Books for Homeschooling: Adding Picture Books to Your Homeschooling One of the beautiful things about homeschooling is that we do not have to reproduce a classroom environment around our kitchen table. Aren’t you glad? While I was quick to throw out many “classroom-y” ideas and practices in my first few years of homeschooling, I rediscovered a classroom secret that works like magic at home… Books. Picture books. Many homeschoolers take advantage of their local libraries and Amazon, but how do we present those books to our children? The Seed Was Planted One of my homeschooling mentors mentioned how important it was to surround our children with picture books. Forget the thought that picture books are for preschoolers. Simply select books that are beautifully written and illustrated and cover topics that your children are learning about in history. So, I took my 15 library books and out them all over the window sills in my dining room (where we “do school”). Result: All of the boys were drawn to the books. (All. Even the high schooler!) During breakfast, during snack, during break/free time they would wander over and grab a book to browse. There was no agenda; just enjoy the books. We explored the books, talked about the pictures, and of course read the stories! Lesson learned. As a classroom teacher, I guess I would have collected a book-set themed for what we are studying in history or science. I would have the books conveniently displayed all over the room and in the reading center. I suggest to you, that as homeschoolers we need to find ways to display these books to our children as well. On the kitchen table On the coffee table On the window sills Along our white boards On shelves. Displayed like they would be at a book store. If you have matching toys, stuffed animals or knick-knacks then display them with the books! We need to simply put together a history or science themed collections and then place them before our kids. I personally use Amazon to find the books I want to put in front of our boys, then order them from our library. I always have 10-30 books checked out during the school year! Challenge: Pull 3-10 books from your shelves or the library. Place them in a display-like fashion. Set no agenda. In fact, you ignore them. Observe your kids. I bet you will be as amazed as I was to see the difference it makes! Be sure to comment below and share what works for you! If you need some book suggestions, just let me know. I would be glad to help.
Boys, You are Stuck in an Elevator with an Elderly Woman Ask your boys: “You are Stuck in an Elevator with an Elderly Woman. A voice comes over the speaker saying they are fixing the problem, just be patient. After a few minutes, the elderly woman begins to get really tired. It is just you and her locked in the elevator, how can you help her?” Wait for them to answer.See if they can come up with a solution to the obvious problem. This woman needs to sit or she will be hurting. Praise them for coming up with a way to help her, then ask.“Could you do anything to help her that would require a real sacrifice on your part?” After they come up with another solution share this picture: What did this man do to help this grandma while they were stuck? Our world needs real life Knights in Shining armor like this nameless man in the elevator. Let’s make sure we point out true humility and service to our future men. What did your kids say?Two of my boys said they would help her sit on the floor.One said he would hold her up with his arm around her. All 3 thought this real life solution was awesome!Character does not just spontaneously happen, but it can be coached into existence! [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=140485d46639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox]
Dancing Popcorn Dancing Popcorn? We are embracing science experiments lately. Thank goodness for YouTube! This experiment is called: Dancing Popcorn Make it a full science experiment by downloading these resources… Read More »
Easy and Delicious Chili There are a bazillion ways to make chili. Here’s Mine. Here is my family’s favorite. We call it “Sayler Chili”. This recipe is delicious, freezable, and so easy an 8 year old can make it with a little help. Before you have a heart attack. Confession time. I do use a chili kit. I learned this trick from my mom. She always had her favorite kit of spices, so I learned this speed trick from her. My current favorite kit is this one by Carroll Shelby’s. I like it because they individually package each of the spices inside. That means I can add more or less of each of the spices. I used to be afraid to add all of the cayenne pepper, but I have come to love this one just the way they have it packaged!. Last secret. Beans. Not everyone thinks chili is true chili if it has beans. I understand that. But this is my chili, with my name, so it will have beans. (For those of you with lots of kids like me, beans are a filler. Tomatoes are fillers. chili without beans is expensive if you are feeding 5 boys!!! So I use beans. Lots of beans!) This chili is extrememly forgiving. Simply throw in 2-4 cans of whatever your favorite beans are at the moment. I came up with our current favorite combination because I was out of the beans I usually have on hand. It was such a hit that I had to swear an oath that I wouldn’t change this recipe! I use: Dark kidney beans Bush’s grillin’ beans (bourbon and brown sugar) and those weird looking Ranch Style Beans. Do not panic when you open the Ranch beans! They look kinda gross, but they are delicious! Enjoy! If you have a favorite chili recipe, feel free to link in the comments! You’ll find the actual recipe and grocery list here! Find more of my recipes here! Need a great cookbook? Here is my current favorite. Easy recipes. Measurements to enlarge all recipes. Freezer frendly! Delicious!
Woo Hoo… GRACE! First, Grab your checklist here. Before you go… If you made your way here without joining the series, and don’t quite know how to begin. Just begin here.
Woo Hoo!! Welcome FIRST, Grab your Make and Sell Printables Cheatsheet here. Before you go… If you made your way here without joining the series, and don’t quite know how to begin. Just begin here.
Swords for Boys Start them off right! Teach them about the armor of God! Ephesians 6:10-18 Free printable I believe every boy needs an armory! We love the Cold Steel practice swords. Please understand. Not everyone can handle the responsibility of a practice sword. These are meant as real trainers. Use discretion! If my husband wasn’t such a Godly man who instills self-control and safety in our boys I would never have been OK advancing past the nerf weapons! Our boys love these training swords: Hand & a Half Training dagger Gladius Chinese Martial Arts Blade Not quite ready for trainer swords? Nerf swords are a fun place to begin! More Goodies for moms with BOYS How to throw an army man with a parachute You will need some great army men to do this fun activity!
3 Questions I Ask Myself When I Feel Like Giving Up on Homeschooling: by Kristy at The Little Cottage I found Kristy at The Little Natural Cottage a few weeks ago and just fell in love with her transparency. As a veteran homeschooler, I confess there are many days that I find myself overwhelmed and very tempted to quit. Kristy wrote an article where she shares this reality and how she manages to get over the hump. It really spoke to my heart. Here is her article. If it speaks to your heart like it did to mine, jump over to her site and let her know you were blessed! 3 Questions I Ask Myself When I Feel Like Giving Up on Homeschooling Yes, I feel like giving up sometimes. I get overwhelmed. Frustrated. Off track. And just plain tired. Homeschooling takes all I’ve got and then some, and there are weeks when I just feel like throwing in the towel. Years ago, during an especially difficult season of life, my husband and I agreed that there would never be another option for us regarding educating our children. Homeschooling is a conviction for our family, and we’re sticking with it. But that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. So what do I do when I feel like I’m absolutely the wrong mom for the job? Well, after I’ve drank a few cups of coffee, sneaked into the bag of chocolate chips, put the kids down for a nap and escaped to a quiet place with my laptop… I ask myself a few questions. 1. Am I getting enough sleep? The answer to this one is almost always no. I am a chronic overachiever, and sleep is usually the first thing to go when I feel like I don’t have time to tackle one of my beloved projects. Plain and simple, I’m an ogre when I’m sleep deprived. If you don’t believe me, ask my kids. (On second thought, please don’t.) It’s amazing how much better I handle stress (yes, homeschooling can feel stressful at times) when I’m leaving enough margin in my day for sufficient rest. 2. Am I trying to do too much? The answer to this question is almost always yes. It’s hard for us moms to admit it, but we really can’t do it all. Something has to go. For me, the first things I “let go” when the going gets tough are my expectations of a perfect house and my blogging projects. I can’t be a career blogger and a career mother. I just can’t. I have to let go. 3. Why am I homeschooling in the first place? This may seem like a strange question to ask when I’m feeling low, but it’s amazing what a little honest evaluation can do for my resolve. I’m not homeschooling because it’s easy. I’m not homeschooling because I’m cut out for it. I’m not homeschooling because I have a fancy education and I feel smart. I’m not homeschooling because it fits so well with my schedule and personal goals. I’ve chosen life as a homeschool mom because I believe God has called me to it. And since He called me, He will equip me. He will. And He does. More than anything, homeschooling is a walk of faith. I believe that God is bigger than my mistakes. Wiser than my weaknesses. Stronger than my inconsistencies. I believe that He knows and loves my children infinitely more than I could ever know and love them. I believe that He gave them to ME, and me to them, with an eternal purpose in mind. I believe that I can do this, and do it well. Not because of anything good within me, but because I am equipped by God Almighty himself. So is there ever really a time when I’m ready to say, “I quit?” Sure. I say it. And when I reach the end of myself is when I find Him. Holding me. Cheering me on. Giving grace for another day. And another… and another… Thank you Kristy, for your wisdom and heart!Were you blessed? Take a minute to let Kristy know by clicking here.
Look Up from The Screen We were sitting in the waiting room for hours waiting for our son’s turn. He was scheduled for minor surgery and the doctors were running behind. Honestly, it wasn’t that bad waiting. He was 15, so he no longer complains. (Don’t laugh, he really does not complain) Everyone in the waiting room was happily entertained with their electronic devices. The 8 year old, the teenager, and the 3 elderly patients waiting for surgery or loved ones all quietly played on their ipads, computers or phones. After my son was called in, the time went much slower. I finally put down my ipad and said aloud, “I was wondering how people survived waiting rooms before technology. I bet they actually talked to one another…” All of the “patients” were now in surgery. It was just we few parents who remained behind. Suddenly, we all put our toys away and shared our stories. One mom said her son was having surgery because after his cancer, her son had developed an infection. She was more than eager to share their story. Time flew by and the nurses came to call her to recovery. I looked at the last mom in the room and said, “I am going to be nosey and ask you about your son too.” She laughed and shared that he had trauma to his eye from a football injury and then went into the details of how they were going to repair his eye. We chatted for a long time. Just as she was sharing her sons ambitions to join the Navy, and elderly man walked into the room and overhearing her comment said, “The Navy is a great choice!” I asked him of he was a former sailor like my husband, and he went on to chat our ears off about his tour. He was delightful, and we both were able to thank this veteran for his service to our country. Time flew by once we all put out toys away. We became vested in each other’s stories, rooting for our children (And the veterans wife). I bet you will find yourself in a situation this week where everyone around you is engrossed in their screens. I would encourage you to be the first to put yours down and open a conversation. I bet you will be blessed!
Why Freezer Meals? The Last Thing You Want To Do is Make Dinner Inside: One those 27 days out of the month that you don’t feel like cooking, you’ll be thankful for the 2 days you did THIS… At the end of the day, after driving down the mountain with all the kids, shopping at two busy stores, teaching my kids that ‘it’s not ok to slap your brother with the package of bacon’, and realizing that I lost my grocery list somewhere along the way, the LAST thing I want to do is make dinner. I had to come up with a plan. It made no sense to corral 4-5 squirrely boys down Mt. Everest to trudge through the heat and crowds to save a few bucks only to be so tired when I got home that I blew the budget on take-out food. MY SOLUTION? Freezer meals. Ladies, those freezer bags in my freezer saved my life too many times to count. Natalie at A Turtles Life for Me shared how she spent around $100 and was able to freeze 46 meals for her family! I am inspired! Inspired by the book, Dinner’s in the Freezer, Don’t Panic Natalie shares how she shops, prepares, and freezes “perfect sized” meals for her family. Cooking in bulk is a necessity for me. We are busy, my boys eat food by the truckload, and our big stores are down a mountain. Plus, There is a sinister black cloud that hangs over my head all day if I am not prepared for dinner! I may be crazy, but I prefer to pretend to have it all together. My hungry boys ask me all day long what the next meal will be. They have come to depend upon my expert cooking skills. (Laugh with me here). I have used my “Bulk Cooking Days” to teach our sons to cut, prep and prepare meals. Homeschool Life Skills in action! Anytime I can double, triple, or quadruple a recipe I do- and I freeze the extra servings. It’s saved my sanity more than 3.4 dozen times. Freezer Meal Resources: Freezer Meals By Once a Month Mom “Once a Month Meals gives you everything you need to shop, prep and cook a bulk of your monthly meals in just one day — and freeze those meals for when you want to eat them.” Freezer Meals on the Cheap: By A Turtle’s Life for Me “Have you ever heard the story about the boy who woke up on a gorgeous day and his dad told him he had to go out back and chop firewood. The boy asked why he had to spend a warm, summer day chopping firewood and the dad said it was so he didn’t have to do it on a cold, winter day. That’s how I feel about freezer meals. It’s all about sucking it up and committing to an afternoon of slaving away in the kitchen, because you know it will make life SO much easier for the next couple months. This way, when you have that warm, summer day when you’re running your kids here and there and life seems so chaotic… dinner is already made and you look like supermom for doing it all and still putting a healthy dinner on the table!” Cooking Camp for Kids: Teaching Your Kids to Cook- One Tasty Recipe at a Time. By Bekki @ A Better Way to Homeschool “Teaching kids to cook is an invaluable life skill… but it takes time and commitment. With Cooking Camp 1, you will have everything you need to coach and train your kids to become “experts of their meal” over time. Cooking takes practice. There is no way around that. These are family loved recipes shared from my home to yours.” [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=146e73e46639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox] Cooking Camp: Teaching Kids to Cook Don’t Panic! Dinner’s in the Freezer! “Hectic lifestyles and over-full schedules make traditional cooking methods nearly obsolete in many families. The results are poor nutrition and budgets strained by the high cost of fast food or commercially prepared meals. Don’t Panic-Dinner’s in the Freezer offers a simple and economical alternative, featuring dozens of recipes designed to be prepared and frozen for future use. With 100,000 copies sold, this book gives practical tips for planning, organizing, and shopping for meals, as well as unique ways to freeze and reheat prepared foods. Every recipe includes measurements for cooking alone or as a joint venture with one or two friends. Families, singles, retirees-everyone who needs to eat-will find fast and easy answers to the question, “What’s for dinner?” Trust me, That’s enough to get you started.
Seed Strips: Gardening Craft I am really excited about this craft/gardening task.I have to thank Amy at Raising Arrows for sharing about this tip last week. One of our kids is completely inspired by all things farming. We really try to find projects that nurture his love for growing things when planning our homeschool day. I was thrilled to stumble upon a tutorial for teaching him how to make his own seed ribbons. If you want to learn more about planting with seed strips, Gardeners.com is a great resource. If you and your kids want to make your own seed strips, you can follow along. Materials needed:Seed packetstoilet paper (We used Costco brand)FlourWaterbowlpaint brush (We used chop sticks) Instructions Place Flour into a bowl and mix with water until it forms a paste. Measure a piece of toilet paper so it is the length of your table.Fold the paper in half. Read Seed packets to determine how far apart to “sow seeds”. Using a ruler, mark the paper with a pen at the proper spacing. (This makes it much easier for younger helpers!)Place a dollop of glue on each mark.Place 1-3 seeds per dollop of glue. Use your table or workspace to create a production line.Cover your table with seed strips. Let the strips dry. If you have enthusiastic helpers, you will need them to rest over night. If you have enthusiastic helpers, you will need them to rest over night. (Kids love using too much glue) Simply (and gently) roll the strips and label. Wrap with rubber band until planting day! When you are ready to plant: Dig trench to the proper planting depth.Unroll strip.Lay strip into trench.Cover with soil.Water. Voila! Planting made easy! My boys LOVED this project. We are ready for our early plantings, how about you? [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=142a79846639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox] [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=143dc6846639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox]
Are You New to Homeschooling? In this video, I am answering questions for one of my viewers in Kansas. As I recorded this one, I realized that many new homeschoolers feel the same way she does: frustrated and confused. In this video I talk about: 1. Setting Homeschool Goals 2. Finding your State Requirements 3. Encourage you to consider joining HSLDA.org 4. Choosing a “golden thread” to build your homeschool around. Be sure to leave a comment or question for me after watching the video. If you are a veteran homeschooler, please add wisdom. If you are a newbie, please add questions or concerns that you would like to have addressed. Don’t forget to enter your email to the right so you do not miss any updates. Have a wonderful day!
5 EASY Ways to Deal with Homeschool Frustration Inside: Real solutions for the Frustrated homeschooler You woke up ready to rock this homeschool gig. You even had it all together. Until… You find the baby decorated her wall with her diaper contents and your middle schooler needs help with math. You begin to cry. When 5:00 rolls around you look in the mirror and realize the person staring back at you not only looks like she fought a battle and lost but she forgot to plan for dinner… again. So you cry again and pour cold cereal for dinner. I bump into home-school moms all the time who are frustrated.Are you one of them? … Read More »
How to Make Your Day Flow Peacefully So You Can Enjoy Your Preschooler Inside: Practical ways to help you with that energetic happy preschooler plus a Bonus Naptime Training Game {Printable} First and Foremost. Preschoolers grow up really, really, really quickly. Those hugs and kisses they offer so frequently are numbered. There will be a day that you are chasing them down, so, listen carefully… Hug and kiss your preschoolers a lot! Tell them you love them- More. Second.Take a few days to assess your life. Do you already have a schedule and daily routine or are you like me when I had my second child, snickering behind my back at the suggestion that a preschooler can be scheduled (and love it!). Third. For the sake of the desperate, I am going to assume you are new to parenting preschoolers and homeschooling. You are trying to figure out your older child’s math lesson while your very busy, yet delightful tot is running around. Your delightful little munchkin does not want to sit and wait for school to be done for their fun to begin. They will create their own fun and include glitter and nail polish-so you need a plan. Without a plan, that delightful little munchkin will play with your carving knife, hide in your dryer, or paint your bathroom with nail polish while you are feeling great about your homschooling abilities in the other room. Yes, I am speaking from experience. If you do not have it built into your day already, spend the next week or two establishing a rhythm to your children’s day. Photo by Alicja Colon Create: Rinse and Repeat Schedule. Here’s kinda what I did with my boys. Psst: Anyone who tells you “This is the exact recipe for success for scheduling kids” is lying. Or they don’t have kids yet. Kids definitely need a schedule, love a schedule, thrive when living by a schedule, and can mess up a schedule before you can set a timer. There is no such thing as “one size fits all”, so use this as a guideline to get you started. Sample Rinse Repeat Schedule: Homeschooling with Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers Wake I woke up kids at 7:00. LOL. Who am I kidding? One of my boys woke up at 5:30 every day. I had to train him to stay in bed reading quietly until 7. Yes. You can do that.) Clean room I had my boys make beds and get dressed, even if I was helping them every step of the way. By the way… This is parenting for the win. Have your kids work alongside you while they are incapable of doing it right and train them up in the right attitude/heart. Eventually, they will be able to out work you, but they can also “Out Attitude” you. Train for heart first, ability comes later. Eat breakfast Yes, mama. You too! Calendar Time. 15-20 Minutes. This is a public school term. But my kids loved it. Gather near a calendar or activity board. This is a time of “Repeat after me” or “let’s sing…” Find today’s date. Sing Seven Days in a Week song. Count the dates up to today. Recite the months of the year. Use calendar time to work on any memory work pieces, like bible verse, poetry, or phone numbers. Sing silly songs. 2-4 a day. Mama, don’t roll your eyes. Embrace silly… your kids need it, and frankly so do you. Use Youtube if necessary. Your kids need silly songs. Here are Some starters: Stand Strong, Love my lips, I am a pizza. Need More? Here you go. Memory work: month’s of the year, bible verses, poems, your address and phone number Real Alouds. I know it’s more comfy to cozy on the sofa, but adding a circle time reader is good for teaching sitting still. Weather: talked about the weather, graphed weather, dresses “weather bear“ Counting: Count to 10, or 50, or 100. SKip Counting. Calendar time will quickly turn into a favorite part of your kids’ day. Table activity/ Baby-Toddler 1st Nap Time Cut and paste activities with the little ones. Prepare yourself for, “mommy help me” a bazillion times. Older kids work on things like handwriting, copy-work, spelling. Think, “What can my olders work independently”. Math time for “olders”. 5-15 minutes of instruction, then they work independently. This will not work when the math lessons are tough, they get confused, or you are holding the math lesson sideways hoping that the change of view will help it make sense. Snack Outside whenever possible. Outside play 15-45 minutes- all kids. If you have a picnic table, you can work with older kids while littles play. Let them play for a few first. Please embrace the Danish Motto, “There is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.” Snuggle and Read time, followed by… Roomtime/playpen time Train your littles to play independently. 15-60 minutes. No electronics. Put on music, Pull out a special toy/set of toys, Bring Down the Blocks, Present a fun activity- The key is you help set up a fun activity. Use a timer. When timer dings, sing the clean-up song and teach them to clean up their mess. Help mommy make lunch Oh, mama. Let them help you- at least 3 times a week. The other days, let them play near you or just outside (if safe). Lunch Yes, mama. You too! After lunch.This is a good show time while you work with older kids. I used car seats, high chairs, and playpens to wrangle my squirrelly boys. They Loved the baby Einstein videos:). Pro Tip- Streamline your kid’s meals. When you limit breakfast and lunch choices you bring peace to mealtimes. Take the “What’s for breakfast/lunch question” off the menu. Choose 1-3 healthy things that you will always have for these meals. Nap-time/quiet-time Perfect time to work with older students! My boys napped/rested for 1.5-2 hours every day until their 5th birthday. Kids need this downtime. Mom’s need this downtime. If you are like me with my oldest son, and you find that you never lovingly enforced nap/quiet time- Start tomorrow. [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=1455e0246639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox] Art/ errands Free play Dinner prep (include kids in prep- setting table, mixing, measuring, etc- at least 3 times a week) Family time A.K.A.- this time of day moms sit on the sofa and doze off. Bedtime routine (no electronics) All my kids went to bed by 8:00, most were in bed by 7:30 until they were ten. We send older kids to bed before 9:00 to read for a bit, then lights out. Sleep Kids need sleep. Moms need sleep. Dads need sleep. Repeat. Every Day. Click here to Enroll: [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=1467bfd46639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox] In this FREE 7-day course, you’ll learn to filter your homeschooling and parenting through the lens of character training. Get on the roster TODAY (it’s FREE!) before the doors close. WHAT YOU’LL GET Stop measuring success by grades, achievements, awards, and worksheets. When you enroll in this course, you’ll discover: The Best Measure of Parenting and Homeschooling Success The #1 Mistake Homeschoolers Make with their Kids One Powerful Phrase that will change the way you homeschool forever But let’s be honest. You’re already rockin’ it as a mom and homeschooler. Lazy moms do not take free Character training courses to improve their parenting skills. Just sayin’. What I hope you glean is that sometimes we all focus on the good things, rather than the best things. That’s what this course is all about. Helping you focus on the BEST. Click here to get on the roster today: [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=1467bfd46639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox]
Insanely Easy Ways to Teach Kids Math Inside: Practical Strategies for Teaching Math and a handy math printable This post may contain affiliate links. Crocodile tears are big. Crocodile tears are ugly. photo by Steven Arenas I remember the day my son cried huge crocodile tears because he had already spent two hours “doing math” and still wasn’t done. We had just made the big jump to homeschool and he was not thriving. Why? “I know I am explaining these concepts to you, so why can’t you “pound out the lesson” in two seconds flat.” It’s easy to expect too much from our kids. photo by Senjuti Kundu I really expected too much from my son. [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=141827f46639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox] Don’t get me wrong, expectations are great. I am the queen of setting the bar high for my sons. But I was missing something critical. It turned out, he had made it all the way to 5th grade without mastering his math facts. After eating a big helping of guilty pie, we began working on fundamentals of math. (Click here for a 25 Minute Video Filled with Ideas to help you teach math) Great News if your Kids are behind: photo byEye for Ebony You can teach a 13-year-old a math concept in a day that they “should have learned” at an earlier age. So don’t panic if you suddenly realize they missed something. Simply identify the goal and create a learning strategy. Ask Yourself: Do you teach your child kindergarten, first grade, third-grade material… Or do you teach your child? Math Concepts and Skills by Age 3 Steps to teaching math facts Discover your child’s way of learning. I had to come face to face with that fact that my son learned differently than I do. His brain is wired differently. Math facts need to be memorized. Sorry. No way around this one. Actually, they need to be over-memorized. Practice over, and over, and over again. Examine your Own Math Mentality Do you hate math? Do you voice that to your children? Does math confuse you? Do you say things like, “I never could do math well,” rather than, “Hmmm, I do not remember how to do this right now, I guess my brain gets to exercise!” Many homeschoolers do not feel qualified to teach math, that’s OK. Instead learn it together! Discover the power of “yet”. Purpose to Speak Positively about Math “Math is everywhere!” “I’m glad I know how to add because that means I know _____.” “I like the challenge of math!” You get the idea. Get Help if you really Do Not Understand When you hit a math wall and simply cannot solve it in order to explain it to your child, seek help. Tell your student you need to have someone explain it to you. Affirm that there is always someone who is willing to help if you are humble enough to ask. Our kids need to see us ask for help! Here is a great online help for you and your kids. Related: Some Practical Math Resources Hands-On Math Activities Use Flash Cards Learn Fact Families Kids need to master facts as related groups. Creative Practice dry eraser markers on windows and mirrors sidewalk chalk pudding:) writing on sandpaper using magnetic numbers on fridge saying facts while playing ball, dancing, or rolling Math Fact Games Manipulatives Use anything from blocks and pattern tiles, Legos, Cheerios, M&M’s, and play games. “You grab 5 and I’ll give you 12 more, how many?” “If I make 4 groups of 3, how many will there be all together?” “Here are handfuls of snacks… divide them into 6 separate zip-lock baggies evenly.” Tip: Give kids time to explore manipulatives without giving them guidelines. I always let my kids “play” with new manipulatives a week or two before I use them in a lesson. Sources of Math Frustration: photo by ryan moreno Attitude: Sometimes it’s them… but sometimes it’s us. Curriculum. Curriculum causes so many issues. We feel our kids need to “get it” and be able to move forward from concept to concept. Page 27 means nothing. It’s like expecting a child to read a book but they only know 11 letters and sounds of the alphabet. Remember curriculum is a tool, not the goal. *Establish a clear math goal (or set of goals) for your student and use the curriculum to help you get there. That may mean you skip pages, even chapters of the book! Relief: There are only 3 types of math for most kids to master by high school: Arithmetic- number sense Algebra- equations Geometry- triangles, angles, etc Guilt. Comparing your kids to mine, hers or theirs. Asking, “Shouldn’t my child be at grade level?” (This is a futile question…) I feel like a failure because I barely can complete the fourth-grade math book without an answer key! Guilt binds us. We need to release it. Curriculum doesn’t teach our kids. We teach our kids and sometimes we may even a use curriculum. More ideas: Count everything. Work on facts daily. Print a bunch of math fact drill sheets and do timed drills (if they at least tolerate them I have one child that drills devastate. for some reason a timed drill shuts his brain down.) Do Car math: Ask math fact questions while running errands Bake Measure things with rulers, measuring tapes, straws, bananas Go to the store and pretend (or really buy) as many things as possible with $100. Lastly, it is important to remember that not all of our kids are destined to be mathematicians. That’s OK. But everyone really needs to know their basic math facts inside out. Focus on the basics and build your math program around fundamentals. Don’t rush your young children. If they master their facts they will be well ahead of their peers in the end and you can help avoid those crocodile tears. Preview of the Heart of Homeschooling God’s Way Master Class. We need to STOP measuring success by grades, achievements, awards, and worksheets.
Homeschooling: Step Three- How Do I Homeschool? When I looked over my first stacks of teaching materials I panicked. “You mean I have to teach this stuff?” Photo by Jon Toney Curriculum- “those stacks of learning materials we rely upon to teach their kids”, can freak out the best of us. Over the last two decades, I have learned to approach curriculum very differently. I no longer feel chained to this page or that lesson. Instead, I rely on what I call the covered wagon approach. The Covered Wagon You can also call this style of teaching/learning: thematic learning, or unit study. First: We choose a focus for the current period of study. I call this choosing the ” Golden Thread”. An example of a Golden Thread: Study Native American History for North America. Second: I need you to look at the picture of the covered wagon. Use your imagination with me. This wagon is on a journey to some destination. There are 4 wheels solidly on the ground to help the wagon make it to its destination. The wagon is steered and controlled by the grown-ups or older children. There are extra horses to facilitate quick side trips. Lastly, notice that the wagon itself is full of supplies and activities to occupy the travelers. How you Teach Using this method We first choose a destination (In this example: studying Native American History). This is where we decide what our final project will be to present what we have learned. Need Ideas for Projects? I have a Unit Study Idea Sheet for you at the end of this article. Second, we look down and see our 4 foundational Wheels: History, Science, Math, and English (Language and literature). We will look for ways to incorporate each of these subjects while teaching about Native American History. History: learn about the main native American groups. Focus: for each group of Native Americans learn: where they lived, what was the climate, what kinds of clothing did they wear, what they ate, did they worship a god? Science: Focus: examples: study weather. create graphs of your local weather, compare that with weather in the areas that the native tribe you are currently studying lived. Study Native American weapons. English: Focus spelling and vocabulary around the tribe you are studying. Choose 5-20 words a week to learn. Choose books to read together and independently about Native Americans. Complete daily copy work about Native Americans, weekly narration about Native Americans, and weekly dictation. Math: Estimate the distance from one tribe to another. research whether each tribe had a way to record numbers and record data. Complete word problems focus on Native Americans. The 4 Wheels of History, Science, English, and Math are your foundation. Just like the wheels of a real wagon would be on the ground every day, these subjects would make up your core learning. Third: Remind yourself that the wagon is “controlled” by older children and adults. A 5-year-old will not necessarily determine that they want to study Native Americans, but an older student might. Remind yourself that you are ultimately responsible for your destinations, but there are almost no wrong places to study! You choose! Fourth: In the picture above there is a lone rider on a fresh horse. With the Covered Wagon Approach, you need to be ready to break free from the wagon when a spontaneous learning opportunity presents itself. For example, maybe your student becomes fascinated with the Appaloosa horse of the plains nation. Take a side trail to study the Appaloosa and other breeds of horses. Look for ways to incorporate Math, Science, English and History while you are on this side trail. Once the burst of Inspired Learning fades, go back to the wagon. Fifth: The covered wagon. Just like the picture shows a wagon full of supplies and activities, you carry into your teaching an endless supply of activities and field trips to supplement your child’s learning. This is where art, music, dance, technology and things like theater fit in. Where can you go, what can you do, how can you see, taste, smell what you are learning about? In our Native American Study you could research and explore Native American Art and learn how to reproduce things like beaded bracelet’s, you could download Native music, attend a POW WOW in your area, visit the museum, watch History Channel Movies (or even Disney Movies), research YouTube videos, interview a local Native American and more. The Covered Wagon Approach means you jump into a golden thread and focus all your learning in that direction. You choose an historical focus and design, plan or purchase programs that incorporate all of those 4 foundational disciplines into that particular area of learning (You really do not need a specific curriculum to learn/teach this way: With the exception of math where you will learn from a math program of some sort. This can be as free or expensive as you desire!) Download your FREE “Unit Study Ideas” {Printable} Join us for the Heart of Homeschooling God’s Way Curriculum has nothing to do with homeschooling success Showers are optional and overrated No amount of knowledge looks beautiful on someone with a terrible attitude Coffee is one of the major food groups Children’s shirts have four clean surfaces: Front, back, inside front, and inside back Feeding kids chicken nuggets and corndogs don’t make you a bad mom The Lord will lead the way in raising and educating my kids
Homeschooling: Step Two I don’t always fail, but when I do it’s with epic style. photo by Maria I threw an egg at a trash can and missed. Splat! Tried to sit on a cooler at a tailgate party. A styrofoam cooler. Crunch! Backed the car into a parking space at the library and hit a pole. Dent. What do All of these things have in common? … Read More »
Homeschooling: Step One My first day of homeschooling ended with me in tears and nail polish on my bathroom floor. It wasn’t pretty. Thank goodness I asked for help! Homeschooling: Step One Breathe! Welcome to the wonderful world of educating your children. If you are anything like I was when I first began homeschooling my boys, you are overwhelmed and terrified of destroying your children. I know it feels overwhelming. Like you are up to your chin in jello with nothing but a toy lasso from your son’s Halloween costume to pull you out. But you will be ok. I am here to help you. To show you there is no Jello. I want to encourage you to breathe. There is nothing more important than for you to remember that “no one knows your kids better than you do.” You are perfectly suited to teach your children because: They are your kids. No one knows them like you do. You know what they love and hate. You are vested in their success. No one will believe in them with the same level of intensity that you will. Before you begin, let me encourage you to focus your heart. You can absolutely teach your kids, but you will be tempted to focus on the wrong things. Which Curriculum should you choose? Should you participate in State testing? Are your kids performing at “grade level”? Those are important, but wrong. Yes, you should consider questions like these but they have NOTHING to do with whether you will be a successful homeschooler. I would like to encourage you to grab a cup of something wonderful: tea, coffee, cranberry juice, etc. When I first started A Better Way to Homeschool, I wanted to share as many valuable and practical homeschooling advice, tips, stories and ideas as I possibly could. Because… Because… The Homeschooling path can be a dusty, intimidating and sometimes lonely journey. And scary. Do you ever worry about messing up your kids like I used to worry about messing up mine? We all do. Knowing that I wasn’t the only dust covered homeschooler, I began listening to other moms (and dads) and created my website. What I have learned over the past few decades is that homeschoolers want: Easy. You want easy common sense solutions to homeschooling your children and the confidence that whispers, “You are are doing a great job”. Peace of mind. You want to sleep soundly at night, with that little bit of drool coming out of the corner of your mouth because you know are walking down the right path with your kids, even if it’s a bit dusty. Company. You’re not the only one on that dusty lonely road. I’m just a bit further down the path, but I left footprints for you to follow or avoid. Homeschool classes for mom Homeschoolers are what my son calls “stupid busy”. You do it all: cooking, diapering, taxiing, scheduling, planning, and yes, teaching. You want to grab what you need to succeed in a simple and easy way because that’s all the time they have left in your daytime for simple and easy. Preview of the Heart of Homeschooling God’s Way Master Class. We need to STOP measuring success by grades, achievements, awards, and worksheets.
Science for Homeschoolers What do the mating habits of crickets, hydrochloric acid, and Jupiter all have in common? Science! So why do we teach science anyway? I have good news for you who fear science. Science is simply curiosity. It is important to explore scientific topics with your children so that their minds are stretched and they become problem solvers. Do not get hung up on trying to figure out which areas to focus and what ideas need to be learned. Simply explore your world from a scientific perspective. Be prepared to dig deeper where there is interest. Short list of Science topics to explore: Scientific Method The human body Plants Animals Gardening Survival Techniques Electricity and Magnetism Atoms and Elements Weather Planets and The Universe Creation vs. evolution Health Forensic Science Natural Medicine Light If you can think of a topic, there is a scientific question to be answered! Science Resources: The Scientific Method Science buddies Dancing popcorn Creation Science Marine Biology Thanksgiving Science Experiments (Good any time of year) Electricity and Magnetism Science notebooking and journal pages My Opinion: God is a scientist! When we teach our children to be curious, they want to learn more. The incredible thing about studying science is that the deeper you explore, the more God reveals Himself to us. What a delight to look for a scientific answer and to discover the brilliance of our God!
History for Homeschoolers History resources, deals, tips, and encouragement. This page is continually updated with new resources! Why do we teach history and geography? History repeats itself! We want to equip our kids to make wise choices based on history. By studying cultures, events, and people of the past we can teach our children to pattern their lives, “based on history”. History gives us an endless supply of examples of wise and stupid decisions of people that have walked this world before us. Let’s teach our children to look for examples in the lives of those who have gone before us. More Important than studying any ONE particular person, event, invention, or time period, is teaching our kids to be natural investigators of the past. “Do you know about the Pony Express?” After asking all four of my sons the same question I beat myself up a bit. It turns out that NONE of them knew anything about this piece of history. I began thinking about all the different things, people, events, and inventions I haven’t made sure my kids have learned. And then I remembered the BIG truth. It doesn’t matter if we miss events, people, and inventions from history… It matters if we don’t pass on a HUNGER for historical knowledge to our kids. I’m not saying we should neglect teaching history. My kids NEED to know about the Pony Express, who wrote the first epic novel, and random and weird history like Knockers-up. Before there were alarm clocks, there were “knockers-up”, who were hired to shoot dried peas from a blow gun at people’s windows in order to wake them up in the morning. We can learn a lot from history! But we have to ask the right questions! {Click here for Free download} Short List of History Subjects: Biblical History Archaeology Ancient Civilizations (They were brilliant!!) Medieval History Renaissance Dark Ages Colonial America Civil War American Revolution Industrial Revolution Cold War World War I and II Native American History Westward expansion Geography! This world is a fascinating place! and more, much more Get your free History Topic Ideas and Questions to ask when studying History before you go… My Opinion: God is the ultimate historian! Read your Bible with your children and research history mentioned. There is so much to learn about God and the character of a follower of Christ wrapped up within the subject of history. You could spend an entire lifetime studying any one area of history. When exposing your children to important historical events, be prepared to pause and dive deeper into an area of interest! Anything that is important to God is important to us and therefore worthy to teach to our children.