17 Ideas to Celebrate the Last Day of School

17 Ideas to Celebrate the Last Day of School

  

Reading Time: 3 min 53 sec

When I first heard about celebrating the end of the school year with a party, I thought it sounded brilliant. I mean who doesn’t want an excuse to eat yummy food, and have fun?! smile

 

However, when the end of the year rolled around, I was neck deep in paperwork, graduation parties, and work projects, so having a party didn’t even make the first ten pages of my to-do list.

 

Let’s be honest, as homeschooling moms, testing, finishing up curriculum, portfolios, state requirements, teacher evaluations, and spring sports, can fill our waking moments (and dreams) at the end of the school year.  With so many different things clamoring for our attention there is a temptation to sprint right past the end of the school year.

 

As moms, we can spend a lot of time over the years questioning the ramifications of homeschooling. We can indulge in self-doubt and worry that our children are not receiving a good education, that we are enough.  We can easily forget in the rush of the end of the year to do’s, the sheer number of challenges we overcame, our many triumphs, the times when deep relationships were forged, and when the light bulbs went on for our kids.

 

We spend the entire year hiking (sometimes trudging) up the mountain and we have finally reached the summit, and we can get to decide where we go from here.

 

1. Intentional Celebration

2. All About Relationships 

3.17 Party Ideas

1. Intentional Celebration

Celebrating the end of the school year is not about creating a Pinterest worthy party; it is about intentionally being present with our kids .

 

We live in a culture that celebrates a frantic pace of life and accomplishments. We finish a major project and instead of taking a breather, we immediately jump into planning our next big accomplishment.  We are a culture that is constantly fighting to prove our worth and value in what we do. It is demoralizing, exhausting, and unhealthy to constantly be in a state of go, go, go.

 

Children can teach us a lot about how to move through life. They don’t understand the meaning of the word “hurry“. They move at what seems like a snail’s pace, stopping to ask questions, give extra hugs and kisses, and gather treasures.  Children are masters of being present in the moment.  

 

Stopping to celebrate gives your family permission to breathe, to savor, to rest. It allows you to set aside to do lists, exams, doubts, and fears, and spend intentional time laughing, enjoying, playing, remembering, and delighting in your most precious gifts: your family.

 

We all need time at the top of the mountain.  It is good for our soul.

 

2. All About Relationships

 

An end of the year party is more than just a fun day out.  Its being intentionally present with our children.  Its day full of laughter, food, bonding, reminiscing, fun, hugs, and more food.

 

It can be very meaningful to take the time to ask questions throughout the day.  Over a meal, or slurping up ice cream, ask questions like:

What was your biggest challenge this year? What are you the proudest of? What did you enjoy learning about the most? What was your favorite moment?

 

Take the time to tell them how proud you are of their perseverance. It’s not about mastery or gathering a list of accomplishments, it’s about the journey. It’s about taking the time to celebrate their progress.

 

For the kid who struggles with math, it is celebrating that they memorized their multiplication tables. For the child who hates history, it’s about acknowledging how hard they worked to understand the ancient civilizations. For some children, it might not even be academic, but relational progress. No matter how big or small, celebrate the ride.

 

You can do this with fun activities, food, ice cream, more fun, questions, chocolate and by revisiting the year. Spend time looking over their end of the year portfolios, pictures, or mementos, and talk about their favorite experiences.

 

As a family, give yourself permission to stop and catch your breath, enjoy the view, and to celebrate how far you have traveled.

 

3. 17 Party Ideas

Today, the focus is on celebrating together. Rejoicing in life together. This party can something informal or as a well-planned strategy.  Choose an activity, outing or special food that brings life to your family.   

It doesn’t have to be expensive, elaborate, or an all-day event. It just has to be something out of the norm that will create space for you to celebrate together. We have done a pancake and/or waffle bar before that was a HUGE hit!  I would highly advise adding special food to whatever you decide to do. laughing

 

Here Are Some Ideas To Get You Started:

 

1. Go on a Treasure Hunt

2. Go to a Trampoline Park

3. Explore Downtown or a Fun Area of Your City

4. Indoor Rock Climbing

5. Host a Family Party

6. Revisit Favorite Field Trip Destination

7. Go Camping

8. Try a New Restaurant

9. Visit a Water Park or Pool

10. Host a Family Bowling Tournament

11. Weekend Road Trip

12. Go Horseback riding

13. Participate in a Challenge Course

14. Participate in a Backwards Meal

15. Go to a Movie

16. Hike or Picnic in the Woods

17. Board Game and Snacks Day

 

Are you wondering HOW do you actually get started homeschooling? Join our community of moms who want to invest in the lives of their children through homeschooling. I also created a 10 Tips to Finding Excellent Curriculum form to help you on your journey. 

 

 


What about you? What are your favorite ways to celebrate the end of the school year? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest! 

Amazing And Affordable Curriculum Ideas for First Grade

Amazing And Affordable Curriculum Ideas for First Grade

  

Reading Time: 10 min 32 sec

 

I don’t know about you, but I love planning for a new school year.  It can feel like a treasure hunt as I comb through various places to find just that right tool to help learning come alive for my child.  I have compiled a list of my favorite resources for a Pre-K and 1stGrade student below.

 

As interest-led, eclectic homeschoolers, we seem to thrive on borrowing from all the different homeschooling approaches and blending it up into something that fits our family just right.  (Yes, it does sound like we are the smoothie of the homeschooling community).  

 

I have found that boxed curriculum doesn’t work for my family. I would find a curriculum that I thought would be a good fit, shell out a couple hundred dollars, only to find to out that I loved the math, was “ehh” about the social studies, and absolutely hated the language arts program.

 

I came to understand that I know my child, I know their strengths and weaknesses, I know the vision and values of my homeschool, and I have found that I am the best person to hand select curriculum. By choosing your own curriculum, you also get a lot more control over the price tag.

 

Our goal is to foster a love of learning in our children. We do that by surrounding them with stacks of beautiful books, interest-led unit studies, interesting people, a plethora of games, real-world experiences, and tons of time spent outdoors.

 

We do use some textbooks, but we don’t feel compelled to finish each one for the sake of completion. We watch carefully for signs of burnout, and might switch to a different tool or resource midway through the semester.

 

We also try to “teach” most subjects together as a family (with the exception of reading lessons).  My children are close enough in age that this really worked well for our family. I say “teach” because a lot of what we do is very interactive, so it also fits our Pre-K child’s attention level.  I have never put together a formal teaching plan for Pre-K because I found that they pick up what they need to know just by living life. smile

 

Here is an overview of some of our top affordable curriculum resources for a 1stgrade (and Pre-K) student.  I have only listed the resources that we have LOVED!

 

I hope this serves as some inspiration for your homeschool adventures this fall! Happy Treasure Hunting! 

 

1.    Language Arts

2. Mathematics

3. Science

4. Social Studies

5. Bible 

6. Art & Music 

1. Language Arts 

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

 

This is such a stress-free, zero prep, way to teach a child to read. This book employs the steady, drip, drip, drip mentality. IT WORKS! I love how this book includes not only reading but writing lessons as well.  Worth its weight in gold! 

Poetry For Young People

This is an entire series, that we have used as a part of our weekly poetry tea times. Each book is a compilation of age-appropriate poems from famous poets throughout the years. The Emily Dickenson book was our favorite.

 

Read-Aloud Rhymes For the Very Young

This was a fun book that I would use in addition to the Poetry for Young People series as a part of our poetry tea time.  This book really helped to spark an interest in poetry in my children. They found it very engaging and often hilarious.

 

Cahier d’ecriture-Handwriting

I have always loved the beautiful style of handwriting from France. This book is all in French (you don’t need to know French to use it) and it teaches the fundamentals of great handwriting.  My children have used it a little bit each day and it has so improved their handwriting skills. 

 

 

Story Cubes

 

This is a fun game that uses visual prompts to help foster the imagination and inner storyteller in your child. There are nine cubes with six images on each cube. Each person rolls the cubes and creates a story based on the images. My children have laughed their way through this game.

Reading

 

We read literally hundreds of books, so it would be impossible to list them all. Here are a couple of our top favorites from this past year.

 

A World Full of Animal Stories

 This is a beautiful book full of folk stories from different countries around the world. This book not only sparked great discussions but also introduced the children to different cultures and ways of thought.  One of my children literally couldn’t get enough of this book. Win!

Favorite Audio Books

 

Audiobooks are my favorite way of not only expanding my children’s vocabulary but introducing them to great literature. Children can comprehend far above their own current reading level when they don’t have to take the time to sound out the words. Start small with Curious George, Madeline, or Amelia Bedelia, and transition into longer books like A Bear Called Paddington.  I have found that Audiobooks (when you have young children) work really well in the car when you have a captive audience.

 

Foreign Language

 

YouTube was our friend this year. We loved utilizing a Year of French with Tonton videos.

2. Math

Logic Lollipop Series

 I knew I wanted a supplement to our many logic games. WOW, these books are image-based, fun and perfect for young children. We actually went through the entire series in one year (there are three books) because my children were obsessed with it. LOVE!

 

 

Math Workbooks

We used several math workbooks that I grabbed from our local Dollar store. The workbooks were not necessary (we teach math many different ways) but my kids asked for them, so why not!  They were short, fun and covered the basics of simple math.  You can’t beat $1.00 for a math workbook! 

Life of Fred Series 

Is an amazing alternative to a traditional math book. Written in story form, it follows the adventures of a 5-year-old prodigy named Fred who shows children how math applies to real life.  At the end of every chapter, there are several math questions that pertain to the lesson for your child to answer. My children love this series and beg for more “Fred, Please”!

Games

Here is a list of our favorite math games from this year.

Math Picture Books

(Check out this article for a list of our favorite Math Picturebooks)

  1. Science

The Periodic Table: Elements With Style  

My children wanted to learn more about the Periodic Table thanks to a Magic School Bus Episode on Chemistry. This is a fun book that has one-page profiles for each of the elements. My children loved finding the elements on the Periodic Table each day. Great Resource!

Magic School Bus Chemistry

This kit sparks a love of chemistry. It includes 51 experiment cards and tools, and an observation notebook to record results. You do have to provide some of the supplies. My kids had so much fun conducting experiments. This is a great way to encourage a love of science.

Games

 

Wildcraft

Wildcraft is a group game where players learn how to identify wild herbs. This is a cooperative game where everyone works together to travel to the top of the mountain to collect Huckleberries for Grandma.

Throughout the game, players run into various first aid crisis, and they learn how to identify 27 different wild plants and how they can be used to treat various medical issues.  This a great game that my children have played again and again.

Here are some more of our favorite STEM games.

DVDs

Here are our favorite shows that spark a love of Science. Animated Hero classics has dvds for a number of different scientists.

 

4. Social Studies

Around the World Stories

We LOVE AWS! This 30-minute audio story series focuses on a new country and culture every four weeks. It combines geography, social studies, history and language arts in an engaging format that sticks with your children.

This has been one of the best resources I have ever purchased for homeschooling. My children ask MULTIPLE times a day to listen to their favorite stories. You can choose from three different packages (Europe, Asia and Artist series).  It also includes a parent guide for additional resources. LOVE!!

 

Give Your Child the World: Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book At A Time

 This book is a must-have resource for every homeschooling family. It is an amazing time saving tool that helps you gather the best children’s literature from around the world. It is full of curated book lists that are based on age range (4-12) and organized by country.

Draw Europe

This is a wonderful (and FUN) step by step tool to not only memorizing but learning how to draw Europe. We used this book over a semester and would draw a couple of countries a day. It has been amazing to see how much my child has become familiar with European geography. This is only one book in an entire series on different countries and continents

Games

DVDS

Travel With Kids

We LOVE this series. In Travel with Kids, you follow a family with two little boys who travel all over the world.  Children are exposed to different cultures all from the comfort of home. My children want to travel the world due to this series.

4. Bible

My First Hands-On Bible

I appreciated this children’s version of the Bible because instead of paraphrasing it actually uses Biblical text.  This was a well-loved Bible for many years.

 

Praying In Color Kids Edition

Have you ever heard, “But I don’t want to pray? I don’t know what to say? I’m embarrassed to pray out loud?” This is a revolutionary resource for children who want another try another way to spend time with God. 

The author Sybil Macbeth gently leads children in understanding what prayer is, common prayer problems, how to pray, and step by step of how to pray using art.  Love it!

DVDS

What’s In the Bible Series

These videos are part of a 13-part series that helps kids big picture look at the Bible as a whole. Phil Vischer (the creator of Veggie Tales) pulls out all the stops as he invites kids to wonder, explore and discover the Bible in a whole new way. It is full of fun characters, interesting questions, great animation, and of course fun music.

 

Nest Bible Animated Classics

We have really enjoyed the Animated Bible Classics. These videos are a great complement to devotional time as they allow children to see Bible stories happen right before their eyes. There are thirty-six different stories and they are geared towards ages kindergarten-third grade.

Picture Books

The Boy And The Ocean

 Oh, my word, hands down, probably my favorite Christian picture book. The illustrations are beautiful, the words are life-changing, and what an amazing book to pull out at bedtime.   The story draws parallels between Gods creation and his vast love for his children.

God’s Great Love for You

 This book is all about Gods overwhelming love for his kids told in such an imaginative way. Written by Rick Warren, the book shows a young girl on different adventures discovering God lavish love. The illustrations are adorable and though the book can be read to girls and boys, the book is specifically geared towards young girls.

Shh… God Is In the Silence

This book is a great introductory book to one of the ways that we hear God’s voice in the silence. In a time where we value filling up every available moment with something, this counter-cultural book reminds us that God was in “a gentle, quiet whisper”.  (1 Kings 19:11-12).

  1. Art-Music

The Amazing Musical Instruments

This book is very comprehensive and is a wonderful foundation for understanding the history and sounds of major instruments.

This resource really breaks down the parts of a classical orchestra into bite-size pieces and allows you to really appreciate the contribution of each instrument.  This is an interactive book that comes with a CD-ROM so you can hear different sounds and songs from different instruments.

Impressionism By Linda Bolton

This is a great behind the scenes look at Impressionism. Each artist has one or two pages full of background info, and samples of their most famous works of art. We would focus on one or two artists a day and then supplement with more hands-on activities. Great resource!

 

Games 

Van Gogh and Friends Art Game

This is a fun memory game that focuses on Post-Impressionists.  We use this as a memory game, although it is designed to be played like Go Fish or Concentration.   It really helps the kids learn the names and works of art of the different artists. It covers Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne, Seurat, Rousseau, and Toulouse-Lautrec.

CDS

Classical Kids Series

This is a phenomenal series!  You get to know different classical composers, through a captivating story set to that composers’ music. This series has helped spark curiosity, and a love of classical music in the hearts of my children.  We listen to this series, again, and again!

 

Beethoven’s Wig

This is a great sing-along series set to classical music. The lyrics are filled with facts about the composers and are hilarious.  My children can now identify classical music because of this amazing series.

Kids Meet Composers

This cd covers twenty different songwriters and their most famous pieces. Each song starts with a dialogue between the narrator and children, where you learn some history and fun facts about the composer. This is an amazing resource if you are studying various composers.

 

Picture Books

 

Anholt’s Artists-Laurence Anholt

This author through fun stories brings to life famous artists throughout history. We have learned so much about art and history from this series. I love this series because the author does an amazing job of sparking curiosity, and a love of art in children.

 

Katie and Ella Bella Series By James Mayhew 

James Mayhew is another great author/illustrator that makes classical art, and ballet accessible for kids. They will never see art as boring after growing up reading his stories about the adventures of Katie and Ella Bella.  The illustrations from the Ella Bella Ballerina series are stunning. An amazing resource for helping children engage in and love art history.

Drawing Books

DVD

 

 What about you? What are your favorite ways to foster a love of learning at home?  If you try any of these resources, let us know! Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Workon Pinterest!

 

 

The Behind the Scenes Look At Homeschooling

The Behind the Scenes Look At Homeschooling

  

Reading Time: 4 min 25 sec

Do you ever wonder if homeschooling is really all everyone says it’s cracked up to be? Do you ever wish that you could get a real (not just Pinterest worthy) perspective on homeschooling?  There are so many articles that trumpet the amazing benefits (or negatives) to homeschooling that you wish you could just get an honest behind the scenes look into homeschooling life.

 

You want the real truth.  You want to ask questions like, “How do you afford it? Do you have bad days? Do you ever want to give up and ship your kids off to boarding school in Switzerland? What will I have to give up to homeschool?”

 

For a lot of us, it can feel like we are moving into uncharted territory when it comes to deciding whether or not to homeschool.  The weight of responsibility for guiding our children into adulthood can seem heavy.

 

The amazing thing is that there are mama’s who have traveled this road ahead of you and we would love to help you through the process of deciding what’s best for YOUR family.

 

1.The Drawbacks of Homeschooling

2. The Benefits of Homeschooling 

1. The Drawbacks of Homeschooling

As with everything, there can be some definite negatives to homeschooling. Homeschooling can be for some a serious lifestyle change.  Your kids might have attended public school and deciding to educate them at home will be an adjustment for your family. You have to decide what sacrifices you are willing and able to make for this season in your family’s life.

 

These drawbacks can include:

a. The Loss of Second Income

This is one of the top reasons that keep families from homeschooling. You will have to adjust your budget and lifestyle to make homeschooling a priority.

 

b. The Loss of Furthering a Career

Unless you have a flexible schedule or can work from home, you have the strong probability that you will have to make sacrifices when it comes to furthering your career. (Yes, there are always exceptions to every rule.)

 

 c. Limited Amount of Time with Other Adults

You will be spending a large majority of your day with children.  Unlike a job, you will have to be intentional about meeting with other adults.

 

 d. You are Primarily Responsible for your Child’s Education

Unlike sending your child to a traditional school, where you oversee their progress.

  

 e. You are Responsible to Pay for their Education

You do not receive any help from the government when it comes to paying for your child’s education. And yes, you still have to pay your local school taxes.  

 f. Homeschooling is a Lifestyle there is no 8-5

 As with parenting, your role as a teacher is 24/7. Your role as a teacher and a mother happen simultaneously throughout the day.

 

 g. You Will Get Frustrated

As much as we would love to believe that every day will be full of Von Trapp Family moments, that just isn’t reality. There will be challenging times (and seasons) to homeschooling. 

 h. You Will Need to Be Flexible

You will start off with a brilliant plan for the school year only to have it undergo a thousand adjustments, and end up looking completely different (and probably throwing it out altogether).  You will live in a world where you are constantly adjusting your teaching style, curriculum, and tools to fit the current needs of your children.

 

Okay, I know that this list can seem overwhelming. But stick with me and let’s talk about the pros of homeschooling.  

 2. The Benefits of Homeschooling

There are a number of benefits to Homeschooling. I think the overarching advantage is that homeschooling can be adapted to fit the specific needs of your family. You don’t have to homeschool like your best friend or the homeschooling super mom down the street. You can find a structure and rhythm that brings life into your family.

 The benefits can include:

a. The Important Moments

   You get to spend the majority of each day together as a family. And because of that, you get to be there for the important moments of life. Your children learn how to read while sitting on your lap. They get conquer Algebra and discuss their passions for the future at your kitchen table.

 

b. Custom Education

Your child gets the benefit of a tailor-made education. They are continually challenged (in a good way) because they are no longer are held back by the needs of an entire class. That being said, they also have the luxury of being able to spend as long as they need with a concept or subject before moving on.

 

 c. Homeschooling Is Flexible

 Education can fit the rhythm and values of your family. Do you like to travel? You can take your books with you and explore the world. 

d. Your Child can Take Advantage of Out of the Box Opportunities

 When you homeschool, you can arrange your child’s schedule to fit around their passions. Do they love animals? They can volunteer at an animal shelter in the morning and homeschool in the afternoon. The out of the box possibilities are endless.

 

e. Education in Real-Life

Your children get the benefit of seeing a direct correlation between education and real-life experience. You can practice math in the grocery store, or in measuring for a tree house or in cooking dinner. Your children get the benefit of learning real-life skills as you go about your life, not bound by the limitations of a school day.

 

f. You Get to Build Amazing Family Memories

 Homeschooling creates permanent best friends for life.  Your whole family learns together, plays together, and lives life together in community.  You become a very close-knit family, full of family lore from the crazy adventures you have embarked upon.  

 g. Spark a Love of Learning

 Homeschooling gives you the ability to spark a love of learning in your children. They will learn for the love of it, not just to take a test. I don’t know about you, but I care about raising adults who can thrive in society not be masters at taking tests.

 

So where do you go from here?

The point is: Homeschooling is not for everyone, and that’s okay.  Your value as a parent is not determined on whether or not you teach your child at home.  Homeschooling is just a tool that can be used in the life of your child.  I would encourage you to talk with your spouse or trusted friend about your fears and concerns.

 

If you feel drawn to homeschool, join our community of moms who want to invest in the lives of their children through home education.  I also created a 10 Tips to Finding Excellent Curriculum form to help you on your journey. 

You Got this Mom! 

 

What about you? What are your top concerns when it comes to Homeschooling? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest! 

The Fear Of The Lonely Homeschooler

The Fear Of The Lonely Homeschooler

  

Reading Time: 4 min 58 sec

I pushed my cart up to the checkout counter at my local grocery store. My cashier was an early twenty-something who just oozed personality.  I swear, part of the job description for working at this grocery store is the ability to make small talk. She immediately launched into how my day was going, which inevitably led to asking questions to my kids.

 

There is a running joke (and a thousand memes) regarding the comment’s homeschoolers receive at the grocery store. Let me warn you, inquiries don’t all come from people over the age of sixty.  

 

After discovering that my kids were homeschooled (it was 10am on ordinary Wednesday after all) her first comment was to say that she would love to homeschool her future kids but her boyfriend would never agree. She then went on to disclose his fear (and her own) about how would her kids be socialized when they were at home ALL THE TIME.

I wanted to point out that my kids were in fact out of the house and Socializing right now, but that didn’t seem very helpful. 🙂

 

The fear of the lonely (or socially inept) homeschooler is one of the top concern’s parents have when deciding whether or not to homeschool. We worry about whether or not our kids will be able to function in the various situations that life presents them. Will they be able to make friends? Will they be able to interact with others? We all sincerely want to do what’s best for the future of our kids.  So how do we raise children outside of the school walls who can function well within society?

 

1.What Is Socialization?

2. The Fear of Being Different

3. The Real-Life Truth

1. What Is Socialization?

The heavy emphasis on the importance of socialization is not limited to homeschooling.  Before our kids are born we are inundated with the significance of socialization.

 

 This is aptly described in the popular tv show The Office, where Pam the lead character, mentions that it’s good her child is going to the nursery because then it could have some time to socialize with the other babies.

 

Do we ever stop and ask ourselves what exactly is socialization?  What are we working so hard to accomplish FOR our children?

 

We all assume socialization means interacting with others but that is only one facet.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary states that socialization is defined as, “the process beginning during childhood by which individuals acquire the values, habits, and attitudes of a society”.

 

Just think about that for a second.

 

“ ..by which individuals acquire the values, habits, and attitudes of a society.”

 

We need to know what we are striving so hard to accomplish in our child’s life. We need to come to terms with the goal of socialization and decide for ourselves how much influence we want society to have in the life of our child.

 

2. The Fear of Being Different

 

Why do we all imagine homeschoolers as nerds who live under a rock only come out for food and chess tournaments?  In my opinion, I believe that part of the real reason we are stressing the importance of socialization is due to fear.  

 

We are deathly afraid that our child will be seen as different. We worry about what our friends will think if our child does behave the same as his or her peers.  We wonder if we are setting our child up for future bullying or that they will grow up naive and unable to function in society.  We are deathly afraid that our kids will grow up to be the oddball out.

 

When we experience fear, a good exercise is to list out the worst-case scenarios. When you take the time to name the fears they suddenly get smaller. You are able to figure out what fears are valid and need to explore further (through further research, discussion with your spouse, or prayer).  

 

And you are able to decide what fears are irrational and need to be seen for what they are.  Sometimes fear can become so overwhelming that it keeps us from taking a look at the big picture.

 

Now, the general point of education is so that we can raise functioning members of society. If that is our goal, why do we think it is crucial to have our child’s physiological, moral, and social development shaped eight hours a day by twenty-five peers who come from families whose values are far different than our own?

  

Do we really want our children to be influenced by kids who the only reason they are together is that they were born in the same calendar year? Or do we want to surround our kids with the best and the brightest? Encouraging them to interact with people of all ages and nationalities?

 

There is really no other time in my child’s life where they will be surrounded for eight hours a day with a group of people all the same age. Really from the moment we graduate high school, we are expected to be able to interact in groups with people of all different ages.  I want to prepare my child for life, not school.

 

 

3. The Real Life Truth

So, let’s talk homeschool reality.  The basis of homeschooling is living life together in community.  Even if I would like to buy a tiny home and live out in the middle of the woods, I still have milk to buy,  dentists to visit, and that’s just the boring stuff.

 

What I am trying to say is that by homeschooling your children are learning how to interact with different types of people in different settings EVERY DAY. They don’t need a specific class on it. 🙂

 

In addition to real life situations, there are also a plethora of activities that are available to your child.  These are great places for your children to form friendships and interact with children and adults of all ages.

 

There are co-ops where homeschooling moms get together and teach their favorite subjects (so you don’t have to teach the ones you hate). There are field trips, sports, neighborhood, and church activities, and specialized programs and internships. The list literally goes on and on and on.

 

To finish the tale of my grocery store experience.  I settled for a quick response to the cashiers’ questions by listing all of the opportunities my children have to socialize.  I am going to assume that she was in a state of shock when she said, “Wow. I guess they really do have time with other kids. I guess you don’t have to be afraid your kids will be weird.”

 

No, cashier lady, I am not afraid my children will be weird. I am excited that they get to experience the world as their playground.

 

Mamas, let’s say no to fear and embrace the possibilities. 

 

Are you wondering HOW do you actually get started homeschooling? Join our community of moms who want to invest in the lives of their children through homeschooling. I also created a 10 Tips to Finding Excellent Curriculum form to help you on your journey. 

 

What about you? What are your top concerns when it comes to socialization? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest! 

A Homeschool Day In the Life

A Homeschool Day In the Life

  

Reading Time: 4 min 48 sec

When we first decided to homeschool, we had a vision to create a certain type of atmosphere for our children.  We wanted to foster deep family relationships, build life long memories, dive down rabbit holes, and allow our children to bask in the magic of childhood. We wanted our children to have the freedom to play, to explore and to create. We wanted to foster independent thinkers, lifelong learners, and courageous children.

 

And above all else, we wanted to encourage a deep, lifelong relationship with Jesus. We wanted to raise men and women of faith who live out of their identity as beloved children of God.

 

Every time we listen to Anne of Green Gables, giggle over board games, get down on our knees to pray, dance to the blues, and pour over logic, we are making small choices that move us toward our big vision.  

 

When you look at our typical homeschool day,you need to understand that this is what works for our family in this season. I know it can be easy to get caught up in what you are or are NOT doing, we all want to do it RIGHT, but that misses the point of this article. You need to do what’s right for you, what fits your personality, and the needs of your family. 

 

Mama’s, we are in this together! We are stepping out on faith, working hard, and imaging a different type of future for our children.  So, don’t get too caught up in the details (we do not all have to use the same schedule) and let’s give ourselves A LOT of grace, and make choices today that move us toward our vision for the future. 

 

Daily and Weekly Rhythm: 

We found that it helps our day flow smoothly when we follow a rhythm instead of a schedule.

Years ago, I created a schedule, and it totally stressed me out. I always felt like the clock was the master of our day, and we are always struggling to keep up. 

Now, we take our time, and after completing a task, we just move to the next thing on the list.

Every day we work on core subjects but each day has a different emphasis. 

 

Borrowing from Brave Writer our weekly schedule looks something like this: 

Monday– Poetry Tea Time and Free Write 

Tuesday– Nature Study

Wednesday– Art and Music

Thursday– Extra Curricular Activities, Games, and Languages

Friday– Field Trips

 

Morning 

I stumble out of bed and head downstairs to make coffee in the wee hours of the morning after my alarm goes off for the second time.   I realized quickly that I am more productive in the morning than waiting to work until the afternoon. I have found that these early mornings of silence set my day up for success and I actually miss it when I sleep in.  

 

I check my e-mail, work on my blog, and other projects until about 7am.  My children stumble down the stairs ready for snuggles. After helping my husband get out the door for work, we finish up breakfast and start working on our chores for the day.

 

We then move to some type of exercise, in the warmer months we go for a walk, run or bike ride, in the bitter cold of winter, we will use an exercise video to burn off that excess energy.  On certain days of the week, the kids are involved in extracurricular sports.

 

While they finish up chores and play quietly, I go to my room (the quietest place in the house) for devotions. 

 

We officially start the day by lighting our candle to remind us that God is in us and with us. We then spend some time in prayer inviting him into our day.  We move to read our Bible (we ABSOLUTELY LOVE this one) and memorize scripture. Depending on the day, we will either sing some worship songs or work on interactive projects, to help the kids move from head knowledge to heart experience of God.

 

We then snuggle under a huge blanket and start reading through a huge stack of picture books from the library. Books are the foundation for our daily curriculum. We choose books based off of our monthly unit study, the kids’ interest, core subjects, and just for fun books.

 

We then move to work on math, reading lessons, logic, and handwriting. We discovered a great French handwriting book this year that has dramatically improved their handwriting skills. 

 

We intermix lessons with reading aloud to give them a break.  A large amount of our learning can be done together but I do work with my six-year-old on reading separately, while I have my eight-year-old work their handwriting. 

 

Here are our daily goals that we try to make happen FIRST each day. If nothing else gets done, at least I know that these things were accomplished.

Time with Jesus

Outside Time

Read Aloud (Books, Books, and more Books)

Games & Music

 

We will finish out the morning with either free play, listening to an audiobook, art, games and stem activities. 

 

 Afternoon

At around noon, I start making lunch while the kids play. After eating, we begin afternoon quiet time. Where the kids either nap, read books or play quietly in their rooms. I have found that this is a necessary part of our day, as tempers can flare without some time to themselves.  I spend this time working on the blog and completing work projects.

 

At about three-thirty, everyone comes back together to play outside, go for a walk, or depending on the weather, to watch their favorite tv show.

 

Before I know it, it’s time to start preparing dinner and cleaning up the endless art projects, massive forts, and the sticky messes of the day. 

 

Evening 

After dinner, we spend the rest of the night playing a variety of board games together as a family.  We are HUGE fans of board games. We include them wherever we can all throughout our day. They not only are FUN, create lifelong family memories, but they allow us to improve core skills (math, logic etc).

 

After putting kids down to bed.  I finish preparing for the next morning, working on some projects, and reading. Before I know it, its time I am in bed. And yes, I am asleep in about two minutes (morning comes FAST). 🙂

 

That’s our day! What about you? What does your homeschool day look like? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest

You Got this Mom!

 

 

How to Unlock Hidden Secrets to Affordable Homeschooling

How to Unlock Hidden Secrets to Affordable Homeschooling

                                                            Reading Time: 4 min 21 sec

You are interested in homeschooling but one of the huge hurdles is the budget. Last time you checked, you are not Bill Gates, and you have kids that are determined to eat you out of the house.

 

In this day and age where the majority of households are dual-income, you wonder how on earth anyone can afford to homeschool? When you think about the potential cost of curriculum, let alone all the co-ops, field trips, and activities, your mind begins to explode. The only thing you can come up with is that homeschooling families have to be secretly rich.  

 

I am here to tell you that no, not all homeschoolers are rich, not by long shot. They are just normal families with mortgages, kids needing braces, and spending their extra money buying diapers in bulk.  The difference is that they made a huge decision to adjust their way of life in order to meet their family’s values.  

 

It can feel overwhelming when you begin a new journey, especially when finances are involved. Unlike public school, the US government does not offer any assistance for homeschoolers in the form of tax breaks etc.  You are responsible to cover the cost of your child’s education.

 

It is hard to make life adjustments if you do not know your end goal. Have you sat down and asked yourself (or with your spouse) what are our values as a family? And then follow that up with asking the question does homeschooling match up our vision and values for the future of our family?

 

So how do you do it?  How do you homeschool on a typically one income budget?

 

 1. Shop Smart

2. The Local Mom Scoop

 

3. Free Curriculum 

 

4. Utilize Free Trial Offers

1. Shop Smart 

You can always get good deals on school supplies in August, but what about in freezing cold of February?  The Dollar store is my go-to resource for all school supplies, art supplies..chocolate…that you use all the time.  I don’t know about you, but we always have a shortage of drawing paper.  What would cost four dollars or more somewhere else is a steal at the dollar store.  

There is a whole section just dedicated to teacher and education supplies.  It is full of blow globes, clocks, workbooks, flashcards, and games. You never know what you are going to find, so I make sure to check out my local dollar store prior to making a purchase somewhere else.  With the amount of school and craft supplies my kids go through on a daily basis, I have saved the fortune. Yay!

 

Here are some of my favorite finds:

  1. Activity Books (Math, Language Arts, Spelling etc.)
  2. Acrylic Paint
  3. Drawing Paper
  4. Handwriting Paper
  5. Pencils/Pens
  6. Puzzles

 

2. The Local Mom Scoop

There can be a wealth of free or low-cost classes and field trips if you know where to look in your town.  Local mom websites that list upcoming events in your town are invaluable to homeschooling affordably.

 

 You can find them by searching for free activities for kids or by also looking for a local kid activity magazine located in the FREE magazine section at your local grocery store (typically by the door).  This is my #1 Resource for finding AMAZING free or cheap activities to do with my kids.

 

Second, search for local homeschooling Facebook groups. Join the main homeschooling group for your area and then one or two subgroups that match or have a similar teaching philosophy to yours.  Those groups are a great resource for letting you know of upcoming homeschooling events in your area.  

 

Third, check your local performing arts websites for field trip opportunities.

 

Here are some low-cost field trip ideas to check out locally.

  •  Museums– Free Art Classes, Art History, Science Classes
  • Performing Arts– Free Symphonies, ballets, classes
  • Zoo– Free Days
  • Science Center– Free Science classes
  • Historical Landmarks
  • State Parks– Nature centers, classes,
  • Places of business– Factory Tours, etc.

 

3. Free Curriculum 

I HATE spending hundreds of dollars on curriculum that I don’t end up using (frankly I hate spending money, period).  I am so thankful that I discovered that you can borrow curriculum for FREE at the library. You heard me! I know Christmas just came early, right?!  (See this article for step by step instructions)

 

They have a number of not only mainstream textbooks, streaming documentaries, and free software (ROSETTA STONE, PEOPLE), that are available. If your library doesn’t have the resource, they can request it from a web of libraries all over the US.

 

I have found not only found reading, grammar, logic, math, science, and religion books but have saved hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Woohoo!

 

 Here are just some examples:

  1. Living Books for every subject
  2. Audio Books– Music, Languages, Math, Social Studies etc. on CDs
  3. Curriculum– Textbooks, and Software

 

*Check out this post for more info and step by step instructions to request your free curriculum.

 

4. Utilize Free Trial Offers

There are some amazing resources that you can check out for FREE (many with zero credit card required).  Whatever topic you are diving into, check to see if there is a free trial for a resource you could use to supplement your curriculum. These resources could be apps, streaming video, audiobooks or classes, etc.

 

This is a HUGE resource because it SAVES YOU MAJOR MONEY! No one wants to buy the latest and greatest resource only to have it sit on a shelf (waiting to be returned) because it doesn’t fit the needs of your family.

 

I have personally tried out free trial offers to art, social studies, math, reading, piano, language programs. Sometimes the trials are temporary and only happen a couple of times a year, and others are a permanent part of their marketing.  

 

You can find such resources by a quick Google Search and by following your favorite homeschool bloggers (insert shameless plug* You can hear about more awesome homeschool resources and follow Most Important Work below* ) If you find a resource that you are interested in, sign up for their email list, be patient, and a couple of times a year, they will send out free (or close to free) specials.

 

Are you wondering HOW do you actually get started homeschooling? Join our community of moms who want to invest in the lives of their children through homeschooling.  I also created a 10 Tips to Finding Excellent Curriculum form (grab it below) to help you on your journey. 

You Got this Mom!

 

What about you? What is your number one frustration when it comes to figuring out this homeschooling adventure?  Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

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