What’s your homeschool kryptonite? You know. That one thing that kind of sucks the joy out of educating your kids at home.
If there’s one homeschooling resource I tend to shy away from, it’s textbooks. While I do admit that many of them carry helpful information, to me, they just aren’t interesting. When you’re a huge proponent of interest-led learning, that’s a big turn off.
However… Continue reading “Notebooking 101: Notebooking Through Textbooks”
As a busy homeschool mom, I have made it my mission to find things that will make our lives as easy possible.
Did you ever notice how seamlessly some things in life fit together?
Did you catch that last one?? When we first began our notebooking journey, I never would have thought to link unit studies and notebooking together. After all, notebooking is about writing, isn’t it?
Well, yes and no. Continue reading “Notebooking 101: Unit Study Notebooking”
(and why I think it’s pointless)
Keeping track of homeschool days is one of those unnecessary evils that homeschoolers in many states are required to do.
My method of doing this has changed several times over the course of our homeschool. As a nervous and unsure homeschool newbie, I was as meticulous as could be in my record keeping. Now? Not so much. Almost a decade has passed since we embarked on this journey, and one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is to not overcomply with state homeschool laws. It’s stressful, time-consuming, and it can lead you on a slippery slope to the school district expecting more from you than what the law requires.
My advice? Avoid doing that at all costs.
With that being said, I realize that different families have different preferences for recordkeeping, so in this video I described the four methods we’ve used in our homeschool, and why I think the whole idea of keeping attendance records for homeschoolers is ludicrous in the first place.
Enjoy!
Homeschooling and education are my passion. It is my fervent hope to one day devote more time to creating content for you. If you’re interested in helping to make this a reality, consider supporting me on Patreon @ https://www.patreon.com/ssangrey
Thank you so much. I appreciate each and every one of you!
(the perfect tool for kids who hate to write)
Do you have a child who positively hates to write?
Does any mention of an essay, report, or even a paragraph induce your child to tears – or worse – tantrums?
Today’s Notebooking 101 tip may be just for you. 🙂
Some people envision a diary. Others picture a book (often a Bible) with colorful notes, quotes, and illustrations in the margins.
What do I think of?
Of all the types of notebooking techniques out there, copywork is, by far, the easiest one to explain how to do.
The problem is, it’s the why that seems to take the most time to describe.
Because of that, I decided to stray a bit from my most recent Notebooking 101 format, which consisted simply of clarifying how to get started. Instead, today I’ll be tackling some Copywork FAQs, such as:
Shall we begin? Continue reading “Notebooking 101: Copywork FAQs”
(This post contains affiliate links.)
Are you still on the lookout for next year’s homeschooling resources? Today I got some “happy mail” in the form of the teacher’s guide and student book for CASE OF ADVENTURE: Destination Scotland.
If you’re familiar with my blog, you may remember my review for the Switzerland unit study by the same author. Here’s a look inside their latest product!
I cannot wait to use it.
Okay, it’s time to fess up. If you’re a homeschool mom or dad, how many times have you had someone either hint or outright say that parents aren’t qualified to teach their kids?
I’m guessing it’s happened to you at least a few times.
A few months back, I was binge-watching homeschooling videos on YouTube. (Hey, I do that sometimes.) As I was scrolling through the comments, I came across one in which the author was adamantly opposed to homeschooling because, once again, “parents aren’t qualified to teach their kids.”
That one comment really got me thinking – and a little fired up – about how ironic that mindset is.
Here’s why. Continue reading “Think Parents Aren’t Qualified to Teach Their Kids? Oh, the Irony!”
It’s that time of year again – that period when we homeschooling families tend to finish up what we’ve been working on and either take a break or begin preparing for a new year.
A common theme I’ve noticed perpetuating social media threads is that of “missed work.” I’ve seen many people posting about prolonging the year or homeschooling through the summer specifically to make up for missed work.
That, my friends, is never something you should fret about.
Let me tell you why. Continue reading “Why We Don’t Make Up Missed Work in Our Homeschool”
4 Easy Steps to Getting Started with Interest-Led Notebooking Today!
I remember a time when my kids would actually cry whenever I would try to get them to write. The mere mention of the words “essay,” “report,” or “composition” would immediately induce a flood of waterworks.
It was bad.
As a writer, the fact that my kids hated writing was doubly hard. How could my children despise doing something that gives me so much pleasure?
Then one day, the answer to this question hit me like a ton of bricks: I enjoy writing because it’s my choice. I choose the topic, the style, and how long it will be. Whether I write 300 words or 1,500, when it comes down to it, I have no restrictions. This freedom makes a task that sends so many people running in the opposite direction not only manageable, but enjoyable.
I knew I wanted to give that gift to my kids so that they, too, would come to know the joys of producing the written word, but how could I accomplish that? Continue reading “Notebooking 101: Interest-Led Notebooking”
Have you ever found a homeschool curriculum that literally made you giddy with excitement?
(I received this product for free and was compensated for writing an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.)
One that not only did what it promised to do, but also seemed to simultaneously fit your teaching style, your children’s learning style, and your homeschool philosophy? No?
Believe me, I hear you. As a homeschool mom of many, finding a curriculum that meshes well with our hectic lifestyle can be tough. Our ideal learning resource has to be interesting, cross-curricular, living books-based, and gentle, all rolled into one. Continue reading “Homeschooling History with Beautiful Feet Books”
