New Homeschool Planner!

My BYOB: Build Your Own Binder pages are now available in a HOMESCHOOLedition!

These pages were specifically designed with the homeschool parent in mind. 

I am most excited about the new planning pages for those of us who have more than one child. I have created planning pages with space for 2 & 3 students. Sorry, but if you have more than that, combine pages. I tried to do one with space for 4 kiddos and I don't think anyone could write that small.

These pages come in color and black & white AND they come in a 4 or 5 day option.

See my finished copy-

Here's a preview:

(2 student, 5 days, color 2-pg planner)

(3 student, 4 day, black & white 2-pg planner)

curriculum shopper

There's 89 pages in this set! The best part is, you can print what you need and build your own binder.

Grab your own copy now at

Teachers Notebook

Teachers Pay Teachers

Are You Ready To Party?

If you are a homeschooler, you do not want to miss out on this exciting event.

Homeschool Chicks is having its first Facebook party and it is going to be huge!

The list of items to giveaway is amazing, I wish I could win. But since I will be hosting the party, I will settle

for the joy of knowing that very well-deserving homeschool moms will have the opportunity

to walk away with some amazing prizes.

PLUS, there are a ton of FREEBIES for all party-goers.

You DO need a Facebook account to attend the party since it does take place on Facebook.

If you're not a fan of Homeschool Chicks yet, please click here to friend us.

My Post on The Homeschool Classroom

I am thrilled to share with you that I am now a contributing writer at The Homeschool Classroom. I am in some amazing company of homeschool ladies over there!
Last week, my first post went up and I would love to share it with all of you.
5 Things To Remember When One Child Excels But The Other Struggles

Take a look around while you're there! It's a great site for ideas, encouragement, and help.

Curriculum: TOO Many Choices!

What curriculum should I use? Which 5th grade curriculum do you like best?

These are the questions asked dozens of times each day by homeschoolers. Some of them are just jumping in to homeschool while plenty of others are still searching for the "just right" curriculum. The great news is that there are so many options for homeschool curriculum now. But it is impossible to know where to begin, so we ask other homeschoolers for their recommendations. 

Recommendations are empty if you haven't done the background work first.

You can get recommendations pelted at you like a Texas hail storm, but they won't be worth anything if you have failed to figure out the basic information first.

What's the basic information?

1. What are your goals for homeschooling? 

2. What kind of homeschooler are you or do you wish to be?

3. What kind of learner is your child?

4. What kind of teacher are you?

I HIGHLY recommend reading Cathy Duffy's book, 101 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum. And I must tell you, do not buy it in e-book form. You will want to write on the pages and refer back to your notes constantly over the years. I first purchased the book for my Kindle and then had to re-buy it in actual book form. But, the information is so valuable, it was worth buying it twice.

Cathy Duffy's book helps you narrow down the choices. Then and only then can you truly glean any insight from recommendations. 

Take a look at these 2 scenarios and tell me which one you want to be:

1) I want to homeschool my 5th grade daughter. I do a Google search for homeschool curriculum. After reading a few descriptions, I am seriously considering XYZ. It looks like it covers all the subjects and the cost is great. I then go in search of some reviews of XYZ. Looking around, I find mixed reviews but I am beginning to think that the bad reviews are from people who just didn't use it right. I join a Facebook group for homeschoolers and I ask them if anyone has used XYZ. There are many replies singing the praises of XYZ. Well, that settles it. I am sold on XYZ so I hop on over to the website and order it. A few weeks later, XYZ arrives and it looks amazing with colorful pictures, a science book filled with experiments, a few novels, and more.
When our school year begins in August, we dive right into XYZ. It doesn't take us but a month to figure out that this curriculum is not a good fit. So back to Google I go, frustrated and broke.

2) I want to homeschool my 5th grade daughter. Not knowing where to begin, I order a copy of Cathy Duffy's book. The book is about half the size of a phone book! My friend told me that it's worth the time and money to work my way through the book. She uses XYZ with her son and he's about the same age as my daughter. I thought about just going with XYZ since that's what she uses and it seems to be great. But, instead I am going to work my way through this book. When I am done figuring out what kind of learner my daughter is, what kind of teacher I am and what my actual homeschooling goals are, I move on to the pages of spreadsheets explaining curriculum. Oh boy, this is going to take awhile. Soon I discover that my homeschool is so different from my friends. She must have a different kind of kid and different goals! According to the Duffy book, XYZ would be a waste of time and poor fit for us. Based on my information, the best curriculum for us would be either QRS or JKL. I go in search of reviews, compare kit components, and evaluate placement tests. I settle on JKL. My friend is surprised because she thinks XYZ is the best curriculum on the planet.
When our school year begins in August, we jump into our JKL lessons. It takes us awhile to find our stride, which I am told is normal, but my daughter seems to be learning and enjoying school. 

I know I want to be in scenario #2! I urge you to read Cathy Duffy's book. She really breaks it down and helps you weed out things that simply will not fit. The book won't narrow your choices down to one curriculum. Instead, it will just give you a narrow focus and show you a few options that will work best for your family. It is so great, almost freeing, to hear someone speaking highly of XYZ and know that while it might be a great curriculum, it doesn't fit you. 

Good luck in your search!

Day 1: Delight-Directed Teaching

As if the decision to homeschool isn't big enough, then you are faced with the choice of how to homeschool. If you listen to a group of homeschool moms, you'll hear things like unschooling, delight-directed, school at home, or eclectic tossed in the conversation. Where do you begin? How do you know what kind of homeschool family you are?

The Schoolhouse Review Crew is taking a look at Delight-Directed Teaching as Day 1 of 5 Days of Teaching Creatively. This is a week long blog hop. So, let's hop on in and take a peek at Delight-Directed Teaching.

Delight
noun

: something that gives great pleasure or satisfaction

Delight-Directed Teaching is the approach where learning is driven by student interest under the guise of parental supervision. The belief is that students will dive into something that interests them and therefore will have more meaningful learning. Dr. Raymond Moore, considered to the the Grandfather of homeschooling, said, “Warm responsiveness and doing things together with your children are the best way to ensure that your child will be cognitively mature at age 12.” 

I want you to notice two things:
1. Parental input and direction do play a role, but they take a backseat to the child's interest.

2. Dr. Moore encourages doing things together. Again, that means with you, the parent.

I want to get a bit technical with you when it comes to teaching in order to understand where I believe your role is in student led learning.

The famous ZPD model. The Zone of Proximal Development created by Vygotsky. That middle blue area is where teachers aim to be to target the greatest learning. The center is the area where a student can do something without help. Teach in this area too long and the student will become bored and obviously there's no learning taking place. The outer ring is the area where a student cannot do something without help. If a student is left in this area, he will grow frustrated. His confidence will dwindle and learning will be non-existent. Think of Goldilocks trying to choose the bed that was "just right".

Kids are naturally curious.

Kids are also naturally lazy.

I believe the role of the parent in Delight-Directed Teaching is to help the student stay within the middle ring, the ZPD. If your 4th grader wants to study dinosaurs, you will help guide him to choose books that are on his reading level.  You might find a Lapbook for his level on dinosaurs. Another great tool for getting started would be to use a K-W-L chart. 

Your child could complete the chart with- 

K: what he knows

W: what he wants to know

L: what he learned

The Notebooking Fairy

To learn more about Delight-Directed, please continue on the Blog Hop:

Is It Too Early To Plan?

Is It Too Early To Plan?

It is March and the next school year is already on my mind. This is the time of year when I start seriously evaluating our current curriculum choices. Man, I wish we could just buy a giant boxed curriculum that would be awesome. I would love to have something already planned day 1, day 2, etc. Thus, I am on the hunt for something to help me with the planning. 

My curriculum ramblings for 2013:

I love the idea of something like Sonlight or Calvert where it's all laid out, day-by-day. But I hate the costs. Actually, I don't mind spending the money but I have a fear of spending that much money only to be disappointed with the curriculum.

I need a stronger reading and writing curriculum.

I will have 3 students next year. My youngest did school this year when she felt compelled but next year it's go time!

My kids didn't fall in love with Teaching Textbooks the way I thought they would. My 8 year old actually asked for "paper math".

While I see the benefit of teaching kids together, I feel like the gap between my 8 year old and my 10 year old is growing, thus making it more difficult to teach them together. 

Although we are a Christian family, I tend to prefer secular materials. I have found that many of the Christian curricula have differing beliefs or the material is watered down.

I spend far too much time planning for 2 kids. I can't imagine what it will be like with 3! 

I realize that my reasons for homeschooling may not and probably do not match other's reasons. 

Do you see how I am driving myself down the path of insanity? I am sure that I am not alone, or at least I hope I am not.  I remember doing this just last summer. I read tons of reviews, visited dozens of websites, and downloaded countless pages of previews. 

I am starting now in hopes that I can use this extra time to help weed through it all. Again. 

Be Content!

Monday Happens

I am all for beginning the week strong. Sadly though, this is what my Monday is looking like. This lovely look isn't brought to you by the good folks at HGTV. This, my friends, is the result of a weekend of using the school room to do art. Somewhere under the piles of papers, bins of markers and boxes of crayons, are 3 desks. Oh and be sure to take a good look at the floor, where, to your delight, you will find markers and pencil shavings.

Yep. Monday Happens.

Homeschool Chicks!

Have you checked out Homeschool Chicks lately? 

We are 5 homeschool moms from across the nation. We initially began collaborative blogging at Teaching Blog Addict, which was the #1 teaching blog for several years. 

We have:

Tamara 

The Fun Chick

Blog: Teaching With TLC

Annie
The Reading Chick

Blog: The Moffatt Girls

Cindy
The Math Chick

Blog: Love2Learn2Day

Heidi

The How-To Chick

Blog: Homeschool How To

and me
The Organized Chick

Please stop by and check us out. Link up your own blog and grab some great freebies while you're there. 

When Dad's Away

Having Fun While Dad's Away

Whenever my husband travels for work I find myself dreading the evenings. Of course, during the day life moves along at its normal pace and we can pretend he's just at work. But as the dinner hour approaches, I'm sadly reminded that there will be an empty seat at the table. If you stay home with your kids alone for any length of time, you understand how welcomed it is to have an extra set of eyes and ears as well as refreshed sense of patience. So this time, I made a plan to come up with some fun evening activities to fill the time and make some memories. The plan is to make activities that are fun, don't cost a lot and don't require too much prep or planning.

Night #1: Brinner

 Breakfast for Dinner!

Brinner- placemat

This placemat keeps them busy while you cook. I figured, hey, it works for restaurants,

 it might work at home too.

Attire- pajamas and robes

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Night #2: Tycoon Night

Dress up fancy

Play Monopoly
Sip on mocktails- cranberry juice and sparkling soda

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Night #3: Worst Outfit Photo Contest

Dress up in the most outrageous outfit you can piece together and have a photo shoot.

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Night #4: Living Room Picnic

Picnic dinner on living room floor while we watch Antz or Bugs Life
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Night #5: All About Dad

{download}

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Night #6

Where did he go? 

Learn about where Dad went on his trip.

Try some food from that location.
My husband went to India, so me and the kids found an Indian restaurant.

We also learned a little bit about India.

The time didn't pass any faster but I think we made some memories and it will make for fun stories to tell Daddy whenever he gets home. 

12 Days of Teacher Freebies: Day 10 Classroom Decor

12 Days of Teacher Freebies

Teach Them To Fish Part 2: School

Teach Them To Fish Part 2

In Part 1 of Teach Them To Fish, we took on the daily monster called Laundry! My kids are not masters of their domain yet, but I can see a change. Sure, it's a teeny tiny change but I am counting it as a victory.

In Part 2, we are going to tackle school. I love cuddling with my kids as we read over history books. Nothing beats science lessons in the kitchen. But with 3 kids, I sometimes find myself being pulled in 3 directions. We are still trying to find our groove when it comes to managing our day. It seems like this is something all homeschool parents face and I am hoping we can learn from each other.  

Here's how I am going to Teach Them To Fish when it comes to school:

1. Space- You need to have a set place for work to be done. This could be the kitchen table, the office or a desk in their room.  After awhile, it will become understood that work is done there and the materials are stored there. This doesn't mean that science can't be done in the backyard or that reading can't take place snuggled up on the couch. We school all over our house but the "stuff" is stored in one place. 

2. Routine-  Please notice I didn't say schedule because to me that implies a regimented system that is only designed to fail. It's better to say, "After snack, we will have ____", than to say, "At 3:15, we will have _____." A routine is simply a suggestion of a general order of the way the day flows. 

3. Write It Down- This year I created a weekly student planner for the older two. They are in second and fourth grade. So far it has really helped for them to see what each day holds in store. Plus, I think they inherited my love of checking tasks off. It's also nearly eliminated the question, "H. Here is a copy of our weekly student planner.

4. Be Flexible- One of the greatest things about homeschooling is the flexibility. I am a planner by nature but showing your kids that plans can change is a huge lesson. Flexibility and spontaneity are important virtues to instill in our children. In this world of "getting it your way, right now, flexibility is unheard of!


I would love to hear your input.

Let's Talk LANGUAGE ARTS

Language Arts Homeschool Curriculum

This year I went for a curriculum that to my knowledge, is a hidden gem. JacKris Publishing specializes in writing, grammar and spelling curricula. It isn't fancy. It isn't Christian-based. It is a simple, no frills approach to teaching writing, grammar and spelling. Let's take a look at each content area and why I chose it.

Soaring With Spelling (using grades 2 and 5)

1. COST! I don't waste my time looking at curriculum that is wonderful but expensive. I can weed out a lot of contenders just based on price. The whole year of spelling cost less than $20 a year per child. 

2. Format- I like the format of a pretest, a few days of practice and then a test. I like the old school method of teaching spelling. This also has a place for carry over words so if a word is still not mastered, it will be there next week to practice again. Also, the format includes learning the definition of the words. What good is it to know how to spell a word you can't use?

3. Scope & Sequence- There are 36 weeks worth of lessons, 1 for each day of the week. Well, we are 5 day a week schoolers and our school year last 36 weeks. It's all laid out for me! Yippee!

4. Binding- While it might not seem like a big deal, when it comes down to narrowing your choice between 2 good contenders, it's the little things that count. SWS is spiral bound...at the top!

Winning With Writing (using grades 2 and 4)

1. Again, cost won out on this. $15 for the second grader and $26 for the fourth grader. 

2. Content- I taught writing in public school at the upper elementary level. I wish I had a program such as this one for teaching writing. My kids will be writing in other content areas as well so this program will be used for learning proper structure and mechanics.

3. Again, scope & sequence. Anything that is easy for me to implement means better success. Some of the greatest programs fail because they are too hard to implement. I have learned that setting myself up for success means that my kids will learn. This program is 36 weeks long, 1 lesson per week and there are 5 activities for each lesson. 

Growing With Grammar (using grades 2 and 4)

1. Cost...are you seeing a trend. $17 for the second grader and $32 for the fourth grader. I find it funny that $32 now sounds high.

2. Content- Just take a look at the objectives for 4th grade! My 5th graders in public school couldn't have made it past the third week.

3. Again- the scope & sequence. It is 36 weeks long with 3 lessons a week. At first I was a little disappointed that there were only 3 lessons per week. However, I truly enjoy giving my kids other ways of learning besides book and paper. We have memberships to a few online learning programs as well as access to tons of free ones. These are great for furthering their understanding on concepts taught from their curriculum. And as you know, I love making learning games such as learning centers and file folder games. 

As for reading, we are working our way through a list of children's novels. Click here to access a copy of our list. We will be doing novel studies on the books we read. We are starting with Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

Let's Talk MATH

Math: Teaching Textbooks

As promised, I want to take the time to discuss the curriculum we are using this year. We will start with Math.

For the two older kids, we are using Teaching Textbooks. My 2nd grader is a math whiz, so she is doing the 3rd grade set. I've read reviews that state the TT is a year behind public school. I find that hard to believe. I look at the 4th grade book and it looks harder than what my 5th graders did in public school. If you haven't heard about Teaching Textbooks, you really should take a look at the demo on their site. It is certainly pricey, at least by my standards, but Math is worth stretching my school budget.

Here are the reasons I chose Teaching Textbooks:
1. It goes ALL the way to Pre-Cal. Yes, I'm thinking way ahead.
2. The CD-ROM includes an instructional video for each lesson. The student watches this prior to doing the problems. S/he then stops the video and completes the practice problems. Then if they are confused or miss the practice problem, the video tutor can walk them through the problem step by step.
3. The CD-ROM does automatic grading! This means instant feedback for you and your child.
4. There are quizzes spaced out every 7 lessons. I like quizzes.
5. There are 118 lessons for 3rd grade and 119 lessons for 4th grade. With our school year lasting 180 days, this fits perfect with 3-4 lessons a week. I fill the other days with review or math lessons that further their understanding (file folder games, online games, fun lessons to correspond with holidays, math from other subject areas, etc)
6. The workbook is spiral bound and black and white. This is a selling point for me because I like to make copies so that my investment can last a few years.
7. The curriculum is a great balance of mastery and spiral.

My littlest one is 4 but she is so ready to be like the big kids. I can't believe that she would have to wait another year to start public school kindergarten. This year for math we are working with Spectrum math as our guide. I am not a huge supporter of spending hundreds (or even $100!) on curriculum for a kindergartner. I think kids can learn from basic books and hands-on means.

Breakfasts & Lunches & Dinners, Oh my!

Homeschool Meal Planner

My kids have gone to school before and I can tell you that I would rather do ANY chore than pack a lunch. I don't know why but making a sandwich at 6:30 in the morning, day after day, is enough to make me go postal!

Oh but alas, my sandwich making days are not over. The decision to homeschool brings a ton of new responsibilities like teacher, nurse, and lunch lady. Now while I don't hate lunch time as much as I do when it requires me to fix it at 6:30 in the morning, I still have a bit of dread surrounding that time of day. And in case you are wondering, I'm not totally fond of the other 2 mealtimes either.

I actually enjoy cooking. I don't enjoy playing short-order cook because let's face it, the tips stink.
I've learned that if there is a menu planned, like we're having THIS for lunch, then I'm more likely to not have to fix 3 different lunches.

I've created this printable for you to help you plan out your menu for the month. I've also included one that you could use weekly and has a place to make a grocery list. This is my favorite form.

You can download these for free on Teachers Notebook.

Monsters of Homeschooling: Money

Monsters of Homeschooling

I love the saying, "If it's important, you'll find a way. If it's not, you'll find an excuse." If homeschooling is important to you, you CAN make it work. Sure, you won't be wearing designer clothes or taking fancy vacations, but you have to decide what the real payoff will be. 

Most homeschool families live on one income or at least one full-time income. I tell my hard-working husband that his job is to make the money and my job is to make every dollar go as far as it can. We live in San Francisco where the cost of living is 168% higher than the national average. We know very few people who live on one income and the fact that we do usually astonishes people. We don't live a lavish lifestyle but we are comfortable and happy. 

Money surely doesn't buy happiness but it does provide stability and security. Money is also one of the reasons people think that homeschooling isn't for them and one of the reasons people quit homeschooling.
Are you ready to learn how to avoid the Money Monster?

1. Be realistic. If you were to get a job, how much money would you really be bringing home? Don't forget to factor in the extra childcare costs, the dinners out because you're too tired to cook, work clothes, etc.

2. Check your cell phone bill. Are you signed up for a plan that you're not really using? Do you need all the options?

3. Also look at your cable bill. Chances are you are paying more than you need to for channels you don't watch. Switch to a cheaper plan for a month and see if you truly miss it. Or go radical like we did and just live without cable! The kids watch Netflix or watch shows online.

4. Are you eating your money? If you eat out more than once a week, you are throwing your money away. One fast food meal out for a family of 4 can run $30 or more! For $30 at the grocery store, you could purchase food for 3 days AND it would be better food. You can still dine out, just do it wisely. Find restaurants where kids eat free on certain nights, split meals or sign up for Groupons. If you don't use Groupons, go sign up!

5. Make a weekly menu. Don't ever go shopping without a list! Buy what you need and use coupons if you can. It is a great idea to stock up on items when they are super cheap. I've been known to have cereal stashed in my closet because it was $0.50 a box! Coupon Mom is a great place to learn how to save money and create a stockpile. The Grocery Game is another popular site but it charges a fee and that goes against my "trying-to-save-money" mentality.

6. Use coupons or Groupons for anything you can. If you sign up for Kohls emails, you get coupons all the time. Most stores have a similar system. Shop at Home is super helpful if you are an online shopper. If you install the toolbar on your web browser, you can use that as your search engine for shopping. Not only does it provide you with a coupon to use but you earn a percentage of your purchase. I've made over $50 this way and I don't do a ton of shopping. I have yet to find a store that doesn't have some kind of coupon or cash back.

7. Find it free or used. Freecycle is a wonderful place to give away unwanted items and get used items for free. Craigslist is always a good place to find new and used items. I also love thrift stores like Goodwill. A little know secret is that I buy all my jeans from Goodwill. I can get Gap jeans that were $90 new, for $7. No one would ever know if I didn't tell them. Goodwill is also a great place to buy books! Thred Up is an online children's clothing consignment store.

8. Get back to basics on holidays and celebrations. I don't remember ever going to a birthday party when I was a kid where there was a petting zoo or pony rides. Americans have gone off the deep end when it comes to birthday parties. We recently attended a party for a 6 year old where they had "normal" birthday party activities like pin the tail on the donkey, musical chairs and a pinata. You know what, those boys had so much fun, even the older ones!
Then there's Christmas. Seriously folks, let's find a budget and stick to it. If your 3 year old is getting an iPad, I want to be adopted by you.  I am all about the magic of Christmas, but spending $1000 per kid is just nuts!
I had a friend that gave each of her kids 3 presents to represent the gold, frankincense and myrrh that was presented to baby Jesus. The gold present is big and the other two are smaller. If you have a big family, draw names for presents. This is so much more fun because you can really put more thought into your gift. Whatever you do, don't go into debt for presents.

Again, I know I am not telling you anything new. These cost cutting measures are often heard but seldom followed.

Monsters of Homeschooling: Fear

Monsters of Homeschooling 

How will I  know what to teach?

What if my kids drive me crazy?

What if I can't stay organized?

How will I teach 4 kids?

Depending on how you look at it, fear can either be an obstacle or a great motivator. How do you handle fear?

Fear can keep you from trying. Fear can make you weak. Fear can make you believe things that aren't true or rational. Fear can steal your energy, joy, creativity, focus, and passion. 

What would you or could you do if you weren't afraid? And truthfully, what are you afraid of?

When it comes to homeschooling, the most common fear is that we are going to somehow mess up our kids. There is a certain amount of fear that you should feel when it comes to the awesome responsibility of educating your children. But it needs to be the kind of fear that is backed with huge amount of respect. A mixed feeling of fear and respect can propel you into greatness instead of keeping you paralyzed in the shadows. 

Are you ready to send the Fear Monster back to his corner?

Let's look at the fears I listed above.

1. How will I know what to teach?

There are so many options now on types of homeschool methods and curricula, it can be overwhelming. I highly recommend Cathy Duffy's book if you are just starting out. DO NOT buy it in the digital version (i.e. Kindle, etc.) as you will want to be able to write notes. I originally bought the Kindle version and was not happy. She also has a website for reviewing curricula. If you don't know how you teach, how your kids learn or what kind of homeschooler you are, BUY THE BOOK! You will be taken step by step through identifying how your child learns, how you like to teach, etc. At the end of the process, you will have a much clearer idea of what to do.

Knowing what kind of homeschooler you are can help you navigate through the endless options of curricula. If you choose to go the route of not using curricula, you can find all sorts of educational standards to help you stay on track.  Core Knowledge is a popular one. You can also check with you local school districts or state standards.

2. What if my kids drive me crazy?

Ready for a short answer? They will. 

Ha! You will have days that you want to pull out your hair, but I think ALL parents feel that way even if their kids go to school. Just ask a public school parent about homework. 

3. What if I can't stay organized?

No one says you have to have some picture perfect homeschool room. We can dream of having rooms that belong on Pinterest. Be realistic. Find a system of keeping up with important papers first. Then worry about how to organize the chapter books or art supplies.
Set aside a day each week to file, sort and purge. I like to do this on Fridays when our school day is a bit shorter. Make it a "must do" on your schedule. 

4. How will I teach 4 kids? (or whatever # you have)
This is a BIG fear and often the one that derails a parent faster than anything. If a teacher can divide herself by 20 or more, you can divide yourself by much less.
I like Sue Patrick's Workbox System. Many people try it and love it and some try it and it doesn't work for them. Here is a helpful video from a mom that uses workboxes. We use the Trofast drawers from Ikea.

If you're wondering more about how to do workboxes, check back tomorrow for more information and some useful resources for Freebie Friday.

Monsters of Homeschooling: Doubt

Oh that little monster called Doubt. It sneaks in and robs you of your confidence and joy. Even if you can see it coming you are often not equipped to face it and make it flee.

It doesn't help that we hear the seeds of doubt all around us. If you tell someone that you homeschool, you'll most likely hear responses along the lines of:

I could never do that.

How are you going to teach them Algebra?

How do you know you're doing enough?

 

Don't you get burnt out?

 

When people ask you these questions, I am sure that their intentions are not to plant seeds of doubt. They are simply stating their own doubts and questions on how they would handle your situation. Anytime you do something outside the norm, you raise questions in each person you talk to about it.

Regardless of their intentions, these questions can find their way into our hearts and minds. 

So what can you do about it? 

1. Be prepared for these questions and understand the hidden power they contain. While it is a simple question or statement, it can plant itself if you are unaware.  

2. Come up with some responses that will help you to deflect the doubt. Of course, be as nice as possible. You certainly don't ever have to defend your choices to anyone, but you should be watchful of the doubt monster.

3. Find a confidant that shares your views on homeschooling. This can be your spouse, family member, or close friend. If you're part of a homeschool group, this would be a great topic to discuss. Having a support system can help you navigate the tough patches. It's also comforting to know that other homeschool parents share the same struggles. 

Be confident in who you are and the decisions you have made.

 

Winning at Planning: Step 4

This could also be called "research time", "going-insane-time", or "giving-your-printer-a-workout-time". The whole idea with steps 1-3 is to to hopefully make the arrival at step 4 a wee bit better. Finding the perfect curriculum is a goal of many homeschoolers. The truth is, it doesn't exist. What works for your friend's children could turn out to be a complete flop for yours. You can read 10 reviews that praise the curriculum you have on and you'll be ready to buy it. Then, just as you're about to hit the purchase button, you read 1 review that rips that curriculum to shreds. And there it is, the seed of doubt that will blossom into full hatred by Thanksgiving. 

I don't disagree with reading reviews. I habitually check Amazon for reviews before I purchase anything, even if I am buying something at a brick and mortar store. Just keep in mind this one little thing:

Curriculum is ONLY the map for your school year.
YOU are the PILOT.
You choose when to follow the map and when to go rogue.

But choose your map wisely. If you know that you are not a hands-on kind of teacher, don't choose a science curriculum that has you making something 3 times a week. I looked at one science curriculum that had a supply list longer than Santa's list! I can't imagine anyone not feeling like a failure with that set up.
On the other hand, if you have a child that is not content learning by merely reading, look for curricula that engage the learner and have lessons that are hands-on. The task of finding a good fit for teacher and student is daunting. 

I've created some planning pages to help you keep track of the information flood you are about to experience.

As you research various curricula, keep track of the information on the Curriculum Shopper.
Use 1 per subject, per child.

Once you've made a decision, record your choices the Curriculum Planner.

Use 1 per child.

If you can, print out the TABLE OF CONTENTS for each curriculum as you purchase it.
Many companies provide this as part of the preview and many times the lesson are divided evenly over the customary 36 weeks or 180 days. Now you can fill in the Scope and Sequence.

 A good starting point for actual lesson planning, is to create a Scope and Sequence.
It's basically a WHAT you teach, WHEN you teach it document.
Fill in the subjects along the top and then fill in the general lesson idea for each week.
Example: MATH- addition without regrouping, measurement (liquids)

All pages are available in my B.Y.O.B
Build Your Own Binder Homeschool Planner

Winning at Planning: Step 1

As you may have noticed, I am a planner. Not that I don't find spur of the moment activities to be fun, but for the most part, I like to have a plan. One thing I have learned from being a classroom teacher and now a homeschool teacher, I hate being unprepared.

My new goal for next year is to be ahead of the game, not one step, but several steps ahead. This idea inspired my new series I've created, Winning at Planning. If you are looking to get more organized, better prepared and just a happier person (yes, I'm promising happiness), then you will want to follow this series.

The foundation of your planning is deciding what subjects you will be teaching. Math, Reading, Writing, Grammar, Spelling, Science, History, Health, Bible, Latin, Spanish, French, Art, Music, etc.
This is the time to be very realistic. Be sure to include classes and activities that will be taught outside of your home. Piano lessons or Latin Club at the local homeschool co-op should be included on your list.

This step is just choosing what to teach, not choosing the curriculum that you will use for each subject. That's the next step. This step is choosing subjects and possibly even narrowing it down to a particular course. Instead of just math, you might write Algebra. Instead of history, you might write Ancient Civilizations.
I know this first step seems like a baby step but it is important. We are going to take this one baby step at a time so that we don't get overwhelmed or go broke trying to find the perfect fit.

If you're using my B.Y.O.B Planning Pages for Homeschoolers, you will want to fill in the subjects column of the Curriculum Plan page. Use one page for each of your children and it is ok if you need more than one page for each of your children.