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5 Tips for DIY Senior Portraits

5 Tips for DIY Senior Portraits

It’s no secret that homeschooling your children opens the door to a whole world of educational freedoms. Among them, the freedom to choose which traditional high school rites and customs you participate in: class rings, prom, graduation ceremonies, and yes, senior portraits, too. While some traditions may be left behind, senior portraits are a rite of passage that I encourage homeschool moms to keep. Senior portraits can run a bit on the pricey side, (for a good reason!) and may not be in the budget for everyone. So, while you probably won’t be able to produce portraits as nice as the trendy, professional photographer in your area, with a decent camera and a little bit of research you should be able to produce at least a handful of good quality DIY senior photos on your own. One: Research Senior Portrait Poses and Props The very first thing we did after we decided to do our own senior portraits was create a Pinterest board of inspiring senior portraits. We looked for poses we liked, prop ideas we could incorporate, and location ideas, too. My daughter was able to get a good idea of what kinds of pictures she liked and we were able to make a to do list to help us through the rest of the process. While browsing and pinning things you like, keep the following questions in mind:  Do we have a nearby location we can use for this kind of picture? Does this fit the personality of my child? Is this pose flattering for my child, and does it “look” like him/her? Do we have access to these kinds of props? Remember that your goal isn’t to replicate another photographer’s photo in its entirety, but to gather ideas for your own unique senior portraits that reflect the personality and style of your child. Example: After seeing several examples of pictures with balloons, we knew that was something we wanted to incorporate. We decided to use a large bunch of colorful balloons with the “vintage-feel” outfit we had planned, resulting in a photo that was completely different from the original that inspired us. Two: Find Props Free or Cheap One of the benefits of having portraits done in a studio is utilizing their available stash of props. If saving money is the motivation behind your DIY senior portraits, you don’t want to be spending a lot of money on clothes, accessories, and photo props. Before spending money on props or accessories:  Consider items you already have that reflect your child’s interests: an instrument, their favorite book, their beloved pet, etc. While you definitely want to take a large number of prop-free photos, these are items you probably want to include at some point anyway. Ask around to see if you can borrow items for the photo shoot. If you saw something in your research that you’d like to have for a picture (vintage suitcase, globe, etc.,) maybe someone you know has just the kind of thing you need. You can also poll your friends for accessories: vintage hats or heels, leather jackets, or classic pearls, for example. Check the thrift store for cheap finds. Maybe your local Good Will store has some hidden gems that would make great photo props. We did end up spending money on a few key items that we really wanted to have: a beautiful hardback edition of “The Princess Bride,” a pair of vintage-feel red heels, and some helium balloons, and an inexpensive shirt at the thrift store to pair with the vintage-feel skirt she’d inherited from a friend. But we borrowed more than we bought to keep costs low. Borrow more than you buy and you’ll be able to keep your photo shoots budget-friendly. Example: Catie’s violin was a definitive prop choice from the beginning. After researching “senior portraits with a violin,” we knew we wanted at least one photo taken against a wooden porch as a background. With this goal in mind, we set off to a local park with historical log cabin houses on one evening just before sunset.  Three: Research Golden Hour for Your Location If you’ve been around photography at all you’ve probably heard about the golden hour. The golden hour is simply an ideal time at the beginning and the end of the day where the daylight is neither too harsh nor too dim and which allows you to get some really good photos. An experienced photographer can probably tell by eye whether the light is ideal, but you can research to get a time window for your location at the current time of year. Knowing that we didn’t have a lot of experience with this, we chose to spread our senior portraits out over several different photo shoots, on different days, in different locations, both in the morning and in the evening. Even though some of the pictures didn’t turn out as well as we hoped, we ended up with plenty that did, and that’s a win! Example: Getting the light just right turned out to be one of the trickiest parts for our experience. But this one turned out to be one of our favorites, and one of the few that don’t actually show her face.  Four: Take Your Time During Editing The photo editing process turned out to be the most challenging part of our DIY senior portraits adventure. There are several good reasons that professional photographers are worth their pricey invoices and the hours spent in the editing process is just one of them. If you’re unfamiliar with editing photos, this may seem intimidating, but there are a large number of articles and tutorials online for “how to edit senior portraits” that can help. If you don’t have Photoshop, you can also find some online programs with a quick Google search for online photo editors. As you edit, keep these tips in mind: Never edit your original, make a copy and edit that one. If you don’t like the edited result in the

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5 Fun and Natural Ways to Teach Grammar

5 Fun and Natural Ways to Teach Grammar

The following post contains affiliate links. The day students anticipate every year is almost here: March 4th—National Grammar Day! Ok, so maybe your children haven’t been doing a Christmas-style count down. But what a great subject to celebrate in your homeschool every day. Grammar really doesn’t need to be difficult or boring—for you or your children. You can teach it in both fun and natural ways. 1. Teach parts of speech through games Let’s take our dear friend, The Noun. There are common and proper nouns, concrete and abstract nouns. And at this point you may think, “But I don’t even remember all of those things!” The beauty of homeschooling though is that we don’t have to. We can learn, or relearn, right alongside our children. Begin by investing in a good grammar reference and show your children how to look up whatever term, concept, or rule you are studying. My favorite resource is More Nitty Gritty Grammar: Another Not-So-Serious Guide to Clear Communication by Edith Fine and Judith Josephson. The authors arranged terms in alphabetical order so they are easy to find. And the best part: they included comic strips to help illustrate them. Or you can google it. This is the way my two college-aged sons find all the answers to life. So look it up. Then together read about whatever you are studying. After that you can play a game to help your children understand the concept. Here are some ideas for teaching nouns: Call out objects in your home and see who can bring it back to you the quickest. Talk about how these are concrete nouns because you can use your senses to experience them. Cut out symbols or pictures for abstract ideas: a heart for love, a light bulb for an idea, someone laughing for happiness. Hold up each symbol or picture and have your students guess what it stands for. Or call out the idea and have your children find pictures that show or symbolize it. Write the names of different objects around your home or outside on index cards. Challenge children to find the object and tape the index card with its name on it. Get out books your kids love. They can be board books, picture books, fiction or non-fiction, even joke and riddle books—anything! Then ask them do a noun treasure hunt. Set a timer for thirty seconds and see how many nouns they can find in their books and write down on a sheet of paper or whiteboard. On a whiteboard or poster board make a list of common nouns down one side. On the other side have your children write a proper noun that matches it. For example, write store. Your children then write the names of one or more in your city, such as Kroger. Give a point for each one they come up with. A few more ideas for other parts of speech: To teach action verbs, write some out on index cards—words like running, skipping, sitting, jumping. Have your children choose a card and act it out for the rest of the family so they can guess what the verb is. (Go ahead and add vacuuming, dusting, and cooking. You might as well get some chores done!) Or encourage them to draw instead of acting out the word for others to guess if you don’t want to make your kids clean during school. Want a way to entertain the kids in the car while stealthily teaching them (Yes, you too can be a Ninja Homeschooling Mom!)? Tell your kids to give “Crayola” names to describe the colors they see while driving around. We did this and I still remember my youngest describing a cream-colored car as “melted-mozzarella-cheese” cream. No, we don’t normally think of melted-mozzarella-cheese as an adjective, but that is how it is functioning because adjectives are describing words. Adapt store-bought games Our family recently discovered Tenzi. It is a simple game, but can be played with so many variations. In the original game, everyone playing rolls 10 dice at the same time. Each chooses a number to collect and continues rolling until all the dice show the same number. Whoever finishes first yells “Tenzi” and wins that round. Easy. For Christmas we bought 77 Ways to Play Tenzi. On each card, a variation of the game is written. You can use the same idea. Write some “grammar variations” to use while playing such as “Do an action (verb) between each roll” or “Call out a describing word (adjective) between each roll.” Your children will have fun creating their own. Bonus: You covered some math and grammar at the same time. Ninja mom wins again. 2. Find Out-of-the-Box resources Visit your library and you will probably find some great picture books that teach grammar. Brian Cleary has written a series, Words Are CATegorical (yes the illustrations include cats), that my boys really enjoyed. A Mink, A Fink, a Skating Rink: What is a Noun?; Under, Over, By the Clover: What is a Preposition?; Dearly, Nearly, Insincerely: What is an Adverb?—you get the idea. Adjectives, verbs, pronouns, conjunctions are also introduced in the series using rhyme, colorful illustrations, and cats.  And if you have KindleUnlimted, you can read them for free. Or you can go “old school” and learn like I did while watching cartoons on Saturday mornings. SchoolHouse Rock is available on DVD or instant streaming. This collection of animated songs will stick with your children for years. To this day I can sing Conjunction Junction, What’s Your Function. (Warning though: you may find yourself singing these throughout the day. They kind of get stuck in your head!) 3. Adapt curriculum to your children You don’t have to throw out a grammar curriculum you love. Just be willing to make it work for your children. Do your children dislike writing on paper? Let them do it on a whiteboard or answer orally. Are the lessons taking too long? Choose the number of exercises you

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Evaluating For a Learning Disability Can Help Your Homeschooled Child

Evaluating For a Learning Disability Can Help Your Homeschooled Child

“I think my child might have _______________ (insert any learning disability) but I don’t want him to be labeled”. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that statement, I would never have to worry about running out of money! I’ve had so many conversations either in person or online with parents about having their child evaluated for learning disabilities.  I’m talking about the a learning disability like dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, and autism to name a few. Over and over again I hear the fear of their child being “labeled”.  I get it, you don’t want your child to be singled out. No one wants our child to be treated any different than their peers. That being said, I cringe a little inside when I hear this. My argument to these parents is this: It’s not a label, it’s a diagnosis.  Knowing will help your child, not hurt them. Fear of a Learning Disability Label I get the fear of labeling your child, I really do. I was there too. Our son has been diagnosed with Autism, Anxiety, Dyslexia, and ADHD. His first diagnosis came just before his 8th birthday. It took me a while to actually admit we needed to have him evaluated for a learning disability. As parents, we never want our child to be different. If they receive a diagnosis of a learning disability, we fear they will be considered different. There is the fear of the unknown, and worst of all we fear the dreaded “label”. No one wants their child to be labeled with a learning disability for the rest of their life. It is perfectly normal to not want your child to be labeled, so I get it. There’s nothing wrong with that. That is until the fear of the label becomes the problem. Avoiding a Learning Disability Diagnosis Can Hurt Your Child The reality is, whether or not you have your child tested for a learning disability you suspect they have, it doesn’t change the fact that your child is dealing with this.  If you are choosing not to test because you fear the “label”, you might really be doing more harm than good. Now I’m not trying to pass judgement or make you feel guilty for not testing, but please hear me out. Let’s assume you suspect your child has a learning disability.  If you choose not to have them evaluated, you’ll never get an official diagnosis. Without the diagnosis it’s really difficult to help your child work through this and adapt to their needs. On top of the reasons just mentioned, chances are your child may know there is something different about them. Avoiding a diagnosis might communicate to your child that there is something wrong, or bad about them. Without realizing it, our intent to protect them from the diagnosis can actually make them feel shame. Living in a state of denial about our child’s learning disability may cause them to feel like they need to hide and be ashamed about who they really are. Evaluating for Learning Disabilities as Homeschoolers As homeschoolers, it’s easy to think we don’t need to have our children evaluated. After all, the beauty of homeschooling is having an education environment tailored to your child. This is a true statement; but, going by trial and error because you suspect your child has a learning disability can lead to a lot of frustration.   Frustration for both you and your child. Trust me, I’ve been there. The thing about all the various learning disabilities is that many of them have overlapping symptoms. They can be very complicated, and I don’t recommend you “self diagnose”. Without accurate information of how your child’s brain is processing information, you might find yourself trying numerous different techniques that are not suitable for your child. This will only add to the frustration. Not to mention, when you do a lot of trial and error it will cost you in time, money, and headaches. One of the best things about homeschooling, is that if your child does have a learning disability, nobody else needs to know! Did you catch that? Your child doesn’t need to be “labeled” because they’re not being pulled from the classroom. When you have your child evaluated for learning disabilities as a homeschooler, it  means you can get the answers without having them labeled in the classroom! Knowing The Why Behind Your Child’s Behaviors One of the main reasons we decided to have our son evaluated was because of behavior challenges we were having. Like many homeschool moms I decided to just teach him how he learns and go at his pace without going through evaluations.  That was before I did more research on the different learning disabilities we suspected. Through the research, I learned these diagnoses can come with a whole laundry list of emotional/behavioral things to consider. Our son was exhibiting some pretty extreme behavior and emotional problems. We tried every parenting trick, but none were successful. I was on my last nerve. The time for answers had come. It was time to know for certain if our son’s emotional and behavioral problems were a result of a learning disability causing his brain to function differently. If we knew the diagnosis, we would know how to parent him, and the root cause of his behaviors.  Then, and only then, will we be able to help him effectively. A Diagnosis Means Help for Your Child If you suspect your child has a learning disability, I ask you to seriously consider having them evaluated it if you suspect something. Please, for the sake of your children don’t refuse an evaluation because you fear the label that can come with it.  Our children deserve the best chance to succeed in life.  A diagnosis can help them have this chance.  It’s not something to fear.  After all, whether or not you decide to test and get the diagnosis, your child may be living with their condition.  If they are, I

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5 Ways Homeschoolers Can Celebrate Library Lover's Day

5 Ways Homeschoolers Can Celebrate Library Lover’s Day

Everyone knows that February 14th is Valentine’s Day, but did you know it’s also Library Lover’s Day? Library Lover’s Day is a wonderful day to spend a day centered around the library! 1. Write Letters to Librarians Sit down with your kids and write letters to the librarians letting them know how much your family enjoys the library. After all, if you’re anything like my family you spend a lot of time there, attending children’s programs, story time, and finding piles of books to drag home. And the librarians do a huge amount to support homeschoolers. They search the shelves for the books you need. They plan all those wonderful events for kids, and they’re quick to locate the books you need through inter-library loans. So sit down with the kids and create a card. Let the librarians know how much they mean to you and your family! 2. Discuss Dewey Decimal System Children’s aren’t just born knowing how to find books at the library, and Library Lover’s Day is the perfect time to introduce kids to the Dewey Decimal System. Show them the difference between where the fiction and nonfiction books are kept. Then point out the numbers on the side of the nonfiction shelves. Now ask your kids for a favorite topic to research. Show the kids how to use the library catalog to locate the number for the topic and send your children to find a book from the area. 3. Do a Scavenger Hunt Now that the kids have been introduced to the Dewey Decimal System, send them out on a scavenger hunt! First download and print the scavenger hunt sheet. Next grab a few pencil for the kids to write down their discoveries. You can send the kids off in pairs or to separately. And don’t forget to remind the kids to walk and be quiet! 4. Pay Your Fines If you’re a true library lover, you’ve probably built up a few fines over the last few months. It’s too easy to miss a book when you’re returning a stack. You needed that history book one extra day. Your child’s favorite book slipped under the bed and just couldn’t be found! It doesn’t matter why, library fines are a part of life when you’re homeschooling! So take the opportunity on Library Lover’s Day to give yourself the gift of a fine-free account! 5. Hang Out at the Library Don’t forget to spend time on Library Lover’s Day hanging out at the library. After all the best way to create kids who love to spend time at the library, is to spend time at the library. The library will become a familiar and safe place for your kids! Bring your math assignments and finish them at the library. Read a Dr. Seuss book as a family read aloud. Laugh over a comic book together. And remember to browse the shelves for a pile of books to bring home. Library Lover’s Day is the perfect opportunity to spend some time at the library, thank the librarians, introduce kids to the Dewey Decimal System, and enjoy a quiet scavenger hunt. How do you plan celebrating Library Lover’s Day? Sara DennisSara Dennis is veteran homeschool mom of six who’s still homeschooling her youngest kids after the oldest ones have graduated, entered college, and moved on to adult life. She loves chatting about the ins and outs of educating kids at the kitchen table. Sara blogs at Classically Homeschooling. classicallyhomeschooling.com/

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Valentine's Day Traditions for the Homeschool Family

Valentine’s Day Traditions for the Homeschool Family

This Valentine’s Day create some traditions with your family that inspire love and connection. Although often considered a holiday focused on “courtly love,” Valentine’s Day gives us the opportunity to remember and share all our loved ones. After all, family and God are at the heart of any happy courtship. Family togetherness on the holiday is a goal for many families, but what to do with your time together can be more of a challenge. Family traditions help promote a shared experience and build memories. Traditions can give kids a sense of belonging, which can also have a protective effect against commercialism and negative current culture norms. Yet, too many “things to do” every year will only result in an unpleasant pressured rush, not a relaxed, enjoyable holiday. So, how do you achieve that balance of shared family experience without over burdening yourself or others with a “to do list” for the holidays? Look for opportunities that fit naturally with your family. As homeschoolers we are uniquely positioned to take full advantage of Valentine’s Day. We already spend our time learning together and sharing experiences. For most of us, learning more about why Valentine’s Day is celebrated is a natural sequelae to our homeschool day. Placing an extra focus on giving and accepting love and kindness is an effort that benefits us all year-long. Please note that Amazon affiliate links have been included for your convenience when books are mentioned. Learn About Valentine’s Day Celebrations Culturally, Valentine’s Day has become commercialized with a sole focus on romantic love. This narrow view highlighting the importance of finding a significant other and having a perfect relationship can be disconcerting for many children (and parents). Having a more global view of the origin of Valentine’s Day and traditions anchored in family and Christ can be comforting as one moves through the formative years. Origin of Valentine’s Day While there is some debate as to the specifics of the origin of Valentine’s Day, there is believed to have been at least one Saint Valentine. “Saint Valentine,” by Robert Sabuda is a wonderful picture book that shares some of the commonly held beliefs about this man and his life. Another fabulous picture book is “The Story of Valentine’s Day,” by Clyde Robert Bulla. This book talks about the possible origination of Valentine’s Day as far back as the Roman holiday, Lupercalia and the later adoption of the holiday by the Christian church. This book also includes some simple crafts and a cookie recipe that are in keeping with long-held holiday tradition. Global Perspective Although several countries celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th not all areas of the world celebrate in the same way. In Japan, women make chocolate for their male friends and sweethearts, but men return the chocolate with additional gifts a month later on “White Day.” In England, Jack Valentine brings small gifts and treats to children. Other countries celebrate their own version of “Valentine’s Day,” but celebrate on a different date or call the holiday by a different name. Researching a country of heritage or interest is an excellent way to expand our horizons on Valentine’s Day. You may even find some customs you wish to adopt as your own! Family Stories Have you taken the time to share your family’s love story? Tell your kids how you met your spouse or about the day of their birth. Taking time to share those memories gives your kids a history, a sense of belonging, and a chance to create their own stories. Give Love and Kindness On my wedding day, I received a book called “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman. The author describes five different ways of expressing love including words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Helping children recognize and respect these different avenues of demonstrating affection can empower them to truly give love to those most precious to them. With a little forethought and intention, we can express love for our children using these love languages. Here are a few suggestions for how our family expresses the five love languages on Valentine’s Day. Words of Affirmation Say ‘Happy Valentine’s Day” and “I love you.” It doesn’t take long, but makes a big impact for kids and other family members who speak words of affirmation as their primary love language. If you want to take it a step further, here’s an easy project I did with the kids. I cut out small heart shapes on white card stock. I then wrote some of my favorite things about them on the heart in a white crayon. In order to discover what I had written they colored over the white crayon with a magic marker to make the words of affirmation appear. Quality Time Make it a point to spend some time together this Valentine’s Day. What does your family love to do together? Our family loves having a movie night and visiting the park. Reading aloud, cooking a meal together, or playing board games are other fabulous options. Receiving Gifts Our children are still small, so we offer them a small amount of chocolate, an orange, an inexpensive toy, and their personal favorite, a helium balloon. Growing up I remember getting a card and candy from my parents. Of course, not all gifts have to be store made, homemade treats or candy are fantastic presents.  Using special wrappings or including a surprise as part of a scavenger hunt all speak to children who feel most loved when given gifts. Acts of Service Our family routinely cooks a little something special for Valentine’s Day. 3 Ways to Make Breakfast a Little Special 1. Heart Shaped Egg in Toast Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to create a heart shape in a piece of toast. Brown the toast and the heart cut out for one minute in a buttered pan. Flip both pieces of bread. Crack an egg into the heart-shaped hole in the bread and cook as desired.

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