Carnival of Homeschooling – Homeschool Makeover Edition

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Can you believe we are already saying “goodbye” to summer and “hello” to fall? With fall comes cooler weather and spending more time inside. Whenever, the weather starts to turn cool I always want to get my house cleaned, organized, and ready for us to be there most of the time. With this in mind, I typically do a household and home school makeover. I go through closets pulling out things that have been pushed to the back and forgotten. I go through shelves of school books removing things we haven’t used in years. I clean off the tables, chairs, shelves, and even go through all of our stockpiled supplies.

We makeover everything in our schoolroom including how the furniture is arranged. Because we spend so much time in our home school room-  making it different each year helps keep us from HATING it. Here are some great ideas to makeover how your school room looks!

Hannah Anderson at Full Time Nanny helps us makeover our school room by planting a flower box for kids.

1. rearrange furniture

2. Put up things that the children have gotten “bored” with – pull them out six months from now and they’ll be new again…

3. Put up some bright posters, make some decorations together

4. Organize their personal belongings into crates, tubs, boxes, etc… and then let them personalize their own space

Our school room isn’t the only thing that needs a makeover. I run out of ideas throughout the year, and am always in need of fresh fun things to do with the children. Here are some awesome ideas from fellow bloggers that just might give you the inspiration that you require… (I had a hard time getting this carnival written – because I spent so much time reading all these great posts!!!)

Homeschool Online shares their concerns about homeschooling a senior in the post Back to School… With a Senior.

Cristina at Homes Spun Juggling tells us about how her homeschooling has changed over the years in Not “Write”, Just a Rough Sketch Right Now.

Christine of The Thinking Mother answers the question: “Will my kids turn out alright if they quit school and begin homeschooling?”

Henry helps us tie it all together with Relearned Lessons – Using the Right Tool over at his blog Why Homeschool.

Summer Nanny Jobs gives us some great advice on how to keep our kids entertained on a rainy day with their blog post 10 Things Your Kids Can Do on a Rainy Day.

After I finish organizing all of the physical things in the room and freshen up our outlook. I then turn to WHAT I use to teach. For me, the appearance of the room is the easy part. Reviewing and determining what we’ll use for our curriculum requires so much more thought… that I usually put it off til last. (Not a good practice…to say the least.) Sometimes the curriculum that we used last year is awesome, and we want to stick with it. Then there are times, that … well…we just don’t fit together. Usually, we sell or donate that curriculum and find something more suitable to meet our needs. Here are some experienced homeschoolers thoughts on different types of curriculum…

Roberta at Letters from Nebby gives us some great ideas for math curriculum in her post Life of Fred Math.

Annie at Learn at Every Turn encourages us to take advantage of keeping good homeschooling records in her post Homeschool Organization and Record Keeping.

Nerdwallet has launched a personal finance management contest. A great way to teach your kids to manage their finances.

Misty  from Homeschoolbytes shows us that there is lots to learn from 4H clubs in her post Amazing Homeschool Adventures with 4H.

The Great Wall of Krispies posted by Karyn gives us a great idea on how to make history come alive for our children.Check out her blog at Teach Beside Me.

Of course, there are always Good Reasons for Teaching the Basics While Homeschooling. Find out while reading this post by Barbara Frank.

Kathleen really gives some practical pointers in finding What Curriculum to Use? over at her blog Art’s Chilli Pepper.

Another great way to update your homeschool is to get up close and personal… that’s just what Baby Steps Blog did in their post Visiting the Hive!

Nutrition for Healthy Kids shares with us some great ideas on teaching kids their ABC’s in a fun and engaging way with their post entitled Alphabet Soup.

Chris gives us a great idea for curriculum in his post Use This Book to Design Your Curriculum over at his blog Homeschool vs. Public School.

Are you wondering How to Teach a Toddler Spanish? Martina tells all at her blog Become a Nanny.

Kaye gives us insight on how to have Artful Fun for the Sandwich Generation at her blog SandwichINK.

Once I’ve gone through organizing the room and organizing our curriculum, I then take a look at our schedule. It’s so easy to get caught up doing too much, and it’s so hard to say “No” to someone who needs a little help. We have found that if we keep our focus on the few things that are most important in our lives (like our family) and say “no” to anything that detracts from that, then we can stay sane. To make sure we aren’t letting too much extra stuff creep back in, each fall we do a schedule makeover as well! We streamline our week to make sure that everything from school – to sports – to work all flows well together. Make sure you check out these blogs for great ideas on how to make your schedule work for you.

Escape is Possible asks the question To Cram or Not To Cram? It’s never easy to decide if it’s worthwhile cramming one more thing into our busy lives.

It seems like many of us must have this on our mind… Lisa shares her thoughts on How to Avoid Homeschool Burnout at her blog Golden Grasses.

Liz from Homeschooling in Buffalo helps us focus on our purpose while she shares hers in Reunions and My Decision to Homeschool.

Erin from Nirvana Homeschooling gives us some great ideas about scheduling in her post Our Homeschool Plan for Kindergarten.

Susan at Corn and Oil encourages us to think about our homeschooling freedoms and take action to keep them in her post about Over-Compliance Demands for Homeschoolers.

If you still aren’t sure about your schedule… here’s one for you. Annie shares her Un-Schedule with Grades 12,10, 7, and 5 at her blog Tea Time with Annie Kate.

Ever have those that share their negative opinions about homeschooling? Shirley shares

10 Reasons Why Homeschooling With A New Baby Is Going To Be Do-able at her blog “Homeschool is not a Typo.“

Does scheduling our homeschool day help us get into a routine or a rut? Let’s find out…

Last, but not least in importance is the fact that sometimes our friendships need a little “makeover” as well. Phyllis posts about that in How to Cultivate Proverbs 13 Friendships on her blog Proclaiming God’s Faithfulness.

It’s been so fun hosting the Home School Blog Carnival here… hope that you got plenty of great ideas to start your own Homeschool Makeover!

Carnival of Homeschooling

Getting Ready for the ACT / SAT test

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Preparing your child for college isn’t an easy task. In fact, preparing for the college entrance SAT or ACT test is a feat in and of itself! We are facing that uphill battle right now. My daughter is in eleventh grade, and just took the ACT as a practice run. It definitely opened our eyes to several things. I knew we needed to be preparing in advance, but I didn’t know just how we measured up.  Taking the test early is a great help in planning your final college preparations.  Here are a few things that we are trying to put into practice, and a few things that we are learning along the way!

1) Begin preparations early. Plan your high school courses to meet your preferred colleges’ requirements.  At our house, we are depending on scholarships. In turn, scholarships depend on the ACT / SAT score. So, (no stress) a good test score will really help in this area.

2) Don’t be afraid to take the test several times. You can take each of these tests several times, we chose to take the ACT as practice this past month. We also elected to NOT send the scores to any colleges. This test this time -was just for our information only. We will review the scores, do some practice and then retake it for REAL!

3) Begin test prep a year in advance. Begin reviewing ACT SAT vocabulary and essay strategies well in advance. Don’t think that you can prepare for this test a few weeks before you take it!

4) Use a test prep book or an online test prep. I use A Major Tests.com for my tutoring sessions. This site has great vocabulary prep, good practice tests, essay prompts, and even some great strategy tips.

5) Become an avid reader. Readers are learners…  the more you read the better you will test.

To be honest, I really don’t agree with how our country bases everything on “test” scores. Yet, to successfully navigate these high school/college waters we have to fit in this box… no matter how tight or disagreeable we find it!

What are your kids missing?

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Peer pressure…Stress…Bullying…Potty mouths…Hourly schedule…Drugs…


Homeschoolers are missing a few things… but they are things that we certainly are broken hearted over! In fact, homeschool children have the opportunity to take their time during the day. Instead of being rushed from one class to the next, the homeschooler has the opportunity to study, and even day dream. Yes, I said it… day dream!

In fact, children are really missing out when they aren’t given time to  play and dream. Does your child have the opportunity to dream about what they want to be when they grow up? Every child should. It’s part of what makes us who we are… give them time to dream… and then allow them room to make that dream possible.

Appreciate your children. When a child feels appreciated they feel free to become their best.

Our children are missing one of the most detrimental of childhood experiences… peer pressure. By homeschooling our children we are allowing them to be who they want to be without fear of whether the majority will accept or reject them. Most homeschoolers miss that junior high/high school level of needing their peers to validate who they are. They simply go from their day dreaming to having a purpose to accomplish that dream. They don’t need their peers to acknowledge or approve it.

To be honest, I am very glad that my homeschooled children are missing some things. I am especially glad that they have the time and opportunity to dream… and hopefully I can have a part in helping them fulfill their dream. I am always telling them that they can be whatever God leads them to be, whatever they believe He has created them to do… they can do!

Using the World As Your Classroom

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Taking advantage of the world around us is not something new for homeschoolers. We use our backyards for nature studies and our kitchens as science labs. How about our travels as history lessons? Sure, the best way to learn history is to live or re-enact it. This past week we spent several days reliving what we’ve been studying all year… Colonial History.

We took an opportunity to visit family and turned it into a history field trip. We spent several days in the Williamsburg, VA area putting meat on the bones of the history facts we’ve studied all year. The fact that we did this off season really enabled our children to get hands on quality instruction from the very knowledgeable guides. It was probably one of the best trips we’ve ever taken. In fact, one of my son’s favorite colonial heroes was Patrick Henry. He was enthralled to learn that Patrick Henry was the governor of Virginia and lived there in the governor’s palace in Williamsburg. Later, as we toured the Williamsburg capitol the guide took us to the high court and explained that the governor presided over this court. It was my son’s priveledge to be able to sit in the governor’s chair (Patrick Henry’s at one time…) while the guide presented her history lesson.

What an awesome way to remember history and make it come alive. Making connections to the past enables us to make connections in the application of our knowledge. Use the world as your classroom to make history live… it really works!

Homeschool Scheduling… routine or rut?

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For many people  – including homeschool families – these words have the same meaning – a dull, dreary, and repetitive behavior. Yet, a routine is anything but dreary. In fact, routines can be life savers! Could you imagine how many decisions you would need to make during the course of a homeschooling day without some type of routine? The routine that you do each day saves you from a myriad of decisions, and ultimately saves you time!

The same applies for homeschooling. We each define homeschooling success differently, but most would agree that engaging learning must be accomplished. If we have an established routine, or framework for our day, then we can simply fill in the blanks with the specific items for that day. This routine doesn’t have to become a rut if you vary what happens in those “blanks.” For example, if your children wake up, dress, clean their room, eat breakfast, and then read for 30 minutes every morning, that’s just your routine or framework for your day. What separates the routine from the rut is what you do with the rest of your time. Creatively planning engaging lessons and varying your studies keeps it interesting and keeps your homeschool schedule from spinning its wheels into a rut!

Effective Spelling Strategies

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Spelling ah… can you remember all those spelling tests? How about writing the words 3x every evening… We can definitely say, “You’ve come a long way wa, baby!” about this subject!

At our house, spelling is still vitally important, but it is completely different. We use an online program that allows me to enter my choice of spelling lists, but provides games, practice, and even sentence writing for each of these lists. To top it off… on Friday… the infamous test day… they take their tests online and it scores and records the grades for me. I must admit I love it. But not just because it has taken away the headache of teaching 5 levels of spelling. I love it because it supports what I believe are strategies for an effective spelling program.

1) It uses multiple strategies to teach the learner. A variety of games and learning tools is a must.

2)Words need to be used in the context of natural writing/communication. Sentence writing is part of the drill and practice.

3)It encourages the learner to self correct.

4)Gives them a multitude of opportunites to practice the words, so their success can out weigh any failures.

The Power of Praise

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In my days as a private school administrator, I cannot guess how many times I heard parents tell me that their child was gifted and they thought… once enrolled, the child would simply need to be advanced a grade. It is funny, but most of those children were just good, healthy, “normal”, yet wonderful children. However, in the eyes of those parents they were so much more.
It is only natural for parents to feel that their precious little one is a “child progeny.” I am personally thrilled when parents think their children are special (in a healthy way, of course). There are so many children who live life with no encouragement or praise from their parents. Parents who cherish their children and give them healthy praise are rare, and definitely give their children an edge by doing so. Many research studies support the fact that children who are encouraged are more confident and determined than other children who are not encouraged or praised.
Yet, praising children is more than just a pat on the back and the obligatory “Nice job!” Many child psychologists say we need to praise our children, but if it isn’t SPECIFIC praise then it may be harmful. That’s interesting isn’t it? So, praise and encourage your children, but identify the specific behavior that they are doing so well. It is the effort that matters most – not the innate gifts that we have such as intelligence, strength, or beauty. Isn’t it true for all of us, “It isn’t what we are given that matters, but what we do with what we have been given.” Give it a try – praise your children for the effort that they put forth, a good attitude that they displayed, or even good personal discipline that they exemplified, and that will encourage them to keep at it.
But wait – can there be too much of a good thing? These same psychologists seem to think so. I guess that would compare to chocolate… I love chocolate and could (probably) eat it all day long. Yet a complete diet of chocolate is not good for me. In the same sense praising a child too much can lead to serious problems. Research has shown that children who were excessively praised were less confident and less determined to face difficult challenges.
In our personal lives we are often very busy – yet we try to be as involved in our children’s lives and education as possible. This moment by moment influence is truly one of the core reasons why we homeschool. Yet, in the midst of all of that, it is common to lose sight of the “big picture.” Whether they are doing handwiriting, spelling, or even their online schoolwork there are always opportunites to encourage them, especially in areas that they have had struggles!
This little study into praise has made me more determined  (and I encourage you also) to be a proactive parent and to foster admirable qualities in my chidren. I plan on doing this by first, praising them and encouraging them; second, being there for them; third, spending quality time with them; and finally, by letting them know just how special they are to me!

This post was reposted here from my personal family blog, faith and a full house.

Tips for Keeping Burn out at bay…

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homeschool stressI know homeschooling isn’t the easiest job I’ve ever done. Though it is very rewarding, it requires so much of me… personally, physically, emotionally, etc. Sometimes, I need to just step back and review what I’m doing and how my life is going. If I don’t… well, let’s just say I feel like I’m holding my breath!

Here are a few things that I do on a regular basis to keep myself sane, and to keep the stress at bay… (You can find more along these lines at Time4Learning)

1) Make time for the important things in your life… your family, God, your spouse. Don’t just mark off a time slot in your busy schedule, slow down, take a walk, play a game, do something completely relaxing and enjoyable and TALK with those your love! Seriously… take time to smell the roses! Don’t just rush through your day, live in every moment.

2) Don’t allow the small pesky things that will tend to keep us crazy busy… to build up. Say “no” to things that aren’t all that important… (just don’t forget to return the 40 library items that you checked out last month… or you might have a $30 bill!)

3) Adjust your educational goals if they are just not doable for the time being… (You won’t believe how freeing this can be. If you have set goals and are not able to make them, an automatic level of stress accompanies this. Formally change your goals. Write it down if you need to. You won’t believe how big of a difference it makes!) Make a no stress plan for your life.

4) Take a moment to just enjoy life… take a warm bath… sip a cup of cappuccino… light some candles…paint your toenails a wild shade of purple…take a bike ride and enjoy that sunset… do something completely relaxing! Enjoy the blessing of life!

Homeschooling Astronomy How to Guide…

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astronomyI love the study of the stars… there is just something so amazing about those planets and galaxies that seems so far away. What if I told you that you could make an awesome homeschool astronomy course for your family for FREE! Yep, and it’s so easy to do!

I wandered around the internet universe to gather this enticing information just for you!  This scientific subject is extremely interesting and has so much information that will really engage your children! Yet, I usually start our astronomy study with a little study of the most important planet… earth.  In fact, our science program wouldn’t be complete without a consistent stream of virtual field trips using Google Earth. With everything from resources to tips for educators Google Earth is definitely a tool that I couldn’t live without!

Astronomy is always a bit hit with our kids. They love seeing what life would be like on distant planets. This is a big part of what makes astronomy so interesting. Over at worldwide telescope you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips to make an awesome virtual field that your kids will love!

The excitement doesn’t end there, because at Galaxsee you can form your own Galaxy, if you are text based learners here’s a free astronomy hypertext, NASA’s even  has an Astronomy 101 class that you can take for free, and at this link you’ll find some great  astronomical images and animations that will amaze you! This is really just the tip of the “galaxy” of resources that are out there. Once you get started studying the stars, you just won’t want to stop!

Homeschooling English How to Guide

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homeschool englishHomeschooling is awesome, just sayin’ – but sometimes it isn’t easy to make sure that you are covering everything that your child needs. I have to admit that I have had a rude awakening in the last year and a half. Once my daughter hit 11th grade it was serious crunch time for college. We were just coasting along – doing a good job – but still not really thinking about details of what we would need once we hit college years. So, here we are and needless to say we are finding out alot of great information. I’d like to share some of what I’ve been learning, but I think I’ll start with English. Here is a sample of what you should be teaching your highschooler for Language Arts.

Freshman Year

Vocabulary and Spelling

Spelling City

100 Most often misspelled words

Grammar

Daily Grammar Exercises

English Grammar and Mechanics Free

Writing Basics

Guide to Grammar and Writing Free

Essay writing

Indepth and overview study of literature

Novel studies

Overview – texts from BJU press or ABEKA work great

 free classic ebooks

Sophomore year

Grammar

texts or workbooks from major homeschool publishers work well!

Essentials of Good Writing Course

Comparing and contrasting - helps students understand how to write this type of essay

Spelling and Vocabulary

Spelling City

High School level spelling

Literature study and Literature Analysis

Classic literature study guides

Classic pieces of literature online

Literature analysis

Oral presentation

Speech class

Junior Year

Grammar

Printable English worksheets

SAT Grammar Practice

Free Pass Grammar Texts

Vocabulary

SAT vocabulary

Spelling City – use this to enter your lists and it will help you drill

Writing – Essay and Research – poetry writing

Time4Writing

Challenging writing

Voices and Visions (poetry unit)

English Literature

Old English Literature
Middle English Literature (Medieval to Restoration Period)

Elements of a Story

Research paper

How to write a research paper

Senior Year

Grammar

Grammar texts

Grammar quizzes -great for CLEP prep

Grammar Practice sheets

Vocabulary

Spelling City

Collegiate spelling words

American Literature

American Literature Guide

En 102: American Literature

Literary Analysis

Writing and Research

Write a research paper

Georgetown explains writing

Public speaking

Speech class

Here’s a sampling of final exams for the different grades.

You may want to consider a serious SAT test prep class in the Junior year.

Battling Test Anxiety

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test anxiety, homeschoolingUpset stomach, sweaty palms, shakiness, insomnia, feeling faint, stiff muscles, and… failure. These are the common symptoms of test anxiety. For reasons unknown to many, children across all cultures, sex, and age suffer from this issue. For some, these issues can be extremely detrimental – even resulting in failure. The difficult part of it all is that it isn’t a specified disability, and it is quite a surmounting task to get a teacher or educational official to believe your child has these issues.

Here are a few tips to doing away with test anxiety…

1. Don’t allow your grades to be a measure of yourself. Realize that your worth is independent from a letter of the alphabet.

2. Work on memory skills – use nmenonics (no that’s not a dirty word). It simply means to use devices to help you remember things – whether it is pictures or silly sayings. Use what works!

3. Work on study skills – everyone needs to learn the proper way to study. For each person that way may be different. So, it’s very important to understand what enables you to assimilate knowledge. For many people writing is a way of study, for others repeating things outloud, still others use flashcards. Find your niche!

4. Of course… BEGIN STUDYING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Never wait to the last minute to study. This will definitely make you feel more confident and prepared.

5. Stay positive… a negative attitude is detrimental to any effort. When your mind begins to drift to negative thoughts, stop yourself and say something positive.

6. Stay focused, don’t allow distractions to get you nervous. Don’t pay attention to the others around you that are taking the test, and don’t get frustrated if everyone finishes first. Just focus on your test. If you find it difficult to focus – don’t think – write. When you read a test question write your answers down as soon as possible.

7. Eat healthy and lite before a test. I also swear by bananas as a brain food!

8. Don’t use caffeinated energy drinks or medications to keep you awake studying the night before. Caffeine is actually a stress inducer. Instead,

9. Drink a tall glass of water and go to bed early!

10. Dress and make yourself as comfortable as possible on the day of the test. Wear comfortable shoes, for girls, tie your hair back… whatever it takes to enable you to have complete focus on that test!

7 Steps to Making Great Homeschool Writers

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homeschooling, homeschool writing

I love the freshness that a new year brings! I love the feeling that I have a clean page… and can start anew. In review of what we had done in our homeschool last year I felt that we were really lacking in the area of creative writing. I felt that my kids needed a greater challenge this spring, and that is exactly what I hope to do. So, today I’m just gonna take a minute to share my plans for integrating a better fostering of creative writing.

Here are a few of my New Year’s plans for writing at our house…

1) Write more frequently. Like any skill, it only gets better with practice.

2) Use creative writing prompts like these.

3) Purchase special paper – colorful, bordered, or make your own… to make your child’s writing experience a little more exciting. You can print your own here.

4) Do pre reading activities. Read a story, or talk about something that interests them, and then have them tell you what they think orally. For older kids, have them go write it down.

5) Sign your children up for an online writing course. You can take a couple minutes to watch a tutorial of what is taught on Time4Writing. This is a good solid way to give your kids foundational writing skills.

6) Give your older elementary children the essential essay writing format. Review it frequently and write at least one essay per week. I started doing this just a little when mine were in fifth grade. This year, they are sixth graders and we are trying to incorporate essay writing frequently into our daily schedule. I’ve also just

home school writing

purchased “Don’t forget to Write.” We are hoping that this will boost our resolution to write more and better this year.

7) Every good writer must be a reader! Encourage your children to read, read, read!

The New Year’s Resolution for Homeschooling!

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homeschool new year resolutionI love to learn how to do things better! In fact, I always enjoy learning new things and applying them to our homeschool. The better I can be as a teacher, the better I can teach my children. So, when the end of a year rolls around I like to review the year and examine whether or not I was able to reach my goals and IF the method I used to reach my goals was effective. Sometimes the year has been great, and sometimes there are alot of things that I could improve! So, when I make a New Year’s Resolution for my homeschool, what I’m really doing is trying to effect a change in behavior somewhere. You know most resolutions just simply get forgotten or are broken as easily as they are made. I don’t want that. I want good change, the benefits will be lasting! Since all of us homeschool parents are essentially teachers… here’s some education theory…to effect a change of behavior we need to make it become a habit. Once the good behavior becomes a habit… it is truly hard to break!

So, apply that to New Year’s Resolutions… make the resolution into a habit that you practice daily. Just like exercising these new habits will be hard to form at first, but once you’ve practiced it every day… it’ll be easy – no sweat right? Also, when we want to form a good habit we begin with small easy steps. A single behavior at a time is what we can handle successfully. Yet, most people set New Year’s Resolutions that are huge leaps of faith, and essentially set themselves up for disaster from the beginning. Take small steps, and work on small behaviors until they become good habits.

You’ll see your Resolutions still in force come this December if you take it one step at a time!

Happy New Year… and…

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Just want to give a Happy New Year shout out to all my MomSCHOOL friends… thanks for being a part and for all your great encouragement!

Secondly, the Carnival of Homeschooling post is up over at Why Homeschool… if you have a minute pop over. There is always so many great articles to encourage homeschooling parents!

Homeschool Grammar with Schoolhouse Rock

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I have had to teach homeschool grammar 4 times so far, and am now working on my fifth child. Getting grammar concepts across to an early elementary school child is never easy… But I just realized who my best friend needs to be right now!

You guessed it… school house rock.  We went over subjects and verbs  with my second grader today, and it just was not clicking.  I tried all my teaching repertoire tools… To no avail… finally, I remembered how much I loved schoolhouse Rock when I was a kid, and how much those silly little songs helped me remember my parts of speech. We tried it, and I was amazed at how the light bulb went on.

I like to introduce grammar with some light Latin concepts while they are still young. For my other children it seemed to enable them to have a good foundation when the more complex concepts are being introduced. So far, with the help of Schoolhouse Rock videos we are well on our way to understanding the 4 basic parts of speech. Hooray!

Here are links to our favorites.

A Noun is a person, place, or thing!

Verb – that’s what’s a happening!

Adjectives

Adverbs

Conjunctions

Pronouns

Prepositions

Interjections