Homeschooling A Houseful

Isn't that the question?? It seems that everyone out there wants to know the best curriculum, the best choice in educating their children. That is one blessing, and possibly one curse to the popularity of homeschooling.... Oh the choices! There are so many, so many different methods, so many different ideas, so many different programs, and ways to school.... honestly it's overwhelming. It gives me a headache just pondering them all. I seem to get asked about curriculum, a lot. I guess part of it is that I have been homeschooling all my A's from the start? I guess it's that we all seem "together". I guess it's.... well it's just "the" question when it comes to homeschool mom's getting together. So what do I use.... it doesn't matter!!! What?? What??? are you going to just leave me hanging like that?? Yes I am! {once in a while I mention things we do and use, but honestly I try not to} I believe what works for me,...

We started meeting with 2 other local homeschool families, to sing to the residents of the care center. Our first time was in December, we thought Christmas Caroling to the residents would be fun. The older children also memorized different scriptures. It was good. At first the kids were somewhat nervous and scared. However we decided to continue this every month since, and it has become a joy. Not only to the kids, at least I know my A's love and look forward to it, but also the residents. They are so cute there, and excited to see us. I am only saying this because it doesn't take much. You don't have to do a huge presentation. The simplicity of having us come, makes their day!!!! So how do we do it? The three mom's involved rotate turns of planning. Planning is simple, we choose 3-4 common children's songs, religious songs, or hymns. These are for our group to sing together. Then during the week before we go, we email the person in charge what each of our families...

I have mentioned here a time of two that we are year round schoolers. {I thought I already did a whole post on it, but well I don't think I did} I don't really have a schedule like others do, making year round manageable. I do have somewhat of a routine, and that works for us so far. Sept, Oct, Nov, and typically the first 2 weeks of Dec, we school. Usually somewhere in there we take off a few days, and I try to keep it to a minimum of a week. Then end of Dec, usually 1-1.5 weeks before Christmas we take off. Also during the entire month of Dec we have started doing Christmas School. Usually I just read a few different CHRISTmas stories, we do different advents together, and we have been the last few years making {most} all of our Christmas Ornaments. However this never goes as well as it's planned in my head, so I have never really spent the time to blog about it. Plus during the month of December, I don't typically have extra blogging time!! Usually around the 2-3 of ...

The homeschool village's discussion this week, is refreshment. What do you homeschool mom's do to refresh? Since we are back to a year around school schedule, I don't take an extended time off. However we take our breaks, breathers, and refreshers as needed. We take part in many different activities and outings throughout the year, school and summer, to keep us refreshed and recharged. For me personally whenever we take a break, it seems it's harder to keep the peace. We like our routine, and it works nicely to just keep it going. A few other things I've heard others do that I am considering, pondering, and praying about... Is to do school 4 days, and use the 5th day as a project, family day. I like this idea, but at the same time, we do many of these types of things everyday!! Another thought is to school 3 or 4 weeks on and take one week off again as a project week. Again not sure about it, will have to see what way the Lord directs our ways. For us, we use our br...

The other day, I decided to take care of one of my pet peeves about our school time.... "WHERE'S MY PENCIL??? YOU TOOK MY PENCIL!!! MOM A? TOOK MY PENCIL!!!!! I actually, sadly hear that often. I don't know who's pencil was the red one with white flowers Grandma gave them for Valentine's day. So I thought to myself, my color-coded oh so crazy organized self.... why not color code the pencils? BRILLIANT!!!! I went to the local dollar store, and bought 3 packs of mechanical pencils, with 5 multi colors in them. They also had a pack with 5 pens of the same, or close to same colors. As I was handing them out, Noble asked me... Mom why are you doing this at the end of the year? {Maybe I forgot to mention we were getting back to our year round schedule this year, maybe he simply forgot... or purposefully forgot!!! Not sure} I simply said, sometimes changes need to happen, and it doesn't matter when or how, but it needs to be done. So that is where the title is headed...

I believe it could be too early, if it's done in the wrong way. If you make it a stress and you must pass the test, when the child is too young... that's the wrong approach. However I feel I have found a great approach. Of course when to start this with your child, it should be handled individually to each child. There is a free service from the SAT collegeboard . I signed A1 up for the daily questions, and I signed up to get them too. Each day he will read them, and try to do them himself. Then he will let me know if he got it right, and on what try. While A1 just turned 13, he loves knowledge, he loves a challenge and he loves facts. I figured this would be something he would love, and well I was right!! I made it no stress, nothing to worry about. I told him if you don't know, simply make your best guess, then use the help section to get help, and always read the sections that explain the answers. This will not only help him prepare for the SAT, and test taking, but it w...

What does that mean!??! What ship are you jumping from? Where are you jumping to? How are you planning on jumping?? Well let me tell you.... I am jumping into the great deep, dark and "unknown" world, I am planning on jumping Titanic style, Spread Eagle that is!!! No seriously folks, I have decided that for our upcoming curriculum, we are going to jump into the area of {dare I even say it??} Traditional Christian TEXTBOOKS!!!! {I can hear you all moan, and groan and say OH NO!!!!} Yes TEXTBOOK, tends to be a "bad" word in the homeschool world. It's one of those 3-letter words, okay so it's actually an Eight-letter word. I am not sure why TEXTBOOKS have such a bad name to homeschoolers. Actually I do, it has to do with the dumbing down of America. It has to do with short tidbits of information crammed into a lesson, bits and pieces of history... never knowing the whole thing. HOWEVER, you must also admit, that there are NOW so many choices in TEXTBO...

I am preparing, gathering and getting ready to begin {again} our unit with the littler A's about Seasons/Winter/Snowflake Bentley and Balto! I haven't gotten anything yet on Balto, he's later into our unit, so I am not there yet!! We started it the day I purchased it, I was so excited to do it!!! However I decided I better take a few moments and plan what we will be doing!!! SLOW DOWN!! I just wanted to put a few links here I have found. Since I believe in giving credit, where credit is due.... I will link you directly to the posts I stole, or I mean took my ideas from! {someone help, I forgot how to cross out words on my blog??!!??} I started with this, Download and Go Winter Wonders We are planning on extending these to the max!! Some days, might go 2-3 days, some might go a week or more. Alot will depend on the kids, and my ability! Then I found some more fun ideas Spell Out Loud, is doing the same download and go activities, and she has some wonderful links, mostly for...

I read this idea a few months ago, and well one thing lead to another, and I am finally getting around to doing it! You know the ever growing to do list, just never seems to get to do-ed!! For years now, actually the entire time we have been homeschooling, we have memorized. We started simple with scriptures and then slowly added quotes, then hymns and songs, and more and more. Currently we are memorizing; Weekly: one Poem {usually one week is all we use on a poem, though it depends on the length and how well we really practiced it} one Scripture, one quote, one educational item {again, usually one week, sometimes more when needed} Songs {one Hymn, one Childrens Hymn, one Educational Song, one Patriotic/American history type song, and usually one Seasonal or just for fun song} Monthly:one Historical Document. along with a new history facts memorization we will be throwing in. I never really needed this with A1, he tends to be a fact magnet, or maybe that should say a fact sponge! He lo...

I received a comment/question about our devotional time, Tracy would like me to give more details about our devotional time. {WARNING~ this post has become extremely LONG!!!} First off before I start into all that I'd just like to say I am so glad Tracy decided to comment, and especially with a question!! The main and only reason I blog is to inspire others, help others, and well sometimes it's as close as I get to adult conversation! I noticed that as of right now {as I right this} I have had 787 visitors to my blog... and only 2 people who have commented! The other one is my O' So kind SIL!! Please feel free to comment...because as it says on the Right Sidebar...I LOVE Comments!!! I also want to clarify and answer any questions that I might have stirred in your heads with my thoughts!!! So on with the Question.... We have ALWAYS had devotional time... it's changed and grown with our family. It's what we, Papa Bear and I see as the things our children need. Just be...