Make sure you check out the giveaway at the end of this post!

Start your school bedtime routine early.

To get back into the swing of things – going to bed earlier and waking up earlier – we start getting into the hang of our school bedtime routine about two weeks before school. This slowly helps our bodies readjust.

Get back into the habit of eating breakfast every morning.

In the summer, we very rarely eat breakfast. Throughout the school year, we try to eat breakfast every morning. This prevents snacking during school time. You can also make a quick smoothie to drink during school.

Go back to school shopping.

Going back to school shopping for new colorful pencils, notebooks, and glue is always a fun way to get in the back to school spirit.

Create a daily schedule for each child.

I have began creating a daily checklist for myself. If it’s not on the checklist, it’s most likely forgot about. Creating a basic family spreadsheet with chores, daily subjects, and outside-of-the-house classes makes a back-to-homeschool routine less stressful. Will you all do Bible as a family, and then math individually? Do you know one student who might finish a subject faster than another? What subjects will you do everyday, and which ones only on certain days? Sort out your thoughts, and then make a final “master” spreadsheet to hang on the fridge for the first few weeks.

Our schedule basically went like this:

Monday – Math, English, Spelling, Science

Tuesday – Math, English, History

Wednesday – Math, English, Science

Thursday – Math, English, Piano lessons, catch up History/Science

Friday – Math, English, and any catching up or tests

Order curriculum.

Figure out what curriculum you need for which child. Making a spreadsheet, on Microsoft Excel or on paper, always helps me. Mark your children’s names across the top. Down below, write what subjects you are covering. And in the boxes, list each curriculum, if you need to buy/rent textbooks, if you already have them, or if you’re totally creating your own curriculum.

Here is a sample.

Homeschool Classifieds, Slugbooks, Amazon, eBay, and Facebook groups are great ways to find homeschool curriculum for cheap.

Start reviewing last year’s material.

Although we keep the traditional August-June school schedule, we do learn year round. (I’m addicted to history.) To get back into the school mentality, we recap the past year’s studies. There are so many fun, textbook-free ways to learn and memorize. Instead of hitting the books hard the first day, slowly begin reviewing last year’s material, briefing over old curriculum, and specifically your weak points.

Get organized.

Getting organized always puts me in a more productive mood.

1. Sell or give away old textbooks. (Facebook, Amazon, eBay, etc.)
2. Go through school papers, and purge the unnecessary.
3. Throw away unusable school supplies, and figure out what you need to start the new school year.
4. Sort through books, and get rid of what you don’t need.
5. Invest in a bookshelf or bins, and sort curriculum, supplies, and crafts.
6. Make a list of all the curriculum and supplies you need to buy.
7. If you’re creating your own history/science curriculum, buy a year-at-a-glance calendar, and loosely sort out your Pinterest and blog findings.

Buy a planner

Buying a planner (and using it until it falls apart) can easily organize day-to-day plans. Or get a FREE online one!

What are some of your favorite ways to plan for the new school year?

Back to homeschool giveaway!

Another homeschool year is right around the corner! Many homeschool moms are busy preparing, planning, and finalizing curriculum choices for the upcoming school year. And many are trying to squeeze every last penny out of their homeschool budget, hoping to afford all the books and resources they will need.

Whether you’re living on one income or are buying curriculum for multiple kids, homeschooling can put financial strain and stress on a family. So I’ve gotten together with a great group of homeschool bloggers to give you a chance to win a gift card to a major online homeschool retailer. Our hope is that we can bless a few homeschool families (although we wish we could bless many more) so they can decrease that burden and buy the curriculum and supplies they need.

Three people will win a $250 gift card to either Rainbow Resource Center or Christianbook.com – two great places to shop for homeschool curriculum and resources, with the best prices around!!

To enter for your chance to win, simply use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Now I know this is quite a few entries, but each of these bloggers has generously chipped in their own money to make this giveaway possible, so I hope you will take the time to do all of the entries. And hey, the more entries you do, the better your odds are of winning!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends July 19, 2024 at 11:59pm. Must be at least 18 years of age. Must be a resident of the U.S. or Canada to enter. Selected winners will have 48 hours to respond to email notification to claim their prizes or another winner will be drawn. By entering this giveaway, you agree to be added to the email lists of the participating bloggers (see the Terms & Conditions on the Rafflecopter form).

The post Planning a Back to Homeschool Routine – Giveaway! first appeared on True Aim.

I see a lot of parents who want to homeschool their kids stricken by unsubstantiated fears about the time, energy, and money. They are overthinking the whole process; recreating school at home in their mind. There are only 4 easy steps to take, so let’s go!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information read my full disclosure.

How to Homeschool in 4 Easy Steps

The first step to homeschooling is like that saying, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” (Lao-Tzu) Deciding you are going to go against the majority and educate at home is a big decision; the most difficult hill to get over in this process. Once you decide you are going to do it, defining your “why” is the most important thing you can do!

Step 1: Your “Why”

Why do you want to homeschool? Answer that question correctly and it will drive you through any obstacle you face. We homeschool because we think that is what God has commanded us to do. You might choose something totally different. There are so many reasons to choose from, but it has to be something that really sets the home apart from school in your mind and beliefs. If you need some help discovering the differences between home and school, check out our book Revealing School to discover what happens to kids in public school.

Step 2: Laws

Following the rules isn’t fun, but where our children are concerned, you can never be too careful. Check out our homeschooling state by state article to find more information about the laws in your state or visit the HSLDA. Some of the most unregulated states are Idaho, Texas, Alaska, Oklahoma, and Connecticut.  The most regulated are New York, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania. 

Step 3: Curriculum or No Curriculum

This is the fun part! Time to choose your curriculum or choose not to use a curriculum! You might think this is a difficult task, but it really isn’t. First, you’ll want to decide what you want your children to learn. If your children aren’t at an upper elementary grade level yet, the most important things are reading, writing and math! You can get an amazing start using Blue Manor’s digital preschool curriculum.

If they are in upper elementary, find what kind of requirements do children in your area have to know in order to pass a certain grade level. Gather that information and start circling or crossing off things that you think are important or aren’t important. Then find a curriculum or free resource that helps you teach those things.

Or maybe you would rather let your children lead the educational process? What kind of things interest them? Are they great at math & science? Do they like history or art? Take a more relaxed approach and give them access to materials and resources so they can learn what they want.

I bet most of what you learned in school you don’t remember do you? That should tell you a lot! Keep things simple and essential. Think about what you wish you would have learned. What would have really helped you as an adult? We think character development is paramount and it is almost non-existent in schools.

You really are your child’s first and best teacher! Be confident in your abilities as a parent because that is what makes you uniquely over-qualified. There really is no reason you can’t homeschool because of the amazing free resources and awesome communities. If you are consistent and faithful, you’ll see the rewards in time.

Need more help? Free Homeschool For Greatness workshop!

Find more resources below or join us on Facebook and post your question to our community!

More Teaching Tips!

Lesson Planning

Learning Styles Debunked

How Children Learn

How to Homeschool Preschool

5 Teaching Strategies that Change Everything

9 Tips for Teaching History

Building Vocabulary

Homeschooling through the Holidays

Make Learning Fun: One Trick to Get them to Learn Anything!

6 More Ways to Make Learning Fun

Top 10 Flash Card Games

How to Make your Own Homeschool Curriculum

Tips on Organizing

10 Bible Verses for your Homeschool

Best Books for Homeschools

The post How to Homeschool: Beginner’s Guide first appeared on True Aim.

I believe the question is valid, but there is also another side to that question to consider – Are grades actually helping your child’s education?  

What is the purpose of grades?

The purpose of grades carries quite a few characteristics. For starters, they can serve as a type of progress report. In public/private school settings, they are a way to literally track a child’s progress. Grades are also a form of communication, letting parents know about the progress their child is making.

Grades are also used as a measuring tool. They are an attempt to show how much a child has learned about a particular subject and/or concept. While the purpose of grades doesn’t seem so bad, there are also downsides to them.

For some children, grades can trigger anxiety and feelings of needing to measure up. They can also create a lack of motivation in children who feel like all they’re doing is learning “for the grade.” With these purposes (good and bad) in mind, let’s look at three questions to consider when asking yourself if grades are actually helping your child’s education. 

Is having a grade system required by law?

Without a doubt, it is vital for homeschooling parents to know what is required by their state. In some states, it is not necessary to turn in any type of proof of homeschooling, grading, progress reports, and the like. In other states, it may be absolutely necessary to meet such standards.

If you live in a state that requires some form of grading system, my advice is to create a progress report or grade card and fill it out to the best of your ability. In some cases, it may help to keep a few pieces of work with grades written on them to help with record-keeping.

What is my child’s personality type?

Legalities aside, having an understanding of your child’s personality type can help determine if a grading system is helping or hindering them. Homeschool On has a great personality test for kids that you can use to get an idea of their “color type.”

Once you have an idea of your child’s personality type, you can then plug in ways to hold them accountable for their work completed (or not). For the rule-following, people-pleasing child, he or she may thrive with seeing a physical grade written on their paper.

For the outgoing, impatient child, they may thrive better with a more relaxed or eclectic way of tracking their progress. Sara from Heart and Soul Homeschooling talks a little more about delight-directed schooling on the blog. 

Are there other ways to evaluate my child’s work?

Yes. There are many different ways to evaluate your child’s work. One of the biggest go-to ways for the do-it-yourself homeschooling parent is to create your own scale or rubric. Simply identify mile markers or milestones that your child needs to reach.

Some parents also go the pass/do-over (better than saying “fail”) route. Pass means they can move on to the next concept, while do-over means that a little more time will be spent on a subject matter. For the younger homeschooled child, you can get really creative. Stickers, stamps, and keepsake work portfolios are ideas for highlighting work well done.

There are also specific things you can look for when evaluating your child:

• attitude
• interest
• comprehension
• consistency

For the older homeschooled child, it will most likely be necessary to have a transcript of some sort, especially if they plan to pursue higher education.

Other Concerns About Grades

Grades can sometimes backfire on homeschooling parents, leading one to believe that something is wrong with their “teaching” when their child isn’t doing well. Whether you decide to give formal grades or not, find comfort in these tips:

• Every day is a chance to foster the love of learning in your child.
• You have the ability to provide amazing feedback and help your child individually.
• You can train your children to give their best effort in all they do.
• Remember that your child is not a failure.
• Each child is unique and so will their educational journey be.

In conclusion, grades do not have to be a bad thing. What matters most is if they are actually helping your child’s education, or hindering it.

CHIME IN: Do you give grades in your homeschool? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Are Grades Actually Helping Your Child’s Education? first appeared on True Aim.

As a new homeschooler, I wrestled with that question. I felt I had to do school at home or some sort of rigorous academic program. It wasn’t long before I realized that approach was killing the joy of learning. I wanted to encourage my daughter’s natural curiosity and creativity, not stifle it.

Delight-Directed Homeschooling

Enter delight-directed learning. What is that exactly? Part of it is borrowed from Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of using living books rather than rote textbooks. I also adopted my own homeschooling theory in combination with what I considered to be essential in parenting well — developing character and connection within the family. These principles came together to create a purposeful approach to learning that has served us well for the past 12 years.

This is the full definition of delight-directed learning that I use to explain our homeschooling method:

Delight-directed homeschooling is allowing a child’s natural bent to inform your educational decisions. It means following, in a purposeful way, the gifts and interests that God has placed in your children. It is homeschooling by individual design. It is a lifestyle of learning that encourages exploration, creativity, and a love for gaining wisdom and knowledge as gifts from God.

Our days have a lot of variety, but we follow a basic rhythm of daily reading and creative activities to encourage a love of learning and pursuit of purposeful living.

Rather than have a set curriculum or detailed lesson plans to follow, we focus on reading living books. We have discussions around those books, which generally lead to deeper research into topics of interest. We’re able to cover the subjects required by the state in this way, even though it’s not a conventional textbook approach.

Another benefit is increasing critical thinking skills. My daughters (now 9, 11, and 17) have learned to ask questions, dig deeper, and thoroughly explore topics. They’re able to focus for longer periods of time and they actually look forward to our hands-on projects because they have a voice in what we do.

I feel that I’m not just an instructor, but a guide. We talk about their individual interests and gifts so that I’ve really gotten to know my daughters well as people. That’s so important to me as a mom!

The Benefits of Delight-Directed Homeschooling

• Children recognize that God has a purpose and a plan for their lives, including their education.
• They love to learn because it’s a delightful experience rather than a chore.
• They learn through quality, living books so they develop an appreciation for great literature.
• Homeschooling becomes a natural extension of parenting, rather than an “extra” added into your life.
• You can experience the freedom of learning year-round rather than being bound to the typical school schedule.
• Delight-directed learning prepares children for their unique future, whether they choose college, career, or wherever God may lead them.

We believe that delight-directed learning is a lifestyle, not just an educational approach. It is a wholehearted way to live and learn together as a family.

I have written a free quick start guide, Spark Joy and Inspire Imagination with Delight-Directed Learning, that you can download and read if you would like to learn more about this homeschooling style.

Sara is a homeschooling mom of three girls. She writes at Heart and Soul Homeschooling, sharing ideas for learning that encourage creativity, curiosity, character, and connection. She is an author, speaker, and homeschool consultant. You can find her on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and her Amazon author page.

For more info on Different Homeschool Styles, check this out! 

The post What is Delight-Directed Homeschooling? first appeared on True Aim.

Or, perhaps we envision a successful teen entrepreneur running an online business. Naturally, the word unschooling may excite us or make us uncomfortable.

Maybe the idea of self-directed, passion-driven learning inspires you, but you think, I couldn’t do that. I like structure too much. Or, maybe you’re the opposite and your stomach churns at the mention of unschooling because you’ve been around folks unschooling poorly. Read this post, A Complete Guide to Christian Unschooling, to find out how to unschool well.

A lot of homeschoolers, however, embrace some level of unschooling without even knowing it.

5 Signs You Might Be an Unschooler

Delayed academics

Do your preschool and early elementary-aged children spend most of the day playing? Does your early academic program consist of crafts, read-alouds, and outdoor adventures? When your child suddenly becomes obsessed with snakes, do you indulge him? You might just be an unschooler! Developmentally, you follow what your preschooler or young child needs.

Interest-Based Unit Studies

Unschooling doesn’t necessarily mean unstructured or unglued. It simply means the freedom to pursue one’s interests or passions at one’s own pace and in one’s own preferred way. Some children thrive with some level of structure and get more out of their own pursuits if they’re organized. If you’re incorporating some interest-based unit studies into your homeschool, you might just be an unschooler!

Field Trips and Community Learning

Unschoolers often incorporate a lot of real-life experiences into their learning. Do you take your children on a lot of field trips, especially impromptu ones? Are you involved in your community, taking advantage of community classes, volunteer opportunities, and events? Whether these are enrichment activities or the focus of your studies, your intentional attempts to “make it real” are similar to what unschoolers regularly do.

Unhurried Days

Some have very full days, but many unschooling families tend to take a more relaxed approach to scheduling and routine. Maybe you have no problem spending several hours on a robotics project instead of moving through every subject area in the same amount of time. Perhaps you’re the mom curled up in bed reading picture books with her kids for half the day. Don’t feel guilty that you didn’t do academics. You may be an unschooler at heart.

Character & Critical Thinking Over Classes

Initiative. Creativity. Problem-solving. Independence. Do you try to foster these traits? These cannot be taught through a textbook. Do you encourage your children to start businesses? Embark on independent projects? Develop novel solutions to household challenges? You may just be an unschooler! Unschoolers value character and critical thinking over academics. Academics can be learned at any age, while these important traits must be fostered in childhood.

What do you think? Do you think you could be an unschooler?

If you embrace any or all of these signs, why not go all in? Check out the Complete Guide to Christian Unschooling mentioned at the beginning. It might be just the right fit for this school year.

Julie is a veteran homeschool mom of 4 all of whom have special needs and has a degree from the School of Natural Healing! She also teaches middle school science workshops for a homeschool co-op. Her faith in Jesus leads everything she does including worship for the Women’s ministry at her church! You can read more about her in her new book called God Schooling or her blog, julienaturally.com!

Check out more about Homeschool Styles Here!

The post 5 Signs You Might be an Unschooler! first appeared on True Aim.

I’ll be the first to admit that a lot of those things describe a LOT of homeschoolers, but there are plenty of stereotypes about public schoolers that aren’t as flattering. I know, I was a public schooler. There are worse things than not knowing who Lady Gaga is and smelling like peppermint all the time. 

3 Things you Need to Know About Homeschoolers

However, those things aren’t what set us apart. Those things are just icing on the cake. Here’s what really counts.

1.The reason we homeschool.

This might surprise you because the stereotype has us painted as these extreme conservative types. In reality, we are the ‘hippies’ of our time. We are the freedom lovers, the trail blazers; charting our own family’s course and not worrying too much about what other people think. The reason we homeschool is because of the freedoms we enjoy. Freedom to worship, learn, and serve when we want, where we want, and how we want. 

2. Our Hope.

Homeschoolers are some of the most optimistic people you will ever know. Our hope is HUGE for our children. We want something more for them and we believe homeschooling is the best possible route to fulfill that hope.

Not only that, we have our own personal hopes. It’s OK for parents to have dreams too. We don’t have to give everything up to please our children. We can reach for what we want to achieve in our life and at the same time, raise up children who have great potential. 

3. Our Community

Popular belief has labeled homeschoolers as hermits. We want to hide our children away from the world so they don’t get introduced to outside influences. Fear rules our lives so our children become ‘socially awkward’ and don’t know how to interact with other people.

This is ridiculous. We love our community dearly and look for positive opportunities where our children can contribute and learn out in the world. 

However, we believe that children who are exposed to unnecessary stresses, immature influences and adult experiences when they are young, gain trauma NOT knowledge. If they learn the foundation of love, respect and etiquette first, they are more likely to react in a mature way. We are preparing them for real life so they make wise decisions, instead of thrusting them into situations we don’t normally face even as adults.

When was the last time you were bullied, offered drugs, assaulted or sexually harassed? Not too often I hope!

We may not have the coolest kids on the block, but I bet you they are pretty well behaved! lol

So the next time you see a homeschooler, don’t be shy! Partner with us in raising up the next freedom respecting, successful, and loving people our country deserves.

Are there any other things you need to know about homeschoolers? Ask me in the comments below!

Curious about how to homeschool? Check out this post about Homeschool Styles!

Back to Homeschool Giveaway!

I’m partnering with my fellow homeschool bloggers to bring you an amazing giveaway! Since we love our community, we’d like to give back with this fun opportunity to stock your homeschool with awesome supplies from Rainbow Resource!

We will be blessing TWO homeschool families with a $250 for you to use on curriculum, books, games, puzzles, or whatever educational supplies you might need!

We know homeschooling can put a financial strain on families – whether it’s from living on one-income or buying curriculum for multiple children – the financial aspect of it can be stressful. Our hope is that we can bless a couple of homeschool families (although we wish we could bless many more) so they can buy the curriculum and supplies they need.

Giveaway ends July 24, 2019 at 11:59pm ET. Must be at least 18 years of age. Must be a resident of U.S. or Canada to enter. Selected winners will have 48 hours to respond to email notification to claim their prizes or another winner will be drawn. By entering this giveaway, you agree to be added to the email lists of the participating bloggers (see the Terms Conditions on the Rafflecopter form for the complete list).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post (Giveaway!) 3 Things You Need to Know About Homeschoolers first appeared on True Aim.

If you don’t know me, I’m a homeschool mom of 6 and I’ve been homeschooling for 7 yrs! I had no idea I would be a homeschooler when I first became a mother, but while interacting and teaching my daughter when she was a toddler, I knew I wanted to do something different for her than what I went through.

You see, I’m a life-time public schooler. When I started my homeschool journey, I had no idea what I was doing. I tried a lot of different things and finally narrowed down the perfect fit for my family.

More and more moms are choosing to homeschool, but where do you start if you’re new? I’ve talked to SO many homeschoolers over the years! What was their advice to newbie homeschoolers? That was a question I always asked when I met a fellow homeschooler.

Want to know all the secrets?

Join me on August 20th as I go through the 5 steps to start homeschooling! Already a homeschooler? Start your year off with the right mindset, with more confidence, and some new insights! PLUS, you’ll be entered into a giveaway AND get access to Free curriculum!

Spots are limited so don’t wait!

Reserve your spot today!

The post 5 Steps to Start Homeschooling! – FREE Webclass! first appeared on True Aim.

Here are 3 Summertime Tasks to Make Next Year a Success!:

1 – Recordkeeping

Before you completely clear out last year’s books, you need to record what each of your children has completed during that year.  Some states require specific levels of recordkeeping.  Even if your state doesn’t require this, it’s good to keep at least some level of information about the work your kids have done.

Fortunately, keeping homeschool records doesn’t have to be painful.  I’ve been homeschooling for 13 years and I’ve found some simple ways to keep track of what my kids study each year that I’m happy to share with you.

Elementary and Middle School – When kids are at this age, record keeping is very straightforward. You might want to keep a binder for each child with their records in it.  Keep any forms which your state requires, such as a letter of intent to homeschool.  Write down which classes your children have taken for each subject.  Create a book list of every book that they have read themselves as well as everything you have read to them.  You might also want to keep track of any extracurricular activities they have participated in as well as any volunteer hours they have accrued.  By the way, volunteering at church counts for this one!

If you’d like to organize this information into an official looking document for each year, you can do so by downloading this FREE Microsoft Word Template.

FREE Printable – Student Record Template

High School – Once your kids reach high school, recordkeeping rises to a whole new level.  Now, it’s not only important to keep records for yourself or for your state but also to help your kids gain a better chance at college entry and to earn scholarships.  When they get to this age, you should also consider creating course descriptions for each of your child’s classes as well as a transcript and book lists.

This sounds extremely difficult but it doesn’t have to be.  High school record keeping is do-able as long as you keep on top of it.  Lee Binz at TheHomeScholar.com has some wonderful resources that you should check out.  Her FREE sample course descriptions and transcripts are very helpful!

2 – Evaluate Last Year 

Homeschooling is an amazing educational choice because each year can be different.  There is no need to pick a curriculum and stick with it.  If you’ve found something that works well for your family, by all means, continue using it.  But, if there are aspects of your school year that just didn’t work for you or for your kids, then you have the freedom and flexibility to change that up for next year.  Here are the best ways to evaluate your school year:

• Talk to your kids – Find out what your kids enjoyed about schoolwork last year and about what they didn’t enjoy.  What are their favorite subjects?  What are their least favorite?  Do they have any suggestions for ways to make schooling better?  Are they getting everything they need from you?  Be sure to get your kids’ feedback, especially as they get older.  Remember, this is their education and the more input kids have, the more engaged they will be throughout the year.
• Talk to your spouse – Even though moms generally do the lion’s share of homeschooling, dads also have a lot of wisdom we need to tap into.  Ask them what areas they feel are going well with their children’s education.  Ask what they think you should be concentrating on at this stage of schooling.  Do your best to come to an agreement on how things have gone in the past as well as anything that might need to change for next year.
• Talk to God – Hopefully, you are doing this throughout your school year.  God is the one who knows exactly what our kids need and the best way to get them there.  He has a unique plan for each of our kids!  And he has said that he will give us wisdom if we ask.  James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.“

3 – Plan for Next Year

Planning for next year can be super simple. If you’re using a big box curriculum, the lessons will be planned out for you.  If you’re using textbooks, look at the Table of Contents to see how many lessons each book contains.  Divide the number of lessons by the number of weeks you plan to homeschool and this will tell you how many lessons you need to teach each week for that subject.

If you’re going to be using textbooks, look at the Table of Contents to see how many lessons each book contains.  Divide the number of lessons by the number of weeks you plan to homeschool and this will tell you how many lessons you need to teach each week for that subject.

If you plan to have your child read books and do hands-on activities or other delight-directed learning for a subject, then there are a few more steps involved.

• First, pick which books you will want your child to read.
• Next, you can either decide how many chapters you can reasonably expect him to read per week or count up all of the chapters in each of the books and divide them by the number of weeks you’ll be homeschooling so you’ll know how many he or she needs to read each week to complete them all in one year.
• Then, you can sprinkle in hands-on projects, field trips, and other relevant learning activities to go along with your child’s reading.

Once you’ve wrapped up last year’s recordkeeping, evaluated your year, and gotten your planning done for next year, there are two more things every homeschool mom should do:  relax and enjoy those kiddos.

Sometimes the days and weeks feel extremely long but the months and years really do fly by.  Enjoy this downtime that you have with your kids!  Be sure take the time you need to recharge so that when it’s time to start homeschooling again, you’ll be energized and ready to dive in and make learning fun!

The post 3 Summertime Tasks to Make Next Year a Success! first appeared on True Aim.

Fortunately, as homeschoolers we have the freedom to take our learning outside whenever the weather allows.  We don’t have to wait for spring break or conference days!  We can declare an Outside Learning Day whenever we’d like!

Sometimes when the weather is beautiful, we can cancel classes altogether and just spend the day enjoying nature.  We can’t do that every day, however.  Sometimes the homeschool lessons must go on.  So, how can we take advantage of the beautiful weather when we’re homeschooling in the spring?

Here are 5 Fun Ways to Take Learning Outside:

1 – Field Trips – Field trips are a great way to get some real life learning injected into our children’s education.  And they are a great way to help kids get excited about learning.  It’s so much more memorable to learn about the Civil War by going to a battle field or a reenactment than it is to merely read about it.  When the weather is beautiful, try to come up with ideas for field trips that will get your kids outside such as a botanical garden, an organic farm, a state or national park, a beach, etc.

2 – Nature Study – Spring is a wonderful time to study the beautiful world that God has given to us.  Have your kids find a caterpillar, put it in a habitat, and watch it turn into a butterfly.  Collect rocks.  Go birdwatching.  Play in a creek.  Collect a tadpole and watch it turn into a frog.  Take the nature journals outside and allow your kids to draw whatever they observe.  Or bring the pencils and paper outside and have them write about what they see.  There are so many interesting ideas!

3 – Take a Hike – There are lots of lessons kids can learn when you take them on a hike.  They can try to identify animal tracks, identify trees and flowers, create an insect collection, and just have fun viewing the various types of wildlife that cross their path.  To keep it interesting, try to hike in a variety of terrain to keep your kids on their toes.  Rather than always hiking in the woods, you might want to try hiking along a beach, in a cave, through a prairie, in the mountains, or near a wetland.

4 – Gardening – Gardens are great places for kids to learn.  The more you allow your kids to be involved in your garden, the greater the learning opportunities.  Allowing them to help plan out the garden, including properly spacing the rows and plants, will give them practical practice with their math skills.  Asking them to research natural pest control options will give them a chance to develop their ingenuity and perseverance.  Weeding, watering, and watching the plants grow will help them to develop their patience and give them the opportunity to learn how to put in some honest, hard work.

5 – Physical Education – It’s natural for kids to want to spread their wings when they head outside.  Be sure you don’t keep your kids on too tight of a leash when you take them outside.  Let them exercise and have fun as well.  Some kids love to go on bike rides or jog.  Others enjoy kicking around the soccer ball or shooting some hoops.  Still others will want to dig in the dirt or play in a sandbox.  The sky’s the limit on this one.  You can be organized and set up an obstacle course for your kids to run through, or you can simply open the door and allow your kids free reign.  There is a time and a place for both approaches.

This spring, as the weather is warming and the sun is brightening, try to come up with some fun opportunities for you and the kids to head outside.  More memories will be made outdoors than if your kids are forced to sit inside with a pencil and paper for hours on end.

Have you found any other fun ways to take your homeschool lessons outside?  Please leave a comment below!

The post Homeschooling in the Spring: 5 Fun Ways to Take Learning Outside first appeared on True Aim.

It’s not uncommon during the doldrums of March for homeschool moms start to ask themselves,”Will I be able to stick with this until summer?!?!?”

The kids DO need to be taught lessons.  But who says we need to continue teaching them the same things  or in the same way that we’ve been teaching all year long?  A great way to bust out of a rut is to shake up our homeschool lessons – and a fun way to do that is to plan a unit study.

Unit studies are basically when we take one topic and form all of our learning around it.  For instance, if your child is interested in horses, you can plan a unit study about horses.  If your child is passionate about the Civil War, you can plan a unit study about that.  Since this is an election year, you might want to try a unit study about presidents.  The sky is really the limit on this one.

Planning a Unit Study

So, how do you plan a unit study?  It’s actually quite simple:

1. Choose a topic – The best way to do this is to talk to your kids about what they’d be interested in studying.  You’ll have the most successful learning if you’re able to help your kids learn about something they’re passionate about.
2. Choose books – Search for some good books to read about your topic.  Be sure to look at both fiction and non-fiction selections.  Also, try to find books that your kids can read as well as some that you  can read aloud to them.  And don’t forget to look for audio books and/or audio dramas about your subject.
3. Choose movies – Look for some movies, YouTube videos, documentaries, etc that also tie in to your subject.  This is an especially important step if your children are visual learners.
4. Choose activities – List the various school subjects you would like to cover with your unit study.  Then, come up with a variety of activities for your kids to complete.  Try to come up with lessons that will use all of their senses and multiple learning styles as possible.  You want to help your child experience many different aspects of the topic you have chosen.
5. Choose field trips – Look for field trips which would help to drive home the lessons you are trying to teach.

For example, if you choose to create a unit study about World War II, you could do the following:

• Books – Read a variety of books such as The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel, and Hitler Youth by Susan Campbell Bartoletti.
• Movies – There are lots of movies on this subject.  You may want to pre-watch them to be sure they are appropriate for your children.  Some good ones to consider are The Diary of Anne Frank and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.
• Activities – There are many aspects of World War 2 that your kids can study.  You can talk about the aircraft, the battles, the length of time it took for America to enter the war, the Holocaust, rationing food, women entering the factories, the attack on Pearl Harbor, the president, the role their state played in the war, and much much more.  You can have your kids do things such as the following:
  • Listen to music that was popular during this time
  • Plant a victory garden
  • Draw pictures of a battle – or of their favorite aircraft during that time period
  • Build a historically accurate model airplane
  • Solve some appropriate real world math problems
  • Learn popular dances for the time period
  • Write papers about what they’re learning
  • Study the clothing

• Field Trips – Look for nearby museums or traveling collections that delve into World War 2.  Consider touring a factory that was open during that time period.  Tour a military base or an air museum.  Take your kids to a war memorial.

It can take a bit of time to develop unit studies on your own.  If you want to include lots of hands-on activities for your kids, it might be easier (and save you a lot of time) to purchase a unit study which is ready to use.  If your kids are interested in learning about knights and princesses, consider checking out my Time Capsule: Medieval England unit study. Homeschool in the Woods is another great resource for hands-on unit studies.

If you’re finding your kids are having a hard time focusing on their studies, consider spending a week or two on a unit study.  You may find this to be just the thing you need to inject a bit of excitement for learning back into your homeschool!  And remember that kids who are engaged in their lessons are much more likely to remember what you are trying to teach them.

Are you or your kids going through the doldrums of learning?  Have you ever tried planning a unit study?  Please leave a comment below.

The post 5 Easy Steps to Plan a Unit Study first appeared on True Aim.