Homeschooling for 3

Ever since I broke down and got the TOS planner (which I love!) I have intended to get my subscription to their magazine as well. From everything that I've seen from The Old Schoolhouse , the subscription should fill in the gaps for anything that I might have missed while setting up the children's school schedule. Yep, I was going to get that subscription, but it's been three weeks since I made up my mind. Why? Well, life gets in the way. Little things like VBS, getting the children discharged from their cyber-charter school, returning equipment, etcetera and etcetera. But guess what! I signed up for my subscription tonight and here's why. As I was getting ready to shut down the computer for the night I was held captive by an email announcing that the first 5,000 subscribers (new or renewals) to the TOS magazine will be eligible for 19 cool bonuses (which include software, books, online resources, family gifts and much more). There are so many extras that TOS had to cr...

As some of you know, I am returning to my traditional homeschooling roots this year. I did my experimentation into cyberschooling and found it lacking. But I also live in PA, one of the high documentation homeschooling states (also known as "Big PA in in the neck states") so I've been wondering how I was going to pull a curriculum together to present to the Lords of Education so they'll go away. So, once we made our decision to get away from cyberschools I began looking at different curriculum. I have been looking at complete year curriculum as well as a more eclectic collection of resources. But now I don't have to look any further because I just discovered The Old Schoolhouse 2009-2010 Planner ! First off, let me confess that I have not been the most organized homeschooler. I've purchased programs to keep records on the girls work, I've set up schedules (that I then proceeded to ignore after about a week), and changed my mind a couple of times during the...

Happy Friday! It's been a busy week at my house, but we're having lots of fun getting back into the groove of natural homeschooling. And Friendly's Free Scoop Saturday is right on time. They are giving away a free one scoop ice cream cone (or cup) of your choice. Up here in Pennsylvania the party starts at 12 p.m. and ends at 5 p.m. You can check out your local schedule by visiting Friendly's website. Speaking of free, my daughter is a beginning reader who likes her independence in learning. So, besides using programs found at Starfall (which are excellent by the way), and I Know That , we also use Click N Read Phonics . The program is developing quite a favorable reputation. They are now offering newcomers a free lesson to see what all the buzz is about. So, check it out and see if it might be right for your little ones. Oh yeah, don't forget to get your free chocolate coupons at the Mars website each and every Friday from now until September.

Hi, I just got an email about a brand new book series called "When I Grow Up I Want To Be ..." that I thought might be of interest. I have to wait until my husband gets paid ("Thanks Dad!"), but I'm definitely going to get this one. The thing I like about it is that it discusses a variety of jobs (i.e., Firefighter, Veterinarian, Chef, Military, Doctor, Police Officer, Missionary, Artist, Pilot, and Farmer to name a few) from a practical standpoint. They discuss how much money you can make at these professions, the skills you need, the actual day-to-day tasks, etc. My daughter, Jade, wants to be a Firefighter (well at least for the last year or so) and I think this will be an excellent introduction for her. After we read it I'm going to take her to a firehouse so that she can do a little fact finding of her own! Anyway, the special pricing only lasts until the end of the month, so you should check it out soon.

I first became aware of the Ultimate Homeschool Expo last year. But since I had decided to try cyberschooling, I really didn't feel that attending would be helpful for me. Boy was I wrong! The resources that Cindy offers are useful to everyone -- cyberschoolers, homeschoolers and even moms who aren't homeschooling. I mean, what mom wouldn't benefit from audios like "Let's Simplify", "Taking Care of Mom" and other edification for moms. Now that I'm firmly in the traditional homeschooling camp, I have been soaking up as much information as possible on how to setup my "new" homeschooling lifestyle. So, this Expo is a great blessing for me. Some of the bonuses even include a whole a whole set of resources dedicated to re-starting my homeschooling year! This convention NEVER ends. You can listen to it at your convenience. You can listen again and again and again. It is set up so that you can listen on your computer or you can download thes...

Since I'm back in the saddle as a traditional homeschooler, I've been surfing around for inspiration. This article caught my eye and I thought I'd share it with you too! The point that made me feel terribly terrific about returning to my homeschooling ranks is found in point number four. (By Terri Johnson – co-author of Homeschooling ABCs – an online class starting this month for brand new homeschoolers) We’ve all seen it… or, at least, heard about it… the homeschooled child who wins the geography bee, or the one who graduates at the age of 15, or the one who excels in musical accomplishments… Now, obviously, a student does not have to be homeschooled in order to accomplish one of the feats above, nor does every homeschooled child excel in such notable ways. However, every homeschooling parent desires for success in teaching their children at home and launching them into the world to become all that God has intended for them to be. The flipside to this statemen...