Regardless of how you plan or not plan your homeschool day we all have the same amount of hours in the day. Many love to follow a strict schedule to keep them on track every hour of the school day. Many prefer a flexible schedule while some prefer not to schedule at all. At some point most homeschoolers formulate even a lose plan due to the sheer amount of work that needs to be accomplished in a day. I prefer a flexible schedule since I am apt to throw in the towel at the first sign a rigid schedule would … Continue reading →

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. ~A. A. Milne I love that quote. It describes my personality entirely. You would be amazed at the items I find and become distracted by while attempting a task or to clean. I once found a Verizon rebate Visa card, sadly, it was expired. Another time I found an old box filled with cards and items I intended to put in a baby book for my third child. I never started it and she is now six years old. While, these finds are good for … Continue reading →

I try to never sound like an expert in homeschooling or home keeping. Woefully, I am neither. A friend of mine once said, “I could never do all you do.” My response, “Don’t worry, I can’t either.” I have years of homeschooling under my belt along with years of curriculum evaluations, curriculum writing, article writing, planning, and teaching. Yet, every year is a new adventure. For that I am thankful as it would be quite dreadful if the school year were routine. I also have years of home keeping experience but I must confess the years have not made me … Continue reading →

One of the first questions a new homeschooler asks is how to pack in all the subjects plus extracurricular items and activities in the school year. It can feel overwhelming to plan out all the subjects for one child much less several. However, once you take a deep breath and plan out each one individually you will find it becomes easier. The more subjects you can share between your children the easier time you will have as well. Here is an example of my middle school student’s outline of the year. The outline is sparse but it is the skeleton … Continue reading →

My child will be entering first grade this year. I love the first few years of elementary school. The kid in me loves the stickers, the hands on activities and the fun. However, it is a time for developing a basic foundation for serious learning. It is most likely the first year your student will have a schedule to follow and more courses on her plate. Here is an example of my first grader’s schedule. I am not an expert but sometimes it is helpful to see someone else’s basic outline. I know I have gleamed quite a bit from … Continue reading →

How do you resist a planner called The Well Planned Day? If there is anything I need in my homeschool it is a well planned day. I may not be the most organized person. I may have scraps of paper on my desk with notes to myself scrawled all over. I may lose a pen a day. Yet, when it comes to homeschool planning I may actually fool you into thinking I am one of those homeschoolers who has in the bag. Yes, I appear to have it together and if I stick to my planner I may actually pull … Continue reading →

Normally I schedule my homeschool in nine week intervals consisting of three terms. I have been happy with that set up and have adjusted as necessary as I do not hold fast to the vacation days I plan. I try to make room for unexpected events, sickness, burn out days, sunny days, or whatever may happen in my little world. I also take summers off to give myself and my kids a break. I have considered not taking summers off but in nine years it has yet to happen. While, I have been content with my three term schedule I … Continue reading →

Block Scheduling is an alternative to the traditional school year schedule. Many homeschoolers live in the realm of alternative scheduling so dipping a toe in block scheduling should not be too scary. My daily schedule does not resemble a traditional school year. I plan my day in a Charlotte Mason fashion of short classes yet covering a vast amount of material in one year which is divided up into trimesters. Most Block Scheduling schools operate on trimesters and cover a vast amount of work in one year. However, the classes are long and better suited for a mature child. What … Continue reading →

We’re just around the corner from a new year—have you set your goals yet? Of course we all set a goal to lose weight. That has to be the most overused, and yet underachieved, goal in history. But what are your goals for your homeschool? When it comes to homeschooling, the goals we set need to be a little less rigid than we might set in other areas. We can’t say, “Johnny will reach level three in his book” and expect that outcome if it’s one that Johnny isn’t capable of reaching at this point in his education. What we … Continue reading →

I am so pathetic that I need to play games with myself just to keep a clean house. When I say I am a kid at heart it not only means I love playing Play Doh it extends to my dislike for cleaning and inability to just throw a wrapper away rather than leaving it on the counter. So, I play a little game with myself to motivate me into keeping things cleaned up and organized. You see, I hate disorganization. There is a constant war inside myself between “organized mommy” and “disorganized mommy”. Over time, my little tricks have … Continue reading →