It’s time to best for the best homeschooling summer blog!

Hi everyone,

Deb just sent this reminder out to make sure that you vote for the best homeschooling blog this summer. Mine was nominated, so if you’d click on me I’ll be your bestest friend!  And be sure to check out the great blogs that are listed at this link:

http://homeschoolent.com/2009/08/win-a-prize-by-helping-us-find-the-best-homeschool-blog/

Here’s Deb’s note:

Just a quick reminder that you have until midnight tonight to vote for the ‘Reader’s Choice’ winner of our Summer Blog Contest.

Don’t forget, by voting you are eligible for a drawing for your choice of a f*. ree book from Benjamin’s Book Shoppe-and there are quite a few great homeschool books there to choose from. Your chances of winning are really good, so far there aren’t too many entries.

All you have to do is make a comment on which blog you like best out of all the entries. It doesn’t have to be one of the finalists, ANY of the blogs listed in this post are eligible:

http://homeschoolent.com/2009/08/win-a-prize-by-helping-us-find-the-best-homeschool-blog/

That’s it! Just wanted to remind everyone so you didn’t miss out on an easy way to win a free book. Winners of all the blog categories and the Reader’s Choice will be announced in the newsletter set to go out at noon tomorrow,. 9-12-2009  See you then!

Here’s the link again to vote and get your name into the drawing:

http://homeschoolent.com/2009/08/win-a-prize-by-helping-us-find-the-best-homeschool-blog/

Blessings,

Deb

HomeschoolEnt.com

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. ~Ecclesiastes 9:10 KJV

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How to Find the Right Curriculum Without Breaking the Bank

The best way to find a curriculum that will work with you and your children is to sample as many different types as possible.  But of course there’s that little problem of cash to fund this little experiment. But there is hope …

Homeschoolers love to share resources. Because of this (and it’s just good business) many curriculum stores give away freebies and sample so that you can try before you buy. Another great source of freebies are homeschool expos.  You can check around to see when one is coming near you. Or you can enjoy a virtual expo from the comfort of your home. Virtual expos provide you with samples of all of the vendors that have participated that year.  You’ll get MP3s, ebooks and sometimes special websites for you to learn more and/or try out products.  I went to my first one this year and I’ve been enjoying it at my own pace.

There are also people who collect free resources from across the internet, such as Homeschool Freebie of the Day. The Erksine Family has great websites that give away free curriculum, ebooks and audio shows to enhance the homeschooling experience. The Erksines encourage people to sign up for their weekly notifications so that you know exactly what day each resource is offered. This is very important since they take down each resource at the end of the day and you don’t want to miss any of their finds!

Another way to experience all that is homeschooling is by getting a subscription to a monthly magazine and seeing how other homeschoolers are getting things done.  Right now there is a great Summer Bouquet subscription drive that not only gives you an in-depth look into homeschooling, but they’re also giving away 19 bonus curriculum packages. These packages contain ebooks, real books, software, DVDs, movies, etc. What better way to get an overview of the many, many different types of ways there are to educate your children today? Just a word to the wise, these particular bonuses are only available for the first 5,000 subscribers, so if you are thinking about doing this, you need to get it right away. (If you’re one of the first 1,000 subscribers you’ll get additional gifts!)

Oh, another cool aspect of this particular subscription drive is that they’ve also created a really cool interactive catalog so that you get an in-depth understanding of what you are really getting.  You know, I always hate those ads that tell you you’re getting free bonuses and then just list a bunch of stuff under it. I mean, what if you are unfamiliar with a certain product and want to know more? But these gals are taking full disclosure to new lengths, so you won’t be surprised when your packages arrive.

This short list should be a good place to start on your curriculum hunt.  And always remember that Google + FREE + curriculum is always a winning combination to find more great curriculum ideas and samples.

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Homeschool Curriculum: Points to Ponder

When people begin to toy with the idea of homeschooling their children one of the common fears involves the curriculum:

• Which curriculum is the best?
• Which one guarantees that my child will be able to do brain surgery at 10?
• Which one will take me by the hand and lead me through everything because I don’t have a degree in education?
• What happens if I don’t know the answer to a question?
• Will my child be doomed by my “ignorance”?

And the answer to all of these questions is … there is no magic curriculum. The purpose of homeschooling isn’t to create Einstein (even though that might be nice). It isn’t to prove to outside friends and family that your child is smarter than their child. It is to provide your child with an educational platform that will allow him to thrive as an individual and to be able to learn the skills they need for their chosen profession. The rest is all ego – parental ego.

So the first thing that parents considering homeschooling should work on is their own attitude. There is no one on this planet that loves your children more than you do. There is no one on this planet that will lay their life down for their children but you. So, you will not hurt your child by educating them. Education is really teaching someone how to find out the answers to the questions that they have in life. Common sense is a much harder thing to learn than regurgitating facts for a test, which unfortunately, the current educational system revels in these days. So before you pick out a curriculum, you need to have a good long talk with yourself about why you want to homeschool, make a commitment and do it. The rest will fall in line.

I have spent lots of money looking for the holy grail of curricula. But I was looking for things that interested me and not really considering the things that would interest my children or suit their personalities. So, before you pull out your checkbook, watch your children play and interact and see what works best for them. My eldest daughter must be in motion or she’ll explode. She’s a really smart girl, but sitting quietly is not her best learning style. My middle daughter is of a reflective nature, so I have to make sure that I leave her a lot of time to get her work done. She’s a daydreamer, but her work is always well done by the end of the school day. My youngest (he’s 2) seems like he’s going to follow in the footsteps of my first daughter. He’s always in motion and does his best “work” while he’s running around. So, we’ll be doing hopscotch alphabet and numbers in a couple of years. J

Now, that I’ve categorized my kids I can start thinking about which curriculum would be “the best”. I think “the best” curriculum is one that works for my family. It may not work for Fran’s family or Katy’s family, just my family. Every family is unique. So, I have a more eclectic approach. I like Sonlight’s curriculum, but my daughters had trouble with some of the math samples I printed up, so it didn’t make sense for me to invest in the whole year curriculum. But I do use their reading book lists that tie in what I’m teaching my girls right now. We’re learning Russian from a fellow homeschooling mom and her family. I like the language arts and history programs by Susan Wise. I have various science books around the house, so this year we’ll actually see which ones we will use.

For math I like Math Mammoth. My 9-year-old and 6-year-old are both working in the same series (at different paces, obviously), but what I’m really impressed by is their mastery of each worksheet. My eldest really struggled with conventional math books and got more wrong than right. Now, however, she’s a consistent 95% and above on each one. That’s greatly improved her confidence which has led to better work habits. My six year old is adding and subtracting double digits with ease. Although she works more slowly than her sister (who is still in review mode) she gets 100% every time. So how can I complain about a little daydreaming?

My 6 year old is still working on her reading skills, but the book, “Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Lessons”, I’m using to teach her to read is much different than the ones that her big sister used. Why? Because she needs more time to think out her answers. The eldest (and probably her little brother) loved the computerized independent/discovery learning style. I used the Scholastic Reading Program (that they discontinued for some reason) as well as StarFall and IKnowThat coupled with the LeapFrog Videos and she pretty much taught herself. My point is that each child learns at his or her own pace. Our job is to find what works and encourage it. And that’s one reason I think the best way to start is not to spend hundreds of dollars on curriculum, but find something that is flexible while you work out the details of how your children learn.

I have fallen in love with the The Old Schoolhouse Planner. It’s an eclectic collection of resources that is also a complete year’s curriculum. First off, let me confess that I have not been the most organized homeschooler. I’ve purchased programs to keep records on the girls work, I’ve set up schedules (that I then proceeded to ignore after about a week), and changed my mind a couple of times during the course of the year on some of the books that we had chosen to use for learning. But after reading through this 375 page masterpiece of planning I am finally content. Each month is based upon a theme and all the activities and subjects that are taught in that month follow that theme. This would be just about perfect for new homeschooling families. When you start out homeschooling you always worry that you won’t get everything done. The planner is designed to help you not only get yourself organized, but to have fun while you teach and learn. (If you want to learn more about the planner you can go here or read additional reviews here.)

Another resource that you will find useful is called “Oklahoma Homeschool” and has a great breakdown of educational styles and ideas that will be a great help to you as you choose your curriculum. You can also visit The Homeschool Lounge and talk to experienced homeschoolers. You’ll see that the ways to have well-educated children are as diverse as the stars.

You can and will make the difference in your child’s education. The curriculum is just a tool in your hand. Take your time to pick the right one for you and your family and the rest will follow.

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5 Essential Ingredients to Homeschooling Success

Since I’m back in the saddle as a traditional homeschooler, I’ve been surfing around for inspiration.  This article caught my eye and I thought I’d share it with you too!  The point that made me feel terribly terrific about returning to my homeschooling ranks is found in point number four.

(By Terri Johnson – co-author of Homeschooling ABCs – an online class starting this month for brand new homeschoolers)

We’ve all seen it… or, at least, heard about it… the homeschooled child who wins the geography bee, or the one who graduates at the age of 15, or the one who excels in musical accomplishments…

Now, obviously, a student does not have to be homeschooled in order to accomplish one of the feats above, nor does every homeschooled child excel in such notable ways.  However, every homeschooling parent desires for success in teaching their children at home and launching them into the world to become all that God has intended for them to be.

The flipside to this statement is that no one wants to fail when it comes to teaching their children at home.  So, what are the five necessary ingredients to homeschooling success?

The first one is the desire to foster a closer relationship with each of your children and your kids with one another.  If you don’t want to spend more time together and deepen these relationships (or, at least, want to want to spend more time together), then homeschooling may not be the best choice for you.  However, I am sure that you have heard it said before that at the end of the day, no one is going to say, “I wish that I had spent more time at work… or by myself… or with my canary…”  No, the universal regret that aging and dying people declare is their sadness over not spending enough time with their loved ones.  Teaching your children at home is an amazing opportunity to spend more time with your dearest loved ones and have no regrets.

The second ingredient to homeschooling success is a teachable spirit on the part of the parent.  This is essential because, like it or not, you will learn so much more teaching your own children than you ever did in school the first time around.  So, you might as well like to learn.

On that same note, the third essential ingredient to successful homeschooling is creating a home environment that is conducive to learning.  This may show itself differently in each of our homes, but the result is the same – a place where kids can learn and enjoy it.

A home that is conducive to learning may have quiet and cozy reading nooks, bookshelves crammed with great books, a listening corner complete with headphones and a beanbag chair, uncluttered smooth surfaces for writing, stacks of coloring/activity books and colored pencils, a place to gather together and talk about the day’s events.  You get the idea…  Create centers in your home that make learning fun and accessible.

The fourth ingredient for a successful homeschool is 2 hours of your time to devote to your children’s studies.  Truly, when the one-on-one teaching method is employed in your home, you do not need all day in order to get things done.  In fact, a child in K-2 grades might be finished with her schoolwork in as few as 45 minutes (of course, that probably does not include the time that you spend reading together because who can get enough of that!). [Just my two cents: I used to teach each day for about that 2-3 hours a day and their knowledge grew in leaps and bounds. Then I started cyberschooling and the longer the hours, the less they learned! It's good to know that I had it right in the beginning.]

At the other end of the spectrum, you might not need that much time with your middle schooler or high schooler either, because they become such independent learners by this age.  The kids that will need the majority of that time that you have designated for school – those full 2 hours – would be your students in 3-6 grades as math and grammar assignments might get a little more involved.

The fifth (and final)  ingredient for homeschooling success is a library card.  That’s right!  With access to a huge roomful of books, a world of learning opportunities is at your doorstep.  Let’s say that your child is interested in insects or flowers, electricity or magnetism, transportation or inventions… check out as many books as he can devour on the subject and then some more.  Watch your child light up with the delight of learning.

With these 5 essential ingredients incorporated into your homeschool, you will experience successful learning in the lives of your children, because this is the measure of success – children that love to learn!

Enjoy those learning moments…

Terri Johnson

Co-author of Homeschooling ABCs – an online class starting this month for brand new homeschoolers. Don’t let self-doubt, or lack of experience, rob you of the best first year possible!  Sign up for class here.

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Putting the “Fun” Back Into “Fundraising”

I am the first to admit that fundraising has always been something of a mystery to me. My first experience with raising money was last year when my daughter became interested in Alex’s Lemonade Stand. It is a charity that raises money for pediatric cancer research. We held our Lemonade Stand event at a community street fair and did okay. But I’ve been wondering ever since how we could have done better. The book Easy Fundraisers for Your Homeschool Organizations has opened my eyes to the many different avenues to reaching our next fundraising goal.

Carol Topp’s book focuses on five easy (and effective) methods to raise money for your homeschooling groups, co-ops, etc. They are:

• Coupon and Reward Programs: General Mills has a program that works well with homeschooling groups and Carol tells you how to make this one of the easiest fundraisers you’ve ever seen! I wasn’t aware that some grocery and retail stores will actually make donations to nonprofit organizations as a reward for shopping with them. Were you?

• Shopping Reward Programs: These programs return a portion of a shopper’s purchases (typically 2-4%) to a nonprofit organization of their choice. The author’s group received $500 during one year’s participation.

• Food as a Fundraiser: I never would have thought of this as an option! Her real-life examples are

• Donation Drives: A great way to raise money. And if you’re group qualifies, your donors can write off the donations. Carol explains how this works in the book

• Income from Your Website: By joining affiliate programs you can set up an ongoing donation process for your co-op. Carol tips you off on the best program for this type of fundraising.

And did you know that under specific circumstances individual homeschooling families can do personal fundraisers for themselves? Carol also gives the low-down on reporting fundraiser income as well as additional fundraising ideas to bounce around with your co-op group. And as with all of the Wee Books sold at The Old Schoolhouse, there are additional website links to expand on the topic of fundraising. This book has put the “fun” back into fundraising for me.

P.S.  And if you’d like to make a donation to Alex’s Lemonade Stand, please click here. Thank you!

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The 14 Days of Homeschooling

One of the moms in my homeschooling circle sent this — it was too funny to keep to myself!

The 14 Days of Homeschooling (tune of “THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS”)

On the first day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Can you homeschool legally?”

On the second day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the third day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the fourth day of home school my neighbor said to me, “What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the fifth day of home school my neighbor said to me, “YOU ARE SO STRANGE! What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the Sixth day of home school my neighbor said to me, “How long will you homeschool, YOU ‘RE SO STRANGE, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the seventh day of home school my neighbor said to me, “Look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the eighth day of home school my neighbor said to me, “Why do you do this, look at what they’re missing,how long will you home school, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E. do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the ninth day of home school my neighbor said to me, “They’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you home school, YOU ‘RE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the tenth day of home school my neighbor said to me, “What about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you home school, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the eleventh day of home school my neighbor said to me, “I could never do that, what about graduation,they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E. do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the twelfth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Can they go to college, I could never do that,what about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, canyou homeschool legally?”

On the thirteenth day of homeschool I thoughtfully replied: “They can go to college, yes you can do this, and they can graduate, we don’t need the prom, we do it cuz we like it, they aren’t missing anything, we’ll homeschool forever, WE’RE NOT STRANGE!, We give them P.E., life it self’s a test, they are socialized, AND WE HOMESCHOOL LEGALLY!

On the fourteenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “How can I get started, why didn’t you tell me,where do I buy curriculum, when is the next conference, WILL PEOPLE THINK WE’RE STRANGE? I think we can do this, if you will help us, can we join P.E. and we’ll homeschool legally.

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Cool way to make spelling interesting

My daughter has problems with spelling and I’ve been trying to find new and more interesting ways to help her to be more successful. Jade was in speech therapy for a little over three years for an immature auditory system and still has problems sounding out words. Ironically, she’s a very advanced reader with great comprehension.

Anyway, quite by accident I found this great site (www.wordle.net) that will allow you to make art out of words. Here’s an example of her first spelling/art masterpiece:

If you’d like to see more of Jade’s masterpieces (or just play around with it yourself) be sure to visit www.wordle.net. Jade’s work will be saved under “Cherbear2768″ in the gallery.

BTW, there is no censorship within Wordle, so you may want to just let your children play with the application without going through the gallery.

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The Homeschooling Lounge

I just wanted to tell everyone about the wonderful world of The Homeschooling Lounge. I have made friends there and learned a lot about the way that parents homeschool their children around the world. I have met families from Australia, Brazil as well as the United States and I find everyone fascinating.

I highly recommend every family that is part of the homeschooling world to check it out and give me a shout! The great moms who put this site together now have given us a new website called Freebie of the Day. Everyday they offer free homeschooling resources for homeschoolers. I just found out about it yesterday, but I’ve downloaded two free audiobooks and they offer different things on different days. I highly recommend signing up for their updates so that you can know what to expect for the week ahead.

Speaking of freebie sites, Giveaway of the Day (www.giveawayoftheday.com) gives away free software on a daily basis. The available programs vary, but you can download utilities, games and other applications. You only have that day to download and register the software, so don’t download it and think that you’ll be able to install it at your convenience.

Being a work at home mom, well as a homeschooler I really appreciate these free sites and all of what they offer. Pass the word along — freebies without strings really rocks!

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