Show or Tell?
My daughter's first request, when we began homeschooling in 1994, was to study about weather. A few weeks later, we were having a casual discussion about some things she had observed. This turned into a discussion of how seasons affect the weather, then onto what causes the seasons, the earth's orbit and rotation, etc.
At one point in the conversation she became confused. She couldn't understand why the earth rotated faster at the equator than at the poles. Thinking quickly (as I like to think I often do) we worked out a little demonstration to help her really feel the differences in the speed!
First we looked at a globe and discovered that the poles are closer to the axis than is the equator. Then we went outside and I tied a rope around my waist. I represented the earth's (or any other planet's) axis. She would represent a place on the surface. The rules of the game are that no matter what I do, she must stay right in front of me.
She held on to the rope close to me, representing the distance to one of the earth's poles. I began to turn around, quite slowly, allowing her to easily keep up with me. I counted the revolutions out loud, so that she could hear how quickly I was turning.
Next she moved away to the end of the rope and held on there, representing the distance to the equator. With the same rules in place, I began turning and counting again, at the same speed. This time she had to run very quickly to keep up, and after a minute I was completely tangled up in the rope!
Of course, next I was required to take a turn being the surface, while Jessica made me run for my life! We had a good laugh doing this activity, but the point was clear and unforgettable. And a lesson was learned. Often it is much easier to show how systems work, than to explain how they work. Using creative models and real-life application is a great way to enhance your teaching—and your child's comprehension and retention!
Look for hands-on applications in all your subjects. Read poetry aloud. Divide a recipe. Estimate rainfall. Fly a kite. Measure a tree by its shadow. Try to remove a variety of stains. Grow a garden. Dance to different rhythms. Build a dog house. Sing in a variety of rooms. Roll marbles into other marbles. Sew a slip-cover. Paint a room. Eat chocolate (while you study Switzerland)!
Involving more senses is simply common sense!
Astronomy for Every Kid : 101 Easy Experiments that Really Work
Earth Science for Every Kid : 101 Easy Experiments that Really Work
The Kid's Book of Weather Forecasting: Build a Weather Station, 'Read the Sky' & Make Predictions!
Oregon Scientific BAR898HGA Wireless Weather Station
The Weather Book: An Easy-to-Understand Guide to the USA's Weather