So, how is homeschool year going so far?

Happy November! Happy Fall!
How many of us are glad that Halloween is behind us and we can move forward into hopefully a candy-free world?LOL
We are 2.5 months into our school year and so far, I have to say... it seems to be one of our better ones! Yep, I know, I just jinxed it.... I will check back next week and let you know!!HEHE
I think our biggest fight has been a meltdown TWICE over a pencil! Yep, a pencil.... a freaking mechanical pencil. WE have a whole jar of them. SAME EXACT kind but younger brother gets up earlier and does school, then when older brother gets up.... he does school and younger goes into their room to have game time. He leaves his computer there and the pencil he was using on the table.... rather than get one out of jar... older brother takes it and uses it. Apparently that is the WRONG thing to do.... it results in a insane fight between them. Acting like a bunch of 3rd and 4th graders instead of 11th and 12th graders!
Told them if they didn't straighten it out, I would move them down to third grade curriculum and fourth grade curriculum. If you act like one, maybe you need to do the schoolwork like one and solves that problem!
Quit arguing over a PENCIL!

Ummmm, needless to say.... they did NOT like that comment. What an insult. SHEESH MOM!

They are doing GREAT in their Time4Learning high school! OMG! Best year EVER!

Oldest son is ACTUALLY getting 90% on average on his MATH! Granted, it is pre-Algebra but hey... whatever works for him! Mom is rooting for him, while keeping it low key..... you know how it is with teenagers! :D

I do want to expand our online science program! LOVE what they are doing this year, Biology but we still have this great and EXPENSIVE kit Grandma bought them years ago. Before they are too old and move on, I want to be able to use it and do some great learning and fun and blow something UP!LOL

So, how is YOUR homeschool year going so far?
Hope GREAT!
Happy Homeschooling!

Back to School, What to do?!

So, are you starting back to school already or soon?
We started last week. And I have to say, the week went reasonably well.
My boys HATED the new kitchen table, which I expected. And we brought back the old table. It fits them better, so it will stay until we are done with homeschooling in a few years. Not worth the hassle.
I also have 1 daycare kiddo leaving me to head off to Kindergarten. :( Sad day for me.
If he hadn't left, his Mom had considered homeschooling him. Which I think is a good idea. Not because I homeschool myself but because this child is high maintenance. He wiggles, he is loud, he moves, he yells, he is constantly busy and has NO OFF BUTTON. Love him to death but..... I do worry about him in a classroom setting. And he is advanced. If he had stayed another year, I would have moved him up to the Time4Learning first grade homeschool curriculum.
He needs a program where he can move and be himself and get up and dance when the feeling hits him.
I had even given his Mom a list of our State's homeschool requirements in case she changed her mind.
Oh well.....let it go.
Back to my boys. A whole week of 11th and 12th grade high school and ZERO meltdowns! OMG! Squee!
This coming week, we are adding the rest of our extras and we will see how it goes.
This Mom still needs to print out the new schedule and get it up.
I think I will be giving the laminator a run for its money tomorrow!
Hope everyone has a GREAT start to their school year and that it ROCKS!
Happy Homeschooling!

Fall plotting and planning!

So, yep...school year is done. Boys are at their grandparents. I should be relaxing right?
WRONG!
#1, I never relax! I am like the energizer bunny. Takes a lot to get me to sit on my butt. Mainly the time to sit down and work on my blogs!LOL So technically, I am not sitting on my butt. HEHE!

So, as I work on the Fall curriculum.... I am trying to decide WHAT to add! The choices...the choices are SO many!

We did not really do Spelling last year nor vocabulary. I felt they were fine but I think we need to add it back for this year. Too much time off leads to stagnant minds!

So, we are adding in matching vocabulary, some root word games, and some spelling games!

WAHOO!!!
1 thing off the checklist..... now to move onto the rest.
Wait, can I do something else.... oh look, cute kitties dancing. I will work AFTER I watch that. I have plenty of time.....right?!LOL

What are you doing towards your Fall curriculum?

Happy Homeschooling

Summer means video games! MAYBE!LOL

Ok, well in my kids world it does! Typical teens and LOVE video games!
Now don't get me wrong...I love my share as well! Heck, I was around when Pong and Pacman started! Yep, I am OLD! It is ok....I can handle it!LOL
But, we are done with school for a 2 month hiatus! Of course during that 2 months, they are getting a mild break, then headed to grandparents for several weeks, home for our family vacation and then a couple weeks more off and we will be back to our high school homeschooling! During that time, they will be sure to get plenty of 2 player games under their belt!
Their friends will also be online, so technically....they will be 4 player games but both my boys will be on their console together....so?! Call it what you want!LOL
Now, this Mama will not let them just sit and vegitate for the whole Summer! They have park days with friends, camping, working in our garden, taking care of the chickens, ducks and rabbits. So plenty of fresh air, sunshine and vitamin D!
I don't know about you but Summer when I was a kid, meant outside time from June to August! I rarely was home, home was food and bed.... otherwise I was outside making forts, catching lizards and bugs, chasing my brother, saving baby bunnies from our cat and being a kid! It meant riding my bike until my legs hurt, bandaids on knees most of the time and smelling of water from playing in the creek!
Kids have it different nowadays and that is ok, because we were different than our parents and they were different than theirs. We evolve and expand and grow, but I still want to make sure my kids get a chance to be kids!!
So, get out and enjoy Summer and Happy Homeschooling!

Teaching preschoolers!

Ok, next to my own boys and teaching them high school homeschool, teaching preschoolers is my next FAV thing to chat about! As you may or may not know...I run a childcare out of my home and teach basic preschool as part of my deal!
Most of our day is play but what you may not know, is that play is learning games for preschoolers!
My childcare motto is, Learning to Play and Playing to Learn! Why is that? Because just like homeschooling, kids learn best when done at their level. Preschoolers want to learn things like letters and numbers and colors but they are still kids and they want to play.
They use role play, imagination, learn sharing, taking turns, socialization and many other ways to learn during their daily play!
We sit down and discuss what color something is. We read a book aloud and then discuss what the next step might be, or where something has gone to. We draw a picture with crayons and I restrict colors and they need to use them as instructed. We build with blocks and count how many we are using. A simple game of hide and seek is counting, socialization, working as a team.
Play with the play kitchen and dolls is imagination and role play!
Puppets are imagination and creativity!
So the next time you or someone else says your child is just playing...NO, they aren't!
They are learning, they are growing and they are being kids!
At toddler/preschool age, homeschool is play!
Happy Homeschooling!

So you are working on your Fall curriculum...

Yep, school year just ended!
We homeschool Moms and Dads might think we are done but guess what...conferences are coming up!
That means finding new curriculum, new things to add to Fall, new experiences, new classes, or whatever!
Be sure to remember to add in word meaning, handwriting practice , and even vocabulary games!
Those things are often forgotten! Oh sure, you remember math, reading , language arts, science and social studies..... or even a foreign language but many parents forget to include the small stuff!
Those things are important!
We hear all the time that handwriting is becoming a lost art and many public schools are removing it from their curriculum? I say WHAT?! How can you not be teaching kids to write. Computer and technology is not everything! NO!!! What happens, when/if it dies....then what?
Teach your child and teach them well!!!
What are you planning for your 2014-2015 school year? Are you making any fun and exciting changes?

Happy Homeschooling!

Newbies love to ask How do I homeschool?

Ok, so you want to homeschool your kids...but don't know where to start!
Guess what! You are not alone! I was exactly where you are, 6 years ago!
My older son was 6 weeks into 6th grade! 1st year in middle school and we had already had issues with his Math teacher. Crap(and that is the only word for it!) came to an end! Suddenly, we were homeschoolers! No way was I sending my baby... back into that system that had failed him, failed us.
Except now I found my myself wondering how to homeschool.
I had a child with ADHD. How do I homeschool ADHD? YIKES!
After doing that panic moment that all of us accidental homeschoolers do......
I collected my thoughts and jumped online!
Thank goodness for internet! I could NOT have done any of this journey without it!
I researched, RESEARCHED and then took notes and researched some more!
I found some forums, connected with other parents, figured out a plan and here we are....6 finished schooling years later! WHEW!
I have 1 school year left for the son that started me on this journey and 2 left for my younger son. I cannot believe it! I wish we had longer! My boys have grown so much and learned a ton.
If you want to homeschool or have thoughts on homeschooling! I say DO IT! Do your research, find what works for you and your kids and HOMESCHOOL!
Happy Homeschooling!

Don't waste the Summer, WRITE!

So, the end of the school year is upon us but that doesn't mean SCHOOL or HOMESCHOOL has to stop!
Summer is a GREAT time to practice writing!
Creative writing is a good place for reluctant writers to work on it!
You can come up with a lot of ways for them to work or you can get some creative writing help!
They can write an essay, start a Summer journal, get a penpal to write to, write letters to family members, write stories based on characters from books they have read or even just make notes on their video games.
How will this help them with their writing you ask....well....

• It is less formal than school. 
• They can do it on their own time.
• They can do it how they would like.
• They can base it on their interests.

This will make it more FUN and less school.

You can even get a group of kids together and have a creative writing club or weekly meet-up!

Socialization and writing!!

How do you work creative writing into your homeschool?

Happy Homeschooling!

Are umbrella schools for rainy days?

I read online about umbrella schools and wonder WHAT IS THAT?
Is is a school for my child? Is it still school for a rainy day? Is it still homeschooling?
I don't understand....
Guess what.... you are not alone!

Here is some answers!

What Does an Umbrella School Do?

In some states, homeschoolers can get some level of support and legal protection for their home education program. So while the answer varies from state to state, here are some of the typical features of umbrella schools:

• Provide legal legitimacy to a family's home education program in states that require it
• Issue report cards
• Maintain attendance records
• Host field trips, academic clubs, reading contests and the like
• Provide a student ID card (which may be useful in obtaining discounts with local merchants)

So, does that mean I can still practice unschooling? You need to check your States laws! 1st and foremost! That is IMPERATIVE if you want to homeschool. Each State has laws and each State differs. 

Your child might be able to unschool. Your child might have to attend a charter school. Your child might be required to have a cover school. Your State might have no laws.

But, if you do need an umbrella school....your State should have a list of ones that will work for you and your child. They should be helpful rather than hindering you.

Don't let this affect your decision to homeschool! You can still do it!

Happy Homeschooling!

Can I Homeschool my special needs child? YES!

So, your child is special needs and public school isn't going well and you have decided MAYBE to homeschool! But are worried if you can do it....... YES, YOU CAN!

Yep, wrote that is all caps because I was yelling it at! You, as their parent can do the best for your child and if that means homeschooling them....so be it! Have faith!

Wait, how do I start? First, breath and then get out that computer and google!

If your child has ADHD, homeschool auditory central processing disorder, homeschool dyslexia, down syndrome, autism, aspergers or ? you CAN homeschool them!
Here are my hints and tips:

• Find a homeschool group related to your childs needs. This will help you learn to teach them and give you a chat group of parents in like situation.
• Find a homeschool group period to how you want to homeschool, secular or religious or ? Many of these have their own sections for special needs kids PLUS they are open to options in your area, other homeschooling parents to talk to in general, deals on curriculum and reviews on curriculum.
• Find a local homeschool group if you can! Great for socialization and some Mom/Dad to other parents time!
• Sit back and enjoy the ride! Nothing is better than spending time with your child,watching them grow and learn while you grow and learn alongside them!

If you have a special needs child and have any other tips for parents looking into homeschooling, pipe in and post them!

Happy Homeschooling!

Getting your student to WRITE....

Ok, next to Math....this is the biggest struggle for us.
My youngest son fights me on writing. He has no imagination. I don't get it, the kid reads things like Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia and Mad Scientist Club...... he reads books FULL of imagination and yet, I put paper in front of him and ask him to write something....YIKES!
You would think I had asked him to dance naked in front of a crowd. He screams, he fights, he wails and it ends up becoming a bicker battle between him and I.
Guess what usually happens? I say forget it and we skip the writing.
I just hope he gets a career that doesn't involve anything more than note taking!
But I just can't sit back and wait.
We need something to make sure his brain doesn't stagnant and rot.
Student writing practice is imperative!
So, I gave him a journal and he has to pick a dinosaur and then write down all the information on it he can find. He wants to be a paleontologist when he goes to college. Whether or not this happens, I do not know.
So, until then....we study Earth History and we study dinosaurs and we write how it works for us and we struggle through.
From a writer's viewpoint(mine) it makes me CUH-razy that my child doesn't like to write, but to each his own. And as a Mom, I fully understand that my kids are not exactly like me nor are they like each other.
I deal.... I accept.... I fine solutions that work.
How do you deal with teaching a subject that your child HATES?
Happy Homeschooling!

Can you say a game of hangman?

I don't know about you, but I loved playing hangman!
What other way can you play a game, practice spelling and have fun with friends..... hangman?!
Nowadays, you don't need a scrap of paper and a pencil....you can play hangman online.
SWEET!!!
I love that I can find hangman games online that I use the boys spelling lists by grade and have them use those for a fun game of hangman with me, each other or their Dad!
Fun Family Time!
And guess what, they are doing schoolwork and learning at the same time.
I call that a homeschooling Mom win-win!

What games or fun things can you play online and incorporate school into?
Do your kids like it? Do they catch on?

Happy Homeschooling!

On the road again.....

So, the onset of Spring and making plans for Summer has me in the mood for roadschooling!
When we started this homeschooling adventure my biggest dream was to be able to pack up my family and travel the USA, schooling along the way! Hitting every historic marker and sideshow along all the backroads!
Now that we are on our last few years of it, I know that it probably won't happen but I do live vicariously through any roadschooling blog and article that I can get my hands on! Maybe this will be the year that I win the lottery and we could do it! Or an unknown rich relative will leave me a lot of money and we could do it! Pipe dreams but that is ok.....dreams are still dreams!
I mean think of the homeschool social studies....you can do the civil war and actually be there. You can learn about the making of the Hoover Dam and go see it and take a tour! You can travel Route 66. Old Faithful in Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, Devil's Tower because of Close Encounters.... yes, I know that is not history but it's a personal family FAV and we definitely WANT to go one day!
Have you roadschooled? What was it like? Did you like it? Will you do it again?
Let me know in the comment section!
Happy Homeschooling!

State testing! YIKES!

So, it is that time of year! The time when if your State requires testing.....you need to start seeing about setting it up!
Oregon requires tests at 3rd, 5th, 8th and 10th grades. I fudged it a bit last year for my older son and he will be testing with his brother this year at the 10th grade level. I just did not feel he was ready last year.
Homeschool standardized tests are not that big of a deal! You can find local testers in your area, if permitted by your State. You can also find group testers. Yep, it costs! Group tests are usually cheaper while private testers are more costly. I go the private route. I feel I homeschool for a reason and why do I want to lump my boys in with a bunch of other kids. It does cost me a bit more but my oldest is a wiggler. He has ADHD and while running a homeschool ADD/ADHD child is ok....it doesn't always work in a group testing. He has to fidget, he needs to sometimes tap his foot and he wiggles around. We are used to it and if he gets over the top, we ask him to take it down a notch. BUT....others may find it annoying!
So, Mom forks over the money and we have a great lady who has done our testing in the past! She is great with my boys and I have no qualms about it! We usually test in June at the end of our school year and get it done and over with!
The results come in the mail within a couple of weeks and so far, so good. My boys have both said it was quite easy and they didn't have much trouble! And their scores prove it! NICE!
So, be sure to check your State's requirements for homeschool and if they require a test! If so, get on the ball and get it set up! You will be glad you did! One less thing to worry about later!
Happy Homeschooling!

Studying Earth and Space!

As part of our High School classes this year, we are doing the Earth and Space for our Science via Time4Learning High School. I picked it for the boys because we love exploring the universe and we love science and motion of the planets!
Rocks and minerals are right up our alley!
My boys have done most of the school year so far and so far, we are doing AWESOME!
How do we supplement it?
We are attending a local rock show!
An upcoming visit to the planetarium is in the works!
And maybe a trip to our local Science Museum!
Gotta love Earth and Space!
Maybe we will stay up late and watch the lunar eclipse AND blood moon on this coming Tuesday, April 15!! Check out info here: Lunar Eclipse 2014
Happy Homeschooling!

So what if you are not artistic....how to teach art in your homeschool!

So, I love ART.
I went to college and was torn between Art History and Early Childhood Education. I ended up choosing Early Childhood Education but still wonder what life would have been like if I had gone the way of Art History.
When it comes to teaching art in our homeschool, for me it is easy.
I found a great art curriculum which was ok. My boys were ok with it. We explored hands-on art and tried different mediums. It was ok. Then we went to the art museum and saw different art in person, hands-on and THAT helped!
Do you hate art? Do you wonder how you can teach your kids art? You can do it. There are tons of great curriculum out there. And you do not have to make your child an art expert. IF they really get into it, then go forward. Otherwise, you can touch on it. You can take a field trip to the art museum. You can talk about what you saw. You can use that along with your art curriculum to better understand it.
You can play art games, there are some great card games out there. Check your local museum gift shop after you visit. Not trying to make you buy things but, best place to find stuff to use in your homeschool!
My favorite is heading to the thrift store and finding things we can use to recreate art! Old canvases to paint on, plates to break and use for mosaics, etc.
Now, neither of my boys are ART crazy. They like to draw pictures of pokemon or anime or create sculptures with legos but that is about it.
So....maybe when my boys are grown and I have tons of time on my hands.....I will head back to school and get my Art History on!
Happy Homeschooling!

Understanding Math better!

So, teaching Math to your kids is worse than being back in school yourself....
You have no idea WHAT this lingo is, you don't remember the formulas, and getting it out onto paper to help them is almost impossible.....
Been there, done that!
Life is NOT over as you know it!
You need to find an online source OR a physical book that helps you with math vocabulary, the formulas, the lingo, etc. because once you do, it HELPS! Trust me on this one.
I have been where you are! I was NEVER strong on Math. I could do basic math, no problems.... but give me anything above pre-algebra and I was lost. My boys were lost and that was the end of that....
I found that these laminated cheat sheets for all subjects. Math, Rocks and Minerals, Algebra, Science and Weights and Measures plus MANY more.
These, along with some sites on how to do certain equations saved us!
The Math one with all the formulas was the best. We didn't have to look up things all the time and it has a nice little glossary of terms on it.
Math was SAVED! My sanity was SAVED!
You can do it! Do not fret!
Check into what is the best solution for you and your homeschoolers!
Happy Homeschooling!

Who doesn't love LEGOS!

Legos are a perfect base for MANY homeschool work!
You can teach fractions with legos. You can learn scale and scope by building with legos. You can learn colors and count with legos. You can work on your reading with lego by following directions in the instruction manuals or books. You can learn about simple machines with legos.
You can create your own simple machine just playing around.
You can buy a lego kit and do the simple machines lesson included and then branch out from that.
You can go online and find some directions to simple machines using legos.
You can join a lego group and learn to build lego machines.
What is a simple machine you ask? I need to know to better help my child, etc.
A simple machine is a non-motorized device that changes the direction or magnitude of a force. In general, a simple machine can be defined as one of the simplest mechanisms that provide mechanical advantage.

They are a great way to incorporate science for kids into your homeschool! Kids feel like they are playing but they are not! They are learning AND playing!

And if you are new to legos, they are like potato chips....your kids cannot just stop at 1. My boys have TONS of legos and even at 16 and 17, they still play with them! Legos ROCK!

Happy Homeschooling!

Learning some Literature!

Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, Lord of the Flies, Canterbury Tales, Oliver Twist, Where the Red Fern Grows and many other great works of literature should be read! Even in your homeschool!
And then you can work it into other parts of your homeschool week! Spelling or Language Arts is a great place to start! Literature-based word lists for Spelling are a good addition! Not only do they learn some key words from the books, but they can get spelling in as well! And if you use a program like Vocabulary/Spelling City, they can do handwriting by printing out the spelling lists or sentence structure by using the games section!
They can practice book reports after they have read the book. They can practice oral speeches by giving it to you orally. You can go online and find lots of great unit studies for almost any literature work you choose. And MOST of them have a movie that goes with! Watch it as a family, discuss the movie, read the book as a family or even as a homeschool book group! Create a group discussion!
My boys are not into all the great works. They have to read 1 per semester. Mom chooses and then we do some work to go with. If they don't like it, oh well. They need to have some great works of literature under their belt!
How do you incorporate literature into your homeschool day?
Happy homeschooling!

I love FLASHCARDS!

When all else fails in our day, kids arriving late, leaving early, sick, or just plain old grumpy..... and our preschool lessons fall to the wayside, we can sit and use our collection of preschool flashcards!

Everyone grabs their circle for sitting, I grab the basket of flashcards and we play preschool games of answer correctly!!! I hold up the cards and go around the circle. You get a chance to answer, if you can't-no biggie! I move on to the next child and you will get another chance! Try to keep it as fun and low key as possible! I don't want anyone to feel bad or hate participating!

If you answer correctly, you get a plastic coin! At the end, you can use it to purchase something from the store! I make sure each child ends up with the same amount of coins and to have fun things for them to purchase!

Not only do we go over colors, shape, letters and numbers but they then get to count, bargain, and think about their purchase! All in all, it is a GREAT way to go over a lot of subject in a VERY fun way!
Kids get over being grumpy, not feeling well or if they have crazy schedules for the day....they get a LITTLE learning in!

So, having a bad day! Guess what....break out those flashcards! And, they are not just for little kids! There are language cards, multiplication cards, ALGEBRA cards, english cards, history cards..... take a trip to your teacher store and you will be AMAZED at the flashcards today! Heck, you can even sit down with the kids and make your own!!

Happy Homeschooling!

Sneaky ways to include science!

So you have a child who really doesn't like science.... I mean hates learning it, hates sitting still and HATES the fact that you keep shoving it down their throat.

Well, guess what... there are ways around this! Science for elementary school level can work on SO many levels! I have posted the past few weeks of different ways you can do science.

1st, what are your kids into?
Critters?
Legos?
Art?
Cars?

Whatever they are into, you can find a way to use it as science that DOES get them interested! GUARANTEED!

Right now at my childcare/homeschool we are hatching baby chicks!
We have a borrowed incubator "cooking" some eggs right now! Anytime next week, up to 6 chicks will be popping out! My boys and the daycare kids are studying animal lessons, looking at some great pictures of what eggs look like inside at different stages. And the care of baby chicks once hatched!

All of it is SCIENCE! Learning at every level!

Legos, there is TONS you can do with legos! What are they made of? How do you build with them? Things you can create.

Take what your kids are into! Go online and start looking for ways to use THAT as science!

Happy Homeschooling!

Science can be so much FUN!

Love for school and reading and science starts at home. Whether you public school them or homeschool them, you as their parent are their first teacher! Think about it, you teach them to walk, talk, eat, colors, shapes, letters and counting!

Science is the fun part and really included in most everything you do! Starting with kindergarten science, you can do something as simple as baking or testing matter and materials! Is that cold or hot? Why is it? What if we add heat or cold to it..does it change? Where does the food you eat go? Why do we poop? Gotta love that one!LOL

Colors, what happens when you mix them? Oil and water? Can you mix them? Can you add colors to them?

Check out making sensory bottles or a tornado bottle. Those are a BIG favorite here! And so easy to make!

And MOST of them would be considered science! Make them together, use them in your homeschool day and talk about why. Then just have them set somewhere as they are great busy items for those times you need kids to be occupied!

Start teaching them science TODAY!!

Happy Homeschooling!

Keeping kids busy with science!

Yes, I am on a science roll! Sorry, but love it and want to talk about it!

I am the proud childcare provider of a very smart little boy! Well, as far as I am concerned ALL my kids(and yes, the childcare kids are still my kids!) are smart! But, G is EXTRA SMART! He reminds me of my boys! He is also my favorite daycare kid! And yes, we do have favorites!

He is finishing his last year with me. Breaks my heart as I have had him in my care since he was barely 2.
He has blown through all our Time4Learning PreK work! And we are currently working at the Kindergarten level!

He loves science, as do I and my own boys. I focus heavily on it for both homeschool and childcare! As I posted on my own blog, we are raising chicken eggs and studying them and their hatching!! I am also thinking of having G try some 1st grade science worksheets and see if he can do them. Even if he needs some of my help, I think together...we can do it.

He may not be ready for it yet.... but we won't know until we try! And everythig is worth a try!
Have you done that with your own kids? Felt they were ready for a different grade level and tried it? Did it work? Were they ready? Tell us how it worked out for you!!!

Happy Homeschooling!

Science is for kids and adults alike!

You are never to young to learn science!
Yes, this is my 2nd post in a row about science... but I don't think enough people DO science! I think it scares a lot of homeschooling parents! They didn't like science in school. They are afraid of what could get blown up. The cost worries them.
Well, science does NOT have to be like school(unless you had a great experience)!
Nothing will get blown-up unless you want it to!
And science can be an cheap or as expensive as you want!
Great article talking about Science over at Secular Homeschool, Science is all around us!

Now, parents of younger kids... you can play around with science. I say about age 8 or 2nd grade is the perfect time to get REALLY into science as part of the homeschool day. Second grade homeschool science is perfect to get them started on lots of different areas!
What are they into? Animals, then go with animal habitats or ecosystems. Gardening, ummm well that is FULL of science! Worms, seeds, what happens when you plant seeds, water or no water.... Rocks? Rocks are AWESOME for science study! What kind? Where did they come from? How were they formed?
Food? Food and cooking are chock full of science!
You just have to do a little groundwork as the homeschool parent and step back and look at their interest from a scientific point of view.
Science is not scary, you can do it!
Happy Homeschooling!

She blinded me with SCIENCE!

Ok, who here is a FAN of the movie Weird Science!!! ME ME ME!! She says, waving her hand in the hair!

Science is MY favorite thing to teach and my boys favorite thing to learn! It is even a hit on a weekly basis with the daycare kiddos!

Science for kids can be fun and in my opinion, SHOULD be fun! Science, for the most part ALWAYS should be hands-on! Earth and Space, changes in matter, animal habitats and even their food can all be used for SCIENCE!

I use any and all things, to teach science! Heck, we were outside on a sunny day last week(what a rare break for the Pacific Northwest!) and used the solar energy to become a science experiement! What was warmer in the sun... grass? Dirt? Blacktop? Concrete steps? We all gave our opinions and polled the most popular choice! The blacktop won! And then we talked about WHY it was warmer!! SCIENCE!

How do you teach science? Are you a follow the book person or a toss the pamphlet person and go with your gut?

Happy Homeschooling!

Teaching in ABC order!

So, when my boys started public school....I was the room Mom! I helped out in Kindergarten BIG TIME.
I was really surprised when they started teaching letters.
We learn the alphabet by singing A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y and Z. Therefore you would think that once they started teaching them....it would be in the order that was drilled into us from the time we were born.
WRONG!
Schools like to teach them out of order and while I understood their reasoning, I did not agree with it.
We tell kids one thing and teach them another, making it 10x harder to get it through to kids!
I believe in the ABC order activities!
Start learning with A, work your way down to Z.
I teach the daycare kids this way and I think it works.
You wouldn't teach the kids a simple machine lesson by showing them the completed project and then jumping around from Step 1 to Step 4 to Step 7 and then back to Step 3. You would teach them in order.
Order makes sense, bouncing around does not.
Who agrees with me? How do you teach your kids?
Happy Homeschooling!

So you are homeschooling a middle schooler?

I started out by with homeschool middle school!
My boys were just finishing 5th grade and just starting 6th grade when we decided to pull them!
The public school wasn't working for us anymore and we really didn't know what else to do BUT homeschool! I was thrilled as this was something I wanted to do since they were little and now I got my chance!
Little did we know then, how different it would change our lives...for the better!!!
My boys are now doing high school level! I cannot believe it! What a wild ride it has been!
Overall, our least favorite subject is a tie between Math and Writing.... they each fuss about it at different times. Our favorite is learning about science, any kind of science!!
We have had our ups and downs, though more ups than downs!
Are you thinking of homeschooling? Are you thinking that it can't work? Your kids are at THAT age of being close to teens? Guess what, YOU CAN!!!
If I can do it, ANYONE can! I do this while running a childcare! Yep, tiny tots and teenagers! Try that combo!!LOL

Hang in there and Happy Homeschooling!!!

And we let them play preschool games!!!

Ok, IMHO hands down....letting kids PLAY is one of the best ways to learn!
There are many parents that think that playing is just that....play.
How is my child learning while they play? Ummmm, sharing, coloring matching, caring for stuff, organizing, etc.
If you want to get really into it, playing preschool games makes it even more so! Great family time, playing a game which teaches patience, listening, following rules and then whatever the game is about. Candy Land is about matching colors and counting. Chutes and Ladders is about rules and listening. Memory Match is about remembering and placement plus patterns!

Playing tea party teaching children about heat energy with the tea, sharing by passing plates of goodies and table manners if you do it right!

Playing cars teaches about driving skills, taking turns(stop lights) and sharing with friends.

Reading to your child is ALWAYS good! Instills a love of books plus learning sight words, letter recognition and then whatever the story is about!!

Play is LEARNING! My childcare motto is Playing to Learn and Learning to Play!

So, next time someone thinks your child is JUST playing....let them know that they are learning as well!!!

Happy Homeschooling!

Happy New Year!

New year, new school resolutions!
How many of your are making some new resolutions in your homeschool for 2014?
WE ARE!
Homeschooling high school is always a challenge.
Are they learning enough? Are they keeping up with their peers? Will they be ready for college? Am I challenging them? UGH! The choices a homeschooling parent has to make!!

So, we are changing up our MATH....as most of my readers know that MATH is our issue here and finding something that works and we understand is ALWAYS a challenge.

We are adding Home Ec to our weekly routine as well. Trying to get these boys ready for the real world. They will learn how to do laundry, sew buttons and hems, cook a few simple meals and clean and iron. Plus balance their checkbook, pay bills and anything else I can come up with!!!

I figure a lot of the Home Ec stuff can also be crossed over with science! Cooking is a lesson on change in matter! So is doing laundry.

And I will be enforcing the time limit on video game playing vs. doing our schoolwork!! Hate being the mean Mom but I am tired of lessons being ignored while video games are played!!!

So, what are you changing in your homeschool for 2014?

Happy Homeschooling!