How to Make a Year-End Homeschool Assessment

May 19, 2015 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

The school year is coming to a close! (If you use a traditional year, that is.) Get ready for the next year by learning how to make a year-end homeschool assessment! Read below to see how you can make one of your own with the help of an article at The Homeschool Post.

Today is Tuesday, so it’s time for another edition of the Laugh and Learn Linky! Haley, Tina, Lindsey, Sarah, and I have chosen our favorites from last week to feature. Be sure to link up your own posts for a chance to be featured next week!

How to Make a Year-End Homeschool Assessment

Making a year-end homeschool assessment can really help you to look back at last year and plan ahead. It’s always good to look back and see what worked and what definitely, definitely didn’t, right? 🙂

I recently got a chance to share a post over at The Homeschool Post about just how to make a year-end homeschool assessment. Check it out and get a jump on your summer planning!

How to Make a Year-End Homeschool Assessment – The Homeschool Post

Linky time! 🙂

Welcome to our 33rd 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

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
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Linkedin
Tsu

Selena

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

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

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

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 18th:

Written by Jennifer at Year Round Homeschooling

Find this post at My Bored Toddler

Written by Holly at Keeping Life Sane

Homemade Nature Suncatcher Windchimes by Jamie at Hands On As We Grow

Written by Leanne at The Transplanted Southerner

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

Why I’m Choosing to Homeschool Again

May 11, 2015 by Selena Robinson 6 Comments

As you might know, our family has recently experienced a serious change: we took a homeschooling break and put our children in public school. For us, that was a major adjustment – something I never thought I would do.

Well, after six months, we’ve decided to end the Great Homeschool Public School Experiment and bring our children back home after the school year ends. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that we were returning to homeschooling, but I wanted to explain exactly why we decided to do so.

Here’s why I’m returning to homeschooling.

Image: nadezhda1906 / Dollar Photo Club

Why I’m Returning to Homeschooling

1. I wanted a second chance with my kids.

When the kids went off to school, I had (a little) more time to think. I’d walk by our homeschooling space and think about how harried I had been and how much pressure I felt to teach them everything on the objectives list each year.

I remembered responding testily when one of my kids had a question. I remembered shouting at Tigger to “SIT DOWN!” I remembered how little I took my own advice about adjusting a homeschooling approach for kids with ADHD.

And I wanted a second chance, a do-over, so I could relax and enjoy homeschooling along with my children.

2. The public school schedule did not work for us.

For kids who’d been homeschooled from birth, getting up every morning at 6:25 a.m. was a real struggle. For a mom who’d homeschooled her kids from birth, getting out of the door by 7 a.m. every morning was a real struggle. But the morning chaos had nothing on what happened in the evenings.

When we homeschooled, evenings were for family time. We’d relax, prepare for our weekly congregation meetings together, have dinner, and let the kids play before bed. Once they were in public school, though, afternoons were a flurry of snacks, homework, school projects, papers for me to sign, hurriedly rushing through our meeting preparation, and finding something to throw in the oven for dinner. After dinner, it was time to rush everyone off to bed so they could get up at 6:25 a.m. all over again.

We all hated what happened to our evenings. It really started to erode our sense of togetherness.

3. My kids wanted to come back home.

Most of all, the kids wanted to come back home. They missed the freedom of learning we had when they were homeschooled. Sometimes I’d pick them up from school and the first thing out of their mouth would be “Can we go back to homeschool?”

I’d hear them talk with each other about field trips we’d taken, lessons we’d covered, and crafts we’d made together. It made me realize how much they enjoyed learning at home, even though they gave me a hard time occasionally. 😉

So that’s why I’m returning to homeschooling!

Have you been homeschooling since birth? Did you start later? What makes you sure about your choice to homeschool? Let us know in the comments!

See more about our public school experience below!

And see more about how we make homeschooling work on my Homeschooling Posts Pinterest board!

This post is part of the “Why We Chose to Homeschool” linky from iHomeschool Network! Click over to read even more great posts from my fellow bloggers!

50 Free Spring Printables for Kids

March 10, 2015 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

This past weekend the temperature got up to 73 degrees! So, I’m declaring that spring has officially begun here in Georgia. I know it’s actually two weeks out, but once we’re in the 70s, that’s spring to me! 🙂

To celebrate, I’m sharing links to 50+ free spring printables that are loads of fun for kids!

If you’re homeschooling, you can use these along with your regular lessons to make a spring theme. If you’re afterschooling, you can use them to reinforce their school objectives!

Don’t miss our list of spring books for kids to read and our list of fun spring crafts for kids!

50+ Free Spring Printables for Kids

Free Over the Rainbow Playdough Mats – Look! We’re Learning!

Free Spring Pack – 3 Dinosaurs

Printable Spring Tulips Count and Clip Cards – The Measured Mom

Spring File Folder Games – Itsy Bitsy Fun

Spring Playdough Mats – This Reading Mama

Spring Scavenger Hunt Printable – The Chirping Moms

Spring I Spy Game – Pleasantest Thing

Colorful Birds Color Matching Activity – Look! We’re Learning!

Do a Dot Spring Printables – Totschooling

Handprint Flower Printable Craft – All Done Monkey

Printable Bugs Worksheets – Learning 2 Walk

April Art Symmetry Printable – Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

Spring Flower Bulb Identification Cards – Wildflower Ramblings

Printable Playdough Garden – Picklebums

Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Printable – Hands On As We Grow

Spring Bucket List Printable – Glued to My Crafts

Rainbow Coloring Pages and Math Facts – In All You Do

Printable Nature Journal for PreK – To the Moon and Back

Spring Coloring Pages – Kids Activities Blog

Tractor Ted Spring Printable Activity – In the Playroom

Preschool Do a Dot Spring Printables – Crystal and Co.

Gardening Coloring Pages – Mama Goes Frugal

Fanciful Flowers Labeling Activity – Scholastic

Spring Bingo Cards – DLTK-Kids

Flower Learning Pack – 3 Dinosaurs

Insects Printable Pack – Gift of Curiosity

Bean Seed Science Printable Activity – Buggy and Buddy

Insect Printable Unit – Every Star is Different

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

Spring Writing Prompts – In All You Do

Flower Shape Sort Printables – School Time Snippets

Catch a Bug Printable Game – Picklebums

Spring Worksheets – Sight and Sound Reading

Bug Coloring Pages – Easy Peasy and Fun

Preschool Spring Worksheets – Learning 2 Walk

Butterflies Tot and PreK Pack – In All You Do

Printable Flower Hunt Game – Preschool Powol Packets

Spring Bucket List for Kids and Families – KC Edventures

Spring Word Search Puzzles – Itsy Bitsy Fun

Spring PreK and K Pack – This Reading Mama

Printable Spring Early Reader Books – The Measured Mom

Spring Coloring Pages – Blessed Beyond a Doubt

Flower Number Bond Puzzles – Live Over C’s

Search for Spring Printable Booklet – Kitchen Counter Chronicle

Spring Flower Flashcards – Look! We’re Learning!

Spring Trees Printables – Mommy Loves Trees

Spring Number Printables – 3 Dinosaurs

Gardening Unit Study – In All You Do

Printable Spring Flower Coloring Craft – Kids Activities Blog

Printable Bird Unit – Every Star is Different

Busy Bee Scissor Skills Worksheets – Look! We’re Learning!

Round out your spring unit with these other spring learning ideas!

Plus, get more ideas on my Spring Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

Homeschool Unit Studies: New York City Unit Study

January 27, 2015 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Based on the news, the Northeast is currently getting slammed by a massive blizzard. (Stay safe and warm if you’re up there!) If you’re studying the Northeast or the city of New York, you might like this New York City Unit Study!

Winter weather or not, New York City is a fascinating place. And most kids love the idea of the Big City, so you can use this homeschool unit study to introduce your kids to the Big Apple!

If you enjoy this unit, check out some of our other studies, including our Firefighters Unit Study and our Grand Canyon Unit Study!

New York City Unit Study

Since there are so many famous landmarks and geographical features in NYC, it can be tough to narrow them all down for a unit study!

We took a trip up there earlier this year and while we drove through the city, my conversation was basically “Oh, there’s the Brooklyn Bridge! Wait, there’s the Empire State Building! Kids, look! It’s the Hudson River!” Not the best way to learn about the city.

So I’m excited to share these activities and books that can help kids get a better understanding of what makes the city so special!

New York City Video Tour

Watch the following video about New York City and ask your kids to answer the questions below.

1. How many pizzerias are in New York City?

Answer: 9000

2. Name one special feature of the Empire State Building.

Answer: The top 30 floors change colors to represent seasons and events of the year.

3. How does the Whispering Gallery at Grand Central Station work?

Answer: A person can stand in one corner and hear what a person standing diagonally whispers into the wall.

4. When was the Atlantic Avenue subway tunnel built?

Answer: 1844

5. How many trees are in Central Park?

Answer: 25,000

6. How many sculptures are in Central Park?

Answer: 29

7. How many floors does a building need to be considered as a skyscraper?

Answer: 40 or more

Activities about New York City:

These kids’ activities about New York City can help kids learn more!

1. 3rd Grade: New York City History Worksheet – MacMillan Young Learners

2. 3rd Grade: NYC History Quiz – Education.com

3. Elementary: New York City Boroughs Activity – PBS

4. Elementary: Statue of Liberty Coloring Page – Super Coloring

5. K-12: Printable Map of Five Boroughs – Britannica Kids

Books about New York City:

These children’s books about New York City feature gorgeous illustrations and stories that will get kids excited about taking a trip to the Big Apple for themselves!

1. Pop-Up New York by Lonely Planet Kids

2. A Walk in New York by Salvatore Rubbino

3. Good Night, New York (Good Night, Our World) by Adam Gamble

4. This is New York by Miroslav Sasek

5. New York, New York: The Big Apple from A to Z by Laura Krauss Melmed

6. New York: A Book of Colors (Hello, World) by Ashley Evanson

7. New York City by Paula Hannigan

8. Larry Gets Lost in New York City by John Skewes

9. City Trails: New York by Lonely Planet Kids

10. ABC NYC: A Book About Seeing New York by Joanne Dugan

11. All Aboard! New York: A City Primer by Haily Meyers

12. New York City History for Kids: From New Amsterdam to the Big Apple with 21 Activities by Richard Panchyk

13. The Mystery in New York City (Real Kids, Real Places) by Carole Marsh

14. New York, Baby! by Ward Jenkins

15. New York for Kids: 25 Big Apple Sites to Color (Dover Coloring Books) by Patricia J. Wynne

If you want to see even more teaching ideas for your New York City unit, I shared a simple New York City Unit Study that features videos, books, and articles about NYC. Click on over to Year Round Homeschooling to get the details and use the unit with your kids!

New York City Unit Study – Year Round Homeschooling

Did you love this post? Check out these other ways to teach geography to your homeschoolers!

Plus, get more ideas on my Geography for Homeschoolers Pinterest board!

Choosing the Best ADHD Homeschool Curriculum for You

October 15, 2014 by Selena Robinson 11 Comments

Before we found out our kids had ADHD, I tried a heap of different homeschool curriculum programs with them. In the past, I’ve talked about the Bermuda Triangle that is our homeschool closet. You know, curriculum goes in, but it doesn’t come out. 🙂

Having spent lots of money over the years and, admittedly, wasted more than necessary, I thought I’d share a couple of things I’ve learned in my efforts to find the best ADHD homeschool curriculum for our family. Hopefully, you can use these tips to find the best curriculum for your kids!

How to Find the Best ADHD Homeschool Curriculum for Your Family

Look for a program that is flexible.

One of the most important qualities parents of ADHD kids need is flexibility. If you’re homeschooling kids with ADHD, you’ll need a curriculum that is flexible as well.

As a result, I stay away from programs that are designed to be finished in a certain timeframe. If the list of topics is rigorous and requires that we maintain a consistent speed in order to finish it on time, I keep right on looking. I already know that the possibility of my kids completing the same amount of work each day is remote.

I prefer to use curriculum that allows us to go at our own speed. That way, I won’t feel the pressure of trying to get it “all covered” by a certain date and I won’t pass that anxiety on to the kids.

Find a curriculum that is already organized.

This part is super important. Disorganization is one of the biggest issues for kids (and parents) with ADHD. If the task of organizing the program in its entirety is left up to you, you may never get around to actually doing it.

You’ll probably need to adjust a few things to suit your kids, but if the program has a thorough outline, you’ll have a starting point for creating your lesson plans.

For example, we’re using Pearson Education EnVision Math with Tigger this year. The book already has the necessary concepts listed and they are structured in a way that naturally builds, so that I don’t have to worry about Tigger having to face concepts she’s unprepared for.

But, I divide the lessons into two or more days, which keeps Tigger from having to spend a long time on one subject. If I had the job of collecting all of the objectives, organizing them into lessons, and then deciding what to cover when, we still wouldn’t have started math this year….lol.

How did you choose the best ADHD homeschool curriculum for your family? Let us know in the comments!

Want to learn more about homeschooling kids with ADHD? Try these posts!

Follow my ADHD Homeschooling Pinterest board for more resources you can use!

Want to get inspiration for homeschooling kids with ADHD in your inbox? Sign up for our email newsletter to get our best ideas and tips!

Tips for Managing ADHD Morning Problems

October 8, 2014 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Monday was NOT a good day in our family.

The kids had been up late the night before at a friend’s house and they got way too much stimulation.

They had soda.

They played on tablets.

They ate fried food.

Needless to say, Monday morning was a disaster. Everyone was groggy and Roo was downright aggressive. He had a complete tantrum after breakfast, which is highly unusual for him.

Yesterday, I decided to try a couple of tips I’d read about how to manage ADHD morning problems, and they really worked! In fact, we actually got some of our homeschool lessons done.

So, I’m passing them on today in the hopes that they’ll help any of you who have a hard time with your kids in the morning.

Image: Kzenon / Dollar Photo Club

Disclaimer: While this post contains information about diet and nutrition, this content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.

How to Minimize ADHD Morning Problems

Let the kids set the tone in the morning.

It’s important that kids with ADHD get a good night’s sleep if they’re going to function the next day. So, if your kids have a late night or if they’re unusually groggy, don’t insist that they get up and run at full strength. Trust me, it will end in disaster.

Try to include a bit of flexibility in your daily routine for mornings like this. Instead of using hard and fast times, try to implement a “block” schedule or an order of subjects or activities. This will keep the kids from being slaves to the clock. (We’ll talk more about this scheduling method in tomorrow’s post.)

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Serve a protein-packed breakfast.

Unfortunately, most commercial breakfast foods are loaded with sugar. This is unhealthy for all of us, but it is particularly dangerous for kids with ADHD. Since the ADHD brain tends to struggle with executive function, it’s already difficult for those of us who have it to focus and complete an assignment.

When we eat a lot of sugar, especially first thing in the morning, our distractibility, irritability, and hyperactivity become worse. The best way to start the day is with plenty of protein at breakfast. Foods such as lean meats, legumes, and nuts are excellent sources of protein and can make it easier for the brain to focus.

Try physical activity before beginning school.

Physical activity and ADHD go hand in hand. Getting physical exercise early in the day is a great way for overactive minds to gain some clarity. If you typically have P.E. in the afternoon, try to move it to the morning, especially if you’ll be teaching a subject that requires sustained focus such as math.

Or you can do what I did yesterday: Replace P.E. with household chores. Before breakfast, the kids did laundry and cleaned up the kitchen. Two for the price of one! 🙂

Do you struggle with your kids’ morning routine? How do you manage ADHD morning problems? Let us know in the comments!

This post is part of our “31 Days of ADHD Homeschooling” series! Be sure to stop by tomorrow for Day 9: Developing a Homeschool Schedule for ADHD Kids!

Did you enjoy this post? Don’t miss these!

Plus, get more tips for managing ADHD in the family on my ADHD Tips Pinterest board!

How to Keep a Homeschool Tantrum from Derailing Your School Day

September 24, 2014 by Selena Robinson 11 Comments

Homeschooling moms have the dual challenge of serving as parents AND teachers during the day, which means we often have to deal with a homeschool tantrum or two on occasion. Yay! Not.

When a child throws a temper tantrum, it can disrupt the entire school day. And if you’re homeschooling more than one child, it can distract the other kids from their lessons, make you angry, and throw off your whole schedule for the week. Since we’re homeschooling children with ADHD, it’s essential that we stick to our regular school schedule, so I just cannot afford to have the school day disrupted by a temper tantrum.

Today, I thought I’d share a few of the things that have worked for us in keeping a homeschool tantrum at bay. I’ll also be including a few things that did NOT work, just for comparison. 🙂

Image © fasphotographic / Dollar Photo Club

Tips for Dealing with a Homeschool Tantrum

Find out what’s wrong. Before you even attempt to handle the tantrum, try to learn why your child is upset. Trust me, this can be difficult. Especially if they’re screaming incoherently at the time. Is your child frustrated because he can’t understand a concept? Is she feeling overwhelmed? Ask your child what’s wrong and then try to listen patiently as he explains.

What does NOT work: Shouting at your child to “Be quiet!”

Establish a regular schedule. Pooh, our oldest boy, is extremely cranky in the mornings. He tends to sleep restlessly and he frequently has night terrors. As a result, he really needs time to wake up at his own pace without being rushed. So, we decided to begin school a bit later in the day to avoid making him concentrate at an early hour. Before I realized that was a problem, he had tantrums almost every day. When we stick with the schedule, though, he rests better and he behaves better.

What does NOT work: Beginning school at a different time each morning

Keep right on teaching. This one is probably the most important. No matter what you do, continue with your lesson plan to the extent you possibly can. Naturally, if you have a kicking and screaming child in your school room, you may have to stop to remove him or her to a safe place. (I’ve had to do that on occasion.) But, if you drop your lesson plan completely, you’ve just told your child that he or she can make school “stop” by throwing a fit. Once you send that message, you’ll have a hard time teaching every day afterward.

What does NOT work: Stopping your lesson for that day

When I follow these three tips, temper tantrums in our family become minor hiccups instead of major obstacles. How do you handle homeschool tantrums? Do you have any suggestions for how to manage temper tantrums while homeschooling? Let us know in the comments!

Don’t miss these other parenting and homeschooling posts!

Get more parenting tips on my Parenting with Joy board on Pinterest!

Our Simple ADHD Homeschool Schedule

August 25, 2014 by Selena Robinson 15 Comments

We’ve been homeschooling for several years, but we still make adjustments to our homeschool schedule each year. And once we learned that some of our children had ADHD, we had to make some drastic changes to our daily routine.

I’ve been reading some great books on managing ADHD with kids, and I’ve learned some excellent tips about time and school management for kids with ADHD.

As a result, we’ve instituted a simple ADHD homeschool schedule. And it’s made a world of difference in making homeschooling days run more smoothly – for me AND the kids!

Read on to get a look at our typical day. And if you need more flexibility in your homeschool day, check our list of 15 different ADHD homeschool schedule ideas!

A Look at Our ADHD Homeschool Schedule

(This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Image c/o: belchonock / depositphotos

If you look at our ADHD homeschool schedule, you’ll notice that all of the school lessons are limited to 30 minutes MAX. That’s one of the important adjustments of this year, but so far, I’ve already seen improvements.

We also try to cover the basic subjects as early in the morning as possible. It generally makes the afternoon run smoother.

Morning:

7:30 a.m. (ish) – Wake up

I don’t really set a strict wake up time for the kids. They’re generally up by 7:30 a.m., but if they’re not, I let them sleep until they wake on their own. Pooh, in particular, needs time to wake up before he starts his day.

8:00 a.m. – Breakfast

8:30 a.m. – Copywork/Handwriting

We go over a different scripture each day and I use that verse as our copywork for the day. The kids clean up the breakfast dishes and bring their notebooks to the table to do copywork. Piglet generally sits in and draws with her Color Wonder markers.

9:00 a.m. – Math

I separate the kids for math. Tigger does her own work on the computer. We use several programs, including A+ Interactive Math, Khan Academy, and TenMarks. I let her go at her own pace, and I generally keep the entire lesson to 30 minutes or less.

The boys and I do a math lesson in the living room using “Life of Fred” and math manipulatives.

9:30 a.m. – Daily chores

The kids do their chores (usually two tasks per person) and then they make their lunches for the day.

10:00 a.m. – Language Arts

I don’t require that we have a structured language arts lesson each day, but we do cover all of the subjects (spelling, English, and writing) several times a week.

10:30 a.m. – Individual Reading

Each child gets to read with me for a few minutes alone. I generally read a short story with Roo first, then Pooh and I read a section of an early reader chapter book. Tigger and I are working our way through the Nancy Drew series and we’re on Book 1: The Secret of the Old Clock.

11:00 a.m. – Family Lesson

Everyday, we have a family lesson where we all cover the same subject together. Monday is Science, Tuesday is History, Wednesday is Geography, Thursday is Art/Music, and Friday is Foreign Language. (More about these in a future post.)

11:30 a.m – Family Unit Study

I try to pick at least one topic per month for our family unit studies. We usually read from a textbook or storybook and do an activity together each day.

Afternoon

In the afternoon, our ADHD homeschool schedule includes more of the “extras”. Unless we don’t finish covering the essentials in the morning.

12:00 p.m. – Lunch

Since they make the lunch themselves earlier in the morning, I don’t have to do much during lunch. Tigger generally helps Piglet with her food and I get a little break.

12:30 p.m. – Clean up and change for P.E.

We’re having the kids “dress for school” this year, so after lunch they change into play clothes for P.E.

1:00 p.m. – P.E.

We use Family Time Fitness for P.E. So far, we’ve been focusing on basic physical movements and helping the kids learn the difference between sports terms like “pass”, “throw”, “jump”, “hop”, etc.

1:45 p.m. – Showers and change clothes

I’ve recently made the decision to start giving showers earlier in the day. By the end of the day, we’re all exhausted and Jay and I just don’t feel up to the task. The kids seem to relax a bit more for quiet time when they’ve had a shower beforehand as well.

2:15 p.m. – Storytime

I generally read a story or part of a story before quiet time. I try to choose calm stories that won’t work them up too much. Otherwise, they’ll get in the bed and play around the whole time…lol.

2:30 p.m. – Quiet Time

This is the first year that I am NOT requiring a longer quiet time for the kids. Tigger is actually sleeping more this year than last. We suspect that it’s because she’s entering puberty and her body needs the rest.

If she goes to sleep, then I don’t wake her. We can always move the other tasks to later in the day. (One of the many perks of homeschooling!)

3:00 p.m. – Workbox Time

We do our workbox time right after Quiet Time, since it’s a quiet activity the older kids can do while Piglet is asleep. She generally naps for an hour and, by the time 3:30 rolls around, she’s up and raring to go!

3:30 p.m. – One-on-One Time with Mom

In my dream world, I’d have individual time with each child everyday. That’s just not practical, though – at least not when we’re following our regular school schedule.

So the kids alternate one-on-one time with me each day. Pooh gets Monday, Roo gets Tuesday, Tigger gets Wednesday, and Piglet gets Thursday. Friday is Mom’s one-on-one time with herself.

4:00 p.m. – Media Time

Media time is saved for the absolute very last part of the day. It’s a treat that they get to enjoy if we’ve gotten everything else done that day.

In the past, I would let them watch some TV around 11:30 p.m., particularly while I was making lunch. But they got so worked up after watching TV that they made a colossal mess while eating. Now I save media time until the end and things are better.

And that’s a look at our ADHD homeschool schedule, for this year at least. I’d love to hear about your daily homeschooling plans this year! Feel free to share them in the comments.

Don’t miss these other ideas for planning your homeschool year!

And see more ways to schedule your homeschool on my Homeschool Planning Pinterest board!

This post is part of the “2014 Not Back to School Hop” from iHomeschool Network! Click on over to read how our fellow bloggers schedule their homeschooling days!

How to Afford Homeschooling eBook Download

How I Keep My Homeschooling Costs to $250 a Year for Four Kids!

July 14, 2014 by Selena Robinson 29 Comments

It’s homeschool planning season! And that means it’s time to review our homeschooling costs.

If I had my way, we’d have an unlimited budget so I could buy ALL the curriculum, ALL the books, and ALL the resources there are. (Wouldn’t that be wonderful?) But we have to be responsible, so I set a yearly homeschool budget of $250.

For some homeschoolers, that may still be a bit high, but I look at the cost of attending public school and we’re still saving a ton. Between school lunches, uniforms, school supplies (which now include bottles and bottles of hand sanitizer), field trips, fundraisers, class parties, and sporting equipment, I know we’re coming out ahead.

So – here’s a look at how I keep my homeschooling costs for all four kids to $250 per year. And for even more ways to save on homeschooling, don’t miss our ebook “How to Afford Homeschooling“!

How I Reduce My Homeschooling Costs

This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.

1. Make use of as many free homeschooling resources as possible.

When I set up our homeschooling budget, I start by including as many free homeschooling programs as I can find. Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool, a completely free program, has always been a favorite in our home. I use that as the basis for a lot of our subjects and then I supplement as I see fit.

I also use other free educational websites such as Essential Skills Advantage and PBS Learning Media.

Of course, the local library has been a huge help in increasing our reading list and minimizing the number of bookshelves we need each year.

2. Decide what you’re willing to invest in.

Every year, there are a couple of items that I’m willing to pay a little more for. ABC Mouse is one of these.

Our youngest child is an insatiable learner. She wants to learn everything about everything and she wants to have it done YESTERDAY. Now that my boys are older and need more of my time to understand math skills, I like having a program she can use on her own.

And that’s why ABC Mouse has been so great. It’s designed for kids from PreK through Grade 2 and it’s not just for enrichment. It actually is a complete curriculum that kids can navigate through with periodic parental involvement.

We’ve been using it for the past couple of years and, now that she’s entering first grade, we’ll be using it again.

I set aside about $25 for normal school supplies each year. We’ve already purchased our basics for this year, including pencils, markers, crayons, notebooks, and filler paper. Back to school sales, of course, are the best for finding those items.

This year, we don’t have access to a vehicle during the day, so I won’t be purchasing any attraction memberships. However, we usually choose one attraction per year and become members. I can usually find a great deal by browsing Groupon and jumping on a family membership deal.

Since we have that extra amount available in the budget, I’m using Time 4 Learning to strengthen the boys’ ELA and math skills for a couple of months and make sure they’re ready for fifth grade this fall.

3. Buy curriculum you can use for years.

Because we have more than one child, we try to buy non-consumable books that we can use again and again. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why I love anchor charts so much. I make them once and then I have them for future years.

We use Family Time Fitness for our Homeschool PE Curriculum and that’s also a program you can buy once and then use again and again as the kids grow.

Most of Tigger’s storybooks and readers were handed down to Pooh and Roo over the summer, so they’ll be using those this year. I found the vast majority of Tigger’s books for the upcoming year in the $1 bins at Target.

I also pick up a few comprehensive grade-level workbooks, and I use those for workboxes and standardized test preparation.

4. Don’t be afraid of “used” products!

I’m a total school nerd and the smell of new textbooks is enough to make me prefer to purchase a book brand new. Over the years, though, I’ve gotten over that and I’ve fallen in love with used books.

Amazon is a wonderful resource for used books and we’ve found some excellent homeschooling resources over the years by browsing the used books section. Large kids’ consignment sales, which I’ll be talking about in a future post, are excellent for finding books and textbooks as well.

And that’s how I keep my homeschooling costs down each year! Here’s our actual budget:

Basic back to school supplies: $25

Early learning program: $59.99

Annual attraction membership: $95

(This amount is going toward curriculum this year.)

Storybooks and textbooks (mostly used): $50

Comprehensive workbooks: $20

Total: $249.99

I’d love to hear how you set a budget for your homeschooling expenses and stick to it! Tell us about your homeschooling costs and choices in the comments!

Want even more ideas for homeschooling this year? Check out these posts!

Plus, get more tips to plan your homeschool year on my Homeschool Planning Pinterest board!

This post is part of the “How Much Does Homeschooling Actually Cost?” linkup from iHomeschool Network! Stop by to see how our fellow bloggers budget for their homeschooling expenses each year!

Tips for Homeschool Time Management

June 9, 2014 by Selena Robinson 13 Comments

Today we’re talking about homeschool time management, which helps us deal with one of the biggest obstacles to happy homeschooling in our home: NOT ENOUGH TIME!

We have four children, including some with ADHD, plus I’m a full-time minister and I work – so time is extra precious around here. But, I’ve learned a few great tips for managing our homeschooling time and I’m thrilled to share them with you all!

How to Improve Your Homeschool Time Management

1. Make a Schedule and Stick to It

I’ve previously sung the praises of a consistent homeschooling schedule and I’m still a huge fan of scheduling. When time is at a premium, using a daily homeschool schedule can literally save your lesson plan. So if your days are extra busy, block out a regular time for your schooling and hold class at the same time each day.

Tricia over at Hodgepodge has a great homeschool routine that works for her family. It involves a great early morning routine that calls for all of the kids to be up, dressed, and ready for school by 8:45. Genius!

2. Delegate Housekeeping to Your Kids!

What if you’re drowning in housework? Get your kids involved! Assigning daily, age-appropriate chores to your children accomplishes two things: 1) It reduces your workload and 2) It teaches them valuable life skills. With a little planning, you can even incorporate it into your school day. 🙂

Tristan from Our Busy Homeschool is a homeschooling mom of 8. Eight! One of the things that keeps her homeschool on track is having her kids do chores everyday. She even manages to get her toddlers and preschoolers involved!

3. Restructure Your Lessons

One of the many wonderful things about homeschooling is that we don’t have to follow a regimented lesson plan. We can rearrange our lessons whenever we like. For example, Tigger finished her language lessons early last year, so had a chance to double up on math for a few weeks.

Beth at 123 Homeschool 4 Me manages to work in schooling, housework, and errands in a single day! How? She keeps the “school” time to three hours a day and uses other activities to teach, including library visits, storybooks, and educational iPad games. Beth also makes use of the workbox system, which is great for assigning work to each individual child without disturbing the others.

Great Books for Homeschool Time Management

There are a lot of great books for homeschooling parents who need to work on their time management. I’ve enjoyed the tips in these two in particular:

The Imperfect Homeschooler’s Guide to Homeschooling: Barbara Frank

Scheduling – The Secret to Homeschool Sanity: Plan Your Way Back to Mental Health – Lee Binz

Use these tips for better homeschool planning!

For even more homeschool scheduling and planning tips, follow our Homeschool Planning board on Pinterest!

This post is part of the “I Can’t Homeschool Because… linkup at iHomeschool Network ! Click on over to read how some of our fellow bloggers overcome obstacles to homeschooling!