Homeschool to Public School and Back Home Again

I didn’t homeschool all our children for every grade.   Our firstborn began Kindergarten in public school, but within three months, we decided it was going to be easy enough to homeschool her.  And that is what I ended up doing for her K through 2nd grade.

When she was ready for 3rd grade and our next child was ready for Kindergarten, we chose to enroll in public school for a time.  My Army husband was deployed, and I thought it would make my life easier.  It didn’t. 

This particular public school was a good experience.  It was a block from our house, so we walked to and from most days.  The two were in school, and I had a preschooler at home.  Third grade public school buoyed my confidence that I had been doing a great job teaching her at home for the past 3 years (K through 2nd) because she handled her work easily, she scored well on school testing, and was identified as among the top of her class and invited to participate in extracurricular science club.  The school was fantastic.  We had great teachers and a fabulous principal.  The oldest sang in choir, and I volunteered as their accompanist. 

But for the following reasons, I discovered I wanted to homeschool again:

- I dislike packing lunches

- I dislike getting everyone ready for school in the early mornings

- I dislike that my children have homework after being at school all day, especially in grades K and 3.

- We had no time for laid back fun because we also chose to participate in dance and gymnastics after school.

- I dislike mandatory dress-up days at school (crazy hair day, halloween, school spirit day, etc.)

- I dislike the constant barrage of fliers coming home in my child’s backpack

- I dislike fundraisers

- I dislike that my children only had 10-15 minutes to eat their lunches

- I dislike that with our military life and the regular moves it requires, our children would be constantly adjusting to different academic standards in each new school district we moved into.  With homeschool, my student's learning has continuity of education in spite of our moving every few years.

- I prefer to avoid the pressure of dressing my children cute for public school when we can be more laid back with play clothes at homeschool.

- I didn’t like the way my oldest treated her siblings during this time.  Because she was accustomed to spending time with other children her own age, she acted as though playing with her younger sisters was beneath her at times.  This changed for the better when we came back to homeschool where they interacted with each other all day, and at our co-op where she spent time with various ages of children.  My children don’t focus on the ages of their peers as much as they focus on interests in common.

- I didn’t like the negative social influences my daughters picked up from her peers—snarky attitudes toward me and each other, annoying popular culture stupidity and twaddle. 

So, when the Army said it was time to move, I chose to return to homeschooling.  I’ve not regretted it since.

There have been times we have considered public school again, when the school district we moved to had a good reputation and when our child asked us to consider it.  But prayerfully and as a married team, we discussed the pros and cons and were convinced that homeschooling was the choice we still wanted for our children.

In the beginning of our homeschool journey, we took it one year at a time, making the decision on whether we should continue or change course.  At this point, we have one graduate who thrives socially and academically and is college bound.  The other four are learning and growing equally well in this environment, and I have learned an exceptional amount along the way about my children, myself, teaching, and parenting. 

How I Homeschooled High School

Yes!  Homeschooling high school is doable!  If I can do it, you can too! At the time of publishing our oldest child is a few weeks from graduating high school and our second child is almost finished with 9th grade. Here are resources and plans that are working for us.

RESOURCES:

My first source of information comes from “The Homescholar”, Lee Binz at https://www.homehighschoolhelp.com/ .  Her free webinars and ebooks are encouraging.  She’ll show you it can be done, explain how to plan the right high school credits, how to keep records (report cards, transcripts, course descriptions, and work samples—all that scary stuff), how to find scholarships, and more.  She offers a paid support option as well, but I haven’t signed up for it.  

Other places I've gained guidance and resources include HSLDA.org and https://allinonehighschool.com/ . Since 2013, I made a habit of attending a homeschool convention near me at least every other year.  I recommend attending workshops on teaching at the high school level.  I gained a lot of insight and inspiration from them, and I refer to my notes from them often.

OUR CURRICULUM:
When our oldest was in 5th grade, my husband and I attended a homeschool convention, and spent time visiting the curriculum booths together.  I had spent grades 1-4 bouncing from one curriculum to another and was looking for something I could teach from high school.  I wanted some continuity for our children.  I was indecisive, so I wanted my husband’s input and accountability to stop thinking the grass was greener on the other side of the curriculum fence - you know, where that perfect, dream curriculum lies. We both loved what we saw from My Father’s World (https://www.mfwbooks.com/) because it appeared to be rigorous enough to prepare our children for college, should they choose to go.  We also liked that the books have a Christian worldview and teach critical thinking skills.  It is designed that the student be virtually independent, lightening the load on the teacher / mom, though I am available as needed.  The complete 36-week schedule lays out the lesson plans for the student to follow himself/herself.  There is a parent meeting once a week to go through some discussion questions and check in on how the student is doing.  This independence prepares the student for managing responsibility, due dates, study skills and time management - all valuable for adulthood.

For a Health credit, I wasn't happy with the "Total Health" curriculum which MFW recommended, but we have been using Apologia Science's "Health and Nutrition" this year for our second daughter and have been very happy with it. Total Health seemed to have outdated health guidelines and was unengaging. Apologia's book came out two years ago with current information, a colorful workbook with activities to complete, and relevant information for my growing teen. For example, she often let me know what she had learned that applied to the nutrition content of certain foods or how to stretch a stiff neck.

Our oldest is nearly done with her senior year, has scored very well on the ACT, and is accepted to attend the college she chose.  All that said, we are very happy with MFW and plan to continue using it for high school. 


TESTING:

Lee Binz recommends your student should take the PSAT Sophomore and Junior years to get comfortable with the testing process and to see how well you do in each subject.  Our local public high school allowed our daughter to take the PSAT alongside their own students.  We simply paid the fee to cover the cost of the test. She showed a weakness in math, so we got some tutorial materials to help her prepare for the ACT.  I got “ACT Math for Dummies” because a fellow homeschool mom had recommended the “ACT for Dummies” as a great resource.  I also found ACT Flashcards by Barron's Test Prep to be very helpful to my daughter’s test preparation.  I see that some of these flash cards are available for free use on Quizlet.com (HERE and HERE). Understand that the way the ACT, SAT, PSAT and even the GRE exams are structured, the student needs to have some critical thinking skills and strategies to do well in the time allotted for each test. Even if the student doesn't possess a mastery of all the math skills, knowing how to eliminate some of the multiple choice answers because they don't make sense can help. These study resources help teach an understanding of these skills and strategies.

Our oldest did not do any dual enrollment classes, but she is taking 4 CLEP tests to cut college costs and receive credit for some required core courses in college. If your student is college-bound, look into how many CLEP credits they will accept, which ones, and which credits will apply your student's degree program. Then find a testing center near you and arrange to take the tests. The cost savings of 3 college credits from a passing score on the CLEP exam is well worth the fee to take the test.

RECORD KEEPING:
Each quarter, I prepare a simple report card with a letter grade for each class, a percentage grade, and the calculated GPA (grade point average).  At the end of the year, I compile and file all finished work into a hanging file box, divided by class/subject, and I complete the transcript for her high school credits and classes completed so far. 

You can view a simple example report card from my Google Docs is HERE. 

You can also see my format for a transcript on Google Docs HERE.  You'll notice in the transcript, I have created class descriptions.  It's a good idea to have this as some colleges may be interested to know what your classes consisted of, and what resources your student used.  Include in your transcript activities, clubs, and volunteer work your student completes, as well as a list of books and other materials your student has read for school and fun.  Keep samples of your student's best work in each subject as well, as some college or scholarship applications may ask for these.

CREDITS:
When I considered what credits my high school student would need to graduate, I compared what my curriculum suggested, what the guidelines were for public high school graduates in my state, and what a few different colleges required - especially colleges which offer degree programs for what my student plans to pursue.

You may need to create a course or two tailored to your student for an elective credit, perhaps Fine Arts or PE.  In that case, you should know that one credit in high school equals about 150-180 hours of work.  A half credit would be about 75-90. 

For a Fine Arts elective, my daughter is doing a combination of photography and photo-book compilation and painting.  I have her record what she does and how long she spends doing it on a one-page paper with 180 squares.  When all the squares are full, I will consider her finished.  I used a free PDF from All In One Homeschool HERE . 

For PE, she has a combination of volleyball and soccer through our homeschool co-op and some health and nutrition education projects.  She also does self-directed exercise in the back yard or bicycling or takes a brisk walk in our neighborhood to fill some time.

For a foreign language, I have not been happy with Rosetta Stone. Our oldest used it for learning two years of Spanish, and though she gained a lot of simple vocabulary and sentences, Rosetta Stone did not delve much into the conjugation of verbs as a traditional program does. She enhanced her Spanish knowledge by taking a course based on Abeka's "Por Todo El Mundo". Abeka also offers a French course. I would recommend this, either working with a tutor who understands the language well, or using Abeka's video course. Our second child has been doing German through this website. I have created a schedule for her that includes working with the DuoLingo app, as well as learning about the German culture, foods and culture. Our third wants to learn Japanese, so I found a program HERE. The workbooks and textbooks for this program were hard to find, as they are a few years old, and, I suspect, out of print. We found a few on Amazon, and one on eBay.

I hope this gives you the inspiration and resources to inspire you to consider homeschooling your high school student. It has been a rewarding experience for us.

Check out the rest of my series on “How I Homeschooled” for the following grade levels: How I Homeschooled Preschool How I Homeschooled Kindergarten How I Homeschooled 1st grade How I Homeschooled 2nd grade How I Homeschooled 3rd grade How I Homeschooled 4th through 8th grade How I Homeschooled High School

How I Homeschooled Second (2nd) Grade

When my oldest began second grade, I decided to buy a complete curriculum for the first time.  We chose Sonlight that year.  I love Sonlight because there are fantastic books to read aloud and learn from throughout the year, and the curriculum comes with complete lesson plans for 180 days (36 weeks) of school.  I just had to open up the teacher’s manual to the week we were on, do each subject with my child for that day, and we were done for the day.  I recall our work taking us between 3-4 hours per day, if we did everything.  

Sonlight is a Christian curriculum.  I love that the Bible is included in our learning, as well as missionary stories and biographies.  Also, many of the read-aloud books correspond with the history or science being studied.  The one thing I didn’t like about Sonlight was that there was SO MUCH to read aloud.  My voice got tired before I finished most days.  I could have omitted some of the reading, but at the time, I didn’t feel at liberty to do so  (I’d only been homeschooling for 3 years at that point).  My younger children caught some of what we were learning while my oldest was being taught (learning is contagious). It was a tricky year with a preschooler and a toddler.  We were most successful doing independent work (things my oldest could do mostly on her own like math and handwriting and writing) in the mornings, and do “together stuff” (things I needed to teach or read aloud) after lunch while little siblings were napping.

When our second daughter was in 2nd grade, I drew from a number of resources.  For reading, she independently read all kinds of library books.  For writing, she kept a journal, sometimes with writing prompts from me.  She did copywork of spelling words and Bible verses for handwriting practice.  For math, she did Singapore Math 2a and 2b which worked well for us.  (Singapore Math has been revised since we used it 5-7 years ago).  We also belonged to a homeschool co-op that year which gave her enriching classes like kitchen chemistry, human anatomy, dance, and intro to the Spanish language.  We also had a number of field trips and family vacations in Arizona and New Mexico that year where she completed several workbooks from the National Park Junior Ranger Program.  Be sure to ask for these free resources at the visitor’s center whenever you visit a National Park or Monument.  

By the time our third daughter was in 2nd grade, we settled on our favorite curriculum, My Father’s World (www.mfwbooks.com).   I’ve used MFW to teach my oldest through high school, a 30 on the ACT, and college acceptance.  The approach is similar to Sonlight, since it includes a complete year’s lesson plans, great books to learn from and read aloud, and integrates Bible education and literature which correspond with the history and science.  I like MFW better because the amount of reading aloud is not overwhelming to me and their 5-year cycle–designed for 4th through 8th grade—combines all of your children grades 4 through 8 for Bible, History, Science, Geography, and Literature.  Not only that, but your 3rd grader can also participate.  I even fudged a little and included my third born, 2nd grade child in our 4th through 8th grade curriculum.  The topic was “Exploring Countries and Cultures”.  I don’t think she remembered much, but she participated, and we are going over that material again this coming year for her 8th grade.  To understand more about how the MFW 5-year cycle works, go to their website.

All that said, the MFW 5-year cycle combines siblings for several subjects, but the students each have his/her own level for reading, writing and math.  So, for math that year, my daughter did Singapore Math, 2a and 2b.

One fantastic resource for this age is the Draw, Write Now series.  Eight books, each on different topics, show step-by-step how to draw something, encouraging background and foreground drawing.  As a non-artist, it helps me inspire my children to draw and color.

Check out the rest of my series on “How I Homeschooled” for the following grade levels:

How I Homeschooled Preschool

How I Homeschooled Kindergarten

How I Homeschooled 1st grade

How I Homeschooled 3rd grade

How I Homeschooled 4th through 8th grade

How I Homeschooled High School

How I Homeschooled Kindergarten

What to Teach:

My guide for what I needed to teach in Kindergarten came from the book "Home Learning Year By Year" by Rebecca Ropp.

Resources I used for Teaching:

Math:

Math-U-See Primer or Alpha - https://mathusee.com/ .  If your child already used Math-U-See Primer in preschool as an introduction to math concepts, and they know how to write numerals zero through nine, they are ready for Alpha.  The math blocks that go with them are a necessary hands-on component to this curriculum.  They both further learning and make it a lot more fun.

Reading:

Get "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons". This book can be started as early as age 3 if your child is ready.  Each child is different.  We used it sporadically between ages 3-6 for each of our children.  Sometimes we took a break because we were busy.  Other times it was because my child wasn’t ready to continue.  So we picked it back up and tried again a few months later.  Its short lessons and methodical process make it both an easy to use and effective book.  Once finished, all our kids took off in reading.  After "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons", pick out books around your home and at the library that he/she wants to read to you, and encourage them to read, read, read.  The last pages of the book even give you a suggested book list that your child should be ready for next.

Writing:

For writing, I focus on teaching how to print letters and numbers properly, how to write your first name, (and last name when they’re ready) when to use capital and lower-case letters, and how to leave spaces between letters and words.

Other Subjects:

Kindergarten is a good time to learn mostly through play.  Keep your structured learning limited to 90 minutes a day.  Critically, keep learning enjoyable.

Read lots of books out loud.  Once again, your local library is an invaluable free resource.  Select books on all kinds of topics.  Look in the children’s section for books on science (animals, plants, astronomy, chemistry, anatomy, geology, electricity, magnetism), geography, international culture and foods, how things work, biographies, nutrition, games, gardening, poems and songs.  

When your child shows an interest in a subject, pursue it further with him/her.  My son loved learning about birds when he was 4.  We bird watched at our feeders and our bird bath and on hikes, and we bought him a bird guide which he had us read to him constantly.  Later he got very interested in Corvettes.  His Grandpa sent him some information from the Corvette museum.  He has also loved maps and geography, and from listening in to his older siblings’ school, he knows all the states and most of their capitals.  He can locate all the continents and oceans, and many of the countries on the globe and wall map.  He loves to use the children’s atlas in the car while we’re on trips to follow the route we’re taking and see what’s nearby.  Our youngest daughter loves dogs, so we are often checking out books with dogs as characters, or reading about different dog breeds, or how to care for a dog.  Although family allergies, among other issues, prohibit a pet dog, she enjoys other people’s dogs when we visit them.

Teach your child their full name, your address, your phone number, and show how an address is written on envelopes.  Try sending notes to grandparents, or at least a colored picture or some samples of work from your homeschool.  

Children are naturally inquisitive at this age, so let your daily discussions be learning times simply by answering their questions all day long-- tiring, I know, but well-worth the investment.  Hands-on activities are important at this age.  Cook together.  Make crafts.  Put together puzzles.  Build with blocks or Legos.  Play with learning toys.  Play simple board games and dominoes.  Make your own jar of butter out of heavy whipping cream.  Sing songs.  Play outside and go for nature walks / hikes.  Study leaves of different kinds of trees, study bugs, watch animals in the wild and at the zoo.  Learn how to swim.  Grow vegetables or flowers or herbs.  Buy caterpillars and watch their metamorphosis.  You can’t do it all, but it’s fun to do what you can.

If your child is beginning to read, you may consider starting them at piano lessons.  If they can read words, they are ready to learn to read music.  Piano is a fantastic instrument to learn.  If they take an interest in a different instrument later, they’ll have a great foundation.

Check out the rest of my series on “How I Homeschooled” for the following grade levels:

How I Homeschooled Preschool

How I Homeschooled 1st grade

How I Homeschooled 2nd grade

How I Homeschooled 3rd grade

How I Homeschooled 4th through 8th grade

How I Homeschooled High School

How I Homeschooled First (1st) Grade

What to Teach:

My guide for what I needed to teach in 1st grade came from the book "Home Learning Year By Year" by Rebecca Ropp.

Resources I used for Teaching:

Math:  For some of my children, I used Math-U-See.  At this grade level, your child may be ready for Alpha or Beta.  There are placement tests available on their website, https://mathusee.com/ .   For others, I also tried Singapore Math.  At this grade level, your child may be ready for 1a and 1b, or 2a and 2b.  There are also placement tests on their website, https://www.singaporemath.com/placement-tests .

Reading:  Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons - if you haven’t finished this book already with your child, finish it during 1st grade.  

Work on phonics as well, using a workbook, flash cards, and free printables.  Help their reading ability expand beyond simple words to more complex ones through understanding phonics.  They need to understand long and short vowels, hard and soft consonants, and consonant blends.  Knowing these will help your child sound out new words and learn how to spell words they want to write.  The English language is challenging.  Phonics helps most times.

I also used random workbooks I picked up to teach about subject-verb agreement and irregular verb tenses.  A lot of this is picked up by your child from your speech and the books you read together.  In the ages from 3-6, I consistently correct my children’s spoken grammar when I hear mistakes.

Writing:  For each of my children in 1st grade, I have challenged them to write at least three sentences a day in a composition book.  Use two lines of ordinary wide-ruled paper, as large letters are easier for first graders to form.  I give them a writing prompt, and they write whatever they want on that topic.  The key here is to give them practice with proper letter formation, spacing, use of capitals and punctuation, and learning to spell words.  Be ready to spell lots of words for them, but it's best for them to write the words themselves.  It may be a struggle at the beginning of the year, but progress comes with practice.  They’ll be much better by the end of the year.  Also, a handwriting workbook or free printable worksheets to practice proper printed letter formation can vastly improve their letter writing ability.  

Other Subjects:  Building on methods I use for Kindergarten, I used myriads of library books that I read out loud to them.  Doing that teaches all kinds of subjects including: science (animals, plants, astronomy, chemistry, anatomy, geology, electricity, magnetism), geography, international culture and foods, how things work, biographies, nutrition, games, gardening, poems, songs, and anything more you can imagine.  Many of these books provide activity ideas to try.  When appropriate, let your child read the books or parts of the book out loud to you (and younger siblings!)  Definitely continue to pursue your child’s interests.  Dig around online or on YouTube to find more information on topics they really want to know more about.  We love the “How It’s Made” videos, and other factory tour videos.

Don’t forget to work on fine motor skills like coloring in the lines, drawing, cutting with scissors, pasting with construction paper and glue, play dough, and more.  Continue to play board games and other fun learning activities.  Get outside daily to exercise and explore nature.  Drawing with sidewalk chalk, blowing bubbles, flying a kite where appropriate, learning to throw frisbees and baseballs, kicking soccer balls, and almost any other physical activities you can think of are great ways to develop motor skills, balance, dexterity and coordination.  Bottom line, do lots of hands-on activities whenever possible.

Check out the rest of my series on “How I Homeschooled” for the following grade levels:

How I Homeschooled Preschool

How I Homeschooled Kindergarten

How I Homeschooled 2nd grade

How I Homeschooled 3rd grade

How I Homeschooled 4th through 8th grade

How I Homeschooled High School

I Could Never Do That! - Homeschool Edition

I hear it all the time when people find out that I homeschool our children.  Five children, to be exact.  And yes, we even homeschool through high school.  People say they could never do it themselves.  

My response?  Yes you could, if you believed it was best for your children, or for your family.  

I’m really an ordinary person.  I attended public school from Kindergarten through 12^th grade, and graduated.  I have a college degree, a B.A. in Music Ministry.  I have no desire to get any further degrees.  But I love learning!  I’m naturally curious about everything.  And through homeschooling my children, I have learned SO MUCH!  Some of it I had forgotten, some I never learned in the first place, and some I just didn’t have the context to really understand it like I do now.  It is very enriching.  Homeschooling has exposed me and my children to some high quality books on history, science, cultures, biographies, as well as innovative approaches to learning how to write well and to understand math.  I’m grateful for the opportunity my children have had to learn from these resources.  You see, ordinary me enjoying extraordinary resources with my children!

Often the reason my “never” conversational companion states for homeschooling just not being an option is they would butt heads with their child(ren).  Yep.  I do.  I recently took a simple enneagram quiz that pegged me as a 9 “The Peacemaker” or mediator.  Peacemakers struggle when there’s conflict in their environment.  Guess what?  There’s conflict in our home environment multiple times a day because there are five siblings!  I butt heads with my children.  I redirect, correct, admonish, urge, plead, remind, coerce, whatever it takes for us to accomplish what I believe we need to accomplish in a day.  

We will learn, we will complete today’s work.  Then we may relax.  That is, until I give you a chore.  After that, you can relax.  But limit your screen time.  In fact, go outside and play.

Truth be told, butting heads is part of parenting.  They don’t want to do things.  As their teacher and mother, it’s my job to set those expectations.  There are certain things which I perceive will prepare them for successful adulthood.  

When we butt heads, since we have to live with each other, we work out our issues and maintain the mother-child relationship.  It’s not easy.  Motherhood is a tough job.  I am a better person because learning to relate to each of my children well develops my character.

There are scores of reasons why I believe homeschooling is the best thing for our family.  

- I treasure the opportunity to really know my children well as they learn and grow

- I love that we learn from the Bible together daily.

- When we’re done with our schoolwork for the day, we’re done.  No homework for the evening.  My children have time to play, explore, read about things they’re interested in, and create without being overscheduled.

- As a military family, our children would have had to adjust to a new school every 6 months to 4 years.  Because state standards vary all over our country, and even the standards among the districts in each community vary, my children would either be behind or ahead of their grade-peers and have to adjust or suffer accordingly.  We have eliminated that source of stress by carrying our school with us - when we move, our school moves, and my children have educational continuity.

- I know our history is based on the purposes and story of God and the people He loves, and that through studying world history, we can learn lessons to better our future.  Consider this article - https://wallbuilders.com/god-milling-action-american-history/

- Our learning is centered around developing our character.  

- Our learning is not merely for meeting academic standards, but for preparing to serve a purpose of value in whatever community we find ourselves in the future.

Because I see such value in it, I continue.  And as I do, I learn how to do it a little better each year.  When I began, I didn’t know nearly as much as I do now.  Through other homeschool families, books, websites, conferences and curriculum, I have learned a lot.  And I’ve learned the most from working with my five individual children with their various learning styles and preferences and strengths and weaknesses.  Ultimately, the journey of learning from them is what I treasure the most.

  

How I Homeschooled Preschool

You’ve taught your child so much since birth.  You can do preschool better than any preschool because you know your kid.  You can do this!  

When my children were preschool age (3-4), I did a bit of structured learning focused on Reading, Writing and Math, topped with lots and lots of library books - some educational, some just for the joy of reading a great story.  When our schedule allowed, we added story time at a local library.

How Do I Know What To Teach?

“Home Learning Year by Year” by Rebecca Ropp is an invaluable overview resource for me.  This was especially true for me preschool through 1st grade and before I purchased a complete curriculum.  Check your library for this resource or purchase a copy for yourself.  Since it was published in 2000 some of Rebecca’s resources may need updating, but it lists the critical things to teach your child through 12th grade.  I refer to it regularly to assess my children’s readiness for the next grade.

“Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons” (http://startreading.com/) is an exceptional resource for teaching a child to read.  My children have all learned to read using this as they were ready between the ages of 3 and 6.

When it comes to math, the Math-U-See Primer (https://mathusee.com/) is an easy to use option that launched my kids well.  All of my children used this in preschool or kindergarten.  It is a good introduction to math concepts, and helps you determine when they are ready to learn how to write their numbers.  My children enjoyed watching the lesson introduction videos, doing the worksheets and, most of all, playing with the manipulatives. These blocks that represent the numbers often become toys around our house.  Additionally, Steve Demme’s unique and engaging methods teach place value, clocks and telling time in a memorable way that sticks with children.

For Preschool, K and 1st grade, I didn’t use a complete packaged curriculum.  A lot of ordinary workbooks you can find at WalMart, Walgreens, office supply stores or Dollar General are just as effective.  Budget tip -- I actually found a bunch of mine in thrift stores, most barely used by the previous owner!  These workbooks gave me inexpensive resources to see what my child was good at, how they liked to learn, and offered art and game ideas.  Some of my children enjoyed coloring, others didn’t.  Knowing this helped me plan for future learning activities that would work well for each child.  The workbooks also enhanced our learning of reading and math concepts, and introduced both science and geography concepts.  I especially enjoyed the “Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills” workbooks.

How Should I Structure My School Day?

School in the early years shouldn’t be a formal all day long enterprise.  Structured learning at the preschool and K level should be 90 minutes or less, and involve foundational mental and motor skill developers like: lots of playing, experimenting with paint and play dough, learning how to hold a pencil, learning how to cut with scissors, running around outside, kicking balls, etc.  Read, read, read together!  This fosters a love of books and an interest in learning to read.  Make learning fun.  Library books let you explore wonderful stories and non-fiction books about people, places and things, and even early science concepts while costing you nothing.  If you’re looking for lists of great books to search for at the library, I recommend: http://amblesideonline.org/00bks.shtml

Or:

https://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/preschool-guide/preschool-foundations/favorite-read-aloud-books-for-preschoolers/

Also, I just discovered these:
http://www.gatewaytotheclassics.com/browse/books_browse_by_level.php

Nap time is a must at this age.  It’s good for the child.  It’s especially good for the parent.  Even when my children seemed to be “outgrowing their nap time”, I required quiet time.  After lunch, all my children may take three books and lay down on their bed to read.  Often my preschool and kindergarten children fall asleep after looking through their books.  This came in handy when my older children needed my attention for read-alouds and other subjects I was teaching them.  While my small children have “quiet time” on a blanket on the floor of the living room, my older children listen to me read.  My younger children listen in as well, and they learn until they fall asleep to the soothing sound of my reading aloud.

Also, don't neglect teaching your preschoolers to help you around the house.  Mine have helped me with sorting dirty laundry into loads, sorting clean laundry into the right family member's basket, pulling weeds, gathering trash from small wastebaskets around the house into one big trash can,  and putting unbreakable clean dishes and silverware away.  Depending on the tools you have available, they might also help with vacuuming and sweeping floors.  My preschoolers are responsible to help clean up any toys they played with and put their clean laundry in their own drawers.  I try to impress upon all of my children that we all help with the chores because we all contribute to the mess, and we are a team.

Adding music is a great way to learn for all ages, but especially for the early years.  I hoarded Scripture Memory CDs.  We learn a lot of memory verses through music.  Preschoolers especially love songs that have actions.  The Wee Sing series of CDs come with lyric booklets, and many of their songs include actions.  Songs can also teach academic concepts like the days of the week.

Try this song to the tune of “The Addams Family” theme song:

Days of the week (snap, snap)

Days of the week (snap, snap)

There’s Sunday and there’s Monday,

There’s Tuesday and there’s Wednesday,

There’s Thursday and there’s Friday,

And then there’s Saturday.

Days of the week (snap, snap)

Days of the week (snap, snap)

Or another days of the week song which is the tune of “Oh My Darlin’ Clementine”:

There are seven, there are seven, there are seven days in the week:

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

Also, I have taught this song to my preschool class at a homeschool co-op for the months of the year.  The tune is “Ten Little Indians”:

January, February, March and April,

May, June, July and August,

September, October, November and December.

Twelve Months in the year.

I also love several of the color-spelling songs my middle daughter learned in public school Kindergarten, and I’ve used them in my preschool co-op class.  I discovered they come from Frog Street Press.  Here is their song for the color yellow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC7UctwCvrI

Also, check out Twin Sisters Productions (https://twinsisters.com/) who have a ton of educational songs, and in some cases, books to go with them.  My favorites are the Scripture memory songs.  You can listen to these at home or in the car, and the music helps your child put good things to memory.

For fun music I also love everything from The Go Fish Guys.  Their “Party Like a Preschooler” CD is my kids’ favorite at this age.  https://www.gofishresources.com/music

Homeschooling my preschoolers is very rewarding for me.  Watching my children grasp new concepts, ask questions and make comments on what we're learning gives me insight into their thoughts as they gain independence and learn new skills.  I hope these resources provide you a great launchpad for homeschooling your preschooler.

Check out the rest of my series on “How I Homeschooled” for the following grade levels:

How I Homeschooled Kindergarten

How I Homeschooled 1st grade

How I Homeschooled 2nd grade

How I Homeschooled 3rd grade

How I Homeschooled 4th through 8th grade

How I Homeschooled High School

Preparing to Homeschool High School

When we started homeschooling our oldest child 9 years ago, we didn't know how long we would continue.  But now she's completing her 8th grade year, so on the horizon is the beginning of high school!  And yes, we are planning to home school high school.

I have been gathering information on this new venture for 3 years through home school conventions, online resources, and talking with friends who have already home schooled their high school students.  It began as intimidating, but with some great resources and advice, I now feel prepared and capable to navigate the next four years.  I wanted to share with you the basics of what I've gleaned that has helped me go from feeling overwhelmed by homeschooling high school to feeling I have an understanding and a plan that I'm excited about for our firstborn child.

The Resources

My Father's World curriculum - what we use for all of our school age children since 2014.  I love it because it is a perfect blend of Charlotte Mason and classical education, without being too much work.  Because it's a complete planned curriculum, I can simply buy the entire package and follow the 34 or 35-week schedule.  The high school level will provide all of the credits necessary for a college-ready transcript.  I look forward to what our daughter will learn through the books and projects planned for her.

The Homescholar - a wealth of resources and encouragement for everything from understanding what makes a high school credit, to how to make your high schooler's transcript stand out to college admissions personnel.  I have attended 3 of her free webinars and kept the valuable notes from these in my homeschool binder for reference, along with her transcript and course description examples.  It was from her I first understood the benefits of CLEP and AP exams, and dual enrollment.  I have not subscribed to any of her services, but am grateful she explains things even a beginner like me can understand, and shares her "can-do" attitude with all who will take the time to listen.

HSLDA - many informational articles, easy to use templates, and high school records services are offered.  The link I provided will take you to their high school resource page where you can find articles on everything from encouraging you that you can homeschool high school, to pursuing scholarships for college, or preparing for other post-high school plans like a gap year, the military, or a trade school.  They also have sample transcripts and other forms and guides for record keeping.

fivejs.com is full of articles and resources about homeschooling in general, and I have had fun reading her plans for high school and getting ideas.

http://letshomeschoolhighschool.com/ is one I just discovered yesterday which has some free printables and some articles which I have yet to explore.

Homeschool Convention Workshops - this is where I gained a wealth of information in a short period of time.  I spent 2 days at the closest big convention I could get to, and targeted high school related workshops.  These are often led by individuals or organizations who have a product or service to sell to homeschoolers, but they're giving you a lot of free information stemming from their experience and research.  I went with the goal to glean information but not purchase anything.  There are some discounts to be had if you buy at the convention, but I have found it's best to come home, think about it, and then purchase the product if I still need it.  Often I can find a similar discount later, or the product used for less.

Some of the information I gleaned there included:
- knowing how and when to find and apply for many kinds scholarships, both large and small
- guiding your student through choosing a major, a college, and a career
- how to earch college credit during high school (dual enrollment - something some public high schools facilitate)
- how and why to do college level research in high school, and what that looks like
- strategies for doing well on the ACT, PSAT and SAT, when to take them, and how the PSAT can earn your student the designation of "national merit scholar" which yields scholarships.
- websites I can reference to discover scholarships my students qualify for (from Dan Bisig of collegeandbeyondllc.com
- websites where my student can explore her strengths and interests and match those to careers (from Carol Topp, author of Career Exploration)

I also attended workshops for a couple products I am strongly considering purchasing for my children.  One is a computer coding class for kids called Youth Digital, and the other is a game that makes doing fitness at home fun and easy called Fitivities.

Advice I  Have Gleaned

Your student should begin thinking about what they might like to do after high school before they begin high school if possible.  Changing your mind along the way is possible, but you should have some solid ideas before Junior year.  The reasons are because you want to know if the colleges you may pursue have particular academic requirements, and if certain electives would give them an edge at being prepared and even accepted at that school.  Also, even if your student is not currently planning to go to college, it is good to have taken the credits they would need to apply for college if later in life they decide to go back to school.  Even later in life, the college will want to see their high school transcript with the application.

You should look at what credits are needed to graduate from high school in your state.  For me, this is a bit tricky, because my husband's job in the Army means we'll move partway through.  But, the comparison I did between college-prep coursework in the state, and the requirements listed by the universities my daughter is considering gave me a good plan to work with.  Then I compared that to the credits my curriculum provides, considered possible electives to add or change out, and made a 4-year plan for my daughter's high school, which is subject to change.

My daughter will be doing some free personality tests and career assessments online, and looking at the Occupational Outlook Handbook online to come up with more than one career she thinks she might like to pursue.  (We won't assume she'll stick with her current future plans, as she is young, and could change her mind.)  Then we'll look for elective opportunities, extra-curricular activities, and volunteer options that will add to her "resume" so-to-speak, her high school transcript, to help her stand out and look unique and inviting to college admissions personnel.

I will write course descriptions for the classes she takes each semester to include in her records so any college admissions officer who may question what a home school student actually learns, has a clear explanation of her education.

I do not feel compelled to grade every single assignment.  I also will base her grade on more than just tests.  Tests, reading, and other assignments will each hold a percentage of her grade, somewhere around 1/3 each.

We will try not to overload her with so many academics that she doesn't have time for friendships, extracurricular activities, and time to just explore her interests.  I love giving my children resources with which to learn, and I want my daughter to have a complete transcript at the end of high school.  But she doesn't have to learn everything about everything before she turns 18.

I hope these resources and summaries give you the same confidence I have gained.

The Winter Slump of Homeschool

It seems there is a common thread among homeschool families about how this time of year is especially difficult.  I know it is for me.  I've seen a recent blog post about it, and my homeschooling friends on Facebook have also mentioned it.  We're either feeling the fatigue of the long-term responsibility of completing the school year, or our children are struggling with it.  I think it's also compounded by the time of year - winter, so it's cold, we're not spending as much time outside, so we feel cooped up together.  Or maybe sometimes we're too busy with activities and life that we're burnt out with everything together.

I thought it would be helpful to brainstorm some ideas to change things up that might help us get through this slump.  Here's what I came up with.

- Bundle up and go outside anyway.  (Mom too!)  Race, kick a ball around, anything active.
- Rearrange the schoolroom a little, or a lot.
- Come up with a new incentive program for finishing assignments - have a bucket of little prizes ready to earn.
- Skip a particularly arduous subject for a day or a week.  Come back at it later with a renewed perspective.
- Try an educational game or website, or find some movies to watch that pertain to what you're learning.
- Look at what you're doing as a mom, as a family, and what your kids are doing.  Are you overbooked?  Are there things you can cancel or remove from your schedule to give you more freedom?
- Set a goal for everyone that when everyone's school is done for the day, we'll all go shopping, or to the library, or bowling, or some other get-out-of-the-house activity.
- Find a friend who can come in and give a "school assembly" on an area of expertise of theirs, whether it pertains to what you're learning, or is an art form, or just something really interesting.  If you're ambitious, you might invite another homeschool family or two to join you.
- Amid it all, give yourself and your children an extra measure of grace.

What ideas do you have?  Have you noticed this same time of year is difficult for you?  I welcome your suggestions, so please share!

My Unique Life - Ramblings

I have found that in the community we currently find ourselves, both in our church, and in our military community, I seem to be unique.  I seem to be a part of a small group, a minority, in several categories.

I am a stay-at-home mother with four (going on five) children who range from age 1-12.  Would you say a large family is a family of 5 or more?  We'll soon be a family of 7.

I also home school, which means I choose to be around them ALL DAY LONG.  So, rather than take time for myself while they are being taught by someone else, or rather than get a job to increase my income or utilize my education and skills, I teach them and I am not increasing our income.  I suppose I am utilizing my education and skills, though not necessarily the same set I might choose a career in.

I'm not socially outgoing.  I'm also not a complete introvert.  I can lead, but right now, choose not to.  In a group, I tend to listen more than talk.  I tend to hang back rather than put myself out there.  In a group discussion, I will pay attention to all that is being said for awhile, and unless I find there is something very different from what is being said that needs to be said, I would rather hear others' perspectives rather than share my own.

Today in a Sunday morning class my husband and I are in at the church, called "Simplify" by Bill Hybels, we were challenged to assess how we spend our time and money, and simplify those to fit our passions and the culture (fast paced and challenging, or laid back and free) we are most comfortable with, to best utilize our God-given talents and abilities in a way that really motivates us (and benefits others).  I recognized once again that I was one of two stay-at-home mothers there, and the only home school mom.  This means I have a unique situation.  In order to participate in a discussion with the rest of the group, I would have to explain my unique circumstances first, and expect that no one would relate to me.

I think being related to is one of the deepest desires of the human heart.  Knowing someone else knows what it's like to go through what you're going through puts our minds at ease, gives us hope, and helps us know that we are doing alright, or we will be okay.

I have resolved, with the blessing and support of my husband, to home school our children.  Because of this, it is my job, 24/7, to care for our children's needs, including their education.  (Thankfully they sleep at night.)  It has some similarities to being self-employed, except my clients don't pay me for my services, and I set my own deadlines (within the requirements of the home school laws of our state).  Add to this that I am not by nature a self-starter, self-motivator, or a self-disciplined person.  I can be for short periods of time, but I burn out quickly with rigid schedules and guidelines that I set for myself.  New Years' resolutions, for example, are not appealing to me.  Rather, they are a burdensome idea.  I really need daily, or at least weekly resolutions.  Sometimes hourly, when one of my children is trying my patience or constantly bickering with her sister.  But I don't really bother with resolutions at all, because they usually just invade my freedom to do what I feel like when I have a spare moment.

In class this morning, we were encouraged to ask ourselves what our passions were, and whether we were pursuing them either with our profession or with our volunteering.  I always come up blank on this sort of thing, because it doesn't seem to matter what my passions are if they aren't being a mother and a home school teacher.  That is what I do.  Am I passionate about it?  Occasionally.  Do I thrive with motivation on a daily basis as I do it?  No.  Especially in February when it's cold outside, we're confined indoors for at least 6 hours of schoolwork time, and there are exactly 15 weeks of school left in the year.  I can't wait until Summer break.

I am passionate about learning.  I also love to hear the discussion from my children when they are learning too, and I get excited to see them understanding new things.  But I am not passionate about the constant reminders to stop chatting and get back on task.  I'm also not passionate about the number of hours of our day that is consumed by completing all the prescribed tasks of our curriculum.  I have no problem with the curriculum - I think it has wonderful content.  I only wish it didn't take so long into the day.  My brain hurts by 2 p.m., and I get to wondering when everyone is going to finally complete their work for the day.

I am passionate about giving our children a good childhood, preparing them for a good adulthood, and giving them the training in character that will help them relate respectfully and productively to others in the world around them.  I want them to know and understand the truths of God and His Word, and how all that relates to the school subjects and life and eternity.  But I get bogged down with discipline issues:  Why does she have such a pattern of disobedience?  Am I handling this right as a Mom?  Am I being too hard on her or too easy on her?  How do I get through to her about the importance of making the right choices?

I am passionate about other things too, but those things don't fit into my life right now.  I think about them sometimes.  But I don't see how I could carve out time to pursue or enjoy those things.  In another future season of life, I hope to have time for that.  It'll be a time when my brain won't be so bogged down with home school responsibility or raising children.  My thoughts will hopefully be more complete, less interrupted, and creativity and vision can flow freely.

I paint such a glamorous picture of what I do, don't I?  Only 18 1/2 more years.

I do love my "job".  Sometimes.  I'm told that I'm good at it.  My children make a good impression on others.  They are well behaved for others most of the time, and they are well educated for their ages.  That is rewarding to hear.

But I do have passions, interests, ambitions, beyond the joy and struggle of raising and teaching our children.

There are so many women who don't home school and who enjoy a career.  Working a paying job while my children are growing doesn't appeal to me.  I feel I would miss out on their lives, and that I would be too tired to be a good mom to them.  Putting my children in public school doesn't appeal to me either.  We did that for a couple years.  It wasn't awful.  In fact, the school itself was very well-run.  But there were a number of drawbacks.  And the number of benefits I see in our home school is truly worth my efforts.

Perhaps there are a few things I can do to enjoy the journey more.  It'll be food for thought and exploration.  I'm always a fan of trying new things, so more of that to come.

I don't mind being unique, especially if I think it works best for our family.  But I do hope I can find a way to relate to others, whether finding local people who share my uniqueness (does that make me no longer unique?), or finding ways to relate to others in different situations than my own.