homeschool Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Simply Learning Together

Posted on February 27, 2022February 28, 2022 by Jaimie — 4 Comments

Christian Light Education Language Arts Review

Christian Light Education really improved our second year of homeschooling for a variety of reasons. I picked it because it was inexpensive to try it out and it gave us the flexibility we needed.

We finished our first grade year with CLE and continued using it for second grade. The second grade level added quite a bit more that made the program even more thorough than I thought it was. In this post I hope to give you a very thorough description and honest review of the second grade program so that you can get a better idea of what it is.

If you’d rather watch the video version of this post, check it out on my YouTube channel HERE.

This post contains affiliate links. If you follow one of my links I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Christian Light Education is published by Christian Light Publications

They are a Christian Mennonite company, and you can read all about their beliefs and practices here. I am a Christian, and although I do not practice some of the same things listed in the “what we believe” section for Christian Light Publications, I have never felt turned off by the curriculum because of this.

I actually didn’t even realize the difference in beliefs until I heard someone else tell me about it. Then certain things clicked – like the images in the workbook. It was hard for us to figure out what a few of the images were because we couldn’t relate to them. This happened two or three times and we moved right along.

The program does talk about God often and believing in Him and making good choices that please Him. It teaches good character and provides short readings for the kids, teaching about manners, kindness, and good study habits.

The Language Arts curriculum is broken up into 10 units.

This is one of the reasons I chose this curriculum to replace an old one in the middle of the year. You can buy individual units for less than $5. I loved this because I could buy a unit and test it out with my daughter without really breaking the bank or feeling like I wasted a workbook.

That’s exactly what we did. I started with one unit, and we kept going from there. There are also optional materials you can purchase, and you can check those out here. We have not used the optional items in our homeschool.

The lesson content is set up as a spiral review.

This means that a topic is introduced and practiced again and again throughout the year. You do not master a skill and move on. Instead you are working on a variety of skills every day and repeating them here and there throughout the program.

I personally love this set up, because it makes it harder to forget things. For example, we can learn and practice alphabetical order and 2 months later we end up practicing it again.

I also like this because every section in a lesson is just a few practice problems for each skill.

Beginning in Level 2, the Language Arts program includes handwriting, spelling, AND writing.

How nice to be able to have that all in one! This is not the case in their level one, so I was happily surprised when we figured this out.

The handwriting sections start off with manuscript writing. It is a very short section in the lesson (see the image above). Next, it moves into curves and lines to get ready for cursive writing. When you get to unit 3, cursive letters and words are introduced.

The writing program becomes part of the lessons beginning in unit 3, as well. (See image below.) It’s so nice that I do not have to rearrange days or routines in order to incorporate writing practice. The process is broken down in the unit and easy to follow.

Each student book is called a LightUnit.

A LightUnit comes with the lessons, 2 quizzes, a self-check, and a test. One lesson usually begins with a new language skill followed by phonics and grammar review. Next, there is a short penmanship section to practice handwriting and, lastly, spelling practice.

There are also a few enrichment activities included in each LightUnit. (I’ve never actually even looked at these.)

The lessons are very to-the-point without extra things.

If you are looking for a variety of art and nature and song and poetry throughout your lessons…well, this isn’t for you.

A lesson is 4-5 pages long. Although it sounds like a lot, every section averages 2-6 practice problems.

If you sit and complete a lesson exactly as it is in the workbook every day, week after week, you are going to get bored.

Wow…that came off really strong, but hear me out. You can make it what you want! Honestly, that statement stands for almost anything! Homeschool is about making adjustments for your family.

The set-up of the lessons provide a flexibility when you plan!

For example, let’s say the review section is something that really doesn’t need practice. Your child has mastered it and is confident…so skip it!

Or maybe you’re feeling crazy and want to add some movement. Come up with a scavenger hunt or an activity to help get through some of the questions. Change up your routine and have fun with it!

Or MAYBE your infant won’t stop crying and your 3 year old is having a melt down and it’s raining outside and you haven’t even cleaned up breakfast yet…let your child work on it independently! I LOVE love LOVE that there are days that she can just practice on her own. As a mom of four, it’s so important to have this flexibility!

However, with the lack of variety in the lessons, it does tend to bore us after a while. Every couple months, I step away from it for a week or two and dive into something different. I might read a book with my daughter or complete a mini-unit together. This helps us go back to it fresh and ready to continue.

I do NOT follow the lessons exactly as they are written.

On the topic of spelling, I started the year by skipping the spelling section in the workbook completely and just having her write the words each day. We made this fun, and I can share more about how we did it soon. Even with fun spelling practice, we eventually tired of it after a few months and started only doing the spelling practice section in the workbook. We do not do daily list writing anymore.

After Christmas, I quit giving the quizzes and self-checks. It was a wasted day of lessons! My daughter was completing lessons well and was not struggling through the skills. (If she were, I may have kept doing them for practice).

One day, I just completely forgot about giving the quiz, and it affected us in zero ways. So, I stopped! We work through the lessons, and I give the test at the end of the LightUnit, if I feel she’s ready.

We also skip the penmanship sections most days. I do this because we already have a handwriting curriculum that I love (A Reason For, Level T). Completing the penmanship was overkill to me, so we only do it if we want a super short handwriting day and skip our handwriting book.

My point in telling you all of this is don’t ever feel like you have to do EVERYTHING!! You have the freedom to choose in your homeschool. If it feels like too much, cut it out. If it’s not enough, add to it. Do what’s best for your kiddo. Because of the way these lessons are set up, this is easy for me to do.

Let’s focus on the Teacher Guide for a second.

The guide is very thorough. The answer keys are actually on the same page as the lesson guide, and I really like that. You don’t have to flip back and forth to check answers.

Each lesson in the guide starts with scripted review questions. Next, it moves into a script for teaching the new skill. It provides questions for discussion as well as an explanation for each section in the lesson.

If there is any prep, it explains it at the beginning of the lesson guide. It also gives you optional activities to do during a lesson.

When it is time for a spelling test, the list of words and sentences are provided.

When I first received the guide, I was extremely overwhelmed. It’s a lot. However, once I read through the explanations and figured out how it worked with the lesson, I felt much better. It’s one of those things where you kind of just need to jump in and try it out to see how it would work best for you.

The guide is very helpful, but once we got in a groove, I didn’t feel like we needed it as much. It would be hard to have the program without it though. I’m glad I have it to refer to, as needed.

I’m really happy with CLE, but I’m not 100% sure yet if we will continue for 3rd grade.

The truth is…I’m somewhat bored. I want to read more books! I want to dive into novels with my kids and explore new characters and places and events. We do read chapter books together, but I feel like I want more. I’m starting to look for something more literature based.

My decision is not final. I really do love the flexibility I have with this. It’s almost like I would love to do CLE for 6 weeks and a novel for 6 weeks and than back to CLE…and so on. And I could…

I just have a couple more things I want to research, so I’ll keep you posted.

Let’s look at the pros and cons here.

PROS:

Inexpensive to try
easy to follow
includes spelling, handwriting, and writing beginning in 2nd level
flexible
can be completed independently (depending on child)
Christian values

CONS:

cut and dry
not hands-on
difference in beliefs
can feel boring at times
not much classic literature or fine arts (at least not in level 2)

I think this is all just proof that no ONE curriculum is going to be the perfect fit.

We get to make it what we want and add or take away as we please. Even when I was a classroom teacher, I was doing this with our textbooks for my students. The reason I bring that up is to point out that learning is not a one-size-fits-all matter.

My suggestion to you if you are considering trying Christian Light Education is to do what we did. Purchase one LightUnit. Look at the samples to get an idea of which one you should buy, based on your child’s abilities.

Then, try it out in your home! It’s the perfect way to figure out if it’s what you need for your language arts program.

Posted on February 27, 2022May 17, 2022 by Jaimie — Leave a comment

Make Explode the Code FUN – Adding variety to the workbook pages

IF YOU PREFER TO WATCH THE VIDEO ON THIS SAME TOPIC, CLICK HERE: Make Explode the Code Fun!

Explode the code is set up with a very consistent format. I love this, because it’s easy for my daughter to follow. However, it wasn’t long before I was itching to add a little variety to the workbook pages. We wanted to have some FUN.

We started Explode the Code (Book One) half way through my kindergartener’s year, and I wish we would’ve had it from the beginning. It’s great practice, and I love how the lessons are set up. She can do a lot of it independently.

Sometimes repetitive practice gets old. When this happens I like to mix up the lesson a bit in order to add some excitement. It makes teaching more fun and it really helps my daughter have a great time learning, as well.

Are you ready to add some variety to the workbook? I’m so excited for this. I want to give you a SIMPLE alternative way to complete the majority of the workbook pages in Book One. Mark this page, or write down what you like. We are about to spice up some phonics!

This post contains affiliate links. If you follow one of my links I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog!

These are not activities to do every day.

That would be incredibly exhausting! These ideas are more for you to keep in your pocket for a day that really needs some mixing up!

Let’s be honest, some of the workbook pages can be completed so quickly on their own. We even combine a couple pages at times. We definitely just do the workbook most days. However, my point is to provide you with options. You never know what day you’ll need a change in routine.

For some of these, we will be cutting the textbook.

Yes, cutting it up! I LOVE doing this. I’ve cut almost all our workbooks at some point. The reason for cutting is because it’s less work. Hear me out! The book has the practice we need – so let’s use it! No need to go searching online for extra. Let’s use what we paid for.

So, think ahead…If you are cutting up a page, what do you want to do with the other side? Sometimes, I skip it altogether. Other days, I’ll do the back side FIRST so that it’s done, and then I can cut the other side the next day. You could also make a copy. It’s completely up to you.

Let’s get to it!

Some of these activities would work for multiple pages, so feel free to change them around a bit if you’d like. But like I said earlier, the point is just to have fun options for each one.

Cut and Paste

SUPPLIES: Construction Paper, Writing Utensil, Glue stick, Scissors

Book Directions: Find the picture that begins with the sound of the letter below. Circle it.

To prep this activity, cut the rows of pictures out. Leave them in their rows so you’re left with strips of paper. (See image)

Begin by introducing the letter and its sound. (Follow the wording from the book) Have your child write the letter at the top of the construction paper. Next, he/she will look at each row of pictures and cut out the picture that makes the correct sound.

Then, glue the picture onto the paper. Repeat this for each of the rows of pictures.

Watercolor Matching

SUPPLIES: Watercolors (or just colored pencils), construction paper and glue stick (optional)

Book Directions: Circle the same word.

We love using watercolors at our house. If that’s something you’d prefer not to use, you can also use colored pencils. Since we were using the watercolors, I tore the page out and glued it to a piece of colored construction paper to make the paper a little thicker.

I chose to go with a rainbow theme, because I knew my daughter would enjoy that. She read the word on the side of the page and painted it red. Next, she found the matching word and painted it red, as well. Now, the matching words also match in color.

We painted with orange next, and then yellow, and so on until we had all of the colors of the rainbow. If there were any extra boxes, I let her pick the color.

At the end we had a pretty workbook page that now hangs up on our work display wall.

Matching Words

I love setting up a DIY matching game and it would be perfect for the workbook page mentioned above. Cut up some scraps of construction paper and write the words on the paper scraps. I would just write the given word and exact match, not the extra words.

If you wanted to add to it, you could make cards with words from the previous pages that look just like this. Save the scraps and add to it as you move through the book. your game will get bigger and BIGGER as you complete it.

Read, Roll, and Write

SUPPLIES: Dry Erase marker, dry erase board/pocket, die, paper, pencil

Book Directions: Read, copy, and circle it.

On a piece of paper, assign an exercise/movement to a number 1-6. (See image above). Have your child read the word in the workbook and circle the matching image.

When it’s time to write the word, add in some movement! Roll the die. Whatever number is landed on determines the movement to be completed.

I like to put our dry erase pocket on the other side of the room. This gives my child a place to go while moving. Once she arrived to the pocket, she wrote the word and then returned for another.

Sidewalk Chalk – Jump on the Sound

SUPPLIES: Sidewalk Chalk

Book Directions: Spell. Write.

For this activity I showed my daughter the picture in the book for her to identify. Next I wrote the letters on our patio, just as they are written in the workbook. By using 2 different colors, it was easy to separate the columns (see image).

As she sounded out the word, she jumped from letter to letter, sounding out the word with the correct letter sounds. We had fun putting the letters further and further apart! Actually, I should rephrase that and be a little real with you – she insisted I make it further to jump, because the way I wrote it was just way too easy! (ha!)

I also gave her a piece of chalk to write the word on the patio as well.

Squirt the Sound

Follow all of the directions above, but instead of jumping on the sound, use a squirt bottle! Get them from the dollar store. These are so great to have.

Wait for a beautiful day and take your lesson outside. Have your child squirt the letter that makes the correct sound! This is so much fun!

DIY Write the Room

SUPPLIES: Scissors, clipboard/folder, pencil, tape

Book Directions: Match and write it.

This worksheet is set up so that there is a group of words to pick from at the top. The bottom 3/4 of the page are the pictures with a space to write the word.

For this one, I wrote the words on scratch pieces of paper and taped them around the room. We created a “Write-the-Room” activity. Next, I put the rest of the workbook page on a clipboard and handed it to my daughter.

As she walked around the room, she’d read the word on the card and then write the word down on her clipboard.

Window Writing

SUPPLIES: Dry erase marker, scissors, tape, mirror/window

Book Directions: Circle it.

Window/mirror writing is a a simple and fun way to add a twist to any lesson. I set this one up so it looked just like the workbook page.

Cut the picture out and paste it to the window. Write the set of words next to the picture. Your child can go to each picture and circle the right word with a dry erase marker.

When you finish, remove the pictures and wipe it off with a towel. Easy clean-up!

Chatterpix Reading

SUPPLIES: iPad/iPhone, Toys (optional)

Book Directions: X it.

When we get to this page, I have my daughter read the sentences to me and then she decides which one matches the picture. She’s not always happy about doing this, so I wanted to come up with something crazy-fun for her to do.

Enter Chatterpix Kids. This app is free. I never really use apps in our homeschool, so this was quite the treat. To use the app, you take a picture of something – It can be ANYTHING. I chose to focus on stuffed animals.

I let my daughter take a picture of her stuffed animal. Then, we traced a line where the mouth is. Next, I had her sound out the words of the sentence so she would know what it said. When she was ready, she hit the record button and said the sentence into the iPad.

You have the option to add stickers to the picture as well. I let her pick one sticker, and then we hit PLAY. Oh my goodness, did we giggle!! It was such a silly time.

I’ll be honest, you could probably do the worksheet in five minutes. By doing this app, we spent probably 30 minutes playing. So, it more than triples the time. However, like I mentioned above, this is not an everyday thing. This is meant to be something fun and special to add variety to your workbook.

It was obviously very special and enjoyable to her as she has asked me to skip all the other workbook pages and just do this sentence one again and again! 😉

Microphone Fun

Another idea I had for this one is to use a microphone. My daughter loves talking. So, naturally I bought her a bluetooth microphone for Christmas (lol!) Even though it’s silly, we can get it out and read sentences or words into it. There’s even an echo feature on there to add something to her voice if we want to.

We used a microphone for one of the pages, and I encouraged her to come up with a new voice every time. She sure made us laugh!

If your child loves singing, you could connect it to some background music and let your child sing their sentences! Maybe it sounds crazy, but I promise your kids will get a kick out of it!

Shaving Cream Spelling

SUPPLIES: scissors, shaving cream, wash cloth for clean-up

Book Directions: Write it.

Cut out the pictures on the side of the workbook page. Just a tip – When I cut ours, there was also part of a picture on the back, so I made sure to put an “X” on the back side of the cut-outs. I didn’t want to confuse the sides.

Have your child sit at a table with the pictures piled on the side. Squirt shaving cream onto the table and spread it around (you’ll want to give a minute to free play first).

Have your child draw from the pile of words (or if you need to, show one of the pictures) and then write the word in the shaving cream. For every new word, wipe the shaving cream to make a blank slate.

This is so much fun, and most of the time it doesn’t even feel like school work!

Letter Play

If you don’t feel like making a shaving cream mess, try just using wooden letters or magnetic letters instead of writing the word. Choose a picture and make the word. A simple change like that can really make it interesting.

Do you have letter stamps? These stamps are great to have on hand. You could stamp right in the workbook if you wanted to! Spell out the word using the stamps. Add some color patterns by using your different colored stamp ink.

Small changes can be so much fun!

Sometimes it’s nice to have a go-to list like this to keep in your back pocket for a day that really needs it. I would not recommend doing something like this every day, but if you wanted to take a week off of the workbook, this would be a fun way to do it! Or, if you’re feeling a little funky, a small twist can make a big change in attitudes.

I’d love for you to share your activities with me! Send me an email or tag me on social media @simply.learning.together

Have fun with phonics!

Posted on February 27, 2022March 2, 2022 by Jaimie — Leave a comment

Why we stopped Horizons K mid-year

I really did not think this would happen, but we stopped Horizons K mid-year. I love Horizons! We’ve used it for three years with my oldest daughter (now in Horizons 2). As a matter of fact, she still uses it, and I don’t have plans to stop.

This has been a tough decision for me. I know how Horizons works. I know how to add hands-on activities, and I know how to manipulate it to work for us. I’m very comfortable with it and recommend it to many. That hasn’t changed, but, let’s be honest…this isn’t about me. It’s about my daughter.

If you prefer to watch instead of read, check out my YouTube video on this same topic HERE.

This post contains affiliate links. If you follow one of my links I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog!

I’ve known since November that something wasn’t right.

This decision has been quite the journey and my choice to stop was not based on a quick mishap. It’s been a process, and I’ll explain.

We started our school year the first week of August, and Horizons K starts very slow. It’s wonderful! The pictures are bright and colorful with just a few problems to complete in each section. It’s perfect. We can add a game to re-enforce a skill, and the lesson would be awesome.

Then, a few months in, it started moving very quickly. I tried not to worry. Horizons is set up in a spiral review format, so I knew she’d be getting practice again and again.

I put a large amount of energy into making it work for us.

It was tough to get through a lesson, mostly because it was a lot of problems to get through. We went outside. We played games. We added manipulatives and more movement.

The effort was worth it! We definitely enjoyed it more, but after a while, I could tell it had nothing to do with how “fun” it was anymore…

We took a couple weeks off to re-group and connect

Maybe I was trying too hard. It’s possible I was setting my expectations too high. I was dreading our math lessons, and I knew we needed a break. I prayed about it so much.

Those two weeks were needed. I highly suggest a break when you’re feeling confused about something in your homeschool. Connect with your kiddos and relax. It’s so refreshing and so helpful!

We didn’t do math for two weeks, and then the best thing happened. She ASKED to start again. YES! Ok, this is great. It’s exactly what I wanted. We jumped back in and pushed through.

Just a couple of weeks into January and she was moving on to Book 2. Woohoo! I was a proud mama, and she worked so hard to get there.

But book 2 is a whole new ball game.

The work practically triples! What used to take us 15 minutes was now taking 45 minutes to an hour. On top of it, I kept feeling like we needed to go back! She needed to keep working on things she’d learned in book one. It felt too soon to be adding in brand new material.

Maybe you’re thinking I should’ve just not made her do all of the problems, and I’m all about that! Sometimes, I cut out half the work in our second grader’s workbook. However, if I feel like the practice is necessary, I want her to do it. I can’t cut the work if full understanding is not there.

It was this weird balance of trying to build her skills and confidence while also not pushing her too hard.

I really don’t remember it moving that fast when my oldest completed it three years ago. Of course it did, but as a new homeschooling mama at that time, I’m betting I just kept encouraging her to keep going- We had to finish. (Or so I thought.)

I’m thankful I know better now. We don’t have to just keep going. I have the freedom to make the changes needed to best fit the needs of my kids.

You know, I really don’t like swapping curriculum mid-year.

I’ve done it once before, and there’s this awkward phase of trying to figure out where to start in the new curriculum and figuring out how the new book works. It’s a scary commitment to me and a big decision! I don’t want to flip-flop from book to book.

There’s a part of me that feels like I’ve done something wrong. Did I do enough? (Isn’t that the million dollar homeschool question!?) I just have to keep reminding myself though that I know my child best.

As you can see, this has been a prayer of mine for months. I don’t think it’s coincidence that something keeps prodding me to change what we are doing. It’s no mistake that it suddenly felt very clear that we needed to pick something else. I truly feel God leading me to this next step in our homeschool.

So, what now?

Well, I have researched a lot of math curriculum over the years. I really do enjoy learning about it. There’s one other program that I’ve thought about using, because it is set up in a simple, spiral review format as well. I’m referring to Christian Light Education.

As I looked through Christian Light’s kindergarten program, I immediately went to their sample books and My. Jaw. Dropped!

Three quarters of the way through the units, and we would be counting dots on a domino for math. Wait…what?! We were past that. WAY past that.

Two feelings came over me. 1) That’s way too easy for her! 2) Oh my goodness, I feel awful that I’ve been pushing my daughter so hard.

In order to practice the skills that my daughter needed, I had to purchase the level one book. I’m talking- skills we learned back in August. WOW! This program was at a completely different pace! I felt so weird getting level one, but as I reviewed the scope and sequence over and over, I knew it was a good fit.

Honestly, even level one is MUCH easier than what we are doing now, but I want to start slow. I am not in a rush. This was even more proof to me that I made the right decision. Horizons was very advanced.

My goal for the end of the year is simple and easy-going.

I have hopes to work through book one and book two of CLE to end this year. Then, we will take a summer break and I’ll pick up where we left off for her first grade year.

It’s kind of nice because normally so much time is wasted reviewing at the beginning of the year. In our case, we are doing that at the end of this year and moving forward at the start of next!

This is very new to us. I plan to update you guys soon on how it’s working for us.

Let me go on one short rant here…

First, always make the decision that’s best for your kid. Stop thinking about how YOU feel (ahem…speaking to myself) and think about your child’s needs.

Every. Child. Is. Different. Like WAY different – I have four completely different kiddos in my home, and I am so grateful that God has chosen me to be their mother. He has given each of them their unique gifts and abilities, and it is my joy and pleasure to help them grow up and live out the purpose he has set for them.

My oldest child is a numbers girl. Math comes easy for her. I only bring this up because Horizons has been amazing for her, and we plan to stick with it. This is proof that it really is about the child. As much as I love Horizons, I’ve learned it may not work for all four of my kids the same.

Think about what brought you here to this post. You probably have something on your mind about math, whether its what curriculum to buy or which one to stop! If you haven’t prayed about it, take a minute and do it. My homeschool changed drastically for the better when I started praying about specific needs in my homeschool. (God is so faithful!)

I am not one to say, “Yes! Change it! Get something new!” But, sometimes, we just know that it’s not a good fit.

There’s so many options out there! Sometimes I wish I could just have a little taste of all of them in one book. Wouldn’t that be nice? Here’s the thing – no curriculum is going to be perfect for you. Not ONE. So, pray about the steps to take in making it work. Does that mean changing it up a bit? Shortening the lesson? Adding in games? Switching to every other day?

Or…does that mean it’s time for a bigger change? It took me almost three months to finally say yes, but I’m so glad I did.

Posted on April 27, 2021April 30, 2021 by Jaimie — 1 Comment

5 Steps to Start Homeschooling

I never planned to homeschool, so when I started to think about doing it, I was starting from scratch. It was unfamiliar to me, and I didn’t know anyone personally that homeschooled their children. I did a lot of research and a lot of planning. I’ll admit, we definitely hit some bumps along the way, but overall a simple start up was key.

In this post, I plan to outline how I started homeschooling in hopes of helping someone start their own planning process. I am no expert, and what works for me may not work as well for you. Keep that in mind as you read through. Most importantly, I hope to encourage you as you begin these first exciting steps of planning.

We are going to start from the VERY beginning stages, because I think they are important. I started thinking about homeschool months in advance to when I actually wanted to start. When I began my own homeschool journey my children were 2 and 4. One would be heading into kindergarten the following year.

This post contains affiliate links. If you follow one of my links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog!

1. Research and Read

As you begin thinking about and praying about starting to homeschool, one of the easiest things you can do is research and read about it. You can do this through novels or even different blog posts online.

I used to just scan Pinterest and read post after post from homeschool families. This allowed me to become familiar with names of curricula, the lifestyle, different terminology, homeschool styles, and the daily routines. I slowly began to gain confidence in what I was doing.

The following are a few book suggestions. Don’t feel like you need to read them all.

These are only suggestions. The first one is very short and an easy, quick read. It would be a great start.

Sometimes you can even scan through them. For example, I’ve read most of “Wild and Free”, but a lot of it I flipped through and read what I was interested in or had questions about.

“Teaching From Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakeable Peace” by Sarah Mackenzie

“The Call of the Wild and Free: Reclaiming Wonder in Your Child’s Education” by Ainsley Arment

“Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child with Confidence” by Jamie Erickson

There are hundreds of books about homeschooling. These are just a few to get started. As I mentioned before, you can also read through blog posts. Try searching daily routines or different homeschool styles. Look for a day in the life post to get a feel of the rhythm of homeschool.

Yours will be your own and not like anyone else’s, but I always find it helpful to hear about another experience.

You don’t need to choose a homeschool style before you begin.

You will read so much about different styles: classical, Charlotte Mason, eclectic, wild and free….don’t label yourself. How do you know your style if you’ve never even tried it?

You can definitely experiment with one that you find interesting, but don’t let it stress you out. I’m not even sure I know my own style. It’s probably a mix of everything! Why does everything have to be labeled?

2. Learn about the laws in your state.

In the United States, every state has different laws of things that you need to do in order to homeschool your child. I am in Texas, and it is a more relaxed state, giving me a lot of freedom in my homeschool, for which I am very grateful.

Other states require much more. Some have to take attendance everyday, keep records and grades, record hours, and give yearly assessments. You need to look at your state laws and decide if you can commit to the requirements.

One place to look is the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSDLA). This website is very informative and allows you to choose your specific state and read about the requirements.

Be thorough – read as much as you can and watch the videos. Make sure you know what you are getting into, so that it doesn’t become overwhelming in the middle of your year.

Click here to go directly to the home school laws by state.

3. Plan a budget

Not all parts of homeschooling are absolutely free. Decide what kind of budget you have. Don’t get me wrong, you can keep it very inexpensive. However, if you don’t have a plan, the costs will definitely add up.

Now, a confession: I am not the best budget maker. I did not make any sort of list or chart. If that’s your personality type, go for it. My point in telling you to plan a budget is to just make sure you are aware of the costs that will come up.

There are many different costs to consider.

First is obviously curriculum. I’ll talk more about this later in the post, but you need to decide how much you want to spend. Curriculum can be…addicting – seriously! Don’t get carried away. Set a plan and stick to it. I suggest to start small. We will talk more about this in bit.

You’re going to need school supplies at your house.

This is as simple as pencils, pens, crayons, construction paper, printer paper, etc… It may seem obvious, but these are all costs! Ordering these can be a bit overwhelming for me each year. Stick to a minimum list at first. Get your basic needs to get through the first few weeks. You can always add more as you plan.

Do not feel like you need to set up an entire room to homeschool – fully decorated and beautiful. Although it’s nice, it’s not necessary. My suggestion would be to start with a basic cart or tub that carries your supplies. As you begin learning together, you will slowly become comfortable in one area of your home. Then, you can decide to make it into a homeschool space, if you wish.

Are you planning to sign your child up for any extra curricular activities?

These activities get expensive. Right now, we only let our children pick one activity each, because that’s what works for our budget. Obviously, you don’t HAVE to do any of these extra activities, but if you are planning to, be prepared to pay.

The next thing to think about for budgeting is co-ops or groups.

This can get tricky to explain, because there are so many kinds of homeschool groups/co-ops you can be a part of. I will talk about this more below, but I’m mentioning it here because it does become a part of the cost.

Don’t forget about field trips or outings.

I remember dreaming about so many outings with my children, but when it came time to it, I couldn’t always afford it! You have to be careful. Plan free outings! Public parks sometimes have amazing free activities. A trip to a zoo or museum gets very expensive, especially if you have multiple children. Make a plan for field trip costs!

It’s important to know your budget before you start making purchases and signing up for things. It can easily get exciting and out of control. Set your financial goals FIRST.

4. Curriculum Choices

I love learning about curriculum. If I had it my way, I’d order it all, and have my own little curriculum read-through party. That would be super fun and amazing but very unrealistic. There’s a way to break it down a bit to make the decision process a little easier.

First, decide if you want an all-inclusive curriculum or if you want to pick and choose different texts.

An all-inclusive curriculum is one that usually comes with plans and all of the subjects wrapped in one big set. This would be great for someone that prefers a lot of guidance.

If you feel completely lost on what to teach, think about a set like this to help you start. Just because you pick an all-inclusive your first year of homeschool, doesn’t mean you have to do it the next year.

There are many different options to pick from, but an all-inclusive curriculum is going to be a big ticket item. It costs a lot of money up front – I’m talking hundreds of dollars, sometimes even a thousand. So, that’s something you need to think about if you decide on using it.

I have never used an all-inclusive program, but I know people that have and enjoy it. I couldn’t tell you the best one based on experience, but I can guide you to a few that I’ve researched or heard of people using in their own home.

The other option is to pick and choose curriculum for each subject.

This really isn’t a super hard task, but there are just a lot of options to choose from. You can easily fall into a trap of constantly questioning – is this the best one? Do your research.

Talk to people that have used that specific curriculum before. Read blog posts and visit the websites. Download samples – the samples are always the most helpful to me.

Look into social media. There are people on Facebook and Instagram (like me!) that will show you the inside of a textbook and tell you how it works for their family. Use a hashtag and search different curriculum titles. Look through highlights.

Come visit me on Instagram! Send me a DM and say hello! I love connecting with other homeschool families, and I can try to help you find more info.

Most importantly, once you pick something. Pray for peace and confidence and and go with it. It’s easy to question yourself, but if you’ve done your research, rest in knowing you’re doing what you think is best for your family.

So, what subjects do you choose?

First, look at your state laws and see what subjects are required. For your first year, I suggest sticking with just that! Don’t spend a lot of money on a bunch of different things just yet. Give it a couple of months. Start your year with the basic requirements and add to it as you adjust.

Now, if something is really important to you, like Bible, go ahead and make that a priority. Maybe you are a musician, and it’s important your child studies music – go for it. Just don’t think you need to add on everything right this minute.

Fine arts, a second language, typing, art study, hymns…these are things that can be added in to your routine in a few months as you are ready, and IF you even want to do them. Don’t overwhelm yourself. I’ve definitely fallen into the trap of buying text I thought would be so great and then never even using it – waste of money!

If you are interested, check out my blog plosts to see some of our curriculum choices. You can read about my most recent picks for first grade and preschool HERE and HERE.

5. Homeschool Groups, Co-Ops, and Communities

You can definitely start without finding a group. So, technically it could be 4 steps to start homeschooling 😉

However, I do think it’s important to connect with other homeschool families, so I want to add it in here. Having the support and community is encouraging and helpful. I’ll be honest, I struggled with this my first year. Unless you know a giant group of homeschoolers, it can be hard to connect.

Make an effort to find a group/community/or just a friend if you can. You can really benefit from the relationships and learn so much from others.

If you are struggling with this, pray about it. It’s OK if you don’t find a group or a friend right when you start your year, but don’t give up.

A few months into homeschooling, I met a friend at the library of all places. We were sitting together in a preschool music class. She is a huge blessing to me and my family and I cherish our friendship. I feel like as soon as I started questioning what I was doing, God placed her in my life to encourage me and keep me going. I’m forever grateful for that.

My suggestion would be to find a group in your area through your church or social media and ask around.

This will give you a better idea of what’s near you. My first year, I joined a few local, free homeschool groups on Facebook. People post all the time about events/activities in the area. There are also park meetups where I can meet other families and learn more from others.

We also tried a couple groups that required a small fee ($25-$50…I can’t really remember). They didn’t stick. My point in telling you this is don’t be discouraged. Don’t feel like if you can’t find a group, you can’t start. Pray, have patience, and don’t give up.

Our second year we joined Classical Conversations, and we love it so much. You can read more about that in this post.

You’re ready to start homeschooling!

It’s as simple as that! Now, all you have to do is dive in and start. Sometimes, this can be the hardest part. You may be worried about the planning process or your daily schedule, but you will never figure out a good routine until you just jump in.

I will share more in a planning blog post about getting ready for your year. However, one thing that worked for me was to start little mini lessons in the summer. This could be as simple as a craft, board game, puzzle, or reading a few books from the library. Maybe it’s a science experiment.

I would try little things during our summer day to see when it was easiest to work with my kids. Morning? Afternoon? Where was it easiest to work in my house? How long could they sit there? These are all questions I was trying to answer to better plan my year.

By doing this, I also realized that the more time my kids spent outside, the better our days went. So, that became a priority – get outdoors!

You will learn things like this too by just jumping in and trying it! If you have a summer or a break, use that to start experimenting. The last thing I want to say is this…

Your homeschool will not look like anyone else’s.

Stay away from comparison. It can be extremely hurtful to your heart and mind. Just because someone is teaching 4 fine arts classes to their children, that doesn’t mean you have to. Just because someone has beautiful wooden toys for every themed lesson doesn’t mean you have to.

And just because it doesn’t turn out EXACTLY like you pictured it, doesn’t mean it’s wrong. It’s all a trial and error process. You will adjust all the time in a way that best suits your family. Put God first. Put your faith in Him, and pray for wisdom in all that you do. Don’t depend on others to lead you.

Final words for this … start small. Homeschooling is a building game. Start simple, jump in, and gradually add to it as you wish. It doesn’t have to be complicated. You got this.

Posted on March 18, 2021March 29, 2022 by Jaimie — 2 Comments

First Grade Homeschool Curriculum Review

Curriculum can sometimes feel overwhelming. As a parent, you want to do what’s best for your child. There are so many wonderful options out there, so what do you choose?

The answer to that question will always depend on your child. Even within a home, curriculum needs can be different. For example, my two oldest children do not always use the same books.

In this post, I’ll be sharing what we used for my oldest daughter for first grade and how it worked for us.

Every family is going to be different, but sometimes it helps to hear how something works for someone else. That’s what I hope to do here.

Keep in mind, this is all based on my opinion. What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. I’ll be sharing the good and the bad experiences we have had this year.

This post contains affiliate links. If you follow one of my links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Horizons Math

I chose to stick with Horizons Math for first grade. We used it in Kindergarten, and I really enjoyed it. (Click here for some super fun math activities to go along with Horizons K)

We purchased Book 1 and Book 2, and that’s it. We did not purchase any sort of curriculum set from the company or the teacher guide this year. (I had the guide for Kindergarten and never used it.)

After my experience with kindergarten, I knew I wanted to have a few manipulatives on hand to use with the lessons. I purchased a small set of base ten blocks and uni-fix cubes. Both are used almost every week. I highly recommend having these to go along with the workbooks.

Horizons uses a spiral method to teach math skills.

This means topics are introduced and practiced throughout the entire book. The alternative to that is to introduce a topic, master it, and move on. Horizons is not set up that way. Each lesson reviews multiple concepts – old and new.

The student workbook is colorful and easy to follow. Lessons are usually front and back, and there are tests throughout. The tests look just like the lessons, so there is nothing surprising there. For the student, it may just feel like another lesson.

I would not describe Horizons as “open and go”, because at times there is a small bit of prep involved.

Once you get used to the book, the prep only takes a minute or two. Many curricula include a script for parents. In the Horizons student workbook, there are only directions for the student. You could definitely just have your child complete it, but I’ll tell you right now – that will get really boring really quick.

I’ve learned a little creativity is necessary, so I created math mats to make the planning and prep super easy! Having a go-to set allows me to just grab and go as I am getting the lesson ready. They are easy to store, easy to use, and fun to do!

Before we begin a lesson, I quickly look through the page and grab a math math that will go with it. I briefly look at the content to see if there’s any new skill to introduce. If so, I introduce that skill and help her practice. The rest of the lesson she completes independently. This works great for us because it puts less pressure on me. It only takes a minute or two for me to get it ready for her.

The teacher’s guide does include the steps to introducing the lesson and practicing the skill. It also gives an idea or two for an activity to do along with the lesson, but the guide is a separate purchase from the workbooks. Think of it as directions and not a script. (This was my experience with the Kindergarten guide since I did not purchase it for first.)

I personally love this curriculum because I can get creative at my own pace.

I can easily add manipulatives (base ten blocks, uni-fix cubes, coins) with simple math mats so that any lesson can be hands on. I can play basic flash card games or math games to practice a skill. This is always fun, because we are not glued to the workbook. We can move around and review. (Check out this flash card blog post.)

Or, if we want to just stick to the workbook page, we can. Some days it’s nice to just get it done! I don’t ever feel pressure to complete a planned out script.

I have four children and sometimes following a script gets tricky.

I love that the Horizons curriculum allows me to do as much or as little as I like, without feeling guilty. I can be creative and add simple activities. On the flip side to that, if I need to tend to other children or we need to work quickly, my daughter can work on her own without much help at all. For now, this is what feels good for our family, so we plan to stick with Horizons next year.

For More Horizons tips, check out this video on how we shorten a lesson.

Language Arts: The Good and the Beautiful

We started the first grade year with The Good and The Beautiful Level 1. When I first received the curriculum, it was exactly as it says – good and beautiful!

I loved all of the art and stories. It had activities and games within the workbook that we could play during the lesson. Everything was easy to follow and scripted. I always felt prepared when I taught the lesson, and I thought this would be perfect for us.

The Good and the Beautiful comes with a few different pieces.

There is the workbook, phonics cards, and a leveled reader with multiple stories.

I loved the reader because it was at my daughter’s level and the stories were really cute. The student is expected to read every day, but it’s not always from the reader. The reader was assigned in the lesson 4-5 times a month.

The included phonics cards are to be practiced a couple times a week. The lesson will specifically say when to practice the cards. Honestly, I used them maybe 2-3 times and then quit. There is no guidance on which ones to practice or whether or not to practice them in a certain order. There are over 100 cards in the set. It can feel overwhelming to practice them and, to be frank, it’s quite boring.

We started the curriculum in August and by the time we made it to Christmas, I made the decision to switch to something else. We did not switch because the curriculum was bad. We switched because it wasn’t the right fit for our family.

The lesson itself takes anywhere from 30-45 minutes to complete.

Add on phonics cards and shared reading time, and it gets to feel quite time consuming. This is another reason why I skipped the phonics cards. I wish I could sit and do school with my daughter one on one all day. But, let’s be honest, I can’t! With a new baby in tow, it became really hard for me to set aside so much time each day for just one subject.

Eventually, the lessons felt like too much.

We both became bored and started skipping things…I just knew we needed something fresh and different. We needed something that could be more flexible.

We decided to switch to Christian Light Education Language Arts.

I picked this program because it is sold in small booklets. You can buy an individual booklet or the whole set. I bought one booklet for less than $5.00, and I thought this would be a great way to try it out.

The Christian Light Education Language Arts is set up very similar to the Horizons math program I mentioned above. This could be why I ended up liking it so much. The program covers phonics, grammar, punctuation, writing, and spelling.

It introduces new topics and reviews previous skills throughout. It’s easy for me to teach my daughter the new skill, practice it, and then let her work independently. There are no stories to read, no games to play, it is straight to the point.

Now, this doesn’t mean we can’t have fun with it. I can easily create or search for some sort of practice game or activity If I want to. I do not own the teacher guide, so I am unaware if there are ideas for activities to add along with the lesson.

When we switched to Christian Light, I decided to use classic novels to read aloud and practice reading skills. I’ll share those later in this post.

I loved that we finally had time do read alouds because our workbook didn’t take as much time to complete.

I love reading novels with my kids, and I was having the hardest time fitting it in until we switched to Christian Light. I plan to stick with this program for second grade (See second grade curriculum review here), and I will purchase the guide. There are many days I wish I had it.

If you look on their website, there are many other helpful resources you can use to enhance your language arts. Phonics cards, information sheets, and a handwriting workbook are all options I can consider next year. Their reading curriculum also correlates with the language arts. (I plan to stick with classic novels.)

Once again (just like math), I like that I can be as creative as I want with this program. If I want to search for a game to practice, I can. If I want to just let her work, I can do that too. It’s flexible for us.

I don’t feel stuck to a script, so it works for this phase of our life.

If you enjoy a script, I would definitely recommend The Good and the Beautiful. It really is well thought out and thorough. When it comes down to it, I just needed more flexibility.

Science/History

We are part of a Classical Conversations Community, so we do not purchase a separate science or history curriculum. However, we have loved reading the “Who Was…?” series this year. We read a couple in the first semester, and I’d like to read more! They are such a fun and easy read.

Before I had my baby, we were using a devotional book to determine our science lesson. I’ll talk more about this book below, but we had a lot of fun with it. Whatever the devotion was about, I would check out specific books related to that topic from the library. It was easy to read and so easy to do! However, it did require planning in advance (to check out books in time).

We are not consistent with either of these two science or history supplements, but we do love adding it in when we need something new and fresh in our routine.

Bible/Devotional

This year we have been reading “Indescribable: 100 Devotions About God and Science”. This devotional is awesome! They are short and so interesting, even for me as the parent. Every day is a different science lesson related to a bible verse. We never get bored with it.

This book would be great for all ages. I used to teach 5^th grade, and they would have loved this book!

If you have younger kids, you could definitely get creative and use this to help plan your science.

As I mentioned earlier, we did this at the beginning of the year, and it was a lot of fun. The only reason we stopped was because I had a hard time planning in time to get books from the library.

You know, this book would also be great for a summer read! If you take a break from your school books, you could still do mini science lessons along with the devotionals. Simply, look through the devotions for the week and check out library books on those topics.

Whether you use it to supplement your science or not, this was a great purchase! We will work through the rest of it this year, and I look forward to pulling it out again in a few years.

Handwriting

I chose The Good and the Beautiful for handwriting for two reasons. It was inexpensive and my daughter requested a program with three lines (with a dashed mid-line).

The workbook is put together well and can be completed independently. I love how there are lessons of good character and basic life skills like first and last name, phone number, and home address.

Each lesson has some sort of drawing or coloring activity at the bottom of the page. Eventually, we started skipping those, because my daughter was not interested. Overall, we were happy with it.

I think handwriting can be a tricky thing because it does get a little boring and tedious for the child.

However, I do think it’s good practice. I don’t know if we will purchase this one again only because I feel like it will be a waste to have all of the extra drawing and coloring that won’t get used. Most likely I will look for something without that.

We did change it up half way through the year. For a while we used the copy work from The Secret Garden Read Aloud Experience. We also use Draw Right Now to add some fun.

Read Aloud Novels

I wish I would’ve read more this year, but with the new baby, this is one of the things that got skipped for a bit. We did read a few great ones that I will share with you.

I mentioned before that we have used the “Who Was…?” series to supplement history. We read “Who Was Christopher Columbus?” and “Who Was Davy Crockett?” I love how these books are short, interesting, and easy to read.

Once I switched to Christian Light Language Arts, I really wanted to focus on a novel since the workbook did not have any reading portions (it’s a separate curriculum).

We started with The Secret Garden. We followed the free Read Aloud Experience that allowed us to have new copy work for handwriting and a simple craft/activity to do every day. It was super easy and it gave us something to look forward to every day.

The Secret Garden has 27 chapters, so it’s a definitely a time commitment. Even still, we thought the book was so wonderful and even enjoyed the movies afterwards.

I wanted our next book to be much lighter, so we chose Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. Once again we followed the free Read Aloud Experience. There is no copy work with this one, but we did add it into our devotion time, as each chapter is assigned a scripture verse.

We had a ton of fun with Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. Every chapter brought great discussion, and we continue to refer to the lessons we learned even after finishing. It’s great for all ages and it’s so silly!

It’s hard to believe we are headed towards the end of our first grade year.

Maybe you’ve thought about using something in your homeschool that I mentioned above. It’s even possible that you did use something and loved it, even though I didn’t. Whatever the reason is, remember that every child is different. You are the parent. You are obviously doing your research! (That’s why you’re here.) Be confident with what you pick, and jump in. You’ve got this!

Posted on January 18, 2021January 26, 2021 by Jaimie — Leave a comment

10 Tips for Homeschooling With an Infant

When I first found out I was pregnant with my fourth baby, I was immediately scared of what it would be like to homeschool with an infant at home with us. I knew it could be done, so I just prayed for that peace until the time came.

As I write this, my baby is 4 months old.

We are still adjusting our homeschool each day/week to accommodate the baby. We have great days and we have everyone-is-in-tears-bad days. So, although I don’t have the complete solution to making it 100% successful, I will share with you some things that have helped me while homeschooling with an infant.

1. Plan Ahead – Before the baby is born

The best thing I did was start our homeschool year early. My baby was due in September, and we normally take summers off and start mid August. However, with the baby arriving shortly after we started, I wanted to set up a good routine ahead of time. By starting a few weeks earlier than usual, I gave myself the confidence to take a break when the baby was born. We were able to get in a good 8-9 weeks of school before we paused, and I felt so much better knowing that was done.

2. Rest and Take a Break

Give yourself permission to just stop. Once that baby is born, you need to rest and recover. Your family is adjusting and changing, and it may feel a little crazy at times. REST. Don’t feel pressure to start school up again. (That’s why you planned ahead. See #1) Give your other children the freedom to create and use their imagination. Teach them how to be your big helpers. Let go of school.

3. Start Back to Homeschool SLOWLY

One thing I did after a couple of weeks was plan one “fun and new” thing to do the next day. It could be a craft, baking, a walk – nothing intense. It was one task for us to look forward to and complete together. The activity acted like a practice run for trying to add something into our day. You can also start a new read aloud. Focus on that and nothing else. The reading will be so good for the kids, and you can sit and recover.

Next, I would consider adding maybe one or two subjects at a time. There’s no need to jump into everything at once. Add your book work slowly. It will be less stress for everyone.

4. Wear Your Baby

Baby wearing is a game changer. I wish I did it more with my other children. If the baby isn’t taking a nap, I can always wear him and he will sleep on me while we need to finish something up. If we are out and about, I never worry about napping for this same reason. Plus, you get both hands when you wear baby! He is happy, all snuggled up to mom…it’s a win-win! I use a Baby K’Tan, and I couldn’t live without that thing. I’m not sure what I’m going to do when he gets too big for it!

5. Work on Sleep for Baby – But not right away

I am not good at sleep training, because I’m a bit of a sucker…I love rocking my babies. I am trying to start good sleep habits as best I can. It’s a slow process, but I do think it’s helpful. My third child was not the best sleeper and getting her to take a nap would take forever. I hope to set better routines with this baby. Although he is still not on a consistent schedule, he goes down for a nap pretty easy and that’s been so helpful!

Be patient with yourself. This is not going to happen quickly and easily. (This is also me giving myself advice as we are still working on this!)

6. Do NOT Try to Schedule Your Days

Just let it go…it’s not going to happen. I have to tell myself this daily! An infant does not have a set schedule. You can read all the books you want, but every single day is going to be different. One morning he will nap for 3 hours and the next morning will be 20 minutes. It’s going to be tricky to figure out how to plan everything out at first. (Another good reason to take a long break.) Once you get to know your baby better, try to develop a rhythm, not a schedule. This took about 6-8 weeks for me to “figure out.” (quoted because it’s still a work in progress) I will also let you know that my son is 4 months and still does not take consistent naps. It’s definitely tough to try and balance it all while also doing school, but this is all temporary. I feel like I’m going to blink and he will be turning one. The days are long, but the years are short.

7. Get Outside – Even You, Mama!

There is nothing like fresh air. God created us to be a part of this beautiful earth, and there is something so healing about experiencing His creation! It is so, so easy as a mom of a new baby to lock ourselves indoors and get wrapped up in feeding, and changing, and napping, and cooking, and cleaning, and burping, and wiping…..I’ve done it. Every. Time. Take some time each day to step outside. Breathe in that fresh air. Go on a walk. Sit on your back porch. Don’t stay cooped up inside.

8. Self-Care

I’ll admit, I’m not the best at this, but it really is necessary. Take time for yourself. This could be something as simple as taking a nice bath, or setting a goal to get dressed for the day! Or, you can go even further and schedule a nail/hair appointment. Set a date with some friends. Try to do these things regularly to give yourself that mental boost! Do something you love and take care of yourself so that you can take care of your home as your best self.

9. Find Your Support Squad

Find that friend that you can count on for anything – the one that’s been in similar shoes as you. Or, talk to the person you can totally be yourself with and let out any good/bad feelings you have. Get the support. I just love a good mom-chat with my girls. It makes me feel so renewed and happy. If you’re not able to feel better, talk to your doctor. Post-partum is so tough. Hormones are crazy and emotions are constantly on a roller coaster. Don’t hesitate to get the support that you need.

10. Lean on the Lord

This should be number one. I first titled this “Give yourself grace”, but then I realized, it’s not about you making yourself better. You can’t do it all. Nothing is going to fully prepare you and make it easy. It’s hard work having a baby. Add on homeschooling to your day, and it gets really tough to balance it all. I can leave you with these ten tips, but I’ll tell you this – I STILL struggle with a lot of them. I forget to take care of myself. I don’t always get fresh air. I don’t have the best napper/sleeper, and sometimes I just plan too much for the day! No one is perfect. Pray about this new transition. Let God take on your burdens and give you the strength for each day. Be kind to yourself and know that out of all the women in the world, God chose YOU to be the mama for your kids. YOU were the perfect pick for Him.

Posted on January 14, 2021February 20, 2024 by Jaimie — 10 Comments

Secret Garden Read Aloud Experience

Reading Aloud is such a great habit to form with your family, but what if you could take it one step further?

It all started for my family during our first year of homeschool. We were reading the Little House series and kept talking about what it would be like to live like Laura and Mary. We were craving that experience, and I wanted my children to understand how different it was back then. As a result, we started digging a little deeper.

We started planning simple activities and lessons based on our chapter readings.

It was almost as if we were diving into the book world and getting lost in reading magic. My children could understand and comprehend better, and we were having so much fun learning a variety of different lessons…this includes me! I learned right alongside them.

The Read Aloud Experience is designed to be low budget, low stress, and without all the “extras”.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve downloaded a unit/curriculum for my children only to find out I need to buy 5-10 specific books to go with it. Or, it’s asking for something I can only find at a craft store, and I really don’t want to load up my car and make the trip! Many times it ends in money wasted or just an incomplete lesson.

Most supplies in the Read Aloud Experience can be picked up at your trip to the the grocery store, and there’s no required book list.

I don’t always have time for that extra craft store trip, so adding a thing or two to my grocery list makes it so easy to prepare. As much as a I would love to buy ALL.THE.BOOKS, I just can’t. So, I take advantage of my library as much as possible.

The Read Aloud Experience provides you with a list of library topics that go along with each chapter. That way, you can grab a few books (for free!) to enhance your reading. I love doing library pick-up because I search the topic and look at the book covers to figure out what I like best. I add it to my hold cart, and picking them all up is like Christmas! I have no idea what’s inside, and most of the time I am positively surprised!

homeschool create a self portrait — *“She found herself in one long gallery whose walls were covered with these portraits.” The Secret Garden –* Create a self-portrait

A variety of activities are included.

History, science, arts/crafts, music, food, nature, life skills, writing, map skills, and more!…these are the types of activities you’ll get to experience. Some are as simple as – go on a nature walk and use your five senses. Others will require a teeny bit of set up – like a science experiment or craft.

Remember, nothing is too crazy. I have four kids and 2 are under 2. I don’t have extra time to do something extremely intense. If I can do it, so can you!

All book suggestions and activities are optional.

Not feeling up to an extra activity? No problem! Is Thursday your afternoon sports practice and your short on time?…it’s ok! Nothing is required. If you’re in love with the activity but don’t have time to complete it, save it for the next day or move it to the weekend when you’re kids are wondering what the plan is for the day.

homeschool elephant mini lesson elephant snack — *“In one room, which looked like a lady’s sitting-room, the hangings were all embroidered velvet, and in a cabinet were about a hundred little elephants made of ivory.” The Secret Garden* Elephant mini-lesson

Everything is made to be flexible and adjustable for your family.

A supply list and library topic list is included for every chapter. A Planning Guide is also provided so that you can decide what works best for your family. The Read Aloud Experience can revolve around your routine and your rhythms for the day.

Involve your whole family – all ages.

Everyone can participate in the Read Aloud Experience. It’s like your own little mini book club inside your house. It’s so fun how we all can talk about the book and the things we’ve learned. Dad is usually working during the day and misses the reading, but he always gets to read our library books before bed, learning with the kids. The babies don’t always get to participate in crafts and activities, but many days they’re on the floor listening to me read.

jump rope and learn through play skip count — “The skipping-rope was a wonderful thing. She counted and skipped, and skipped and counted, until her cheeks were quite red, and she was more interested than she had ever been since she was born. ” The Secret Garden – Jumping Rope

Easily incorporate the Read Aloud Experience into your day.

Simply add the read aloud to your day and pick and choose activities as time allows. One chapter a day – It’s that easy!

You can also use this as a break from your language arts curriculum. You know that funk you get in when you just need a change? This is exactly what we did, and it was wonderful. There is just so much to learn from reading literature together!!

It is a novel unit that leads you to discuss story elements, vocabulary, and comprehension while diving into other subjects, as well. At my house, we have placed the curriculum workbook aside. Honestly, it got boring! I dreaded doing it. Now, we complete our read aloud experience, a quick phonics page, shared reading time, and that’s it for language arts. It’s been so nice and refreshing.

This is also great when you’re taking a break from school in general, and you still want to have a little bit of structure. For example, this could be summer, holidays, or a break after a new baby.

You can get the entire Read Aloud Experience for FREE!

Still unsure if this is right for your family? Don’t believe me that it’s easy and low stress? Check it out for yourself and decide. You can get the entire Read Aloud Experience for The Secret Garden free and test it out for yourself.

Remember that just reading to your children is going to be beneficial and time well spent. You’ll always cherish that time together. The Read Aloud Experience allows you to take it one step further with ease.

Complete the included science experiment and take a break from your science curriculum that day. Save the activities for a rainy day when you can’t get outside. Or, plan to do them in the afternoon during that awkward time when you’re kids keep asking about dinner. (Anyone else?)

Most importantly, have fun with it! Get the whole family involved. There’s nothing better than gathering around a great book.

Check out the following links for more Read Aloud Experiences:

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle

The Boxcar Children

The Courage of Sarah Noble

NEW American History through Picture Books is AVAILABLE

Check out this simple, picture-book-based American History curriculum that your whole family will love!