Search Results for: homeschool organization

Things to Consider Before Homeschooling

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Is homeschooling the best choice for your child, your family, and yourself? That is a question that parents must give serious thought to as they are making the decision about whether or not to start homeschooling a child. Here are some important things to consider before you make the transition from public school to homeschooling. Can you afford to homeschool? Parents who are displeased by the public school that their child has been assigned to might be thinking about homeschooling instead. After all, homeschooling is obviously cheaper than the tuition that a private school would charge. Keep in mind that … Continue reading →

Will Core Curriculum Standards Affect Homeschooling?

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You may have already heard about something called the Common Core State Standards Initiative. It is often referred to as Core Curriculum Standards. There is a lot of information about it online. The shortest explanation is that the Common Core State Standards Initiative is a set of curriculum that is intended to establish a single set of clear educational standards for students in kindergarten through 12th grade in English and Mathematics. There has been a lot of controversy about the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Those who support it feel that it will provide a equal set of standards that … Continue reading →

Record Keeping with Homeschool Minder

Homeschool Minder is a record keeping (web-based) software for homeschool teachers.  It is intuitive and interactive as it tracks grades, achievements, skills learned, lesson plans, assignments, and your calendar.  If it involves homeschooling it goes in Homeschool Minder.  Yes, you can input field trips.  Yes, you can input appointments.  Oh yes, even days at co-op.  It is the only record keeping system you will need.  Really…it is that exhaustive. You may be overwhelmed at first but navigation is easy and bypassing anything you don’t feel you need is simple and won’t get in your way.  If you state requires attendance or you submit … Continue reading →

Time Management Tips for the Homeschool Mom

Let me start off by saying I am the worst time manager in the land.  I love organization yet I can never keep up with it.  I have a mountain of laundry that is currently being ignored but refuses to go away.  If I walked over and told my husband I would be writing this article, he would laugh.  So, what do I know? I know what doesn’t work.  I also know what does work.  I go through phases of a solid routine that runs a tight ship to no routine at all that sinks a ship.  You know what? … Continue reading →

Homeschool Blog Focus: Brighton Park

  Brighton Park is a 2012 Circle of Moms Top 25 Homeschool blog, a Siemens Top 50 Farm Blog, and was recently featured in the Jan/Dec 2013 issue of Hobby Farm Home Magazine. Meet Katie Katie is the face behind Brighton Park.   Katie is a pediatric speech language pathologist.  Her homeschool curriculum is a hybrid of Catholic/Waldorf, or as her kids call it “Crafty Catholic”. She is a mom of five beautiful children, including twins with special needs. In addition, she is a yoga teacher, crafter, gardener, decorator, and backyard chicken keeper.  She loves inspired homeschooling and artful homemaking. You … Continue reading →

App-Schooling: New Tech Trend in Homeschooling

Computers and other forms of technology are no strangers to homeschooling.  Homeschool moms learned a long time ago that computers can aid the homeschool experience for both the student and the teacher.  If laptops gave our techie homeschool feet than the tablet gave it wings. Homeschool students and moms are finding the value in app-schooling.  App-Schooling is when a student uses a tablet and applications to study, reinforce lessons, or house lessons.  With tablet in hand, a homeschool student can unlock the door to the world one application at a time.  Homeschool moms can record, store, and plan, lessons. Homeschool portfoilos can … Continue reading →

Combining Working at Home With Homeschooling

Some parents choose to work from home so that they can homeschool their children. I did not initially know whether we would be homeschooling when I decided to open my home based businesses after the birth of our first son. It was always a possibility, and now that it is time for him to go to preschool, I have decided that that is what we will do, at least as far as preschool is concerned. Preschool in my local area is fairly expensive, and there are not a lot of choices. Since I am at home with our baby anyways, and … Continue reading →

“I could never homeschool.”

I hear that all the time after I confirm that I am that woman with kids in tow at the grocery store on a Wednesday morning. I am either asked if there is a school holiday or if I homeschool. The most common response I get when people know I homeschool is “I could never homeschool.” The second most common response always includes something about being with kids all day or being happy to send kids off to school. Both responses used to shock me and now they either make me laugh a little. I know it is not possible … Continue reading →

Great Homeschooling Book

Homeschooling for the Rest of Us is your basic Homeschooling 101 course.  If you have ever thought about homeschooling or if you are in your first few years of homeschooling this is the book for you.  If you are feeling overwhelmed or like your homeschool has veered off course then this is the book for you.  No time to read another homeschooling book?  Sonya Haskins’s Homeschooling for the Rest of Us is easily digestible and only 172 pages.  However, those 172 pages cover all the aspects of homeschooling that most asked about such as how to deal with relatives, budget, and socialization.  Having … Continue reading →

Mixing Homeschooling with Business

Many homeschooling homes are one income families. In today’s economy it is becoming more difficult to sustain a family on one income. It can be challenging, but not impossible, to have two parents working in a homeschool household. Be encouraged if you and your spouse work outside the home, you can homeschool. Yet, many homes are still seeking other options like a home business. If you are a mom who writes her own unit studies, puts together her own copywork for the kids, specializes in using the crock pot to make it sure your family eats, has to prepare a … Continue reading →