Computer Programming Classes Made Easy

Whether you have a computer geek in-the-making or you need to add some technology coursework to your homeschool curriculum, Codeacademy is a great option for teaching kids how to code.  Codeacademy is free, interactive and it's a web app, so it runs entirely through a web browser and there is nothing to install.

Codeacademy starts off with a really, really basic lesson, so total newbies need not be intimidated.  The site promises to put the student "on the path to building great websites, games, and apps", so if your student is more advanced, have them just go through the more rudimentary stuff to get to programming lessons that are more their cup of tea.  Badges are awarded as the student completes each class.

If you have multiple students doing Codeacademy or some of your student's friends are going through the program, they can track one another's progress, which provides a social aspect.

Tip:
To use Codeacademy in your homeschool classroom, remember to set up a free account for each student so they can save their work and track their progress.

Have your kids used Codeacademy?  Let me know what you think in the comments.

Thanks to LifeHacker for the heads-up on Codeacademy.

• Visit Codeacademy

SAT, ACT, GMAT, GRE or LSAT Study Resource on the Web

The Wall Street Journal All Things Digital has a great review of Grockit, an online resource for studying for college entrance exams.

Grockit makes studying for the SAT, ACT, GMAT, GRE or LSAT less expensive with lessons, group study and solo practice while being fun and educational, according to reviewer/reporter Katie Boehret. Grockit also has practice for English Language Arts and Math for grades 7 - 12, and can be a part of your home schooling curriculum.

• Check out Grockit.com
• Read SAT Prep on the Web: A) a Game; B) Online Chat; C) All of the Above from The Wall Street Journal
• College-Prep Homeschooling: Your Complete Guide to Homeschooling through High School 

When to Start a New Paragraph - Middle School Writing

Recently, my homeschool student wrote a short compare and contrast report of the book, Nim's Island and the Nim's Island movie. What was handed in consisted of two long paragraphs when it should have been broken down into several paragraphs, although I reviewed that a new idea or subject requires a new paragraph before the writing began.  My student thought that anything written about the book was one idea and one paragraph, and anything written about the movie is another idea and paragraph.

Even though I write for a web site professionally, I wasn't effectively teaching the concept of how to know when to start a new paragraph.  Worse yet, after decades of "just knowing" when to start a paragraph, I could not come up with another way to teach this.

I did some research to get help with teaching about paragraphs, and found Purdue's Online Writing Lab's On Paragraphs to be a great resource to help with explaining paragraphs.  Homeschool teachers can translate this information to the appropriate grade level for their students, while older students can use it as a refresher when needed.  On Paragraphs is printable, and check out the Purdue OWL resources for grades 7-12 for more writing resources and instructional material.