How to Simplify and Save with All-in-One Homeschool Curriculum

As a mom of 11, there are two things that allow me the sanity and the finances to homeschool- simplicity and frugality.

Now I don’t claim to have all the answers, but after spending about nine years in this homeschool life, I’ve come across some fantastic resources that fulfill those two requirements when it comes to curriculum.

Whether you’re a traditional homeschooler, prefer unit studies, or like to gather things as you go, having access to a quality website that offers great customer service, a variety of resources, and competitive prices will enable you to not only homeschool, but to homeschool well. 

Our Simple Homeschool Just Got Even Simpler with The Homeschool Printing Company!

People think I must be crazy for homeschooling nine kids. I can’t say I blame them. A decade ago, I would’ve thought the same thing.

Let’s face it. Not only can it be just a tad chaotic trying to keep a slew of extremely active children under control, but the preparation for a large-family homeschool can be time consuming. Really time consuming.

As much as we love to use notebooking in our routine, printing out all of those pages feels like it takes forever. And the fact that my printer is horribly slow doesn’t help things along. 

Supplement the 3 Rs in Your Homeschool with Nessy Learning!

Of all the things we homeschool parents teach our children, there is nothing that will make or break their future quite like the 3 Rs. 

Sure, it’s helpful for them to have the ability to locate their city on a map and to know the difference between solids, liquids, and gases, but when it comes down to it, reading, writing, and arithmetic really are the foundation that all other learning is based upon. Without these three skills, learning just about anything else would be practically impossible. 

The Biggest Mistake You Can Make as a New Homeschooler

I have made a lot of mistakes as a homeschool mom. A lot. And while I now neither claim to be perfect at this job or have everything figured out, there is one thing I can assure you I am 100% confident of:

Out of all the traps you can fall into as a new homeschooler, there is one that stands out above all the rest as potentially the most destructive and the most joy-draining mistake you can make.

Before I get into what that is, don’t lose heart if you discover you’ve been doing this all along. I think most of us are guilty of having done this to some extent in our homeschools- I know I have.

Ready for the big disclosure? Okay. The biggest no-no you can run into as a new homeschooler is… 

10 Reasons Why You Should Use Notebooking in Your Homeschool

Have you ever wondered how some people can seem just so. darn. excited. about their homeschool? I mean, really. Let’s be honest. While there are lots of great ideas floating around out there, is there really anything that is worth absolutely gushing over?

I’m going to say yes.

Last year, I encountered a homeschool trick that not only changed our homeschool, but also completely changed my children’s attitudes towards doing their school work every day: 

Stop, Rewind, Start Over: When Homeschool Moms Mess Up

 

Did you ever have one of those days? You wake up in the morning filled with excitement about what your homeschool will look like, and everything goes wrong. 

First, the cat throws up all over the steps, and you step in it. You enter the kitchen and find that your energetic children have taken it upon themselves to make their own play dough. You don’t know this because you actually see the play dough. The tell-tale sign is the flour that is caked onto everything. The table, cabinets, walls, and floor are absolutely covered with a substance that used to be a powdery flour but is now similar to a hardened paste since the children tried to clean it up with a wet rag. 

Teach Your Kids Hands-On History with Time Capsule: Medieval England

When it comes to homeschooling, history is my absolute favorite subject to learn about with my kids. When you combine hands-on activities, the Middle Ages, and a unit study, it’s enough to make me squeal in delight. 

3 Ways “Teachable Moments” Can Harm Your Homeschool

I’m one of those “all or nothing” kinda gals. When I decide to do something, I give it everything I have, no matter what. When I decide not to do something, I don’t even give it a second thought.

This trait has overwhelmingly taken over in my parenting, as well.

Back when my kids were still in school, I trusted that my children’s teachers would give them a good education because that’s what they were trained to do. Because of that, I went about the rest of our lives not really worrying much about whether or not my kids were learning as we were out and about.

After all, that was the teacher’s job, right? 

10 Ways to Cope with Frustration When Your Homeschooler Doesn’t “Get It”

Homeschooling sure can be frustrating.

No, I haven’t changed my mind about teaching my kids at home. I would never change this lifestyle for anything. Anything.

I’m not going to lie to you, though. Homeschooling isn’t all rainbows and unicorns. Ask any homeschool mom. Like anything in life, there are aspects of it that can be stressful. The root cause may be different depending on who you ask, but, trust me, there’s always something. 

Our 2017/2018 Relaxed Homeschool Curriculum for 10th and 12th Grade

Don’t you just love back-to-homeschool time? Everywhere you turn, excited moms are sharing their plans for the new school year. It is such an awesome experience to see how different homeschooling can look from house to house, and how, despite the differences, they’re all equally impressive.

Today I though I’d share what I have in store for my 15 and 17 year old. I will admit that these choices aren’t set in stone- but then again, nothing in homeschool should be, right? Another thing I’ll also point out is that, although I have them “labeled” as 10th and 12th grade students, I don’t actually use a single resource that is grade level specific.

Not one. To me, grade levels are just an arbitrary holdover from traditional school. In fact, we only use them so that:

• our kids know which Sunday School class to attend, and
• because our school district assigns them grade levels in their records, anyway.

So, with that being said, let’s get started!