The Best Homeschool Curriculum!

This week marks Successful Homeschooling's 2nd Anniversary! As a gift to you, we are releasing another FREE e-book - 7 Secrets to Finding the Best Homeschool Curriculum.

This e-book details a step-by-step process for finding the best home school curriculum, and contains information about homeschooling high school and teaching gifted and special needs students. The book also features interviews with the following homeschool experts:

Valerie Bendt of Unit Studies Made Easy,
Lee Binz of The Home Scholar,
unschooler Sandra Dodd,
Corin Barsily Goodwin of Gifted Homeschoolers Forum,
Dennis Gunderson of Grace and Truth Books,
Sarita Holzmann of Sonlight,
Mary Hood of The Relaxed Home School,
Catherine Levison of A Charlotte Mason Education,
Jessica Parnell of Bridgeway Academy,
C.J. Rezak of Little Giant Steps, and
Larry Shiller of ShillerMath!

Follow this link to download 7 Secrets to Finding the Best Homeschool Curriculum. Enjoy!

Homeschooling Families: Getting Ready for a New Baby, Part 2

Our remodel isn't done yet, and right now our house is in total chaos. If a room doesn't look like this:



It looks like this:



For the past few nights we've been sleeping like this:



I used pregnancy as an excuse to have my husband give me a mattress on the floor one night, and last night I got my bed back. (Yes!)

My oldest is not big on change, and he keeps asking if I think all of these changes will be worth it. I told him I think it will. He also wants to know if it will be fun having a new baby around. I told him I'm sure it will. We talked about how fun it was adding his little sister, and then his baby brother. He agreed, and wants five more babies after this one.

Our hospital offers classes for older siblings that the children have enjoyed with each pregnancy. The class lasts 2-3 hours, and the children learn what babies look like inside their mommies, how babies get food before they are born, what newborns are like, how to help take care of babies, etc. They also get to tour the hospital, and take a peek inside the nursery.

These classes are totally unnecessary, but they're fun and they seem to make the kids feel special. With our last pregnancy, the instructor took pictures of the kids that we could put in the baby's hospital bassinet. The kids were so excited when they came to visit and saw those pictures.

Another one of our traditions is to get t-shirts for the older siblings to wear when they visit us in the hospital. This year I ordered shirts from Em Tanner Designs. These shirts were on the expensive side so I looked for a coupon code before ordering.



I was so tickled by this "Lil Bro" onesie that I had to order it. My husband was not amused.



Someone gave my oldest a Big Brother Journal when our daughter was born, and since then I've ordered them for the big sibs with each pregnancy.

They are pre-printed journals that ask the kids questions like, "What do you like to do with the baby?" - very simple questions that get hilarious answers from the 2 to 5-year-old set. It also gives them places to put photos or draw pictures. I LOVE re-reading these journals.



When we brought our last child home, I had a little cake in the freezer that we defrosted and decorated. We had a party for the baby where my older kids gave him small presents they'd wrapped themselves, and their brother gave them small presents for being such great older siblings. That was fun, and I plan to do that again.

Like I said, all of this is totally unnecessary, but it has been fun for us and we look forward to doing it. If it seems overwhelming, one simple thing to do is pull out the older kids' baby books and talk about your favorite memories of them.

That will be really difficult for us this time as my middle child's baby book is only half finished and my toddler's baby book does not exist. I keep telling my oldest that there are benefits to being the first born.

Homeschool Families: Getting Ready for a New Baby

It seems like I just found out I was pregnant, but every time I look at the calendar I am reminded that we only have two short months to go!

I've spent the past couple of weeks getting bids from contractors to help us do things like get rid of old, nasty carpet, paint our grubby walls and organize our closets. Now they're actually here working, and I can't wait until they're done so our house can go back to being a home.

Whenever I announce a new pregnancy, I am always asked if I'll put my older kids in school. I say I couldn't imagine getting rid of all my helpers! Beyond that, school comes with burdens of its own - rushing through breakfast to get everyone dressed and out of the house on time, packing lunches and backpacks, keeping up with assignments and notices from the teacher - homeschooling is so much easier.

Days with a new baby are also great learning experiences for children. Diane Hopkins' article, The Baby is the Lesson, explains this perfectly. Even if academic work does take the back seat for a moment, my children will learn so much more at home than they would in school. They also love new babies and I don't think they'd leave home if they could!

In addition to getting our house ready for the baby, I'm also making preparations that will keep the house running more smoothly once the baby arrives. I am at my worst when sleep deprived, so I've learned to set things up so I can run on autopilot.

I keep meals really simple. Breakfast is either cereal or something from the freezer that can be quickly defrosted and heated up. Lunch is sandwiches or leftovers. Dinner is defrosted and reheated from the freezer, or made in the crock pot.

Before my last child was born, I made a 3-month meal calendar, including grocery lists and breakfast/lunch/dinner menus. I also packed our freezer to almost overflowing with pancakes, muffins, breakfast sandwiches, soups, casseroles and other make ahead meals. This made it really easy for my mom and husband to help when they were around, and for me to keep everyone fed when they weren't.

I doubt I'll have time to stock the freezer before this baby is born, but I am making menus and getting my recipes in order. I recently found out about the Eat at Home blog, and I'm planning on trying some of her free weekly menus and recipes.

I also keep housework to the bare minimum when we have a new baby. I know it's not eco-friendly, but we use plastic cups and utensils, and paper plates. My kids reduce my workload by helping with chores - making their beds, folding their laundry, taking out trash, picking up toys, etc.

My 8-year-old can prepare cereal and juice when everyone's too hungry to wait on me to get moving in the mornings. He also unloads the dishwasher, and I'm working on teaching him to straighten up their bathroom. It's slow going, but I think we'll make progress before the baby is born. I am blessed to have children who actually LIKE doing chores!

One other thing I do when getting ready for a new baby is simplify our schedule as much as possible. I have no problem saying no to outside obligations, and I make sure we are home every day for mom's naptime our daily quiet time.

So this is how I keep everyone sane during those crazy post-partum months. Next week, I'll share the traditions we have that make having a new baby fun!

Homeschooling: Should Learning Be Fun?

"Love of learning" is a big catch phrase in homeschooling circles, and often implies that parents should make learning fun through the use of elaborate games, projects and activities.

While I do think it's important to raise children who enjoy learning, I often wonder if we aren't overemphasizing "fun" in our pursuit of that goal. It seems some of us are in danger of raising fun addicts - children who are in need of constant entertainment, who will only work when bribed with generous incentives and rewards.

One problem with placing too much emphasis on fun is that can be a recipe for burnout. Parents can become slaves to their children's whims and desires, always looking for something fresh and exciting to grab their interest. This is often not only time-consuming, but downright exhausting.

In some homes, parents work under the ever-looming threat of hearing, "I want to go to public school!" I encourage parents not to place themselves in competition with public school teachers. We don't home school because I've convinced my children homeschooling is better for them. We home school because I know homeschooling is better for them. If there's a competition, I'm the judge.

Another problem with overemphasizing fun is that it creates unrealistic expectations. Sometimes there's nothing fun about the process of learning. Fun is often a result of the joy and satisfaction that comes from having learned new information, even if the pursuit of that information wasn't fun.

There was nothing fun about reading the volumes of material I had to read in order to build my website. However, I did enjoy taking that information and using it to achieve a worthwhile goal.

Am I suggesting that we stop doing fun projects and activities? Absolutely not! But I do believe in balance. And I also believe that some of the pressure many homeschool moms feel could be relieved if we put fun in proper perspective.

In our home, fun is a part of every single day. We smile, laugh, skip, hum and sing. We tell jokes and we play games. We're not a fun family because I've stressed myself to the breaking point in an attempt to provide constant entertainment. We're a fun family because we enjoy each other.

Homeschooling Textbooks - Why we love them!

Homeschooling textbooks have a bad reputation among homeschoolers. They're boring! They don't inspire creativity and impart a love of learning! They bring school into the home!

I'm outing myself as a huge fan of textbooks who has been homeschooling with A Beka math and language arts workbooks for the past 4 years. Here's why we love homeschool textbooks:

1. My kids are part of the rare group of children who actually like completing workbook pages. Perhaps it's genetic. I also enjoyed using workbooks as a child. For my children, fun doesn't come from fancy projects and activities. Fun is the feeling of accomplishment they get from learning something new, and having their afternoons free to pursue projects on their own.


2. No lesson planning! I love not having to plan or prepare lessons. Every morning, I simply open up the teacher's manual, skim the day's lesson and start talking. I don't have to scour the internet to find exciting, creative ways to present new concepts. The work has been done for me. The teacher's guide tells me exactly what to teach and what to say.


3. Textbooks help us remain consistent. We have a fairly relaxed schedule, and workbooks provide us with the consistency we need. If we skip a few days here and there, I know exactly where we left off and where we should begin again. Our school time follows a predictable routine so my children know what to expect. In our home, parent/child conflicts about schoolwork are extremely rare.


4. Textbooks make us more efficient. As our family grows, it is becoming essential for my older children to work independently at times. I love being able to start my oldest on an assignment that he can finish on his own while I work with a younger sibling. I still find plenty of time to interact with and disciple him, and we still have many opportunities to create great memories. Our special memories just happen to revolve around activities other than school.


5. No projects! I am not a peppy, get your hands dirty, let's do an activity kinda gal. Honestly, I have an anxiety attack at the mere thought of running from store to store for supplies that will end up as a mess on my kitchen floor. Although we don't do crafts and projects as part of our official school time, my children find ways to express what they're learning through play, and they plan their own activities. That's creativity!

And now for the disclaimer: My love of homeschooling with textbooks doesn't mean that you should use them or that they will work well in your home. I wrote this post mainly to encourage you to keep an open mind - a program that's a disaster in one home may be a perfect fit in yours, and a program that works great for your best friend may be entirely wrong for you.

I'm currently working on an e-book about choosing homeschool curriculum for which I've interviewed experts in various home school philosophies. It has been amazing to hear individuals like Catherine Levison, Sandra Dodd and Sarita Holzmann share the benefits of their chosen home school method. In working with these experts, I've learned that there's not one right way to home school.

The right way to homeschool is the way that works best for you - even if that involves textbooks!

Classical Homeschooling - The Benefits of Rote Memorization

When I first heard about classical homeschooling and it's emphasis on rote memorization, I assumed it wouldn't be for us. I've made it through life just fine not having memorized the names of the U.S. Presidents, so why should I force my children to memorize them. After all, rote memorization is boring and learning should be fun.

Last year, a friend introduced me to a program called Classical Conversations. I took my oldest to an open house, and I was really impressed with the public speaking portion of the program. My son said he wanted to learn the information that the children in the class were learning, and I thought the public speaking practice would help him build confidence, so we decided to give it a try.

Far from being boring, practicing memory work is my children's favorite part of the day. Here's some of what they're learning.



Based on our experiences, here are some of the benefits of rote memorization:

1. My kids are learning how to memorize large volumes of information, and it gets easier for them as the weeks go by. Classical Conversations uses songs, hand movements and games to make memorization fun. My son is a visual learner, and has found that it is helpful to write out some of the information he is trying to memorize. He's learning techniques he can use when he's older.



2. Memorization is much easier for my kids than it is for me and my husband. From birth to age 10 or 12, children are in what's known as the grammar stage of the trivium. This phase of classical homeschooling takes advantage of a child's natural ability to memorize.



3. My children are storing factual information they can use in the future. They do not fully understand everything they are learning, but the facts will be available for recall when they need them. We sing the alphabet song to our babies years before they understand what the letters mean. As my kids sing about the parts of the cell, they are tucking the information away for the days when they'll study biology.



4. As we memorize information together, we grow stronger as a family. If you watch the video closely, you'll notice that my 2-year-old often sings along with his older siblings. He is usually with us when we practice, soaking up information like a sponge. This is one of the benefits of learning in a multi-age environment.
   



5. Learning is fun, and the ability to recall information on demand is a huge confidence builder. I am learning facts that I didn't learn as a child. And my husband, who was a bit skeptical about the need for an extensive memorization program, has asked me to get him a copy of our memory work audio CD.

We are mostly relaxed homeschoolers, so we don't strictly adhere to the classical model of education, but I can definitely see it's benefits. Follow this link to learn more about classical homeschooling and the 3 stages of the trivium.

Enjoy the journey,

Homeschooling - To Everything There is a Season

One thing I am learning about homeschooling, and life in general, is that nothing is static - we are always in a state of change. Last fall, we were mourning the death of a loved one. This fall, we're preparing to welcome new life.

Our fourth baby (and third boy!) is due on December 26th.

I spent the summer fighting morning sickness and feeling sorry for myself, and spent most of August and September making up for the months I spent lying around feeling sorry for myself. But now we're back on track. Well, we're never totally on track, but we're closer to the track...

We've also made some changes in our schooling.

Instead of taking a dip in the pool or going out for pizza on the first day of school, we were up at an obscene hour (I'm not a morning person), digging through piles of laundry (I'm rarely caught up on laundry), scarfing down breakfast (Cereal, anyone?) so we could fight traffic (DRIVE, people!) and arrive on time for our weekly Classical Conversations co-op. (Now you know why I homeschool.)

Instead of spending Monday mornings bouncing around in their pajamas until further notice, my kids look like this:


We've also made some changes at Successful Homeschooling.

We just wrapped up our 2nd Annual Curriculum Review Contest, which resulted in over 350 new homeschool curriculum reviews on our website!

We also have several new projects in the works, including YouTube videos, an e-course, and another FREE e-book that will feature interviews with prominent homeschoolers like Catherine Levison, Mary Hood, Sandra Dodd and Sarita Holzmann. These interviews turned out even better than I imagined they would, and I can't wait to share them with you!

In addition to subscribing to this blog using the subscription box in the upper left corner, you can keep up with all of our changes by becoming a fan on Facebook, following us on Twitter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, or signing up for our free homeschool newsletter.

Ecclesiasties 3:1 states - To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

Our goal at Successful Homeschooling is to walk with you, giving you the tools you need to survive and thrive during life's many seasons.

Enjoy the journey!

Carnival of Homeschooling

The Carnival of Homeschooling: No Child Left Inside is up on Susan's blog Corn and Oil.

Catherine Levison's guest post about Charlotte Mason education is a must read from Kris' blog. If you're thinking about adding elements of Charlotte Mason to your homeschool, you should also check out Amy's post about Starting a Nature Journal.

Enjoy!

Nature Friend

Yesterday, we received the March issue of Nature Friend magazine, and even I was excited when I caught a glimpse of the cover in our mailbox. The monthly magazine teaches children about nature from a creation perspective, and features articles, puzzles, word games, hidden pictures and reader submissions.

Our favorite part of the magazine is the You Can Draw section. In it, Nature Friend provides step by step instructions for drawing an item in nature. Children can follow the instructions, and submit their completed artwork for possible publication in a future issue.

The magazine publishes artwork from children of all ages and skill levels. It has been a huge confidence booster for my children to see how different all of the published drawings look. They know that even though we're following the same instructions, our drawings won't look alike.

Here's our favorite drawing so far:

My 8 year old's drawing is at the top, and my daughter and I worked on the one at the bottom together.

Follow this link to learn more about Nature Friend.

The Plug-In Drug

We're on day 5 of TV Turnoff Week, and I am not looking forward to the day when we can turn the television on again.

I've been reading the book The Plug-In Drug: Television, Computer and Family Life, and in it, Marie Winn makes a wonderful case for greatly restricting or eliminating television viewing. Ms. Winn discusses television's appeal to both children and parents, and examines the negative behavioral, physical and social consequences of excessive television viewing.

She also shares ideas for "natural controls" we can use to make TV less appealing and convenient. Among those ideas are:

1. Place your TV set in a room where it is out of sight and inconvenient to use.
2. Use a small television set that has poor reception, sound or picture.
3. Reduce the number of TV sets you own.
4. Don't place television sets in children's bedrooms.
5. Cancel cable to limit the number of channels and shows available.
6. Participate in a turnoff event or stage one for your family.

Closing the doors to our TV cabinet has gone a long way towards keeping television off of our minds. From now on, we're planning to keep those doors closed Monday through Friday.

Follow this link to learn more about the The Plug-In Drug.