Category: homeschooling

Tuesday Tips: Incorporating Holidays Without Adding Work

*some links may be affiliate links; see disclosure below*

When we first started homeschooling, my oldest was in first grade. I loved the idea of incorporating fun activities related to different holidays. I could find addition and subtraction sheets with turkeys or Christmas Ornaments, fall science lessons that went through weighing, counting, and floating activities with pumpkins, and even graphing Lucky Charms for Saint Patrick’s Day.

However, as my children got older and I kept adding those activities, it felt like they were becoming a burden during already busy times. I was trying to add them on top of our regular school work, and it was adding one more thing to the to-do list.

How Do I Add the Activities Without Adding Work?

I did not want to feel overwhelmed and did not want the fun activities to be a burden. I thought about just getting rid of them, but they were a lot of fun.

I realized that I needed to do them in place of our other activities and not in addition to those activities. This way, they are not adding anything extra to the list; we are just making the list a little more fun and holiday-themed.

I will share some practical ideas for adding holiday fun in place of other things, but first, I want to clarify that you do not need to do ALL of these things. You do not even have to do any of them. Think about what would work for your family and make your time more enjoyable.

For our family, that changes from year to year and grade to grade. My younger children often do mostly holiday-themed work between Thanksgiving and Christmas and devote a day or two to other holidays throughout the year.

My high schoolers keep going with mostly their regular work, and we swap out just a few activities. This helps them keep some continuity while still getting to join in on some of the holiday fun.

Practical Examples of Adding in the Holidays without Adding More Work

For my younger children, math work is one of the most common ways we add in holidays. I can find holiday-themed sheets either for free by searching online or with our SuperTeachers subscription, and I look for the topics they are already working on in math and then allow those sheets in place of their regular math work. (My teens typically do not do holiday math because, at that level, I find it easier and better to allow them to continue to work through the curriculum.)

Science

Science is another fun way to add in some holiday/seasonal cheer. Again, this one is typically mostly with my elementary and middle grades children. We can find science experiments related to the holidays and seasons, For example, pumpkins in the fall, peppermint-themed activities for winter, cranberries at Thanksgiving, and more. 

When I add these, I choose a lesson or activity from their current science to skip.

Generally, I put away our science books from Thanksgiving to Christmas to help make space for holiday activities. I have found it gives us breathing room, and they are still quite proficient in science.

Reading and Writing

Reading and writing are where it is easiest to get the whole family involved. Some years I have created my teens’ literature studies, and other years, we have used formal curricula, but through it all, I have added in Christmas-themed novels. When I am using other curricula, we simply swap out a Christmas novel for one of the novels in the curricula.

They read and discuss the novel with me, and we might also do some Christmas-themed crafts or cooking to accompany the book. For example, we did Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, and they watched the movie and made a Dicken’s era Christmas feast.

For my younger children, I adapt our reading for the major holidays and lots of little ones. It is so simple to choose read-alouds related to the holidays and seasons we celebrate. We love Cranberry Valentine on Valentine’s Day, Spookley the Pumpkin in the fall, and so many other books on various holidays.

Writing is also easy to integrate with the holidays by choosing writing prompts and activities that tie into the holiday. The teens might do a research paper on the origins of Thanksgiving or write a persuasive essay about a particular holiday tradition. Younger students can write paragraphs about different things associated with the holidays.

Art and Music

Finally, the easiest and possibly most fun way to incorporate the holidays is through your music and art studies. We love to do holiday-related art lessons (as a bonus, they make great gifts for grandparents and other family members). We use our You Are An Artist Clubhouse Membership, which gives us access to many holiday-themed art projects and has a calendar each month with suggested activities. However, there are also a lot of great ideas you can find by searching the internet for different art topics.

A holiday-themed hymn study can also be a great way to incorporate different holidays. You can check out our free hymn studies to get you started.

We also try to find holiday-themed music and art to study in our fine arts morning time rotation, which works well for the whole family. While my younger children do art lessons on many different holidays, we mainly focus on holiday music and art during Christmas, Easter, and patriotic holidays.

Don’t Forget!

There are so many different ideas that it could quickly become overwhelming. I want to emphasize that this list of ideas is not shared because you need to try to do everything but to give you some different examples of ways to incorporate the holidays and seasons without adding additional work and having it become a burden. Start by switching out one or two things and see how that works for your family. Also, remember that it’s okay for each year and season to look different.

I would love for you to share some of your favorite ideas for incorporating the holidays into your homeschool.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library, you will get a link and password to the library; we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you updated on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always, I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in, and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Field Trip Friday: North Carolina Zoo

We hadn’t been to the North Carolina Zoo in several years until earlier this week. We live about four hours from the zoo, so it is generally an overnight trip that takes a little more planning and budget.

This time we went with two other homeschooling families and stayed at a local campground. ( I am really enjoying having the flexibility of the camper.) It was a great trip, both for fun and for education.

I am excited to share more about the zoo with you today, as well as some tips and tricks for getting the most from your visit.

Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links; see below for more information. *

A Little About the North Carolina Zoo

The North Carolina Zoo is the world’s largest natural habitat zoo. It is divided into two major sections: North America and Africa. As a natural habitat zoo, the animals are given larger habitats to roam. This is great for the animals and the experience, but it does mean more walking because they are spread out.

There are hundreds of different animals, from the large giraffes, elephants, and bison to tiny insects and birds. The zoo does a great job of showcasing each animal in its natural habitat, with lots of information about the animal and various conservation projects.

While some of the animals have lots of room to roam and can be further away, they provide a variety of viewing areas for those animals so that most of the time, you can get a good view from at least one of the animals.

Educational Benefits of a Field Trip to the Zoo

I love that the zoo is an educational trip for all ages. My younger children saw animals they had only read about in books. The older children had seen the animals before but learned more about conservation.

Any trip to the zoo can be educational, but we found that we get the most out of the trip by taking the time to visit the educational carts that are set up throughout the zoo. At these mobile carts, zoo educators have different displays and information to share with visitors.

My younger boys also participated in the free zoo trekker program, a little workbook they could complete while walking around the zoo. Once they had done six of the activities, they were awarded a free zoo pin. (This program was very similar to the Junior Ranger program at national parks.)

Finally, make sure to take time to read some of the displays located with each animal. They share so much wonderful information.

Tips for Families and Small Children

We love going to the North Carolina zoo, but it can be a bit overwhelming for small children and families. So, I have a few tips and tricks to make it more manageable. 

First, it can be really hot and really busy during the summer. I highly recommend going during the off-season. There is a lot of walking, so the cooler weather is much more pleasant.

You can see the whole zoo in a day, but it is a lot of walking and would take pushing really hard. So we split it into two days. We can travel there one morning and see one section of the zoo and the other section the next morning.

Wagon for the win!

We also used a collapsible wagon for this trip, which was a huge help. My four-year-old could ride in it when he was tired or if we had long stretches of walking. We could also carry our umbrellas, water bottles, cameras, etc. in the wagon.

Finally, there is an AMAZING natural play area near the entrance to the North America section. It has a small stream, a mud kitchen, bubbles, a tree house, and so much more. It is a great place to give kids (and parents) a break. To let them just play and relax. Honestly, if we lived closer, I would go to the zoo just to let my kids play there.

The stream in the play area

Money Saving Tips and Tricks

Looking at the pricing below, you may wonder about my suggestion to split the zoo into two days. We use a family membership to make that an affordable option. In North Carolina, the zoo, all three aquariums, and the bird park all offer reciprocity with their memberships. (There is also reciprocity at numerous other sites.)

Since we are closer to the aquarium, we purchase an aquarium membership yearly, but if you do not already have a membership, you can purchase one when you arrive at the zoo. For our family of 6, entrance to the zoo for one day would cost us $82. An annual membership would be $84. This means that we save $80 just on the second day of our visit.

Also, at the zoo, you can not bring in outside food unless you are a member. There is a members-only picnic area within the zoo and other great money-saving benefits.

Also, bring your water bottles! While they do not allow other outside food, water bottles are welcome, and there are refill stations throughout the park. Purchasing water from restaurants or machines in the park will cost you over $4 per bottle.

Finally, I highly recommend the $15 refillable bottle if you want a soft drink or tea. You pay $15 when you buy it, but then you get unlimited free refills. Otherwise, a cup of soft drink will run you $7. You also get the benefit of a nice souvenir to take home.

Eating at the restaurants inside the zoo can get very expensive. We had four adult meals and two kids meals with one refillable bottle and one regular soft drink and paid a little over $100 for that one lunch. On the second day, we planned to be there in the morning and leave around 1 pm, so we made lunches and ate them in the van when we were finished.

Fun Extras at the North Carolina Zoo

I have just talked about ways to spend money, and now I am going to share some extras that are available. These are optional activities that are not included in the admission fee.

First, there is a butterfly garden. This costs an additional $3 per person. You get a ticket to enter the butterfly garden and could stay as long as you wanted to stay. We chose to try this one since we are studying flying creatures this year in science. Honestly, it was worth the $18 for all of us. There were hundreds of butterflies flying around. We watched them eat from plants, flit from one plant to another, and they would even land on us.

There is also a ropes course in the zoo. My daughter really wanted to do this, and we originally thought it was also $3, but when we got more information, the ropes course was $15 per person. Not necessarily a bad price for a ropes course, but we decided it was not the right choice for this trip.(You do have to have closed-toed shoes to be admitted to the ropes course.)

There is a playground near the ropes course that was $3 per person, but we also decided to pass on that. Additionally, there is a carousel ride that is $3 per person.

The other extra that we chose to participate in was feeding the giraffes. This was hands down, the favorite activity of the whole trip. My husband chose not to go, but the kids and I all went with our friends. We had to pay $5 per person. For that $5, we were given lettuce and instructions on how to feed the giraffes. Then we could step up to the platform and feed the lettuce to the giraffe piece by piece. Being up close and personal with the giraffes was amazing. You could feel the strong and rough tongue and really get a perspective on their heights.

Basic Information for North Carolina Zoo

Where:

North Carolina Zoo

4401 Zoo Pkwy
Asheboro, NC 27205

Hours of Operation:

Seven days a week, year-round, Open at 9am-4pm or 5pm (varies seasonally)

Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas

Costs:

General admission tickets for adults $15 (13-61), seniors $13 (62+) and children $11 (2-12). Children under the age of 2 are free.

Website:

https://www.nczoo.org/

Food:

There are several restaurants as well as snacks available for purchase. Only Members and those with allergies can bring in outside food.

 

 

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library, you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies

Free Homeschooling Summit, focused on family relationships!!

Little Women is only .99 on kindle right now! (Amazon prices are subject to change. Always check before purchasing.)

FREE Baby Yoda Art Lesson from Nana!

All About Learning has released the best deal of the day: A FREE Snowman Pack with reading and spelling activities for a variety of ages.

Free Makeover Your Morning 5 Day Challenge! This is a great way to help re-focus and get your day off on the right foot.

Harry The Happy Mouse (Free on Kindle)

Illustrated Would You Rather Book (Free on Kindle)

Free Help Your Child’s Memory Book from All About Learning Press!

 

Resources and Ideas for Apologia Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day

*Some links are affiliate links; see disclosure below.*

Introduction

Last year, I needed my 2nd grader to do at least part of his science independently as I juggled three different students in three different science courses and a toddler. (We normally try to combine science, but it was not practical last year.) He loved doing Apologia’s Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day.

So, this year I decided to let him pick another book from the Apologia elementary series and use the same type of setup. Last year, my son chose to do Apologia’s Swimming Creatures of the fifth day because he loves the beach. This year he chose Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day because he enjoys looking at birds and studying insects during our nature study time.

Resources for Apologia’s Flying Creatures

Apologia’s Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day Audiobook

My son loves audiobooks and has great auditory comprehension, so I wanted to stick with a book that he could do via audio. This also allows my four-year-old to listen and learn as he is interested.

So, we purchased the audio version of the text to go along with the hardback version. Then my son can listen on his kindle while he follows along in the text or sometimes he colors or works on a notebooking page.

The audiobook allows him to do science in the car while we travel or listen to the information again if he doesn’t remember something. Often he is listening while I am cooking lunch or folding clothes.

We usually use Apologia’s notebooking journals when we do these courses, but we decided it would be too much with my son’s reading difficulties. So, I found some other resources that we could use to complement the text.

Other Flying Creatures Resources

Chalk Pastel Art Lessons

We always love Nana’s chalk pastel art lessons, and she has some excellent, easy-to-follow lessons that fit perfectly with Flying Creatures.  These are fun for my son and help tie together what he is learning. I have gone in and picked out bird and insect pictures to fit with each chapter. Then I organized it on my Trello board to help me remember which lessons went well with which chapters.

You can purchase individual courses or the You Are An Artist Clubhouse, which is our favorite because we have access to everything and he can pick and choose different projects each week.

Notebooking Pages

My son is just getting comfortable with writing, and I am using notebooking pages to work on his writing while recording what he is learning in science. I have made a collection of one or two notebooking pages per chapter, and he writes a sentence or two after he listens to the chapter. Then he can draw a picture of what he wrote about. (There are a huge variety of different pages to choose from for each topic, depending on the child’s level.)

Nature Study

My son would do nature study every day if time allowed, and he spends hours outside most days. We have set up multiple birdhouses and bird feeders to allow him a good first-hand view of the birds in our area.

We are also using the bird and insect resources that are included in our Homeschool Nature Study membership. Their courses provide information, hands-on ideas, follow-up suggestions, and more. There are also some great printables included to help record what they are seeing and learning.

I love being able to give him such a hands-on approach to his learning.

Field Trips

I am so excited about all of the field trip opportunities that go along with flying creatures. There is a wonderful bird park that is just a few hours from our home. We are planning a field trip there this fall to see a wide variety of birds. You can even feed the flamingos!

In addition, our state zoo and aquariums both have some bird exhibits, and since our family has an aquarium membership, we can get into both of those for free!

Our state science museum has a wonderful butterfly garden and insect exhibits to get a close-up look at different insects.

Finally, we love hiking and nature walks so we will look for birds in various state and local parks as we hike.

Even if you do not have a local bird park, I encourage you to look around at various local science centers, zoos, etc, to see what they have to offer.

Burgess Bird Book

Last year, we used many Suzanne Tate’s Nature Series books to study swimming creatures. She also has a few bird books, so we will use those this year. However, our primary extra text for this year will be the Burgess Bird Book. The Burgess book uses fun and engaging stories to teach children about various birds. I purchased the illustrated kindle edition for less than $1 and also used an audible credit for the audio version. This will allow my son to follow along and see the bird pictures as he listens to the audio.

Library Books

Finally, do not underestimate a trip to the library for some picture books to go along with each chapter. I have been going online about a week before we get to a lesson and searching our library system for books about the topic. Then, I simply put them on hold and pick them up the next time we go to the library.

This week we enjoyed several great books on birds that helped me include my four-year-old in our studies.

Conclusions

The flexibility of homeschooling is so important, and what works one year might not work the next year. For our family, this semi-independent study of Apologia is a great way for my son to be able to do much of his science independently while still giving us time together.

We love Apologia for its biblical worldview, thorough content coverage, and flexibility to use this program in a way that works best for our family! We are excited about our study of birds and other flying creatures.  I would love to hear what other resources you enjoy for this program. Share ideas in the comments!

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library, you will get a link and password to the library; we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you updated on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always, I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in, and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Tuesday Tips: Choosing Curriculum “What is Best For Me, Might Not Be Best For Thee”

I love helping families transition to homeschooling, and I could talk about curriculum for hours. As a mom who has been homeschooling for ten years, runs an online book store, and reviews curriculum, I have seen and tried a lot of different programs.

Almost always, one of the first questions people ask me when they decide to transition to homeschooling is, “which curriculum is the best?”

Sometimes I wish this was an easy cut and dried answer. However, what works best for your family (and sometimes each child) will vary based on many factors. My motto when dealing with curriculum is, “What is Best For Me, Might Not Be Best For Thee.”

Choosing Homeschool Curriculum

When deciding on the right curriculum, you must consider various factors.

Questions to Consider When Choosing Curriculum:

  • What are the goals of my homeschool?
  • How much parental input is needed/desired?
  • What are the learning styles of my children?
  • What is my budget?
  • Does this align with our family values?
  • How much time will this program take?
  • Is the program paper/pencil or computer-based?
  • Will I need additional materials?

How Do I Decide?

Now that we have established that there is no one size fits all solution to homeschool curriculum, you might be feeling more lost than ever and wondering if you will ever find the right fit. This news should be freeing. You can choose, and there is not necessarily a right or wrong answer.

Too often, parents feel like they are failing when a popular curriculum is not working for their child. Other times, parents feel frozen in indecision because they are unsure if the curriculum they are looking at is “best.”

My advice is to talk to people you know and look at reviews, but also make sure you look at each program through the lens of the questions listed above. Then choose the one (or ones) that you think will work best for your family.

Try the curriculum for a while and if it works, keep doing it. If it isn’t working, do not be afraid to sell that one and try something new. It may take a couple of tries to find the right fit. You are not alone, and that is not a failure.

Other Curriculum Resources:

Remember, you can’t do everything, and just because it is a good program does not mean it is suitable for your family! Find out more about that in my post about getting rid of our Latin curriculum.

You can also learn more about picking a curriculum and see our curriculum reviews using the links below!

New Years Curriculum Reevaluation and Nature Study

Changing Up Curriculum Without Overspending!

High School Credit for Morning Time Studies

Reviews

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies

Not Consumed is having their annual Back to School Sale! (They have great family Bible studies)

$10 Off for Amazon Prime Day

Pre-Order the Brand New Tuttle Twins American History book for a big discount and some awesome bonuses.

Try Journey Homeschool Academy’s FUN and Free summer courses this week! Check out the Stargazing Astronomy Course and the Backyard Bugs course.

Also, check out the FREE Unlocking the Bible course for teens!

Also, get a 15% discount on Thinkwell Math by using this referral link.

Tuesday Tips: Prioritize Encouragement for Mom

*Some links are affiliate links, see disclosure below*

I genuinely believe that homeschooling is one of the most important tasks that God has given me, and I am so grateful for the opportunity. However, I also want to be honest and say that some days (months, years) are hard! In the day-to-day grind, it is easy to forget that we do not “have” to homeschool, but instead, we are privileged to have the opportunity to homeschool.

One way to help combat the hard days is to ensure that you include some homeschool mom encouragement in your days.

What is Homeschool Mom Encouragement?

There are so many different ways to be encouraged as a homeschool mom. Different things will work better for different families, different issues, and even just different seasons.

Remember the Why!

First, remember why you homeschool! I highly encourage you to write down your whys and keep them somewhere that you can refer back to them on the hard days! They will help keep you grounded and focused.

Community

Next, find a group of homeschool mom friends. I firmly believe that we should have a variety of friends, but sometimes you need another homeschool mom who has been there, done that, and come out on the other side.

I am blessed to have a large community of homeschool mom friends. Locally, I have friends that go out to dinner once a month for Mom’s Night Out and other friends who gather for park play dates and field trips. I am also a member of many great homeschool communities online, where people can ask questions, share ideas, and find support.

Not many tough homeschooling days aren’t made better with chocolate and an understanding friend!

Books, Podcasts, and Movies

Finally, many great books, podcasts, and even movies are geared toward encouraging homeschool moms. Your first thought is probably not how to find these resources but how to make time for them in your busy schedule.

You do not have to spend hours a day or even hours a week reading or listening, but I encourage you to find some time each week to read or listen to something encouraging. You might listen to a podcast while you wash dishes or take a walk or read for five or ten minutes before bed each night. Audiobooks can be a great way to listen while driving from place to place.

Taking that time to get encouragement will pay dividends in the long run. Having a refreshed spirit will give you the strength to work through the tough days and enjoy the good days!

I would love for you to share your ideas for homeschool mom encouragement, and I have included some links and resources to help get you started.

Encouraging Books

Awaking Wonder

Lifegiving Collection (Encouragement for moms)

Adventuring Together

Read Aloud Family

Pocketful of Pinecones ( A bit idyllic but a light encouraging read)

Encouraging Podcasts

At Home with Sally

Read-Aloud Revival

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies

If you have not tried SchoolhouseTeachers.com, you don’t want to miss this sale!\

Journey Homeschool Academy’s FUN and Free summer courses start this week! Check out the Stargazing Astronomy Course and the Backyard Bugs course.

Also, check out the FREE Unlocking the Bible course for teens!

LAST Day for 10% off All About Learning with code BUYEARLY

Pre-Order the Brand New Tuttle Twins American History book for a big discount and some awesome bonuses.

High School Credit for Morning Time Studies

We have done some form of morning time or family learning throughout our years of homeschooling. If you look back at what I’ve shared about our morning time over the years, you will notice that each year is different. We have changed what we did in different seasons of life and as we found new resources.

*Some links in this post are affiliate links, see disclosure below*

We are currently in a season of life which involves preschoolers to high schoolers. It is an exciting time, but it also has its challenges.

Today, I want to primarily talk about how we do morning time with a high schooler and when/how we incorporate it into his high school credits.

First, it is essential to note that not every part of a homeschooled high schooler’s education must be for credits.

The reasons we homeschool and the goals for our family have not changed just because our children are in high school.

For example, we memorize scripture because we believe it is beneficial to our Christian walk, not because we are trying to get high school credit.

However, when we can use our morning time activities for part of a high school credit, we do. One of the benefits of homeschooling is that we can be creative about structuring classes and education.

High School Current Events

One of the main components of our morning time this year was watching World Watch News. World Watch is a ten-minute daily news program (Monday through Friday) that shares real-world news for students from a Christian perspective. (You can also see our review: WORLD Watch News Review)

We started just watching it and discussing it as a family. However, we decided that our rich discussions were valuable and could be part of a social studies elective. So we took the watching and discussing and added a journaling component to turn that part of our morning time into a current events elective for my son.

We watched it together, discussed it together, and then had him complete a journal entry each day that shared what he had learned. Some days our discussions lasted five to ten minutes, and some days they ran as long as an hour.

High School Fine Arts

Another way to incorporate your morning time into your child’s high school credits is through fine arts. This can vary by family, but most morning time picture or music studies are not robust enough for high school credit on their own. However, they can form a great jumping-off point or base for the credit.

We plan to incorporate fine arts into our morning time next year by using the curriculum from You Are An Artist. We will go through some of it together and then have my high schoolers go more in-depth independently.

They have options by grade level or some unit studies for the whole family. I am still deciding which of their courses we will use, but I’ll make sure to share about it when I do my curriculum posts later in the summer.

You can find out more about their fine arts programs in this post about adding music to your homeschool.

High School Morning Time

High School Morning Time Literature Study

While we will not replace high school literature with morning time, it can be a great starting point. For example, we are working on memorizing some passages of Shakespeare together during our morning time.

We use Ken Ludwig’s How To Teach Your Child Shakespeare. We will also read a children’s version of the play and discuss the characters and plot.

Then my high school students can read the full version and have a more in-depth discussion as a part of their literature course.

You could also read other novels together during morning time and have your high schooler do literature analysis, projects, or papers connected to those novels as a part of their literature work.

High School Morning Time Conclusions

These are just a few ways to incorporate high school credit work into a mixed-age morning time plan! Look for part two of this post coming later, where I talk about using morning time for a few other subjects.

Remember, not everything has to be for credit, but it can be beneficial to look at how what you are already doing can be incorporated into the credits your child needs.

I would love to hear what subjects you incorporate into your morning time and high school credits.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies

If you have not tried SchoolhouseTeachers.com, you don’t want to miss this sale!

FREE Family Astronomy Course from Journey Homeschool Academy!

All About Learning is offering 10% off with this link and code: BUYEARLY

Principles and Precepts of Government from Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum (Review)

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

One of our educational goals for our children is to have a good understanding of our government and grow up to be informed, productive citizens. As a part of that goal, we have been looking for an excellent high school-level government class. We have recently reviewed the Principles and Precepts of Government from Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum (PAC).


What Is Principles and Precepts of Government?


The Principles and Precepts of Government curriculum included three text booklets and three coordinating activity booklets. There was also a teacher’s resource kit with tests and quizzes. You can choose from print or digital versions, and we were able to look over both for this review. The program is worth ½ of a social studies credit.


Course Overview


The text booklets are approximately 60-75 pages in length. Each one contains three sections which are further divided into five topics.
The content begins with the evolution of government, going back to historic empires before Christ. Then it moves on to the Roman government before introducing the colonies and the beginning of the US government.
The second booklet is an in-depth look at the constitution, the bill of rights, and the branches of government. The final booklet covers state and local government, the election of the president, rights and responsibilities, and parliamentary procedure.

I am somewhat concerned that the paper formatting of the text booklets may not hold up to long-term use.


Text Layout


Each topic is only 3-4 pages in length, making it a manageable amount to cover in a day. At the beginning of each topic, a vocabulary list covers essential vocabulary from within the text. Those vocabulary words are also written in bold format within the text. There are black and white illustrations and maps sprinkled throughout the text.
Most sections also include a life principle, an important quote about government from famous historical figures. For example, one of the sections is from Francis Bacon. “If we do not maintain justice, justice will not maintain us.”

Principles and Precepts of Government Text Booklet


Activity Books


The activity books are broken down into the same chapter, sections, and topics as the textbooks, which makes pairing them seamless. Each topic has a page or two of questions that are mostly fill-in-the-blank and multiple choice. Sometimes, there are places to write down quotes or important content, such as the preamble to the Declaration of Independence.
I think it is important to note that while these are called activity books, they are more in the style of what most people would consider workbooks. There are no hands-on activities, just the questions.


How Did We Use Principles and Precepts of Government?


I have a rising ninth-grader and a rising high school junior who both need an American Government course, so we are going through this course with both. They are doing the work independently, but then we discuss it as a family. (You need a second set of activity books for a second student as they are consumable.)
Since it is broken down into small topics, we can do two to three topics a week and cover the course material in one semester.

Activity Book Page

What Did I Think?


I liked that the curriculum was straightforward and easy to use. They had the students understand the background of our government and get a good knowledge of our constitution. Grading was simple because it included worksheets and tests.
I would like to see a little more time on primary source materials and more hands-on learning, but I appreciate the quality content and ease of use.
I also really appreciated this quote on the Paradigm website, “Principles and Precepts of Government is designed to equip students with an understanding of the evolution of various forms of governance, and thereby gain an appreciation of the workings and myriad benefits afforded in their American Republic, the sacrifices to bring it to fruition, and the requirements of involvement to preserve it.”


I just felt like that quote aligned with our family’s desire to teach our children about our government.


Both of my high school students will complete this course and some additional government materials to make a full government credit in the fall. You can also pair this course with an economics course from Paradigm to make a full credit.


What Did the Teenagers Think?

“I like how it is easy to find where you need to be in the text and activity books because Chapter #, Section #, and topic # are given at the top of the page. At the beginning of each section, it gives a vocabulary part, and throughout the section, it highlights all the words in the vocabulary part. I like how the quizzes are formatted with multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, or true or false questions. The curriculum covers from about 500 BC to more modern times, which I like because it gives you a good background on how government started and how it works now.” Elizabeth, Age 14

“The government course is a great course on the history roots and workings of the US government and I like the way that the quizzes are set up as multiple choice or fill in the blank.” Matthew, Age 15

Conclusions


Overall, this is an excellent self-paced American Government course for high schoolers. Most high schoolers could complete it independently, or you can add in family discussions. If your student is a more hands-on or auditory learner, you may want to add some additional activities or lectures.
I encourage you to check out this course and the other offerings at Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum. You can also click on the graphic below to see what other Review Crew Members thought about various classes.

Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum

TRIVE Goal Setting and Team Building Review

 

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

Often I review brands and products with which we are already somewhat familiar. Even if I have never used the product, I have generally heard about the company or know someone that uses that curriculum. However, this month we were able to try out a product that was totally new to me: TRIVE.

 

What is TRIVE?

TRIVE is a goal-setting and team-building program designed for teens and adults. The recommended ages are 15+, though we included my fourteen-year-old daughter with no problems.

The program is built around a group of people (or a TRIVE) who set goals and hold each other accountable. During the first meeting, there is a fun quote game that helps bring people together and facilitates sharing goals. Each person comes to the meeting with three goals they want to accomplish during a six-month period.

The goals are shared, and each person is assigned a coach and someone they will coach throughout the process. Then each person works on their goals during the six months. Coaches are supposed to check in on the person they were assigned periodically.

There are also emails sent from TRIVE every few weeks to help you in the process.

At the end of six months, the whole group comes back together to discuss and assess their goal progress. There are scoring cards to score how well people did on their goals and how they performed as a coach.

How Did Our Family Use TRIVE?

Our TRIVE of four (the minimum number needed) included my husband, two teens, and myself. We all gathered together one night after the little boys had gone to bed and set our goals. I appreciate the opportunity to do something that focused on my teens and helped bring us closer.

TRIVE

During the meeting, my daughter was chosen to be the TRIVE leader. It is her responsibility to keep track of the goals and assignments. She readily took on that assignment and was excited about trying.

We have been trying to connect with our coaches weekly to discuss progress and make any needed changes.

We have a date set in our google calendar to gather together six months from the start date to score the achievements.

What Did the Teens Think?

“The TRIVE program seems like a good program. My favorite part was the game that we used to start the team building, and it helped get us more in the mood for the more serious part about discussing our goals and picking partners. I like getting emails with the dates and information to help keep me reminded of my goals; however, more regular emails would help me complete and be more effective at my goals”

Matthew, age 15

“I like TRIVE because I am competitive and know that if I do everything I can to complete my goals, I have a higher chance of winning, which encourages me to work toward my goals. Six months is a reasonable amount of time to work on our goals. It has us meet at the very beginning and the very end, and I think that maybe we should have a meeting perhaps every month to keep connected and maybe use more of the quote cards to earn points or have some activities to do.” Elizabeth, age 14

Conclusions

Overall, I loved having another way to connect with my teens. I feel like it is a great program and even something we could continue as they move away to college. I am interested to see how things go when we get back together to score the achievements in a few months.

This program was fairly simple to implement and could work well for family units, friend groups, or co-workers.

Be sure to check out the other Crew Reviews of  TRIVE by clicking on the graphic below.

set-goals-to-succeed-while-playing-a-family-game:-trive

The Wonder of Creation (Review)

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

We received The Wonder of Creation: 100 More Devotions About God and Science from Indescribable Kids for our review. The day it arrived in the mail, my seven-year-old immediately spotted it and asked me to read it to him. He loved the bright, colorful cover and inviting pictures. I decided to read it with both the seven-year-old and my three-year-old (who turned four during this review).

What is The Wonder of Creation?

The Wonder of Creation is a devotional book by Louie Giglio and Tama Fortner and illustrated by Nicola Anderson. It is a beautiful hardcover book that includes 100 short devotionals, each covering a two-page spread in the book. In addition to the colorful cover, there are bright and engaging pictures throughout the book.

I appreciated that the book included an attached ribbon bookmark that helped us keep our place each night. There is a table of contents and an index to find a specific devotion instead of going through the book in order.

Each devotional includes a Bible verse, a devotional thought that ties something from creation into God, and some fun scientific information. For example, one of the devotionals talks about snowflakes and light reflections, and then it talks about how we should reflect the light of God’s love.

What Did We Think About the Wonder of Creation?

My boys loved listening to me read these each night. They would remind me we needed to read, bring me the book, and climb into the recliner with me. They enjoyed all of the incredible science facts and seeing the pictures.

I thought this book was a great way to help children internalize the connection between God and science. God created science, and it points us back to him instead of the worldly view that science is against the Bible.

I think it is important to note that this is not a Bible study, and I do not believe it should replace regular Bible study. It ties in the Bible and biblical concepts but does not study scripture.

Who Would You Recommend Use the Book?

This book is excellent for Christian families with children through preschool through early elementary years. The devotionals are short enough to keep the attention of younger children, and it helps them start understanding science from a Biblical worldview.

We used it as part of our bedtime routine, but it could be a great addition to morning time. Parents could also use it as a part of science by finding the devotions that relate to your topic of study.

While we enjoyed reading and discussing it together, students who can read well could easily use it independently.

Overall, we thought that  The Wonder of Creation: 100 More Devotions About God and Science did not replace our Bible study but provided a fun read and a great supplement.

I highly encourage you to click the graphic below and see what other families thought and how they used the book.

Marvel

Tuesday Tips: Do Not Underestimate the Value of Life Lessons in Your Homeschool

Academics are important, but they are not the most important skills we teach our children.

Some of you are nodding your heads, and others are ready to stop reading and call me crazy. No matter which side you are on, hear me out.

Academics are important, and in our home, we strive to make sure that our children have an education that will allow them to pursue whatever options God might be calling them to, which could include entering a four-year university.

However, academics are only third on my list of overarching goals for our homeschool.

  1. To teach my children about Jesus and help lead them to a saving relationship with Him.
  2. To give my children the skills they need to be independent and productive adults.
  3. To prepare them academically for whatever path God leads them to pursue.
Life Lessons in Your Homeschool

What Do You Mean Life Lessons?

In this context, when I say life lessons, I am speaking about learning life skills. This could include any number of skills. For example, cooking, cleaning, making phone calls, setting up appointments, and laundry.

In our home, it also includes our homestead tasks. My children learn to garden, care for their chickens, raise animals, and more. This teaches them skills needed to help provide for themselves and their families, responsibility, work ethic, and more.

Home and car maintenance and repair also fall under life lessons. Car maintenance might be as simple as teaching them to pump gas. I once had a dear friend who owned a car and made it to college without knowing how to pump her gas, which made things very challenging for her.

Life lessons can also include less tangible skills like visiting those who are grieving or sick and sending cards to people who are lonely or going through a tough time.

There have been times when we have been going through difficult family times, and we rarely opened our textbooks. When my grandfather was dying from cancer, and we spent as much time as possible with him, when our town flooded and we focused on hurricane relief work, and the weeks right after our youngest children were born. However, my children learned life lessons far more valuable than we find in textbooks in those times.

How Do You Teach Life Lessons in Your Homeschool?

Sometimes when I hear people talking about something else I need to teach my children, I start stressing about adding another curriculum or one more thing to our daily to-do list.

However, you do not necessarily have to plan life lessons in your homeschool, you certainly do not need a curriculum, and they will lighten your load over time.

Include your children in your day-to-day activities. Have them help you in the kitchen, fold clothes, start the laundry, gather the eggs, or whatever other chores are required. 

Over time, they will do the tasks more and more independently, which benefits them and your home because you do not have to do it all.

As you help those around you or deal with challenging situations, make sure to include them. This will look different for different children and different ages, but children learn so much through being involved.

Resources For Life Lessons in Your Homeschool

If you want a curriculum to help you be more intentional about life lessons in your homeschool, SchoolhouseTeachers.com (aff) has some great electives for home economics, money management, cooking, homesteading, and other life skills.

Do not underestimate the power of simply living life with your children and including them in daily tasks. They will learn skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.