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Homeschoolers Rarely Stay Home Possibly the biggest myth about homeschooling is that you stay at home to do it. I have to admit that those few days that we are at home all day are days that I cherish. They are slow and easy and I can multitask and get all the housework and cooking done without scurrying. But there are not many of those days. Especially when your children are young. There were years, before my kids reached high school age and began apprenticeships and evening clubs and activities, that we would pack up each morning and be gone for most of the day.Read More →

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I Went Overboard With The Record Keeping for Years Take it from me, it is absolutely possible to go overboard with the planning and the record keeping in a homeschool. The first year we homeschooled our children, I wrote a paragraph each day for each lesson my kids did. I documented the materials we used and the time it took and the top keywords that I might need in the future if I needed to show all the topics they were learning. I kept and filed every blessed piece and scrap of paper and art project and photos of every outing. I kept this upRead More →

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School Supplies for Your Homeschool The school year is starting in your homeschool and you go to reach for a pen to jot down a thought about teaching little Billy fractions in the kitchen while baking and…. there are no working pens! Has this ever happened to you (the reaching for a working pen or pencil and finding none)? Well it has happened to me! Essential Supplies for Your Homeschooling Year I have a list of essentials that I keep stocked in our homeschool throughout the year, just as I keep coffee stocked in the kitchen. Here is my list: Printer Paper – The qualityRead More →

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​Finding Curriculum Can Be Tough Today I am joining my friends at the Homeschool Review Crew in kicking off a 5-day Back To Homeschool Series. Many homeschoolers take a break over the summer, or even just slow down the pace a bit through the summer months. So the start of fall means, for many of us, our children are in new grade levels and have new subjects to study. Throughout this week I will post about a different topic each day and today is all about Curriculum. Is Curriculum A Scary Word In Your House? Curriculum can be a scary word for a lot ofRead More →

firsts

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This was a week of firsts for our family. This was my kids’ first week of 9th grade, homeschool style and so as you might expect it was full of hustle and bustle and changing plans… also it was the husband’s first week back to work (which made everyone so very, very happy around here!)   First Week of Dramatic Macbeth Readings and AutoUpkeep Lessons The first week we did dramatic readings of Macbeth alongside a literature guide from Progeny Press (review coming soon). The dramatic readings were sometimes more dramatic than others. My son really loves to sing (opera style) the parts of allRead More →

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Can You Guess The Character? My kids enjoy drawing and movies and stories. So this week for the virtual fridge, my daughter gave me a pencil drawing she did of a favorite movie character. My daughter loves this movie. Well, actually we all do. We have watched it so many, many times that I could probably recite all the lines and describe all the action in one long monologue. (Oh, if only you could get paid to do that!) Stop by and see all the wonderful art at the Virtual Refrigerator Blog Hop! (and thanks! to Homeschool Coffee Break and Every Bed of Roses forRead More →

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It is time for a Back To Homeschool Blog Hop with my friends at the HomeschoolReviewCrew.com! For me, one of the great parts of homeschooling is actually the planning and the choosing of new curricula. I know some who really don’t like it but for me new pens and markers and glue and books and schedules and pacing guides is almost as exciting as Christmas! So tune in during the week of August 14 through 18 to hop on through a pile of great new posts about homeschooling. Each day we will cover a different topic: Monday – Curriculum Tuesday – School Supplies Wednesday –Read More →

No-Nonsense Algebra

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No-Nonsense Algebra from Math Essentials We discovered that No-Nonsense Algebra is a fantastic curriculum from Math Essentials designed to teach your child algebra in a way that will ensure he masters it. And my son has learned more than Algebra using this text – he has learned to take control of his own education! We Planned to Use No-Nonsense Algebra As Review My son is currently working his way through Algebra II and so we decided to review No-Nonsense Algebra more as a way to check and see if he remembered Algebra I or if he needed to brush up on some of the lessons.Read More →

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My children love music. All kinds. They play all sorts of instruments but perhaps the most versatile are the string instruments. Growing up I thought that violin was just a  squeaky version of the grand master of all instruments (the cello) – yes I play the cello so I am biased. But then I was introduced to Scottish music and the genius of Alasdair Fraser and his violin. Just take a listen and tell me that this doesn’t grab you! OK, well he does play with a woman named Natalie Haas who in point of fact does play that most important of all instruments, theRead More →

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The Children of Lir is an Irish folk tale that demonstrates the power of family and perseverance, and that love for one another can conquer evil. The Story in a Wonderful Picture Book I ran across a Kindle eBook version of The Children of Lir a few weeks ago that is absolutely fantastic. The illustrations are gentle and perfect for younger children as well as the rest of us. The story is detailed enough you could easily read this book aloud as a bedtime story. Audio Drama Version If you have children who are audio learners, there is a recording of The Children of LirRead More →