Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

Welcome

Best Printable 2021 to 2022 Academic Calendar – Meadow Color

| Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have the first color choice ready for the printable 2021 to 2022 academic calendar. This is the Two Page Appointment Keeper.

Academic Calendar

They are kept here at Step. 2. Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers.

Best Printable 2021 to 2022 Academic Calendar - Meadow Color

Curriculum Pages for Planner

Second, I want to remind you that I have FREE calendars that are made for a quick glance that I share on the same step, Step. 2. Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers and planning calendars are also different because they are for planning and tracking school weeks.

The homeschool planning calendars are kept at Step 5a. Choose Unique forms JUST for You!.

Academic Printable Calendar

In addition, the two page spread I share today is for keeping appointments for any of your family’s needs whether it’s personal or homeschool.

Also, this two page spread can be used in a home management binder, blogging planner, financial planner, or fitness planner.

My copyright allows you to print it as many times as you need it for your needs.

Hope you love these two color choices and you can get one or both now! Yay!

(Note: If you click on the image for the cart, you can see a bigger picture or look at my bigger graphics below)

TOS

Important: READ THIS FIRST.
Before you email me asking where your download link is or tell me that it is not working, read this to ensure that you get your pretties timely and that you don’t pay for something and not get it.

• All my products are digital. You will not receive a physical product for anything in my store. A digital physical year calendar does not mean a physical product or calendar.
• Downloads are INSTANT. When you pay, you will receive an email with a download link INSTANTLY. Depending on your internet connection, the email could be just 30 seconds or so, or a bit longer. The point is it will be soon, not a week later,etc.
• The email with the download link will go to the email you used for paypal. If you used your husband’s paypal, your downloads will go to that email. Please check that email and your spam before emailing me telling me you can’t find it.
• Please put my email tina @ tinasdynamichomeschoolplus dot com (of course substitute the right symbol for dot) in your address/contact list so that your product does not go to spam

MY GUARANTEE: To treat you like I want to be treated which means I know at times technical problems may cause glitches, so I will do everything possible to make your experience here pleasant.

Printable Calendar for Homeschool Planner

I value your business and value you as a follower. I stand behind my products because they are actual products I use and benefit from too. Though I cannot refund purchases after you have been given access to them, I will do what I can to be sure you are a pleased customer.

Look at these other fun homeschool planner pages.

7 Easy Steps – “Tons of Options & Pretty Color” Begin building your free planner

Step 1. Choose a Pretty Front/Back Cover

Step. 2. Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers

Step 3. Choose Goals/Objectives

Step 4. Choose Lesson Planning Pages Right For You!

Step 5a. Choose Unique forms JUST for You! Not a kazillion other people

Step 5b. Choose MORE Unique Forms JUST for You!

Step 5c. Choose MORE MORE Unique Forms Just for You!

Step 6. Personalize It

Step 7. Bind it! Love it!

Best Printable 2021 to 2022 Academic Calendar - Meadow Color

Hugs and love ya,

How to Easily Add Language Arts to Homeschool Unit Studies (& Resources)

| Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

One hurdle for delight-directed learning is how to easily add language arts to homeschool unit studies.

The fear of missing something huge can keep some tied to a boxed curriculum. The beauty of unit studies is being able to study topics which ignite your child’s interests.

With that being said, language art skills need to be applied to bodies of knowledge instead of learning language arts skills in isolation. This approach to learning the components of language arts makes it meaningful.

How to Easily Add Language Arts to Homeschool Unit Studies (& Resources)

5 Ways to Add Language Arts to Unit Studies

Look at these 5 ways to easily add language arts to homeschool unit studies.

1. Pair a living book with your unit study.

Although you want to include plenty of living books, depending on the unit study topic you may be using more reference type books.

So if you want to include many elements of language arts, choose one well-written living book to accompany your unit study.

Choose the living book with these things in mind:

  • Aim for the middle to highest reading level of all your children.
  • Keep in mind that it’s easier to scale down for language art components than it is to scale up for your highest level reader. Choose a higher reading level if in doubt.
  • In addition, make sure you understand not only the literary elements like plot, setting, and characters, but the theme too. It’s important for a smooth transition for the theme of the one main living book to connect with the unit study topic. The easiest themes for us in the beginning were ones like good v. evil, courage, and persistence. For example, I chose Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss for our ocean unit study. Surviving on an island as a family if you got shipwrecked appealed as a theme to my kids and is a smooth tie-in to the ocean theme.
  • You can search for booklist ideas here on my site, but here are some to get you started.

Choosing the right living book means the difference with themes which ignite expressive conversations in your house about your unit study theme and your unit study falling flat and being shallow.

Language Arts For Unit Studies

In addition, look at these other components of language arts which can naturally be pulled from a living book:

  • defining vocabulary words;
  • dictation;
  • narration;
  • copywork;
  • outlining;
  • reciting an oral speech;
  • reading; and
  • topics for writing or essays.

The bottom line is that a well-written living book can equal a powerful inclusive language arts component.

When the living book is tied to the unit study topic which has already piqued your child’s interest, you’ve set yourself up for success from the start.

That is why I also love using Literary Adventures for Kids.

You choose a book and your kids can do a self-paced online language art course. Doing an online self-paced course where your child chooses the book is a great tie-in for the language arts component.

Look at my post Online Homeschool High School Poetry (No Teaching Involved).

2. Use Quick Reference Materials Like BarCharts.

Next, I use quick study guides. Realizing how beautifully I could zero in on the exact skill my kids needed to work on, I use them frequently.

Because Quick Study Guides can put information in a nutshell and organize skill by grade level, I use them as general guides.

Look at a few tips on how to use these quick guides:

  • Keep language arts concise and straightforward by learning fewer elements.
  • With my guide in hand, I can pair the objectives on the quick study guide with our main living book to shore up my kids weak areas in language arts.
  • My kids put the guides in their notebooks to use as reference for their writing or grammar. I made copies and we used a single hole punch to add them to their notebook.
  • Also, I could use the guides as a way to orally test my kids or if I wanted to create written quizzes I had a guide.
  • Likewise as my children grew, they can independently review the guides as memorization tools.
How to Easily Add Language Arts to Homeschool Unit Studies (& Resources)

Because quick study guides focus on fewer elements of language arts, our language arts focus could be as complicated or as gentle as we need.

Besides, I’m not paying for a full language arts curriculum, but choosing exactly what my kids need to focus on. Did I mention they last years?

Also, look at this How to Put Together a Homeschooled High School Writer’s Notebook & Free Resources because we added them there. Along with adding free resources online creating a language arts notebooks works.

Add Language Arts to Homeschool Unit Studies

Too, if you live near a Barnes and Noble, I’ve collected several of their guides which are called Quamut. They seem to have more guides about hobbies, but I’ve been able to cull through the quamuts for help in language arts.

However, the SparkCharts are another line of handy references which I love also.

Don’t underestimate the power of the simple and uncomplicated to teach straightforward grammar, punctuation, and types of writing.

You’ll love filling up your bookshelves and notebooks with quick and handy references to get to the point while teaching language arts.

3. Use an Ungraded, Multi-Level Resource.

Then, one of my earliest purchases was one of my best purchases which has stood the test of time.

Kathryn Stout created a series of how-to or reference books for subjects which are basically guides for grades K to 12.

My first purchase was Comprehensive Composition and I used it extensively in my unit studies.

Like the author, Kathryn Stout stated on her site she wrote the Design-A-Study guides to provide both a framework of objectives and detailed methods for teaching basic subjects effectively.

Homeschool Language Arts

For example, having a scope and sequence for composition which can be applied to any unit study for all your kids at one time is sanity-saving.

Equally, despite the age differences between your kids reference guides which lays out objectives and goals keeps composition related to the topic.

What I learned from teaching my kids about composition until high school is that boredom springs from writing about meaningless topics.

An ungraded, multi-level resource gives you freedom to learn how to write well on topics which are meaningful to your family.

However, another useful feature of filling your shelves with resources like these is that you’re using them for years. Unlike curriculum where you’re constantly switching out, a multi-age resource is timeless.

Look at few more resources for multiple grades:

Also, another long time keeper in the homeschool world is the book If You’re Trying to Teach Kids How to Write . . . Revised Edition: You’ve Gotta Have This Book! which is from Preschool to 12.

Having books to give you the big picture along with details of how to implement language arts daily keeps unit studies fun. Plus you know you’re not really missing any big language arts gap.

Then, other newer versions of helps for multiple levels have come along like Everything You Need to Ace English Language Arts in One Big Fat Notebook.

4. Play games.

Also, playing games is another fun and easy way to add language arts to unit studies.

While playing games is a fun way to learn language arts, it’s not always a smooth tie-in to a unit study topic. However, I love having options.

I use games sometimes to keep language arts front and center if I don’t have an exact language art tie-in to our current unit study.

  • Another favorite is Scrabble. Attempt to think of words used in your unit study and spell them. It helps with vocabulary too.
  • Mad Libs are timeless and fun play.

Don’t forget that I have the Ultimate Unit Study Planner. Having an eye for detail and creating many unit studies with multiple levels of kids, I know you’ll love it.

5. Free Curriculum Online.

Then of course nothing beats free – ever. However, I didn’t list free resources first because sometimes it’s harder to use free resources.

Not always related to your unit study curriculum, free curriculum can be hard to tie to your subject.

So what I’ve learned through the years is to cover the parts of language art which naturally fit into my current unit study.

Then, I can add in supplementary or free resources.

How to Easily Add Language Arts to Homeschool Unit Studies (& Resources)

Do not let fear of missing something make you miss out on delight-directed learning.

Fill your shelves with more how-to books so that you truly enjoy the freedom of homeschooling in the way that best fits your children.

Do you have any favorite multi-level teaching resources or ways you add language arts to your unit studies?

You’ll love some of these other helps:

Hugs and love ya,

Free Form for Planning Homeschool and Holidays 2021-2025

| Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Planning homeschool and holidays is easier with this updated reference page I do each year.

Too, I created this handy reference page because everybody plans differently and having a heads up notice of holidays and observances helps you plan not only your homeschool day, but to plan your year.

Planning Homeschool and Holidays

Also, this 5 years of major holidays on one reference page I have for you today gives you much flexibility when preparing your 7 Step DIY Homeschool Planner.

Free Form for Planning Homeschool and Holidays 2021-2025

In addition, look at the ways you can use it:

  • If you’re planning long-term projects, you’ll love having the handy reference page to plan the days off for your homeschool.
  • Short-term planning becomes a cinch because you can quickly glance at upcoming holidays.
  • By looking this far out, it helps me to decide when I want to take a family vacation.

But these forms are used to help you plan not just your homeschool year, but vacations and days off of your school year.

Also, my form can be used beyond planning homeschool and holidays.

It can be used in my diy easy home management binder, diy best student planner, and unit study planner.

Curriculum Pages for Planner

Because my 5 years of holidays listed on one page is updated each year, be sure to grab it each year here on my blog OR on the permanent place here on my site which is Step. 2. Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers.

Look at these other homeschool planner products that I know you’ll love!

7 Easy Steps – “Tons of Options & Pretty Color” Begin building your homeschool planner.

Step 1. Choose a Pretty Front/Back Cover

Step. 2. Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers

Step 3. Choose Goals/Objectives

Step 4. Choose Lesson Planning Pages Right For You!

Step 5a. Choose Unique forms JUST for You! Not a kazillion other people

Step 5b. Choose MORE Unique Forms JUST for You!

Step 5c. Choose MORE MORE Unique Forms Just for You!

Step 6. Personalize It

Step 7. Bind it! Love it!

Free Form for Planning Homeschool and Holidays 2021-2025

Grab your copy below and as usual I have two color choices. Download one or both.

Download here Aqua Color Choice

Download here Wine Color Choice

Do you like this form as much as I do?

Hugs and love ya,

Free and Useful Editable Movie Report For Homeschool

| Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I’m so excited to share this free printable editable movie report to compliment the free Homeschool Planner and 7 Step DIY Homeschool Planner and other learning forms I have here.

Although I feel we need to teach our kids how to write a book report or two, some of the same learning concepts can be done assigning a movie report.

Don’t misunderstand me, I didn’t assign a lot of books reports.

Free and Useful Editable Movie Report For Homeschool

However, a required book report or two helped my kids to prepare for literary analysis in high school.

The same can be done with an oral report. It’s great to have choices is my point.

So I think you’ll love adding this free editable movie report to your language arts curriculum.

Editable Movie Report for Homeschool

Look at how I created it:

  • There are two versions of the same copy. One version has color and if you need to preserve your ink, one version is grayscale.
  • Both versions are editable. If you want your kids to practice his beautiful penmanship, just print without using the editable fields.
  • If your child prefers to use the editable form, type to fill in and then print.
  • Also, I created more of a book-ish type of report meaning I encourage writers through my form to think deeper than what is happening on the screen. That is how we want to sneak in a bit of critical thinking through the fun of watching a movie.

Movie Review Form

Movie reports are not only fun, but have a way of reviving a love lost in writing or analyzing.

Too, if a child has special needs, he may not able to read without great difficulty or write well. Still, he certainly can be encouraged to express himself in beautiful language.

An editable movie report form can help him to jot down fascinating facts and still think about the elements of literature.

Through a movie, his thoughts can be formed in a visual way instead of reading the pages of a book.

In addition, on the last page I have a place for a writer to draw his or her favorite scene/s.

This page is unnumbered so that your writer can decide if he wants to illustrate more than one scene and print the same page multiple times.

On the other hand, he can divide the last page into 4 squares using his pencil and illustrate more than one scene on the one page.

Your writer decides if he wants to illustrate one scene per page or various scenes on one page, or print one page per scene.

I love options while teaching and I know you do too.

Also, adding the unnumbered last page in this download allows you the freedom of including your youngest learner. He may be at the drawing pictures stage right now.

This way your youngest learner is part of language arts instruction for the day.

Another important component I added to the form to help with older learners is a comparison between the movie and the book.

Because this section simply asks the child to compare the two, you decide which literary elements of the book and which movie parts you want your child to compare.

Lastly, the movie report shares some of the same literary elements or the elements of fiction included in a book report like:

  • plot;
  • setting; and
  • characters.

Another important distinction I made in this form because my kids had a hard time with it too is making the distinction between the plot and the theme.

Teach with Movies

So I have both a Main Idea (more like the theme) section and Plot so that your kids can learn the difference too. It helps them to think critically when filling out these parts.

Free and Useful Editable Movie Report For Homeschool

Some kids do understand the difference between plot and theme until the teens years which I find is normal.

And filling out the section about what is advertised as the main idea about the movie, versus what are the plot and theme (Main Idea on form) can lead to many interesting observations about the movie.

Free and Useful Editable Movie Report For Homeschool

Analyzing literature is something I’ve tried to make fun in our house; analyzing movies is another way to bring fun to language arts.

I hope you’ll love this form. Do you see other ways you can use this form?

HOW TO GET THIS FREE MOVIE REPORT

Now, how to grab the freebie. It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.

2) Grab the freebie now.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

You’ll love these other tips and posts:

Hugs and love ya,

BEST Homeschool Resources Black Friday Deals 2021 (Cyber Monday)

| Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Do you love homeschool deals and steals? Of course you do. I do too and especially Black Friday.

If you haven’t shopped for homeschool resources at this time of the year, it’s a great time to snag a deal. I rounded up some of the BEST homeschool resources Black Friday Deals and Cyber Monday Deals for 2021.

Homeschool Black Friday

The savings varies and also when each one begins and ends.

Bottom Line: Read each entry carefully, I think you’ll love some of these deals AND be sure to snag them.

First, I have an Amazon store. I sooo appreciate when you make Amazon purchases that you use my link. This allows me to continue paying the bills here and give you more freebies. Big hug. I appreciate you and I appreciate your loyalty.

By the way, I’ve created LISTS on my Amazon page to give you ideas for products I use.

Next, here at the top, I’ve listed all the resources in this post so you can quickly see the homeschool deals. Then, scroll down to see the details for each one.

ONE.
Green Kid Crafts

Ultimate STEAM Gift Packs with Green Kid Crafts

60% Off the First Box of Any New Subscription will be running 11/24-11/30 with code BLACKFRIDAY 

If you’re eye balling subscription based learning, be sure to check out Green Kid Crafts for kids ages 2 to 10 years old.

Look at this cool Crystal Chemistry Tree and Gingerbread House Village.

TWO.
Home Science Tools

Then, whoo hoo, another one of my very favorite science providers is Home Science Tools and they’re having a fantastic sale.

THREE
Groovy Lab in a Box

Groovy Lab in a Box is another favorite subscription based science provider.

You know hands-on is the best way to learn. When you sign up to receive boxes, it eases your lesson planning and you get the fun subjects in.

Subscription boxes adds enrichment to your every day teaching which is why I love Groovy Lab in a Box. The science boxes are geared for ages 8+.

Use code TISGROOVY2021 to save 10% on the first month of a subscription or a single.

FREE SHIPPING ON ALL Groovy Boxes and Subscriptions!!!

Orders must be placed by 12am on December 15th.

FOUR.
Home School In the Woods Hands-on History

Home School in the Woods Cyber Weekend Specials (Nov. 26 – 29, 2021)

Presenting ELEVEN Cyber Weekend bundles that have been carefully selected by us for you.

* NOTE: Some items are discontinued and IN LIMITED SUPPLY!

FIVE
Music in Our Homeschool Online Courses

I love music in our homeschool because let’s face it, it’s hard to get in music for the day. Having courses available online is huge because it allows our kids to learn music at their pace and without having to leave the house.

These are self-paced online music appreciation courses especially suited for homeschoolers either at home or at a homeschool co-op.

They are perfect for kids to do on their own or for a teacher to lead them through the lessons.

You’ll LOVE the HUGE selection of courses for all ages.

Be sure to CLICK on CATEGORY at the top to see all the choices, don’t MISS A THING!

Use coupon code THANKFUL2021 for 25% off anything at Learn.MusicinOurHomeschool (except memberships) from November 15-30, 2021.

SIX.
Kitchen Stewardship and Kids Cook Real Food

You’ll love Kitchen Stewardship and Kids Cook Real Food motto.

Check out Amy’s success getting a little help teaching her kids to cook (and bake) – she sounds just like me! Stressed about letting kids in the kitchen, not sure where to start – and now she has some great helpers. Read about it here and use the Baking Challenge as a fun, inexpensive way to test out what Kids Cook Real Food has to offer.

The holiday baking challenge is slashed for Black Friday <  through the end of cyber week. Here’s what you’ll get: 

  • Seven professionally filmed videos, skill building and recipes 
  • Investigative explorations of the science behind baking so that your child’s brain is engaged too! 
  • Baked goods recipes written just for kids (with veggies!)
  • Grocery lists and step-by-step plans, just plug-and-play
  • Kids in the videos to motivate yours

This makes a great clutter free gift or fun experience for holiday break. If you’re ready to help your kids be more confident in the kitchen. Now it’s your chance. Grab the holiday baking challenge before it completely goes away until next year! 

Available only through December 5, but once you buy the classes, they’re yours forever!

SEVEN.
Think Outside Boxes for Learning about the Outdoors

Making the outdoors your kid’s newest classroom! THiNK OUTSiDE is a monthly subscription box designed as a year-long skill development program for ages 8+ to promote exploration and survival in the great outdoors.

Our best holiday sale is live!! Use code BF20 to save $20 off of your intro box*

While supplies last: We are also giving away free gear with many of our subscriptions, including: Neck Gaiters, Water Bladders, Walkie Talkies, LuminAID Lanterns, and more! (details available on website)

EIGHT.
Beautiful Feet. Combining History and Literature

Then one of my favorite living history books providers is having a quick sale right before Black Friday.

If you’ve never used their living books, now is the time to try them. I love their Around the World with Picture Books for the littles and their history books for the bigs.

Nov 17 tp 25. Hurry 10% Off Everything Sale! Simply use code THANKS21 upon checkout

Grade 11

NINE.
All About Learning Press

The Promotions:

FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50!

From Black Friday through Cyber Monday, we’ll pay the shipping on every order over $50 placed in our online store!

The first 200 customers receive a free gift!

The first 200 orders over $50 will also receive our Reading Buddy Bundle, featuring bookmarks, view finders, encouragement badges, and stickers!

The Details:

Both promotions begin at 12:00 AM (ET) on Black Friday.

The Free Shipping promotion ends at 11:59 PM (ET) on Cyber Monday and the Reading Buddies promotion ends after 200 eligible orders have been placed.

TEN.
Literary Adventures for Kids

Literary Adventures for Kids is one of my favorite language arts provider for helping kids to learn independence because their courses are online self-paced videos.

You’ll love the choices for the online literature studies. So many books and choices for all ages.

It’s a great way for middle school and high school kids to learn language arts – their pace.

Don’t miss the biggest sale of the year at Literary Adventures for Kids. EVERYTHING is on sale! But, hurry it ends November 29th. Use coupon code TRIMTHETREE.

Trim the Tree with savings on inspiring literature studies at Literary Adventures for Kids. All courses are 25% off through 11/29. Use coupon code TRIMTHETREE.

Don’t let the idea of teaching language arts intimidate you. Literary Adventures has done all the work for you!
Try out any book club, course, or series for 25% off until 11/29! Just use code TRIMTHETREE.

Other Homeschool Freebies and Fun!

Then, grab some freebies below just because you know we love freebies!

  • I love Jim Hodges Audio Books and they have a freebie for the month. If you’ve ever heard him tell a story, you won’t forget it.
  • Then Homeschool Buyers is another favorite discounted homeschool provider year round.

You’ll love the free student or teacher ID card.

  • Then Art History Kids is a great way to cover both art and history with online lessons. You’ll love the freebie.