Category Archives: homeschooling

Feb 14 2014

Happy Valentine’s Day

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Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your loved ones! How are you celebrating? We have about one foot of snow, so we are staying put. We could get out if we wanted to, but we don’t really need to. Thankfully, we have not lost power and we have everything we need. We can even homeschool through snow days like these.

I had the children make Valentine’s Day cards for friends and family using some free printables from the internet and, also, this “Bee Mine” special paper I ordered from Scholastic. We were in a rush to get them in the mail, so I did not get pictures.

My three-year-old daughter spots a heart and says, “Valentine’s Day” immediately. It does not take long to train them in these matters, does it?

Purple and

Valentine’s Day bouquet from my husband. He knows I like purple.

If you want something really romantic to look at for a few minutes, take a look at Tatiana Solosozhar and Maxim Trankov’s short program in the pairs ice skating competition. Ignore the Russian TV commentator and focus on their art.

Their interpretation of the Masquerade Waltz by Aram Khatchaturian can only be described in superlatives. Watch for the moment when she passes him the bracelet – the main object in the tragic story line they interpret. Don’t they have great chemistry?

Feb 13 2014

Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers Review and Giveaway

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Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers is a part of my birthday month giveaway extravaganza. To enter, please sign up for email updates on the right menu.

This curriculum serves me well because I don’t really like teaching science. But having a well-organized, well-structured textbook with simple activities listed by age, helps a lot.

Sugar and salt containers

In one of the activities illustrating taste, one shows salt and sugar to students, asking them to identify them only by sight, feel or smell. Impossible, right? Once you allow them to engage their sense of taste, they get the answer.

Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers and Teachers by Susan Kilbride contains 20 lessons, 10 for ages 4-7 and 10 for ages 8-13. The last chapter provides answers to tests and worksheets.

A homeschooling parent, Ms. Kilbride wanted to write a book that made science easy to teach for homeschooling parents. She also wanted to make learning science fun. She has succeeded.

Not only can you teach students of different ages at the same time, but you can do so regardless of your educational background. Personally, I need all the help I can get when it comes to teaching science. So I need a science curriculum which says, “point out to your students that…” and “tell your students that…” I know some homeschooling moms who don’t like scripted textbooks, but I don’t mind them at all.

Even though teaching science is still teaching science, Ms. Kilbride’s book makes it fun and easy. Get it now or sign up for email updates on the right, to be entered into the birthday month extravaganza. Your homeschool science classes can only get better with this curriculum.

Feb 12 2014

Home Art Studio DVDs Review and Giveaway

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Home Art Studio DVDs for grades K-6th is a part of my birthday month giveaway extravaganza. Homeschooling can get a little rough around this time of the year. So I think a lot of homeschoolers should be interested in a curriculum that keeps the kids happily making art while mom can catch up on her work around the house. No textbooks required, no busy work, no power struggles.

Sculpey cinnamon buns and plate

We made cinnamon buns on a plate out of Sculpey, a clay one bakes in the oven before painting

But this award-winning art curriculum is more than just something to do to get over the winter blahs. During the school year, homeschool students can tackle one session a week and create different art projects in different media. Through painting, sculpting, drawing and coloring, children can express themselves while learning different techniques and even a bit of art history.

Home Art Studio DVDs K-5th plus holiday DVD

One lucky winner will receive all six grades plus the holiday DVD of this homeschool art curriculum

We have done five lessons so far from the Kindergarten set and our only problem is that once we get started, we don’t know when to stop. From a winter landscape to Van Gogh’s sunflowers, to a happy sun and sculpted cinnamon rolls on a plate, we had fun. That’s what it’s all about, right?

Van Gogh's Sunflowers, one of the projects on Home Art Studio DVD for Kindergarten

Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, one of the projects on Home Art Studio DVD for Kindergarten, as created by one of my children

I really like art but I would not know where to start and how to teach it. This DVD set does all the work for me and in a professional manner, too. I cannot say enough about how impressed I am with Ms. Volin’s relaxed, inviting teaching style.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the kindergarten curriculum. I only recommend curriculum we use in our homeschool. To enter the giveaway, please sign up for our quarterly e-newsletter on the right hand menu by March 1.

Feb 10 2014

Mom Monday 6 – Thoughts on the Olympics

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The Winter Olympics have started in Sochi, Russia, and it is impossible to ignore them. I have let the children watch a bit of the competition. They also colored some Olympics-themed pictures. I suppose it counts for arts and crafts in our homeschool.

Mom Monday Series on Homeschool Ways - Thoughts on the Olympics

Random thoughts about the Winter Olympics:

  • Sochi is so close to Romania, my home country – just on the other side of the Black Sea. It makes me a bit homesick.
  • The P&G commercial brings tears to my eyes every time I see it. “For teaching us that falling only makes us stronger, thank you, Mom.” I must keep this link close by for those days when I get tired of the mom job. 
  • I can’t imagine what these olympians’ moms are feeling. Overwhelming pride and joy, of course, among other things like fear of injury.
  • During the Opening Ceremony, one of the American commentators remarked that Russia’s most amazing cultural accomplishments (art, music, ballet, literature) happened during turbulent times. The lesson for us? Adversity stirs up creativity. Those tough homeschooling days you have now and then, they could be the very times you produce your best results.
  • I don’t think Ashley Wagner should have been given the privilege of representing the US at Sochi. I understand the issue is not black and white. I wish her well, but I predict she will not medal in her individual event. Have you seen her competition?
  • The snowboarding dudes and dudettes are an inspiration. They are so relaxed.
  • Sage won the Snowboarding Slopestyle event by bringing in his own style. It teaches me that I need to take this thing called homeschooling and make it my own. I don’t need to be a purist classical homeschooler or a purist Charlotte Mason homeschooler or a purist anything. Instead, I need to learn what can be done and adapt it to our own situation. Wait, I’m already doing that. I am an eclectic homeschooler.

Continue reading »

Feb 9 2014

Science, Not Exactly My Cup of Tea

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Words do come easy to me. Science, well, that’s another thing altogether. Science is the subject I struggle with the most in our homeschool. So I delegate it to:

Let me put it this way: I made good grades in science when I was in school because I studied hard for every subject, but I did not enjoy science.

Science experiment - dad and children

Daddy working with the kids on a science project. I gladly stood nearby, watched and took pictures.

The only science I enjoyed was Chemistry, especially Organic Chemistry, which we studied in the 11th grade in Romania. But I did not like Biology or Physics.

I just could not wrap my mind around mechanics. Oh, I could memorize facts and formulas and apply them to problems so that I could solve them and get a good grade on a test.

But it took me a long time to understand that if two trains are running in a similar direction, they approach each other at Speed 1 minus Speed 2, for instance. The weird thing is, I had no problem getting the concept that if these trains were to run toward each other, they would approach each other at Speed 1 plus Speed 2. Go figure.

For me, it is a lot easier to read a good piece of literature or to memorize the conjugation of French verbs. I love memorizing vocabulary and grammar rules. I thrive on it. But science? Eh, I could skip over it any day.

Thankfully, a homeschooling mom does not have to teach everything. So, I delegate science.

When my kids are studying with science4us.com, I just sit on the sidelines and answer questions, if need be. When daddy teaches them, I just watch and record it in my homeschool planner and record book. When my son is taking a homeschool science class at Ripley’s Aquarium, I sit back and enjoy. That is my strategy and I’m sticking to it.

To see what other moms struggle with in their homeschool, click the picture below.

Subject Struggle

Feb 7 2014

5 Facts About My First Kindle Book

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I am excited to announce the publication of my first Amazon Kindle book later this month. Homeschool Ways will keep you posted when my book will come out and when it is available for free, so please come back soon.

Kindle Paperwhite

My Kindle Paperwhite, which has come to dwell with me and my keyboard Kindle.

Here are 5 facts you may want to know about my first Kindle book:

  • coming out later this month
  • dealing with how to homeschool through the preschool years
  • presenting up-to-date resources and methods
  • written from a fresh, down-to-earth perspective
  • downloadable for free for the first five days

Don’t have a Kindle? Get one here. Or, sign up for the Kindle app for free.

On second thought, who needs diamonds and pearls for Valentine’s? Tell him to get you a Kindle. All the books you can read on it are like diamonds and pearls for your mind and heart.

If you know a mom with preschoolers, please tell her about this upcoming book. And thank you in advance!

Feb 6 2014

Birthday Month Giveaway Extravaganza

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March 2, 2014 update: emails have been sent out to four lucky winners. First come, first served. The quicker you pick your curriculum and answer the email, the more chances you have to win the curriculum you want.

Since February is my birthday month, I will give away four curricula, one for each week of the month. Sign up for email updates through March 1, please.

The drawing will happen on March 2, 2014. I will contact the winners by email. You have three days to claim your prize. First come, first served. Please check your emails on March 2. Then, I will announce the winners on the blog.

Next week, I will publish individual posts about each curriculum set, except Schoolhouse Teachers, which I reviewed back in December. In no particular order:

Please stay tuned for the reviews.

To participate, sign up for email updates in the menu on the right or click here. Bonus: upon signing up, you will receive my ebook, “21 Days to Jumpstart Your Homeschool.”

I send out a quarterly e-newsletter and an occasional email if I have news. Please sign up with an email address you check regularly. If you don’t claim your prize in three days, I will have another drawing.

Feb 3 2014

Mom Monday Week 5 – The Homeschool Mom’s Bible

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A daily devotional time helps me a lot on this journey called homeschooling. The question is not, “Should I spend the time every day?” but “What exactly should I read?”

When I heard about the Homeschooling Mom’s Bible by Zondervan and Alpha Omega Publications, I knew that’s what I wanted to read this year. I could even choose a King James Version. (My affiliate link is NIV. They may have run out of KJV.)

I love the King James Version of the Bible. It’s so dignified – the way God’s words ought to be.

The Homeschool Mom Bible - The daily devotional pages got embedded into a KJV Bible published by Zondervan and Alpha Omega Publications.

My devotional this year, written by Janet Tatman, got embedded into a KJV Bible published by Zondervan and Alpha Omega Publications.

Written by Janet Tatman, you can find this devotional for free under the blog section of Alpha Omega Publications’ website.

Mom Monday Series on Homeschool Ways

That does not work for me, because they publish the devotionals one day at a time and I don’t read just one page a day. I read as many as it takes. Continue reading »

Jan 28 2014

Get 20% off Plus Free Shipping at Alpha Omega Publications

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One of the reasons I homeschool is that I believe in delayed academics. Preschool and kindergarten seem incredibly overrated nowadays, probably because I went to school at six and a half. It was called first grade and I did fine.

Horizons Preschool (K4) Curriculum Set

There is a time to order a curriculum set in a box – like when you don’t have time or energy to hunt for free printables online, as nice as they are.

Preschool does not mean worksheets, but worksheets may be a part of a solid preschool experience. So what does a proper preschool experience look like?

  • free play with simple toys (no batteries, please)
  • time spent outside – nature walks, playground, gardening, tricycle riding
  • story time at the library
  • parents reading appropriate books out loud, at least 20 minutes daily
  • painting
  • drawing with crayons or chalk
  • sculpting with play dough (here’s a recipe)
  • helping in the kitchen
  • dusting furniture
  • helping with laundry
  • listening to classical and sacred music
  • singing
  • introduction to family’s religious values
  • cleaning up play room and own bedroom
  • some worksheets if preschooler shows interest

My preschooler is a girl who loves worksheets. For next year, I ordered the Horizons Preschool Curriculum Set from Alpha-Omega Publications. Since I don’t always have the time or energy to look for appropriate free printables online, I wanted a reliable source of “seatwork” I can reach for whenever she says, “I want to do school.”

Their sample sheets online gave me a good idea of what the books will be like. However, it was my first time dealing with this company and I had more in-depth questions. I did not want to order online until I spoke with someone. The lady who helped me was super nice.

If you, too, would like to ask questions and, maybe, order over the phone, call Kathy Nelson at Alpha Omega Publications. Her direct number is 1-800-811-8066 Ext # 4336. I receive no kickbacks from recommending her or this product.

Jan 27 2014

Mom Monday Week 4 – Are You A Teacher?

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After my father-in-law’s memorial service, a friend of the family told me how impressed she was with my six-year-old son, who had the courage to stand in front of a hundred people and read Psalm 23. “Does he go to the local school?” “No, he doesn’t,” I replied. “We homeschool.”

Mom Monday Series on Homeschool Ways

She looked perplexed. “Are you a teacher?” I told her that I have a degree in publications and that teaching one’s children at home does not require a teaching degree or a teaching license. If you can read, write and do basic math, you can pick up a primer and take it from there.

Her body language told me she did not understand. She congratulated me for having the courage to take on the task of homeschooling. I said, “That’s exactly what it takes. Courage.”

Mom reads to infant baby girl

I have read to my children since infancy. Here’s my daughter in October 2010, enjoying some reading with mom before bedtime.

I walked away from that conversation feeling secure with my choice to homeschool. In my mind, homeschooling starts at birth or even before. Pre-natal influences can start a baby on the right path, or not. I know because, for three years, I worked with teenagers who had been diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome at birth.  Continue reading »