FREE Shakespeare resources download for homeschooling teens & tweens wanting to experience Shakespeare at home, or abroad.
Medieval period is a fascinating time to study, and these activities will bring it to life for tweens. From authentic recipes to knights and castles, there's something here for everyone.
I am a busy mother of four that includes: an almost driving teen, homeschooled tween, a toddler, and a baby. I feel led to share my fluid, daily routine with you! Juggling household chores, homesch…
If you're studying Ancient history this year, it's crucial to add some hands-on activities into your lesson plans, like these that your teen will want to do.
(This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for full details.) Since her very first introduction to fantasy adventures through the award-winning trilogy My Father's Dragon, my daughter has been enamored with all things fantastical. She was only in kindergarten at the time. But even then, she knew that this imaginative genre could instantly transport a reader to another world and another time all from the safe comfort of the couch. A few years later, she dove headlong into one of THE GREATS...the benchmark fantasy series for which all others are measured. The Chronicles of Narnia. She read and re-read them over and over again, each time chipping off a small piece of Narnia and fixing it to her very self. Because books are like that. They shape you and mold you and challenge you to become a better version of yourself. After turning the final page of Narnia one last time, she wanted more. More fantasy. More imagination. More adventure. While I was ALL IN for all of those things, I knew that the fantasy genre often came with a mixed bag of witchcraft, darkness, and evil. I knew I couldn't just thrust her towards the 398 shelf in the library and walk away. In my quest to help her hold on to the life-giving inspiration of Narnia, I went searching for some Christian-themed fantasy books. And here's what I found! These are books she has read, books we have read together, or ones she has added to her ever-growing "someday" pile. Single Volume Works The Green Ember by S.D. Smith The Black Star of Kingston by S.D. Smith The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton Little Pilgrim's Progress by Helen Taylor The Wilderking Trilogy These are allegorical fantasies based on the life of David. The Bark of the Bog Owl The Way of the Wilderking The Secret of the Swamp King The Kingdom Series Kingdom's Dawn Kingdom's Hope Kingdom's Edge Kingdom's Call Kingdom's Quest Kingdom's Reign The Knight's of Arrethrae Some kids might find this series a bit too scary. Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart Lady Carliss and the Waters of the Moorue Sir Quinlin and the Swords of Valor Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest For more information about these or The Kingdom Series, visit Perfect Praise.com The Wingfeather Saga Don't let the dark sounding titles fool you. These books are quirky, humorous fantasy adventures written by Christian Contemporary singer/song writer and father of three, Andrew Peterson. On the Edge of the Sea of Darkness North! Or Be Eaten The Monster in the Hollows The Warden and the Wolf King Find more information, visit the Wingfeather Saga.com The Tales of the Kingdom Trilogy Tales of the Kingdom Tales of the Resistance Tales of the Restoration The Binding of the Blade Series This is a fantasy series loosely based on the book of Isaiah and probably best saved for the teen years. Beyond the Summerland Bringer of Storms Shadow in the Deep Father of Dragons All My Holy Mountain For more information, visit The Binding of the Blade.com The Mistmantle Chronicles This is an out-of-print series and is sometimes difficult to find. We were able to get all the titles from our local library. Urchin of the Riding Stars Urchin and the Heartstone The Heir of Mistmantle The Urchin and the Raven War Other series worth considering The following series are more mainstream fantasy and may not be suitable for every reader. The Redwall series Peter and the Starcatchers series Guardians of Ga'Hoole series
Today, I am sharing my best tips, tricks, and resources for gameschooling teens and tweens. I truly believe that play can not only fuel learning but can also help parents to connect with their middle and high schoolers. This post is part of a new series, Gameschooling by Age Group. This series has been requested by readers for years, but I've struggled to write it because I don't think play should be confined to age groups and grade levels. Why? Perhaps the best way to explain my feelings on age ranges and grade levels would be by sharing a story... Note:
Not sure how to approach career exploration in the high school years of homeschooling? TruSpark's career motivation tools can help!
There are many reasons for selecting virtual classes for your older kids. Use this list to find online homeschool courses for middle & high school students.
Not long before I made the move from a local Club to BGCA, I started playing a game with my middle grades members that they LOVED. I adapted it from something I heard on a podcast and called it Dum…
Don't pack your student off to college without teaching them these essential life skills.
Sometimes being on the Internet is like driving into oncoming traffic. It's bad enough there are potholes, reckless drivers, and traffic jams to deal with…
10 great books to help your tween navigate through being a tween. Helpful insight for parents
The best fantasy books for kids that they may not have read, yet! Go beyond Harry and Percy and meet new characters and magical worlds.
As part of your homeschool science, learn about chemical reactions. These chemical change experiments are easy to do at home, so let your tweens try out as many as possible to see different reactions.
The 5 Things Teens Should Know About Negative Thinking Negative thinking affects much more than just your thoughts. It c...
Want praise postcards to give as student incentives and rewards for your tweens or teens? Browse 4 praise postcards for older students.
This is an interactive resource designed to help individuals identify the kind of person they want to be and the choices they need to make and behaviors they can do to reach their goals. This resource can be used in a variety of ways across all age groups.This resource includes - 92 Behavior Choic...
Learn the five ocean layers & which sea animals live in each zone with this colorful science experiment and habitat project for kids, tweens & teens!
Medieval period is a fascinating time to study, and these activities will bring it to life for tweens. From authentic recipes to knights and castles, there's something here for everyone.
Tessellations are a fun, hands-on way to explore STEAM, whether you are in art class, math class, or in a STEM or STEAM classroom. Certain basic shapes can be easily tessellated:
Find plenty of middle school biographies to add to your teen or tweens reading list. These titles are perfect for your middle school reader.
The Hate U Give lesson plans for project based learning books about racism for kids, exploring Black Lives Matter movement, and critical consciousness studies and diversity discussions good for high school students (grades 9-12). Here are 59 The Hate You Give project ideas and activities using the novel and the movie for watch, read, write, and think unit plans.
As we studied levers as part of our middle school science lessons, we had some questions, so we performed experiments to find the answers. Here's what we found.
This BookShark Reading with History F package makes it easy and fun to explore the Eastern Hemisphere with your kids.
Graphic novels can improve fluency and understanding in even the most reluctant of readers. With so many incredible options available, focus on those that instill a growth mindset too. The books on our list show tweens and teens how to persevere through even their greatest obstacles and gain skills they need for everyday life.
Stranded, shipwrecked and alone -- engaging reads on how determined kids survive in these amazing adventure stories!
The escape room that we made last year was so much fun that I knew that we had to do it again. But we can’t just do the same one, that would be boring and kids would already know most of the…
Not long before I made the move from a local Club to BGCA, I started playing a game with my middle grades members that they LOVED. I adapted it from something I heard on a podcast and called it Dum…
Looking for a fun way to teach your kids about birds? These hands-on activities are easy to add to your science lessons and will get your tweens excited about birds.
Inspire kids & teens will these FUN chemistry experiments that can be done at home! Favorites include glow-in-the-dark experiments, chemistry activities using fire and vortex experiments!
My monthly tween manga club is one of my favourite programs, largely because I am a life-long manga and anime nerd, and it thrills me to be able to share my passion with kids who love Japanese comi…
Financial literacy is one of the most applicable and important concepts that we teach teens, but so often it gets thrown in at the last minute (or worse, thrown OUT!). After trying to develop a better
My 9 year old's love of reading really took off when she discovered girly graphic novels. Though they aren't the "classics" like I hoped she'd be into, I am happy ...
I make my kids listen to 4 podcasts a month as their cell phone "payment". It's simple, $35 or 4 podcasts? They choose podcasts every time. Here's the big list!
Helpful information for student research can be found in an atlas or almanac, but even more research can be completed using geography websites.
Challenge your teens and tweens with this creative writing activity and ask them to write a six-word memoir each day for two weeks.
Do you have an unorganized learner in your homeschool? This post offers several great tips for getting them organized an on to more independent learning.
Looking for ideas for your tween or teen to do at home? Check out this printable list of 50 screen free activities-includes crafting, cooking, challenges...
Use the Strategic Problem Solving Workbook will help your family master the art of problem-solving for many of life's challenging situations.
These field trips will be interesting to middle & high school students because they offer a great deal of practical knowledge about their community.
Have your teens and tweens try these logic puzzles. In addition to being fun, the puzzles are great and challenge their thinking skills!
A list of best books to read aloud to 12 year olds and older tweens. Adventure, fantasy, contemporary realism and humor. Find a good book for every family!
Check out the benefits of story writing and our lists of all-new story writing topics for students for grades 5 through 9!
As we studied levers as part of our middle school science lessons, we had some questions, so we performed experiments to find the answers. Here's what we found.
