Efficiency expert, father of twelve, and author of the memoir Cheaper by the Dozen, Frank Gillbreth made full use of his family's walls for teaching.
I know that my kids love the illustrated prehistoric timeline their dad saved from his childhood bedroom wall. We put it in our stairwell. More than that, though, they love the historical timelines, mobiles, genealogical charts, and posters we make to decorate our walls, ceilings, and refrigerator door.
When I find a time period or subject that might interest the kids, I usually pin it up somewhere (i.e., a comparison chart on marine mammal design, a family tree of Greek Mythology, or a blank timeline for the kids to fill in.)
Historical Timelines
The History Shop at LearningThroughHistory.com has some historical and blank timelines you can purchase for not too much. They've also got stickers of people, places, and events you can use with it. They've also got a sizeable selection of premade timelines.
GuestHollow.com has free printable historical and blank timelines.
In her article on creating a limited timeline of events, Suite101.com author Tammy Andrew proposed an interesting twist on a straight-forward timeline. She encourages students to make connections between historical people and events and their own life, thus making history more memorable.
Posters, Charts, and Graphical Organizers
You'll undoubtedly come into possession of various interesting posters, charts, and maps. In the stairway, I put up the poster of a million stars that came in the back of Anna Milbourne's book How Big is a Million? On the wall behind the front door, I put up a life-size poster of human anatomy, with related stickers, that came with a science kit. And, of course, we've got a variety of maps. Don't you?
Eduplace.com has numerous types of printable graphical organizers (i.e., wheels, charts, maps, diagrams, webs, and timelines) to give you ideas for creative ways to present information in a visually satisfying way.
Refrigerator Whiteboard
My family uses our refrigerator door as a focus place for whatever we're currently interested in (i.e., allergies and nutrition information, news clippings, upcoming events, stages of tadpole development). Some families install blackboard or whiteboard wall decals on the front of the fridge or on walls. My family uses magnets and magnetic holders to display and present information on the appliances.
Are you making full use of your home's space? Imagine the possibilities. We've got carschooling, videoschooling, and online schooling. Add new visuals to home-schooling.
Source: Ruben, Marina. How to Tutor Your Own Child. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2011.
Sara McGrath - Sara is a veteran homeschool mom of three, Usborne consultant, and the author of Unschooling: A Lifestyle of Learning.
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