Most homeschooling families pride themselves on creative and inventive ways to use, and reuse, items from around the house. When it comes to kids' magazines, the opportunities are endless. I could give a list of recommended titles and ways to fit them into your curriculum. However, I'd rather share with you some of my family's favorite uses for kids' magazines.
Invest in your child's interests:
One of the most powerful tools when homeschooling your children, is knowing what drives your child. Take a walk down the magazine isle and watch your child's face light up. Then, let your child pick two or three of his favorites. This will give you an idea of things he is interested in. If he chooses Discovery, then you know he's into science; if he chooses National Geographic, then animals are his thing; a choice of Disney may tell you he is into acting and the world around him.
Once you get the magazines home, the real fun begins. I don't suggest "forcing" your child to read the entire magazine cover to cover. This takes the fun out of it, and tells your child that reading is for school and not enjoyment. The way I do this with my kids is I give them 30 minutes a day for them to choose what and how to read. I don't interrupt and I don't guide. I let this be their personal time for exploration. In turn, I see them reading for enjoyment, asking to read their magazines during free time, and constant inquires inspired by their magazines.
You may see the benefits of this right away, or it may take several months. But when it happens, you'll want to be ready for it. It will begin with some simple, "Did you know, mom," conversations from your child. It helps to know what your child is really asking when he starts a conversation this way. He isn't really asking "if" you know, he's asking what you know about it. If your child walks up and says, "Did you know that the cheetah is the fasting land animal?" Your response should entail much more than, "That's right." Here is your opportunity to bring this little fact into your "lessons". A better response would be, "That's right, Jacob. And did you know that the whale is largest mammal?" Or, "not only are they the fastest land animal, cheetahs can keep up with a car on the freeway!" Next time you are at the super market, you can bet that Jacob will be looking for a magazine with information on whales, fast cars, or other exciting facts from your conversation.
Re-usables:
The majority of homeschooling families have more than one kid. As the cost of living rises, the need to save money does as well. So finding ways to reuse items from child number one for child number two is priceless! You don't have to feel like you are ruining a kids' magazine by ripping it apart. We like to tear out our favorite articles and put them into sheet protectors. We group the articles together by category, then place them in a binder, and stick them on the book shelf for future reading and exploration. Some of the categories we have are; animals, habitats, solar system, space travel, careers, short stories, activity pages, science experiments, and transportation. We also add backs of cereal boxes to these binders. These home-made books come in handy when we need a quick example, or fun activity, to go along with a lesson.
Don't forget the crafts. Sure, many kids' magazines have craft ideas in them. You can make a binder of those as well. However, there are other craft options as well. All four of my homeschooled kids learned the alphabet by making ABC books. Each page is designated for a letter, and the kid draws pictures, or cuts out pictures, of things that begin with that letter. Kid's magazines are a great place to find such pictures. You could take this further and make a book with each page full of pictures that rhyme, end in the same letter, or have the same color or shape. Another great option is to create scrapbooks; titles can include careers, endangered animals, ways to protect the environment, or healthy food choices. Again, knowing what your child is interested in will help you decide on the best books to make.
Creative writing is another great activity that can be spurred from kids' magazines. Many kids' magazines accept submissions from their readers. What better way to get your child excited about writing than to see her name in a byline? Some kids' magazines also have story starters. These are beginnings of stories to inspire your child to complete. I also like to take a few good pictures from my kids' favorite magazines, and ask them to tell me about it. As they talk about it, I ask questions, and I write their responses. Then, they go back and write a story from our notes. This also leads to them asking questions about topics from the story, and that leads to further explorationall on the kid's terms, and from their own interests.
The value of kids' magazines in the homeschool curriculum is priceless. The opportunities to include portions of the magazines are endless. And most importantly, your child will develop a love for reading and exploration that no one can take from them. So, don't wait, get started now. Your kids will thank you for it.