Teaching States and Capitals

[Paige]

What have you liked for teaching children the US states and capitals? I want my kids to learn them this year but I'm not sure what I want to do. I've looked at some workbooks, but haven't found any that didn't seem boring and too much busy work. I've looked at Cantering the Countryside and it seems fun, but like it would take a lot of time for not much educational pay off. I don't care if the kids know the state birds and other trivial info. I want them to be able to identify each state on a map, name the capitals, and have a general idea of what the state is like, but I don't see a need for a lot of detail on every state and territory. It would be great if we could also include major geographical and cultural landmarks but that's not a huge concern right now. I can hit that stuff later through US history or world geography studies if we don't get it now.

 

I'm having them do the Shepherd Software puzzles, and I was going to get something like an Evan Moore workbook, but now I'm wondering if maybe we shouldn't just play Scrambled States every day for a while. Would that be lame? Be honest. If it's not enough I'd love some ideas. I kind of think it's not enough too but there's a little voice in my head saying I should blow off the idea of a workbook or full unit on it and just play a few games.

[Kuovonne]

For memorizing where each state is on the map, get the book "The Little Man in the Map."

 

For memorizing the capital of each state, play the video clip from the Animaniacs "Wakko's America."

The song lists all the states and their capitals to a catchy tune.

 

Then let life and history lessons fill in the rest. (I am assuming that your kids are elementary age.)

[Jamee]

Scrambled States is wonderful.  We used that, puzzles, and now Stack the States on iPad.

[lorisuewho]

The CD of States and Capitals songs by Kathy Troxel is rather catchy and works.

Also Dover makes a coloring book of each state that has key information on it. (The United States Coloring Book). I thought it was well done and inexpensive.

 

I think playing Scrambled States of America is a good idea. Keeping it all kinda low key and fun will keep the boredom away!

[ByGrace3]

This year learning the States and Capitals are the plan :) we are using the states and capitals song, And the games Scrambled states of America, and Sequence States and Capitals.

[Sammish]

Another vote for Scrambled States of America. Great for teaching state names, locations (and, incidentally, shapes), but weaker on capitals (they're used, just not as much). And I'm bookmarking Wakko's America, because the Animaniacs are fantastic. :)

[AmandaVT]

My son has a leapfrog Tag that he got a couple of years ago. The maps are fabulous - there's a state map a world map. The state map has games for identifying all of the states and capitals. The world map has games for continents, countries and both have some facts about places too. My kid frequently beats me at both games, though I'm a bit out of practice. Always fun having your then 4 year old announce "no Mommy, Carson City is the capital of Nevada, not Reno...." Thanks honey!

[Heidi]

I think you should follow that little voice in your head. ;)

[Crimson Wife]

It's boring, but what I found the most effective was Memoria Press' "States and Capitals". All the fun things like Sequence and Scrambled States of America didn't do much. The MP is what worked.

[BatmansWife]

We LOVE Audio Memory States and Capitals Songs.  They have a DVD now that is GREAT...not only do you hear the songs but you can see the states highlighted as the song is played, and you have the words on screen to sing along.  Name that State is a fun game too. 
 

 

[Aloha2U]

Basically, agreeing with others.

 

Little Man in the Map

Geo puzzle

States and Capitals songs... while playing Sequence States and Capitals

Scrambled States game

 

We'll start using MP this year, so I'd recommend their States and Capitals, Geography I set, etc.

[SevenDaisies]

My dd learned the states and capitals using the Melissa and Doug license plate game. We kept it in the car and she had a blast looking for license plates and quizzing anyone that got in the car with us.

http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-License-Plate-Game/dp/B001QVI9CI

 

This year we are using the MP States and Capitals to learn them in a more formal manner. It's not exciting, but it is very simple and it works. You can always use something like MP and add in games and puzzles to make it a little more exciting.

[Homemama2]

Mine learned all the states by having a US placemat (not sure why, but they thought it was fun to quiz each other during meals and picked up 90% of them this way,) and playing Scramble the States game.  We also use Seterra for 10 min per week, to teach capitals.  This worked really well for us.  Now this year, I'm working on having them learn to spell them.  :)

 

[longnightmoon]

Stack the States.

[fourcatmom]

This is what worked for us, Pick Up States. Also playing some games reinforced them and taught locations but for actual memorizing and knowing States and Capitals, we just played with these sticks and did late night challenges.

[tomandlorih]

My dd learned them FAST with Audio Memory (Kathy Troxel) States and Capitals songs.  

Both my kids love to watch this vid too.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E2CNZIlVIg

[PachiSusan]

We used "Stack the States", the DK State by State Atlas, I made a worksheet for each state, and we watched History Channel's "All about the States". IT was a great year!!! 

[countrymama70]

Scrambled states is fun, but it didn't help enough with the memorizing for us. I'd suggest brain box usa it is a fun game and worked well :)

[happypamama]

We love Scrambled States too, both the book and the card game!

 

I was going to suggest the Animaniacs song as well for the capitals.  Wakko is fun!

 

I remember learning the states and capitals in fourth grade via flash cards, which work well for me, although they have never really worked for my daughter.  But the song worked for her.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

I have a foam puzzle....different workbooks....but I think I'm going to go with something I thought about during our break over the summer-take 1-2 states each week and learn the major important facts about them and use index cards on a "jump ring" (?) to help study the facts....maybe color the states we study on the map at the end of the week....just an idea...haven't really done anything I need to do to get it ready.....

[TengoFive]

Stack the States and 10 Days in the USA. 

[Guest]

Well, I started playing the song, The 50 States that Rhyme, for my kids and they fell in love with it and my son has memorized all the state names in two weeks. We are going to do a more in depth state study later this year using state sheets, books, and that Scrambled States game.

[fourisenough]

I saw Seterra mentioned above, but I thought I'd include a link.  I used many of the fun resources others have suggested (Stack the States, Sequence, Scrambled States), plus a cheap workbook from the local teacher store paired with online quizzes at Seterra (http://online.seterra.net), and my 8-year old DD mastered the 50 States & Capitals easily over the summer. 

She enjoys playing Seterra and I'm pretty certain it was the single biggest source of her learning (other stuff was fun, but quizzing herself was most effective).  She can now sit down with a blank map and label all (I help her with spelling if she needs it, but after doing the same as copywork several times, she has most spellings internalized).  Have fun!  

[TyraTooters]

Has anybody used/seen the curriculum that Erica, of Confessions of a Homeschool, has put together? It looks fun and informative.

 

http://store.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=70_73_75

[PachiSusan]

Has anybody used/seen the curriculum that Erica, of Confessions of a Homeschool, has put together? It looks fun and informative.

 

http://store.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=70_73_75

 

I have used her "Great Artists" series and it's really good! 

[Wilma]

Stack the States on iThing! Totally fun and painless learning. My kids loved this game and played it intensely until they'd nailed it (6 and 7 at the time) and then basically quit. But though it's been a good year since really using it, the information has stuck.

[*Jessica*]

We love this song by Renald Francoeur.

 

Tour the States