Getting Started

We are counting down the days until homeschool convention season! After attending last year, I learned a few things about planning to make it an even better experience. The main thing we found was that it was helpful to make our van into our "home base" and not have a bunch of stuff to carry around. Following is a list of essentials: A cooler … [Read more...] about Homeschool Convention Packing Tips

I'm finally getting around to finishing our schoolroom tour. Just to keep things real: these photos were taken before son #2 started working on a stop-motion animation film and son #1 started putting together his literature group portfolio. In reality, the first desk is covered with stacks and scraps of paper, and the second desk is surrounded … [Read more...] about 2012-2013 Schoolroom: Big Boy Desks

Traditions for Back to School When each new school year begins, my boys make new work mats to use as desk blotters for the year. these are great for defining each of my kids' space at the school table, and they protect the surface from marker, sharp points, and glue stick residue. Not only do they help keep the table from being covered in art … [Read more...] about Back to School Workmats

Yep . . . ready for high school. And, middle school, here we come. I have seen many back-to-school photos on various blogs lately, and I wished I had started this tradition when my kids were all younger.  It's a neat way to record their growth and officially mark the first day of each new grade. Back to School I thought it would be nice to … [Read more...] about Back to School Traditions

Our Schoolroom Gathering Place Our big table in the center of the room is the place where we can all gather to work on projects together, or to just be together while working independently. It's kind of the home base. When the kids were younger, we did all our schoolwork at the table, but this year they all have "big boy" desks. Everyone still … [Read more...] about 2012-2013 Schoolroom: A Place to Gather

Schoolroom Play Space J-man decided he has outgrown his little kitchen, so we moved the train coffee table/train table to the corner, and it is currently the lego table. It's perfect for setting up stop-motion animation sets, and the boys are currently filming J-man's latest screenplay, "Fire Man," about a super-hero who can shoot fire out of his … [Read more...] about 2012-2013 Schoolroom: A Place to Play

I've been busy getting our schoolroom sorted out and ready for our official start to the new school year. We homeschool year-round, but sometime around August, we promote to the next grade. This year, I'll have a high schooler and a middle schooler and an elementary schooler! It's difficult to come to terms with that in a lot of ways, but it is … [Read more...] about 2012-2013 Schoolroom: Nature Shelf

As the official calendar school year winds to a close, I try to purge, dust, organize, revamp, and refresh our schoolroom before we start school for the summer. Even though we start the "year" with good intentions, it seems like the busyness of our days tends to cause things to get stacked up or stashed here and there, and then lots of time is … [Read more...] about Schoolroom Cleanup

Whew! Two conventions, two weekends in a row. We're tired, but we came away from the experience feeling encouraged, motivated, and inspired with a bunch of catalogs to read and a few new materials to explore, plus enough pencils and pens to last for years! These were the first homeschool conventions we've ever attended, and we will go again next … [Read more...] about Homeschool Convention Highlights

This year, my oldest is keeping his own lesson notebook, and it is divided into sections for science, history, writing/grammar/literature, vocabulary, and math. His notebook is similar to mine, but without all the extras I include. Staying Organized It's not rocket science, but it makes staying organized much easier. I bought him a notebook with … [Read more...] about Record Keeping: Student Assignments

When life gets in the way of homeschooling, we take school on the road. My mom is scheduled for surgery this month, and we have had to take her to some doctor's appointments and will be taking her for her outpatient surgery next week. School must go on, so we've figured out some ways to plan in advance and make it easier to keep up when we have to … [Read more...] about School To Go

When we started homeschooling, I used pre-made lesson plan books, but over the years my system has evolved to simplify the record-keeping process for me. Homeschooling is more challenging in some ways with my kids' grade levels spaced widely apart, but easier in that my oldest has become more independent. Since my oldest is transitioning to high … [Read more...] about Record Keeping: School Log

Welcome to our homeschool room! We have the luxury of a bonus room upstairs in our home, which has been designated as our homeschool room. After six years of homeschooling in our tiny old house, having to share the kitchen table for school and meals and store everything in the pantry, it is so nice to have a designated room for all of our "school" … [Read more...] about Our Homeschool Room

There is an interesting article on Pioneer Woman today about school hours. I find myself telling my kids all the time, "Remember, it's school hours!" when we have to go out and about during the day. I'm always aware that some people wonder "why aren't those kids in school?" when we are out during normal school hours. In fact, if we are ever out and … [Read more...] about Customized Schedules for Optimum Results

My favorite thrift store finds for the schoolroom have added a fun and functional touch to our shelves. The globe was still in the box, complete with the light bulb, and IT WORKS! Scored for only six dollars. I also picked up the cool spinning display rack for only $3, and it's the perfect size for holding readers and read-aloud … [Read more...] about Schoolroom Treasures