I was asking this question 4 years ago, so I'm writing the post I wish I'd had. 🥰A little background: Our family began officially homeschooling when our oldest son was entering kindergarten. I wasn't homeschooled and only knew a few homeschooling families, so I had a lot of questions (and trepidation) about choosing a curriculum.Here's what I've learned along the way:+ An open-and-go, boxed curriculum can be very helpful for your first year. We used Sonlight (with no regrets!) and I have many friends who love My Father's World. You go to their website, select your child's grade level, and order the materials. All you need for the year - the instructor's guide, books, and supplies - arrives at your doorstep. You're ready to homeschool! This helped me feel confident that yes, I was doing enough, and had advisors ready to help me if I needed it.+ A trusted homeschool mama in your community is an invaluable resource. If there's a homeschooling mom in your church whom you admire, ask her all your questions. How did she get started? What curriculum would she choose (or stay away from) if she could do it all again?+ Start simple, as it will take a while to find your rhythm. For example, all that a kindergartener *really needs* is a reading/phonics program, a math program, and (for Christian families) a morning Bible/devotional time. If that's all you do for your child's kindergarten year, great! You can add history, handwriting, science, and other electives as you grow more confident.+ Remember that you may not land on your favorite curriculum or educational philosophy your first year. And that's ok! If you're interested in finding your homeschool style, I've linked a helpful quiz in my profile.+ After you've narrowed it down to a handful of curriculums you're interested in, I love Cathy Duffy's review site (cathyduffyreviews.com). Her reviews are straightforward and very helpful.
Use these tips to create a curriculum map for your homeschool - PLUS download the FREE curriculum map template I've created for you!
Curious about using Trello for homeschool planning? Here's why and how I use the productivity app to help me stay on track and keep us learning.
Find out exactly what to teach and how to homeschool kindergarten. This list was created by a former classroom kindergarten teacher and homeschool mom.
This blog post is more of a description of how Trello helps me manage my life. What My Life Looks Like For those of you who might be kinda new here, I have four kids. They are 8, 6, 4, and 2 years old. My husband Brian and I homeschool the first three (Emmett just […]
Hey fellow unschooling families! As we eagerly prepare for another enriching year of child-led learning, I can’t help but feel a rush of excitement and curiosity for the journey ahead. Unschooling …
Organized by subject matter, here are over 150 ideas for your next co-op class. There are homeschool co-op classes for all age levels and abilities.
This post may contain affiliate links to products or services that I recommend. By clicking on these links and making a purchase, I may e...
When homeschooling, the question of "Am I doing enough in my homeschool?" always seems to plague our minds. Trust me, it plagues mine on a daily basis...
There may come a time when you need to figure out where your child fits in, whether it be for a new homeschool curriculum or simply determining a grade level. Thanks to a variety of free homeschool placement tests, the task is probably easier than you think! While I do not believe that any type …
Johannes Gutenberg and the invention of the printing press changed the history of the world. Share these Johannes Gutenberg facts for kids!
Charlotte Mason said that the foundation of knowledge didn't start in the classroom but rather in the teaching of good habits at home.
We love finding ways of saving money for homeschooling. In this post, you will find a list of 100+ must-have Kindergarten worksheets and printables.
Inside: I thought my kids hated Charlotte Mason narration, so I quit using it. Two years later, my kids started narrating spontaneously and without prompting, but this kind of narration was different. I was introduced
The Christmas season is a fun and festive time of year when families enjoy many wonderful traditions with the ones they love. Reading The Night Before Christmas, the classic story by Clement C. Moore, can be a great addition to your family holiday traditions this year! This post includes a FREE PRINTABLE theme pack for
Scripture copywork to help instill Godly character in children.
These free Homophone BLACKOUT Games are the perfect and FUN way to work on those tricky homophones! You might also like my Homophone Spelling Charts. This is a subscriber freebie! Want to grab a copy of this free pack? SUBSCRIBE HERE. *I’m already a subscriber. How do I get this freebie? Use the password from the bottom ... Read More about Homophone BLACKOUT Games
As our homeschoolers get older, one of the most important things we can teach them is how to work independently.
Read, build, write vocabulary mats - over 50 free printables for children to read the word, build it, and write it!
I lapbook, strumento interattivo per imparare Cos’è un lapbook? Si tratta, semplificando le parole, di un materiale tridimensionale concettuale, un...
A step by step tutorial on how to print and create your own tabletop card game decks with card stock and a few simple tools.
Classical Conversations Cycle 3 resources for homeschooling families.
One of my favorite parts of teaching first grade is I am SO excited how it all came together, and that I can finally share it with y...
What are the best poems for kids to memorize? Read this to discover the 12 poems every child (and adult) should know by heart!
Should you choose to use loop scheduling or block scheduling in your homeschool? This post tells you which one is best for which situations.
Learn how to homeschool first grade by seeing the common requirements for language arts, math, science, and history. There are several ways to homeschool!
Back to School: FREE Printables for Teachers. Setting up your classroom? Make your year that much easier with FREE printables for teachers.
Today I’d like to chat gameschooling language arts! I’m sharing our family’s favorite reading and language arts games. Playing with language is a huge part of our homeschool routine! These ar…
A Charlotte's Web unit study perfect for homeschool, classroom, or thematic novel study. The book study resources listed in this post are all FREE!
During the week of Thanksgiving, my children and I usually take a break from our regular school subjects and study about the history of Thanksgiving. I call it 'Thanksgiving School.' That's a very creative name, isn't it?! :) I try to make it fun and have everything we do revolve around Thanksgiving history - worksheets, matching games, reading, and even science! But having a Thanksgiving Week takes a little planning, and admittedly, it gets harder to find materials as my children grow older. I've compiled a list of resources that I'm using in our homeschool to study that First Thanksgiving.
The ultimate kindergarten reading skills curriculum is here, a foundational skills program that teaches alphabet, reading, and writing skills.
Free Ten Commandments Cursive Copywork KJV
Copywork is an important part of the writing process. But how can we make it a meaningful and enchanting experience with the written word? How to Create an Enchanting Experience with Copywork This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure statement for more information. Copywork. Does it bring up images of the hard schoolmaster making students […]
Are you wondering how to teach phonics? There are some important do's and don'ts to keep in mind when it comes to powerful phonics instruction.
Grammar and Writing are daunting subjects for many homeschoolers to teach. Most of us want a guide, an expert, someone to help us. I’m definitely a fan of literature-based homeschooling, but …
Games are fun and they make great gifts for any occasion. It's easy to sneak in learning, too. Here's a list of the best educational games for all ages.
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Download a set of Ephesians 6 copywork in print or cursive, including a set of printable posters.
This post contains affiliate links. I have a lovely list of homeschool Bible resources for you to browse. I’m not including Bible curriculum for purchase because that is easily found on other sites. Instead, I am listing a few paid resources that I have actually owned, and the rest of the page is full of FREE Bible [...]
Homeschooling isn't easy, but neither is public school! Let me show you the things that drove me crazy and how homeschooling benefits our family!
“Are there any tax breaks for homeschoolers?” Carol Topp, the Homeschool CPA, answers this question in the blog post.
Homeschooling your autistic child can be challenging. This post addresses the challenges and gives advice on how to overcome them.
