Posts for category ‘Homeschooling Lifestyle’

For years, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has been the “go-to” resource for many homeschool families.  We’re proud to present them as part of our partner spotlight series this week!

Are you looking for some great ideas to supplement your homeschool curriculum? The Old Schoolhouse Store is a great place to start!

At The Old Schoolhouse Store , you’ll find a variety of resources – and for every budget – there’s even a Homeschool Dollar Store!

You’ll find something for every aspect of the curriculum – math to science to reading and from preschool all the way through college prep.

Stay up to date with current homeschooling issues and topics by subscribing to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine . It’s wonderfully informative and will provide you with activities, articles, and even tips on meal planning.

The Old Schoolhouse Store has so much to offer – take a look for yourself -you wont’ be disappointed.

Have you shopped the Old Schoolhouse Store before?  What do you recommend?

Crystal P. lives in Illinois with her many children, pets, and her husband.  She is a former (and probably future) middle school language arts teacher.  She is currently working from home as an independent copywriter,editor, and Lesson Pathways team member. You can follow her blog at http://houseofsloth.blogspot.com/.

It seems like we’ve all been infected with the dreaded Spring Fever around here. The malady that comes this time of year when the weather starts teasing us. Warming up just enough to give us thoughts of running barefoot in the grass on a warm sunny day. The only problem is…it’s still winter in most parts of the U.S. and school is a long time from being over. Our visions of great things happening in our school day, sadly are pushed into “What great things can I do NEXT YEAR?”

There is still hope for this year…I’ve found a couple of remedies for Spring Fever, I’d like to share with you to help breathe some fresh life into school time.

Science Fair Projects

Let your students pick their own projects and explore a new topic area. There are great websites out there with projects just right for any age. My son wants to make a solar oven and explore the different kinds of foods he can cook. We can use this interest to branch out into learning about other energy sources.

Plant something

It’s just about the right time to start seedlings indoors for your spring/summer garden. Take your kids to the store and let them pick out something they want to grow (and hopefully eat). Experiment with different containers to see which seeds grow best in which containers. Measure the seedlings height and compare their growth.

Theme Days

Have a pajama day where everyone does all their work in their pj’s. Game day…where you play “educational” games for the day. Make up silly days. Get your kids involved and let them come up with some themes. You’d be surprised at what kind of fun they can imagine.

Field trips

Now is the perfect time to plan some field trips in your community. Don’t limit yourself to the normal field trips. Find a small business owner who might be willing to give you a tour of their shop. Visit your local library’s story hour. Recently our library had a story hour that was advertised for younger children, but we went with our 3rd and 4th graders, who had a blast.

Nature Walks and Nature Journals

Let’s face it, when the weather gets nice, we all just want to be outside. Take advantage of this by going on some nature walks. Make up simple scavenger hunts—colors, types of flowers, etc. Pull out all your nature guides and see what you find. Dig up a shovelful of dirt and dump it on a poster board. Sketch all the signs of life there. Go on a hike and have kids stop as much as they’d like. The slower the better.

Join forces!

Get together with some other families for a day of learning activities. We just had a friend over for a couple of hours to learn all about Roman Numerals. Learning is always more fun with friends.

Unit Studies

Feeling bogged down in history and science….it’s time to do a unit study on a topic of interest. I have been using Lesson Pathways for my history and science this year. If I feel a need for change, I just look up our grade level to find a new interesting subject to study. It’s great and easy, too.

Don’t let Spring Fever take the joy out of your school year.
There’s a remedy just right for you!

Christy V. lives in the Smoky Mountains with her husband and children. She is a former Music Teacher but absolutely loves homeschooling her kids. She loves reading, singing, hiking and blogging. You can follow her blog at www.eclecticmomma.blogspot.com.

I’m a planner by nature. I start sketching out my year during the summer, then usually plan out the first semester down to assignment sheets and daily schedules. Well, sometimes that all works great , and other times things come up that throw all my careful planning into confusion. How do I deal with that? After I freak out and run from the house screaming, I catch my breath and remember the best laid plans are just that — plans. Sometimes we get in our mind that our plans are set in stone instead of a fluid guide that can change or be adapted as the unexpected happens.

What can you do when things are not going as perfectly as you’d hoped?

Be flexible! Sometimes you need to get off the plan for your own sanity. You’re sick, been caring for sick children, trying to juggle this and that, or just plain burned out. There is nothing wrong with taking some time away from the everyday schedule for a little laid back learning. Some fun and games: nature walks, journaling, educational videos, board games, online activities or art lessons. All these things can alleviate the stress, break up the monotony and still be very enriching and worthwhile.

Hang in there and keep trying! As a perfectionist, sometimes if you think you are going to fail, you just give up. If I can’t do all the great things I had planned, then I’ll just quit trying altogether. One thing I learned as a musician playing with a group is that, even if you mess up one part of the song, YOU KEEP GOING FORWARD!

Look around for new inspiration–We’ve been in the winter rut lately so when a friend invited us over to teach us to make origami window stars, we jumped at the chance. There were origami books that we had tried in the past, but couldn’t get any further than the instructions. They ended up gathering dust on the bookshelf. Her lesson gave us the confidence to come home, pull those out and try again. My kids and I spent hours over the next couple of days making all kinds of wonderful creations. Subscribing to idea-based newsletters and scanning blogs are another means of gaining inspiration when you just need that little something to get you going back in the right direction

Remember change is sometimes necessary and not always bad–Saxon Math really works well for our family, but this year my son has been struggling with his basic math facts. It had become a hindrance to him as he worked the problems. So we took a break from the prescribed lessons for a month-long Math Boot Camp designed to increase speed and accuracy. I’ve seen his confidence in his own abilities grow through this experience. We needed to take a break from our plans to work on a problem area. Detours are not usually welcome but they can help you avoid some rough roads ahead and still get you where you need to go.

Plans–Set in Stone? Not Usually!
Plans–Fluid Guide? Thank Goodness!

Christy V. lives in the Smoky Mountains with her husband and children. She is a former Music Teacher but absolutely loves homeschooling her kids. She loves reading, singing, hiking and blogging. You can follow her blog at www.eclecticmomma.blogspot.com.

Yearning to make homeschooling easier? Have you considered Calvert School? The greatest joy of homeschooling is helping your child achieve mastery while keeping his or her thirst for knowledge alive. If you’re like many of us, however, the constant need to plan and create lessons just gets in the way. Without this time-consuming chore, you could have more time to do the actual teaching, more time with your family, and more time for yourself. That’s the gift Calvert School offers in its proven-effective curriculum.

Lesson Pathways is always on the lookout for ways to make your homeschool easier and more successful. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Calvert School to offer you a money-saving deal. This month only, you can enroll with Calvert and get an amazing 30 percent off the curriculum! Here’s what you can expect when you use the Lesson Pathways coupon code (LESSONPATH) to enroll:

Use Coupon Code: LESSONPATH

Worry-Free Homeschooling

Calvert School is fully accredited, so you won’t have to worry about the quality of the curriculum. But that’s not the best part. Even better is the fact that you won’t spend hours upon hours preparing to teach. Who needs that? The foundation of this program is the Calvert lesson manual. When you take advantage of this offer, you will receive lesson plans that guide you through each lesson in detail. With Calvert, your lesson is ready when you are. Just jump in and start teaching!

Full-Coverage Instruction

Don’t you hate it when you choose a curriculum and jump in, only to find that you need this supplement or that book to provide a well-rounded education for your child? Leave all that behind with the Calvert School. This program covers the basic subjects like reading, writing, math, and history but also has you covered for subjects like geography, music, and art. And Calvert provides more than just lesson plans. You’ll get all you need for a successful homeschool program–lesson manuals, textbooks, workbooks, and supplies. Everything comes in your box, including paper, rulers, crayons, and writing utensils!

Integrated Learning

Studies show that subject mastery and retention come easier when students explore topics from various angles. Calvert School makes this easy with its integrated learning format. For example, your child may study a history topic and then go on to read and analyze a closely related composition. To further reinforce study, your child may also complete a writing, art, or music project that drives the subject home.

Homeschool Tools and Resources

There’s even more to Calvert than the foundation curriculum. For starters, Calvert understands that children learn in varied ways and provides instructions for appealing to different learning styles in each lesson manual. Calvert School also offers optional assessments, homeschool support, and online tools for both parents and students.

Don’t wait to give Calvert a try! This deep discount won’t last. Use coupon code LESSONPATH by 11:59 PM on February 26 to save 30 percent off any grade level curriculum. Jump right in with both feet now or plan ahead for the upcoming school year. It will be here faster than you think.

Did February just sneak up on you?  Yeah, us too!

If you’re looking at the calendar, you may have noticed that tomorrow is Groundhog’s Day.  You might even be considering incorporating something about it into tomorrow’s school plans …. if only there a quick way to put together a mini-unit …..

Well, you’re in luck.  Albeit last minute, we’ve found some fun resources for learning about Groundhog’s Day with your children!

Facts & History: Read this short page to learn about how Groundhog Day came to be, here in the United States.

This History of Groundhog Day: If your child wants to read more, this page goes a little more in depth.

All About Groundhogs Video: Did you know that groundhogs are also known as wood chucks?  Watch this video to learn more!

Printable Worksheets: This website has a collection of 10 different worksheets including a word search, crossword puzzle, vocabulary builder and more!

Pop Up Puppet: Use a foam cup, paper and craft stick to make this puppet.

Groundhog Day Quiz: Use this as a final quiz or a starting point for a research project!

And maybe all of this talking about Groundhog Day has got you thinking about that super-funny movie with Bill Murray?  You can rent it from Amazon right now and watch right on your computer for only $2.99 or buy it as a digital download for only $4.99!

What are your favorite resources for learning about Groundhog Day?

This post was written by Christina S., a LessonPathways.com team member and homeschooling mom of 11 years. When she’s not finding great resources to share with our LessonPathways family, she’s busy working on her site, HomeschoolingInDetroit and chatting away on Twitter.

Heart of the Matter, a website dedicated to homeschooling from a Christian perspective, will be hosting their annual online conference from February 21 through February 23.

This conference uses software, compatible with all operating systems, to connect you to the audio presentations by each of the presenters. This year’s sessions include:

• • Simplifying Homeschool with Karen DeBus
  • Resistant Learners with Heather Laurie
  • Top Ten Tips for Successful Homeschooling with Amanda Bennett
  • Called to Be a Missional Mom with Helen Lee
  • Smart Kids Who Hate to Write with Dianne Craft
  • Help! I Fell off my Lesson Plan! with Carol Barnier
  • How to Use Notebooking to Help Your Children Learn with Jimmie
  • Growing Your Child’s Writing Vocabulary with Kim Kautzer
  • Loving Living Math with Cindy West

In addition to admission for the live presentations, all registrants will have access to the MP3 versions of each presentation and a “goody bag” of downloads including free eBooks from Institute for Excellence in Writing, Bright Ideas Press, Shining Dawn Books, Parent Led Homeschool Curriculum, with more to come.

The cost of the conference is $14.95 and you must register in advance. You can learn more by visiting the HOTM website.

Founder of the Blog Carnival of Homeschooling, Henry Cate, is hosting the 262nd edition this week.  He’s incorporated one of our favorite movies into this week’s theme, the Princess Bride.

“You only think I guessed wrong! That’s what’s so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned! Ha ha! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders – The most famous of which is “Never get involved in a land war in Asia” – but only slightly less well-known is this: “Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line”!”

Be sure to stop by the Why Homeschool Blog today to discover other great homeschool blogs in this week’s Carnival.

CurrClick just announced they will be launching a FREE Club for American Girl Doll enthusiasts.

If you’re not familiar with CurrClick already, they offer great downloadable resources and online classes for kids.

We are planning a FREE online American Girl Club for girls ages 5-12. The American Girl dolls each represent a period in American History so this club will be a history enrichment club. Each meeting would consist of a unit study, craft, snack (prepared at home by the parent), and anything else our coordinators can think of!

CurrClick is looking for parent coordinators.  If you are interested, just fill out this quick survey.

Last year we did a “child led” unit on Hanukkah, which included sharing an evening in celebration with some of our Jewish family friends and then attending their synagogue with them for a beautiful hanukia celebration. My daughter (and my Husband and I too!) thoroughly enjoyed learning about the traditions and history of their celebration. This year my daughter asked to learn more about the history and traditions of Christmas around the world.

Christmas is a holiday that we celebrate, but as we are discovering, we really know very little about the traditions and history behind our own beloved celebration. This year’s “child led” Christmas lessons are broken up into the three following categories: Christmas Traditions Around the World, Christmas Symbols, and Holiday Baking. (All three of the categories also cover language arts, geography, and history lessons, as well as hitting upon art, science, and math.)

Christmas is a holiday that we celebrate, but as we are discovering, we really know very little about the traditions and history behind our own beloved celebration.

Each day my daughter selects about five countries and we read aloud their Christmas traditions from Christmas Around the World.

When selecting the countries, she chooses them by region and compares and contrasts the neighboring countries (and then compares and contrasts the different regions). While reading about the Christmas Traditions of France, my daughter got very excited about the “Yule Log Cake” and wanted to make one for our Christmas feast. We found this delicious photo (warning…you will be drooling!) and Yule Log Cake Recipe.

We will be making this on Christmas Eve morning together (one of several Holiday Baking projects). We will also be baking various Christmas cookies from around the world, as well as a gingerbread house.

For Christmas Symbols (including many science rich opportunities in studying the various plants), we are using History of Christmas, one read aloud daily.

It was on reading about the Christmas tree that my daughter discovered Czechoslovakian painted eggs. We researched images of these and will make some painted eggs of our own to place on our tree.

I’ve always wanted to make Peppermint Bark so I think we are going to whip up a batch of these next week (Peppermint Bark Recipe).

We will use a locally made peppermint pig that we will smash to bits for it.  We are lucky enough to have Saratoga Sweets within a reasonable driving distance, so we will visit their sweet shop first and learn more about the process of making them and the traditions associated with it (this info is also on their Web site).

We are having such a jolly good time researching all about Christmas! Do you have a favorite tradition or holiday recipe you would like to share? We’d love to learn more about your traditions too!

Cheers,
Colette

This post was written by Colette D., a new-to-homeschooling Mom and a Lesson Pathways Blog contributing writer. She and her Husband raise their daughter together in the rural countryside of Upstate New York where they like to spend as much time as possible being creative and enjoying nature. She blogs about her adventures in sewing, crafting, and baking (among other things) at yearofhandmade.

Just a reminder that the latest edition of the Blog Carnival of Homeschooling has been published at the Home Spun Juggling Blog.  It’s a great one – be sure to stop by for some wit, advice and ideas!