I still have my children hand-write their school work. They use pencil and paper every day for math, writing, language arts and Bible study. Handwriting practice is not old fashioned. It is a skill with many benefits for our children. You will be surprised by these reasons why handwriting helps with academic success. I have quite a few activities that are fun for kids to get … [Read more...]
Teaching Kids to Love Writing + Homeschool Writing Curriculum Tools
Two of my children are natural writers. They write comic books and plays. My 10 year old daughter has even written a few songs. Those piano lessons are paying off! I love hearing them read their writing. They are always so involved in the story because they crafted it. This year, teaching kids to love writing is starting with reading a lot of books. Let me tell you what I put … [Read more...]
Homeschooling Tips From A Single Mom
I am so excited to be teaming up with Jaimi today, and feel super honored to be a guest on her amazing blog! I didn’t start off homeschooling as a single mom. But here I am, a single mom of 5, homeschooling like a boss. Well, maybe not like a boss but I’m trying! Lol. My first year homeschooling was almost 5 years ago now. It was well prayed over, well thought out … [Read more...]
Ultimate Guide Summer at Home with Kids
My plan for every summer at home with kids is a balance of free time and structured family time. I love that my kids can "be kids." They get wide windows of time to play with friends, ride their bikes, play outside and choose their fun. I also know that day after day of no structure makes for some grumpy attitudes when kids are involved...and me too! This ultimate guide to … [Read more...]
Teach Kids How to Make Friends
Two lessons all children need to learn are how to make friends and how to navigate through the challenges of friendships. As parents we all want to teach kids how to make friends. Often our children learn hard lessons when they have to move to a new state or school. My kids have become all too familiar with this through military life. Every three years they have to make new … [Read more...]
Virtual Music Lessons for Kids (On Sale THIS WEEK!)
This post is sponsored by South Pasadena Arts and Music Academy. All opinions are my own. Please view my disclosure. The sound of the piano while I make dinner is so calming. I do not play, but my older kids do. As a homeschooling mom, it was important to me to get my children a good exposure to music education. Learning to play the piano is where we started. There are great … [Read more...]
Homeschool Writing Prompts & Creative Learning Ideas
This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. Please view my disclosure. I knew when I saw it. My oldest daughter created an entire calendar on poster board. It was all drawn free hand. She was a list maker like me. My daughter likes seeing reminders of what tasks she needs to complete. This inspired me to use my Poooliprint pocket printer to get creative with our … [Read more...]
Homeschool Organization (Works for Virtual School Too!)
These organizing tools helped me get a hold on the school work chaos. These ideas work for virtual school too! Home school organization can take time to develop as you learn what system works best for you. These organization ideas help us stay on task and keep our house more clutter free. Homeschool organization is a key element in staying balanced and avoiding overwhelm … [Read more...]
Chemistry Activities for Kids: Multi-Age Learning Unit
These chemistry activities for kids are a great introduction to chemistry and the periodic table of the elements. A kids book inspired me to put this chemistry unit together as our first homeschool science unit of the year. We really dived into some meaty science topics and it was all centered around books. … [Read more...]
Everyone Can Help at Home: Kids, Dads + Tips for Balance
Our household felt out of balance during my first year homeschooling. Dishes, cleaning, floors, bathrooms, the clutter piled up and stressed me out. I had to shift my thinking to realize just how everyone can help at home-this includes chores for the kids, ideas for dads to spend time with the kids and a focus on the tasks that were most important to complete. I did not … [Read more...]
Planning for the New School Year
As I approach the first day of school, I do not want to let fear and anxiety lead me. I am focused on a systematic approach to our school year even though Covid is around. These 5 tips help me with planning for the year ahead-any year ahead whether Covid is happening or not. Balance can still be reached when we take a smart approach to each day. … [Read more...]
Learning Greater Than Less Than with Playing Cards
Learning greater than less than with playing cards builds number sense and math skills with a hands-on activity for kindergarten and early elementary age kids. Math skills are crucial to school success - and real world adulting let's be honest. Helping even preschoolers develop a love for learning numbers and math skills builds their future math success. We started with … [Read more...]
ABC Seek and Find Letter Learning Activity
Getting your preschooler ready for kindergarten is on the minds of many parents. It certainly was a focus for me. We did not stress too much about structure during our homeschool preschool time. Even if you are not homeschooling, this ABC Seek and Find Letter Learning activity for preschool kids is simple to do at home. Preschool at home was fun. Just think of all the money … [Read more...]
Helping Kids Focus and Calm Down
This topic of helping our kids focus and calm down is always part of back to school season. We all want our children to thrive each year, and that means helping them learn to the best of their abilities. Actions and emotions of children – and adults – are effected by everything we do and eat. Sleep habits and healthy diet are have a huge impact on helping our kids focus and … [Read more...]
Studying Animal Migration School Age Activity
Kids are fascinated about animal migration and it’s because animals are smart, creative, and have special super powers. We can learn a great deal from studying animal migration. How animals master skills and overcome challenges are great lessons to study. Kids go through seasons in their life where they feel entitled to have what they want without working for it. Animal … [Read more...]