Professor Mom - Homeschooling Resources

Tips for Using Nature to Increase Kids' Attention Span

Homeschooling gives us a terrific opportunity to use the outdoors to academic advantage.  In my recent post on the positive effect of nature on children's attention spans, I promised some practical tips on how to incorporate more 'green' time into your homeschool day.  Inspired by a master in the use of nature for education, Charlotte Mason, these ideas are easy to implement and fun for the whole family. 

 

Caveat:  To all of you Type A's - Giving your kids 'green' time does not need to be a huge project.  Don't try to plan it too much, or you may do a lot of planning and not so much doing.  Just get out there.  Kids and nature have a natural connection.  Let that connection run its course and enjoy your own recharge with your kids!

 

Here are some ideas for enjoying the benefits of nature and improving your child's focus at the same time:

• Go for a walk in the woods or along the beach. If you have a state park nearby, invest in an annual pass. The pass gives you the freedom to go whenever the spirit moves you!
• Create a nature collection of items such as rocks, shells, leaves or pine cones.
• Plant a garden with your children. If you don't have any outdoor space for a garden, plant seeds in pots and build your own indoor greenhouse.
• Go on scavenger hunts outside. Use your homeschool lessons as a jumping off point.
• Let them get dirty! Allow your kids to play in dirt, mud and puddles. Trust me, they are washable:-)
• Go swimming in a lake, tackle the fine art of fishing, journey the marsh while frog hunting, or use the binoculars for birdwatching.
• Build a structure out of natural materials. Forts made of sticks or branches are a favorite at our house.
• Create science projects around nature. A collage on leaves requires you to get out and gather some!
• Hunt for bugs and see how many different kinds you can identify.
• Encourage your children to take their homeschool outdoors. Reading and other activities can be done in the backyard or at a park.

The great outdoors is a timeless retreat for refreshment and renewal.  Time spent walking through a forest can yield creative ideas, solutions to problems, or a new outlook on a relationship.  The rejuvenating effects are not specific to the adult world, though.   Get your kids outside for a simple way to renew and recharge their focus and concentration.  The only side effect to this Professor Mom prescription is the occasional smudged cheek or skinned knee!

Nature Improves Attention Span

Homeschooling or not, parents across America recognize that short attention spans plague many of today's children. Between flashing television images, text messaging, pre-digested information, and sound bytes, young people are surrounded by opportunities for distraction. 

Focus is a key skill for young people who look forward to a life of meaningful work.  The ability to stick with something, to persevere, is a piece of this.  However, focus is more than simply a character issue.  Brain development and function is a critical piece of developing the ability to focus.  

Common sense tells us that a child's environment plays a key role in the development of attention span.  I know that, you know that, even the reknowned 19th century educator, Charlotte Mason, predicated her education writings on that.  Homeschooling families are instinctively drawn to Mason's teachings on the benefits of fresh air and nature walks.  We know that nature has the power to sooth.

I was curious, then, to see how that intuitive knowledge played out in the research community.  As I poked through some literature, I stumbled on an article in the Journal of Attention Disorders which dealt specifically with the affect of nature on the attention spans of children.  Researchers at the University of Illinois gave children time outdoors - in various settings - before taking a series of tests.  While controlling for other variables, including medication, time of day, and noise levels, the research team looked for a connection between the amount of 'green' children were exposed to and their ability to focus on the subsequent tests.

So, does 'green' really matter?  Can a walk in the park really increase a child's focus? 

It appears that way.  "What this particular study tells us is that the physical environment matters," said Frances E. Kuo, co-author of the study. "We don't know what it is about the park, exactly — the greenness or lack of buildings — that seems to improve attention, but the study tells us that even though everything else was the same — who the child was with, the levels of noise, the length of time, the time of day, whether the child was on medication — if we kept everything else the same, we just changed the environment, we still saw a measurable difference in children's symptoms. And that's completely new. No one has done a study looking at a child in different environments, in a controlled comparison where everything else is the same."

Study subjects were all children with ADHD, placing them on the focused-challenged end of the attention span spectrum.  However, "we're all on a continuum of attention so this study has implications for all of us," said Andrea Faber Taylor. "ADHD is just at the far end of attention functioning, but there are plenty of us who fall somewhere close to that end of the continuum, and we all experience times when we're mentally fatigued — times when we're less able to focus and do tasks and get easily distracted. The evidence suggests that natural settings can benefit everyone, even children (and adults) who have not been diagnosed with ADHD."

Timeless wisdom and current research align and give us important insight to keep in mind for us and for our children.  Homeschoolers have the unique opportunity to take this research and apply it to day-to-day life.  We have greater leverage over the time our children spend outdoors than parents in a school setting. 

Later this week, I'll be posting some practical tips on how to increase your child's attention span using nature.  In the meantime, send them out to play.  Better yet, go outside and play with them!

Carnival of Homeschooling - Jan. 5, 2010

Check out this week's edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling... good reading!

Home Renewal: Let eBay Freshen Your Decor

The sun is shining, the air is brisk, and the house looks grand!  Hmmm, except the faded throw pillows and the tattered rug at the front door.  Oh, and the small army of porcelain figurines, closets stuffed with clothes that remind you of another life, and various dishes that are glorified dust collectors.  You glance through a Pottery Barn catalog and realize that you could fund your children’s college education with what it would cost to redecorate.  As a homemaker, you want to create a home that fits your family perfectly; sometimes you just wish you knew how.

 

Take heart… what you need to renew your living space may be right at your fingertips.  You may already have all you need to makeover your home.  How?  By using eBay to clear your home, you can pay for improvements as you go.  You don’t need a Ph.D. in Computer Science to do it, either; all it takes is a camera, a computer with internet access and a little creativity.  Your winter home renewal is underway!

 

Dream a Little

The first step is to take inventory.  Choose a time when you are alone in your house (if this isn’t possible, send everyone to their rooms for some quiet time!)  Now, really open your eyes to your possessions.  Is there a throw on the couch that is pilled or faded?  What about the dreary picture on the wall?  Could your living room use a bookshelf to contain your beloved reading collection? 

 

Bring a notebook with you.  Start a new page for each room.  List changes you’d like to make (a vibrant painting over the fireplace,) things you need to replace (the dingy comforter on your bed,) or items that you would like to purchase (a set of cobalt blue vases to brighten up the kitchen ledge.)

 

Gather Your Tools

Then, you need to get online.  Go to www.ebay.com and register for an account.  This doesn’t cost anything, and you have the ability to protect your privacy.  Choose a fun username that reflects your personality and your new mission. 

 

Your next visit will be to www.paypal.com, where you will also register for an account.  The beauty of PayPal is that you are able to receive money from buyers (or send money to sellers) without any exchange of private financial information.  It also gives you the option of using your bank account instead of a credit card.

 

Prepare Your Workspace

Now the real work begins.  Again go through your home, room by room.  Remove any items that:

 

a) you no longer use (size 2 pants from 1983)

b) you really don’t care for (that vase Aunt Rhoda gave you for your wedding) or

c) are broken, worn, or fall into the category of “someday” items (“someday” I might need that.) 

 

Determine which items are worth selling.  Remember, one (wo)man’s trash is another’s treasure.

 

Get Camera Ready

Lay a plain sheet on a table.  Attractively arrange the items you are selling, taking pictures of each item and making notes of its details (i.e., size, color, condition, name brand, etc.)

 

List, List, List

Now, logon to your eBay account and click on “Sell”.  The site will walk you through the listing process.  You don’t need to pay for all of the bells and whistles that they offer.  Just make sure you have a clear picture and an informative title.  The nominal cost for a Gallery picture isn’t a bad investment either, it can give you an edge in the search results.  Browse similar listings to determine realistic prices for items like yours.   eBay also has a tool from Terapeak that will give you an idea of what items are selling for.  All you do is type in the name of your item and, poof, you have a list of what similar items have sold for!

 

Set up Shipping

One word of caution, determine your shipping costs before you list to ensure that you won’t be losing money... I skipped this step once and ended up losing $5 in shipping on a $4 item!  Next, stock a bin with shipping supplies (envelopes, boxes, bubble wrap, packing tape, Sharpie marker.)  When someone wins a bid and pays for their merchandise, you can simply box it up and ship it out. 

 

Another tip - When I have sold a few items, I copy and paste the shipping addresses into a Word file and print the labels.  Then, I cut each label and adhere it to the appropriate box with packing tape.

 

O.K., remember that PayPal account you set up?  Your balance should be growing as buyers complete their transactions. 

 

Don’t Forget Feedback

eBay etiquette dictates leaving brief feedback for each buyer or seller you do business with.  This helps both parties to establish a good reputation on eBay.

 

Order In

Finally, it’s time for the really fun part.  Go back to your "Dream List" and start browsing eBay.  Check out listings that match items on your list.  When you win an item, pay for it with the earnings you have accumulated in your PayPal account.  Make sure to check the seller’s feedback rating to ensure you are buying from an established, trustworthy eBayer. 

 

That's it!  By clearing your clutter, you have now created a clear, attractive space for your family.  Each time a box is delivered, remember that you and your home are on the path to simplicity and organization.  As you revitalize your décor, bask in the fruits of your labor with a cup of hot tea.  You can enjoy your revitalized home all the more knowing that you made it happen.  

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