A Mini-Convention in a Bag {Don't Miss This May Promo!}

Did you miss going to a homeschool convention this spring and getting all the goodies there?

{This post contains affiliate links.}

SchoolhouseTeachers.com can fill the void with the May 2020 19 Gifts Promo!

Through the end of May 2020, new members who live in the United States can subscribe to the Ultimate (PreK-12) Annual Membership for only $139 (reg. $224.97) PLUS receive a sturdy tote bag filled with 18 gifts brought to you by SchoolhouseTeachers.com,The Old Schoolhouse®, and over a dozen homeschooling and family-friendly companies that they have teamed up with.

Essentially, the promo is a mini-convention in a bag that comes right to your home. You order the Ultimate Annual Membership and get INSTANT access to a complete PreK-12 curriculum with over 400+ courses, videos, World Book content, TOS Print subscription, and so much more that your ENTIRE family can enjoy. Then, within 6-8 weeks, a mini-convention in a bag, with a value of $527.71 arrives at your door! The bag will be filled with gift cards that provide you with information on how to redeem 18 complimentary gifts with no credit cards or additional purchases required, just following the instructions on the gift cards! Amazing, huh? A great discount on the Ultimate Annual Membership, a handy tote, and these 18 additional gifts:

• Enrichment Studies: 100 Women Composers Through the Ages course
• Character Concepts: Profiles of Valor: True Stories from the War of Independence eBook
• Learn and Color Books: Color Thru History™ The People of Early Civilization AND Color Thru History™ The People of Early Civilization Elementary Supplement digital versions
• IEW: Structure and Style Overview DVD
• Travels with Music: One-Year Online Subscription to Travels with Music
• Writing with Sharon Watson: Teach Your Child to Take Notes eBook
• Apprentice Art Studio: How to Cultivate a Creative Life Video Lesson w/PDF
• Spanish Educational Solutions: Online Elementary Program for the Entire Family (2 months)
• HSLDA: $15 Gift Certificate
• Everyday Education: Working It Out: Growing Spiritually with the Poetry of George Herbert AND Evaluate Writing the Easy Way eBooks PLUS bonus How to Teach Classic Literature to Teens MP3
• Step Up Your Performance: Two-month Subscription to either Grammar for Proofreading OR The Simple Essay: Its Organization and Development
• Nallenart: L'Art de LIRE Level 1
• Etiquette Lessons Foundation: Etiquette Lessons Student Print Workbook
• Brinkman Adventures: Brinkman Adventures Audio Download
• Homeschool Court: Homeschool Court Digital Student Edition
• Chess House: Pocket Chess Set
• Grace Works Interactive: 1 Timothy Interactive Bible Game (Windows-Based Download)
• Learn to Play Music Publishers, Inc.: Learn to Play Music One-month Family Membership
• The Old Schoolhouse®: Tote Bag (colors vary)

That is some list of goodies with plenty I'm excited to check out, too!

Of the whole list, I am most looking forward to seeing Character Concepts: Profiles of Valor, because I love history, Scripture, and focus on virtues and character and this resource marries all three, telling the true stories of famous and lesser known heroes of America's War of Independence. Such stories are, of course, timeless - inspiring us to aim for heroic virtue. They also seem timely, for now is a time when a fight for continued independence looms largely in my mind and that of my children's. This resource - along with the other gifts in the promo - is sure to be appreciated!
So, if you'd love to enter into the summer and fall with fantastic resources at your door and onscreen, sign up NOW to receive your tote filled with goodies before they run out!
Use Coupon Code: 19GIFTS at checkout to receive this awesome promo!

#19GIFTS

8 Easy Steps for Hosting a Homeschool Project Fair

{This post initially was initially shared in 2014 at the now defunct Upsidedown Homeschooling Blog, which can only be found using the Wayback Machine. I am resharing it here since someone asked for tips on how to host a fair and I wanted to offer them these. I pray it benefits you as well should you wish to host a project fair.}

Much to my amusement, the other day, my children woke and began transforming our hallway into a project fair.

I smiled as I prepared breakfast, listening to my oldest son read information to his sister about hyacinth macaws, Japan, knights, tarsiers, Bunker Hill, Germany and more and, then, hearing my daughter, in turn, share recalled facts with my youngest child, whose little feet were pattering off to his bedroom to get a stuffed animal in order to complete a rabbits project set up.

It had been nearly a year since we’d participated in our first project fair, an Endangered Species one, seven months since a History one, six since a Geography one and five since a Nature Explorers one.  Yet, there all three of my children were gleefully hosting an eclectic “just us” fair in our hallway.  

Reading, public speaking and more unfolded at the children’s morning micro-fair, just as it had at the original fairs that we had prepared for and presented at throughout last academic year.

As each of my children enthusiastically shared their prior projects with one another, it struck me:  a seemingly “one time” event can – and often does – hold residual effects.  

Planning, preparing for and presenting at project fairs is well worth the effort, and, in our experience, a whole lot of fun, too!  I encourage you to participate in such a fair, and, if none exist in your area, to host one.

It is not difficult to host a project fair.  In fact, I have found that it’s fairly simple and well worth the effort!

In my tried-and-true experience, hosting a project fair can as easy as eight simple steps!

1.Choose a fair topic.  

Animals, History, Geography, Art, Nature, Science, Saints, Holidays around the World…  Ideas are endless.  Keeping the topic broad offers participants freedom while also providing a bit of direction.

2. Contact a host location to nail down a day and time. 

My family has participated at project fairs at a local library’s community meeting room and hosted one at a parish center.  At all of these locations, we have found a three-hour block works well.

3. Get word out.  

Use a local homeschool networking page to get word out.  Share the time, date and RSVP deadline for the fair.  Then, consider creating a special contact list for participants to share ideas, questions and concerns.  All communications or the fairs our family has participated in has been by word of mouth and private Facebook groups.  Other such social networking paths could work just as well!

4. Offer suggestions and ideas.  

Once you have a participants list, periodically remind folks of the date and time of the fair, offer tips for research and presentation and outline the agenda for the fair day. 

For the fairs we participated in, all this was done through brief posts on a private Facebook group.  For the one I put together and hosted, I created an information packet with research tips, presentation ideas, an agenda, FAQ’s, and more.

5. Ask for set up and break down volunteers.  

Many hands make light work; too many can result in chaos.  Thus, I have found that asking only a few families to help set up and break down tables and chairs works best.

6. Print participation certificates. 

Creating and printing personalized participation certificates to hand out at the fair adds a special touch and allows parents who need it “evidence” to put in children’s portfolios.

7. Prepare your family’s projects.

Leave plenty of time for your own children to research and prepare their projects.  Nothing is worse than putting your efforts into hosting a fair only to forget to work on your own family’s projects until the last-minute.  A little bit done over a number of weeks adds up to less stress and more fun!

8. Set an agenda and enjoy!  

For the fair I hosted,  which happened in a three-hour block, I found the following agenda worked well (and included 15 minutes of unscheduled “wiggle” room.)

Set Up

• 30 min. -Event organizer and several volunteer families arrive and begin to set up tables and chairs.

• 20 min. - Participants arrive and set up.

Fair Opens

• 20 min. - Geography Fair Opens; parents or other non-participating family members or friends “man” students’ displays so children can circulate

• 20 min. - Participating students return to their displays while parents and guests circulate

• 30 min. - Oral Presentations begin; those who wish to may continue to quietly circulate among the display areas. 

• 30 min. - Participation certificates distributed.

Fair Closes and Break Down Begins

• 30 min.- Break down displays and clean up.

I hope these tips help you to plan and enjoy learning and sharing together with a fair!

Homeschooling High School? This Book Can Help! {A Review}

Whether you're just beginning to homeschool high school or you're scrambling to get necessary record keeping together as your child's homeschool journey nears its end, Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School Paperwork by Everyday Education can be a valuable resource.

Now in its fourth edition, this classic resource  has been used all over the world to simplify the process of planning and record keeping as you homeschool high school.

The book comes in a print edition or as an e-book and was originally written by Janice Campbell after she had created a transcript for her oldest son as a way to help others avoid the trial and error she had been through.  Janice has since created successful transcripts for other homeschooled high schoolers, extensively researched the college admissions process, delineated post-high school options for those who are not college bound, and teamed up with experts to co-author portions of her newest edition of Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School Paperwork.

As a result, the fourth edition of Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School Paperwork is tried-and-true, partly new, and carefully put together to offer you clear, practical ideas and tools for streamlining paperwork and navigating your high schooler toward a successful future..

Why I Chose to Get This Book Even Though My Oldest Is Only 13


My oldest is but 13 years old. Yet, he is already thinking about his future.

At present, he wants to increase his skills and knowledge enough to begin - and finish - high school early, not so that he can go to college, but so that he can expedite the beginning of his adult life.  Frequently, he voices a desire to be more in charge of his day-to-day life and to be able to do work which will allow him to pursue passions while providing for himself.

Behind my eldest come two other children. One has some yet-to-be-formally-diagnosed learning blocks and is currently undecided about the future. Another is interested in college for one reason only at this moment: he dreams of joining a football team, and, then, playing both in college and professionally.

Three different children. Three different sets of needs.  Three different learning styles. Three different ideas about the future.  But just one set of parents who wish to guide them through their education in a way that will best prepare them for whatever their adult lives may hold.

Indeed, whether my children's current dreams come true or whether new promptings in their hearts lead to new goals in their minds, my aim is to help them be as prepared as they can be. This is not an easy task some days, and it can become a concerning one when I stop to think, How can I best do this? What do I need to consider to ensure that my children are doing whatever we need to do now in a way that will allow them to obtain the right "tickets" to their futures?

That is where Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School Paperwork comes in! 

In the past, I had heard wonderful things about this book, so when given an opportunity to review a pdf e-copy of it, I jumped at the chance. I thought the resource might help equip me to better navigate the official ins and outs of homeschooling high school and guide me in a streamlined approach to effective documentation so whatever end my children have in mind, I can support them and ensure they are ready for their next steps.

I was not disappointed. I have read Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School Paperwork from e-cover to e-cover and found it to be a fantastic resource - chock-full of ideas to inspire, tips to think about, clear steps to take, and tools with which to get down to business.

What Makes This Book So Helpful

In Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School Paperwork, author Janice Campbell offers plenty of information and guidance for those, like me, who are just getting ready to enter into homeschooling high school and also cuts right to the chase for parents at the end of their homeschooling journeys who may be scrambling to pull together a transcript as soon as possible.

If you're preparing to homeschool high school like I am, the fourth edition of Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School Paperwork will  help you quickly be able to understand:

• which approaches you can take to planning and scheduling high school learning.
• what your student needs to study in high school whether college-bound or otherwise.
• when to take specific steps and tests, such as PSATs, SATs, ACTs, and more, if your child is college bound.
• what alternatives to consider with your non-college-bound child.
• how to successfully keep records for launching your college or non-college bound child into a successful future.
• what college freshman need to know.

If you are nearing the end of your homeschool journey, or want to begin the high school portion of it on the right foot, you will also find straightforward, sage guidance to help you navigate how to:

• keep simple, accurate records using included reproducible record keeping sheets.
• follow step-by-step instructions if you wish to create your own effectively designed records.
• select a transcript format that best highlights your student's achievements.
• create a credible, professional transcript using software that you already own or can acquire for free online.
• issue fair grades for transcripts regardless of your homeschool style and if you regularly utilize quizzes, tests, and grades.
• grant credits for traditional classes, unit studies, work experience, and other activities whether you are a "boxed curriculum" sort of homeschooler, an unschooler, or somewhere in between.
• award extra credit for exams, honors classes, and dual-credit classes should your child wish to pursue such options.
• calculate a grade point average with or without weighted grades.
• tailor records and transcripts for special needs students. 

Seriously, the 130-page Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School Paperwork

is a treasure trove of wisdom, practical guidance, and fill-in forms that you as a homeschool parent - and even your homeschooled highschoolers themselves - can benefit from when approaching planning and documentation.

I am delighted to have this resource at my fingertips and having read through it once myself, am now planning to use it in partnership with my oldest son as a resource for planning his high school career and beyond.

I have also found myself recommending the book to others.

In fact, one day, a friend asked me a question, and, the very next day, I saw a clear answer to it in Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School Paperwork. So before I had even finished the book, I found myself pulling it up on my computer to show a page or two of it to my friend, who appreciated how clear the book is and how easy it makes finding answers.

Since then, I have also recommended Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School Paperwork to others in my homeschool circle. 

Just this morning, I was talking to friends about how the book is a perfect blend of practical helps - such as sample forms, printable record keeping documents, and step-by-step instructions for creating your own documentation - and been-in-the-trenches counsel. I was raving about how the book is not too long, is well laid out, clearly conveys important information, and, - my favorite part - speaks to all homeschoolers. 

Whether you are an unschooler, a relaxed homeschooler, an eclectic one, one who uses an all-in-one, boxed curriculum, a homeschooler with a special needs child, one with a college-bound child, or one with a child who has alternate post-high school plans, Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School Paperwork speaks directly about why a transcript is important, how to make one, and, more importantly, what's behind the transcript: the unique education of your child.

Straightforward, helpful, and practical, Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School Paperwork holds inspiration and helps so that you can avoid floundering and getting caught in pitfalls when planning high school and producing quality transcripts.  With the resource in hand, you can keep your focus on preparing your child for a positive future

Wonderfully Written with ALL Homeschoolers in Mind

Undoubtedly, no two homeschool families are exactly alike.  In fact, if my family is anything to go by, no two homeschoolers - even in the same family - are alike.

Each family - and each child within a family - has a unique blend of setbacks, skills and styles, not to mention individual passions and plans for the future.  Thus, it is important that a book on homeschool transcripts, planning, and record keeping recognize this fact and offer information that breaks out of the typical high school box and includes relevance for both college bound students and those that seek other pathways to living out their life's calling. Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School Paperwork does just that.
The resource also offers many thought-gems that had my head  nodding in agreement, my e-highlighter going, and my mind firing with connections.

In order to glean all the wisdom contained in the book, of course, you'll need to get a copy yourself. 

In order to use the nuts-and-bolts, easy-to-follow record keeping and transcript forms and samples in it, you will, too.

However, to get a taste of the writing style, content, and inspiration, just keep reading.  I would like to share some of the passages from the book I highlighted:

"The supreme end of education is expert discernment in all things— the power to tell the good from the bad, the genuine from the counterfeit, and to prefer the good and the genuine to the bad and the counterfeit."

Samuel Johnson 

page 7

This well-chosen quote drew me in right away as it wonderfully aligns with my own thoughts and let me know Janice and I have similar aims in mind.

Janice drew me in further by acknowledging, up front, that there are many types of homeschoolers and that her book was created to help us all - even eclectic, sometimes relaxed, sometimes unschooly ones like me.

Even if you are a relaxed homeschooler or an unschooler, your teen will eventually need a transcript. Since I am sure you would rather spend your time on people, rather than paperwork, I created Transcripts Made Easy to make planning, record-keeping, and transcript-making easy.
page 8

That's my kind of mission!

Then, Janice went on to keep making me nod my head and smile - and, later in the book, offered very practical tools for everything she talked about - reproducible record keeping sheets, handy charts, on-point lists of links and resources for more information, etc.

She also spoke right to my heart in saying:

As you prepare to homeschool high school, you have a chance to create an educational experience that not only sparks a lifelong interest in study, but also:

• Fits the student’s aptitudes, interests, and goals

• Cultivates cultural literacy and an interest in many subjects

• Encourages positive, healthy habits of mind, spirit, and body

• Becomes increasingly self-directed

• Meets or exceeds the requirements of law

• Meets or exceeds the requirements for entrance to the college or vocation of the student’s choice

• Provides opportunities to acquire practical skills

• Prepares the student for life as an adult

page 19

I could not have said it better myself.

And, speaking of well-said, I loved the following succinct which I am going to use when discussing my 13-year-old's desire to begin high school early:

A student who is old enough to do high school work is old enough to plan time wisely. One basic academic planning skill is learning to look at project due dates and create intermediate deadlines for each step.

page 24 

My son struggles with executive planning skills and, sometimes, his desire to do something and his time management skills do not match up.  Thus, given that he wants to begin high school early, I plan to use this thought-nugget as something we can chew on to see how he plans to improve his time management skills and how I might support him.

I want to give him an opportunity to prove his capabilities, exercise his strengths, and unwrap his future while also being cognoscente of of his unique brain wiring, his preferences, and the styles and needs of the rest of our family as we plan and schedule high school.

With planning and scheduling in mind, Janice's words below echoed some of my own:

Fortunately, you can choose the type of scheduling that best fits your student and your lifestyle. The four years of school and six subjects per year, one hour per day schedule is easy to use, but there are other options that can help you teach some subjects more effectively. In fact, by the last couple years of school, it can be a good idea to present lessons one week at a time, allowing students to decide when and where to do the work. It is excellent preparation for managing time in college! 

page 25

She, then, of course, goes onto give concrete examples of how to approach scheduling, such as this idea which I appreciated:

A similar option is what a nearby military academy calls the “One Subject Plan.” The school year is divided into five seven-week terms, and during each term the students study only language arts and math plus one other subject. This intensely focused immersion style of learning is what our family used for independent or deadline-focused learning. It is especially useful if you are preparing for a major trip and want to do an in-depth study of the history, culture, and language of your destination. I have also used it for academic, business, and home-centered subjects, and the boys have used it to learn about subjects ranging from World War II to classical music, computer programming, HVAC, and novel-writing.  

page 26

Ooo, and for fellow Charlotte Mason-inspired homeschoolers, she described:

When we were doing school with the boys, we followed Charlotte Mason’s advice and did short, focused lessons that gradually increased in length as they grew older. By high school, we found that daily short lessons were still most effective for problem-based subjects such as math, but a college- or block-style schedule was often more interesting and effective for classes in the humanities and sciences. 

For much of high school, we did math daily and focused on the humanities on Monday and Wednesday; the sciences, including labs, on Tuesday and Thursday. This balance seemed to work effectively for all of us, and was a good preparation for the longer classes they encountered in college.
page 27

This example got my brain tick-tick-ticking...

Thus, as you can see, before I was even very far into Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School Paperwork, I was finding wisdom and inspiration which affirmed my developing inclination to partner with my oldest child to plan his high school with a mind for his unique personality and future.

As my eldest and I began our discussions, he said he didn't want to go to college, but may change his mind depending on what he discovers as we continue talking and researching what he'll need to launch into the adulthood he imagined.  So, just in case he pivots to a college-bound attitude, I appreciated this idea:

Consider (different options), talk them over with your child, and share them with other family members or friends who have a college background. See what kind of a response you get. 

Along those lines, encourage your child to solicit as many stories about “mistakes” in college as people are willing to share, because, despite how it seems, children do take in what they are told. 

And remember, Mom and Dad’s voices may not be at hand every day to guide and guard, as they so long were. But the years of nurturing and training, plus the collective wisdom of those who have trodden this path before them, can resonate in students’ ears. And every time it does, there is a good chance an avoidable mistake will be avoided.
page 38

Further along, as I thought about how unique my children can be and how different from homeschooling-from-a-box our approach is, I completely appreciated this:

Students who follow a traditional curriculum do not usually have much trouble naming classes. However, if you have put together your own curriculum, or if you are a relaxed homeschooler or an unschooler, one challenge you will face is translating unconventional learning experiences into descriptive class names. Once you get going, however, you will find that it is easy, and can even be fun. 

page 60

Along with this idea were examples of course names and descriptions and a suggested further resource I had never heard of nor considered before and am now excited about.

Other quotes that struck me included this one which speaks so well to the fact that while Janice believes a transcript can serve any child, she does not believe college is the only means to a successful future:

If you have students who maintain they do not need college, do not want it, or do not understand the purpose and meaning of education, it is probably not the right time for that student to go to college. It is better to wait until they are ready than to rush off right after high school and incur debt for an education they will not appreciate. They can go to work, start a business, work on the family farm, or do something else. If they eventually need college, it will be there. 

page 39

Similarly, she points out that academic and vocational skills are not mutually exclusive:

My husband and I encouraged our sons to cultivate both a white-collar head skill and a blue-collar hand skill, not just to have backup career options, but for wholeness of spirit. Although each has a bent toward one type of skill or another, having experience in both has been a personal and professional plus for each of them. 

page 32

I love this idea and am now more focused on doing the same with my own children.

Getting back to high school planning and record keeping, Janice also explained:

You can also record activities such as hobbies, sports, or vocational training, as well as academic events (science fairs, debate club, and so forth), for nearly everything is worth at least some credit. Remember that public schools give credit for choir, journalism, band, independent living (formerly home economics), typing, and other classes that are not strictly academic in nature. Learning is learning, and it is all valuable. 

 page 54

She, then, went on with examples and how-to's for doing this.

She also did not hesitate to state a truth that I have been wishing more fellow homeschoolers realized:

Although home educators are a diverse group, the actions of each of us affect the reputation of homeschoolers everywhere. Each time a college admissions counselor encounters a homeschooled student whose performance meets or exceeds the expectations created by the grades on his or her transcript, that counselor is likely to gain a more positive impression of homeschoolers. However if a student presents a straight-A transcript but has abysmal test scores and struggles in the classroom, the impression is much different. 

page 68 

I whole-heartedly agree with his. For, even though I am not big on grades, it frustrates me when I see some homeschool friends "graduating" students who are not prepared for life after high school or inflating grades. Doing so, I believe, just doesn't serve the graduates and also can hurt other homeschoolers.

I agree that as individual as we homeschooling families can be, what one of us does certainly affects how others of us are viewed, and, therefore, when assigning grades, we need to do so with credibility, and I love how the book does not shy away from this truth.

I also appreciate that the book does not ignore special needs considerations. In fact, this tip spoke to me loudly:

Keep in mind that most require appropriate documentation that has been done within three years of admission or testing. Counselors want to ensure the student did not suddenly develop a special need to give him or her a better chance for success in college admissions! 

page 63 

As I have said, I have children with special needs. However, I have done any formal testing with one of them and have not had testing on another since he was a young child. Reading this, then, made me realize that I need to open a conversation with my husband and children about possible testing as we prepare them for their futures.

Is There Anything that Would Make This Resource Better?

Honestly, I think Janice and her expert co-authors have put together a wonderfully helpful book that is as practical as it is insightful, so there is very little I would suggest for future editions save one thing: a way to enter data into the printable record keeping forms, so that those who do not wish to handwrite on them nor to follow the clear, step-by-step instructions for creating their own documents, can just type, print, and go.

With the way it seems Janice truly takes reader feedback into consideration when putting out new editions of her book, I would guess the next edition will have this feature.

If You Choose Just One Resource for Planning / Record Keeping through Homeschooled High School Choose This One


I knew I would like Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School, but had no idea how much I would.

For, while I read it more for general knowledge as I kick off the high school years with my eldest and field questions from friends in the homeschool groups I admin and lead, I discovered both appreciated inspiration and specific information that I can use right now and continue to use right up through when each of my children graduates.Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School  takes what could be a boring and even intimidating topic - transcripts - and walks you through each step clearly and concisely while also offering ideas that can help you shape your child's entire high school career and beyond.

I cannot say enough about how well written this resource is and recommend it here online just as I have been doing every day while reading it to in-person friends.

Learn More

Connect on social media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janicepcampbell

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/janicecampbell

• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/janicecampbell/

Check out what other homeschool parents with kids at different age levels thought about this resource.

Read more reviews!

Super Teacher Worksheets for the Win!

We are not generally worksheet-type family, but when we saw a chance to review an Individual Membership from Super Teacher Worksheets, we jumped at the opportunity. 

Why? 

I knew from past experience with Super Teachers Worksheets that their online subscription library of 10,000+ printables (mainly aimed at kindergarten through fifth grade level children) is an organized and ideal resource for our homeschooling needs.  Seriously, it has a bevy of printables accessible pdf's in all the main subject areas, including:

• math

• reading & writing
  
  
  
  
  
• phonics & early literacy

• handwriting
• grammar
• spelling

• social studies
• science

... and more.  Plus, there printables on:

• Spanish

• music
• holidays

... and more, including helps like printable handwriting paper and even a worksheet generator!  

Puzzles, games, maps, traditional drills and  Q & A...  You search for it on the easy-to-navigate Super Teacher Worksheets page , and your Individual Membership likely has it, and, if it does not now, it may soon.  New materials are regularly added.

Without question, I find using Super Teacher Worksheets simple and effective. The huge and well-organized library of resources in our subscription make it easy for me to quickly key into concepts and skills that my children are already exploring, as well as to introduce new ones, review old ones, and fill in "missed ones" (you know, those "holes in education" that sometimes come up).  Thus, even I - a typical non-lover of worksheets - appreciate Super Teacher Worksheets so much and recommend it to others!


So Many Options

We use Super Teacher Worksheets in many ways. For example:

Before a field trip to a local college to learn about Spectroscopy and, then, view stars, planets and the moon through telescopes at their observatory, we reviewed what we already knew about space using several printables from the Super Teachers library, including a Q & A one that we played a game with (stumping even me a times).

Reviewing (and "testing") United States geography, we've been adding a new challenge to our Together Time studies, where we set a timer for five minutes and see how many states we an identify from memory.

As my youngest heads into more multiplication and division studies, he's been working through skip counting sheets as review.  (For good measure, so have his siblings.)

Also:

• as a tie-in to a writing class at co-op, we have played "Sentence-No Sentence" quiz games using ELA printables
• I have bookmarked some music printables for when we have some time, since at our lastAMP (Art-Music-Poetry) club meeting the children liked writing "musical words" by writing notes on the different staff lines to create name and words "songs".
• We have used quickie math printables to review facts.

I could go on and one about what we have used from Super Teacher Worksheets and what we plan to use next, but,instead, I will simply suggest you check out the site yourself, where you'll find samples, and also take a peak at my prior review.
 
 

Learn More

Find Super Teacher Worksheets on social media at:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/superteacherworksheets 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SuperTeacherWks   

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/superteacherwks/   

Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/superteacherworksheets/  

Seventy Homeschool Review Crew families have been benefiting from this comprehensive library of printable resources.  Get a  peak into more of the resources by clicking through to read all of our reviews as many of us chose different ones to highlight. 

 

 

Homeschool Rescue {A Review of an Online Course for Mamas}

Ahhhhh.  In my ideal little plan for the day, I  was meant to be relaxing and writing this review of Homeschool Rescue by Heather Aliano from Only Passionate Curiosity while my children read or prayed themselves to sleep and I had some quiet time after a fulfilling homeschool day.  Instead, even though our day was a positive one, I have barely been able to collect my thoughts for this review while dealing with disciplining, consoling, and parenting children to bed. 

Yep.  Tonight is proving to be "one of those nights" when my children's choices are less than best, and, therefore, I have to adapt.  

Where I Was When I Started Homeschool Rescue?

 

It was during a series of draining days (like this night is proving to be!) that I decided I could use the opportunity to breathe new life into my homeschool with Heather's e-course.  For, even though I often say I would not change my husband and my decision to homeschool for anything, I just as often realize that I need to change - or at least tweak, refresh or reset - our approach to homeschooling regularly if my family is to come anywhere close to our goal of training truly happy hearts.  For, without question, starting our homeschool journey was a lot easier than living it day to day has been and  - wow! - sometimes it certainly does take EFFORT to maintain even a modicum of happiness

So many things can step into to set homeschoolers off course, right?  In the past four or five months for my family, such things have included my mother-in-law's passing, a surgery for my husband, the necessity of another impending surgery for one of our children, bouts of sickness, car trouble, over-scheduling, pre-teen hormones and more. Oh, plus the "usual" of life with beautiful, creative, active children that also challenge me daily with their unique learning and thinking differences... You know - just life as it rolls, and life as it sometimes rolls right over you and leaves you feeling so battered and bruised that you forget what a blessing it all is and start letting doubt, distress, stress, and burnout get the best of you, instead of embracing the trust, gratitude, and grace that is really yours to carry on with.

So, anyway, that's where I was when I decided it was time to hit the reset button by taking advantage of Heather's 60-day e-course that promises practical lessons - and oodles of encouragement - to get homeschooling back on track! 

What Has the "Rescue" Been Like?

As soon as I started the e-course, I appreciated it.  The website the e-course is delivered from is clear, clean, organized and easy to navigate.  Heather's approach is one of encouragement, yet challenge.  She is a homeschool mama who has been in the trenches, too, so she understands just how discouraged one can be and just how necessary it is to both BREATHE and WORK to make things better.  Sometimes, you let go.  Sometimes you dig in.  Always, you take an honest look at yourself, your kids, and your homeschool and confront challenges while embracing grace - and, if you need to, you pause to get professional help if circumstances demand.

Heather also gets that time is often one of the biggest hurdles or homeschoolers, so, although she has organized the e-course to be completed in 60 days, she understands that it may take some mamas longer.  Thus, while she encourages all to make time to watch, learn, reflect, and implement ideas from each of the courses five modules in order to effect positive and lasting change, she lets you know it is okay to go at your own pace - pausing to get a handle on some of the module's suggestions and work at times, or putting some work aside to move on with other portions of the course, before circling back around.

For me, the need to do both these things came up early on in the course. 

During Module 1, I was asked to do some homework with my husband which, well, was not well-timed.  I tried to complete the exercises together, but it was leading to more stress than "rescue" help to do so. 

I ended up mentioning this on the Facebook Community and immediately got feedback from other moms - including Heather - offering support and encouragement, plus a "pass" to tweak the "work" of the assignment to a way that worked for my then-present situation.

A bit further along in the course, the whole organizing your home thing brought me to a stand still.  For, my home has been rather a large stumbling block for me and mine for quite some time.  I am making minute progress with it, but if I paused to really declutter it all,  well, there'd be no time to homeschool.  In response to someone's Facebook pot about delcuttering, I mentioned how the decluttering part o the course had me a bit "stuck" and Heather responded:

"Don't get stuck in the rabbit hole! ) If it's not something you want/can tackle right now, make a note to do it later and move on. Is it possible to "outsource" some of the decluttering to any of your kids? Can you assign a small portion of the work to do to them each week? (clean a drawer, organize a shelf ... that sort of thing?)"

 Our conversation progressed some from there and left me thinking about how I could continue small progress with the clutter and get moving on the course again.  I appreciated at this point - and others - how the e-course and Facebook community, when paired together offer more than any book or static course could on its own. 

You get all the benefit of having prerecorded video and audio, downloadable/printable transcripts, exercises, and extras and  an interactive forum to ask questions, get personalized suggestions,a and, okay, just vent a little.  That all makes Homeschool Rescue aces for me.  Access anytime.  Multi-modal offerings (audio, video, online print and paper printables).  Opportunities to work through things on your own or with the support and input of others, including the course's creator.  That just works!!

What also works is that change happens even before the course is completed - or so it is happening for me.

I actually had my oldest fill out one of the homework assignments meant for my husband and me, and have been using that to help us communicate and plan our summer learning experiences forward.

Another assignment made me realize that both my husband and I weigh practical life skills over many other typical "by the tie my child graduates" skills and knowledge.  This translated, for me, into a new approach to - of all things - grocery shopping with my children.  Just this past week, I had my longest, but most peaceful grocery shopping experience with them in ages.  Not a single one of them bickered or begged for items in the store as they all had portions of our grocery budget to plan and purchase items of their choice for meals and snacks they'd be responsible for this week and - woah - my oldest (who  is the hardest one to get to bed and the latest riser) asked me to wake him at 7:30 tomorrow so he can make his breakfast before our day's commitments start.

This personal-to-our-family-fruit came from seeds planted by reflections from the e-course.  Your fruit, no doubt, will be different should you take the course, but, undoubtedly, there will be fruit!

Who Would I Recommend This E-Course to?

 

If you've been homeschooling a year, a decade, or more, and seek a structured approach that will guide you though taking an honest, introspective look at your homeschooling in order to make lasting changes to improve it, I daresay the Homeschool Rescue e-course has something for you.  Between the five modules that are currently offered in the course, almost every aspect of homeschooling - and how to go about refreshing your experience with it - is touched upon.

     

The e-course will get you reflecting on how best to troubleshoot your homeschool and set your children up for success.  It will offer you tools for time management and organization.  You'll find practical ideas for planning and implementing curriculum for children of all ages, including older students.  And, most importantly, you will be encouraged to let go of guilt, seek balance, and allow GRACE to enter into your homeschool efforts.
 
Sure, you may find some points where you become uncomfortable as you take an honest look at where you're at and why, and you might even struggle through some steps towards improvement.  You might also find that Heather's structured approach, say to curriculum planning, does not 100% mesh with your own style (as is the case for me), but you will also likely realize that some areas of your homeschool are not in need of as much of a reset as you might have thought and that the parts that are in need can be dealt with one step at a time as you put into practice what the course presents. 

If my experience with Homeschool Rescue is anything to go by, you will find community as you reflect and (re)gain confidence, making positive progress towards a more organized, purposeful homeschool.

"Remind Me Again, What's Involved.  I'm a Busy, Burnt-Out Mama"
 
Homeschool Rescue is and e-course delivered in 5 modules that contain 20+ short video segments in total. There are audio options or the segments, too, as well as easy-to-download transcripts in case you rpefer to read or review ideas in print.

Each module also includes helpful printable "homework" exercises and reflections and resource links.  (Mind you, when I say "homework" it is not the kind of homework that makes you sweat and groan.  It's the kind that makes you think, reflect, and create action plans.)  Plus, there is ongoing support from other homeschool parents in a private Facebook community, and there is bonus content - like Mom Planners, a Homeschool Student Accountability Pack, and a Teen Academic Planner -  that is added to regularly. 

This means that no matter what kind of week you're having, you can access and benefit from one aspect of the e-course or another - a video playing when you do chores, a printable tucked into your go-bag to take out while you wait for an appointment, a quick plea for help or understanding in the Facebook group...  I speak from experience, the multi-modal way the e-course is delivered makes it work under multiple circumstances.

Oh, and one of the best parts, as I mentioned earlier, is that Heather gets how intentions and reality don't always match up.  So, even though the course is designed to be a 60 day one, she offers lifetime access to its 20 +video lessons and encourages those who need to (like me!) to just breathe and take the course at a pace that works with real life!

Learn More

There are currently two options for taking advantage of what Homeschool Rescue has to offer.  With both, as soon as you purchase, you'll receive an email in your inbox within an hour with login information.  Then, using the information, you'll easily be able to get instant-access to course materials so you can begin working through the course on your own, with the next "live" course beginning June 1.  

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One hundred Homeschool Review Crew moms have been blessed by Heather's Homeschool Rescue course.  You can read about each of our experiences by clicking through the banner below.


 
Now, it's time for me to honor part of the advice of the course: Get some sleep!  And you?  If you need to breathe some new life into your homeschool, this homeschool parent resource might be just what you're looking for.