inaccuracies.

I bought a poster from a dollar store that was missing

several letters from the Spanish alphabet.

Some math booklets and games progess too quickly for age level.

You don't want to jump from 2 + 2 = 4

to

8 + 9 = 17

A phonics item might use words that begin with the correct letter,

but not the correct phonetic sound.

Church would NOT be a good clue word for the letter "c."

The Dollar Tree stores have been known to occasionally

get a small shipment from Evan Moor company.

Be on the look out for inexpensive, easy and accurate

 manipulatives to enhance your curriculum.

What inexpensive treasures have you found lately?

Quick File Folder Game

File folder games are a quick and easy way
to reinforce a concept.
If an answer key is provided for self-correcting,
the student  can use the games alone
for quiet learning time.

Yes, I said quiet.
It happens once in awhile.

Sometimes a simple workbook page

can easily become a file folder game.

Watch for concepts that your child may need extra work to master,
or concepts your other kids will need to reinforce, as well.

This day we were learning which consonants are doubled at the end of word.

This is a page from a very old Bob Jones Spelling Grade 2 workbook,
first used by my married daughter, Jana.

We copied the pages for years,
or had the kids write their answers on paper.

Beka is the only child who gets to write in the book.

 For some reason, writing in a workbook
 is a big, big deal to my homeschooled children,
whose mother is very stingy thrifty.

My alpha and omega,

my first and my last child,

enjoying the moment

of a book that is older than half my children.

To make the file folder game,
I started by making two copies of the worksheet,

one on regular paper, one on cardstock.

I always print on fast draft to save ink.

I cut out the images from the paper copy and glued them down.

I used self adhesive laminating sheets to cover the pictures. 

 It makes the game last longer and makes it washable.

Yea, you know it,

even file folder games might get kid snarf on them.

A little bit of peanut butter or jelly,

a dribble of milk,

or a booger.

OK, there might be momma goobies on them, too,

like coffee dribbles or a crumble of chocolate that dropped while

you were frantically shoving candy into your mouth before the kids caught you.

Sometimes, mommies don't like to share.

Sometimes, mommies don't have to share.

Chocolate, that is.

Back to the game that we are making washable -

The apples on the cardstock were laminated on both sides

and carefully cut out.

Little pieces of velcro were glued...

...onto the game board

...and onto the little apple pieces.

A simple game to reinforce a concept.

The smaller pieces are kept in a small resealable bag or an envelope

and stored inside the file folder.

The game is stored in my file folder box of games

 and will be played a few more times a year.

Games break the monotony of book/workbook learning,

and they can be used interactively between student and teacher,

or individually by the student.

Years ago, my husband and I noticed that almost ALL kids are excited to start school.

Somehow, that joy of learning is lost, and kids, in all learning environments,

begin to dislike school and learning.

After homeschooling 17 years,

I learned that sometimes Mommies lose their joy of teaching.

What do you do in your home to stimulate that joy of learning and teaching?

Even if you public or private school,

I know you are putting in a lot of teaching hours with homework.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

File Folder Games

Every year, I have added a few more games to my File Folder Games box. Of course, with no toddlers eating my markers, drooling all over my papers and stealing my scissors to cut their own hair, it is much easier to cut, color and paste in peace.

Self-checking file folder games are great for filling in those quiet moments when you are teaching one child and another is ever-so-patiently waiting for your attention. They are a fun way to emphasize a new skill you are introducing.

Early on I could never afford the colored folders. When buying colored folder, make sure there isn't printing on the inside. My early games were also very simple, but the kids enjoyed them, anyway.

This summer, this was my book of choice.

ISBN # 0-590-96380-5 Phonics Quick and Easy Learning Games by Wiley Blevins, published by Scholastic.

It isn't a file folder game book, but all the games were easily adapted for this format. The games reinforce beginning consonants, short vowels, consonant blends, long vowels, digraphs, rhyming words, r-controlled vowels and more.

Unlike all my other file folder games, these games are for the parent to play with their kids. Since I only have one in elementary school, this will work for me this year.

I made copies of each of the games and put the pages in their own file folders. I bought a plastic accordian folder at Target for $1. I also stocked a pencil case with with colored pencils, markers, scissors, and glue sticks and put both items in a tote bag. Every time I was going to be in the car longer than a half an hour, I carried the bag with me and worked on my projects. As I was working, I used post-it notes to mark what still needed to be done with each game.

The book has a pattern for a die you are to make, but I knew that would last about one minute, so I opted for these paper spinners from a dollar store. I used little stickers to adapt each spinner for the options needed for each game.

Office Max had free laminating for teachers last year, so I was in for about three weeks in a row with games and manipulatives I had been coloring for a few years in preparation for teaching first grade. This year, they offered 50% off, so I was thankful for that.

If I don't want to laminate, I use peel and stick laminating sheets from Avery. It is much clearer than clear contact paper, doesn't bubble, but it more expensive and harder to find. When I tried to buy it this year at Wal-Mart, the kid sent me back to the fabric store where the rolls of clear vinyl were. When I tried to buy them at Fred Meyer, I ran into a pleasant clerk that hadn't learned the English term, "laminating" yet, but was eager to help me. I knew there would be NO WAY I would be able to describe what I needed, so I hunted myself, but didn't find them. These are my final sheets from last summer's cutting and pasting.

I glue the instructions on the outside of the folder and glue the game boards on the inside.

While putting these away, I found a few I didn't finish from last year. There's ALWAYS something for a homeschooling mommy to do, isn't there?

Check out:

Enchanted Learning

Childcareland You also can sign up to receive daily emails with worksheets, craft ideas and video instructions for projects. My favorite site for pre-school and kindergarden.

Homeschool Hutt

Preschool Printables I made some of these years ago. Very fun!

Hope this inspires you to create fun learning activities for your homeschool.