Ultimate Reading Videos

I know it's been a while since I've updated and added new content to CBSB Homeschool.  But I am excited to share with you this YouTube playlist I've been using to teach my 3.5 year old daughter to read.  She's been watching some of these videos since she was about 2 years old, but I've been steadily adding videos and now the playlist is huge.

Click on the link to go to the playlist on YouTube where you can view full screen, or check out the embedded video box below.

Reading With Ruby

Check out some of the new reading videos we've made here at CBSB!  Let us know what you think!

Counting

Here is a playlist of great counting and basic math videos.  I think the key here is repetition and practice.  Cartoons make counting seem like fun!  Thanks to the videos on this list, my 2 year old can count backwards and forwards in English and Spanish to 12.

Of course young children may not be able to sit through so many videos on one subject.  For a wider variety of children's learning videos on playlists, please see our Pre-K page!

Counting




Blessings!

ABC Videos

This playlist is dedicated solely to ABC's.  Note: Your child will probably not want to watch a bunch of ABC videos all in a row, but these have been separated out so that you can add them to your own personal YouTube playlists.  For a playlist with a wider variety of learning cartoons such as numbers, colors, shapes, and feelings, check out the playlists on the Pre-K page.

ABC's

Hooked on Phonics Videos

Did you know that there are around 100 free Hooked on Phonics videos on YouTube?  That's right, you can get a lot of their material free and in HQ.

Below is a very short playlist of the hooked on phonics videos.  To see more, go to YouTube and type Hooked on Phonics into the search bar.  These videos are great and even my 2 year old loves them.  There are videos for Pre-K, 1st, and 2nd grade.  While the entire curriculum isn't on YouTube, a nice portion of it is!

Hooked on Phonics Playlist




Blessings!

Science - Caves

Below you will find many resources for teaching about caves.

Note: Parents are encouraged to watch all videos prior to planning a lesson or showing them to their children.  This is to help parents anticipate and research questions their student may have ahead of time, as well as to be sure that the video is appropriate for your child.  These are not Christian Videos (National Geographic), and because they are not, they say things like "These caves were formed fifty billion years ago."  You may wish to go into a Bible lesson along with these videos, in order to show your child that the Bible says one thing, and common science says another, and explain that sometimes man has the tendency to get things wrong.

Cave Playlist

Cave Links

Lava Beds National Monument - Northern California - Information about lava tube caves

Wiki Caves - A wide variety of information on caves and animals that inhabit them

Discover Caves - A very short page with basic cave information

How-Stuff-Works - Caves - A page with some good vocabulary on caves

Caves.org - A basic page with links to a variety of cave resources including grottos (cave clubs).

Books About Caves

(Note: The below links will take you to these books on Amazon.com.  These are not a free resource.  Some of these books will cost you almost $50.00 new, but you can often find them used for around $5 plus a few dollars shipping).

These are a great resource to order ahead of time when planning on teaching your student all about caves.  The first book on the list is one that I own and love.

I live a short distance from the Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California.  Naturally, all children in the surrounding Southern Oregon and Northern California area learn about caves and take field trips to these 600+ natural lava tubes.

Ideas for teaching about caves (depending on age of student):

• Watch cave videos on playlist above.
• Research caves on the internet via the links above.
• Student does a small or large report on one or more of the following about caves: where they're at, how they're formed, the different types, history of how caves have been used, cave vocabulary, mineral makeup of different types of caves.
• Join a local grotto (caving club) and take your student on some caving adventures in your area.
• Take a field trip to a guided tour cave in your area.
• Find some cave coloring pages online for your younger children to color.
• Discuss and research what types of animals and insects live in caves.
• Read books about caves.
• Discuss the scientists and explorers who study caves, and what type of lives they might lead.
• Discuss caving safety (how to go caving safely), example: what to bring, what to wear, tell people where you're going beforehand, etc.

With all of the possibilities, this can be a one time project, a week long project, or even a month long learning experience, depending on how far you want to take it.  This is also a topic that children will probably not tire of, and can be revisited at different stages of your student's learning development in more or less depth.

Have your own caving resources?  Share them below!

Blessings!

Science - How It's Made

These videos are from popular TV-Series and show how a variety of everyday products are made.

I think these videos are a great jumping off point for other lessons in the same topic.

Example: Watch the video about how soap is made with your children.  Then you can buy a soap making kit, or look up online how to make soap, and do a chemistry project with your kids by making soap.  You can also teach them about hypothesis by doing a second batch of soap on a different day, and asking, "What do you think will happen if we use less of this, or more of that?" then they can test their hypothesis by making the soap differently.  This video can also segway into a lesson on Hygeine, or even a short Bible lesson where you can look at some of God's laws about cleanliness, and ask questions like, "Why do you think God gave us the law to wash our hands?"  Lessons like this can be modified for your child's age and ability.  Possibilities are endless if you use your imagination.

Most of the videos chosen for the playlist below were because they seemed of interest to children (ex. how to make hard candy, how they make Jeans, how they make marbles, how they make TP).

Note: Parents are encouraged to view videos before planning out a lesson and showing them to their children.  This allows for parents to anticipate questions about the video and look up some answers beforehand.  It is also safe to watch videos first to deem if it will be an appropriate video for your child.  For example, the video on making glass references alcohol, as they show several glass alcohol bottles that are manufactured.  This is a video some parents may or may not wish their younger children to see.

These videos will most likely be of interest to students from second grade to college and beyond (yes, even my husband and I watch them, lol).

The best thing about these videos?  They're great to watch when the kids need a study break or are frustrated with a lesson.  They think they're getting to watch TV, but in reality, they're still learning!  These videos also lead children to ask all sorts of questions about the topic!  What a great way to get your student interested in a variety of things!

Note: These videos are on a continuous playlist.  If you click play, it will automatically play the video, and then the next and next in the playlist.

How It's Made Playlist
(Clicking on above link will take you to this playlist on YouTube where you can watch in full screen, or add these to your own playlist).