Our 2017/2018 (Very) Relaxed Homeschool Curriculum for 1st and 2nd Grade

I love homeschooling. Well, specifically, I love relaxed homeschooling.

After the disastrous beginning to our homeschool journey that ended with my children being enrolled in school again, if there’s one thing I’ve learned on this adventure, it’s that simplicity is a necessary component in this slightly chaotic household.

My approach to homeschooling 1st and 2nd grade may come dangerously close to unschooling, but that’s okay. It works for us.  

Inspire Your Kids to Write with Basic Invite Stationery

To those who know anything about me, I have made it no secret that I try to incorporate writing into my children’s lives in as natural a manner as possible. I’ll admit that sometimes it isn’t easy. After all, they’re kids, and sometimes anything that looks like “work” to them is going to make them protest just a bit. 

Our 2017/2018 Relaxed Homeschool Curriculum for 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th Grade

I’ll be homeschooling nine kids this year. That may sound like a lot, but it’s actually one less than last year since my oldest daughter became my first homeschool graduate.

Sniff.

As stressful as people think that may sound, it truly isn’t as chaotic as people think. Busy? Sure. I’d be worried about any homeschool that wasn’t busy. But believe it or not, homeschooling is actually pleasurable for me. 

Teach Your Active Preschoolers About God in a Way That Impacts Them!

As a Christian mom, it is my responsibility to raise my children to know what the Bible says and what it doesn’t. 

I often have conversations with fellow believers who describe their family devotion time as peaceful, loving, and holding everyone’s attention perfectly- even the family dog. 😛

I’ve got news for you. That’s not my family. My littles are a force to be reckoned with. Yes, they need to learn obedience. Yes, they need to learn reverence. But I can’t help but ardently believe that God gave these children energy for a reason, and by George, I think we need to use that energy for His glory and not squash it out of them. 

5 Steps to a Super Simple (and Frugal) Homeschool Lesson Planner

As a mom of 11, saying that organization is important to me is a bit of an understatement. I truly can’t function without it. And as crucial as organization is to me, there’s just one more thing I need…simplicity.

Let’s face it. There are hundreds of beautiful lesson planners available to us homeschool moms. Video upon video abounds with crafty mothers showing how they’ve dolled up their homeschool planners with glitter and washi tape. I’ll admit, I do get inspired. I get all ready to invest in a fancy planner, rubber cement, and some crafting scissors…. and then I splash some water on my face to bring myself back down to earth. 

Worldschooling- Who Says That Homeschooling Only Happens at Home?

I guess some homeschool stereotypes can be true. Take our family as an example.

• Super-size family? Check.
• Christians? Check.
• Homebodies? Sigh. Okay. Check.

Homeschool Your Active Preschooler with Learn and Grow Preschool Curriculum

I am absolutely convinced that preschoolers learn best through play. The thought of making a child as young as 3 or 4 years old sit and do worksheets literally makes me cringe. 

10 Easy Ways to Supplement Foreign Language Learning in Your Homeschool

As technology grows more advanced, the world is figuratively becoming smaller and smaller. Learning a foreign language is rapidly becoming as mainstream as studying any other major subject.

As beneficial as learning a new language is, it can be difficult for some children to grasp why learning a foreign language is necessary. Others may struggle with it because they’re simply not interested enough to retain any information that is essential in maintaining fluency and understanding.

Recently, I’ve really come to recognize how beneficial foreign language learning can be, so I’ve actually had my “middles” practicing German for the past several months. As much as they genuinely enjoy learning this language, however, retention has really been a problem for them. 

Homeschoolers, Don’t Fall for the Standardized Testing Gimmick!

I hate standardized tests. As a homeschool mom, I think they’re one of the most useless things on the planet- right up there with cockroaches and mosquitoes.

Yet, just the other week I had a conversation with someone about homeschooling that went something like this: 

Love Disney’s Tangled? Try This Free Unit Study!

The first time I ever saw Tangled, we were in the midst of our experiment with unschooling. I excitedly pointed out to my kids how Rapunzel would have been the perfect unschooler because she was just so…productive!

Today I whipped up a unit study just for you based on this movie- which happens to be my favorite Disney movie ever. Hopefully, your kids will be as inspired as we were!

Enjoy!