Making homeschool decisions easy
When we first started homeschooling, spelling was one subject that I thought I could easily handle with a workbook. We trudged through many years of Abeka spelling books and then switched to Spelling Workout for a few years with the youngest boys. By the time I reached my third child, spelling lists and tests had begun to try my patience. It seemed silly for them
The pace of my children learning to read varied widely between five kids. Kind of like the tortoise and the hare! Some took off almost on their own or with a sibling’s support. This of course made my homeschooling job easier. I simply fed them oodles of books to choose from. But, other children approached reading skills slowly and steadily — step by (sometimes painful)
Do your little ones struggle with handwriting? Is it hard for them to hold a pencil comfortably? Or do they grip it very tightly? Learning to write shouldn’t have to be a struggle. There are so many ways we can help, and one of my favorite tools is the Starter Pencil Kit from Draw Your World. You probably know the folks at Draw Your World
Morning Time goes by many names: circle time, morning basket, even symposium. In our home this time is anchored by our history study. We read aloud from our spine book, look at maps, and have rollicking discussions. From this firm foundation, we move into individual skill work in language arts and math. But our time learning together anchors and defines our homeschool. My oldest was
Handwriting is something I feel is still very important, even in this age of computers and spell correct. But that doesn’t mean I think it should be difficult. We have so many other subjects that need to be covered in our homeschools. How much time and emphasis should be placed on learning cursive in this modern age? Rather than attempt to answer this much debated
Explode the Code is a multisensory phonics program for grades pre-K – 4, geared towards improving literacy with direct, systematic, phonics instruction. It can be a complete phonics program or a supplement to what you are already using. A Review from The Curriculum Choice
One day while wandering the aisles of the children’s library with my boys I came across a book entitled The Word Spy. It caught my attention on so many levels – I snatched it up and started reading through it. It’s beautifully written, captivating and downright funny. Despite my children’s young ages at the time, I brought the book home and we started reading through
The school year is approaching its end and it’s time to once again re-assess our homeschools. Are there things we need to change? Resources that have or have not worked? Perhaps you are moving into a different season in your homeschool. This is what we as a homeschooling family have recently gone through. Up to now we have used an eclectic Charlotte Mason approach. We
