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I am the mom of four high school graduates, all of who took a different path into or around college in a number of unique and different forms. I am also the mom of four kids I’m still homeschooling: two in high school, one in elementary school, and one a full-time special needs student in a traditional public school setting. Suffice it to say, there isn’t an over-abundance of money here to just write a nice check to the university of eight students’ choosing. You can probably hear the wry smile in that last sentence, no? And that’s exactly what we’ve told our kids all along. We can’t write a check for their full tuition, but there are ways in which we can help them along the way, and obtaining college scholarships is just one of the means in which we might help. I’m certain that you could do a Google search for “homeschoolers and college scholarship applications” and come up with a host of great ideas. Perhaps that’s even how you found this article. So let’s cut to the quick: First and foremost, if you are reading this article before fall of your student’s junior year in high school, get them to study their head off for the PSAT. National Merit Scholars are chosen based on SAT scores, and if your child qualifies, the scholarship opportunities will grow exponentially. We are a fan of College Prep Genius because it prepares students to test well across the spectrum, but we have also used Mr. D Math SAT and ACT prep courses and been very happy with the results. If your student has already identified their top three choice schools, do extensive research into the available scholarships that each school offers. Some will be academic, of course, based upon GPA’s and standardized test scores, but others will be based on athletics, performing arts, and even community involvement. Make yourselves very familiar with the requirements to meet each scholarship because ultimately, if your student can get meet the prerequisite conditions, these school-based scholarships could dramatically reduce the cost of attending the university they desire to attend. When it comes to applying, think outside of the box. There are hundreds of general scholarships based on essay entries, but the scholarships that may prove to be the most lucrative for your student are those that are available to a small pool of applicants. Is your student of Italian heritage? A beach lifeguard? Has she seen personal hardship? Has he had to work to support his family? There are scholarships designed specifically to aid students who fit a narrow or specific definition, and the opportunity to win one may be a more realistic proposition than the scholarships attracting tens of thousands of applicants. Simply search for the parameters that match your student, i.e., “Female hockey cheerleader in Canada scholarship”. Teach your student to write a killer essay. Keep within word counts. Juries are reading many essays and if your student can’t communicate clearly, concisely, and in a quickly compelling manner, their essay may hit the trash can by the end of the first paragraph. Speaking of first paragraphs, make sure that the essay begins with a sentence that immediately garners the reader’s attention. “My name is Amy Smith and I live in San Francisco” is not a compelling sentence unless Amy ties those facts to a dramatic story about surviving an earthquake or sky diving from the Golden Gate Bridge. If you need examples of winning essays, check to see if the scholarship your student is applying for has a website where they post past winners‘ essays and read them. The earlier your student jumps on the scholarship application wheel, the better. I require my junior highers to write and write and write some more, preparing them to nail college application and scholarship essays, but also fully realizing that excellent writers really set themselves up for success in all walks of life, whether they find themselves making a living by the written word, or simply requesting that their energy bill be lowered. There is no loss of time or effort when we focus on teaching our middle and high schoolers to write well. If you find yourself in the position of parent-of-a-child-who-discovered-too-late-that-they-want-to-apply-to-college, don’t fret. There may be a delay in college entrance or a year needed to accumulate community college courses that can then be transferred, but there are also scholarships available to transfer students. There are also plenty of opportunities to earn scholarships through employers if you have a high school graduate who went straight into the workplace instead of to college. As I tell my students (one of whom is that young man who is working and looking into the educational opportunities his hospital employer provides), nothing ventured, nothing gained. Otherwise, you’ll never know how that desired education could be funded unless you try, and you might be surprised beyond your wildest dreams. Prepare yourself, do the research, and go for it! Kendra FletcherKendra Fletcher is a mother of 8, speaker, author, and 21-year homeschool veteran. www.kendrafletcher.com/home

My youngest son is eleven. He loves the outdoors, animals, and sports. He also loves Minecraft – like a lot. As he has gotten older, I have struggled to find ways to make learning engaging and fun. (Why is it that so many middle school programs suddenly shift  exclusively to textbooks and worksheets?) I have found one of the easiest ways for me to challenge him, and keep his attention, has been using Minecraft as part of our learning.  He gets to enjoy a favorite activity, and I am able to see how much he is progressing in any given subject. Minecraft is one of the best homeschool mom-hacks I know. Homeschooling With Minecraft – Easy ways to make learning fun! Here are some of the ways we have incorporated Minecraft into our learning. Minecraft Signs Oh my goodness – this changed everything for my son, who struggles with reading and spelling. Instead of practicing sight words or completing spelling tests on paper, we type the practice words into signs on Minecraft. It’s a lot more fun and I have found he retains the learning so much more than if we were using a standard approach. History Projects and Book Reports This is one of my favorite ways to use Minecraft for learning. In the same way I completed shoe box dioramas in school, my son creates scenes from historic events or a book he is reading. In our state, students are typically required to complete a state history project related to the California missions. My son created his project entirely in Minecraft – and it was great! Math Is Given Area and perimeter, multiplication and complex addition – all are inherent in Minecraft builds. While I could use this to “teach math,” I have chosen to instead smile and keep it to myself. My son easily completes math assignments on his own, so I consider Minecraft to be a real life application of the knowledge he has gained. If he was struggling in math concepts, I can imagine using Minecraft to help him visualize the math equation. In fact, Minecraft is a perfect place to solve math word problems! Biome Scavenger Hunts The Plains, Desert, Forrest, and Savannah biomes are just a small sample of  what is automatically built into the game. In order to learn more about the different terrestrial regions present in real-life as well, I asked my son to show me the different biomes in Minecraft and tell me about their climates, plants, animals and features. It was an excellent discussion and I was honestly surprised at how much he had learned already, just by playing the game. It is rare that an online activity, one that my son actually enjoys, can provide so much educational value and learning. Minecraft is a gold mine for our homeschool. Do your kids love Minecraft too? Have you used it for learning as well? Shawna WingertShawna Wingert is a special education teacher turned writer, speaker, and consultant. She is also a homeschooling mom of two brilliant boys with differences and special needs. Shawna has written four books for parents of special needs – Everyday Autism, Special Education at Home, Parenting Chaos, and her latest, Homeschooling Your Child With Special Needs. differentbydesignlearning.com

The Bible offers homeschoolers a wealth of ideas and resources for use in studying. Nearly every subject of study can be tied to the Bible, from history to language arts to geography. You can use the Bible as a primary text or incorporate it only as another one of your reference books. Here are some tips for using the Bible in your homeschool. Copywork and Dictation The Bible is a wealth of poetry and quotable quotes. Whether you are doing copywork or dictation with your child, there are plenty of verses that give your child something to think about while they are writing. You can work your way through specific books of the Bible, like Psalms, Proverbs, or Sirach, or you can use a concordance to look up verses on a particular topic. Copywork and dictation also work well with memorization. The act of writing can help children remember the passage. You could  create posters for your school, based on what they are copying or memorizing. Then have children recite their memorized passages to Dad or at a homeschool co-op. History and Culture Studies Familiar Bible stories provide a great jumping-off point for history and culture studies. It can sometimes be hard to get children interested in a new or strange topic, but if there is something familiar in it, then they may wish to learn more about it. A great place to start is the Great Adventure Kids Pack, which uses games and colouring books to draw children into the Bible stories. For example, the stories of Joseph or Moses could be used to dive further into studies of Egypt, and the story of Abraham leaving his father’s home could be used to ask questions about the Chaldeans and other cultures of the early Middle East. Reading about Jesus birth, or the Apostle Paul’s travels, could lead to questions about Rome — how the Roman army, government, and roads shaped this period of history and made possible the great expansion of Christianity. Expand history and culture studies by having your children create historical props and costumes based on what they’ve learned, and then act out or dramatize the stories (see below). My daughters loved the crafts and activities in Old Testament Days: An Activity Guide (Hands-On History), which helped them more clearly imagine what it would have been like to live in the time of their favourite Bible characters. Geography and Mapwork The people in the Bible traveled a lot!!! From Abraham going from Ur to Egypt, to Israel returning from Egypt to Canaan, or Paul embarking on his missionary journeys around the Roman Empire, there are a lot of journeys in the Bible. Use these to discuss geography and maps with your children. When we read Bible stories, it’s easy to gloss of the details of journeys. Looking at a map to see exactly how far and where people traveled can deepen our other studies. Map Trek offers printable maps and activity ideas to help students get started. Your child can pinpoint where specific events happen and trace various journeys across the ancient world. Essay and Writing Assignments Within the Bible, we also find a variety of different types of writing. As your students work on different writing projects, you can turn to the BIble for examples. There’s the poetry of the Psalms and the epistles of Paul and the other apostles.Your child could read a passage of the Bible and then try to write a similar type of writing; for example, read some Proverbs and write their own. Or children could try to write a persuasive letter, such as Paul wrote to his churches. You can also use a Bible story or passage as a jumping off point for other writing assignments. For example, a child could write a short story from the point of view their favourite Bible character. Or they could write a letter from one character to another. The first year of the Connecting with History program offers a wealth of creative writing ideas inspired by the events and characters of the Old Testament. Drama and Oral Projects There are also speeches in the Bible which students could practice for oral assignments or analyze to see how the speakers motivated and inspired their audiences. The Book of Acts is a wealth of speeches, as the Apostles spread the word about Jesus and what He had done for them. There are also speeches throughout the Old Testament, such as when Joshua addresses his army or the prophets try to rally the Israelite people. Students could also dramatize popular Bible stories. Since many children know these stories so well, it’s easy for them to begin to act out the characters. This also gives them a chance to think more about the characters in each story. How would it feel to be Joseph sold by his brothers? What would Moses’ mother go through in giving him up? Students will have to read the stories carefully for details and then work to fill in the “missing” details of the story. Make speech and drama projects more fun by inviting another homeschooling family to join you. Again, because the Bible is a common book, it’s easy for a variety of families to agree on a Bible story to study and act out, and then get together to do it. This could come after history and culture studies, where children have learned about the era in which their characters lived and perhaps even created historical costumes or props to accompany their play. Find Inspiration The Bible is full of verses about learning and the importance of teaching. Both homeschool moms and students may find these verses inspiring and encouraging. You could copy a theme verse for each week or month into your homeschool planner or your child’s notebook, or make a poster for your classroom wall. The stories of Bible characters may also inspire students struggling in specific areas. For example, Moses suffered from a stutter or speech impediment

As a homeschool mom, the holidays can feel anything but jolly.  All the hustle and bustle of shopping, baking, and wrapping can be overwhelming. Add homeschooling to your lengthy to-do list and you can feel like you’re turning into the Grinch. via GIPHY Don’t be the Grinch this holiday season. Enjoy the holiday season and all of its merriment by planning for effective holiday stress relief. You CAN continue to homeschool and make the most of the holidays. Effective Holiday Stress Relief Ideas Here are a few ideas to get you started on creating a custom holiday stress relief plan the will help you sing “Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!” as you deck the halls and homeschool.  Use what you need and keep the rest in your back pocket in case of emergency. 1.  Make Time for Holiday Self-Care Self-care does not have to take a lot of time and money.  You can easily fit holiday self-care into your homeschool life.  Think outside the box and include holiday prep into your homeschool time.  Put on your favorite holiday music and create a relaxed atmosphere.  Make strategic changes that help you take care of you. 2.  Use an Organized Planning System that Works for You One of my #1 tips for reducing stress is to have a plan.  Write down everything.  Don’t think you will remember it all because you won’t.  Your brain will be on overdrive.  Do yourself a favor; make a list and check it twice. Use a planning system that you like and will actually reference.  Paper or digital.  Keep it all in one place to help you keep track of all your holiday fun. 3.  Rational Reminders Frequently remind yourself that you don’t have to be perfect.  Decorations, cookies, gift wrap-none of it has to look like a magazine picture.  You may feel like you are under the gun to create this picture-perfect holiday display.  You really don’t.  Your family and loved ones want to enjoy this time with you, not with a stressed out homeschool mama who doesn’t know if she’s coming or going. Affirmations (positive self-statements) can be useful tools to lower stress and help you maintain a rational approach to the holidays and every day. 4.  K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple, Sweetie!  Instead of twenty different Christmas cookies, make 10 (or buy them!).  Buy one type of gift wrap that works for all. In your homeschool, stick with the basics.  Do what must be done to fulfill requirements.  Save extras for after the holidays. 5.  Reduce Expectations for Others & Yourself You are not a super mom (although I’m sure you’re a swell gal!).  Your loved ones are not perfect.  Mistakes still happen during the holidays. Save yourself some stress and drop expectations down a notch or two.  Mishaps occur when life gets busy.  You may drop an egg on the floor when making cookies.  Or forget to practice math drills.  Guess what?  The world will keep spinning and life goes on.  Reframe the negative.  You only dropped one egg, right?  You saved eleven!  Rescue math by using your Christmas baking time for a fun way to practice drills. 6.  Community Talk with other homeschool moms who get what you are going through.  Other women who understand that Homeschooling + Holidays = Stress.  Join our Rock Your Homeschool! Facebook group for a supportive and encouraging community of homeschool moms who love to share and uplift each through all types of homeschool ups and downs. 7.  Journal And then there are times when you just need to write it down and close the book.  Get it out, feel better, and move on.  Jot your thoughts and feelings down in a journal during those quiet moments when you feel frustrated, angry, afraid, or cray-cray.  Let it all out on paper and then walk away.  Leave the stress on the paper and get on with enjoying the holidays. 8.  Embrace Quiet Time Take any quiet time that you can get during the holidays-even a minute.  Use that time to get centered and focused.  Pray, meditate, stare at pretty twinkly lights.  Even if it means putting in earplugs while you are in the same room with your kids to make sure they are safe while you shut out the noise. 9.  Remember & Use This Simple Word “No”.  That’s it.  Plain and simple. It is okay to say no.  Sometimes, others outside the homeschool lifestyle may assume that you have all the time in the world to volunteer and help.  Crush the desire to give them a throat punch.  Stop yourself from automatically saying “Yes!” because you don’t want to explain yourself or give excuses.  Just utter the word, “No”.  Offer zero explanations.  You may want to add “thank you” to the end of your no, if you are full of good cheer.  Walk away and hum a merry little holiday tune, knowing that you saved yourself a whole lot of stress with just one simple word. 10.  Don’t Forget the Fun! There’s nothing better way to have holiday stress relief than having homeschool fun!  For just a few minutes a day, you can enjoy shared special homeschool moments with your kids using ideas from our free printable homeschool fun calendars.  Make a DIY Homeschool Fun Toolbox and pull it out whenever you feel the need to boost your learning fun and rid yourself of holiday stress.  Your homeschool fun can include holiday theme or just random celebrations. What great ideas do you have to share with other homeschoolers for effective holiday stress relief? AmyMAmy Milcic helps you make life & learning fun. She loves to share resources, tips, & pep talks full of creativity, positivity, & fun. Let’s get pumped up about homeschooling! www.rockyourhomeschool.net

How often do you find yourself wondering what just happened? Maybe you were reading aloud to your children and you stopped to ask for a narration because you realized you weren’t paying attention. You hoped they would fill you in without realizing that you had no idea what just happened in the story. Or, maybe you were driving around town and suddenly realized you were half way across town, but you didn’t remember actually driving there because you were lost in your thoughts. It happens to all of us. We go through the day on autopilot and don’t stop to actually take in our surroundings. We can all benefit from developing the habit of observation, but did you realize that developing this habit will enhance your child’s geography studies? 5 Ways Developing the Habit of Observation Benefits Your Child’s Geography Studies Notice details during map drill There are many ways of conducting map drill and we try to incorporate a variety of ways to keep it interesting. One that we particularly enjoy is map tracing. When students are tracing the map, they are forced to pay closer attention to the details. When my daughter was tracing the state of Texas for the second time, she suddenly cried out, “Mom! Did you know Texas has islands?!” She was paying such close attention that she noticed details about the coastline she had not seen before. We added some variety to our map drill today and traced maps. It is a great way to get them to pay greater attention to the details as they trace the map. Click the link in my profile to read the post or watch the video to learn how to trace maps. Notice geographical landforms You can learn geographical landforms through a scavenger hunt, a study of landforms, or on a geography walk. If you are observant, you will find many landforms, on a smaller scale, all around town. One geography walk around our neighborhood yielded seven different landforms. We like taking The Geography Field Guide on our walks and on trips. When we find a landform with which we are unfamiliar, we can look it up. Notice subtleties about cultures and places Even though we incorporate living geography books into our studies on a regular basis, this is not the only time we learn about other cultures and places. We have learned a lot about China by listening to the biographies of Gladys Aylward, Eric Liddell, or Isobel Kuhn while driving around town. If we are intentional to listen for details about cultures and landscapes as we read, we can learn a lot without ever scheduling a geography reading. Notice landmarks around town One of the first steps in learning to navigate is to notice landmarks around town. Children learn quickly that they are close to their favorite restaurants or stores by noticing landmarks. You can cultivate this observational skill during your errands. Encourage your children to pay attention as you drive and see if they can tell you how to get to their favorite destination. And today she is teaching her sister how to navigate around town… Notice the position of the sun Before playing games to practice the cardinal directions we first learn the cardinal directions by noticing the position of the sun—it rises in the east and sets in the west. Therefore, if it is mid-morning and the sun is on your right, you are facing north. When the girls asked which direction we were traveling while on an errands, I turned the question back to them and asked where the sun was relative to where we were. After they determined this, they were able to figure out which direction we were traveling. What will you do this week to encourage your children to develop the habit of observation? CrystalCrystal Wagner believes learning is not confined to a book or “school hours,” but is a lifestyle that positively impacts generations. She helps homeschool parents learn practical ways to simplify homeschool planning, make learning fun, and disciple their children. www.triumphantlearning.com

At first, the idea of adding life skills to your homeschool curriculum might seem like a silly idea. If you’re anything like me you’re thinking, “Well, it’s life. We do a lot of that here so…we’re good.” But, the truth is, my kids could use some more life skills and something more structured to focus our efforts on would be great! I admittedly haven’t been as proactive in this department as I should be. I’m a confessed “I’d rather do it myself” kind of mom. I’m not proud of it, but keeping my kids accountable with chores and the like has not been my strong suit as a parent. Now with one in college who’s planning on dorm life next fall and another entering 7th grade, I’m hyper aware of the young men they are and the life skills they need (and sometimes lack). Have you considered adding life skills to your homeschool curriculum line-up this year? Benefits of adding life skills to your homeschool curriculum line-up Organized approach. Having a program to follow with specific skills planned out in advance will make it easier to stay accountable. Knowing what skills to look forward to throughout the year might also help motivate your child. Record keeping. It’s hard to keep track of life skills learned. So much instruction happens naturally in homeschooling, but when you really think about it, we don’t give our kids enough credit for the jobs they do. Print out certificates of completion and add them to your child’s portfolio. Learn new skills along with your child.  Confession: I don’t have any idea how to change a tire. I’m sure there’s plenty of other things I’d learn along with my children’s life skills study. Cover skills outside of your own comfort zone. I don’t want my kids limited to the skills I have or the skills I feel comfortable teaching (see above). We all have different gifts! I’m sure we’d come across lots of topics I wouldn’t naturally cover on my own and that is a good thing. Can be counted as high school credit. There are so many courses available to high schoolers. Look for courses outside the title homeschool high school Life skills or Home Economics. Although those would obviously be perfect, there are also more specific life skills courses available such as Personal Finance or Leadership Management Skills. What Homeschool Moms Have to Say About Teaching Life Skills 10 Areas of Essential Life Skills for Teenage Boys by Michelle Caskey of Homeschool Your Boys has a great printable list. These skills would be great for a girl too, obviously. Spend the year tackling these 50+ Tasks for Teenagers to Learn to Prep for Adulthood from Shannon at Middleway Mom! Practical Life Skills for the Gifted Teen, a post series by Renee at Great Peace Academy, is filled with information worth bookmarking. Although gifted education is Renee’s niche, this series would be perfect for all teens. Her series covers topics like cooking, finance, and home management. If you need to know you’re not the only mom failing your teens in the life skills department check out Don’t Fail Your Kids by Dachelle of Hide the Chocolate and enjoy a good laugh about parenting teens. Check out this Life Skills Bingo printable pack from Ginny at Not So Formulaic! Even if you’re not in the mood for bingo, she has a fantastic life skills post series worth reading. More life skills resources to check out Life Skills Reimagined by LYFT Learning is another top pic for self-paced online life skills courses. The bloggers at iHN used it and gave it the Featured Favorite seal of approval. It’s a 60-hour course including these basics: personal finance, independent living, getting & keeping a job (including finding a career), communication skills, and resiliency Voyage Course by Thrive Academics is an online digital curriculum that guides your teen through five key components of adult life: self-identity, career planning, college planning, financial responsibility, and everyday living. Highly recommended! Raddish Kids is a cooking club for kids. Their monthly subscription box is perfect for kids who love to get in the kitchen. Each month your child gets a new menu with detailed instructions for shopping, preparing, and cooking a meal. How fun! Self-awareness and acceptance are key life skills for teens. And knowing yourself well is key to finding the right career path. TruSpark is an online assessment that reveals a teen’s 3 top Core Motivations—the things that get them excited and inspire them to act. Besides the self-awareness teens get from the process, TruSpark takes teens through career exploration based on their specific Core Motivations. SkillTrek is multi-media instruction for all ages. These video lessons are the kind of thing I need for my boys! My husband isn’t the type of dad who’s out in the driveway working away on auto mechanics. (No offense, Honey.) These videos would really come in handy! Study.com has thousands of online video courses. Most courses offer a certificate of completion. That’s great for your record book! Jam is another great site for online courses. I found it looking for drawing classes for my 12-year-old, but I found out they also have cooking classes! The offer courses for younger and older grades. Books About Life Skills The Leader in Me is a series for elementary aged students based on the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Lessons feature 10-minute activities that help students reflect on their lives, develop leadership skills, and set goals. This is a flexible program that can be assigned daily or weekly. A teacher’s guide is available. (If you have middle or high school students, have them read along in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.)  Adrienne BoltonHomeschooling for twelve years and everyone’s still alive. One grad down, one to go! Proof you CAN get your kids to college from the couch. Sharing homeschool truth, humor, and encouragement. www.adriennebolton.com/blog

Simple Autumn nature crafts for kids! These fun, hands-on activities include ideas for all ages, perfect for the multi-age homeschooling classroom. 

Picture books are more than just pretty, colorful pictures on a page. They build imagination and creativity in the minds of little children. From the earliest of ages the images found on the pages of picture books help little ones to begin to formulate ideas, knowledge and information about the world around themselves. “Before they read words, children are reading pictures.” ― David Wiesner, Free Fall Did you know that picture books can be utilized to teach just about any subject? They are excellent for rounding out unit studies. For curious young readers a picture book can lay foundations for many educational skills from handwriting, to word recognition and even science and history. How to Teach Science with Picture Books Exciting Hands on Unit Study for Earth Day by Erin at Royal Baloo Chemistry for Kids – Eddie the Electron by Michelle at Homeschooling Down Under Scanorama Dinosaurs: Interactive Books Ignite Curiosity by Caitlin at My Little Poppies Promote Independent Learning with Science Experiments by Marci at The Homeschool Scientist Books about Inventors & Inventions that Inspire Creativity by Amanda at Raising da Vinci Teach S.T.E.M. using Picture Books 14 Picture Books about Building with Blocks, Engineering, and Architecture by Sara at Happy Brown House Fairy Tale STEM: Literature Based Math and Engineering by Bethany at Math Geek Mama 10+ Math Picture Books Your Kids will Love by Cait at My Little Poppies STEM Books for Kids by Karyn at Teach Beside Me STEM Chemistry for Elementary Kids – Atoms and States of Matter by Lara at Everyday Graces Using Picture Books to Teach History Hands on History: World War 1 Unit by Ticia at Adventures in Mommydom 5 Reasons We Study Greek Mythology in Our Homeschool by Dianna at The Kennedy Adventures Homeschool History- Our Ancient Egypt Study by Krista at We’re Far from Normal Hands on Fun with American Presidents & The White House by Heidi at Starts at Eight 9 History Books for Reluctant Readers to Fall in Love With by Rochelle at ASL Rochelle BarlowTeach Geography with Picture Books Geography and Picture Books Touring NYC Landmarks with New York City Picture Books by Selena at Look We’re Learning 13 FUN Geography Books for Kids by Pam Barnhill Around the World Picture Books by Michelle from Homeschooling Downunder 5 BEST Books to Create an Around the World Unit Study by Tina at Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus 15 Books for Kids who Love Maps at iHomeschool Network Picture Books to Language Arts (Writing, Grammar, Literature) Nine Picture Books to Inspire Writers – Ami at Walking by the Way 9 Sensational Wordless Books That Can Benefit Your Homeschool by Kathy at Cornerstone Confessions The Coolest Way to Introduce Shakespeare by Emily at Table Life Blog Fairy Tale Activities for Early Learning by Sara at Happy Brown House Using Picture Books to Teach Biography Writing by Cindy at Our Journey Westward Teach about Holidays & Culture with Picture Books 12 Picture Books About Remarkable African-Americans by Jennifer at Mama Jenn Easy Read Christian Holiday Books by Aurie at Our Good Family 5 Picture Books About Character for Girls by Sallie Borrink 5 Stunning Children’s Books to Help you Celebrate Arbor Day by Amy at Rock Your Homeschool Easy Art Appreciation Using Art Mystery Books by Colleen at Raising Lifelong Learners It’s your turn! Tell us how you utilize picture books in your homeschool to teach different subjects. We’d love to hear your ideas. iHomeschool NetworkiHomeschool Network is a group of around 90 bloggers who provide outstanding content in the homeschool niche. ihomeschoolnetwork.com/

Many parents skip homeschool chemistry out of fear. I’m here to prove that chemistry is not the culprit. Somewhere along the line, we have mistaken basic chemistry for a PhD level study when it can easily be understood by a child.

Does your teen have trouble with classic literature? Want to bring the classics to life? Here are 5 awesome tools to help your teen love the classics.

Maps open up our world to adventure. Does your kid obsess over the GPS or play with Google Maps like it is a game? Here are 15 books for kids who love maps.

Fun planners are all the rage these days. So many people have caught the bug and are adding stickers, doodles, and washi to their plans. This new trend is even crossing over into the homeschool planner space. Totally fun. But even more important than a fun homeschool planner is one that is functional. A good homeschool planner will help you flex when life changes and reduce decision fatigue. It will also keep handy those elements that are most important to your homeschool. Here are seven things to include in your homeschool planner to make sure you have an awesome homeschool year. Washi tape optional. 1. Your homeschool vision. While it’s fun to start your homeschool planning with shopping, a better place to start is by creating a vision statement for your homeschool. Consider: What is important for you to include in your child’s education? What do you need to give them the space to do each day? What subjects are must-dos in your home? What skills would you like for them to have when they leave home? Once you have your vision in place then print it, include it in your planner, and refer to it before you make decisions about curriculum purchases, extracurricular activities, and course of study. If you would like some hand-holding on how to write a homeschool vision, you can check out this free 30-minute webinar on how to get it done. 2. Goals for each student. Once you have an overall vision, the next step is to create goals for each of your kids for the school year. Goals give you an idea of what their current strengths and weaknesses are and how you can play to the strengths and address the weaknesses. Frustrated by setting goals that you never actually accomplish? Check out my favorite goal-setting tip for goals you will complete every single time. Keep your goals in your planner so you can periodically refer to them throughout the school year and check your progress. It is helpful to plan a date on the calendar so you remember to check-in. 3. Your state requirements for homeschoolers Having a print-out of your state requirements for homeschoolers handy is a good homeschool practice. This way, you know your exact legal obligations for the school year without guessing. How many hours of school are you required to complete? How many days? Which subjects are you supposed to cover? This is not to chain you to the dictates of “the man,” but actually helps you in a couple of ways. First, if you are ever given incorrect information (from a school official, another homeschool mom, etc) then you will be easily armed with what you need to know. Second, most states actually require less than many homeschoolers think they do. So often local homeschool moms think they have to do way more than they actually do. Having a handy copy of the requirements reminds you to think before you freak out about the new career class all ninth graders need to take. Why? Because it isn’t required of homeschoolers. You can find state-by-state homeschool requirements here. If you have a high school student I would also add admission requirements for your chosen colleges to this list of must-haves. 4. Your homeschool legal paperwork This might be a letter of intent, a state-issued form, or a document or card issued from a cover school. It is always handy to keep a copy of it right at your fingertips in your homeschool planner. While the chance of you ever needing it for an emergency situation is very slim, you do not want to be stumbling around looking for it if the need ever arises. Calm your nerves and look cool and competent by being able to put your fingers on it in a few seconds. When you know where it is, it is also easier to sign-up for all of those great teacher discounts and freebies most businesses extend to homeschoolers with proof of homeschooling. 5. A procedure list (or two, or three) One of the biggest obstacles to peace in the homeschool day is decision fatigue. You are constantly being pulled in different directions, forced to answer questions, and decide what to do next — often while under mental assault from a toddler (or teenager). Eliminate much of the decision fatigue and stress of homeschooling by creating procedure lists for any subject that is not open-and-go. Having this simple plan in place allows you to put your homeschool day on auto-pilot, get more done, and worry less. You can find my step-by-step plan for creating procedure lists here. 6. A schedule for your year Pull out your highlighters, this is where the fun starts. Use our handy calendar form to plan which days you will do school each month. This video walks you through how to do that. Are you going to school year-round? Do you want to try sabbath schooling (six weeks on and one week off) or some other variation? Maybe you want to go with the flow and follow my magic number technique for scheduling your homeschool (see number four here). Whichever you choose, having a plan in place will help you be more consistent, and therefore more successful, in your schooling. 7. An attendance tracker Most states require some form of attendance tracking even if they require little else in the way of homeschool paperwork. Attendance trackers don’t have to be fancy, but they do have to be practical — I find it is one of the hardest things for me to remember to keep up with. So you might decide to have a special form in the front of your book or simply make a mark on the corner of your calendar days. Whichever you choose, try to remember to be consistent. Also, remember that learning happens everywhere so you don’t have to sit at the table and open a textbook for learning to have occurred. A great (and organized) homeschool year

Let’s face it. Sometimes homeschool can get a bit drab. Day in, and day out it can start to feel a bit, well boring, for the kids and sometimes even for the teacher. That’s where some creative thinking comes into play. Remember that homeschooling affords us the ability to think outside the traditional curriculum box and find new ways to mix it up a bit and creatively teach subjects in your homeschool. Sometimes it’s a matter of hands-on activities. Or it could be taking the kids out of the home and trying a job shadowing program or mentorship program. Are you looking for ways to creatively teach homeschool? Are you looking for ways to creatively teach homeschool? Then you’ve come to the right place on the web! These bloggers are bringing you some fantastic ways to teach homeschool creatively. Homeschool Creatively 3 Creative Ways to Teach History by Julie at Homeschooling-Ideas 3 Ways to High School Credit by Betsy @ BJ’s Homeschool 4 FUN Ways to Help Struggling Handwriters by Betsy @ BJ’s Homeschool 10 Days of Classical Charlotte Mason Homeschooling by Tatiana at The Musings of Mum A Class for Pre-School AND High School?? by Susan at The Sparrow’s Home A Different Way to Homeschool High School by Susan at The Sparrow’s Home A Different Way to Teach Spelling and Vocabulary by Susan at The Sparrow’s Home Creative Electives for Your High School Student by Pat at PatAndCandy Do High School Creatively  by Betsy @ BJ’s Homeschool Early Science FUN – Hands-On! by Betsy @ BJ’s Homeschool Encouraging Your Littlest Author by Betsy @ BJ’s Homeschool Filmmaking for Kids: Let the Creativity Flow by Dachelle at Hide The Chocolate Fun Homeschool Lessons for the First Week of School by Amy at Amy’s Wandering Having Fun with Handwriting by Ashley at Some Random Lady Homeschool with Smashbooks by Susan at The Sparrow’s Home How I Teach Apologetics in Our Homeschool by Tatiana at The Musings of Mum How to Assign High School Credit to Life Experiences by Pat at PatAndCandy Integrating Gaming, Crafts and Other Real World Learning into Your Homeschool by Susan at The Sparrow’s Home Make Your Own High School English Course by Betsy @ BJ’s Homeschool Make Your OWN U. S. History Course by Betsy @ BJ’s Homeschool Middle School – Creative Writing by Betsy @ BJ’s Homeschool The Art of Simple Book Making by Betsy @ BJ’s Homeschool The Role of Arts and Crafts in a Well-Rounded Education – by Pat at PatAndCandy The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Disney by Susan at The Sparrow’s Home  Video Making by Betsy @ BJ’s Homeschool What is Strewing…and Why Should I Do It? by Susan at The Sparrow’s Home iHomeschool NetworkiHomeschool Network is a group of around 90 bloggers who provide outstanding content in the homeschool niche. ihomeschoolnetwork.com/

A list of pages and tricks for becoming a more productive homeschooling parent and to capture all of the moments using a homeschool bullet journal.

28 homeschool bloggers have joined together to provide one massive back-to-homeschool basket giveaway! Take a peek around these 28 sites and enter to win as many baskets as you like. Each blogger is conducting her own giveaway, so you never know…you may end up winning more than one! All giveaways will be live on Monday, August 7. (1) Our Favorite Literature by Geek Families (2) Ocean Learning Gift Basket by See Jamie Blog (3) Getting Back to Homeschool Bundle Giveaway by Renée at Great Peace (4) Back to High School Giveaway Basket by BJ’s Homeschool (5) Hands-On Learning Basket by Homeschool Hideout (6) Box of Preschool Busy Bags by Happy Brown House (7) Middle School Homeschool Curriculum Giveaway by Starts At Eight (8) Life of Fred Math Books Gift Basket by Look! We’re Learning! (9) Medieval England Unit Study Basket by Table Life Blog (10) Favorite Homeschool Things With a Texas Twist by Classic Housewife (11) Bible Study for Kids giveaway by Adventures in Mommydom (12) Back to Homeschool Morning Time Gift Basket by Everyday Graces (13) Mom’s Quiet Time Gift Basket Giveaway by Embracing Destiny (14) Five Days of Fine Motor Fun by This Outnumbered Mama (15) Plan to Play Basket by Hide The Chocolate (16) Middle and High School Living Book Lover’s Delight! by Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus (17) American History & Government Back to School Pack by Blog, She Wrote (18) Create Your Family Mission Statement by Not So Formulaic (19) The Home Education Road Map Scholarship Homeschool Giveaway by Grace, Grow & Edify (20) Homeschooling Through the Seasons Basket by Amy’s Wandering (21) Elephant and Piggie Favorite Book Characters Giveaway by Line upon Line Learning (22) Back to Homeschool Giveaway 2017 by That Bald Chick (23) Back to School Shopping Spree by Sallie Borrink (24) Travel the Globe with a World Geography Gift Basket by Eva Varga (25) Getting Started with Home Education by My Little Robins (26) Back to Homeschool Online Music Course Giveaway by I Choose Joy! (27) Growing Science Resource Basket by The Learning Hypothesis (28) The Great American History Gift Basket by Family Style Schooling     iHomeschool NetworkiHomeschool Network is a group of around 90 bloggers who provide outstanding content in the homeschool niche. ihomeschoolnetwork.com/

From time to time we all need a little inspiration. It’s easy to get discouraged or to get bogged down with the day to day busy-ness that comes with homeschooling. But sometimes inspiration can come in a simple reminder that what we are doing is of far greater value than the moments that fill up a homeschooler’s day. With our inspiring quotes for homeschoolers, you’re going to find just the insight you need to keep on keeping on. “In order to stay the course with homeschooling while pouring into your child’s passions, you’ve got to set ground rules in place.” – Diana Kennedy, The Big Book of Homeschooling Ideas. We’ve gathered our favorite inspiring quotes for this link up and wanted to share them with you because we know as homeschoolers we all need a bit of incentive from time to time. Without some encouragement, we may want to throw in the proverbial towel. Without a bit of revelation, we might feel lost and as if we are floundering in a sea of Pinterest unworthiness. We need to remember and be reminded of, our purpose, our goal, our reason for doing what we do every day. Homeschooling isn’t just about books, and planners, it’s about training and preparing our children for adulthood. We hope that these inspiring quotes will offer you a bit of enthusiasm as you are preparing your lessons, curriculum, or plans for the upcoming homeschooling year. Find Inspiring Quotes at these Blogs 5 Valuable Concepts to Make Your Homeschool Stress-Free by Pat at PatAnd Candy 12 Homeschool Quotes for the Heart of a Mom by Renée at Great Peace 20 Inspiring Quotes for Your Teenager by Pat at PatAndCandy 50 Awesome Marriage Quotes to Inspire Joy & Peace by Renée at Great Peace Encouraging Homeschool Quotes for When You Want to Send Your Child to Public School by Courtney at Grace, Grow & Edify Homeschool Inspiration: Charlotte Mason-inspired Quotes, Printables, & Wallpapers by Emily at Table Life Blog Inspirational Art Quotes by Tricia at Hodgepodge Inspirational Quotes for Classical Homeschoolers by Alison at Learning Mama What is your favorite quote? We’d love to know. Share your favorite quote in the comments below. Be sure to properly credit the quoted author. iHomeschool NetworkiHomeschool Network is a group of around 90 bloggers who provide outstanding content in the homeschool niche. ihomeschoolnetwork.com/

Are you planning a family vacation to Universal Studios in Orlando this summer? There are lots of opportunities around the park to sneak in some homeschooling with all the fun you’ll be having!! Take a look at these fun ways to homeschool while you’re there!