Cooking, card games, coloring, and chores!
I was asking this question 4 years ago, so I'm writing the post I wish I'd had. 🥰A little background: Our family began officially homeschooling when our oldest son was entering kindergarten. I wasn't homeschooled and only knew a few homeschooling families, so I had a lot of questions (and trepidation) about choosing a curriculum.Here's what I've learned along the way:+ An open-and-go, boxed curriculum can be very helpful for your first year. We used Sonlight (with no regrets!) and I have many friends who love My Father's World. You go to their website, select your child's grade level, and order the materials. All you need for the year - the instructor's guide, books, and supplies - arrives at your doorstep. You're ready to homeschool! This helped me feel confident that yes, I was doing enough, and had advisors ready to help me if I needed it.+ A trusted homeschool mama in your community is an invaluable resource. If there's a homeschooling mom in your church whom you admire, ask her all your questions. How did she get started? What curriculum would she choose (or stay away from) if she could do it all again?+ Start simple, as it will take a while to find your rhythm. For example, all that a kindergartener *really needs* is a reading/phonics program, a math program, and (for Christian families) a morning Bible/devotional time. If that's all you do for your child's kindergarten year, great! You can add history, handwriting, science, and other electives as you grow more confident.+ Remember that you may not land on your favorite curriculum or educational philosophy your first year. And that's ok! If you're interested in finding your homeschool style, I've linked a helpful quiz in my profile.+ After you've narrowed it down to a handful of curriculums you're interested in, I love Cathy Duffy's review site (cathyduffyreviews.com). Her reviews are straightforward and very helpful.
Looking For A Complete Homeschool Supply List With Virtual Learning In Mind? Then Check Out This Must Have Supplies List For Virtual Home Schooling The Kids!
Added 7/30/17: You asked for it … You got it! Another Year of Homeschool Crafts is ready for the 2017-18 school year. Go HERE to check it out! I am the Queen of Good Intentions. Every new school year I decide that THIS is going to be the year when we do weekly homeschool crafts. My youngest [...]
Forest school ideas, books and activities! Forest schools are a wonderful way for kids to learn outside. Best forest books for kids
Enjoy this project with your little one to help teach them address memorization and geography concepts.
Freedom Homeschooling lists free homeschool life skills electives for all grades. Home economics, personal finance, auto repair, and more!
During the outbreak of COVID-19, many children are out of school and parents are feeling the pressure to provide education at home. During this stressful time I want to help parents by providing a…
Homeschooling families tell you what is unschooling and why it's the best way for children to learn.
HOMESCHOOL ROOM ESSENTIALS: HOW TO SET UP YOUR HOME SCHOOL LEARNING SPACE Whether this is your first year homeschooling or you need virtual school must haves, homeschool room essentials and homeschooling items can help set you up for school at home success!
To help both educators and parents, we have compiled a list of our top STEM resources including both online and offline take-home activities. We also provide resources for transitioning to online learning as well as te
Pinay Homeschooler is a blog that shares homeschool and afterschool activity of kids from babies to elementary level.
When a lot of people talk about homeschool home economics it is usually a fun joke about having kids do chores or help with a DIY project. While it always makes me laugh, I think there is more to
Coin sorting is a Montesorri-Inspired Sensorial Activity because sorting coins can help children develop and refine the senses as they sort money.
This is the time of year when trending Pinterest searches are supposed to be back-to-school supplies and first-day-of-school picture ideas. This year, though, back-to-school shopping means stocking up on masks and hand sanitizer, and Pinterest searches for homeschooling resources are at an all-time high. Across the country, parents are faced with impossible choices of sending their children back to school with masks and distancing, virtual school at home, or all-out homeschooling. The challenges and concerns of each decision are almost paralyzing…and yet, we have to choose SOMETHING. I think we all realize that even for those that are …
Teaching parents how to Homeschool high school
During the outbreak of COVID-19, many children are out of school and parents are feeling the pressure to provide education at home. During this stressful time I want to help parents by providing a…
The kids and I have been talking about words with ing added on the end. My youngest has just started coming across these words in his reading and his big sister was showing him how to break the wo…
Download a Daily Homeschool Schedule developed by a Teacher & current Homeschooling Parent below OR use it as a template to create your own!
1. "There's No Place Like Home" (Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz) 2. Freedom(s): Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Class Schedule, Freedom of What's Taught and What's Not, etc. There are no due dates, there are no rigid tests, there are no pop quizzes; there is no sliding grade scale, there's no daily homework!
fun and simple ways to learn all about herbalism in your homeschool.
You won't regret adding these ten important life skills to your homeschool before your kids leave the nest to start a life of their own. They will thank you later!
What makes successful homeschoolers? It all starts with habits and discovering what is best for you and your kids. These habits are...
Start the year off right! These brilliant homeschool organization ideas will set kids up for success for distance learning, virtual school or homeschool.
There are two words that are crucial in my life: simple and practical. Here's a simple homeschool room that meets all the practical needs of my family.
Homeschooling is learning at home, but it doesn’t always have to look like school at home.
The best free online homeschooling websites, resources and printable worksheets recommended by 2,000 homeschoolers.
The Internet is filled with so many good things we can do for our homeschools, that we often neglect the BEST things. Here they are in one post.
Are wondering what your preschooler can be learning? Here is a checklist to help you have a successful preschool at home.
How high can you build? Your kids will love this STEM challenge and it requires little to no prep from parents/teachers. Start building today!
Home Economics. What ever happened to that class? It seemed to disappear rather suddenly, and it was one of the most needed classes in my opinion! When we
How to prepare for school closure during COVID-19. Ideas and activities for your kids while they stay home from school. Keep them stress-free.
Deschooling definition: planned period of adjustment a child needs when transitioning from public school to homeschool. Understanding how long it takes and why the deschool process has major, necessary benefits in helping a child decompress and successfully prepare for switching to home school and formal school work. Get tips for de-schooling, learn how to start homeschooling with deschooling, the difference between deschooling vs. unschooling and more!
You won't regret adding these ten important life skills to your homeschool before your kids leave the nest to start a life of their own. They will thank you later!
A schedule for kids at home during the coronavirus pandemic In this uncertain time, many of us are finding that we have our children home ... Read More
Just a bunch of useful links! There are so many more sites than I listed but these are my favorites. Everything listed has something for free and most of the sites are completely free resources!
Want to take your kid's knowledge to the next level in your homeschool? 16 old-fashioned or vintage skills to boost your homeschool experience.
If you are currently a homeschool mom or are planning to homeschool, check out these homeschool supplies that are some of my must haves.
This sponsored post is written in partnership with Workman Publishing Middle school. It’s a completely different ball game from elementary school. A new school where multiple elementary schools converge on a larger campus with more students, having lockers for the first time, figuring out bell times and how to get from one place to the...Read More »
I didn't have a very hands-on family when I was growing up, so I really enjoyed taking a Home-Ec class when I was in highschool. I learned a few things that I still use today, but I wish I would've had more hands on training in home life skills.
These are free educational resources that are either based in or about the UK. Perfect for those who live in the UK or those who want to learn about the UK.
Worried about working from home or just being home for weeks on end (akin to summer break) WHILE educating them? I've been doing it for almost 19 years and, yeah, it's a lot to handle! Thankfully, Rage Against the Minivan has help for you in the form of this awesome blog post and checklist called COVID-19 School Closure Homeschool Checklist! When it was shared on Facebook, there were some rude comments, like "good luck with that" and "don't be disappointed when it doesn't work out," but I chose the high road of encouragement: "I homeschool 5 kids ages 10-18 and have from the beginning. This is a great schedule! I think the 2-page paper is a lot for some kids, but the rest seems reasonable to me! You go, girl! Plus for a lot of kids who are in school 7 hours a day plus homework, this is going to be a walk in the park but they will still be learning!" You can also check out my article titled Bust Indoor Boredom over here at Calgary's Child if you need more ideas for how to keep kids occupied while home! And if things get too stressful during this already-crazy time, just toss it all out the window and PLAY, watch movies and documentaries, read to your kids (check out Read-Aloud Revival), bake together, snuggle up and eat popcorn. Have fun! Or your life right now might more closely resemble this every now and then (shrug):
