For many parents the idea of exactly when they should begin homeschooling is really simple.  From the moment they find out that they are having children they already start thinking about curriculum choices and other special things.  Going to the effort of teaching your child at home might sound like the easiest decision in the world but for many it is something that they wrestle with for a very long time.  In order to ensure that you really are making the right decision for you and your family you need to look at your overall situation.

Do you think that you can really teach your child at home?  Many parents don’t think they can, they believe that a lengthy education at a formal school is required in order to actually teach and this is far from the truth.  Most parents can easily teach their children at home successfully.

Do you have the time and pateience to look for suitable resources?  This is an area that become hectic, many parents spend years, if not their child’s entire educational career looking for the right curriculum to use.  You need to have the time and patiance to actually keep searching until you find the perfect choice for you and your child.

Tags: curriculum, getting started, reasons why

I figured it would be a good idea to take a few minutes to talk about how I actually teach my children.  I am working with a 5 year old who swears she’s the parent and a 4 year old who is the sweetest evil little child I have ever met.  Our house is a bit chaotic at times and that’s ok because it works pretty well for us usually.  For the most part we attempt to do at least a reading lesson and math of some form.

Aside from these basic subjects we tend to be extremely lax about other subjects.  Watching a video on math or even checking out one of the popular mechanics for kids videos that we have on a wide variety of subjects.  Trying to decide exactly which subjects that were most important to us was really easy.  I feel that reading and math are subjects that absolutely should be taught heavily.  Upon these skills it is possible to dive deeper into reading, advanced sciences and any other subject that is desired.

We tend to run a very lax day, and often we will find ourselves doing reading lessons at strange hours of the day.  Trying to decide what works best for our family is likely to still undergo some drastic changes especially as we are starting the testing necessary to help our younget daughter focus better on her studies but this will give you a glimpse into one of the many ways that you can homeschool your children.

Tags: curriculum, unusual learning

Many parents are confused about pricing for curriculum. Some of the best choices are the cheapest most of the more expensive curriculums are not as good. In order to decide what is truly best you need to take some time to really review the materials. In order to do this you need to take advantage of opportunities that arise which will allow you the chance to review the materials personally.

Some of the best options are available include things such as moms night out, curriculum fairs, flea markets, bookstores, and teaching supply stores. You should always avoid purchasing anything unless you have had the chance to actually review it. Many suppliers do not allow refunds after the materials have been opened which can make for a very expensive mistake if you select the wrong curriculum.

Another option is available is reviewing thoroughly the publisher’s website many times they will be samples of the materials available that you can review right in the comforts of your home. Taking some time to review the samples that are available can be very helpful.  Just be certain that you consider your child and your learning style before making any actual purchases.

Tags: curriculum, web resources

Remember previously we discuss unit studies and how they can be useful. Keeping this in mind many families use unit studies as the best way to teach children of multiple ages. Here are some suggestions of popular unit studies.

*Animals anything such as cats, dogs, fish or even reptiles are perfect.

*Places this could be anything from somewhere locally to someplace internationally.

*A book makes a great place to start this could be anything from Dr. Seuss to Edgar Allen Poe.

As you can see there are plenty of choices to choose from. Let your imagination take over and enjoy creating the perfect unit study for your family.

Tags: curriculum, unusual learning

Pizza Hut’s ever-growing popular book it program has recently started up many parents wonder if it is suitable to bribe children to read with pizza. For those parents who choose this program is a great way to encourage kids who love pizza.  of course not all lessons should have bribe but what is really the harm in a bit of free pizza?

To sign up it is really simple you go to Pizza Hut’s Book-It website and submit your information.  Homeschool families are readily accepted and the process is really simple.  I just received my certificates the other day for my kids and am looking forward to getting started.

You simply set reading goals for your kids, and the choice is your how to define the goals.  Each month that the goal is accomplished you provide your child with a reward certificate that entitles them to a free pizza at your local store.

Quick and simple way to help encourage children to read that is a great free program.

Tags: curriculum, unusual learning, web resources

Plenty of people wonder exactly why it is that homeschool children are quite so successful.  In order to really understand the reasons you have to first understand why homeschooling is different. Most parents who homeschool have a deep love and respect for the children this leads them to look for educational selections that are best suited for their child. Not all children learn best by doing hours of busy work or work out of workbooks however there is the occasional child who does best with this type of work.

While schools are left to deal with school boards and education departments that do not like changing curriculum parents who teach at home are free exchange materials on a daily, weekly or monthly basis until they find the perfect choices.  this allows most parents find soonest what works best for their child. In this situation is extremely easy to see why homeschooled children succeed.

Taking a bit of time to see what works best for your child is very important. Schools do not take this time and because of this every child has the same materials and the same education. The problem with this is not all children learn the same. Some modification is needed for most children which is impossible in a standard classroom. Educating your child at home allows you the flexibility and freedom to make any changes that are necessary without interference.

Tags: curriculum, getting started

If you are trying to homeschool your child successfully you know that part of the battle is actually catching their attention.  Despite the fact that many people are well aware of the benefits, most people have no clue just how difficult it is to encourage your child in a topic that they absolutely hate.  Some of the main offenders in this area include spelling and mathematics.  Most children when they encounter a subject that they hate will dig in and drag their feet.  Breaking this pattern is important and how you approach the situation is critical.

Your first step should always be looking for games of any type.  Whether it is a video game, board game, or other electronic game.  Learning is alwasy much more fun as a game.  Videos if carefully selected can be another great educational tool.  Take some time to ensure that you do not just rush through the selection or you might find that the videos are too dry and boring.  There are also some musical materials as well that can teach facts through songs.

Regardless of what you choose, it is important to look for ways to get your childs attention rather than continuing to struggle along fighting.

Tags: curriculum, unusual learning

Many households discover themselves in the position of teaching multiple children at home.  Very rare is the homeschool family that has only a single child.  This means many families look to unit studies as not only a great way to learn, but also self-defense against a monsterous stack of books that are never completed.

In order to really get the most benefit out of a set of unit studies you need to understand that these are specialized units of study that are based upon a topic.  The topic can be anything you like.  It could be a place, a thing or even a person.

Once you have selected your topic, you then work on finding activites that relate to the topic, while teaching all of the necessary skills such as spelling, writing, reading, mathematics, science and history.

While many people are unsure how to make this work, there are some great resources that are available online if you are interested in getting started but have no idea how.  In further posts I will dive deeper into how you can create your own unit studies and how to make them work for your personal needs and the ages of your children.

Tags: curriculum, getting started, unusual learning, web resources

If you are like many families the cost of purchasing new curriculum every year is out of your reach.  There are still ways to get the materials that you need, without putting your budget in a really bad spot though. There are also some specific times of year that are best as well.

For myself, I have personally found that the winter and spring months are the best for picking up curriculum at good deals.  The back to school sales are over, and most people have everything that they need for the year.  But what about the next year?  Do you have everything that you need?  Likely not, which makes it a good time to start looking for great deals.

If you have a good idea of the materials that you are interested in using, you can keep a list of the publishers and supplies handy so that whenever you stumble upon a fabulous deal you can pounce.  This allows you to ensure you do not buy duplicates, but also do not pay full price either.

Some great places to find materials include CraigsList, eBay, Freecycle, and even the used bookstores.  These are all great places to find discounted materials that will cost a fraction of the usual price.  While you can find some new supplies this way, you will frequently find that you are able to track down used materials at a steal of a deal.

What are your favorite places to look for materials and curriculum?

Tags: curriculum, getting started, web resources

Picking out the correct curriculum for your family is never a simple task.  You need to stick to a price range that your budget is comfortable with.  A publisher who has a style your child can learn from, a teaching style that you are comfortable with and also look at the material itself that is covered to see if it is satisfactory for you.  This leaves many parents frustrated and confused, and many others wait until the very last second to buy their curriculum and hope it will work for them.

This is actually one of the best times to start buying though for the subsequent year.  Actually, any time is acceptable.  If you take the time to always look ahead to what is coming, you will find that you can locate better deals, nice savings, great new curriculums to look at, and even take plenty of time to do your research.

Rushing into a curriculum decision can be a huge disaster and you should never do this at all.  If you are unsure which curriculum is best for your family, feel free to ask around to other parents who homeschool for some suggestions but always be sure you review the material yourself first to see if it will fit the needs of your family.  There are enough choices that you simply do not have to suffer with materials that you are nnot happy with, spend your time instead looking for something better if you are unhappy.

Tags: curriculum