Schedules vs. Routine

Get organized in 2013! The free printable calendar pictured on the left can be found here: The Harmonized House. 

I came across a really good list of organizational homeschooling tips the other day at The Well Trained Mind. Tip #8 stood out in particular to me.

Tip #8: If you struggle with ‘scheduling’, try routines instead.What’s the difference between a schedule and a routine? A schedule is generally a timed plan; routines are regular, habitual procedures. Programs and systems that use schedules to get people organized can be wonderful things, and I’ve included some links to popular ones below. If you’ve tried to implement a schedule into your homeschool and found that it didn’t seem to fit with what you were trying to do, try and develop some routines. They don’t have to be done in the same order, or even at the same time each day, but you might set some general guidelines (before breakfast, before lunch, etc.). Experiment with a school routine. Are there things your children can do on their own? Make up a list, and get them in the habit of doing what they can on their own before they come to you. This may take some time to develop, but just as with other worthy habits (diligence, punctuality, etc.), the benefit will be that it will save time in the future.

What about you? Do you have a particular schedule that you adhere to on a daily basis, or do routines work better for your family? I am definitely more of a routine person myself, but sometimes a schedule is what I need to stay on track!

Find lots of free organizational printables at I Heart Organizing

Our friend, Melissa, over at Red Fly Creations 

offers a great printable home organizing notebook! 

Free Online Distance Learning Election Unit Study

This is part one of a three part Online Distance Learning Unit Study on Elections. This is in conjunction with the 20 page unit study we offered earlier this month. I teach in a homeschooling co-op. One of my students was home sick today, and I was able to tell his mom when he's feeling better he can easily catch up!

Please provide feedback. We would love to hear from you!!

This 20 page unit study is the perfect way to cover the election with your preschooler through early elementary age child. It includes activities, games, writing, biblical references on leadership, easy to understand lessons in government, politics and the history of elections in America. And it's FREE!

>>>> Download Here 

~Julia and Sarah

Teaching Your Child to Read : Blending 101

I have taught two of my own children to read. Let me help you teach your child to read!  One of the hardest concepts is blending, connecting the sounds of the letters, so you can hear the word that you are saying. This tutorial is designed specifically for your child.

Staying Sane While Homeschooling

We are 5 weeks into our school year. 

Here are the 5 things I've learned I need, to keep my sanity:

1. I need to make a weekly schedule, then take a chill pill and relax when things don't go exactly as planned. I like feeling organized, I like routines and goals. I need goals, otherwise I tend to get lazy. But we homeschool, and one of the perks to homeschooling is that you don't have to follow a schedule! My goal every day is to hit the gym by 7:30am, return home showered, dressed (looking fabulous) and ready to go (I know, right?).  I like when my husband has got the kids up, dressed and fed, so that when I return we are ready to get going on school by 9:00. It doesn't usually go that smoothly, but it's our goal. I've learned not to beat myself up when it doesn't happen quite like that (or at all like that).
2. We all need breaks. For the kids: If you're half way through a math lesson and your child has mentally checked out and seems completely unresponsive after numerous attempts, have them get up and take 5! Do a lap around the house, sit on the couch and rest, read a book, or eat a snack. Then, get back to work. For me: I need down time at least once a day to keep my sanity, regardless of how productive or unproductive the day has been. I strictly enforce nap time/quiet times here at our house. While my one year old sleeps, the four year old naps or plays quietly in his room and the five year old sits on a bed with books or at a desk to color. Since my 1 year old is still taking a good 2 hour nap mid day, the rule for my other 2 kids is to stay quietly in their rooms until she wakes up.
3. I kinda need a clean house. I find that my sanity is directly correlated with how clean my house is. Everyone in the family contributes to a general clean-up of everything before going to bed at night. We usually start the day off pretty tidy, but by noon, things can look like a disaster zone! After lunch, we do a round-up of all the toys, my 5 year old cleans the table off and my 4 year old vacuums up crumbs with the dust buster. I'm no clean freak, I'm all about letting the kids be kids and have fun with their toys, but a little mid-day organization in the midst of chaos can be very therapeutic!
4. I need unconditional support from my husband. Maybe it's all in my head, maybe it's reality, but I feel a lot of pressure as a homeschooler. I know there are people watching what we're doing; fellow bloggers, blog readers, friends and family members. I know there are some people watching out of general curiosity, and others that remain very skeptical. I know that on top of our parenting responsibilities, taking on the sole educational instruction of our children is no small task. Because of this, I have my moments of emotional breakdown, and I need to know my husband is behind me 100%. 
5. I need to get out of the house and have alone time. For this reason, starting my day at the gym really does help. At the end of the day, I can at least say that I got out of the house at one point! Don't get me wrong, I love my kids. I love having them at home and I love being around them all day. But I know my limits, and so does my husband. He is pretty good about picking up on my vibe that says "Help! Get me outta here!" Sometimes all I need is a change in scenery :)

*For further encouragement to chill out, read this cool little post: Dear Moms, Jesus Wants You to Chill Out For the record, I read that right after publishing this post and found it very fitting to include here :)

Linked-Up Here:
Hip Homeschool Moms

Behavior Chart and School Store

I have to give credit to my friend Rachel for posting a photo of her behavior chart and reward system that she is implementing with her kids for school. I saw a picture of it during our first week of school, but didn't think much of it since everything was going so well! By our second week, I was revisiting her photo and frantically trying to recreate my own! 

What we're doing:

• We start out the day at "Ready to Learn"
• Frequently, throughout the day, each child's name will be moved up and down the chart depending on how they are behaving. 
• I reserve "Excellent" status for really good behavior. I like that the bottom section says "Consequence" because this could be any number of things, you choose. Loss of privilege, time out, etc. 
• If a child ends the day at "Excellent" they earn 10 points
• "Good Job" earns 5 points
• "Ready to Learn" earns 1 point
• "Warning" and "Consequence" earn 0 points
• Points can be accumulated and used when we have a "shopping" day at the "store"
• Prizes are priced from 20 points on up, based on their value (I got prizes from the Target dollar section, Dollar Tree and Five Below) 

What you need for a Behavior Chart:

• 1 Standard size poster board, cut in half lengthwise (this should make it 28.25" long and 11" wide)
• Clothes pins for each child
• My FREE Behavior Chart printable
• Glue and Tape
• Scissors
• String

Cut out each page and glue to the poster board. If you use the cutting guidelines printed on each page, they should all fit perfectly on a single poster board. Use arrows to write your children's names and glue to clothespins. Attach a string to the top of the chart (for hanging) using tape or by punching holes.

I also got thinking that this would work great in a Kids Church setting! I tweaked it just a little bit and have included it here in case anyone wants it: Church Behavior Chart

Best Counting Songs...Ever

Ok, trust me when I say, I love listening to this CD! It's a little bit techno, a little bit hip hop, and a little bit too easy to make fun of us while we're moving and grooving to counting songs in the mini van, but don't hate.

Aside from the fact that it is fun and I personally enjoy it, my kids love it too! I have yet to purchase any of the other CD's or DVD's available through this company, but the counting songs are great. They start with ones and each consecutive song covers skip counting all the way to 12 and then counting down from 20. These songs really helped cement the ability to skip count, for my first grader. My preschooler and 1 year old are singing right along, they are ahead of the game thanks to this CD. My weakest subject was always math. I want to do what I can from the beginning to (hopefully) help my kids not struggle and despise math as much as I did growing up. The added bonus is that listening to this CD has helped give me a fun refresher too!



Click on any of the images or links to purchase through Amazon, or watch the YouTube video for a fun sample.

Have Fun Teaching: Counting Songs CD

No Tears Today...

It is a privilege and a joy to stay home with my kids! I am blessed. I don't think I could handle sending them away on a bus, and one of the perks to homeschooling is that I don't have to! No crying for this mom on the first day of school. There are plenty of other reasons to cry, and plenty of time for that later. But not today.

FREE Printable: Find these cute and convenient "First Day of School" signs here.

Natalie and I both got new "back to school" sparkle shoes :)

Not long into the day, Batman decided to show up. Hey, this is another perk to homeschooling, right?

Making Back to School Fun!

Cute picture idea!

School is already in full swing for many people across the country, others are gearing up to start in a few days! Our family is going to start next week. The curriculum has been chosen, lesson plans are mapped out, and books are lined up ready to go. What about the little details? As a homeschooler, it's fun to make "going back to school" a special time for your child. No doubt, they are watching their friends prepare for school and seeing the school buses out on the road. They may hear about getting new school clothes and taking school pictures. Those were the things I felt I was missing out on as a child. Yea, the little stupid stuff that you either don't get to do or simply overlook as a homeschooler, can become a big deal to kids.

They want to fit in with their public school friends and feel like what they are doing is just as important, normal, cool, etc. Putting a little effort in can help make what they're doing at home feel just as official and exciting. I like milestones and structured start dates that set things off on the right note. Here are some ideas I've been putting together to use this year!

Free Set of First Day Signs!

I created this set of signs to hold up each year on the first day of school - purely for my own benefit as much as yours! I had seen a lot of cute picture ideas floating around, and one of them used printable signs with the idea that every year a picture could be taken, and then put all together at the child's graduation! How cute! In the following image, you can see how cute this looks. Go to the link if you like, but there are a lot more hoops to jump through to get to their free signs, use my link above for no-strings-attached free goodness!!

Free Printable Signs

If you already started for the year and forgot or skipped out on this step, don't fret it! Print out some signs and take some pictures anyways. You're still pretty close to the beginning after all, and it's not too late to start this tradition with your family!

Memory Sheet to Fill-Out Each Year! Free Download Here
This is a printable I created to use each year. It can be saved and easily printed off year after year, to compare all the changes! The following picture gave me the idea to do this:


Fun Facts to Remember


Back to School Party Ideas
A collection of cute ideas from our friend Melissa at RedFly Creations!


A Cute Picture Idea!

My plans are not elaborate. What I want to make the point to do:

• Take some cute pictures on the front porch using these sign ideas
• Have my kids fill out one of the "All About Me" printouts
• Buy a special "back-to-school" outfit to use for pictures on the first day
• Get "official" school pictures done at a local studio (the $10.99 special)
• Go out to eat at some point with other homeschool friends!

What are your traditions or plans to make this back-to-school year a success?

Living Books

The thing I loved best about Sonlight curriculum as a child, was their use of "living books" that brought history to life, rather than being limited to a dry textbook. Many homeschooling families enjoy this approach, and as I searched for the "perfect" curriculum this year, I found that many companies are adopting this philosophy of learning. Now, I am bound and determined to instill a love for reading into my children, and I want to follow this model as close as possible by using quality read-alouds, and early readers of historical fiction and biographies to supplement my history curriculum. 

The reason Sonlight curriculum can be quite costly, is because you get SO MUCH from them. I am grateful that my mom saved most of the books from our years of Sonlight curriculum, and I am always on the hunt for other ways of collecting quality books at a reasonable price. What's nice, is that books lists can be found from a number of sites and discounted books can also be found in a number of ways. Here are some examples I use:

The local library (duh, guess this should be a no brainer!) 

Open Library - A huge on-line collection of ebooks that you can check-out for free! 

A Book in Time - Book lists in chronological order and by age/grade level 

Heart of Dakota Book Store - Lists of books by age level and topic that correspond with their curriculum 

Christianbook.com - I order a lot of stuff through them 

Amazon.com - Also a place I frequent for new and used books 

Sonlight.com - Book lists like this can be found for all their core programs 

Redshift.com - A long list of books in chronological order with levels noted and links to movies that are also based in the noted time periods

Linked-Up Here:

Scholastic E-Books $1 This Week!

We're so excited to see that Scholastic is offering their e-books for $1 again! Maybe you took advantage of this last time we posted about their sale, maybe you missed out and now is your chance! This offer is good August 20th through the 27th. These books can really save you some time. Because they're all in digital format, making copies for multiple children is super convenient. No need to scan or use a copier, just print off the pages you need!

Use this link: Scholastic Teacher Express $1 Deals

BOOK IT!

I looooved BOOK IT! as a child. The cool buttons, the stickers, the free pizza... and all you had to do was read some books?? Coming from a family that hardly ever ate out, getting that free personal pan pizza was pretty exciting stuff.

I am really glad to see Pizza Hut is still running this program. I haven't come across anyone that has been involved in it recently, so I will be interested to see what changes they have made over the years. I believe public school teachers are responsible to individually enroll their classrooms. Homeschool families enroll on an individual basis as well, as apposed to an entire homeschool group enrolling together. It's a free program to encourage your child's love for reading, click on the link below to enroll. Hurry, enrollment ends September 1st!!

BOOK IT! Homeschool Enrollment

Free Summer Olympics Fun Pack from What's in the Bible!

What's in the Bible continues to offer some really nice free printables. Here is a great collection of Summer Olympic activities, charts and schedules, downloadable for free: Free Download

Thanks, What's in the Bible!

FREE Dolley Madison Unit Study

We are excited to start offering Unit Studies to compliment your child's learning! We have begun work on a series covering America's First Ladies, intended for children in Kindergarten through Second Grade. Our first release is entitled: Dolley Madison: A First Lady with Style


Free Dolley Madison Unit Study 

Click on the link to be directed to our store where the PDF file can be downloaded free for a limited time. We hope you enjoy and welcome your feedback to help guide our efforts on the next installment to this series. Download yours today!!

We have so many ideas and projects in the works that we are excited to reveal! Our goal is to produce quality, affordable, materials to supplement your home educating experience. These resources may be used in addition to your primary curriculum, or as a way of supplementing at-home learning during the school year or while on Summer break. Keep checking back as we add these resources to our store.

Scholastic Teacher Books PDF Version $1

This is an amazing deal!!  Do not wait!! You need to go there right away because the deal was supposed to be over yesterday.  I went crazy because these books are normally between $8.95 and $14.95, and are now just $1.00.  These are the books you find at specialty teacher stores. Whether you homeschool, are interested in reinforcing what your children are learning at school, or want to give them something to work on over the summer, this is something every parent should check out!!

Huge Time Saver:

You are allowed to reproduce them for your classroom, but in order to do that you either have to copy them or scan them into your computer. It is so time consuming to scan them and then edit them so black isn't all over the sides. That is all done for you because it's a downloadable e-book.

This means I am not at countless garage sales searching for material to supplement my curriculum. They have all material in all subjects from Pre-K thru elementary.  219 teacher books for $1.00.  Go to this link:
                                                         Scholastic Teacher Express

                                                         Thanks, redflycreations!!

~Julia

Getting Started Homeschooling

I wanted to pass this on because it is so good for anyone setting off on the road to homeschooling. It is the perfect time to start planing if you hope to begin homeschooling for the first time this coming Fall. You have plenty of time! I've referenced this site before, but go ahead, start here at confessionsofahomeschooler.com I am loving her stuff more and more. It is all so well organized and inspirational. I am still in the process of working through all this info myself, but I love, love, love her opening line in the post entitled 10 Days of Homeschool Enrichment:

"Homeschooling is a ministry"

Take time to read through this info, and break it up into the 10 day plan that she has outlined.

10 Days of Homeschool Enrichment

Happy reading! ~Sarah

Is Homeschooling Becoming Trendy?

Just came across an interesting article reporting on the rise of homeschooling in America - on Etsy? Seemed kind of random at first, but many of the people commenting noted that in a community of crafters, original thinkers, artists, and those choosing to "go against the crowd" homeschooling seems like a pretty logical and common choice. In a sense, this article appealed to me because it almost makes it sound like homeschooling is becoming the trendy thing to do! Check it out: Etsy Blog: The Rise of Homeschooling

My Top Picks

I was in the process of compiling a list of homeschooling resources for a friend, when I thought, why not utilize this for a blog entry? So here ya go, a collection of some of my favorites (just off the top of my head)!
 General Information:
Information Network for Christian Homes
Home School Legal Defense 
The Well Trained Mind

Curriculum:
Sonlight Curriculum
CBD Homeschool Store
Calvert School

Conventions:
INCH Convention - MI

Blogs:
Confessions of a Homeschooler
Living Life Intentionally

Educational Games:
Starfall
PBS Kids

Specifics:
Power Glide: French
Power Glide: Spanish
Key Curriculum Math
Apologia Science
Explode the Code: Phonics and Reading
Italic Handwriting
Saxon Math
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons


Must Reads: