I say it every year and I’ll say it again…. I can’t believe another school year is ending! Where does the time go?!
Over our last decade of homeschooling, I’ve learned just how fast summer flies by, too. So even though the door is still swinging shut on this past school year, it’s time to think ahead and start planning next year’s homeschooling adventures!
One of my new favorite t-shirts says, “Hold on. Let me overthink this.” It’s perfect for me.
I’ve always been a Type-A, planner-loving, I-prefer-my-ducks-in-a-row momma. I tend to over-analyze and over-complicate most things – especially when it comes to our homeschool.
Thankfully, over a decade of homeschooling has mellowed me out a little bit. I’ve seen firsthand how powerful spontaneous teachable moments can be. I’ve witnessed my kids retain more from playing made-up games than from carefully crafted lesson plans. I’ve realized that it’s less about finding the “right” curriculum and more about nurturing relationships and encouraging a love of learning.
If time flies when you’re having fun, then we must be having a blast!
It seems like just yesterday I was wondering if this crazy idea called “homeschooling” would work for our family. Now we’re ten years into our home educating journey and my oldest is starting high school!
Each year I’ve shared Our Curriculum Choices and plans for the year. Read on to find out what homeschool resources we’ll be using this coming year with our 9th, 6th, and 2nd graders.
I love “Day in the Life” posts. Well, I love other people’s “Day in the Life” posts, that is. (After all, I already know what a day in my life is like.)
But I know how much a glimpse into other homeschools helps give me new ideas… so I’m hoping this will do the same for you!
(There may be affiliate links in this post – click here to learn more. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. IEW® and Structure and Style® are registered trademarks of the Institute for Excellence in Writing. L.L.C.)
Writing is one of those subjects that puts fear in the hearts of homeschooling parents everywhere. After all, it’s been enshrined as one of the historic “3 R’s” so we’d better not mess it up, right?
Even if we aren’t aiming to raise the next Dickens or Tolkien, at the very least we want our kids to be able to write a professional cover letter or a college application essay.
(IEW® and Structure and Style® are registered trademarks of the Institute for Excellence in Writing. L.L.C. Fix It!™ is a trademark of the Institute for Excellence in Writing, L.L.C.)
We started using Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) products four years ago when my oldest son was in 4th grade. Since then, there hasn’t been a year we haven’t used at least one IEW product!
Up until now, I haven’t had a chance to collect my thoughts and share about our IEW experiences. But that’s about to change!
If you’re searching for a high quality language arts or writing curriculum, or if you’re wondering if IEW is the right choice for your family, you’re in the right place so read on!
This is the next post in a series where I’ve been sharing the curricula I’ve used to home educate my three kids. I can’t believe this will be our 9th year homeschooling!
*pause for nostalgic reminiscing*
OK… I think I’m ready to continue.
If you’re like me, you read more than one review when considering a homeschool curriculum purchase.
And, if you’re like me, you get frustrated when the first half of every review repeats the same basic product info.
So, in this review, I’ll skip all the basics. This won’t be “All You Need to Know” about CTC Math. And it won’t be the “Complete Ultimate Comprehensive Guide” to homeschool math curricula.
In this CTC Math Mini Review, I’ll assume you’re already semi-familiar with the program and you’re just trying to decide if it will work for your family. (If that’s not the case, check out the CTC Math website to see what it’s all about or read Cathy Duffy’s review for a quick summary. Then come back here for my two cents.)
If you don’t homeschool, have you ever wondered what it is those crazy homeschooling people do all day?
And, if you already home educate, isn’t it fun to get a glimpse into another homeschool to see other ways of doing things?
That’s why I like to do “Day in the Life” posts from time to time. You can check out other days in our life here and here. But for now, here’s a look into our homeschool on…
(There may be affiliate links in this post – click here to learn more. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)
If you’ve read my review of Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (BFSU) science curriculum, you’ll know it’s no secret that I love it!
The content is awesome, it’s organized logically, and it encourages students to observe, question, and think their way through the lessons (rather than just memorizing science jargon that’s thrown at them).
Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of my BFSU review to learn more about the curriculum and how it works.
But, even though I love BFSU, there was a steep learning curve for me as I tried to actually implement it. The thing is, I was creating work and frustration for myself that could’ve been avoided! The steep learning curve was my own fault!
