Our Homeschool Morning Basket for 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th Grade

As a relaxed homeschooling family, our family’s combined learning time is crucial to our everyday routine. When you’ve got multiple children learning- all at separate levels- consolidating your homeschool regimen as much as possible is an absolute must.

For us, this happens during our daily morning time.

As with all homeschooling techniques, morning time can and will look different for everyone. One thing that most families who incorporate this routine into their day will have in common is a morning basket. 

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How to Painlessly Incorporate Read-Aloud Time into Your Homeschool

If anyone would ever ask me to choose one part of homeschooling that ranks above all others in fun, learning, and family bonding, I’d have to say read-aloud time. When I think of the perfect homeschool day, you’d better believe it always includes lots of hot chocolate, comfy blankets, and a good book. 

How Do I Know If Our Homeschool Is Enough?

Have you ever had one of those days- or entire seasons- when doubt seems to have taken over your homeschool? As time goes on, you begin to realize that there is no way you’re going to cover everything you think you need to, or at least what your curriculum says you should.

The clock is ticking, and you find yourself comparing your kids and your homeschool to other families. Eventually, panic sets in as you realize the enormity of the task before you. 

10 Things You Need to Avoid for a Better Homeschool

The new homeschool year is upon us. If you haven’t started your home education routine already, chances are you’re busy preparing for it.

What better time can there be to share a few reminders about what not to do in your homeschool than today, right? I mean, let’s face it. There are just some things you don’t want to make a habit of in your homeschool.

Here are 10 of them. 

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. 

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. 

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: 

Customize Your Homeschool Using a Textbook Table of Contents

I have a love/hate relationship with textbooks. On the one hand, they’re dreadfully dull and lifeless. On the other, they often contain lots of great information; the problem is in how it’s presented.

I think most people have a very narrow view of how a textbook should be used: Read it, complete the review questions and vocabulary, take a test.

Ugh. Can you say b-o-r-i-n-g? 

A Relaxed Homeschool Approach to KONOS Character Curriculum

I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have mentioned KONOS Character Curriculum on my blog. This unit study resource is not only just about my favorite tool in our homeschool, but it’s also a symbol.

You see, after I burned out, sent my kids back to school, and then withdrew them again, KONOS was the first curriculum I used after I finally decided to never replicate school again.

Ever. 

How to Homeschool Multiple Children Without Going Crazy

When it comes to homeschooling, the absolute hardest part for me has been coming up with a suitable game plan for teaching multiple children. And I mean multiple children. 

Ten to be exact.

After homeschooling for eight years, I still don’t have it all together. I continue to tweak things here and there every now and then in the hopes of getting it right, but I’ve come to the realization that it will never be perfect. It just won’t.