Welcome to our Blog - we'll keep you informed on great ways to homeschool in a relaxed manner - without stress!
Just click on the title of any of the posts below to read the entire post!
Enjoy!
Relaxed Homeschooling Blog
A great find for notebooking
One of our favorite ways to keep our homeschooling relaxed is by notebooking - simply keeping a notebook of our studies, etc. It's kind of like "school scrapbooking" including all the fun and creativity - combined with learning and documenting what you've learned.
Today I stumbled on a great site that has some fun free and paid resources for your notebooking adventures. If you're in to lapbooking or notebooking you definitely have to check this out.
Click HERE for Notebookingpages.com
Virtual Fieldtrips
Boy am I glad I have my google alerts set up to search for fun homeschooling sites. Today I linked up to this great site that offers virtual field trips. Talk about a great way to work through a unit study or some super tools for a lapbook or notebook.
There are some great field trips for Art, Geography, History, Literature, Math, Music and Science and even a category "Just for Fun" that includes a virtual field trip for Roller Coasters! Fun!
Take a look!
Click Here for the Virtual Field Trips site!
The Homeschool Bag Lady
I just got done reading THIS POST done by a very clever homeschool mom and I laughed like crazy because I remember the days where I felt like I had so many bags and "things" on my shoulder every time I left the house that my back was going to break!
You know the feeling - "I can't forget that" or "someone might need this".
I could go on and on about the bags I carried but Mrs. Taschek tells it so much funnier than I ever could so head on over to her blog at taschek.wordpress.com to read more! Enjoy!
Another great homeschooling resource site
I was looking for some specific worksheets for the kids today when I googled and found this great site. At first, to be honest, I wasn't that impressed because the site isn't that attractive to the eye. But once I started looking around a bit I found a wealth of information and it's now in my homeschool websites bookmark folder for future viewing.
Click here to visit the site LoveToLearnPlace.com
I went there looking for a new book report type form for the kids to fill out. My girls love to read and I'd like to have some different ways for them to keep records of what they're reading, particularly when it's historical fiction. I found a nice thorough 4 page form on the site that covers some great stuff and takes them beyond just writing up a synopsis of the book itself. They enjoyed filling it out and I think it'll be a helpful form to us in the future. They've got other similar forms for various things there as well.
Anyway, just wanted to pass on the good resource. I hope you enjoy it!
Menu Planning 25% off!
If you haven't done meal planning before you might want to check out my friends over at Dine Without Whine.
A few years ago I won a 6 month subscription and I was hooked! I loved getting menus for the whole week in my inbox every week - complete with a shopping list. I'd just print off the list, mark off what I already had in the house and run to the store (or order on Peapod - I love Peapod!). A big chunk of the dinnertime battle was done and there was no more 5pm scramble for "ugh, what are we going to make for dinner tonight".
The easy (and fun) part of actually making the meals was effortless now that i didn't have to think about what to make. I love this service!
Anyway go check them out by clicking on this banner and use our coupon code A54D for that extra 25% off:
A few years ago I won a 6 month subscription and I was hooked! I loved getting menus for the whole week in my inbox every week - complete with a shopping list. I'd just print off the list, mark off what I already had in the house and run to the store (or order on Peapod - I love Peapod!). A big chunk of the dinnertime battle was done and there was no more 5pm scramble for "ugh, what are we going to make for dinner tonight".
The easy (and fun) part of actually making the meals was effortless now that i didn't have to think about what to make. I love this service!
Anyway go check them out by clicking on this banner and use our coupon code A54D for that extra 25% off:
Interesting sidenote
I've been getting several notes and emails about the Subway writing contest for kids that completely excludes homeschoolers and thought I'd post here as well so others will know about it as well.
Now mind you, I think it's fine for a company to make up any rules it wants to -it's their contest and my kids are too old to participate in the contest anyway. But I'm wondering what the motivation is behind excluding a group of kids who are being educated and, surprise, who can actually write good stories, and, surprise, who probably frequent Subway (or at least they used to)?
Here's what their contest page says:
Contest is open only to legal US residents, over the age of 18 with children in either elementary, private or parochial schools that serve grades PreK-6. No home schools will be accepted.
And on the full details page:
ELIGIBILITY. Contest is open only to legal residents of the United States who are currently over the age of 18 and have children who attend elementary, private or parochial schools that serve grades PreK-6. No home schools will be accepted. Employees and members of their families of Scholastic and Subway, their parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and their advertising, promotion and production agencies are not eligible to enter. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
We love a good Sub and of the places we frequent, Jimmy Johns, Pot Belly, Quiznos and Subway, we like the bread choices at Subway the best for the price. But when they make decisions like this... to exclude a pretty large population of kids just because they don't sit at a desk with a bunch of other kids during a school day - hmmmm... I think we'll try the other places first from now on.
Homeschooling and Socialization
As you've probably heard from me before, I think one of the BENEFITS of homeschooling kids is the socialization aspect. Most people throw out the question "but what about socialization" assuming that kids who are homeschooled are missing out on building relationships with other kids in the classroom and school setting.
I see it as a benefit because homeschoolers are typically socialized with multiple age groups instead of just being peer dependent. In other words, most homeschooled kids (at least the ones I know) have the ability to enjoy and hold an intelligent conversation with a wide age range of people - not just hang out with their friends all the time. In our local homeschool support group, for instance, it's not all that uncommon to see a couple of teen girls sitting down for a piece of pizza with a 7 year old, a 2 year old and a grandma - with all of them talking together and very interested in what each person has to say.
That sounds to me a whole lot more like the real world than what I see in most other settings - in particular teen kids who, when confronted with someone outside their peer group have a tendency to drop their eyes and their vocabulary becomes limited to "uh huh" and "um" and "grunt". I'm generalizing here but you know what I mean!
I found this site today that sent me over to another post on the topic by Dr. Laura who has some nice things to say about homeschooling as well. Enjoy!
Ideas to make your homeschooling exciting
One of my friends shared about THIS BLOG that has a wonderful list of 101 ideas to add spice to your homeschooling. What a great list!
We try to incorporate a lot of these in our homeschool day if we can-
reading outside
taking walks
nature journaling
playing music in the background
getting chores out of the way first so home is ready for schooling
etc.
But check out the list HERE - some great stuff! Enjoy!
Choosing Curriculum
Curriculum, Curriculum and More Curriculum
Have you ever walked into a curriculum vendor hall or a used curriculum sale? If you are unprepared, feelings of being overwhelmed will engulf you. Curriculum, curriculum and more curriculum meets your eyes. Preparation is the key in successfully navigating your way in, through and around all the curriculum tables.
In planning your homeschool year, it is important to take note of what did and did not work for you in the past year. Take that a step further and jot down homeschool resources, materials, supplies, books, courses, curriculums and programs that others have recommended to you that were of interest to you for your homeschool.
Now if you are a part of a homeschool support group or network, schedule that into your plan. Make sure their suggestions are included in your list. Take advantage of any upcoming classes or gatherings they may be offering.
Next, consider what your needs and those of your children are and prioritize the above list with these needs. You will find that this will eliminate a lot. Then research everything on your needs list and maybe even a few wants. Be sure to ask veteran homeschoolers where you can find the best price.
There is something to be said about frequenting used book and curriculum sales, especially since you can often find desired items for more than half off. However, inevitably there will always be certain items that will have to be purchased new, like that CD or homeschool software that you really want. This is when curriculum fairs at your state homeschool convention can play an important part in preparing for your new school year. The state homeschool association often provides curriculum vendor halls at conventions, including advertising specials like free shipping or conference discounts. Take advantage of the savings offered there.
Sometimes it isn’t the new curriculum choices that bogs down the homeschool parent, it is the amount of curriculum they own already! This alone can wear on mom and also the children. It is a time waster not to have your homeschool supplies organized, but organization is not the purpose of this article. Rather, the focus is on what to do with so many choices of curriculum.
If you have fallen prey to the wantsies and bought more than you have needed or used, then perhaps it is time to go through it. Doing this will be freeing for you and your family.
There are lots of options available to you to help unload your home of your unused materials. Try having a garage sale, targeting homeschoolers in your advertising. Look for opportunities to have your own table at those used book and curriculum sales mentioned earlier in this article. Make an announcement at the next support group or network event. Donate some to a needy homeschool family or homeschool group. Or you might even want to try setting up your own market place online – eBay and Homeschool Legal Dense Association’s Market Place provide you the opportunity to auction off your items. EBay does have fees; however, HSLDA’s site is free.
Whether you are buying or selling, curriculum does not have to set your mind into a dizzy spiral. There will always be more choices - therefore, planning, preparation and organization are the solutions to the “curriculum, curriculum and more curriculum” syndrome.
Setting Up Your Home To Learn
Homeschooling? Thinking about Homeschooling? BUT…do you have to turn your home into a school? No, my dear friend, you do not need to turn your home into a school. Your home can still be a HOME. A home ready to learn! Ready?
Ready? This is EASY as ABC...
--> Find a good nook! It does not have to be huge. Certainly does not need to be expensive. All that is needed is a place that invites your children (and YOU!) to think, work through the studies (writing, reading, studying, proofreading, projects, experiments…). Ask yourself, “Where do they gravitate toward to read...to research...to write...to print?” Keep in mind that each and every student in your family will be very different during the learning process, but most will appreciate having all of the supplies and equipment in a safe, quiet, comfortable place to study. When deciding on a spot, make sure that the spot has good lighting and a good, solid, clean, work surface. Make sure it is a good spot to think AND work on lessons.” Set up the area with a nice table or desk with plenty of work area...comfortable chairs...limited distractions…shelves for books and notebooks...space for a computer and printer...convenient power supply...space for you to sit down and work with them during their lessons…and a specific spot for organizational bins that will hold supplies.
--> Get supplies together! You probably have supplies ALREADY in your home. Use our list to remind you of which supplies you will need to gather for homeschooling. Gather them and organize them so they will be ready to use when your children can snatch time to dig into their studies.
--> Give easy access to materials and supplies! Don’t just gather supplies, give your children easy access to those supplies! Nothing else can encourage your children to dig deeper into studies like having the materials needed to learn AND free reign to use them. Gather the supplies you will need and store them in clearly marked plastic bins and containers. There are SO many options available. Find what will work for you and your family. Get paper and printable pages together. I have always stored ours in our school materials so the children had their materials on hand as they needed it. A quick glance can remind me that we need more. I buy all of our paper, ink pens, pencils, 3-ring binders, etc in bulk at Sam’s Warehouse. During the school breaks, many stores have supplies and paper in bulk for better prices than all year round. That is when we also stock up. We store it on our school shelves and have what we need as we work.
--> Invest in the best tools! It may seem to be an added expense, however tools make all of the difference in the world! For example, you can buy a cheap stapler for under $5.00 OR you can buy a long-arm stapler for $29.95 at an office supply store. The difference? Well, we have bought SO MANY cheap staplers. They simply do not last. Plus, they are limited in what they can do. Now, contrast that with the long-arm stapler? They are built to last. You can use those for making any size booklet and for regular stapling. Just watch your most reluctant writer when they figure out ALL that they can do with one stapler! $29.95 will be the best investment ever! J Buy the best as you can. The investment is more than just for equipment, it is investing in your child’s education!
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Need MORE Help?
Check out Cindy's New Organized Mom Super Set! It is full of great ebooks and audios that will help take you by the hand and plan the best homeschool year ever! Plus! When you purchase your set you get MORE help with record-keeping, organization, and setting up your home to learn--you also get access to Cindy's Organization 911 Seminar Set and her newest Seminar Set, Let's Get Organized for the New School Year.
Yep! Both! Complimentary! Grab your set here:
Click here for Cindy's Organized Mom Super Set!
Great Worksheet site!
Oh boy did I stumble upon a great site today! Although typically with a relaxed homeschooling approach you're not spending a lot of time with textbooks and worksheets, having some good "open ended" worksheets to print out makes the academic seat time go smoothly and also gives you something to put in all those notebooks you'll be making each year.
The Worksheet Library (www.worksheetlibrary.com) looks like a really fabulous resource for schooled and homeschool kids. There are lots of free worksheets there and it looks like you can join their membership for just $30 a year. When you look around at everything they have to offer you'll see that's really nothing at all, especially if you have a larger household that you are schooling!
So head on over and check them out today and let us know what you think!
Freebie of the Day
Freebie of the Day - Click on one!
Don't you just love FREE? Well today I found a great little site that offers a free freebie specifically geared toward homeschoolers every weekday! Such a fun idea. Great unit studies, ebooks, audios and the like. I can't wait to check it out more.
I added the RSS feed to their site here so all you have to do is click on the freebie to the left here and you'll be all set! Enjoy!
Teaching Science - Free Resources
Today I stumbled on this great website that has some wonderful science lab activities and worksheets that you can do with many ages of your kids.
The site owner is a homeschool mom and science lover who taught science in the public school for 8 years before her children were born.
She has had a love for nature and science all her life and finds that most schools teach science the wrong way - and that chemistry isn't HARD at all and can be taught to kids! Whoo hoo! I love it!
Make sure you check out her site www.howtoteachscience.com
A fun giveaway
Our friends over at Seaside Tales have a great giveaway on their blog that's perfect for all you relaxed homeschoolers! She's giving away an all-in-one curriculum that goes along with the book Pilgrims Progress - it looks fabulous!
Homemaking
Many of you who are taking a more relaxed approach to homeschooling will really appreciate this gem that I stumbled on today.
I'm so excited. These are two ladies that I respect greatly and have for a long time and they've partnered together to create a fabulous monthly membership site where your daughters can build a wonderful homemaking notebook that will be cherished not just now but also after they are married and beyond.
You can sign up for a monthly membership or purchase the whole year (24 lessons) at a discounted price. It's only $4.95 per month or $49.95 for the annual membership.
They have sample lessons for you to try as well as great products you can buy too. I really am excited!
Run over and take a look.
The website is beautiful and you can take a peek at a sample lesson there too.
Another Homeschool Contest
Real quick!
Our friends over at The Best Homeschool Place are having a fun contest that ends TOMORROW, October 22. They've got some fun things to give away for their blogoversary celebration including:
**A $20 Gift Certificate to the Homeschool Boutique
**The Busy Moms Guide to a Happy Organized Home
and
**The Homeschoolers Income Makeover
Doesn't that sound fun? Head on over HERE to enter - but do it fast!
Fun Science Website
I stumbled on this great website today that has funny, interesting and unique science experiments and activities for all ages. Some of the experiments are a little silly but they always come back to the science behind the silliness. It's a wonderful way to expose your non-science lovers to science learning - a subject that sometimes gets placed on the back burner for home schoolers.
Click here for one of their funny science experiments for kids and adults alike!