Thursday, September 5, 2013

Homeschooling Resources today...

I know everyone else has already got their stuff together and has already started but we are easing back in instead of the whole 'baptism by fire' method.
I didn't even mean to stop school through the summer but lo and behold, it just happened.

They learned and we did some fantastic educational things but our regular school schedule ceased.  Apparently I don't have a say in that!? (joking)

Any who.

I want this year to be different.
I never want to hear my girls say, "I hate school"....even if just for my reaction

(Samantha.  Talkin' 'bout you kid.)

This year my word is Rich.
Rich in what they want to learn about.
Rich in literature.
Rich in love.
Rich in depth of subjects,
etc....

If it's not 'rich', it's not being done.
I don't care how conventional or traditional the idea is in classical education.
I get to choose what is life-giving in my home.
That is the beauty of home schooling and I want to embrace that more and more as we grow in this experience.

I read, the other day, that everything the girls will need to know for high school they can MASTER in the two years before high school.

I'm not saying I'm going to just bank on that but it sure did give me a lot of freedom to RE.LAX. and just let them learn instead of make them learn.

For the past several weeks we have been doing Math, Reading and copy work, everyday.
This week we added in a new 'thing' we're doing this year THAT I FLIPPIN' LOVE:

Brave Writer

It is advertised as a writing program.
You can start with kids as young as 5 years old and the system has material all the way through high school levels.
She even has online classes that high schoolers can take.

I bought the two levels my girls are at and I cannot get enough of this lady.

It is SO MUCH more than a writing program.

I think her books are going to be on my 'essentials' for all new homeschooling families to get.

The way she talks about learning, what a day should/could look like (meaning the attitude/heart of the day) was like a well-spring for my home-schooling-mama-soul.

You buy it in PDF format but I promptly uploaded the PDF to my local copy store and had them print it for me. (an added $8 per book)

I need to be able to circle, heart, star and cloud passages that I love, people.  Shocking. I know.

It uses copy work, literature, dictation, games....love of learning and the lady knows her stuff.

Seriously....the minute you have the cash to purchase either:
Jot it Down
or
Partnership Writing 
or
Faltering Ownership
or (just go to the links above and click on your child's age)

DO IT.

Although I would love to read it one day, I did not start with Writers Jungle (her main philosophy book).  It was pricey and a friend told me that if I just started with one of the books I listed above, I'd get enough of her philosophy to understand what was going on and she was right.

For reals.
BUY THIS.....asap.
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Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool

This is as inexpensive as homeschooling gets my friends:

FREE.

A curriculum put together by a missionary family who has NO access to English books or libraries but does have access to internet.

From pre-school to high school this lady has put HOURS of research and time into a way to homeschool using only the internet and only free resources on the internet.

The girls have been using her math section for a few days now and I literally have to cut them off each time.

Poke around her site...you will be floored.

If you want to start homeschooling but don't have the cash or the brain power to research curriculum....do THIS.

From someone who has researched and been in the homeschool curriculum world since she was in the 4th grade, I can tell you, this is no wimpy curriculum.  It's awesome!!!

We are using only the math right now but will be using more of her site soon!

FREE!!!

(yes, I'd recommend this to my 'not' homeschool friends who's kids need some extra help in certain areas!!!)

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I still don't really lesson plan.
I 'journal' what we DID do.
I used this last year and loved it so much I bought one for this year too!

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AMERICAN HERITAGE GIRLS

The girls joined AHG last March, right after we moved here.
It's like Girl Scouts but with Jesus.

It's a badge system, just like other scouting programs and we are using the badges as part of school.
They range from family tree projects, to history, to science, to animals, to camping (ugh), to crafts, to writing to....basically, you name it.

So, the girls get to pick what they want to learn and they earn double points: a badge at AHG and 'yes, that was school for the day! wasn't that fun!?'



Do you have any cool resources you've come across???
Great curriculums you are using?
A good book?
SHARE!!!!

The highest form of flattery is when someone copies you!
You can't copy unless you're shared with....so share away friends!

3 comments:

Becky said...

Got me motivated to post!!

Anonymous said...

So, just curious, are you not using the phonics road this year?

--Tina H.

Beccy said...

I had the same question as Tina. I am struggling to use that curriculum with my boys, and wondered if Brave Writer was in addition to, instead of, or how they compare. I am thinkning half the problem with Phonics Road is me. :o). Maybe more than half....