Around the World in a Day: Disney World Geography Lessons

I shared a couple weeks ago about how we incorporated literature into our trip to Disney World. Today I want to share a little about how we used Disney World as a cultural/geography lesson (without the children feeling like they were in school).

During our time at Disney we were able to spend two days in Epcot, which ended up being my oldest son’s favorite park. A little of the first day and most of the second day we spent traveling ‘around the world’, visiting the 11 countries of Epcot’s World Showcase.

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First, we traveled to England. We had been looking forward to coming back here since our first family trip seven years ago. The fish and chips were as good as I remembered and it was a great opportunity to find a few of our favorite characters, Pooh Bear and Mary Poppins. This is also the area where you can occasionally find Alice from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. While we were there, we also stopped at the Kidcot station. Each country that is represented in the World Showcase has a Kidcot station where children could speak with someone who is from that country, collect a postcard and sticker from the country, ask questions, and complete coloring pages or other small activities.

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We also took the opportunity to visit Canada on that first day. We enjoyed visiting the Kidcot station and looking around at the Canadian themed buildings. Unfortunately, the movie attraction that is normally available was closed for repairs while we were there.

The next day that we spent in Epcot we went all the way around the World Showcase! We started on the other side visiting Mexico where we watched an amazing band, then Norway where we enjoyed the Frozen ride and a tasty treat of ‘school bread’ a Norwegian favorite. We picked a variety of countries to enjoy lunch including China for some great Chinese food and my personal choice of a bratwurst with kraut from Germany.

In each country we were able to see building and attractions that represented that country, visit stores with merchandise from the country, try foods, visit the Kidcot station, and enjoy various entertainment acts. There were also a variety of character meet and greets of the characters from those countries. In particular we enjoyed meeting Belle and Aurora in France, Snow White in Germany, and Mulan in China.

There is also a great section based on the United States that has some wonderful music entertainment as well as The American Adventure, an Audio-Animatronics show where Mark Twain and Benjamin Franklin debate the merits of the American experiment. This is also the location of a small but very interesting display of Native American artifacts.

Throughout our time at Epcot, we had lots of fun, enjoyed more than enough food, and met lots of really interesting people. It was a wonderful way for the children to learn more about various countries and geography without every feeling like they were ‘doing school’. You could easily follow this up at home with map work or research into the countries that you had ‘visited’ in Epcot.

Have you ever visited Epcot? What was your favorite part?

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Evan-Moor Top Student Workbook (Review)

Kindergarten has been an adventure with my five-year-old son. Some days he loves it and will do any work put before him and some days you would think I had asked him to write a dissertation and not merely his own name. Since he can be so moody about school, I am always looking for ways to get it done well but simply and quickly. I was excited to try out the Top Student Workbook because it included so many subjects all with-in one book.

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The kindergarten level of the Top Student Workbook includes: alphabet; math; shapes, colors, and patterns;phonics; mindful moments; early reading; reading comprehension; science; STEM; geography; social and emotional learning; and computer science. This makes it great for review and in many of those subjects this workbook could be a complete curriculum. The workbook is over 300 pages with a variety of activities to keep a student engaged and interested.

When it arrived, he was excited to check it out! He loved how colorful it was and that the different subjects had different color borders on the papers. This made it easy to flip between sections and for him to identify the sections he needed.

He has a tendency to leave his papers and work in various places and they can get lost or torn up by the toddler. However, having so many subjects located in one book meant it was easier to keep up with and no loose papers to get torn up by the toddler. We have been working hard to have him remember to put the workbook in his schoolbag when he is finished with his work.

Another feature that I appreciate as a mom is the answer key that is located in the back of the book. This might not be a huge deal for the kindergarten level, but these books go all the way up to 6th grade. While I can do the work in those upper grades, it saves a lot of time to have the answer key right there instead of having to work out the math problems.

We used the book in two different ways depending on our needs for the day. Some days I assigned him a page or two based on what we were working on in our primary curriculum. For example, when we worked on letter c in his new reading program I had him reinforce what we had learned by doing the letter C pages in the phonics section of the workbook.

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Other days, I allowed him to pick what subject he was interested in working on. He really enjoyed the STEM section which taught about water being able to be both a solid and a liquid. There was information that we read together, simple questions for him to answer, some matching and word tracing, and finally a science experiment that we could do together.

Most of the pages were simple workbook style activities that were done right there in the book and only needed a pencil. However, they also included a few more hands-on activities like science experiments, cutting and pasting, and optional craft activities to keep things interesting. For example, at the end of the alphabet section there is a letter dress-up project. The student would pick their favorite letter, pick a word that started with that letter, and then decorate the letter like that word. They gave examples of a B that was decorated like a bee and a U like a unicorn.

Overall, my son really enjoyed the colorful pages of this workbook. I appreciated having the review for so many subjects all together in one easy to use resource. I recommend this workbook for any parent that is looking for a resource to help them teach or review a variety of topics. They are also very reasonably priced at only $14.99. They are available directly from Evan-Moor or on Amazon. Be sure to check them out and let me know what you think.

Disclaimer:
I received a FREE copy of this product through from Evan Moor in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

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2020 Reading List February Update

I have been really enjoying my reading time in 2020! I have tried to be very intentional about using spare minutes to read instead of browse the internet and I am finding that I have more time to read. I am also trying to go to bed a bit earlier and read a chapter or two in the evenings.

2020 Reading List Update

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So far, I have completed The Hobbit which, I was reading with my oldest son. I am not always a huge fiction reader but I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy later this year. I also read Better Together by Pam Barnhill. This was just the motivation I needed to really get our morning time back on track. She had so many good ideas and real life strategies. Finally, I am in the process of reviewing The Unbreakable Faith course by Pilgrim’s Rock and I read The Box as a part of that review. I will be sharing a full review in a few weeks but I think it is a great introductory book for those wanting to learn more about apologetics.

I am also currently in the process of reading another five books. That sounds like a large number to be reading, but several of them are intentionally read over a longer period of time and I like to keep a couple of different types of books so that I can chose depending on my mood. We are using Core 52 as a family in conjunction with my church and really enjoying digging deeper into God’s word. I am also enjoying the encouragement of Mom Heart Moments by Sally Clarkson when I can steal a few minutes of quiet in the morning.

I have started Plan Your Year by Pam Barnhill. I love planning but was feeling a little stressed about next year when I will have a high school student, middle school student, 1st grader, and a two year old. That is a wide range and I want to make sure that I can create a realistic plan for meeting everyone’s needs. One of the things that I have really enjoyed with Plan Your Year was creating a vision for our homeschool that really clarified my goals for our children. I am looking forward to continuing to work my way through the book.

Nurtured by Love was written by Shin’ichi Suzuki and is recommended reading for anyone with a child in Suzuki music lessons. I didn’t take the time to read it when my daughter started violin almost a year and a half ago, but given that she is now in both violin and piano Suzuki lessons and two of my sons are in violin I decided it was time. So far, it has been a very interesting read. I do not necessarily agree with all of his conclusions, but I think he had some wonderful ideas and his music program is very effective.

Finally, I have been reading Rhythms of Renewal. In our fast pace society it is so easy to be over committed, over tired, and burnt out. I love the idea of intentionally setting up rhythms of renewal. I have been enjoying this book so far and gleaned some great ideas about creating rhythms in my own life.

I look forward to finishing Rhythms of Renewal and Nurtured by Love this month. Once I have finished those books I will probably start Parenting Beyond the Rules. I also hope to read When Less Becomes More in March. I will also be starting Little Women with my daughter in March once she has finished the book she is currently working on in her literature program. What books are you reading this year? I would love to hear your thoughts on any of these or recommendations of what to add to my list.

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Deals and Freebies

Little Women is only .99 on kindle right now! (Amazon prices 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!

Smartick (check out our full review here) is offering a 25% off discount if you use this referral link! Elizabeth is still loving this program.

Field Trip Friday: Kennedy Space Center

Our family had the opportunity to visit Florida last month and we had a wonderful time! The primary purposes of our trip were to visit some family in Daytona Beach and to visit Disney World. However, my husband has always wanted to take the children to visit Kennedy Space Center, and so I purchased tickets to the Space Center for his Christmas gift and worked out an extra day in Florida. I am so glad that I did, not only did he really appreciate it, the children had a lot of fun and learned so much.

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I am a planner by nature but honestly I did very little planning for this trip because I wanted to allow my husband to show the children the things that were most important to him. When we arrived we looked over the map and schedules and decided to start with the bus tour and a visit to the Apollo/Saturn V center. The bus tour was a really great way to get an idea for the scope and scale of these rockets and the complex. From the bus we were able to see various launch pads, a SpaceX rocket that was going to launch in a couple of weeks, the crawlers that move the rockets, and the enormous building where the rockets are build and stored (with the largest doors in the world).

The tour ended over at the Apollo/Saturn V center. There we were able to to see various memorabilia including space suits worn on the moon, a real piece of moon rock, and more. My children’s favorite was Alan Shepard’s space suit. We also had fun letting the children dress in space suits and take pictures on a green screen. The pictures were then put onto ‘space’ backdrops making them look like they were on the moon or hanging out in space. There was a lunar module and ‘moonscape’ that you could view. There was also a movie available at this location. There was a restaurant with sandwiches, pizza, and salads.

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Next, we caught the bus back over the the main center to check out all of the other buildings and exhibits. We went over the the Atlantis building where we started with a short video, I don’t want to give too many spoilers but the video was great and ended with a wonderful surprise. Then we had the opportunity to take a good look at the space shuttle Atlantis. Also located in this building were lots of interactive exhibits. There was a even a slide and a play area modeled after the International Space Station. There were interactive video games and virtual reality stations where you could learn about the space shuttles. There is also a Shuttle Launch Simulator for those that are 44 inches and taller. My son and husband enjoyed this experience. Also located in this building is a beautiful memorial to those that died in the Challenger and Columbia crashes.

While my son and husband were in the Shuttle Launch Simulator, the rest of decided to take a break with a bit of ice cream and try out the play area. This area was designed for younger children (I believe it was 10 and under) and provided a great place for them to play and explore in the shade.

There was a small building dedicated to the new Mars program which included an interesting live talk, virtual reality, various movies, and a prototype Mars Rover. My daughter also enjoyed the opportunity to meet with real astronaut, Tom Jones, and have him autograph his book, Ask the Astronaut.

Another wonderful exhibit was the Heroes and Legends building. This building had exhibits and interactive displays about various astronauts and the Astronaut Hall of Fame. My children enjoyed learning more about the astronauts that we had studied prior to our arrival and learned about throughout the day. Finally, we also walked through a ‘garden’ of shuttles and rockets that showed the progress through the history of the space program. We did not get a chance to see it, but several times a day they do guided tours through the garden.

There is a lot to see at Kennedy Space Center and I would advise you to plan on a full day and possibly two days depending on your level of interest and if you wanted to add on any of the special tours. In addition to the various attractions that we visited there are several movies, including and I-max, that are included with your admission. There is also a small museum related to the national park on which the space center is located.

Overall, we really enjoyed out trip to the Kennedy Space Center and would love to go back in a couple of years and spend a little more time exploring and learning about the space program. Prior to going we listened to Heroes of History: Alan Shepard, and I think that helped my children really make connections to what they were seeing. Since we have returned home, they are independently reading and listening to a variety of books about space.

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Where:

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex,

Space Commerce Way, Merritt Island, FL 32953

Hours of Operation:

seven days a week, year-round, Open at 9am (closing time varies by season)

Costs: $57 adults (12+) Children (3-11) $47 ( I also recommend looking online for discounts, we found several for the dates we were going,)

Website: https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/

Food: There are several restaurants as well as snacks available for purchase.

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Deals and Freebies

Little Women is only .99 on kindle right now! (Amazon prices 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!

Smartick (check out our full review here) is offering a 25% off discount if you use this referral link! Elizabeth is still loving this program.

Hymn Study: Sweet By and By

Sweet By and By is a hymn that I remember singing many times as a young girl in church, but I do not hear it as often any more. It is a beautiful song that brings back many memories and emotions. The hymn was written in 1868 by Sanford Fillmore Bennett. I found it very interesting to note that the words were written in an effort to cheer up Joseph Webster who wrote the music to accompany the words, and the whole song was produced in under thirty minutes. Since then the song has become a classic that is included in many hymnals and has been sung by famous singers including Elvis and Louis Armstrong. My daughter will be thrilled to learn that the music was created using a violin, her favorite instrument.

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In the sweet by and by,
we shall meet on that beautiful shore.
In the sweet by and by,
we shall meet on that beautiful shore.

If you live near a river or lake, this could be a great tie into nature study. You can visit the shore and talk about how God is the creator of all and the beauty that is all around us. Then you can talk about how much more beautiful and perfect it will be in heaven.

This song is also a great one to use in discussing various musical styles. This song has been performed in a traditional hymn style, with gospel influences, and is quite popular among jazz artists. We enjoy listening to hymns like this in a variety of styles and discussing the similarities and differences. I have included examples of some of the different styles in the resources below.

If you want to add a little art to this study, you can check out the Sweet By and By art lesson with Nana from You Are An Artist Chalk Pastels. This is a fun way to engage your little artists in hymn study or your musicians in art. You have access to this lesson as of 1/31, if you are an You Are An Artist Clubhouse Member You can also have them draw what they see in their minds as they listen to the song or a picture of what they saw when you did your nature study.

For a little extra fun, you could read The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder where she talks about this hymn being Pa’s favorite. Let us know in the comments what hymns you would like us to cover next!

Hymn Study Resources:

Hymn Story

Sheet Music and Information

Video with Lyrics

Sweet By and By Johnny Cash

Jazz style Instrumental

Sweet By and By Southern Gospel

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Hymn Study Fact Sheet

Sweet By and By Copywork

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

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If you are looking to add some new electives or switch up some of your classes, SchoolhouseTeachers.comis having a great sale and you can get a whole year for $99, that is over 400 courses to use with all of your children for one low price.

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.

Apologia has a new FREE Christmas/Advent E-book!

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!

Smartick (check out our full review here) is offering a 25% off discount if you use this referral link! Elizabeth is still loving this program.

Classic Literature and a Disney Trip

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When we decided we were going to Disney World, I knew I wanted to incorporate it into our schooling leading up to the trip. I wanted real, authentic, learning that would also keep them excited about the trip and help them make connections along the way. I decided to focus on literature tie-ins with Disney. There are some obvious choices like the fairy tale stories of the various princesses, but I wanted to interest a thirteen-year-old boy, a twelve-year-old girl, and a five-year-old boy so I was looking for something a little different. We decided to focus on some of the literature classics that Disney had turned into both movies and theme park attractions.

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Conveniently, my daughter’s literature curriculum already had her reading Tom Sawyer. My older son had previously read the book, but decided to listen to the audio book as a refresher. Once we were at the parks, they loved the opportunity to explore ‘Tom Sawyer’s Island’ in the Magic Kingdom. They had the chance to go down into ‘mine tunnels’, cross barrel bridges, explore a fort, and check out an old windmill. In addition to Tom Sawyer, you could choose some other Mark Twain inspired attractions. Twain is featured on the steamboat ride, the American Adventure in Epcot and more.

I decided thatPeter Pan would be a great choice for the whole family. We purchased this one on audio bookand began listening before we left for our trip and listened a bit while we were traveling. I do want to note that we used an unabridged version of the book and there were several instances of inappropriate language ( I have found this to be fairly common in older British literature). We enjoyed the Peter Pan’s Flight ride in Magic Kingdom and look forward to using the Disney movie for a family movie night soon!

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We had listened toAlice in Wonderland earlier in the year prior to watching a play based on the book. The story can get a bit crazy but the children enjoyed it and The Mad Tea Party ride was one of their favorites! We managed to ride that one three or four times while we were there. We did not try them but they even have themed snacks at the restaurant next door to the ride.

With my five-year-old in mind, but knowing we would all enjoy it, we also listening to the House at Pooh Corner. This was a great choice because it was a fun and easy story and there were lots of connections to be made. We rode the Pooh Corner ride and had dinner with Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, and Tigger. We also had the chance to meet Pooh over in the England section of Epcot.

Our final selection was Swiss Family Robinson. This book is such a fun classic tale of adventure that all of my children enjoyed. Disney has an awesome replica of the tree house that you can walk through and enjoy seeing the various rooms as described in the book. Even better, there was no wait time for this attraction so it was a great way to take a break from the lines and enjoy a more leisurely pace in the shade.

There are lots of ways to incorporate learning into your Disney trip, but we really enjoyed making the connections with literature. It also kept the children entertained as we listened on the long road trip down to Florida. There are many options that we didn’t have time to cover that could be used for a variety of aged and interests. What is your favorite book that has a Disney connection?

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Deals and Freebies

Little Women is only .99 on kindle right now! (Amazon prices 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!

Smartick (check out our full review here) is offering a 25% off discount if you use this referral link! Elizabeth is still loving this program.

Wordless Wednesday: Disney

I know I’m a day late but I wanted to join in with Wordless Wednesday this week and share a few pictures from our recent trip. I have plans for several blog posts about our expediences and how to use Disney as an educational opportunity but for today here is a sample of our fun adventures.

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Deals and Freebies

Little Women is only .99 on kindle right now! (Amazon prices 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!

Smartick (check out our full review here) is offering a 25% off discount if you use this referral link! Elizabeth is still loving this program.

A Peek Into Our Morning Basket

We finished up a few of our morning basket activities from last semester and realized that a few others, while great resources, were not working with our current dynamics. Therefore, I spent some time streamlining and revamping our plans for this semester to make sure that we could successfully accomplish our morning time without overwhelming me.

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First I considered my priorities. I knew Bible was the most important so I put that in place. Then I determined what other items I really wanted to include and could include without overwhelming us.

I knew that Bible time together was my primary goal; it was the one thing I wanted to do each day even if we couldn’t get to anything else. Our church was starting a study using the book Core 52 and we decided to use that for our morning time Bible study. We are only one week in, but so far it is a great fit.

Our MorninG Basket

We all enjoy our hymn study time, but sometimes we have finished studying the hymn of the month and I was struggling to remember to find other options. This semester, I am choosing one hymn each month for our hymn study but my son is choosing one hymn or praise song each week to share with us. In this way, we can go in-depth into one song but also learn three or four other songs in just a couple minutes each day.

We will be using read aloud time to cover a variety of topics from missionary biographies, Shakespeare, economics (Tuttle Twins), and poetry. Instead of trying to cover multiple subjects in a day or even a week, we are going to have all of the books for the semester in a basket and read one at a time. We will read for a few minutes each day until we are done with that book and then choose the next book.

We will be continuing to do art with Nana over at ChalkPastel.com but have decided that it fits better in our afternoon time than our morning basket time. We are going to read about some artists during our read aloud time. Also, I am considering adding a bit of Simply Charlotte Mason picture study to our morning basket, but I want us to get in a good routine of Bible, music, and read aloud each morning before I add anything else to the mix.

I have included a list of the resources we are using this semester below and I would love to hear what you are using for your morning basket. Please share in the comments!

Morning Time Resources:

Core 52

Who Was Walt Disney

Tuttle Twins

The Father Brown Reader

Tales From Shakespeare (Wordsmith Children’s Classics)

Better Together (a great book for moms to help you organize your morning time or get renewed inspiration)

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Deals and Freebies

Little Women is only .99 on kindle right now! (Amazon prices 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!

Smartick (check out our full review here) is offering a 25% off discount if you use this referral link! Elizabeth is still loving this program.

SchoolhouseTeachers.com (Review)

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

I have been using SchoolhouseTeachers.com and their Ultimate Prek-12 Annual Membership for several years now. While it can be a great option as a ‘one stop shop’ for all of your curriculum needs, we tend to use it for particular subjects, to explore personal interests, and to add depth and variety to what we are already using.

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We are currently using SchoolhouseTeachers.com to supplement kindergarten math, for my sixth grader’s literature class, and a photography elective. My son has also switched over to using the Bible Study for Preteens lessons for his personal Bible time. He is really enjoying those lessons and my daughter may begin them in the spring. Over the last several years we have also used other literature courses, the Preschool Playground, and Small-World Sensory Science just to name a few. I am planning on using lots of courses next year as my son begins high school.

20180102_111806 — He loved helping me get is stuff ready for school next week. It all fits nicely into his tub.

I love that the courses provide great content, clear lesson plans, and flexibility. I can print off the lesson plans and use the course exactly as it is designed, or I can adapt the course to meet our needs. For example, my daughter is really enjoying her literature course but I wanted all of us to read Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol in December. I simply swapped out that book for the unit that was in her literature course, and now she can pick up the next unit in January. Other times I have added or taken away activities or changes the time lines for courses to meet the needs of our family.

In addition to over 400 courses, SchoolhouseTeachers.com has a great video library. We loved watching some of the Christmas videos during the holidays and Drive Thru History is always a family favorite. There are a large variety of videos on topics including art, Bible, apologetics, foreign language, music, history and more. There are even videos specifically for parents on a variety of parenting topics.

literacy centers

If you have a young child that is learning to read or an older child that is struggling with reading the literacy center is a great resource. You can select the skills your child needs to work on and it will give you suggestions and activities to help. If your child needs help in an area other than reading, the focused learning centers link you to a variety of resources that can help in other subjects.

I am very excited to have this resource as I plan and prepare for my son’s freshman year of high school! We are working towards more independent learning and giving him a variety of electives that will help prepare him both for adulthood and for the college program that he is interested in pursuing. One of the courses we are excited to use next year is Geometry with Mr. D. It has been a few (over 20) years since I have done high school math and I love that this course has videos to help him learn the concepts independently. I also am excited for him to try Personal Finance and the ACT/SAT prep courses next year.

Another awesome feature that I need to mention are the new more interactive courses and self-grading quizzes. Not all courses have these features but SchoolhouseTeachers.com has been adding a lot of new self-grading quizzes and videos. These quizzes give you more options for independence but as always you have the option of using the lesson plans and adapting the courses to meet your family’s needs.

Overall, I think SchoolhouseTeachers.com has a lot to offer any homeschool family. Whether you want to use it for a couple of courses, to give your children elective options, for the extra content (video library, World Book access, literacy center, etc), or as a complete curriculum for all of your students the inexpensive cost and quality courses are a great addition to a home school program. One post certainly cannot cover all that SchoolhouseTeachers.com has to offer so be sure to click on the graphic below and check out all of the other Crew reviews!

This post may contain affiliate or referral 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.

Fabulous Four Morning Routine (Free Printable)

Between a toddler who like to rise early, a five year old that loves attention, teens who don’t like going to bed early, homeschooling, and blogging, I often feel like my time is not my own and I can get frustrated when I do not accomplish all of my goals for the day. It is so easy for the urgent (screaming toddler or ringing phone) to side track me from the important (Bible Time). In an effort to be realistic about what I can accomplish each day, move me closer to my goals, and stay focused on my priorities I created a little program I am calling the fabulous four.

These are four things I will accomplish each day. For me, three of those things will remain the same each day: devotional/Bible time, morning time, and physical activity. I want to make sure that I get a personal devotional time each day. Ideally, I do this early in the morning but even if it waits until afternoon nap time, the prayer and Bible reading is important and beneficial. Our family loves morning time together as a way to start our school day and encourage family learning. However, lately I have not been as consistent as I should and I really want to refocus on that time even amidst the interruptions of the toddler. I need physical activity each day for both my mental and physical health. I have plans to walk several days a week with a neighbor and hope to either walk or do Fit2B workouts (with or without the children) on the other days. The fourth will be the whatever item on my to-do list is most important for the day. Hopefully, I will accomplish many other items on my list that day, but this will help me prioritize and give me a good reminder that I can’t do everything.

morning devotion

I chose those first three items because they are things that are important to me and areas where I desire to be more consistent. You may have other areas that you would like to focus on such as, a particular chore, dinner prep, read aloud time, etc. I think the important thing is to have a reminder of what you want to accomplish to help you stay on track. I hope that this concept helps me to be more consistent with those habits that I want to focus on and encourages me to remember the important tasks even in the midst of the ‘urgent’.

I have included a free printable of the Fabulous Four Morning Checklist that I am using. You could print them out for each day and put them in a binder, but my plan is to put a copy into a plastic sleeve so that I can use a dry erase marker each day to track my accomplishments. I would love to know what habits or tasks you are trying to be more consistent with and how you plan to focus on those this year.

Fabulous Four Morning Checklist

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

Resource Library

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