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How to Organize Digital Homeschool Resources

June 19, 2015 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

As a second-generation homeschooler, my heart belongs with paper books, planners, and notebooks. (There’s just something about the smell of paper and erasers in the morning.)

However, I have seen the need to jump into the digital age and, as a result, I am now the proud owner of a TON of digital homeschool resources. A ton.

But here’s the thing: If you can’t find anything on your computer, then all of your resources don’t really do a lot of good, do they? 🙂 So I came up with a simple way to organize digital homeschool resources, which I’m sharing with you today!

Simple Way to Organize Digital Homeschool ResourcesHow I Organize Digital Homeschool Resources

Here’s my big secret…

….

…..

I use Windows File Explorer.

That’s it!

It’s really, really simple, but it really, really works. Here’s how:

How I Organize Digital Homeschool Resources

I have my digital homeschool resources organized by the type of “school” to which they belong: Elementary for PK-5, Middle for 6-8, and High for 9-12 – just like in public school. I also have a separate folder for Planning, which I’ll get to in a minute.

How I Organize Digital Homeschool Resources

Within each “school” level, I have items separated by grade level. For example, my “Elementary” folder is organized by specific grade. Then for things that aren’t really grade specific, I have individual folders such as “Foreign Language”, “Unit Studies”, and “PE“. I also have a few general subject folders that include resources for several grades.



Within each grade-specific level, files are organized again by subject. This is a look at my second-grade folder. So when it’s time to plan second grade, which I’ll be teaching with Roo this fall, I can just browse through the folder for each subject and plan from there. Much, much better than stockpiling resources and then forgetting about them until a year or two after the grade is finished. (Been there, done that.)

How I Organize Digital Homeschool Resources

Now, my “Planning” folder is organized a bit differently. I am a total homeschool planner packrat. I have all kinds of planners on my hard drive, so they have their own folder. Then I have a folder for “Notebooking”, one for “Clip Art”, and another for “Teaching Tips”, because those make up the bulk of my downloadable resources that are not directly for the kids to use on their own.

As you can see, I also have two other folders: one for the 2013 Omnibus and another for the 2014 Omnibus from iHomeschool Network. I was thrilled to be a contributing author last year and I’m looking forward to sharing in the sale again this summer.

How I Organize Digital Homeschool Resources

I mean, look at all those wonderful resources! Whenever I need a homeschool pick-me-up, I click open one of those folders and just read and read and read. 🙂

Big Book of Homeschool Ideas

How I Store Digital Homeschool Resources

Of course, sorting and organizing all of my files won’t matter much if my computer crashes. So, I use a couple of methods to keep my digital homeschool resources safe.

First, I store everything on my computer and on a USB flash drive. I usually have to get one with a decent amount of memory, because I am an admitted digital curriculum hoarder. 🙂

In addition, I back everything on my computer’s hard drive up once each week onto an external hard drive. I like Seagate’s portable external hard drive, because it’s super easy to use and I can take it with me if I go out of town. (Really, it’s so easy to use that I kicked myself for not having gotten one earlier.)

And that’s how I organize digital homeschool resources! If you have any tips or suggestions to share, please do so in the comments!

Ready to get a handle on your homeschool this year? Check out these posts!

How to Homeschool Without a Planner @ Look! We're Learning!

Simple Homeschool Lesson Planning

Get more tips about how to plan your homeschool on my Homeschool Planning Pinterest board!


Filed Under: Homeschool Organization, Homeschooling Tagged With: digital homeschool resources, homeschool organization, homeschool organization tips, homeschool planning, homeschool resources, homeschooling, homeschooling tips, how to organize homeschool curriculum

3 Ways to Interest Girls in Science

June 17, 2015 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Tigger is a HUGE science fan. Huge. She loves learning about animals, the human body, the environment – pretty much any scientific topic you can think of.

Here’s the issue for us: She has ADHD. So finding ways to hold her interest in a science lesson can be a challenge.

When I heard about the opportunity to try a new science program – Mosa Mack Science – I jumped at the chance! And I’m so glad I did. By using the program, I learned three ways to interest girls in science and they worked for us!

Disclosure: I received access to this program in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

3 Ways to Interest Girls in Science

Ways to Interest Girls in Science

1. Make it accessible.

First of all, science has to be accessible for girls. I’ll be honest. I was not interested in science as a child, except for dinosaurs which I still happen to think are awesome. 🙂

I was definitely more interested in the humanities, as were most girls in my school. Now that the sciences have become more inclusive, I’m glad to see that more girls are pursuing STEM fields.

MM Screenshot 5

Accessibility is one of the things I love about Mosa Mack Science. It’s extremely easy to use. All of the modules are located on the site, complete with a summary and a blurb about the specific activity students will complete during the process.

I loved that because I could easily look at the summaries and help Tigger choose a topic that interested her.

MM Review

Naturally, I looked through the module first and printed all of the materials. It gave me a head start on planning, so I could keep her moving from activity to activity without having to wait around.

MM Screenshot 3

Each module includes a Warm-Up – a gentle introduction to the topic at hand. Since we were covering the “Food Chains” module, our warm-up was an intro to food webs and how they are organized.

MM Screenshot 4

After learning about food webs and getting instructions to make our own, we also had the chance to do a design project (a super tie-in to STEM)!

MM Screenshot 2

The module also has a short, animated video that contains a scientific mystery Mosa Mack has to solve. In a separate window, you can click and find out the answer (after your kids try to think of it, of course).

2. Make it relatable.

Female scientists were hardly even discussed when I was in school, except for Marie Curie. Most of the women I learned about were wives or mothers of famous people – wives of presidents, wives of civil rights leaders, mothers of famous singers, and so on.

A major reason I wanted to review this product was because the main character, Mosa Mack, is a girl of color. Since Tigger is a young girl of color, she loved seeing someone who resembled her on the screen. When girls relate to scientists, they are far more likely to see science as a field “for them”.

MM Screenshot

Further, Mosa is an excellent portrayal for young girls. She’s inquisitive, persistent, well-spoken, and extremely intelligent – everything we want our daughters to be!

3. Make it interesting!

Finally, science lessons should be interesting! I was always bored in science class, because it mostly consisted of lectures. Mosa Mack Science, though, is much more interactive.

MM Review 3

The characters in the videos are funny, but not distracting. And the story moves quickly enough to keep kids’ attention, even wiggly ones like Tigger. 🙂

MM Review 4

The modules also include hands-on activities that relate to the video. Tigger completed a paper review of the major points covered in the video. The handout contained still captures from the video to help her recall the pertinent scenes.

MM Review 1

Tigger also got to make vocabulary and quote flashcards using new terms she learned in the unit. In the Food Chains unit, some of her terms included “Primary Consumer”, “Decomposer”, and “Producer”. She cut out the pictures, matched them with the right quotes, and added her terms and definitions.

MM Review 2

All done! She had a blast and quickly asked me when we could do more of the units!

Do you have a budding girl scientist in your family? How do you help her direct her interest in the sciences? Let us know in the comments! And be sure to visit Mosa Mack Science to check out the free resources and learn more about the program!

Filed Under: 2014-15 Curriculum, Curriculum Reviews, Homeschool Curriculum, Science, STEM for Homeschoolers

How to Teach Sign Language to Preschoolers

June 16, 2015 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

As you might be aware, we use Sign Language fairly often in our family. (For examples, see here, here, here, and here.) Many experts agree that the years from birth to age 5 are the prime years for introducing a foreign language to kids. But is it really possible to teach sign language to preschoolers?

Of course it is! Baby sign language has become extremely popular, so preschoolers are naturals as signing. But what does it take to teach ASL to very young children? Today I’m sharing a post I wrote for Learning 2 Walk that’s all about how to teach sign language to preschoolers!

Today is also another edition of the Laugh and Learn Linkup, so scroll on down to read our features from last week and the newest parenting and homeschooling posts!

How to Teach Sign Language to Preschoolers

How to Teach Sign Language to Preschoolers

One of the biggest suggestions I can give to teach ASL to preschool-aged kids is to keep it extremely simple and relaxed. When young children have fun, they end up learning naturally! And there’s no reason why learning sign language shouldn’t be fun!

For even more tips and suggestions, visit Learning 2 Walk to read the post “How to Teach Sign Language for Preschoolers“!

How to Teach Sign Language for Preschoolers – Learning 2 Walk

If you’re looking for some great books and resources for teaching sign language to toddlers and preschoolers, try these!

1. Baby Sign Language Basics by Monta Z. Briant

2. My First Book of Sign Language by Joan Holub

3. Sign Language: My First 100 Words by Michiyo Nelson

4. ABC Sign and Color: A Beginner’s Book of American Sign Language by Susan T. Hall

Linky time! 🙂

An InLinkz Link-up


Filed Under: Blog Hops, Laugh and Learn Linky, PreK Homeschooling, Sign Language Tagged With: asl, foreign language, laugh and learn linky, prek, sign language

5 Tips for Planning Your Homeschool Year

June 5, 2015 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Summer break is here! And for many homeschooling parents, that means it’s time for homeschool planning! Personally, I’m a planning junkie, so I take full advantage of our relaxed approach over the summer to brainstorm about what I want to cover next year and which supplies I plan to use.

Naturally, I jumped at the chance to share a post over at The Homeschool Post that’s all about homeschool planning! Today I’m sharing 5 tips for planning your homeschool year!

5 Tips for Planning Your Homeschool Year

5 Tips for Planning Your Homeschool Year

In the past, my tendency has been to completely immerse myself in shopping for curriculum, gathering resources, and making detailed lesson plans. After nearly seven years, though, I’ve (finally) learned a thing or two about what actually works when you’re planning a homeschool year.

Click on over to The Homeschool Post to read the post “5 Tips for Planning Your Homeschool Year” and spare yourself the trial-and-error approach I’ve taken! 🙂

5 Tips for Planning Your Homeschool Year – The Homeschool Post

Keep reading for more helpful planning resources!

Helpful Homeschool Planning Resources

For even more homeschool planning tips, try these books and blog posts for inspiration and ideas!

Books about Homeschool Planning:

  1. Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool through High School by Rebecca Rupp
  2. Planning High School Courses: Charting the Course Toward High School Graduation by Lee Binz
  3. Plan Your Year: Homeschool Planning for Purpose and Peace by Pam Barnhill
  4. The Homeschooler’s Book of Lists: More than 250 Lists, Charts, and Facts to Make Planning Easier and Faster by Sonya Haskins

Posts about Homeschool Planning:

  1. Helpful Homeschool Habits for Multiple Ages – Hodgepodge
  2. The Beginner’s Homeschool Planning Series – Simply Lindsey Loo
  3. Our Play-Based Homeschool Preschool Routine – Nothing If Not Intentional
  4. Our Typical Homeschool Day – The Chaos and the Clutter

Filed Under: Homeschool Planning, Homeschooling

Summer Fun for Preschoolers with Family Fun Friday!

June 4, 2015 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

Have a little learner in the family? You’ll love these summer fun for preschoolers ideas from last week’s Family Fun Friday! There were several great posts featuring fun for younger kids, including sensory activities, culinary arts, and early reading!

If you’re a blogger, be sure to scroll down and add your best parenting, cooking, homemaking, and homeschooling posts to this week’s linky!

Summer Fun for Preschoolers

Monica H&BHnewlogo2013
Monica created Family Fun Friday and blogs at HappyandBlessedHome.com where she shares free preschool tools and printables, encouraging words for moms, and ideas for having fun together as a family. Follow: Blog / Facebook / Pinterest / Twitter /Google + / Bloglovin’/ Instagram. Monica will feature Family Fun Posts.
Selena-headshot_zps34ee5bae-1 Look Were Learning Logo
Selena is a homeschooling graduate and a veteran homeschooling mom to four super special kids. She blogs at Look! We’re Learning! about unit studies, foreign language, and homeschooling with ADHD. Follow: Blog / Facebook / Pinterest / Instagram / Twitter. Selena will be featuring homeschooling and kids’ crafts.
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Herchel enjoys blogging about parenting, organizing, crafting, and having good old-fashioned kid fun her blog Scrggbug Corner. Follow: Blog / Facebook / Pinterest / Twitter /Google +. Herchel will feature organizing and family fun.
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Britta was a military kid and is a military wife, now living in the high desert of Arizona and far, far from her New Orleans family. She happily homeschools and writes about the intersection of God’s Word and her world at Britta Lafont ~ Everyday Holiness. This year Britta wants to find that sweet spot between getting more done and enjoying the process. Britta will feature Delicious Recipes. Follow: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram.
Christin-headshot
Christin blogs at illuminate. As wife to her high school sweetheart and mother to three premature children, she’s learned that God is the Perfect Party Planner and sometimes the unexpected is the greatest gift of all. Follow: Blog / Facebook / Pinterest / Instagram / Twitter. Christen will feature Inspirational Posts.

Here are my favorite posts for this week!

Summer Fun for Preschoolers

1. Living Life and Learning shares a great roundup of Summer Preschool Activities!

2. Learn how to make Erupting Sidewalk Paint at Views from the Stepstool!

3. Teach little ones about sight words with a fun Sight Word Bingo activity from P is for Preschooler!

4. Little ones love bubbles! Just Another Mom features a roundup of Summer Bubble Fun Ideas!

5. Have some water play with the Polka Dot Splash Water Game from A Little Pinch of Perfect!

6. Get your littles into the kitchen with Growing Book by Book’s list of Book-Inspired Cooking Activities for Preschoolers!

Were you featured? Grab the Family Fun Friday button below!

HappyandBlessedHome.com

<a href=”http://happyandblessedhome.com” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://happyandblessedhome.com/FeaturedButton.jpg” alt=”HappyandBlessedHome.com” width=”200″ height=”225″ /></a>

 

Stop by to see what my co-hosts are spotlighting this week!

Summer-Salads-FFF

Family Fun Friday baby its hot outside

Bloggers are invited to share their best family-friendly and mom-inspiring posts in the link-up below.

Link guidelines:

  • Link your post.
  • Link back to the link party.
  • Follow your host(s).
  • Spread the word. Share and pin your favorites.
  • Mingle! Bloggers love comments.
  • Grab a button.
  • If you link up, you permit the hosts of Family Fun Friday to use your pictures/ideas as part of future posts and/or social media.

Family Fun Friday is a growing link-up with over 200 bloggers sharing their posts each week. Each host shares her favorites from the week before, increasing your chances of being featured. Co-hosts will also be pinning their favorites to a community Family Fun Pinterest Board. This link party opens up at around 4 pm EST on Thursdays.

Please be aware that by linking in Family Fun Friday you give our hosts permission to use your images to create a collage for our features. We may also use the collage to promote Family Fun Friday through our individual social media accounts.



Filed Under: Blog Hops, Family Fun Friday, Homeschooling, PreK Homeschooling

Free Homeschooling Resources for the Summer!

June 3, 2015 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Disclosure: iHomeschool Network is compensating me to share this free, no strings attached offer with you.

Some homeschoolers take a traditional school year approach to learning and have a summer break each year. Others, like me, school year-round, but use a more casual education style in the summer. So I was thrilled to find out that some of the most popular homeschooling websites were offering free homeschooling resources for summer learning!

Read on to check out some of the free homeschooling resources for the summer available here and from several other curriculum providers!

Free Homeschooling Resources for Summer Learning

Free Homeschooling Printables for the Summer

If you’d like to use homeschooling printables over the summer, don’t miss these FREE resources available right here! Click any image to grab your copy! 🙂
Summer Sight Word Flashcards       Butterfly Identification Cards      Ice Cream Printable Pack

Busy Bee Scissor Skill Printables       Free Printable English and Spanish Season Flashcards - Look! We're Learning!      Free Printable Flashcards: Counting Ocean Animals - Look! We're Learning!

Grab even more here!

50 Free Summer Printables

Free Homeschooling Websites for the Summer

You can even use several homeschooling websites absolutely FREE over the summer, thanks to the Homeschool Buyers’ Co-op! Read on for details!

FREE for the Summer

HBC1

HBC2

HBC3

HBC4

HBC5

HBC6

HBC7

HBC8

HBC9

HBC10

Check out MORE GroupBuys at the Co-op!
It’s FREE to join and membership is private!

Filed Under: Homeschool Freebies, Homeschooling

Lovely Children’s Books about Butterflies

June 2, 2015 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Butterflies are one of my very favorite animals. They are beautiful to look at, fun to chase, and they go through one of the most amazing transformations ever observed by scientists. In the space of a few days, caterpillars turn into butterflies – completely different animals with elegant wings. It still amazes me.

The past few weeks we’ve been exploring butterflies with the kids, as you might have noticed from our Butterfly Identification Cards and our free Butterfly Unit Study, so I wanted to share some lovely children’s books about butterflies! Check these out to add to your booklist!

If you love these selections, check out this list of fun insect activities for kids you can try!

Share these lovely children's books about butterflies with your kids this spring to learn more about these amazing insects!

Lovely Children’s Books about Butterflies

1. The Butterfly Tree by Victor Biton

2. The Life Cycles of Butterflies by Judy Burris

3. National Geographic Readers: Great Migrations Butterflies by Laura Marsh

4. Caterpillars, Bugs, and Butterflies: Take-Along Guides by Mel Boring

5. My, Oh My, A Butterfly! (Cat In the Hat’s Learning Library) by Tish Rabe

6. Are You a Butterfly? by Judy Allen

7. A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston

8. Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly by Alan Madison

9. The Illustrated World Encyclopedia of Butterflies and Moths by Sally Morgan

10. Butterfly Colors and Counting by Jerry Pallotta

Lovely Books about Butterflies for Kids - Look! We're Learning!

Here are ten more butterfly books for kids to try!

1. National Geographic: From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Laura Marsh

2. Pinkalicious and the Little Butterfly by Victoria Kann

3. Butterflies by Seymour Simon

4. DK Readers: Born to Be a Butterfly by Karen Wallace

5. Fancy Nancy: Bonjour, Butterfly by Jane O’Connor

6. Flutterby, Butterfly: A Slide-and-Seek Book by Emma Parrish

7. Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow by Joyce Sidman

8. A Butterfly’s Life (Time for Kids) by Dona Herweck Rice

9. Explore My World: Butterflies by Marfe Ferguson Delano

10. From Caterpillar to Butterfly (Let’s Read and Find Out Science) by Deborah Heiligman

Lovely Children's Books about Butterflies

Try these other spring learning ideas!

These beautiful children's books about bees are a wonderful way to learn about these amazing insects!

This simple toilet roll butterfly craft is such a fun spring craft for kids to make!

Butterfly Identification Cards

For more tips to make your kids into readers, check out my Reading for Kids board on Pinterest!

This post is part of The Massive Guide to Homeschool Reading Lists by iHomeschool Network! Click over to read tons of awesome booklists shared by my fellow homeschooling bloggers!

ReadingLists

Filed Under: Book Lists, Reading Tagged With: book lists, booklists, books about butterflies, books about butterflies for kids, books for kids, butterfly books, butterfly books for kids, kids books, reading, spring, spring books

Free Butterfly Unit Study

May 26, 2015 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Do you have butterflies fluttering around your neighborhood? This is a great time of year to study them with your kids!

Recently, I got to share a free butterfly unit study over at Year Round Homeschooling that’s got videos, books, printables, and butterfly crafts for all ages!

Today is also Tuesday, which means it’s time for another Laugh and Learn linkup! Read on to see our favorites from last week’s party and get some new parenting and homeschooling inspiration!

Butterfly Unit Study

Free Butterfly Unit Study

I’m not a fan of caterpillars, but I love butterflies. They’re so fragile and graceful and pretty. One of the things I didn’t know, though, was that butterflies cannot fly immediately after emerging from their cocoons.

It takes about 30 minutes for their wings to fully extend upon release. Their bodies pump fluid into the wing membranes to make them stand up. Then, they’re ready to fly! Cool, right?

Learn even more fascinating details about butterflies along with your kids with the free butterfly unit study over at Year Round Homeschooling!

Free Butterfly Unit Study – Year Round Homeschooling

Linky time! 🙂

homeschool-and-parenting-linkup

Welcome to our 34th week of Laugh and Learn – Homeschool and Parenting Linkup!

Laugh and Learn – Homeschool and Parenting Linkup will be open by 6 am every Tuesday morning. We will pick our five favorite posts and feature them on the following weeks linkup. Be sure to link your best content and maybe we will pick you! When you link your post with us it will be featured on five blogs.

We pin our favorites to a special Pinterest board for #laughlearnlinkup – homeschool and parenting posts. Check the board out here: #LaughLearnLinkup {Featured Favorites}. It’s added exposure for your awesome content!

Your Fabulous Hosts 😉

Tina

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Tina lives abroad in Latin America with her husband and four children. Currently in Mexico, Tina is active in homeschool, travel, and her Bible ministry. She blogs about all of their adventures and more at Los Gringos Locos.

Find Tina at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Google +
Linkedin
Tsu

Selena
Selena - head shotselena badge

 

 

 

 

Selena is a writer and a homeschooling mom to four kids, including three with ADHD/SPD. Selena and her husband, Jay, are committed to teaching their children at home and loving every minute of it! You can read about the family’s homeschooling experiences at Look! We’re Learning, written by Selena!

Find Selena at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Google +
Instagram

Sarah

FamilyNYcolor

Dedicated Homeschooler

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah lives in Kentucky, USA, where she and her husband homeschool three children. Sarah writes for and about, families with special needs. She hopes to provide support and encouragement to all special needs parents in the homeschool community. Visit Sarah at Dedicated Homeschooler.

Find Sarah at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Instagram

Haley

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Haley hopes to encourage stay at home moms. She wants to help moms learn how to make an extra income, to stretch a budget, to make crafts, and other useful information. Haley always has updates on the kids and funny things that happen. Visit Haley at Haley’s Vintage Finds & Deals.

Find Haley at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Pinterest
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter

Lindsey

mygravatarlogopic SimplyLindseyLooBadge

 

 

 

 

 

Lindsey is a joyful mother, happy homeschooler, scatterbrained housewife, and passionate blogger. She writes about the joys and challenges of home educating, conscientious parenting, and “loving the simple life”. Get inspired with Lindsey at Simply LindseyLoo.

Find Lindsey at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook

Twitter
Google+
Instagram
Pinterest

 

Our Favorite Posts for the Week of May 25th:

dads-with-daughters

Written by Emily at Mom on the Move

homeschool-curriculum

Written by Tina at Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus

pencil-grasp

Written by Heather on Learning 2 Walk

motivate-kids-in-school

Written by Yanique at Kiddie Matters

balancing-homeschool-and-life

Written by Tara at Embark on the Journey

Thanks to everyone who submitted a post. Please check out the posts above by clicking on the image.

[bctt tweet=”Come join the #laughlearnlinkup and share your favorite #parenting or #homeschooling post!”]

Now, let’s see your best posts for this week so we can share them as next week’s favorites!

An InLinkz Link-up


Filed Under: Blog Hops, Laugh and Learn Linky, Unit Studies Tagged With: homeschool unit studies, laugh and learn linky, science, unit studies

What My Homeschooled Children Taught Me About Public School

May 25, 2015 by Selena Robinson 6 Comments

Last Friday was the last day of the school year and the last day of our Great Homeschool Public School Experiment. Our kids were only in public school for seven months, but it really and truly felt like forever.

Naturally, we sent the kids to public school to help them learn. The strange thing is that I think I learned even more than they did. Today, I’m joining up with several other iHomeschool Network bloggers to share what my child has taught me. I’ll be talking about What My Homeschooled Children Taught Me About Public School!

(If you’re looking for this week’s edition of 52 Weeks to a Healthier You, come back on Wednesday!)
What My Homeschooled Children Taught Me

What My Homeschooled Children Taught Me About Public School

1. It’s more work than homeschooling.

I was one of those parents who thought I’d “get a break” by putting my kids in public school. Wrong. Public schooling is FAR more work than homeschooling ever was.

Previously, I had the luxury of combining subjects and teaching all of my kids together. No more. Each child had his or her own teacher, own classroom, own homework, and own projects to complete. Plus, everyone had school events that I was supposed to attend.

For example, during the last week of school, I attended three separate awards ceremonies on three separate days. (This is, of course, in addition to dropping them off and picking them up each day.) There were separate field trips (with separate fees), class parties, and book fairs. It was a lot. I kept thinking, “Why do I have less time in the day now when I have fewer children around?”

2. My kids could handle it.

Before we finally went through with the decision to enroll them, we wondered how well our kids would adjust to public school. After all, they’d never been before. They’ve never even been to daycare. So just being away from home all day with a group of children was a new experience.

Plus, they’d have to deal with homework (even Roo had homework in kindergarten) and they’d have to deal with a handful of kids who were disruptive. Tigger’s class, for example, consisted of 21 students, including 14 boys. She sat in a row with three boys on one side of her and three boys on another. Naturally, she had some trouble concentrating.

We were pleasantly surprised, though, to see our kids succeed. All three of them were on the Honor Roll every quarter, two were chosen as student of the month in their class, and all three tested several grade levels in reading. I learned that the work we had put in during previous years was valid. Which, ironically, made me start thinking about returning to homeschooling.

3. It’s not for us.

More than all, though, my children taught me that public schooling is not for us. They were miserable in school. They loved what they were learning, but they hated the routine, the pressure, the focus on tests, and the time away from us.

I also learned that I missed them. In all my years as a mom, I’d never been away from them for entire days on end before. And I missed them terribly. So we’re all glad that we’re back to homeschooling again. 🙂

What have you learned from your children this year? Feel free to share in the comments!

This post is part of the “What My Child Taught Me” linky from iHomeschool Network! Click over to read other great posts by my fellow bloggers!
ChildTaughtMe

Filed Under: Family Life, Homeschooling Encouragement, Parenting

50 Free Summer Printables for Kids

May 22, 2015 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

It’s nearly summertime! Woohoo! That means a much more relaxed approach to learning in our family. We still manage to keep teaching the kids, but it’s in a more casual style.

So, since we’ve already compiled free fall printables, free winter printables, and free spring printables, it was time to make another roundup of free summer printables for kids!

In this list you’ll find plenty of educational summer-themed printables for kids of all ages!

50 Free Summer Printables

50 Free Summer Printables for Kids

Summer Reading Log  –  What Do We Do All Day?

Ice Cream Math Printable – Housing a Forest

Printable Summer Bucket List  –  Motherhood on a Dime

Summer Toddler Printable Pack  –  Totschooling

Printable Beach Shoebox Diorama  –  Look! We’re Learning!

Printable Summer Activity Sheets  –  Kids Activities Blog

Printable Summer Word Search Puzzles  –  Itsy Bitsy Fun

Simpler Summer Bucket List Printable  –  The Chaos and the Clutter

Summer Activity Bingo Printable  –  Pre-K Pages

CVC and CVCC Beach Writing Printable  –  3 Dinosaurs

Printable Outdoor Scavenger Hunt  –  Spaceships and Laser Beams

Addition Ocean Puzzles  –  Life Over C’s

Alphabet Ice Cream Printables  –  True Aim Education

Printable Ocean Preschool Number Puzzle  –  Living Montessori Now

Printable Ladybug Learning Pack  –  Look! We’re Learning!

Printable Soccer Coloring Pages and Emergent Readers  –  In All You Do

Printable Ocean Themed Handwriting Practice Sheets  –  Crystal and Comp

Free Butterfly Printable Worksheets  –  Learning 2 Walk

Free Camping Unit Study Printables  –  Year Round Homeschooling

Free Printable Summer Word Search   –  Superheroes and Tea Cups

Printable Family Fun Night Bucket List  –  Embark On the Journey

Free Ice Cream Color Grading Printable  –  Gift of Curiosity

Printable Count the Clownfish Cards  –  3 Boys and a Dog

Free Ocean Animals Printable Mazes  –  Kids Activities Blog

Free Camping Coloring Pages  –  In All You Do

Koala Crate &gt;&gt;

Ice Cream Roll and Color Printable  –  The Preschool Toolbox

Printable Summer Sight Word Flashcards  –  Look! We’re Learning!

Color by Number Butterfly Printable  –  B-Inspired Mama

Preschool Ocean Animals Count and Clip Cards  –  Preschool Powol Packets

Butterfly Garden Life Cycle Printable Board Game  –  Life Over C’s

Free Ice Cream Do A Dot Printables  –  Gift of Curiosity

Free Ocean Activity Books  –  Itsy Bitsy Fun

Free Ice Cream Printables  –  Royal Baloo

Free Family Movie Night Printables  –  Year Round Homeschooling

Printable Ocean Play Dough Creatures  –  NurtureStore

Free Ocean Animals Writing Activities  –  In All You Do

Printable Butterfly Identification Flashcards  –  Look! We’re Learning!

Free Ice Cream Coloring Pages  –  Kids Activities Blog

Preschool Printable Beach Puzzle  –  B-Inspired Mama

Free Bugging Out Printable Activity Pages  –  The Multi Taskin’ Mom

Free Ice Cream Cone Number Matching Printables  –  From ABCs to ACTs

Free Summertime Math Activity Pages  –  Embark On the Journey

Dolphin Dots Preschool Printable Pages  –  Preschool Powol Packets

Free Ice Cream Printable File Folder Game  –  The Measured Mom

Lemonade Stand Printable Play Dough Activity  –  Life Over C’s

Free Ice Cream Printable Pack  –  Look! We’re Learning!

Preschool Alphabet Ocean Hunt Printable  –  I Heart Crafty Things

Free Ocean Animals Printable  –  A Little Pinch of Perfect

Free Bee Maze Printable  –  B-Inspired Mama

Lemonade Stand PreK/K Pack  –  In All You Do

Did I miss any free summer printables that you love? Share them in the comments! 🙂

Filed Under: Homeschooling, Homeschooling Printables

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Hi! I'm Selena, a veteran teacher and homeschool mom to four. I'm so glad you're here!
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