Category Archives: Homeschool tips and tricks

Have some fun… make a summer bucket list!

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summer homeschooling

 

I recently read an article in the Carnival of Homeschooling about making and using a summer bucket list to keep track of all the super fun amazing things that you want to do with your kids this summer! I love that idea and am so inspired to try it…I hope to pass a little inspiration on to you!

 

For those of you who love visual reminders, check out this printable summer bucket list. I know summertime isn’t all about having fun, we will definitely be including some online summer skill building. Yet, the bucket list will be handy to  keep us thinking of great things to do. I also love how Little Wonders’ Day made her bucket list come to life with a real bucket! (see picture below) For those of you who love graphic organizers check out this printable bucket list! This is even better – let the kid’s color their own bucket list with this printable color page!

 

summer bucket list

I love this idea from a blogger doing a fall bucket list. She makes a great mantel piece decoration with small buckets for her bucket list! This blogger gives several great ideas for bucket lists from old lunch pails to recycled plastic containers… how fun!

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Wondering what exactly should go in your bucket list? Have no fear, these bloggers think of it all. This one asks questions to help you think of your own bucket list ideas while this blogger gives you 107 great ideas for your summer bucket list. Ok, ok, this is the last one I promise… but this printable is adorable for a fridge worthy bucket list! Ok… if that isn’t enough inspiration here’s the beginning (rough draft) of our bucket list.

Trips

Visit grandparents in Texas

Go to Camp with kids

Go to the beach

Go to a Major League Baseball Game

Go on a long nature hike

Go snorkeling

Fun day events

Build a blanket fort outside

Watch the stars on a beautiful evening

Catch fireflies

Have a water balloon fight

Go on a family bike ride

Watch a movie outside

Make sno-cones

Homemade ice cream

Arts/Crafts

Do bubble painting

Sidewalk chalk

Make beaded necklaces

Let girls pick a favorite pinterest craft and do it!

 

Teaching History with Adventure!

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summer historyYep… I make no bones about it… I love summer. Mostly because the daily boot camp that is my life on a typical school day is gone during those blissfully peaceful summer months. Yet, the teacher (and probably “Monk” tendencies) in me is concerned that my kids keep their brains active during the summer! So, I am constantly looking for ways to do this without making it seem like we are having a regular school day. This is where I love the idea of Adventure History!

During the summer we often try to brush up a bit on the history of our local areas. A great way to do this is to have a history adventure. Here are a few ways that I try to teach local history.

1) My all time fav… take a day to have a scavenger hunt! Find all of the historical landmark signs that scatter the streets of your neighborhood!

2) Visit your local Historical Society Chapter. Ours has a great website with lots of cool old pictures of our county seat. In fact, we are fortunate, our tiny little town (we are talking a post office and 3 buildings) even has their own book published!

3)Read a book together that is about history in your state. After you finish the book take a day trip to visit the setting of the story! There are some pretty neat things that you can do along those lines in our state. We live in Georgia so it’s a veritable hot bed of Civil War history! Here is a great FREEBEE site to find awesome homeschool literature!

4) Google – have an online day where you use all types of online resources… like this FREEBEE online state games! Then try to visit some of the sites that you learned about online!

I am participating in the Homeschool Friday Freebee Link up… So, buzz on over there and see what other awesome homeschool freebees are waiting for you!

Making the most of your Summer Time!

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summer homeschoolSummer is my favorite time of the year. I enjoy not having the regular school responsibilities, and the great time we have traveling and seeing our family. Yet, as an education professional I know that statistics clearly show that children lose a portion of what they learned the previous school year, if they do nothing educational during the summer.

So, as I plan our summer I am trying to include a few fun ways to keep the education or at least some of their thought processes functioning! We have a big load of fun stuff happening this summer and I know the kids will be very busy. Yet, with all of the summer adventures I want the children to continue to use their minds so they don’t lose what they have learned.

My plan is to incorporate a little fun learning first thing in the morning. To accomplish this we will simply be using the Time4Learning curriculum for about an hour each morning. I have several old computers, so each of the kids can get this task accomplished rather quickly before rushing off to whatever big adventure the day holds.

We enjoy Time4Learning as a summer curriculum because it is highly motivating and is about the only thing that can keep my children’s attention during the summer… especially when thoughts of playing are assaulting them! Time4Learning is great to get accomodate those who are struggling as well as those who are gifted. You see, when you purchase a subscription, the grade above and below your child’s current grade is made available to you. The lessons that your children do are also tracked which makes it great for you to follow their progress. All in all – to make the summer enjoyable for me… Time4Learning is the winner.

What plans do you have for your homeschool this summer? Are you going to try to challenge your children… even just a little?

Carnival of Homeschooling – Spring Refreshment Edition

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homeschool encouragement

I don’t know if you are anything like me, but as a homeschooling mom of six… there are times that I just need a bit of refreshment. Schoolwork becomes overwhelming, housework becomes tedious, and patience runs thin… it is then that I know I need to get my “cup filled” back up. How can I continue to give to my children and my family when my cup is empty. Frankly, it’s nearly impossible. That’s where these carnival of homeschooling editions come in. There have been so many times that I have felt exhausted and my homeschool motivation level way past E… that I’ve opened up one of these Homeschool Carnival blog posts and have found refreshment and encouragement in so many areas of my life. It is my hope and goal to return the favor for each of you this week. I hope that somewhere in the posts of this blog carnival you will find the refreshment, motivation, inspiration, or just plain old laughter that will help you get through the next few months of school! It really is so great when the homeschool community helps each other…


So, sit back, relax… and get your cup filled today…

Sometimes refreshing can come in different forms. There are times when I can read a fellow homeschool mom’s blog post and immediately I can see that I am not alone in this daily struggle to make sure my children go forward and not backward. At other times, just hearing about a new curriculum can give me hope that it might possibly be the one that will help us turn the corner! In any case, I hope that these posts inspire you with a breath of fresh air…

homeschool tipsLaura Grace Weldon gives us a new perspective on Respecting a Child’s Urge to Discover in her blog post about encouraging our children to discover on their own.

Dewey’s Tree House reminds us of some great time tested homeschooling “tools” in Tools of an Old Homeschool Mom: “Key to” Math and more.

Remember, You Are Not Alone! is a great post by the Read Aloud Dad… he encourages us to keep up the “good work” of reading to our children daily!

Here’s something that was fresh for me… Dorothy Sayers and the Lost Tools of Learning by Petticoat Government present a different perspective on how to compare the study of math and science at home to this book.

Sometimes we can see the “big picture” when we look at the pros and cons of something… The Drawbacks of Homeschooling is presented this week by Letters from Nebby.

How we teach affects how our children learn… The Thinking Mother encourages us to …Stop Telling Students, “Said is Dead.”

New Curriculum ideas are another great way to add some freshness to your homeschool. Just because it’s spring doesn’t mean you can’t start something new! In fact, that may be “just what the doctor ordered.”

Online Education for Kids submits a post delineating all the homeschool greats… in their post The Super Heroes of Elementary Homeschool Curriculum.

A great way to get a fresh perspective is to get outside! Gardening – Project Based Learning You Can Eat!  is a great blog post by the Time4Learning Community Blog to encourage you to do just that!

I love to look at making plans for next year and Homeschool vs. Public School encourages us to do so with their post Homeschool Plans for Next Year by giving us a glimpse of unschooling.

DenSchool provides much needed inspiration in her post about a March Homeschooler of the Month. You can read about this achievement and learn how to submit an entry for another Homeschooler of the Month award!

Fill Your Bookshelf has a great idea for a new unit study, read her post John James Audubon unit study and see if your family might like to try this!

homeschooling

Sometimes refreshment just has to come through taking a look at things that are bigger than ourselves and even our homeschool. Sometimes it just takes a word from a friend… I often realize that my struggles are very small in light of what so many others have to face. Getting a look at the “bigger pictures” often cures our frustration with the little things!

Proclaiming God’s Faithfulness really makes it plain on how we can “finish the race” well in their post, Don’t Be Blue; Strategies for Fighting the Winter Blues.

Katherine over at No Fighting No Biting helps us take a look at why we have an epidemic of underachieving boys and men who don’t want to grow up through her post Underachieving Boys.

Nerd Family Things presents a great post called 10 Math Card Games. It gives us 10 math card games to try with our kids.

I love a recipe for new things… In fact, craft recipes are such fun I know that whenever I pull one of those out –  my kids are usually thrilled!

Homemade Goodness sends us a post about Two Easy Homemade Glue Recipes that would work great for your next craft session with the kids… or if the wiggles get really bad… you could even use it to glue them to their chairs.

Sometimes we have to respond to negativity… Alasandra does this over at her blog Alasandra’s Homeschool Blog.

I’m so glad  that you stopped by, and I hope that this week’s Carnival of Homeschooling “filled your cup” and refreshed you today!

carnival of homeschooling

Next week the carnival of homeschooling will be hosted by Home Grown Mommy.

If you want to find out more about the Carnival of Homeschooling you can visit the link, submit a post, or even host – if you are brave enough!

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!