More Resources
Welcome to our Blog - we'll keep you informed on great ways to homeschool in a relaxed manner - without stress!
Just click on the title of any of the posts below to read the entire post!
Enjoy!
A great find for notebooking
One of our favorite ways to keep our homeschooling relaxed is by notebooking - simply keeping a notebook of our studies, etc. It's kind of like "school scrapbooking" including all the fun and creativity - combined with learning and documenting what you've learned.
Today I stumbled on a great site that has some fun free and paid resources for your notebooking adventures. If you're in to lapbooking or notebooking you definitely have to check this out.
Click HERE for Notebookingpages.com
Virtual Fieldtrips
Boy am I glad I have my google alerts set up to search for fun homeschooling sites. Today I linked up to this great site that offers virtual field trips. Talk about a great way to work through a unit study or some super tools for a lapbook or notebook.
There are some great field trips for Art, Geography, History, Literature, Math, Music and Science and even a category "Just for Fun" that includes a virtual field trip for Roller Coasters! Fun!
Take a look!
Click Here for the Virtual Field Trips site!
The Homeschool Bag Lady
I just got done reading THIS POST done by a very clever homeschool mom and I laughed like crazy because I remember the days where I felt like I had so many bags and "things" on my shoulder every time I left the house that my back was going to break!
You know the feeling - "I can't forget that" or "someone might need this".
I could go on and on about the bags I carried but Mrs. Taschek tells it so much funnier than I ever could so head on over to her blog at taschek.wordpress.com to read more! Enjoy!
Another great homeschooling resource site
I was looking for some specific worksheets for the kids today when I googled and found this great site. At first, to be honest, I wasn't that impressed because the site isn't that attractive to the eye. But once I started looking around a bit I found a wealth of information and it's now in my homeschool websites bookmark folder for future viewing.
Click here to visit the site LoveToLearnPlace.com
I went there looking for a new book report type form for the kids to fill out. My girls love to read and I'd like to have some different ways for them to keep records of what they're reading, particularly when it's historical fiction. I found a nice thorough 4 page form on the site that covers some great stuff and takes them beyond just writing up a synopsis of the book itself. They enjoyed filling it out and I think it'll be a helpful form to us in the future. They've got other similar forms for various things there as well.
Anyway, just wanted to pass on the good resource. I hope you enjoy it!
Menu Planning 25% off!
A few years ago I won a 6 month subscription and I was hooked! I loved getting menus for the whole week in my inbox every week - complete with a shopping list. I'd just print off the list, mark off what I already had in the house and run to the store (or order on Peapod - I love Peapod!). A big chunk of the dinnertime battle was done and there was no more 5pm scramble for "ugh, what are we going to make for dinner tonight".
The easy (and fun) part of actually making the meals was effortless now that i didn't have to think about what to make. I love this service!
Anyway go check them out by clicking on this banner and use our coupon code A54D for that extra 25% off:
Interesting sidenote
I've been getting several notes and emails about the Subway writing contest for kids that completely excludes homeschoolers and thought I'd post here as well so others will know about it as well.
Now mind you, I think it's fine for a company to make up any rules it wants to -it's their contest and my kids are too old to participate in the contest anyway. But I'm wondering what the motivation is behind excluding a group of kids who are being educated and, surprise, who can actually write good stories, and, surprise, who probably frequent Subway (or at least they used to)?
Here's what their contest page says:
Contest is open only to legal US residents, over the age of 18 with children in either elementary, private or parochial schools that serve grades PreK-6. No home schools will be accepted.
And on the full details page:
ELIGIBILITY. Contest is open only to legal residents of the United States who are currently over the age of 18 and have children who attend elementary, private or parochial schools that serve grades PreK-6. No home schools will be accepted. Employees and members of their families of Scholastic and Subway, their parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and their advertising, promotion and production agencies are not eligible to enter. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
Homeschooling and Socialization
As you've probably heard from me before, I think one of the BENEFITS of homeschooling kids is the socialization aspect. Most people throw out the question "but what about socialization" assuming that kids who are homeschooled are missing out on building relationships with other kids in the classroom and school setting.
I see it as a benefit because homeschoolers are typically socialized with multiple age groups instead of just being peer dependent. In other words, most homeschooled kids (at least the ones I know) have the ability to enjoy and hold an intelligent conversation with a wide age range of people - not just hang out with their friends all the time. In our local homeschool support group, for instance, it's not all that uncommon to see a couple of teen girls sitting down for a piece of pizza with a 7 year old, a 2 year old and a grandma - with all of them talking together and very interested in what each person has to say.
That sounds to me a whole lot more like the real world than what I see in most other settings - in particular teen kids who, when confronted with someone outside their peer group have a tendency to drop their eyes and their vocabulary becomes limited to "uh huh" and "um" and "grunt". I'm generalizing here but you know what I mean!
Ideas to make your homeschooling exciting
One of my friends shared about THIS BLOG that has a wonderful list of 101 ideas to add spice to your homeschooling. What a great list!
We try to incorporate a lot of these in our homeschool day if we can-
reading outside
taking walks
nature journaling
playing music in the background
getting chores out of the way first so home is ready for schooling
etc.
But check out the list HERE - some great stuff! Enjoy!
Choosing Curriculum
Curriculum, Curriculum and More Curriculum
Have you ever walked into a curriculum vendor hall or a used curriculum sale? If you are unprepared, feelings of being overwhelmed will engulf you. Curriculum, curriculum and more curriculum meets your eyes. Preparation is the key in successfully navigating your way in, through and around all the curriculum tables.
In planning your homeschool year, it is important to take note of what did and did not work for you in the past year. Take that a step further and jot down homeschool resources, materials, supplies, books, courses, curriculums and programs that others have recommended to you that were of interest to you for your homeschool.
Now if you are a part of a homeschool support group or network, schedule that into your plan. Make sure their suggestions are included in your list. Take advantage of any upcoming classes or gatherings they may be offering.
Next, consider what your needs and those of your children are and prioritize the above list with these needs. You will find that this will eliminate a lot. Then research everything on your needs list and maybe even a few wants. Be sure to ask veteran homeschoolers where you can find the best price.
Setting Up Your Home To Learn
Homeschooling? Thinking about Homeschooling? BUT…do you have to turn your home into a school? No, my dear friend, you do not need to turn your home into a school. Your home can still be a HOME. A home ready to learn! Ready?
Ready? This is EASY as ABC...
--> Find a good nook! It does not have to be huge. Certainly does not need to be expensive. All that is needed is a place that invites your children (and YOU!) to think, work through the studies (writing, reading, studying, proofreading, projects, experiments…). Ask yourself, “Where do they gravitate toward to read...to research...to write...to print?” Keep in mind that each and every student in your family will be very different during the learning process, but most will appreciate having all of the supplies and equipment in a safe, quiet, comfortable place to study. When deciding on a spot, make sure that the spot has good lighting and a good, solid, clean, work surface. Make sure it is a good spot to think AND work on lessons.” Set up the area with a nice table or desk with plenty of work area...comfortable chairs...limited distractions…shelves for books and notebooks...space for a computer and printer...convenient power supply...space for you to sit down and work with them during their lessons…and a specific spot for organizational bins that will hold supplies.
Great Worksheet site!
Oh boy did I stumble upon a great site today! Although typically with a relaxed homeschooling approach you're not spending a lot of time with textbooks and worksheets, having some good "open ended" worksheets to print out makes the academic seat time go smoothly and also gives you something to put in all those notebooks you'll be making each year.
The Worksheet Library (www.worksheetlibrary.com) looks like a really fabulous resource for schooled and homeschool kids. There are lots of free worksheets there and it looks like you can join their membership for just $30 a year. When you look around at everything they have to offer you'll see that's really nothing at all, especially if you have a larger household that you are schooling!
So head on over and check them out today and let us know what you think!
Freebie of the Day
Freebie of the Day - Click on one!
Don't you just love FREE? Well today I found a great little site that offers a free freebie specifically geared toward homeschoolers every weekday! Such a fun idea. Great unit studies, ebooks, audios and the like. I can't wait to check it out more.
I added the RSS feed to their site here so all you have to do is click on the freebie to the left here and you'll be all set! Enjoy!
Teaching Science - Free Resources
Today I stumbled on this great website that has some wonderful science lab activities and worksheets that you can do with many ages of your kids.
The site owner is a homeschool mom and science lover who taught science in the public school for 8 years before her children were born.
She has had a love for nature and science all her life and finds that most schools teach science the wrong way - and that chemistry isn't HARD at all and can be taught to kids! Whoo hoo! I love it!
Make sure you check out her site www.howtoteachscience.com
A fun giveaway
Homemaking
Many of you who are taking a more relaxed approach to homeschooling will really appreciate this gem that I stumbled on today. 
I'm so excited. These are two ladies that I respect greatly and have for a long time and they've partnered together to create a fabulous monthly membership site where your daughters can build a wonderful homemaking notebook that will be cherished not just now but also after they are married and beyond.
You can sign up for a monthly membership or purchase the whole year (24 lessons) at a discounted price. It's only $4.95 per month or $49.95 for the annual membership.
They have sample lessons for you to try as well as great products you can buy too. I really am excited!
Run over and take a look.
The website is beautiful and you can take a peek at a sample lesson there too.
Another Homeschool Contest
Real quick!
Our friends over at The Best Homeschool Place are having a fun contest that ends TOMORROW, October 22. They've got some fun things to give away for their blogoversary celebration including:
**A $20 Gift Certificate to the Homeschool Boutique
**The Busy Moms Guide to a Happy Organized Home
and
**The Homeschoolers Income Makeover
Doesn't that sound fun? Head on over HERE to enter - but do it fast!
Fun Science Website
I stumbled on this great website today that has funny, interesting and unique science experiments and activities for all ages. Some of the experiments are a little silly but they always come back to the science behind the silliness. It's a wonderful way to expose your non-science lovers to science learning - a subject that sometimes gets placed on the back burner for home schoolers.
Click here for one of their funny science experiments for kids and adults alike!