© Kirsten 2006

The ABC Schools programming starts on Monday 16 Feb. There are several programmes that will not be repeated after this year as ABC's rights to broadcast have come to an end. This includes: Africa's Child, China - Fun and firecrackers, Handmade, Jack & the Beanstalk, The Number Crew, Old Country - New Country, Place & People: Asia Pacific, Place & People: Changing China, Puzzle Maths, Shakespeare Shorts, and The Word Machine.

If you have an ABC shop nearby you can get the Schools TV book for about $7. It has all the programming and also some teacher's notes about each programme separated out into Learning Areas as used in Curriculum Framework. This issue covers Feb-July and the second semester comes out in May/June.

I found it more useful than the website as I didn't have to search for and load each programme's page separately and it had different info too. (We have an incredibly  slow connection.) It can also sit next to the video recorder so that I know what I need to record when we go out. Seb loves watching even some of the secondary stuff - especially the science ones and he's only 5yrs - but they are usually on when we have to be out so I record it for him to watch later - like on Saturday mornings when there are no cartoons on ABC.

ABC Shop also has the SING! books and CDs - all up about $100 for 2 double CDs containing all up music for 52 songs (each has one CD with just music and one with the songs and music), a book with the written music, words and cute pictures, and a teacher's book which has info and ideas for most of the songs - including where each one fits in the Curriculum framework ie if in foreign language it comes under LOTE etc. Some of us probably remember the Sing! programmes as they used to broadcast on ABC radio when we were kids - these CDs etc are how the ABC does the same thing now. We're using this for our music this year - we're listening to one song a week...

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Kirsten is a home educating parent living in Queensland.

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