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Choose Curriculum

3 Ways to Choose the BEST Writing Curriculum (for a Growing Homeschool Family)

July 11, 2017 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

It’s a scary feeling choosing a writing curriculum when you don’t have a professional background in education. Also, look at my page The Dynamics of How to Homeschool Easily and Smarter.

Knowing that thousands of parents embark on teaching their children each year, I too made the leap to choosing the perfect writing curriculum.

But you and I both know that perfect writing curriculum doesn’t exist, or does it?

3 Ways to Choose the BEST Writing Curriculum (for a Growing Homeschool Family)

Looking back now that two of my sons are graduated, there were some things I did right although I didn’t feel that way at the time.

WRITING CURRICULUM

Hoping to spare you the same agony I went through because of my aversion to teaching writing, I learned 3 ways to choose the best writing curriculum for a growing homeschool family.

1. There is a right way to teach writing. No smoke and mirrors are involved.

A writing program needs to give you and your children structure and sentence variety.

Short and compound sentences are only two sentence types, but a beginner writer needs plenty of practice developing them.

Moving from basic sentence writing to a paragraph is foundational to strong writing skills.

As your child matures, he widens out in his ability to write creatively, but the foundation is first.

Does your writing curriculum give numerous subject topics, practice with sentence variety and instructions to the non-professional educator?

2. As the moods of your children change, your writing environment can’t.

When it comes to scheduling, I could easily be known as a Nazi mama.

I’ve been hard on myself through the years so that I don’t push too hard.

But years later, I’ve learned my structured environment was key to my boys learning how to write well.

I fully appreciate now that relaxed homeschooling is not lazy homeschooling. Finding balance is key to being a good writing teacher.

A well-rounded writing curriculum should give you guidance through each step of the writing process and tips to accommodate your kids changing needs and moods.

For several years, my sons needed to write about boy topics.

Easy Writing Curriculum Tips

Getting them in touch with their warm and fuzzy feelings didn’t work for them. An excellent writing curriculum really needs to serve the needs of both girls and boys.

In my inexperience, I learned a valuable nugget which is that a structured writing environment nurtures creativity. It worked opposite of how I thought it would be in the beginning.

Instead of focusing on the grade level, a writing curriculum needs to give you a clear picture of the process.

For example, does it move from planning, prewriting, drafting, revising to editing/publish? Does it help you to teach each step clearly?

If the writing curriculum is written for multiple ages, then you can teach to the writing ability for each child.

It’s a costly mistake to buy a writing curriculum that does not give you abundant teaching tips at each stage of the writing process.

For example, just because a child is in middle school doesn’t mean he is ready to write high school essays. After all essays are just a lot of practice in paragraph writing combined to make a lengthy paper.

Practice in paragraph writing can span many grades and it’s more about maturity than age.

When you’re given clear short-term goals and long-term goals of the writing process, your child can advance based on his maturity or simmer at one level for a while.

Again, teaching writing from the novice to the accomplished is about giving kids a structured environment which should be one of the important details in your program.

Writing, like math, is a skill that needs to be practiced each day. Skipping writing for numerous days and then asking your kids to write 5 paragraphs in one setting is pure torture.

Like other skill subjects, writing quickly becomes boring if a child is not writing about what interests him.

Does your writing curriculum give you writing prompts or ideas, encourages your child to write about topics that interest him and remind you to give praise for your child’s good communication skills? It should.

3. Lessons must be geared toward ensuring writing success.

Writing programs aim for writing success, but many miss the mark.

Not having a teaching background makes me require more of a writing program than just telling me about the writing process.

CLICK HERE TO LOOK AT SOME OF MY FAVORITE WRITING CURRICULUM ON AMAZON.
{Click on the grade level board you need.}

Look at these key bullet points to help you gauge a top-notch writing program.

Writing Structure Gives Kids a Strong Edge

  • Equipping teachers with scripted lessons is the start to creative writing. Like cooking, not everybody needs a recipe but sometimes you need exact measurements. However, in the beginning an inexperienced cook starts with a pattern or recipe and adjusts a recipe as she hones her skill. She adjusts a recipes to fit her family’s needs. Teaching writing is similar. Learn from seasoned writers by carefully following a script and then adjust it to meet your family’s needs.
  • Providing detailed instructions for budding writers is an essential component. New writers seem to have no fear when it comes to ideas. They need structure and guidance daily. The challenges are quite different for a more mature writer.
  • A program should ensure writing success for older writers who have more experience in life but may have experienced many writing failures. They may lack confidence. If a writing program fails to ensure that each writing adventure is a success, why would you choose it?
  • Ample ideas for editing, revising and giving feedback are necessary. My boys never responded to the red pen marks on their paper. It didn’t take many times for me to do that until I realized that writing is very personal. Tips in my curriculum like discussing topics beforehand, having my child explain his thoughts to me prior to writing and having my child listen and watch me as I thought outloud while writing were key teaching points I learned.

Teaching Kids to Write Clearly and Creatively Without Crushing Them

One year when one of my sons was in middle school, I thought he was a very creative writer. At least more so than I was at his age. What I was helped to appreciate from teaching writing was that my son needed to make a point with his writing while entertaining readers.

Having eight pages of words which sparked his imagination was beautiful and creative, but honing it for meaning is equally important.

As a mom of bright boys, I refused to believe that just because boys came later to the writing table that it meant they were delayed.

They were not, they just needed more entertaining than girls. A boy’s need to wiggle, move, and use up their energy had to be incorporated into the lesson plan.

I’m not telling you that teaching writing is easy, but it can be less intimidating when you choose the best writing curriculum. Take your time choosing one and ask a lot of questions.

3 Ways to Choose the BEST Writing Curriculum (for a Growing Homeschool Family)

What is working and not working for you right now?

More Writing Curriculum Tips

Also, look at how to teach writing with these other tips.

  • Homeschool Writing Program For Middle and High School Students
  • Cursive Matters; Handwriting Style Doesn’t + Free Resources,
  • Homeschool Tips for Teaching a Young Writer to Take his Ideas from a Trickle to a Waterfall,
  • 3 Things to Avoid When Teaching Homeschooled Kids Beginning Composition
  • and Teaching Handwriting When Homeschooling the Early Years Part 1, 2, 3.

It’s a scary feeling to choose a writing curriculum when you don’t have a professional background in education. Knowing that thousands of parents embark on teaching their children each year, I too made the leap to choosing the perfect writing curriculum. But you and I both know that perfect writing curriculum doesn’t exist, or does it? Looking back now that two of my sons are graduated, there were some things I did right although I didn’t feel that way at the time. Click here to grab the 3 tips on how to choose the BEST writing curriculum.

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

2 CommentsFiled Under: Be an Exceptional Homeschool Teacher, Choose Curriculum, Homeschool Boys, Homeschool Multiple Ages of Children, Homeschool Simply, Homeschool Teens _ From Teen to Graduation, Homeschool When Nobody Wants To, Homeschooling, Teach Homeschool Language Arts Tagged With: composition, handwriting, high school, homeschool highschool, middleschool, teachingwriting, writing prompts

7 Budget-Friendly Language Arts Curriculum to Pair with Unit Studies (with printable)

March 27, 2017 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Through the years, I've given the same long-standing advice. Spend first what money you have budgeted for curriculum on the core subjects because they are essential to a well-rounded-out education. Reading in the younger grades, literature in the older grades, grammar and writing are vital pieces of a homeschool language arts program. And it can become expensive quickly when you're implementing the unit study approach using an all-in-one language arts program. Click here to read about how to save money when you buy individual components. | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

This is a sponsored post for Homeschool Buyers Co-op and I was paid for my time. However, paid for my time does not mean paid off. All opinions are my own and for sure I will always tell you what is on my mind. Read my full disclosure here.


Through the years, I’ve given the same long-standing advice. Spend first what money you have budgeted for curriculum on the core subjects because they are essential to a well-rounded education. Reading in the younger grades, literature in the older grades, grammar and writing are vital pieces of a homeschool language arts program. And it can become expensive quickly when you’re implementing the unit study approach using an all-in-one language arts program. So I was excited to share some budget-friendly homeschool language arts curriculum options from Homeschool Buyers Co-op, which I’ve used and another one I am eyeballing to add.

Mapping Out the Components of Language Arts

Breaking down the language arts components worked best for me because like most kids, they are ahead in one subject and may need more time on another.

Picking and choosing the individual parts of a homeschool language arts program gives you a customized curriculum. It’s a better match for your child’s learning style and a better value when you have a limited dollar amount to get exactly what you need.

►VOCABULARY

For vocabulary, I always try to pull words from what we’re reading about in our unit studies. Reading words in that context and using them in everyday speech is the best way to master them.

But I used the printed version of Wordly Wise 3000 with Mr. Senior 2013 to be sure I exposed him to word study as a way to enhance our unit studies. Kids can master more words than we think they can, and to cripple their vocabulary with limited vocabulary instruction can be detrimental.

Lessons don’t have to be long, but they should be comprehensive. Using Wordly Wise 3000, I can expand lessons or cut back according to each son’s need.

When the online version came out, I was tickled to use it with my next two boys. Wordly Wise 3000 online version of the award-winning vocabulary curriculum for grades 2–12 saves you 89% and that is a sweet discount.

Although I know Wordly Wise 3000 touts that the audio feature is great for struggling readers, I think it’s great for independent learners. I don’t have to supervise my sons to see if they are correctly pronouncing a word. I know you’ll love it if you’re looking for an interactive vocabulary program that is not boring.

►READING OR LITERATURE

When I started making my own unit studies, I would get a gallon size ziploc bag and put the book and literature guide together in one bag.

Then, I would mark the reading level on the bag and organize them for the year. I started off using printed versions of Progeny Press Literature Guides.

I would even unfasten the literature guide so I could add just the pages that my boys needed to do for that year. I was tickled when pdf formats came out because it meant no waste. I printed what I needed that year with one son, and printed a different page or pages needed for another year.

Progeny Press Literature Guides are in an enhanced pdf format now, are for grades K-12 and the best part is you save 35%.

Now, the guides are interactive which means you don’t have to print; a child can type his answers directly into the document. That is a nifty time-saving tip for a high school teen with a rigorous academic load or a reluctant writer. But sometimes we like to hold our paper in hand so we print. And I still like pairing specific lessons on pages to themes in my unit studies.

Look at a few things they offer:

  • FOUR LEVELS – Lower Elementary for Grades K-4, Upper Elementary for Grades 3-5, Middle School for Grades 5-8, and High School for Grades 9-12
  • 100+ TITLE CHOICES – We’ve put together SIX different 5-pack bundle choices for you! YOU CHOOSE your wish list from OVER 100 TITLE CHOICES! Choose from excellent reading titles such as Beowulf (*NEW*), The Eagle of the Ninth (*NEW*), Charlotte’s Web, Anne of Green Gables, The Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Secret Garden, The Hobbit, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Pride and Prejudice, The Screwtape Letters, To Kill A Mockingbird, and MANY, MANY MORE!

►GRAMMAR

Grammar is a tool to best apply while writing so I’ve always kept it a separate subject. But grammar is also just the rules of any language. Teaching rules shouldn’t be complicated. Short lessons are best, which is why Analytical Grammar works.

In my beginning years, I used a grammar program which combined complex writing assignments with grammar. After homeschooling another 5 years, I realized that a grammar program should focus only on explaining grammar rules without time-consuming composition assignments as the only way to learn them. Yes, writing assignments are a great way to illustrate grammar rules, but shorter is better.

Besides, I needed a grammar curriculum which would give me the flexibility to pull writing themes from topics that piqued my boys’ interest in our current unit study. More important, I wanted a program that helped us to use words in a way that conformed to the rules of grammar. I wished I would have used Analytical Grammar, for grades 4-12 earlier, but I’m glad I hopped on board when I did.

Homeschool Buyers Co-op does give you free shipping. Any savings helps when you want a thorough grammar program.

►WRITING OR COMPOSITION

Next, identifying a writing program which was engaging for my sons and took them incrementally through the writing process was not easy. Institute for Excellence in Writing, for grades K-12 was our answer.

Melding Homeschool Language Arts and Unit Studies

It was a huge load of stress off after separating grammar and composition when I started using Institute for Excellence in Writing, grades K-12.

As you can see in the picture above, the boys were working on our FBI unit study. Dad was helping the boys make a crystal radio after they wrote about it. However, their essay followed the writing model learned in Institute for Excellence in Writing or (IEW). IEW makes it easy to choose your own topics to write about or they have writing topics for your children to choose.

What I liked the most is that although grammar and writing are inextricably linked, it’s important to not overwhelm beginner writers.

The veteran teaching tip is to make one skill or the other the focus at different times. IEW explained grammar while keeping the focus on writing and modeling to my sons how to compose their ideas.

Here is how IEW works: It takes a unique approach provides the structure that students need to develop confidence in the writing process, while gradually guiding them toward greater independence and creativity. They will learn nine structural models (note taking, writing paragraphs, stories, simple reports, writing from pictures, research reports, creative writing, essays, and critiques) to help them organize any type of composition.

You’ll like getting the discount for shipping on this so worth it writing curriculum.

►READING OR LITERATURE

Then, buying living history literature guides gives me a two for one deal.

Not only do I use living literature in my unit studies as a topic or theme, but it counts as the reading or literature aspect of the three Rs. Buying living history literature helps me to keep homeschooling affordable.

With living history literature by Bethlehem Books, grades PreK-12, you save up to 50%.

Remember, since this is living literature the vocabulary is not simplified and it may be harder for some kids. Too, Bethlehem Books chooses books based on moral value, which I like.

Though I school for Biblical reasons, I don’t think you have to teach about it in every book.

I do try to choose living history books which have a good story line, are intriguing, have a challenging reading level, include details about the time period, and can be easily implemented in a unit study which builds character without feeling preachy. It’s a lot to ask for in a book. I’m selective, but I love starting with Bethlehem Books.

►REVIEW AND ENRICHMENT

Then I hear about the fear of gaps when doing unit studies. Having a way to fill in gaps or shore up weaknesses is a great feature of IXL Language Arts Practice, which is for grades K-12 and saves you 25%.

You probably heard of their math, but their language arts is equally practical.

Look at what they offer: IXL makes the world of words come alive with fun visuals and interactive questions. Build great writers through playful skills that pique students’ curiosity about language!  

Then this next deal, which is Discovery Education Streaming Plus, for grades K-12 and saves you 60% is the one I’m about to pull the trigger on because we love media with our unit studies.

But did you know it’s so much more? It covers every content area.

Look at what you get:

It’s easy to see why homeschoolers rave about Discovery Education Streaming Plus. It’s probably the most extensive and feature-rich educational video streaming service in the world.

It’s much like having the entire DVD selection of your local public library available to you from the convenience of your home, 24/7/365.

But it’s not just a collection of videos that you can watch from beginning to end. This library has been organized into useable video clips, organized and categorized, close-captioned, and supplemented with lesson plans, teaching guides, interactive simulations, images, audio resources, and other resources and materials that you can incorporate into virtually every aspect of your homeschool curriculum.

What a comprehensive way to enrich a unit study with so many features like audio books, self-paced training, images, games and the ability to customize lessons at your fingertips.

The Homeschool Buyers Co-op has an award-winning selection of language arts products, including curriculum for phonics, reading, writing, vocabulary, spelling and grammar.

Language Arts curriculum – Savings up to 93% (compared to regular price outside of Homeschool Buyers Co-op).

Look at this free from below, which is Unit Study Goal and Objectives. Download it to give you a starting point for your ideas for each grade.

When you’ve chosen curriculum which gives your child a solid foundation in language arts and covers the significant areas, you can spend more time planning the fun part of unit studies.

Download here Unit Study Goals & Objectives.

How to Buy It and Get the Savings!

Website: Homeschool Buyers Co-op
Products:
►Grammar: Analytical Grammar for grades 4-12.
►Literature Guides: Progeny Press Literature Guides, pdf format, grades K-12 and save 35%
►
Vocabulary: Wordly Wise 3000 Online version of the award-winning vocabulary curriculum, grades 2–12 and save 89%
►Composition or Writing: Institute for Excellence in Writing, grades K-12
►
Review and Enrichment:
Video Streaming: Discovery Education Streaming Plus, grades K-12 and save 60%
Language Arts Review: IXL Language Arts Practice, grades K-12 and save 25%
►Reading or Literature:
Living History Literature: Living History literature by Bethlehem Books, grades PreK-12 and save up to 50%


Also, look at these other homeschool articles to help you.

5 Best Resources to Start a Homeschool Unit Study in a Few Hours, 24 Borderline Genius Ways To Relieve Language Arts Boredom and Unfolding of a Homeschool Unit Study – An Easy Mnemonic { I-SIP}.

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Choose Curriculum, Homeschool Curriculum Review, Homeschool Simply, Homeschool Teens _ From Teen to Graduation, Homeschooling, Middle School Homeschool, Product Review, Sponsored Posts, Teach Homeschool Language Arts, Teach/Which Subjects to Teach/Cover EVERYTHING Tagged With: language arts, languagearts, reading, reasonstohomeschool, spelling, writing

5 Steps to Choosing Geography Living Books Your Children Will Love

March 23, 2017 | 6 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

To understand how to use a geography living books, you need to step back first and get to the nitty-gritty of what is geography and what is a living book. Both definitions need to intersect.Too, look at my page Homeschool Geography for hands-on and simple ideas and tips.

Visualizing what geography is can have some kids (and moms) moaning because they may think it means just drawing or labeling maps (snore).

Contrary to what some people think, geography is not just a study of maps. That field is cartography.

5 Steps to Choosing Geography Living Books Your Children Will Love! Grab this 5 point checklist so that you choose books that are engaging and worthwhile to read. Click here to read it!

Geography is so much more, it’s about relationships.

The relationship can be people to places, animals to land, earth to air and people to plants to name a few.

Merging Geography with Living Books

Look at expanding the definition of geography to include:

  • the science of the earth.
  • learning about oceans and any area occupied by water.
  • exploring plant life.
  • investigating animal life.
  • studying what is on the earth, up above, and under the earth like the natural resources.
  • understanding people and how they use their natural resources while highlighting their culture.

Geography is learning about our home, which means geography is a bridge to all other fields of study.

It connects math to science, science to history, math to history, and people to the place they call home.

Next, identifying the features of a living book are equally important. Capturing the definition was Charlotte Mason, a 19th century British educator.

Many of her principles are valuable and I’ve implemented them in my many years of homeschooling.

And though I do follow more of a unit study method, many Charlotte Mason methods including the use of twaddle-free living books are part of my unit studies.

What is NOT a Living Book

Pulling the definition up close and analyzing (you know I like the details), it helps sometimes to understand what is not a living book.

Look at these things that are not traits of a living book:

  • A textbook.
  • A dry factual book.
  • Any book created for the sole purpose of meeting today’s educational standards.
  • A book that is dumbed-down meaning that it was intentionally simplified to appeal to more people.
  • It means an unabridged version, but not always. It’s  something I look at, however, when judging the value of a book.
  • It doesn’t always mean it’s a classic, but a lot of times it does.
  • And contrary to some popular beliefs, it’s not always a book where a child feels like he can escape to another place. A romance novel can do that, but that doesn’t mean one that exploits sexual fantasy is a good choice for reading.

The Power of Geography Living Books

Look at these things that are tell-tale signs of a living book.

  • Opposite a textbook is a book written by an author that is passionate about the subject. He either is knowledgeable about the subject because it could be his lifework or it’s personal experience.
  • Instead of presenting dry hard facts, a reader is drawn in through a story, which is always the best way of remembering any set of facts.
  • Instead of writing to meet national standards, a writer may unintentionally offend the politically correct view or standard. Not that we are looking for shock value in a book when we allow our kids to read books that do. But we are opening windows in their mind and stimulating their imagination. This can’t be done when all the thinking is done for a child. However, one common weave is the power to influence children in a positive way.
  • Too, it’s not that we don’t want to embrace the modern world, but older books were written at a time when stunning imagery engages the memory and makes the words memorable.

5-Point Checklist: Geography Living Books

Armed with these two sets of ideals, merging them is essential before you can evaluate if a book is a geography living book.

Look at this 5-point checklist, which gives you a beginning point.

ONE. It should be written in a narrative format.

Like history, which should be written in a narrative format about the people and places your child wants to learn about.

Geography should also be written by a good story-teller who unfolds his plot.

TWO. Emphasis is on the author’s knowledge and enthusiasm.

Instead of textbooks written based on a survey of monetary gain and approved by review committees because they meet standards, a geography living book is written based on enthusiasm, passion and  personal experiences.

Look for clues in the summary or passage.

For example, V.M. Hillyer wrote one of our favorite geography living books for young children, A Child’s Geography of the World and he states: “As I had been a traveler for many years, had visited most of the countries of the Globe, and in actual mileage had been five times the distance around the World, I thought I would write a geography myself.”

THREE. It should encourage your child to make good choices in life.

In addition, geography living books should encourage a child to think not only about the subject at hand, but to make good choices in his life.

Choosing excellence and goodness should become a practice. Is that a lot to ask for from a geography living book?

Look at this passage from the same book, “There is a saying that “Good fences make good neighbors,” but that depends on the neighbors.” Statements like this leads your child to make conclusions as to the type of person or neighbor he wants to be.

FOUR. Dry and boring repeated abstractions and stats are absent.

Learning dry and boring statistics and repeating abstractions instead of events are things that are absent in a geography living book.

Look again at another passage from A Child’s Geography of the World, “To me, as a child, geography was a bugbear of repellent names – Climate and Commerce, Manufactures and Industries, and products, products, PRODUCTS. Geography was a “stomach” geography; the “head” and “heart” were left out.”

How did geography become just a study of export, import, coloring flags and memorizing barley, rye and wheat as the crops produced by a country? (snooze)

FIVE. It lays a foundation of interest in the world around us and a thirst for knowledge.

Similar to any living book, a geography living book, no matter when it was written is one that is alive and relevant today.

The world changes; facts in an old book, which are not true today doesn’t mean the rest of it is useless.

Instead of viewing that as a roadblock, I view it as an opportunity to probe and investigate. Laying a foundation of interest in the world around us and a thirst for knowledge that a child wants to quench in his lifetime should be the goal of a living book.

Classics have an enduring quality that lasts generations. Think about classics that you read in your childhood or that your parent’s read. I couldn’t wait to share with my children classics like Heidi, Raggedy Ann & Andy and The Story of Ferdinand.

Further, we have an inborn need to communicate and converse with conviction through our words and our vocabulary.

For example, the book, Study Is A Hard Work, which I love, the author remarks, “Mental laziness and limited vocabulary are usually bedfellows in the same brain.”

Rich and colorful vocabulary found in older books adds meaning not only to a study of geography, but makes an impression in a child’s mind.

Encapsulating the definition of a geography living book helps me to not forget what my educational standards are as I continue to homeschool and I hope it helps you too.

More Homeschool Geography Activities

  • 11 AWESOME Ways to Learn Geography (Other Than Labeling a Map)
  • 18+ Fun and Interactive Ways to Learn Geography With Kids
  • 22 Homeschool Geography Go To Resources
  • Fun Outdoor Activities For Middle Schoolers Geocaching and Nature Study

Do you have any favorite geography living books?

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

6 CommentsFiled Under: Choose Curriculum, Free Homeschool Resources, Geography Tagged With: geography, homeschool, homeschool subjects, homeschoolgeography, livingbooks

You’ve Pitched the Homeschool Curriculum – Now What?

October 19, 2016 | 4 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

You've Pitched the Homeschool Curriculum - Now What? What if you make the same costly mistakes? Check out these super helpful tips and reminders.

Falling in and out of love with homeschool curriculum is a rite of passage for us. But after pitching my curriculum, many years  I wished I would have done something differently besides just purchase more homeschool curriculum.

And of course, any solution has to be easy because by the time you hit a road block, another time zapping and energy draining fix just adds unwanted stress.

Look at these 3 things to do and to not do when you’ve pitched the homeschool curriculum.

One// – Do not use that low time of feeling frustrated to make another mistake, like quitting homeschool or worse yet, joining a confining homeschool co-op.

A co-op may be the solution, but until you identify the problem, something else added to what you’re doing can be taxing.

Two// – Do embrace your teaching personality and style.

We can’t deny who we are. And when we try to fit our style of school into another homeschool teacher’s school, our children could be disappointed.

Before I started homeschooling, I read a lot about not just learning styles for my kids, but about my personality, which is my teaching style. Two of the best books that helped me the most to understand my personality, which helped me to pinpoint my aggravation with curriculum are Discover Your Child’s Learning Style and 102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum.

Though Discover Your Child’s Learning Style was written with understanding your child’s learning style, you can also take the personality test alongside your child. The results are eye-opening because some of the things you may have been doing unintentionally because you learn best in a certain way can actually be irritating your children.

And the curriculum you chose may or may not be based on the way you need to teach.

For example, I know that one of my strengths is organization, but it can easily go from organizing to onerous if I don’t rein in my personality.

On the one hand, many homeschoolers told me that I would never use a homeschool room, I did. And I used it for a long time.

On the other hand, because I know I have a tendency to be more severe than I like to be, I started doing lapbooks and unit studies with my boys because I didn’t want to make learning comfortable for me.

This may sound opposite of what I’m telling you, but in the beginning I found unit studies that were laid out so that it would fit my personality style of being organized and routine-oriented.

Gradually, as I gained more experience, I created my own unit studies. This was the balance to my personality that wanted to be demanding. I gave my planning, organized itchy self an important task to do like planning my children’s education.

The point is you can’t abandon your personality. And your dynamic personality should come through with any curriculum you choose to bring into your homeschool.

List three things you like and don’t like about the curriculum you pitched and then do the same for your children. As you take the learning style test in the book, a picture will emerge.

I would love to know what you found out if you do the personality test in Discover Your Child’s Learning Style .

Relax Without Regret

Three// – Do rest, step back and relax.

Relaxing is not something a lot of homeschoolers do well. Dare I say we probably downright stink at it? I admit, I do too. Stepping back helps you to look at the bigger picture.

Being a can’t see the forest for the trees person, I have to always pull up and back away from my school when everything seems like a hurdle.

Another reason we don’t have the art of relaxing down is because like me, you also probably have many ideas or projects that you want to accomplish. That comes from a love of learning and teaching.

Some homeschoolers feel they need a certain type of curriculum for guidance, but a curriculum could be sucking the breath of creativity out of your day.

I know, I have heard people say they are not creative, but that’s just not true.

There are many ways to be creative, whether it’s art, history, science, crafts, cooking or the art of conversation.

Instead of purchasing another homeschool curriculum so quickly, take time to rest, discover your strengths and not jump into another stressful situation. You don’t know, you might not need to buy anymore homeschool curriculum.

What has been your experience?

Also, I have a whole lot to say about how to choose homeschool curriculum. Look at these other tips:

45 Ways to Define Homeschool Curriculum – Is Your Definition Holding You Back, Mixing It Up: How to Combine Homeschool Approaches (Without Losing Your Mind) and 10 Signs. Know When to Walk Away from “Perfect” Curriculum.

Hugs and love ya,

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4 CommentsFiled Under: Choose Curriculum Tagged With: boxedcurriculum, curriculum, homeschool, homeschool challenges, homeschoolcurriculum

3 Reasons to NOT Avoid the Homeschool Middle Ground

August 6, 2016 | Leave a Comment
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3 Reasons to NOT Avoid the Homeschool Middle Ground @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Fighting mini battles while we homeschool becomes part of our homeschool lifestyle. And it’s true that for many issues involving education, homeschoolers don’t wade in lukewarm waters nor take the middle of the ground approach. Being firmly decisive is key to surviving the harsh amount of negativity that is thrown our way.

Standing Firm on Homeschool Middle Ground

However, many things in homeschooling are more successful when you can step back and straddle the middle road. Sometimes taking an all or nothing approach can be counter productive, even extreme at times.

Look at these 3 reasons to NOT avoid the homeschool middle ground.

ONE/  When you do a unit study with multiple ages of children.

You can set your homeschool day up for failure when you use a learning resource that is too high above your oldest child’s head or one that is too young below it.

It’s a common mistake; choosing a unit study resource that is the grade level of your oldest child.

The secret to individualizing a delightful unit study topic is to  choose the middle grade between the ages of your children.

Seasoned homeschool veterans know that it’s easier to scale down activities for younger grades. Use the example of a plant unit study.

Younger students can color, label and dissect a plant. Older students or high school students can use the same unit study, but expand the activities on it to a high school level.

For example, older students can include plant history, learn about the local plants in your area and even spend some time in an apprenticeship learning from local professionals about herbs or plants. Ideas to use for an older student spring from the middle of the grade resource that you are currently using.

Not all ideas are so easy to round up for an older learner, but they are more useful than a resource used for your youngest learner.

TWO/ When you mix and match homeschool curriculum.

It’s easy to use the same curriculum provider with all of your children. Why would you do that though?

Each child is as unique as each homeschool family or should be.

Take the middle ground, avoid the extreme by choosing just one homeschool curriculum and use pieces and parts of a boxed curriculum, unit study and another curriculum to create a study that is unique for each child.

If you’re using just one type of curriculum, then one or more of your children may not be benefiting from it as much as another child. Mixing and matching homeschool curriculum will ensure a better fit for all of your children.

THREE/ When you begin homeschooling high school.

I did it too when I started homeschooling high school and that is to right away in 9th grade take a sock it to him attitude when planning.

High school is not about controlling your teen through his high school years, but it’s about working alongside each other. It is a give and take.

You give because your teen is a different person than you and your husband and he has goals and inspirations now that he too wants to meet. But it’s a take also because you don’t want to give up all your goals or plans for your teen’s future and some things will be must-haves in high school.

What I’m saying is that you choose the middle ground in high school when you help a teen keep balanced in all subjects until he decides his goals.

Some adults don’t even know what they won’t do, so don’t put a lot of pressure on a teen. Take the middle road by keeping subjects balanced until a mommy track, college track or job track is decided.

Also, grab some other tips from my other articles Homeschool Confession – My Homeschool Mistakes, Go Ahead and Make a Mistake: Homeschool Without Fear and Homeschooling – Beginnings are Usually Scary, Endings are Usually Sad, but It’s What’s In the Middle that Counts!.

Don’t give up the fight in touting the decisive ways we need to take a stand when it comes to homeschooling, but just know that the middle ground can not only be productive, but necessary many times in your journey.

What else do you take the middle ground on while homeschooling?

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

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Leave a CommentFiled Under: Avoid the Homeschool Blues, Be an Exceptional Homeschool Teacher, Begin Homeschooling, Choose Curriculum, Homeschool Simply, Teach Unit Studies Tagged With: boxedcurriculum, curriculum, homeschoolapproach, homeschoolcurriculum, homeschoolmultiplechildren, new homeschooler homeschool curriculum, teachingmultiplechildren, unit studies

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