Flash Kids Language Arts Review | Grades 2, 4, 5, and 6

So many #homeschooling families spend an arm and a leg on language arts curriculum, so I thought I’d share the workbooks we use. They’re comprehensive, effective, engaging, and they only cost about $7!

3 Practical Hacks for Homeschooling High School

Over these past ten years, I’ve realized something about homeschooling high school:

It is way too easy to overcomplicate things.

Honestly, though, it’s understandable. It’s a big deal! What if we mess up?? The fear is all too real.

So what do we do to ensure that won’t happen? We overcompensate. We overschedule. And worst of all – we start trying too hard to look like school.

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7 Ways to Use YouTube in Your Homeschool

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I have a love/hate relationship with technology.

As much as I would love to time travel back to the pioneer days, I also love the fact that we have so much information right at our fingertips.

Take YouTube for example.

Although, admittedly, this social media platform is filled with more than its share of dumbed down and downright inappropriate videos, with a bit of pre-screening and supervision, this website can be one of the most valuable resources you’ll ever use in your homeschool.

And it’s free.

As a mom of 11, homeschooling frugally is a must for me, and I know I’m not alone, so today, I’m going to share with you… 

Is the Library Enough? The Truth About Homeschooling Without Textbooks

The life of a homeschool mom comes with many side effects:

• glitter all over the floor
• yesterday’s science experiments in the fridge
• never making it to the bathroom alone
• constant questions from the kids
• constant questions from curious adults

It’s that last item that prompted this post today.

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 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.  

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. 

Same Kind of Different As Me- A Free Mini Unit Study!

Summertime is right around the corner, and chances are your summer vacation may have even started already. Although it’s such a relief to get a bit of a break for a while, sometimes after just a week or two, you may begin to hear the dreaded,

I’m booored.

Mini unit studies can be the perfect solution for this. They’re long enough to keep the kids occupied for a bit, but short enough that it doesn’t feel like you’re actually doing school already. 

When It Comes to Homeschool Curriculum, Expensive Doesn’t Always Mean Better

Okay. Repeat after me…

Homeschooling doesn’t have to be expensive.

Did you say it?

Bigger question- do you believe it?

You know, I’d been planning on writing on this particular subject again for a while, when, lo and behold, this question was posed on a search engine that brought someone to my site today: 

7 Reasons I Didn’t Buy Homeschool Curriculum This Year

As a frugal mom of 11 kids- 10 who are actually being homeschooled- I’ve turned my money-saving skills into an art. I mean, really, who actually wants to spend thousands of dollars on curriculum each year if they don’t have to?

Of all the years I’ve been homeschooling, our second year was the year I spent the most money because I was going through the “homeschool has to look like school” phase and bought individual boxed curriculum sets for each kid.