photo credit: Travis Isaacs

Listen to interviews...

with experienced homeschoolers and home business owners that will encourage you toward your entrepreneurial efforts and help you  know how to avoid pitfalls. (The links to the interviews will be sent to you, one per day) During the days that these interviews are being streamed online, you can join Susan for free! She started on Feb. 22, so don’t miss another day! Just sign up in the box below and you’ll get a link to today’s expert interview AND you’ll have an option to get the interviews you’ve missed.

Susan Whitehead of Homeschool Biz Expo offers daily interviews with a Panel of Home Education Experts, Family Focused Entrepreneurs, and Internationally Known Public Speakers which include:

Andrea Cockrum

"Mrs. Entrepreneur: Behind the Scenes Glimpse of Living with an Internet Success Story"

Andrea is not your average homeschool mom of 5. She’s lived in Central America for months, showcased her art at local art shows, and is married to one of the most popular and well respected internet marketers on the planet. Andrea isn’t afraid of challenges and handles them with amazing grace! You will love hearing from this REAL mom!

March 1, 2010 - Best Homeschool Buys Summary

Day Eight Notes

Susan Whitehead

"Stepping in Faith: Going From J-O-B to FREE!"

Susan is the proud momma of 5 and life-long serial entrepreneur. In 1998, she made her first dollar online and hasn’t looked back since! In 2005, she and her husband began to feel a call to walk away from a VERY secure (and high paying) military career to pursue a more entrepreneurial lifestyle. In faith, they set out on an adventure of a lifetime…relying on their own God given skills and gifts to create incomes for their growing family.

March 2, 2010

Kerry Beck

Kerry enjoys meeting with young moms to encourage them in raising, educating and encouraging their own kids. She also has a strong desire to show families ways to give children a love of learning.

March 3, 2010

Jim Cochrum

"Multiple Income Streams for a Raging River of Profits"

Ranked as the #1 most trusted Internet Marketer on IMreportCard.com, Jim Cockrum, homeschool dad of five, has a long history of making money online. He’s sold multiple millions of dollars of products and services and has been helping others start successful eBay and online businesses since 2000. He earns his living from the Internet and he works full-time educating others on how to run successful Internet and eBay businesses. The Cockrum family has committed their lives to helping others find their true calling and passion that they believe is placed in each person by God.

March 4, 2010

See Last Week's Homeschool Entrepreneurs

Homeschool Business is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. An Entrepreneur Family "Mrs. Entrepreneur: Behind the Scenes Glimpse of Living with an Internet Success Story" I really enjoyed listening to the Susan's Whitehead's interview with Andrea Cochrum, wife of internet entrepreneur, Jim...
2. Start a Home Business - photo credit: abardwell If you are interested in learning more about the possibilities for home business, you've got to see this new free resource for homeschool entrepreneurs! If...
3. Homeschool Blessings My good friend, Susan Whitehead, who is a homeschooling mother of 5 just like I am, created this little video about homeschooling that though  noting the difficulties, expresses appreciation...

I really enjoyed listening to the Susan's Whitehead's interview with Andrea Cochrum, wife of internet entrepreneur, Jim Cochrum and homeschooling mom of five (3 internationally adopted).

Susan (of Homeschool Biz Expo) and Andrea have much in common. Both have 5 children are homeschooling, and have husbands that work at home.

Andrea is married to one of the most popular and well respected internet marketers around. The Cochrum family business is an example of a home business that is run by the husband while the wife handles the majority of the homeschooling and home making work. Andrea talks about her supportive role to her entrepreneur husband.

Andrea first revealed her initial uneasiness with Jim's desire to leave the corporate world and rely on his fledgling new internet business as a means of supporting the growing Cochrum family. It was a process for Andrea to trust this to her husband, to pray and rely on God to provide for their family even though at the time she felt very unsure about their likelihood of success with a home business.

She discusses the adjustments that were required as they learned how to manage family life, homeschooling, and running a business from home.  I laughed as she revealed her secret...her husband Jim often does his work in pajama pants and  has to hunker down in a closet somewhere to take a business call  to get away from the noise of five children at home.

People don't understand their family since they, including Jim, are home all the time. The easiest answer for "What do you do?" is that Jim is an author, because it is so difficult to explain what he does as an eBay expert and helping people find tools to build a business online.

Andrea believe that the home business has been a uniquely positive experience for their five children. The older children express an interest in following in their Dad's footsteps.

I listened to Andrea's amazing story about their adoption of baby Aven in Guatemala  in September 2008. The Cochrum family, because of Jim's internet business, was able to relocate temporarily in Guatemala for an indefinite period while the adoption was finalized.  She shared some of the opportunites that they took advantage of  while living in South America  including hiking to a volcano. It was a great experience for the family to live in a different country for a while.

Andrea talks about homeschool stereotypes and how through her blog, she hopes she is debunking those myths and showing how homeschoolers are real families and not weird, socially disfunctional nerds.

She explains her opinion that some people are "entrepreneurially wired"  and entrepreneur success comes more easily to them. Her husband is one of those, but she isn't. Yet you can see that her supportive role has been an essential element of Jim's success. Additionally, Andrea offers advice to wives that have husbands that want to pursue their own businesses.

So besides homeschooling, managing her home, keeping up with five kiddos, and supporting her husband in his entrepreneurial  endeavors, she spends a lot of time writing her blog which you can visit at: True Moments with Family.  Andrea considers the blog her family scrapbook. Another Cochrum family website that is about Adoption, Adoption Questions We Get is a very helpful site with delightful pictures and true personal  Cochrum family stories. She answers adoption questions that are typically asked.  She also has a low key art business on the side that she hopes to develop further when these days of mothering and homeschooling are over.

You can still get in on the second half of the Homeschool Biz Expo interviews that are offered free this week, one interview each day. The ones that I have listened to offer some really good ideas and will help get you thinking about all kinds of possibilities for your family to develop additional income. A home business can be a great addition to homeschooling and offers some great opportunities to your children in addition to providing income for the family.

For more information see original article, Homeschooler Entrepreneurs,  announcing this free home business resource  or blog post  Homeschool Family Business.

An Entrepreneur Family is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschool Business photo credit: Travis Isaacs Listen to interviews... with experienced homeschoolers and home business owners that will encourage you toward your entrepreneurial efforts and help you  know how to avoid...
2. Better Home Management Sign up to listen to Free Home Business Interviews at Homeschool Biz Expo: -First Day interview:  Debbye Cannon of Business Mom Mentor For more information see original article, Homeschooler Entrepreneurs, ...
3. Homeschool Blessings My good friend, Susan Whitehead, who is a homeschooling mother of 5 just like I am, created this little video about homeschooling that though  noting the difficulties, expresses appreciation...

The best way to learn how the Sonlight homeschool curriculum works is to order a Sonlight catalog. Sonlight produces a beautiful full color catalog that is a pleasure to browse through. Not only does the Sonlight catalog feature all the Sonlight products like the instructor's guide and all the great literature and history books that are part of the complete curriculum, but the catalog also explains the various ways that you can fit Sonlight to your specific family.

Every family has different needs...the children are different ages and working at different levels. With Sonlight you can work out your plan so that you can teach them together for certain subjects like History, Literature, and Bible and teach them separately for other subjects like Math and Reading skills.

Sonlight provides the catalog at no charge. You are not obligated to order anything.

Sonlight Curriculum

1. Download your Sonlight catalog

OR

2.  Order a Sonlight catalog

I recommend that you order a catalog from the Sonlight Site (Click on "Sonlight Catalog" link above) that will be mailed to you. That way you can sit in your comfortable chair after supper and read and browse at your leasure. I love my copy!  You can learn how Sonlight works ( if you have questions) since it is clearly laid out in the catalog OR you can plan your next order.

Remember to check Best Homeschool Buys'  Used Sonlight pages for used Sonlight curricula listed each day on eBay.

It's easy to save money if you check around.  See other used homeschool curricula sites listed at the end of this post.

Other Posts about Sonlight :

Sonlight Instructor's Guides This is the guide that directs the Sonlight curriculum. Is it possible to find used Sonlight Curriculum Guides. Can I buy just the guide from Sonlight and gather the books used from other source or borrow them from the library?

Sonlight Core 2 - List of books included in set and a chance to buy them at a discount.

Sonlight Core 6 - The set of books that make up the Sonlight 6 Core and possible savings buying the curriculum and books used from other homeschoolers.

Sonlight Sale Looking for ways to save on the Sonlight curriculum for homeschool.

Also check these sites for used homeschool curricula:

The Homeschool Classifieds

Homeschool Message Board

Homeschool Ads

Sonlight Catalog is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Sonlight Instructor’s Guides If you don't find what you are looking for used or on eBay , you can go directly to the Sonlight site for  new Sonlight Instructor's Guides. You can look...
2. Used Sonlight Core 2 See more Sonlight Core 2 Auctions The Used Homeschool Curriculum-Sonlight Core 2 shown above is listed today and ends Aug 23, 2009. It is selling as a Buy it...
3. Used Sonlight for Sale? For Discount or Used Sonlight: Sonlight- Core 1 & 2 Sonlight- Core 3 & 4 Sonlight-Core 5 & 6 Sonlight 7 Sonlight 100 & 200 Sonlight 300, 400, 530 A...

-First Day interview:  Debbye Cannon of Business Mom Mentor

For more information see original article, Homeschooler Entrepreneurs,  announcing this free home business resource.

Debbie Cannon speaking to moms and all nurturing women who are in a sense, Moms, even when not raising children of their own. Homeschooling and/or looking out for the well being of others is a business unto itself.  If you homeschool, you know that in many ways homeschooling is like running a business in your home. You must prioritize, systemize, organize, plan and set goals.

Debbye has developed a strategy known as Smart Cuts: (shortest,smartest,fastest ways of doing things). Women have so much to do. We are struggling with the juggling. We are not lazy, but we don't want to spend more time on our work and required tasks than we have to. We all desire to have more value in life.

___________________________________________________________________________________

From Julie Simmons of Best Homeschool Buys

My notes from today's home business interview of Debbye Cannon with Susan Whitehead:

"Taking the Struggling Out of Juggling to Increase Productivity"

Debbye created a system to accomplish more. Friends started recognizing that she was having success in accomplishing more in her home and with her family. She had learned prioritizing without agonizing. Her methods included steps that go beyond organizing through cleaning out clutter. She shows other women how to find good ways to do tasks, but to be realistic about methods and goals.

I took notes on the interview. You can read my notes on Debbye Cannon's Solutions HERE:  Home Management Interview

Better Home Management is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschool Business photo credit: Travis Isaacs Listen to interviews... with experienced homeschoolers and home business owners that will encourage you toward your entrepreneurial efforts and help you  know how to avoid...
2. An Entrepreneur Family "Mrs. Entrepreneur: Behind the Scenes Glimpse of Living with an Internet Success Story" I really enjoyed listening to the Susan's Whitehead's interview with Andrea Cochrum, wife of internet entrepreneur, Jim...
3. Start a Home Business - photo credit: abardwell If you are interested in learning more about the possibilities for home business, you've got to see this new free resource for homeschool entrepreneurs! If...

- photo credit: abardwell

If you are interested in learning more about the possibilities for home business, you've got to see this new free resource for homeschool entrepreneurs!

If you are like me, you have at least considered ways you could contribute to the family's income while staying at home to teach your children. I had so many questions when I first started my online business three years ago:  Where do I start? What should I do? What can I do? How do I do it?

My mentor and friend, Susan Whitehead (homeschool mother of 5) is launching a great resource for homeschooling families this week. Whether you are hoping to add income to your family or already have a home business that you want to improve, Susan 's Homeschool Biz Expo is lined up to give free advice and tips from experts (real homeschoolers who also have successful businesses) that will help you avoid making mistakes.

Register for your FREE Slot for the Homeschool Biz Expo! Click Here

Beginning this week, experienced homeschoolers and home business owners will encourage you toward your entrepreneurial efforts and will show you how to avoid the mistakes.
Susan's Panel of Home Education Experts, Family Focuse Entrepreneurs, and Internationally Known Public Speakers include:

Debbye Cannon- Business Mom Mentor

"Taking the Struggling Out of Juggling to Increase Productivity"

Julie Schultz

"Selling Old Books Online to Make a Great Living"

Steve & Kerry Beck

“Can’t Miss Formula For Creating Your Very Own Online Business"

Sarah Cook- Raising CEO Kids

"The Keys to Inspiring the Inner CEO in Your Kids"

Bob and Tina Farewell -an entrepreneurial homeschool family in 30 years of marriage

"Keeping Your Marriage Strong While Birthing a Successful Business and Raising Entrepreneurs"

Terri Johnson of Knowledge Quest

"Confidently Homeschooling Your Kids While Operating a Thriving Business"

Cindy Rushton-homeschool convention speaker & author

"From Ideas to Products: Creating a Business with Your Brilliance"

The list above is only the first week's schedule of interviews. There is a whole more week of interviews just as helpful as these.

These interviews are totally free for you to listen to. You only need to register with your email and Susan will send you each day's  link to her interview with the leading homeschool entrepreneurs. If you sign up late, I believe that the links to the interviews will still be sent to you, one per day, until you have had a chance to listen to all 12 of them.

- photo credit: The Consumerist

I hope to listen to each interview and write a summary review each day from my notes. I hope this will be as great an inspiration to you readers as it is to me.

Thank you, Susan,  for all of your hard work in offering these resources to us!!!

This is how I know Susan Whitehead of Homeschool Biz Expo. As I sought to learn how to start a family business, Susan  stood out to me as a person that was willing to answer my questions. She responded to my email questions, and even was available by phone if I should need help. Since then Susan has given birth to her first son after four daughters. She and her husband are homeschooling their 5 children. Recently, her husband Michael retired from the military to pursue fulltime work at home.

Julie Simmons of Best Homeschool Buys

Register for your FREE Slot for the Homeschool Biz Expo - Click Here

- photo credit: di_the_huntress

Start a Home Business is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschool Business photo credit: Travis Isaacs Listen to interviews... with experienced homeschoolers and home business owners that will encourage you toward your entrepreneurial efforts and help you  know how to avoid...
2. An Entrepreneur Family "Mrs. Entrepreneur: Behind the Scenes Glimpse of Living with an Internet Success Story" I really enjoyed listening to the Susan's Whitehead's interview with Andrea Cochrum, wife of internet entrepreneur, Jim...
3. Better Home Management Sign up to listen to Free Home Business Interviews at Homeschool Biz Expo: -First Day interview:  Debbye Cannon of Business Mom Mentor For more information see original article, Homeschooler Entrepreneurs, ...

Homeschooled Engineers

Nathan (at  left: Mechanical Engineering-2008) & Lane (at right: Electrical Engineering-2009)

After over 12 years of homeschooling, then community college, then the university, our two oldest sons each received a B.S. in engineering at Mississippi State University.

Homeschool gave Lane and Nathan the freedom to pursue their own interests. Their creative ideas were encouraged and enabled. We often gave them time away from some of their traditional school assignments to get really involved in a project. I count these delight directed studies as some of the best learning opportunities in homeschool. Children are like sponges for learning the things that interest them.

If you have a budding engineer, provide him/her time, space, and materials to work on projects. There are so many great building sets available. The time your child spends building is not wasted time. They may be building important things one day soon and making a living for their families with their building expertise.

Also, help your children see the relationship between math and every kind of problem solving. Students often bewail the lack of practical use of algebra and other math disciplines.  It is important to demonstrate and teach your children the day to day application of math, but also, they need to realize that the problem solving that is involved in math work is applicable to problem solving in all areas of life (especially engineering!)

Lane Builds with Fishertechnique Set

One note to other parents of children who have a strong interest in engineering with a relatively weak preparation during high school. Both of our sons, because of jobs (and other interests) during high school/homeschool, didn't go beyond Algebra 2. They both went to community college, starting with College Algebra, then Trig, then Cal I, II, III, IV and so on.

When they went to college, they succeeded because they were serious students with determination to do whatever was required,  not because of excellent high school prep. When they got to the university, occasionally, they would drop a course that they got a bad start in, and begin again the next semester with a head start.   This is expensive, but is worth it if necessary. They also took advantage of limited "Grade Forgiveness" to retake a course.

At MSU, engineering is one of the few (or only?) majors that doesn't require foreign language in high school or college.

Homeschooled Engineers is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschool ACT Scores ACT Scores for Homeschoolers Many of you who visit this site know us, the Simmons family. Four of our five children have finished homeschooling through high school and have gone...
2. Is College Necessary for Homeschoolers? My daughter and I watched this short video today. She can identify with many of the points made by the students in the film. We had just been discussing...
3. Buy Used Saxon Math Our cat Frankie loves to get on Jonathan's Saxon Algebra 2 books.  He loves to be the center of attention so he plops down on Jon's books whenever he...

You can look for used guides if you want to save money.

Some of the slightly used Sonlight Instructor's Guides that were available over the last few weeks are pictured in a screen shot below. The selling prices ranged from $20 to $30 for just the instructor's guide.

Click: Used  Sonlight Instructor's Guides to See what used guides are available today.

Core Sonlight IG

As of today, the following Sonlight Instructor's Guides are available on eBay:

There are two pre-owned Sonlight Core Instructor's Guides available for sale this week Feb 14, 2010. I have included a picture and description of each Sonlight Guide that is for sale.

Sonlight Instructor's Guide-Level 2

(ENDING: Feb 15, 2010) -Sonlight Core 2 Instructor's Guide

Introduction to World History Part 2

Language Arts Instruction and Activity Sheets (has a few pages with writing in pencil)

Reader Study Guides

Read Aloud Study Guide

General Science C Instruction and Activity Sheets

36 week schedule, 4 and 5 day week option

Sonlight Instuctors Guide K-2

(ENDING: Feb 23, 2010)

Instructor's guide includes resources for teaching all core subjects to your young child:

full schedule (5 days or 4 days) including Bible reading and memorization assignments;

Teaching Helps and study guides for History and Read-Alouds.

It is in good condition.   There are only light pencil marks on the schedule

If the two auctions listed above are over, check  the Sonlight Instructor's Guides page see what is available this week. or look for listings below:

.

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

Best Match Time: ending soonest Time: newly listed Price: lowest first Price: highest first Price + Shipping: lowest first Price + Shipping: highest first

Sonlight General Science C Instructors Guides Notes    US $5.00

Sonlight Core 6 World History Instructors Guide    US $15.50

Sonlights Language Arts 4 Instructors Guide and Notes    US $9.99

Sonlight Language Arts 3 Instructors Guide and Notes    US $9.99

SONLIGHT CORE 3 INSTRUCTORS GUIDE PART 1 EXCELLENT COND    US $25.00

New and Used Homeschool Curriculum

Sonlight Instructor’s Guides is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Sonlight Catalog If you are considering Sonlight as your homeschool curriculum... The best way to learn how the Sonlight homeschool curriculum works is to order a Sonlight catalog. Sonlight produces a beautiful...
2. Used Sonlight Core 2 See more Sonlight Core 2 Auctions The Used Homeschool Curriculum-Sonlight Core 2 shown above is listed today and ends Aug 23, 2009. It is selling as a Buy it...
3. Used Sonlight Core 6 See what  Sonlight Instructor's Guides are available this week. This week's:   Best SONLIGHT Buy (for Sonlight Core 6)......a Best Homeschool Buy! For those homeschooling families looking for used Sonlight 6...

My good friend, Susan Whitehead, who is a homeschooling mother of 5 just like I am, created this little video about homeschooling that though  noting the difficulties, expresses appreciation for the blessings for homeschooling.

Homeschoolers have a secret. Our secret, which many people do not understand, is that homeschooling is more about family life than about school. Yes, the 3 R's are part of the homeschool equations, but when we start looking at the benefits that accompany a life where little children spend their days with their parent(s) and siblings, we see results that are priceless. As Susan states in her video:

-The joy of having children who are best friends.

-The pride of seeing a child master reading.

-The blessing of solid bonds with your children.

-The fun of learning together, reading aloud together, cooking together, cleaning together.....just time to be together as a family, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Check Susan's  Mrs.Homeschool.com blog to find out what "inspired" her to create this lovely video.

__________

Susan balances being a mom to 5, a wife, a homeschool teacher, and a home business woman. She is really on the ball, but she has her struggles with getting everything done just like the rest of us.  Though I'm ahead of Susan  with the homeschooling, since only one of my five is still in high school, I have much to learn from Susan about business since she has successfully developed multiple streams of income to add to the family income.  She recently developed a website to help other homeschool moms learn how to earn income by setting up multiple revenue streams.

Her website is called MrsHomeschool.com and is all about the homeschool life coupled with learning how to work. She offers income earning  ideas suitable for children and parents, but especially for homeschool mothers.  Susan is particularly knowledgeable in using the internet as a tool for earning income and has had first hand experience that she can share with others.

Homeschool Blessings is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschool Business photo credit: Travis Isaacs Listen to interviews... with experienced homeschoolers and home business owners that will encourage you toward your entrepreneurial efforts and help you  know how to avoid...
2. An Entrepreneur Family "Mrs. Entrepreneur: Behind the Scenes Glimpse of Living with an Internet Success Story" I really enjoyed listening to the Susan's Whitehead's interview with Andrea Cochrum, wife of internet entrepreneur, Jim...
3. Better Home Management Sign up to listen to Free Home Business Interviews at Homeschool Biz Expo: -First Day interview:  Debbye Cannon of Business Mom Mentor For more information see original article, Homeschooler Entrepreneurs, ...

"Year 3 DE Upgrade is here!
We are excited to announce that we have completed the upgrade to  Tapestry of Grace/Digital Edition: Year 3 that we have been rolling out for each year plan since this past summer.

**Half-price Upgrade for Year 3 print customers**

For our print Year 3 customers, it’s never been a better time to add DE capabilities—like unlimited printing, the ability to search quickly, and (for laptop owners) portability—to your print copy. Not only can you still get a half-price discount off the DE year plan, but now you can also upgrade your supplement CDs to DE for free!

Tapestry of Grace/Digital Edition: Year 3

Tapestry of Grace Year 3 -Upgrade Available

Tapestry of Grace DE-Year 3 is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. The Old Schoolhouse How would you like to get 4 issues of an excellent homeschool magazine for the price of 1? That's what it is like when you order a one-year print subscription...
2. Homeschool Help The Old Schoolhouse is offering a FREE E-Book to Best Homeschool Buys  site visitors. Download your copy of the E-Book: The New School Year It is their gift to homeschooling...
3. Used Tapestry of Grace Tapestry of Grace Year 3: The 19th Century (Redesigned) is now listed on ebay. The auction ends on August 22, so if you need Tapestry of Grace, you have...

Abigail Doll, Liberty Doll, Jubilee Doll, Fidelia Doll

Like the American Girl dolls, Vision Forum's dolls have clothing that relates to history. The neat thing about the Vision Forum dolls is that you can have one doll and then dress her for each history period that your child learns about. For instance, your little girls can act out history as they dress their doll in the available historical costumes. Liberty can cross the ocean to New England as Priscilla Mullins. She can be a guide to Lewis and Clark, helping them find the Northwest Passage as Sacagawea. She can serve ice cream at the White House as Dolley Madison or walk the deck of the Titanic as Nan Harper. What fun to let her climb the Alps as Maria von Trapp and sing "The Sound of Music" Also, each costume has a coordinating book available about the character from history. The books are wonderful, but any history story or biography about the time period or the historical character that your family reads aloud can accomplish the inspiration of the historically motivated play.

18 Inch Doll's Historical Costumes

Vision Forum offers 4 dolls: Liberty, Jubilee, Abigail, Fidelia. They are all 18" dolls but each one has different features. You can choose the one that looks most like your family or just the one that you like the best!

So these dolls can serve two purposes....

an extension of your homeschool history studies or just for regular Mommy/Baby pretend play. When little girls play with their dolls, they are practicing to be a mother someday. A little girl looks to her mother as a role model and she can play out her mother role with her own dolls. This is the type of play that I loved to encourage in my daughter, Sara.

Detail Information about Liberty Dolls from Vision Forum.
(This information also pertains to the other 3 available dolls, Jubilee, Abigail, and Fidelia)
Liberty is made by the Goetz doll company and is exquisitely crafted.
Liberty has soft brown hair and lovely blue eyes.Liberty can stand and sit alone. As durable as she is lovely, Liberty is ready to be hugged and squeezed with love! Liberty comes wearing a feminine dress in pink, complete with socks and shoes.

Additional savings: Purchase two or more dolls and receive a 10% savings off the regular retail price. Or purchase the entire Beautiful Girlhood Doll Collection and receive a $55 savings!

Extra Information: Doll is 18" tall and is the same size as The American Girls Collection® dolls, but is not the same size as the Elsie Dinsmore doll. Liberty comes with a pink dress outfit and thirteen additional outfits are also available, sold separately.

Caring for Liberty: Liberty’s hair is very high quality and is fully rooted; it may be brushed with a plastic brush. Her hair can be washed with a mild shampoo and her body can be gently cleaned with a mild soap.

If you, like Sara, already have an American Girl doll, you might be interested in looking at Vision Forum's historical costumes that correspond with your family's homeschool studies.

History Dolls is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Vision Forum Rebate This is a short and sweet sale notification for Vision Forum: For four days only, Vision Forum is pleased to offer up to $100 in Instant Rebates on all qualifying...
2. Vision Forum Classic Toys In December most of us are looking forward to a little break from homeschool as we celebrate Christmas.  Every year I buy a few family gifts from Vision Forum.  They...
3. Vision Forum Homeschool Resource of the Year Marilyn is deeply patriotic and feels so strongly about America’s Christian history, she set upon a path to write a book about the 56 men who pledged their lives, fortunes...

For four days only, Vision Forum is pleased to offer up to $100 in Instant Rebates on all qualifying online orders! This is your best opportunity to enjoy immediate savings on anything and everything at Vision Forum. Mix and match your favorite resources, add them to your shopping cart, and watch your order total drop by as much as $100!

Vision Forum  Adventure Toys for Boys or  Beautiful Toys for Girls

$325 Order (or more) = $100 Instant Rebate

$175 Order (or more) = $50 Instant Rebate

$95 Order (or more) = $25 Instant Rebate

Liberty - 18 Inch Doll

Here's hoping that this special savings opportunity is a blessing to you and your family as you seek to provide God-honoring books, toys, and resources to your children and loved ones.

Browse the All American Boy's Adventure Catalog and the Beautiful Girlhood Collection.

Replica Vintage Toys for Children-Made to Last

Vision Forum Rebate is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. History Dolls Vision Forum's dolls were not available when my daugher, Sara, was playing with dolls. We bought her an American Girl doll and she loved it. It became her "daughter". Like...
2. Vision Forum Classic Toys In December most of us are looking forward to a little break from homeschool as we celebrate Christmas.  Every year I buy a few family gifts from Vision Forum.  They...
3. Vision Forum Books – SAVE Save money on Vision Forum books and media this week (Aug 26-30,2008) with a $50 gift certificate for every $95 your spend. Now is a great time to buy Vision...

Click here for Hooked on Phonics

Deals Available Right Now:

****************************

Free standard shipping on all non-payment plan U.S. orders. Expires 12/14/09.

35% off coupon HOP35.  (Expires 12/31/09.)  Hooked on Phonics routinely offers 20% off with coupons, but this is for 35% off. This is a great time to buy  if you need to start your child on Phonics and learning to read.

*******************************

Also:

Master Reader (Windows XP version): Normally $199.95, now only $79.95: http://www.hookedonphonics.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=35780

Discover Reading Toddler: Normally $99.95, now only $29.95: http://www.hookedonphonics.com/discover-reading-toddler-deluxe

***************************************************

A Hurry-up-for-Christmas Bonus

If you order is on 12/15/09 through 12/21/09, you can get a Free upgrade to expedited shipping on all non-payment plan U.S. orders. Expires 12/21/09.

Learning to Read

Phonics for Christmas is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Abeka Kindergarten Reading - One especially good product from Abeka is their Kindergarten Summer Reading Library, "Reading for Fun".  This is a boxed set of 55 little books that my children really enjoyed....
2. Hooked on Phonics Sale Hooked on Phonics-Fantastic Overstock Sale!! I am reaching out to let you know that Hooked on Phonics has a fantastic Overstock Sale happening right now, with savings up to 75%...
3. Vision Forum Books – SAVE Save money on Vision Forum books and media this week (Aug 26-30,2008) with a $50 gift certificate for every $95 your spend. Now is a great time to buy Vision...

For three more days, enjoy Vision Forum’s “December Kick-Off Special” and receive up to 50% off everything! Plus, take advantage of $5.00 flat-rate shipping on every order, regardless of size.

New items have been added to their 40%-50% off section, so make sure to check back daily for great buys on popular books and toy products!

Vision Forum  Classic Toys for Boys or  Classic Toys for Girls

and the Beautiful Girlhood Collection or the All American Boy's Adventure Catalog...all on sale this week.

Classic Toys for Kids

Fire Truck pedal cars, Victorian doll houses,  timeless models-even a scale model of the Mayflower, remote control flyers,  sleds,  train sets, and much more.

Vision Forum Classic Toys is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Vision Forum Rebate This is a short and sweet sale notification for Vision Forum: For four days only, Vision Forum is pleased to offer up to $100 in Instant Rebates on all qualifying...
2. Vision Forum 50% For three days only, vision forum has these collections and more on sale for 50% off!. Just in time for Christmas shopping. If you have been putting off a purchase,...
3. Vision Forum Sale (Christmas Sale is over, but many Vision Forum items are still selling at reduced prices) Vision Forum carries toys and books that are hard to find elsewhere; so if you...

Plus, get up to 50% off next semester's curriculum during our STOCKING UP YOUR SHELVES SALE!
Nov 27th at 10:00am CST through Tuesday, Dec 15th.

Homeschool Black Friday is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Daily Homeschool Downloads-FREE Daily Freebies From Homeschool Freebie of the Day /h4> I have discovered a great homeschool resource! Jim Erskine who lives up in Kentucky has set up a site that gives...
2. Apologia Science-Sale 30% off Christian Book Distributors is happy to announce a sale of 30% off on Apologia Science just in time for the new school year. The Apologia sale includes elementary texts, notebooks...
3. Alpha Omega Spring Sale Alpha Omega is having their annual Spring Sale! You can save BIG..... Save 20% in April & 15% in May Calling all homeschooling families.....now is a great time to buy...

Homeschool Classroom for Four

Avoid Homeschool Burnout...

I've heard it said that if you are new to homeschooling, and you haven't felt like crying several times in the first few weeks, then you are not really homeschooling. We feel the full impact of our own character flaws as well as the faults in our children.  Part of homeschooling is developing patience. Now is the time to adjust, to find better ways of doing things that aren't working out, and develop good habits while establishing a routine with a flexible schedule.

A plan and a schedule...

is of utmost important for getting homeschool done. Sometimes we plan more than we can possibly do. We must be realistic in our planning, but with creativity, often we can increase productivity in the time that we have.   There are a number of very good homeschool planners available for purchase that can really increase your productivity and help you keep up with the records, your homeschool schedule, and details of your homeschooling experience (No easy task). You can find many helpful ideas, forms, and information that puts your family on the right track.

Children's Chores

In order for a parent to be free to homeschool, many household chores must be delegated to the children. Summer is the best time to establish chore responsibilities and teach children how to do their chores well, but if it is not going well, the only way to fix it is to devote some time each day to teaching your children how to do their chores.  This will pay off in the end, but for right now, it seems to be a heavy burden. Don't feel stressed about the time it takes to get school days going somewhat smoothly. This is just a fact of life.  The whole process is a learning experience.

Help Your Children Develop Life Skills:

Learn to value the living experiences that your children are learning through as well as the academics that you are seeking to teach.  It is all part of a balanced life and preparation for maturity.  Many practical skills are essential for your children to learn and home is such a well equipped training ground for young learners. A favorite resource of mine that is a tremendous help to scheduling in a large family is Managers in Their Homes (MOTH for short).  After more than 20 years of homeschooling, I have never seen another product as helpful for managing homeschool and life for a large family.

Advice to New Homeschool Parents:

My advice to new homeschool parents is to give yourself some slack during the first month or so of school at home. Try to find enjoyment in the process.  Do not allow yourself to be stressed.  Maintain a sense of humor and try to keep the an encouraging atmosphere that has built in rewards for accomplishments. You must establish some sort of accountability program that all the children understand which will encourage hard work and completion of assigned tasks.

Incorporate an Accountability System in Your Homeschool Organization:

That's where an accountability system that includes checklists or charts are needed.  Such a system will have definite, predefined requirements along with planned rewards or planned withholding of privileges to correspond with the child's effort and/or accomplishments.

More than one of my children has expressed dislike for checklists claiming that they can get their work done without it. But Mom knows better. There is some laziness as the heart of every human being and that includes my children. They don't want a checksheet because it makes them have to work hard every day. If a system is used properly, parents are daily aware of what is accomplished by each child and make sure that the priviledges or lack of priviledges that in contengent on their work, is delivered. This also teaches the valuable lesson of good  consequences for good behavior or or bad consequences for bad behavior.

One of my favorite verses that I remember when I am feeling stressed and burdened is "Come to Me all of you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." I receive peace of mind when I leave the outcome to Christ. I must give it my best effort, but He brings the fruit, He accomplishes all good things.

************************************************************

(Thanks to the Reed family for sharing their homeschool classroom picture above....Thanks, Heather!)

Read about the Simmons family's Year Round Homeschool Schedule.  It has built it time to de-stress and pursue your hobbies and interests.

Read how one family avoids homeschool burnout....a different approach.

And remember to avoid financial burnout by checking Best Homeschool Buys.com for great prices on Used Homeschool Curriculum.

Homeschool Stress! is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Children’s Chores Tips for Successful Kids Chores will help you improve your home chore plan. You will find suggestions for implementing a chore program in your home that includes your children. Here...
2. Year-round Homeschool The homeschool schedule I like the best is 4 or 5 weeks of school and then taking a week off. We allowed extra time off at Christmas and during the...
3. Homeschool Planning for Success It is time to begin a new year of homeschool (unless you homeschool year round, but that's another post). Homeschooling moms must juggle teaching with housework, cooking, shopping, mothering, being...

Essential Family Literature Collection,Jonathan Park , Western Civilization 20 volume DVD history collection — and 12 other exciting sets. To explore all the featured items and save 50%, begin your shopping adventure here!

Click to find out more.

Vision Forum- Best Price!-50% off

Vision Forum 50% is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Vision Forum Rebate This is a short and sweet sale notification for Vision Forum: For four days only, Vision Forum is pleased to offer up to $100 in Instant Rebates on all qualifying...
2. Vision Forum Classic Toys In December most of us are looking forward to a little break from homeschool as we celebrate Christmas.  Every year I buy a few family gifts from Vision Forum.  They...
3. Vision Forum Sale (Christmas Sale is over, but many Vision Forum items are still selling at reduced prices) Vision Forum carries toys and books that are hard to find elsewhere; so if you...

There were many outspoken proponents of education in the time our nation was established. One was Benjamin Rush. He was a doctor during the Revolutionary War.  He happened to be one of John Adams' best friends and he was his  physician, as well.

Benjamin Rush said,

"I beg leave to remark, that the only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments."
Benjamin Rush

This quote is encouraging to me. In teaching our children at home, we are seeking to establish that foundation for education from which is yielded the virtues which are more and more lacking in our country. This kind of education with a Biblical basis is our hope for future generations to guard liberty and preserve our Republic.

Benjamin Rush (December 24, 1745 – April 19, 1813) was a Founding Father of the United States. Rush lived in the state of Pennsylvania and was a physician, writer, educator, humanitarian and a devout Christian, as well as the founder of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Benjamin Rush was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and attended the Continental Congress. Later in life, he became a professor of medical theory and clinical practice at the University of Pennsylvania.  Rush was also an early opponent of slavery.

Despite his great contributions to early American society, Rush is probably remembered most for what in did  in 1812. He encouraged John Adams to write to Thomas Jefferson and  thereby helped restore the friendship of the two former presidents whose friendship had languished because of hurtful political endeavors.

Foundation of Education is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Is Homeschooling Radical? Are we homeschoolers radical in our approach to our children's education? No. No. No. photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography How long has homeschooling been around? Home education has been the...
2. Home Grown Kids photo credit: John-Morgan My friend Debbie Bailey gave me a book to read about homeschooling.  The book was Homegrown Kids: A Practical Handbook for Teaching Your Children at Home...
3. Vision Forum Homeschool Resource of the Year Marilyn is deeply patriotic and feels so strongly about America’s Christian history, she set upon a path to write a book about the 56 men who pledged their lives, fortunes...

Seasonal Unit Study for Homeschool

Where Unit Studies and Lapbooks Come Together Easy . . . Innovative . . . Effective . . .

Free Sample:

A FREE download of Autumn Treasures is now available! The Old Schoolhouse® and Amanda Bennett have been working hard to create a new and innovative homeschooling product--one that seamlessly blends the unit study concept and lapbooking fun into one great adventure.

Spice up your homeschool with sweet apple cider, pop some corn, and decorate with colorful autumn finds! Embark on a wonderful learning adventure about this season and all that it holds. Your child will examine how seasons change, find out what autumn is all about, discover the life cycle of pumpkins and apples, see how candy corn is made, and much more.

Download instantly!  The learning process is on GO from that point on--let the fun begin!

Units are theme based and full of exciting discoveries and motivation to develop lifelong learners.
•  Each study is one week in length, having five daily lessons with lapbook components for each day.
•  Each student creates a complete lapbook--a finished capsule of learning.
•  All the research and preparation have been done!
•  Hyperlinks are embedded right in the study--saving you time!
•  Integrated studies include history, geography, reading, science, spelling, vocabulary, writing, art, and more.
•  Units are reusable year after year--nothing is consumed.
•  There are no expensive resources required!
•  Includes a great list of books that you can use to enrich your study, but they are not required.
•  One week of hands-on learning adventures for kids from K – 4th grade.

Check out some of the fun and unique upcoming themes for 2010:

Seasons                          Americans that Made a Difference
Places in the World              Toys and Gadgets
Presidents & Patriots            Sports
Ocean Animals                    Literary Giants

Special Introductory Pricing.  Limited Time Offer!

Get in on the special introductory pricing and save 20%! Purchase one semester of Download and Go™--19 weekly studies--Regularly priced at $114—Special introductory price of $92!

Pre-pay for a full semester-an entire school year--38 weekly studies--Regularly priced at $190--Special introductory price of only $152!

When you take these two, outstanding, homeschooling resources (TOS and Amanda Bennett), along with the best learning components, you have a superior product . . . one that blends the unit study concept and lapbooking fun into one great adventure!

Welcome the opportunity to use Autumn Treasures in your homeschool.

It’s a $7.95 value—yours for FREE! Download it now.

1 Semester of Download and Go
Full Semester of Download and Go

Download N Go™
Go for learning. Go for fun. Go for adventure!

Unit Study with Lapbooking is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschool Help The Old Schoolhouse is offering a FREE E-Book to Best Homeschool Buys  site visitors. Download your copy of the E-Book: The New School Year It is their gift to homeschooling...
2. Free Homeschool Science In the FUNtastic Folder, "I" is for Insect by Sharon Crooks you will find that Science is central ,but your children will also be practicing phonics, handwriting, and math...
3. Free Bears Unit Study This week's Free Homeschool  Download- All About Bears by Brandenburg Studies Looking for homeschool units  that will  hold your child's attention AND  give them a joy for learning? This week's...

That's what it is like when you order a one-year print subscription to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine (US only). Use coupon code FB795 before midnight PST September 22, and you'll receive a full year for only $7.95.

Get a full year of homeschooling encouragement, advice, and ideas.

Just use the coupon code: FB795.

If you have a friend who is considering homeschooling, this  a great time to help her learn more about it with a discount subscription.

But, this offer ends tonight at midnight PST--September 22.

The Old Schoolhouse is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Best Homeschool Magazine Organize Your Home and School, Plus Stay Informed All Year Long! The Old Schoolhouse has paired their one-year print subscription with the Schoolhouse Planner to provide you with the ultimate...
2. Homeschool Help The Old Schoolhouse is offering a FREE E-Book to Best Homeschool Buys  site visitors. Download your copy of the E-Book: The New School Year It is their gift to homeschooling...
3. Alpha Omega July Sale! ALPHA OMEGA is offering their best discount for one day only!!  20% OFF for ONE DAY ONLY- Monday- July 27 Don't Miss This! No Coupon Needed. I just got a...

The Old Schoolhouse has paired their one-year print subscription with the Schoolhouse Planner to provide you with the ultimate in organization and encouragement. U.S., Canadian, and other international residents can purchase these bundles for only $44--that's a savings of $20!

But Hurry! Only 250 of each bundle is available and many have sold.

International residents have their own special bundle! A one-year print subscription and the Schoolhouse Planner are only $54.00. This is a savings of over $30!

Canadian residents can enjoy a TOS Encouragement Bundle for only $44! Save $20 and get a one-year print subscription and the Schoolhouse Planner! )

Best Homeschool Magazine is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. The Old Schoolhouse How would you like to get 4 issues of an excellent homeschool magazine for the price of 1? That's what it is like when you order a one-year print subscription...
2. Homeschool Help The Old Schoolhouse is offering a FREE E-Book to Best Homeschool Buys  site visitors. Download your copy of the E-Book: The New School Year It is their gift to homeschooling...
3. Online Homeschool Convention photo credit: Andrew Stawarz When Tim and I made the decision over 20 years ago to homeschool our children, my first task was to read everything I could find...

Download your copy of the E-Book: The New School Year

It is their gift to homeschooling families to help them begin a new school year. It will likely be helpful in giving you ideas for smoothing out remaining problems. It is full of  information from 5 top homeschool curriculum companies.

It contains encouragement, advice, and ideas that all of us can use to improve our homeschools.

Has the new school year started with gusto at your house? Or guesses?
“I guess we’ll use this curriculum. I guess we’ll start on Monday. I guess we’ll use this folder, and I guess we could try unit studies this year.”
Does any of this sound familiar? Time for a change?

Get ready to plan a year of enthusiastic homeschool learning with consistent input from the Lord! Take the guesswork out of your planning, systematically organizing your homeschool this year with the E-Book:
The New School Year: Planning Your Course and Letting the Lord Determine Your Steps

The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine offers The New School Year . . . FREE! Download it now.

Get your free copy of : The New School Year

So besides this free ebook, what does The Old Schoolhouse offer us?

They want you to know that you are not alone in your homeschooling endeavors! Get homeschooling encouragement, advice, and resources delivered to your inbox for only $7.95! Until midnight on Sunday, September 20, you can purchase a one-year digital subscription to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine for only $7.95. Your subscription will start immediately with their Summer 2009 issue. The digital edition contains the same content than the print version, but you'll enjoy instant delivery, interactive links, and the ability to share links with friends. Plus, you'll be going green, while saving the green!                                          .....CLICK the Banner below.....

Homeschool Help is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. The Old Schoolhouse How would you like to get 4 issues of an excellent homeschool magazine for the price of 1? That's what it is like when you order a one-year print subscription...
2. Best Homeschool Magazine Organize Your Home and School, Plus Stay Informed All Year Long! The Old Schoolhouse has paired their one-year print subscription with the Schoolhouse Planner to provide you with the ultimate...
3. Free Homeschool Curriculum Resource - I am  very happy to share the latest TOS (The Old Schoolhouse Magazine)  E-Book (about E-Books!) with you . . . E-Homeschooling: Embracing the E-Book Revolution This originally $14.95...

Science is central ,but your children will also be practicing phonics, handwriting, and math in this unit study that keeps little hands busy.

I have included a picture of a sample from this science folder set:
The butterfly is covered with little balls of colorful tissue paper making it vibrantly bright!

Another folder activity shows a jar of lightening bugs to count, a Bible verse about letting your light shine before men,  includes letter practice (the letter "i" and "I"), an insect jar where children can glue different types of insects (after they learn about them), and also a matching game where your child can thread yearn through the holds to connect the two insects that are alike.

Remember, Curr Click has one or more free product downloads every week. Get this set free this week or visit Curr Click to see what is available for free download if you visit this post another week when this particularly product is no longer available for free.

Homeschool Science for Young Children

Free Homeschool Science is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Unit Study with Lapbooking Download Free Unit Study today: Where Unit Studies and Lapbooks Come Together Easy . . . Innovative . . . Effective . . . Free Sample: A FREE download of...
2. Free Bears Unit Study This week's Free Homeschool  Download- All About Bears by Brandenburg Studies Looking for homeschool units  that will  hold your child's attention AND  give them a joy for learning? This week's...
3. Year-round Homeschool The homeschool schedule I like the best is 4 or 5 weeks of school and then taking a week off. We allowed extra time off at Christmas and during the...

Many of you who visit this site know us, the Simmons family. Four of our five children have finished homeschooling through high school and have gone on to college. Of those four, only our daughter made a great score on the ACT (28). Our three sons made scores that didn't keep them out of college, but were nothing to brag about.  I tell you this so that you will not be discouraged if your student doesn't do as well as the averages reported for homeschoolers.  All of our children went to community college for the first 2 years.  They all have received some scholarships based on their success at community college.  Our oldest son went on to receive a degree in Electrical Engineering at Mississippi State University and he has been inducted into several engineering honor societies. Our second son got his degree in Mechanical Engineering (also at MSU) and completed a successful Coop program through the university.  Both of our engineer sons are gainfully employed in their field at present. Our third son is presently working on a business degree at FL State U while managing a Chick Fil A and preparing for a career as an owner/operator of Chick Fil A.  He also received a scholarship from Chick Fil A.

Homeschoolers should have no fear of college.

Even though the way we homeschooled in high school was different from what was required in college (we had much more flexibility) , all four of our college children thrived in college classes. They were in no way handicapped from having been homeschooled. Adjusting to college classes was not difficult for any of them, and they each have their own strengths and weaknesses in study habits and learning styles. Homeschoolers should have no fear of college. Don't be slack in preparing, but don't stress about it if some things are not accomplished well in high school. It is no big deal. High school records, subjects. and accomplishments  get forgotten as college accomplishments take their place.

The Simmons Family

In almost every study, homeschoolers come out in a positive light. The following article came out on CNSNews.com on September 1. It may help you in considering homeschooling through high school. It is very encouraging...

Home Schoolers Top National Average on ACT

Compared with other students, homeschoolers scored higher than the national average on this year's ACT, a national standardized test used to gauge educational development and college readiness.

The national average for 2009 graduating high schoolers reported by ACT (American College Testing) officials is 21.1 on a scale from 1 to 36.  Homeschoolers scored a national average of 22.5.

Like the SAT, ACT scores are used in the college admissions process to evaluate applicants.  Virtually all colleges accept either test, Ed Colby, spokesman for the ACT, told CNSNews.com.

Scores are based on the 1.48 million students who graduated in 2009, Colby said.  Among those students were 11,535 homeschoolers, he said.

Ian Slatter, director of media relations for the Home School Legal Defense Association, said the one-on-one attention home-schooled students receive is conducive to learning.

"Parents can tailor-make an education program to suit the child. The child can then advance at their own pace," he said.

Homeschoolers are further prepared for college because they must take initiative to accomplish projects, Slatter said.  "Typically, in the home-school environment, the teen is self-directed in their learning because parents set a topic or task, and the student will then do their own research."

Homeschool ACT Scores is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschooled Engineers Nathan (at  left: Mechanical Engineering-2008) & Lane (at right: Electrical Engineering-2009) After over 12 years of homeschooling, then community college, then the university, our two oldest sons each received a...
2. Is College Necessary for Homeschoolers? My daughter and I watched this short video today. She can identify with many of the points made by the students in the film. We had just been discussing...
3. Delight Directed Learning At 13 Lane was interested in learning everything he could about computers.  Not just how to use them, but how to build them and how they work. Even though we...

Explode the Code is a phonics curriculum that is widely used in homeschools for reading instructions.  It spans grades K through 4 in one comprehensive program. It is also useful for remedial instruction.

Some of the features that homeschooling families like in the phonics curriculum include:

Get Ready, Get Set, Go for The Code Grades K–1 Get Ready for The Code A Consonants b, f, k, m, r, and t Get Set for The Code B Consonants d, h, j, n, p, and s Go for The Code C Consonants c, g, l, q, v, w, x, y, and z				Explode The Code Explode the Code-save on ebay Grades K–4 Books 1 and 1 ½ Consonant review Short vowel sounds Books 2 and 2 ½ Initial and final consonant blends Books 3 and 3 ½ Long vowels including silent -e Digraphs (sh, th, wh, ch, ng, ck) Trigraphs (-tch) Vowel digraphs (ee-ea, ai-ay, oa-ow) Books 4 and 4 ½ Compound words Common endings (-ful, -ing, -est, -ed, -ness) Syllable types (open, closed, ending in -y and -le, diphthong, and three-syllable words Books 5 and 5 ½ Word families (all-alk, old-olt-oll, ild-ind, qu words) 3-letter blends (thr, shr, scr, str, spr, spi) Diphthong -ey Three sounds of -ed Books 6 and 6 ½ r-controlled vowels (ar, or, er, ir, ur) Diphthongs (oo, oi-oy, ou-ow, au-aw, ew-ui-ue-ou) Vowel digraphs (ea, ie, igh) Book 7 Soft c and g Silent consonants Word patterns (ear, ei, eigh) Digraph ph Book 8 Advanced suffixes and endings				Beyond The Code Grades 2–4 Beyond The Code 1 Beyond The Code 2 Beyond The Code 3 Beyond The Cod

i

Phonics:Explode the Code is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Phonics for Christmas Is your child ready to learn to read? If so, you might like to take advantage of these last minute discounts for Christmas from Hooked on Phonics.  Hooked on Phonics...
2. Abeka Kindergarten Reading - One especially good product from Abeka is their Kindergarten Summer Reading Library, "Reading for Fun".  This is a boxed set of 55 little books that my children really enjoyed....
3. Hooked on Phonics Sale Hooked on Phonics-Fantastic Overstock Sale!! I am reaching out to let you know that Hooked on Phonics has a fantastic Overstock Sale happening right now, with savings up to 75%...

All About Bears

by Brandenburg Studies
Looking for homeschool units  that will  hold your child's attention AND  give them a joy for learning?
This week's free homeschool download from Curr Click is All About Bears Unit Study

Bears-free homeschool download

Bears, bears, bears....from koalas to grizzlies, this amazing science unit creates excitement that the whole family will enjoy. Through Interactive links, multimedia, incredible photography, scholarly texts, first hand accounts, and more, your students will learn about bears. Unit includes: Student Lesson; Instructor suggestions; handouts; tests; Lesson Plan; & Lists of Suggested Literature and Video to accompany the Unit Study.
Free download available at Curr Click this week only.  All About Bears Unit Study

(And, as with all Brandenburg Unit Studies, unlimited, FREE updates are included--so your Unit Study will always be current - the great advantage of digital products over traditional textbooks)

***********************************************************************

One other deal this week at Curr Click is:

English Classics Study Guide
by Home Base English

The greatest English classics are here is their full glory. Home Base English makes teaching and learning easy with step-by-step study guides and assignments. Introduce your child to Pygmalion, Jane Eyre, A Portrait of a Lady, Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Rebecca, Wuthering Heights and the poetry of Coleridge. Activities and assignments are creative and interesting to keep students engaged with these wonderful texts. Enrich your child’s world today!

Retail Price: $16.99 Sale Price: $5.60

Free Bears Unit Study is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Unit Study with Lapbooking Download Free Unit Study today: Where Unit Studies and Lapbooks Come Together Easy . . . Innovative . . . Effective . . . Free Sample: A FREE download of...
2. Free Homeschool Science In the FUNtastic Folder, "I" is for Insect by Sharon Crooks you will find that Science is central ,but your children will also be practicing phonics, handwriting, and math...
3. Free Notebooking & Lapbook Each week, Currclick offers some amazing homeschool resources for free! If your family enjoys making lapbooks or keeping notebooks to chronicle your studies, then CurrClick is the best resource that...

Free Downloads for Homeschooling

I have discovered a great homeschool resource! Jim Erskine who lives up in Kentucky has set up a site that gives away free homeschool materials, one per day Monday through Friday.  Go to Homeschool Freebie Of The Day.

Monday, August 17th: How To Build a Log Cabin! by Amy Puetz (pdf ebook) –A log cabin adventure and how to make your own log cabin using firewood.

Tuesday, August 18th: The Book of 500 Curious Puzzles (pdf ebook) –A classic collection of all sorts of odd and interesting puzzles, riddles, mazes, math problems and oddities to challenge and bemuse young puzzle lovers.  Originally published in 1859.

Wednesday, August 19th: Home Management Nuts & Bolts: Budgets and Schedules (mp3 audio) –Learn how to apply basic project management principles in the home to help you be a better steward of your time and money. Audio workshop by Marc Carrier.

Thursday, August 20th: Mary Frances First Aid Book (pdf ebook) –Another classic volume in the Mary Frances series; Mary Frances learns about First Aid from the adventures of her doll family, and along the way discovers some practical ways to render first aid to the sick and injured herself.

Friday, August 21st: TO BE ANNOUNCED

Each of these resources will be available on its specified day. I have found that they are usually available the day after, too (at least- maybe for longer than that).

Thanks to Denese at Paw Paw Holler Home for this info.

Daily Homeschool Downloads-FREE is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Vision Forum Classic Toys In December most of us are looking forward to a little break from homeschool as we celebrate Christmas.  Every year I buy a few family gifts from Vision Forum.  They...
2. Free Homeschool Curriculum Resource - I am  very happy to share the latest TOS (The Old Schoolhouse Magazine)  E-Book (about E-Books!) with you . . . E-Homeschooling: Embracing the E-Book Revolution This originally $14.95...
3. Free Notebooking & Lapbook Each week, Currclick offers some amazing homeschool resources for free! If your family enjoys making lapbooks or keeping notebooks to chronicle your studies, then CurrClick is the best resource that...

I am  very happy to share the latest TOS (The Old Schoolhouse Magazine)  E-Book (about E-Books!) with you . . .
E-Homeschooling: Embracing the E-Book Revolution

This originally $14.95 value is FREE!
You may already know the value of E-Books for homeschool curriculum and records, but if you don't, the information found in this free ebook is invaluable to you.

This unique book will help answer the following questions about E-Books and so much more:
•    Why should I buy E-Books and what are their unique benefits?
•    How can I use E-Books with homeschooling?
•    How am I supposed to read them?
•    Can I get help creating my virtual bookshelf?
•    What can you tell me about storing E-Books on my computer?
•    What are some great organizing tips for E-Books?
•    Can you give me a lot of suggestions and ideas that I can actually use?
•    What can I learn about the E-Book market and The Old Schoolhouse®?
•    What do I need to know to publish my own E-Books?
•    What are some of the legal issues in electronic publishing that I need to know about?

Whether you would like to know more  about E-Books, or are already using them as an incredible resource, or maybe you just need  more information to even write and publish your own E-Books, you’ll be delighted by the wealth of information provided.  (After all, ebook publishing allows experienced homeschoolers write and publish curriculum and tips at a minimal cost.  These savings are passed on to the buyer and many times, you will come across helpful ebooks that are absolutely free!)

Here’s what Heidi Strawser, E-Book Reviews Specialist, has to say about it:
“E-Homeschooling: Embracing the E-Book Revolution is the most all-inclusive ‘book about E-Books’ that I have ever seen (and I’m not just saying that because I had a part in writing it)! As the E-Book Reviews Specialist for the Schoolhouse Store, I see a lot of E-Books cross my path each week. Even I was impressed with the ideas and suggestions that are presented here. One of the most valuable aspects of this E-Book, in my opinion, is the legal portion written by TOS’s own legal consultant, Susan Spann. This portion is well-written and informative; and a great place for new E-Book writers to begin. From there, I’d encourage writers to check out my article for all the things we are looking at when screening E-Books for sale in our store. I think you’ll be encouraged to start writing! If not, at least you’ll learn more about E-Books, their value in today’s homeschooling arena, and how you can benefit from them.”

Get your free copy of E-Homeschooling: Embracing the E-Book Revolution

today and enjoy!!

Free Homeschool Curriculum Resource is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschool Help The Old Schoolhouse is offering a FREE E-Book to Best Homeschool Buys  site visitors. Download your copy of the E-Book: The New School Year It is their gift to homeschooling...
2. Daily Homeschool Downloads-FREE Daily Freebies From Homeschool Freebie of the Day /h4> I have discovered a great homeschool resource! Jim Erskine who lives up in Kentucky has set up a site that gives...
3. Used SOS Curriculum Used Switched on Schoolhouse Curriculum by Alpha Omega is sometimes available on eBay. If you are interested in seeing what is available right now, click on the link: Used Switched...

Check out Cindy's New Organized Mom Super Set! It is full of great ebooks and audios that will help take you by the hand and plan the best homeschool year ever! Plus! When you purchase your set you get MORE help with record-keeping, organization, and setting up your home to learn--you also get access to Cindy's Organization 911 Seminar Set and her newest Seminar Set, Let's Get Organized for the New School Year.

Easy Record-Keeping for the Reluctant Homeschool Mom!
By Cindy Rushton

Record-keeping!  Does your hair stand up when you think of record-keeping? Do you begin to grind your teeth?  Did you feel like skipping this article just because it seems impossible for “EASY” and “Record-keeping” to ever go together??

Relax.  I know that there is not a “one size fits all.” I know that in spite of how hard we may search, there is not a perfect system for every mom!  That is OK! My prayer is that if you are in need of some ideas to make a couple areas a little easier or if you have no idea of where to begin, that you will find a few ideas as you come home with us to see how simple record-keeping CAN be.  Ready for some quick tips??? Here we go…

--> Find what is mandatory. Every state and school district has differing requirements. Find other homeschool families in your area and see how each of them manages their homeschool records. Find the easiest way possible to meet the requirements. Make it as DOABLE as possible!

--> Choose what works for YOU. Every mom has her favorite method that works JUST for them whether a planner with reproducible pages… a ready to use planner… a simple spiral notebook… binders… a filing cabinet… computer… etc, etc, etc!  Before you consider anything else, look at who you are.  What makes you feel more comfortable? What helps you to feel more accomplishment?  Whether formal or informal… detailed or not even written down… YOUR way is the best way!  Decide what works best for you!

--> Document daily! Don’t let it build up. Jot it down throughout the day. When my children were little, I kept one journal for everything. I kept it out on my desk so I could just jot down what we were doing as we did it. It was amazing how much easier that was than even waiting till the end of the day. As they got older, I transferred this process to them. I had always made it easy. So, transferring it to them did not overwhelm them. I began this process by letting them keep up with their reading log. The rest was easy after that. They now keep their records just like I used to. At the end of the month and again at the end of the semester I go through making sure that everything is on target and also look to see how well they are keeping up with my overall schedule. Without good records, this would be impossible.

--> Keep all of their work in Notebooks. We keep ALL of our written work in a binder of some sort.  Then, we take it further… we keep ANYTHING that can be pressed in binders.  Anything left?? Yes! Then, we take pictures and keep THEM in the binders! (Hehe!)  ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that can be studied can also be kept in Notebooks in some way.  We keep anything that would expand a study and build a great collection of information on topics we study… great quotes, definitions about a subject being studied, diagrams, character sketches, pictures, coloring sheets, art prints, poems, Bible verses, narrations, Bible word studies, on and on!  Our main reason for Notebooking in this way is that if our children are going to spend their time DOING something, it ought to be worthwhile enough for us to KEEP IT.  This teaches them to value their work, do a great job on all they do, and that ALL areas of life are truly educational.

--> Scrapbook events, activities, fun studies, and projects! Scrapbooks/Yearbooks for what are REALLY doing throughout our school year is not only fun, but it helps to preserve the memories of ALL that we are doing in our family.  There are just some things that our children are learning that are impossible to document without scrapbooking! Get out of the old “school” box and really document your family’s education. You won’t be sorry!

--> Use planning sheets designed JUST for homeschooling. Don’t let commercial record-keepers keep you from homeschooling with a lifestyle of learning! Look for printable pages that are designed just for the homeschool mom. You can find great options everywhere!

--> Buy resources that are designed just for you. We have an entire line of resources that we now have available through our bookstore. Check out our Make Your Own Brain-in-a-Binder Printables. It is designed specifically for the homeschool mom who wants pages designed for every area that must be balanced in the busy homeschool family. Also, check out other great resources by homeschool writers and even pages that are included in many homeschool books (we always try to include pages that we use in our books).  Now, you may be like me. You may prefer to make your own planning pages. That is perfectly fine! You can tailor your pages to fit exactly with your family needs. Just be sure to use what works for you!

--> At the end of the school year, file all records together. This may seem to be a mute point, however this will save your brain! At the end of our school year, I gather everything together and add them into one big binder. I date the binder and store it away for my children’s permanent file. Be sure to pull all of your records together into a set and safe place. When you get discouraged along the way, just look back and see how far you have come—it will be a HUGE blessing!

Ok...So, Are You Ready?

So, what about you?  Still scared about Record-keeping?  Why not think through YOUR OWN way?  Try your spin.  Use what is easy, simple, and will give you more time with your little ones while helping to keep things in place for you.  Most of all, find a way that can capture all of these precious memories of these days for you so you will have them to look back upon tomorrow!  Have fun! EVEN with Record-keeping!

*******************************

Need MORE Help?

Check out Cindy's New Organized Mom Super Set! It is full of great ebooks and audios that will help take you by the hand and plan the best homeschool year ever! Plus! When you purchase your set you get MORE help with record-keeping, organization, and setting up your home to learn--you also get access to Cindy's Organization 911 Seminar Set and her newest Seminar Set, Let's Get Organized for the New School Year.

Yep! Both! Complimentary!  Get your set here:

Homeschool Record Keeping is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschool Stress! By Julie Simmons Avoid Homeschool Burnout... I've heard it said that if you are new to homeschooling, and you haven't felt like crying several times in the first few weeks,...
2. Setting up a Homeschool Schedule I wrote last year about our success with  our Year Round Homeschool Schedule.  If you haven't settled on a good schedule for your family, you might want to read...
3. Online Homeschool Convention photo credit: Andrew Stawarz When Tim and I made the decision over 20 years ago to homeschool our children, my first task was to read everything I could find...

Tapestry of Grace Year 3: The 19th Century (Redesigned) is now listed on ebay. The auction ends on August 22, so if you need Tapestry of Grace, you have a chance for greating this set for a good price. As of today (August 13) the bid was at $140.

The listing description for this Tapestry of Grace curriculum says that the set includes

All 4 units (36 weeks)
Complete tab set (weeks 1-36)

ALSO: Units 1-3 Pop Quizzes plus cards
Map Aids for Year 3   (CD)

Go directly to Tapestry of Grace listings for this week.

Used Tapestry of Grace is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Tapestry of Grace DE-Year 3 This note I received  from Tapestry of Grace: "Year 3 DE Upgrade is here! We are excited to announce that we have completed the upgrade to  Tapestry of Grace/Digital Edition:...
2. Year-round Homeschool The homeschool schedule I like the best is 4 or 5 weeks of school and then taking a week off. We allowed extra time off at Christmas and during the...
3. Switched-On Schoolhouse Software Review Switched on Schoolhouse even assigns projects. Her children are enjoying this curriculum. They read a chapter and answer a series of questions on their own. Then they push the grade...

See more Sonlight Core 2 Auctions

The Used Homeschool Curriculum-Sonlight Core 2 shown above is listed today and ends Aug 23, 2009. It is selling as a Buy it Now for $399 or Best Offer, so it may be grabbed up before the listing ends.

I have included a summary description of what you get, but always read the entire description on ebay before you commit to buy.

The Language Arts Instructor's Guide and Language Arts activity sheets ( copyright 2004) These are unmarked.

CORE: Introduction to World History- Part 2.. These books are in very good shape since they have been gently used.

Compared with the 2009 catalog, six of the readers included are in the set now called “Readers 2 Intermediate”, the others are in the set now called “Readers 2 Advanced”.

Also included are:
Language Arts Reading With Chapter Books with student activity sheets. Unmarked.

Bible:
Awesome Book of Bible Facts
Sing the Word: God our Provider (Fantastic CD!)

History:
Window on the World
Geography Songs (map w/words included, book & CD missing)
Michelangelo
Good Queen Bess
Peter the Great
“The Charge of the Light Brigade” (this is not a book, it is printed in the Instructor's Guide)
Gladys Aylward

Read-Alouds:
The Aesop for Children
Child’s Garden of Verses
Red Sails to Capri
Ginger Pye
The Minstrel in the Tower
Castle Diary
Tales of Robin Hood
The Door in the Wall
The Cricket In Times Square
The Apprentice
The School Story
White Stallion of Lipizza
The Twenty-One Balloons
Strawberry Girl
The Little Riders
And the Word Came with Power

Readers:
Riding the Pony Express
A Question of Yams
The Secret Valley
The Littles
Viking Adventure
The Last Little Cat
More Stories from Grandma's Attic
Shadrach
Ralph S. Mouse
The Whipping Boy
Encyclopedia Brown
Henry and Ribsy
Marco Polo
“B” is for Betsy
Emily's Runaway Imagination
Misty of Chincoteague
McBroom's Wonderful One-Acre Farm
Along Came a Dog
The Toothpaste Millionaire
Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West

If you missed this, check for new listing by grade or Sonlight Core:

Sonlight- Core 1 & 2

Sonlight-Core 3 & 4

Sonlight- Core 5 & 6

Sonlight Core 7

Sonlight 100 & 200

Sonlight 300, 400, 530

See what  Sonlight Instructor's Guides are available this week.

Used Sonlight Core 2 is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Sonlight Catalog If you are considering Sonlight as your homeschool curriculum... The best way to learn how the Sonlight homeschool curriculum works is to order a Sonlight catalog. Sonlight produces a beautiful...
2. Sonlight Instructor’s Guides If you don't find what you are looking for used or on eBay , you can go directly to the Sonlight site for  new Sonlight Instructor's Guides. You can look...
3. Used Sonlight Core 6 See what  Sonlight Instructor's Guides are available this week. This week's:   Best SONLIGHT Buy (for Sonlight Core 6)......a Best Homeschool Buy! For those homeschooling families looking for used Sonlight 6...

The Apologia sale includes elementary texts, notebooks and the upper level Apologia Kits.

Now is the time to buy new with great savings.  Apologia Sale (Sale ends Aug 31)

Be sure to check Best Homeschool Buys for Used Apologia deals, too.

Apologia Science-Sale 30% off is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Rosetta Stone Sale If you are in the market for Rosetta Stone Level 1, Rosetta Stone Level 2, or Rosetta Stone Level 3, Christian Book Distributors is holding a sale through September 29...
2. Wordly Wise Sale: 25 Percent Off Christian Book Distributors is having a sale for Homeschoolers! All Wordly Wise 3000 (published by EPS) will be selling for 25% off through August 17. The Wordly Wise sale ends...
3. Apologia Science Review Apologia Home School Curriculum for Science was a Good Fit for Our Family Our oldest son used Christian science texts that were designed for classroom instruction. He got through Chemistry...

Be sure to check Best Homeschool Buys for new and used Rosetta Stone deals.

Rosetta Stone Sale is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Apologia Science-Sale 30% off Christian Book Distributors is happy to announce a sale of 30% off on Apologia Science just in time for the new school year. The Apologia sale includes elementary texts, notebooks...
2. Wordly Wise Sale: 25 Percent Off Christian Book Distributors is having a sale for Homeschoolers! All Wordly Wise 3000 (published by EPS) will be selling for 25% off through August 17. The Wordly Wise sale ends...
3. Alpha Omega Spring Sale Alpha Omega is having their annual Spring Sale! You can save BIG..... Save 20% in April & 15% in May Calling all homeschooling families.....now is a great time to buy...

All Wordly Wise 3000 (published by EPS) will be selling for 25% off through August 17.

The Wordly Wise sale ends first, so be sure to take advantage of this sale if you need Wordly Wise vocabulary books for homeschool.

Also, you may wish to check for Best Homeschool Buys deals on Wordly Wise 3000 in order to get your best buy.

Wordly Wise Sale: 25 Percent Off is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Sonlight Catalog If you are considering Sonlight as your homeschool curriculum... The best way to learn how the Sonlight homeschool curriculum works is to order a Sonlight catalog. Sonlight produces a beautiful...
2. Apologia Science-Sale 30% off Christian Book Distributors is happy to announce a sale of 30% off on Apologia Science just in time for the new school year. The Apologia sale includes elementary texts, notebooks...
3. Rosetta Stone Sale If you are in the market for Rosetta Stone Level 1, Rosetta Stone Level 2, or Rosetta Stone Level 3, Christian Book Distributors is holding a sale through September 29...

This week's:   Best SONLIGHT Buy (for Sonlight Core 6)......a Best Homeschool Buy!

For those homeschooling families looking for used Sonlight 6 complete, there is an auction (shown above) ending on Aug 14, 2009. This is a comprehensive package includes Sonlight Curriculum Core 6 .  See links at bottom of this post to see what is Sonlight is available this week:

This Sonlight Core 6 listing includes the following:

Language:

Binder with Language Arts 6 Instructor's Guide and Notes with tabs (some pencil markings)

Language Arts -Book List:

Mara, Daughter of the Nile

Hittite Warrior

D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths

Theras and HIs Town

Archimedes and the Door of Science

Mystery of the Roman Ransom

The Ides of April

The Bronze Bow

Black Horses for the King

The Beduin's Gazelle

The Samurai's Tale

The Great and Terrible Quest

Adam of the Road

A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver

Catherine, Called Birdy

Shadow of a Bull

Leonardo da Vinci

Luther

Mary, Bloody Mary

(Only one missing from this set --The Phantom Tollbooth)

Language Arts 6 Parents Instruction Guide

Language Arts 6 Student Activity Sheets - used and starts Activity Sheet 55

History:

World History, Part 1 Instructor's Guide and Notes

World HIstory, Part 1 - Book List:

The Story of the World: Ancient Times

The Usborne Encyclopedia of World History

The Kingdom Strikes Back

Augustus Caesar's World

The story of the World: The Middle Ages

The World of Columbus and Sons

Literature for reading aloud:

The Golden Goblet

Favorite Poems Old and New

God King

The Trojan War

The Eagle of the Ninth

Beyond the Desert Gate

Flame Over Tara

A Single Shard

Otto of the Silver Hand

Master Cornhill

I, Juan de Pareja

The Second Mrs. Giaconda

The Westing Game

The Shakespeare Stealer

World History, Part 1- History Study Guide

World History, Part 1- Reader Study Guide

World History, Part 1 Read-Aloud Study Guide

Bible:

Internation Children's Bible Handbook

Science:

Introduction to Biology, Chemistry & Physics -  Instructor's Guide and Notes

Introduction to Biology, Chemistry & Physics - Book List:

It Couldn't Just Happen

TOPS #13 -  Cohesion/Adhesion

The Usborne Book of Science

TOPS #10 - Analysis

The Young Naturalist

Introduction to Biology, Chemistry & Physics Parents Guide for Student Activity Sheets

+++++++++++++++++++++++

If this auction is over, be sure to check for used Sonlight auctions. You might find a best Sonlight buy!

Sonlight- Core 1 & 2

Sonlight-Core 3 & 4

Sonlight- Core 5 & 6

Sonlight Core 7

Sonlight 100 & 200

Sonlight 300, 400, 530

Used Sonlight Core 6 is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Sonlight Catalog If you are considering Sonlight as your homeschool curriculum... The best way to learn how the Sonlight homeschool curriculum works is to order a Sonlight catalog. Sonlight produces a beautiful...
2. Sonlight Instructor’s Guides If you don't find what you are looking for used or on eBay , you can go directly to the Sonlight site for  new Sonlight Instructor's Guides. You can look...
3. Used Sonlight Core 2 See more Sonlight Core 2 Auctions The Used Homeschool Curriculum-Sonlight Core 2 shown above is listed today and ends Aug 23, 2009. It is selling as a Buy it...

Find Abeka bargains like this every day!

(this auction is over, but check the links above for the grade you need to see what is listed at auction today. Find an Abeka Best Buy!)

A Great Abeka 4 Buy:

This Abeka auction shown in the above image also includes optional Book Report books as sold by Abeka in 2008.  New student workbooks will have to be purchased from Abeka .

The seller says that the books in this set are in excellent condition  except one curriculum book has a loose binding. The books were used by only one student and some of the books are unused. All other bindings are secure and there is minimal wear/markings. One answer key in the Parent Kit is missing.

Auction ending today. (August 8, 2009)

If you find this post too late, (if the auction is over) , you can probably find other listings  for new or use Abeka 4 curriculum or Abeka curriculum for any other grade.

Check out the Used Abeka Homeschool Curriculum auctions.

Abeka Curriculum is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Used Calvert-Grade 3 This auction will end on Aug 13, 2009.  If you need Calvert Curriculum for grade 3, here is a set that will save you money.  Check out all of...
2. Abeka Kindergarten Reading - One especially good product from Abeka is their Kindergarten Summer Reading Library, "Reading for Fun".  This is a boxed set of 55 little books that my children really enjoyed....
3. Using Abeka Curriculum in Homeschool Some advice from an experienced A Beka Teacher: "I have taught A Beka for years . The curriculum is very scripted meaning that it tells the teacher exactly what...

This auction will end on Aug 13, 2009.  If you need Calvert Curriculum for grade 3, here is a set that will save you money.  Check out all of the  auctions for Calvert Homeschool Curriculum.

The seller (with 100% positive feedback) says that she purchased the curriculum from Calvert in 2007.  Her family used it for less than a week.  Most of this set is unused and like new.

This auction for calvert curriculum for grade 3  includes:

• Houghton Mifflin Reading Rewards (new)
• Houghton Mifflin Reading Horizons (new)
• McGraw-Hill Science hardcover (new)
• Scott Foresman Everyday Spelling (pp. 12-15 completed in pen, all remaining pages (out of 320) unmarked)
• Maps Globes Graphs Level C workbook (pp. 4-7 completed in pencil, remaining pages unmarked)
• Steck-Vaughn Phonics Level C workbook (new, unmarked)
• Steck-Vaughn Critical Thinking Level C workbook (new, unmarked)

• Calvert Mastery Series:  Spelling 3 computer program CD
• Reader's Library (new)
• Reading Word Cards (new)
• Reading Work Pages (lesson 2 completed in pencil, all others blank)
• Let's Read a Poem (new)
• Smiling Hill Farm (new)
• Tales From Far and Near/Tales of Long Ago (new)
• History "A Child's Study of Famous Americans" (pages 6-7 completed in pen, all other worksheets blank)
• Gods of Greece (new)
• Answer Keys (new)
• Tests for use with the Advisory Teaching Service (new)
• Computer Skills and Applications manual (enrollment is required to use this online, but we never enrolled so there is a good chance it is still usable)
• Parents teaching books A & B (page 1 of book A written on, also margin marks on pp. 21 and 23.)
• Activity Pages (pp. 1-6 removed, 7-106 untouched)

• Pack of 12 fine art prints (new)
• Calvert pencil case and ruler
• 3 Calvert lined pads (new)
• 2 Unlined pads of paper (new)
• 50 sheet pack of manila paper (new)
• 2 Calvert Inspire Journal (staple-bound paperbacks of lined paper, new

Used Calvert-Grade 3 is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Using Abeka Curriculum in Homeschool Some advice from an experienced A Beka Teacher: "I have taught A Beka for years . The curriculum is very scripted meaning that it tells the teacher exactly what...
2. Switched-On Schoolhouse Software Review Switched on Schoolhouse even assigns projects. Her children are enjoying this curriculum. They read a chapter and answer a series of questions on their own. Then they push the grade...
3. Homeschool Planning for Success It is time to begin a new year of homeschool (unless you homeschool year round, but that's another post). Homeschooling moms must juggle teaching with housework, cooking, shopping, mothering, being...

One especially good product from Abeka is their Kindergarten Summer Reading Library, "Reading for Fun".  This is a boxed set of 55 little books that my children really enjoyed.

All five of our children used this book set to move from learning how to read to being able to pick up a book and read it.  It took two of my children a long time to get through these books. My daughter, however, whizzed through them and got on to reading any and everything else.  Going step-by-step through these beginner Abeka books was part of our family's homeschool reading instruction.

The fifty-five books include whimsical and factual stories about children, animals, and toys;  Bible stories; and character-building stories.The books come in three sizes. The easiest books are the smallest. The medium sized books are harder, and the largest books are the hardest.

The set starts with a simple book, "Tim Can" which is mostly  three letter words with short vowels. For children taught to read by phonics, these types of words are the easiest to read. The book, "Luke", adds the long vowel made with a silent final "e". Anyway, the books mostly follow the order that phonics are taught with a few exceptions. Several of the books did not fit the order of easiest to hardest.  We adapted by pulling out the books that were too hard and saving them for later, after more practice.

These little books are all softcover books. In fact the cover paper is no different than the book's pages. (You might consider laminating the covers if you have many children who will be using the books)

Some of the books were favorites of my children. Others were not liked so much. But all 5 of our children enjoyed the sense of accomplishment of improving their reading skills as they proceeded through the books. The set of books represented their path to learning to read and every one of my children remembers the experience of learning to read with these books.  We even set up a chart based on progress through these books that allowed the child to move a thumbtack along the chart as he/she progressed through the books.  Learning how to read is a big deal. It is fun to find ways to celebrate the accomplishment. It is so motivating to a child to make it fun.

Though this set cost $42 new through Abeka, it is often available on eBay for much less.

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

Best Match Time: ending soonest Time: newly listed Price: lowest first Price: highest first Price + Shipping: lowest first Price + Shipping: highest first

No items matching your keywords were found.

Abeka Kindergarten Reading is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Abeka Curriculum Abeka K Abeka 1 Abeka 2 Abeka 3 Abeka 4 Abeka 5 Abeka 6 Abeka 7 Abeka 8 Abeka  9 Abeka 10 Abeka 11 Abeka 12 Bargain LOTs of Abeka...
2. Using Abeka Curriculum in Homeschool Some advice from an experienced A Beka Teacher: "I have taught A Beka for years . The curriculum is very scripted meaning that it tells the teacher exactly what...
3. Hooked on Phonics Sale Hooked on Phonics-Fantastic Overstock Sale!! I am reaching out to let you know that Hooked on Phonics has a fantastic Overstock Sale happening right now, with savings up to 75%...

Don't Miss This! No Coupon Needed.

I just got a letter from Nancy of Alpha Omega Publications and she wants to let our homeschool families know at Best Homeschool Buys that a great, last minute SALE is coming up.

Right in the midst of the homeschool curriculum rush, Alpha Omega is helping families by offering a ONE DAY sale. If  you use Alpha Omega or have been wanting to try out a course or two this year, you will not want to miss this ONE DAY SALE.  July 27 which is next MONDAY, Alpha Omega Publications is offering 20% off, all day long for homeschooling families. How great is that?!

Usually, the only time they offer 20% off  is the month of April for the early birds and who has made up their mind when the school year is not even over? Now we are all clamoring to get our orders in so we will have next year's curriculum in time for the new school year.

Nancy says that no coupon is needed for this sale.  The website will automatically take the 20% Off!  You just need to go to the Alpha Omega website on Monday to get the discount.

Alpha Omega July Sale! is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Used SOS Curriculum Used Switched on Schoolhouse Curriculum by Alpha Omega is sometimes available on eBay. If you are interested in seeing what is available right now, click on the link: Used Switched...
2. Alpha Omega Spring Sale Alpha Omega is having their annual Spring Sale! You can save BIG..... Save 20% in April & 15% in May Calling all homeschooling families.....now is a great time to buy...
3. Switched-On Schoolhouse Software Review Switched on Schoolhouse even assigns projects. Her children are enjoying this curriculum. They read a chapter and answer a series of questions on their own. Then they push the grade...

I have ordered from BookCloseouts .about half a dozen times and each time I have been impressed with the service and the value. I have found some hardcover classics that were priced less than paperbacks. It is like a treasure hunt when I look through their online catalog. When I spend a little time searching, I inevitably find a book that surprises me, a real value. I got a hard cover Johnny Tremain and several hardcover Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House books to complete our collection.

The nice thing about Book Closeouts is that they regularly offer discounts. Right now they have over 7000 Children's Books that are half of their usual Book Closeout price. This is only for a limited amount of time ( I don't know how long or I would tell you) so don't delay if you would like to grab this awesome deal on children's books.

7000 Children's Books have been discounted  by an additional 50%! Don't have the kids sitting around the television or playing video games. Keep the children entertained all summer long with great reading material. Challenge their minds and let them explore their imaginations with a good book.

They offer books for all ages including from babies to teenagers and even over.  They also have school subject books at  grade classifications from preschool to young adult.

Browse the entire sale collection right here.  Every book with the  has been discounted by an additional 50%!

Do not miss out on this exceptional promotion.  This is a limited time sale so do not delay.

BookCloseouts.com offers 5 million NEW books at blowout prices, many under $5.00 with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

7000 Children’s Books-Half Off is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Vision Forum 50% For three days only, vision forum has these collections and more on sale for 50% off!. Just in time for Christmas shopping. If you have been putting off a purchase,...
2. Best in Children’s Books These are the books that I grew up with.  The stories and pictures are delightful and remind me of my childhood. When I began homeschooling my children, my mother...
3. Alpha Omega Spring Sale Alpha Omega is having their annual Spring Sale! You can save BIG..... Save 20% in April & 15% in May Calling all homeschooling families.....now is a great time to buy...

My daughter and I watched this short video today. She can identify with many of the points made by the students in the film. We had just been discussing the lack of value in college today. Her dad keeps reminding us that a college degree is a ticket to many opportunities that you will be denied if you don't have it. My daughter received her A.A. degree when she was 17. Between applying too late one semester and a family move recently, more than a year has past since she was enrolled in college. She really doesn't want to go back. She wants to be writer and is presently working hard on her first novel. In her case she doesn't see the need for college. She says that she learns better on her own.

Her 2 older brothers have each received engineering degrees from a major university. For them, their college degree in engineering IS a ticket to a higher paying job from the beginning, but what about an English major like my daugher that reads and writes already like other people breath. Does she really need a college degree. I have a college degree and besides teaching school for a while, I have homeschooled 5 children for more than twenty years. But my daughter has a better vocabulary than I because of all of her reading. She is certainly a better writer than I am. She even did well in math and science in high school and at community college.

She would like to have her novel published before the end of 2010 and then continue to write, to travel, to read, , and one day homeschool her children.

So at this point, we all agree, that she needs to prove that she can make money with her writing. We are giving her some time to try.

Is College Necessary for Homeschoolers? is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschooled Engineers Nathan (at  left: Mechanical Engineering-2008) & Lane (at right: Electrical Engineering-2009) After over 12 years of homeschooling, then community college, then the university, our two oldest sons each received a...
2. Homeschool ACT Scores ACT Scores for Homeschoolers Many of you who visit this site know us, the Simmons family. Four of our five children have finished homeschooling through high school and have gone...
3. Delight Directed Learning At 13 Lane was interested in learning everything he could about computers.  Not just how to use them, but how to build them and how they work. Even though we...

These are the books that I grew up with.  The stories and pictures are delightful and remind me of my childhood. When I began homeschooling my children, my mother let me have this set that is shown in the picture above. The name of the series is Best in Children's Books published by Nelson Doubleday Inc and there are many more volumes that what I possess.

Does anybody remember The Magic Porridge Pot story that was in one of the volumes? I loved that story of the magic pot that made so much porridge that it filled the house and went out into the streets.  It was illustrated by Andy Warhol who worked during the 1950’s as a commercial artist in NY and illustrated some children’s stories including this one. Just take a look at those illustrations from  The Magic Porridge Pot in Volume 21.

Illustrations in these books offer quite a variety and make each book an artistic treasure. I have hear a very small sample of the printed pictures since each volume is profusely illustrated.

"Eating Animal Crackers" Story

"The Billy Goats Gruff" story

"Three Little Kittens Have Lost Their Mittens" Rhyme

Each book from the Best in Children's Books series begins with a classic story with color pictures usually drawn by a renowned artist. The books normally include some beautifully illustrated poetry, a science story, a story from history, a geography travel story, and an assortment of other stories of a wide variety.  Do those story subjects sound familiar? They should, since that covers the subjects taught in elementary school (except math).

When homeschooling young children, you can cover most of what they need to learn just from reading stories. This is such a fun way to homeschool and it is a low stress method. Cuddle up on the sofa and read to your children. If they are brought up on hearing stories read.  When they were young, my children were able to remember far more from what I read to them than from what they were required to read in textbooks. Now textbooks aren't all bad. They have their place, especially in the older grades and they are certainly useful as a reference, but they can be dry and tiresome. They sometimes contribute to diminishing a child's natural curiosity and love of books.

These books (Best in Children's Books) are an example of living books...books that feed your child's imagination and give her answers, books that delight, books that stimulate children to strive toward virtue.

Actually, I originally had fewer books, but when I saw that the books are always available on eBay, I found a deal and added about 12 more books to the few that I had already.  Buying them in a lot on eBay, they often end up costing between 50 cents and a dollar for each.  I am enjoying collecting more of them.

For other great buys on living books, Best Homeschool Buys has a page that lists the LOTS of children's books that are available on eBay.  This is changing everyday so take a look regularly to see what treasures you can find that don't cost very much.

Best in Children’s Books is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Abeka Kindergarten Reading - One especially good product from Abeka is their Kindergarten Summer Reading Library, "Reading for Fun".  This is a boxed set of 55 little books that my children really enjoyed....
2. 7000 Children’s Books-Half Off I have ordered from BookCloseouts .about half a dozen times and each time I have been impressed with the service and the value. I have found some hardcover classics...
3. R. M. Ballantyne Books If you are looking for excellent literature that will  inspire your sons with a knowledge of world history and global geography, and that do so in the context of...

-

We all have bad homeschooling days sometimes. I've even had bad weeks, or bad months, and even some bad years. Now years later, it doesn't seem to matter that every homeschooling day wasn't rosy. Life is just not a bed of roses and neither is homeschooling.  So we just have to expect that there will be those hard homeschooling times when nothing seems to be accomplished or when Mom is sick, when there is crisis in the family that must come before the school schedule,  or when there is no time to "do school".  When those times come, remember these seven tips to help you make the best of the situation:

1. Don’t give up. I truly believe a month or so of unproductive “schooltime” is better than being in public school for a whole year. Children continue to learn during these times.

2. Take time out. If you can’t handle things the way they are, take the pressure off for awhile. Do different types of things. For example, get outside more to enjoy nature, take walks, play music, dance, make things, bake together, play games, read aloud just for fun. All of these things are very beneficial and may be just what everyone needs to make the structured learning fresher.

3. Make a list of things that your older children can do independently. Let them work from this list when you are not able to be involved for awhile.

4. Spend time helping your children learn and do more chores. This will eventually ease your time crunch and is so GOOD for your children.

5. Rent educational films from the library.

6. Emphasize training of character, Bible teaching, prayer, and worship even at the expense of other subjects. Seek to instruct spiritually first and the academics will come along nicely after. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.” Don’t stress over the academics.

7. Talk to your husband (or close friend) about problems and enlist his help.

8. Adjust the school schedule to the needs of your family. The flexibility of learning at home is one of great merit. Feel free to make changes and adjust.

photo credit: juhansonin

Seven Things that Help When Homeschooling Gets Hard is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschool Stress! By Julie Simmons Avoid Homeschool Burnout... I've heard it said that if you are new to homeschooling, and you haven't felt like crying several times in the first few weeks,...
2. Homemade Play Dough Recipe Playdough in Homeschool Play dough is an art medium for homeschool with multiple uses.  I always kept a supply of play dough for my preschooler's "school" acitivity time.  Making...
3. Year-round Homeschool The homeschool schedule I like the best is 4 or 5 weeks of school and then taking a week off. We allowed extra time off at Christmas and during the...

Our oldest son used Christian science texts that were designed for classroom instruction. He got through Chemistry because one of the fathers volunteered to teach a small homeschool class.

I read about Apologia when it was newly released (I think it was in 2001). There were testimonies from formerly frustrated students who were enjoying this curriculum. Nathan, our second son, in the 11th grade started with Apologia Exploring Creation with Chemistry. I was amazed that he was able to learn Chemistry on his own by reading the text. He learned it independently and made B's on the tests. If he got stuck on something, he would come talk to me about it, explaining what he knew and what he didn't understand. Inevitably he would figure out enough to go back and do something differently. I didn't teach, I just listened and responded if I knew anything about what he was telling me.

Jay Wile wrote this science series with an informal tone, explaining everything thoroughly. He wrote it as if he was a tutor talking to his student, rather than as if he was a professor lecturing a class. We have since used Apologia General Science, Apologia Physical Science, Apologia Biology and Apologia Chemistry with our children. The books are non-consumable and can thus be used over and over. We highly recommend them.

Apologia Science Review is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Apologia Science-Sale 30% off Christian Book Distributors is happy to announce a sale of 30% off on Apologia Science just in time for the new school year. The Apologia sale includes elementary texts, notebooks...
2. Used Sonlight Core 6 See what  Sonlight Instructor's Guides are available this week. This week's:   Best SONLIGHT Buy (for Sonlight Core 6)......a Best Homeschool Buy! For those homeschooling families looking for used Sonlight 6...
3. Buy Used Saxon Math Our cat Frankie loves to get on Jonathan's Saxon Algebra 2 books.  He loves to be the center of attention so he plops down on Jon's books whenever he...

Sonlight- Core 1 & 2

Sonlight- Core 3 & 4

Sonlight-Core 5 & 6

Sonlight 7

Sonlight 100 & 200

Sonlight 300, 400, 530

A new Sonlight homeschool family has this question:

We are planning to begin using Sonlight as our primary homeschool curriculum. We are new to homeschooling and would like to ask others who have more experience. Since Sonlight is expensive, we are wondering if instead of purchasing the core sets fromSonlight, is it possible to pieces them together without a lot of trouble? Have any of you done that with success? Is it not worth the trouble? What are some sources for buying used Sonlight curriculum materials? Evelyn

Dear Evelyn,

I applaud your choice of Sonlight for homeschool. It is a great curriculum if you work best with a laid out, day by day homeschool curriculum. Some people, you should know, have gotten burned out on Sonlight because they tried to do everything prescribed. I want you to have a good experience with homeschooling and Sonlight so be sure to tailor the curriculum to your children rather than conforming you children to the curriculum.....and please don't try to do everything in the guide.

Now, concerning your question about piecing together your Sonlight....by all means, go ahead!
Many parents have bought the Sonlight guide (See what Sonlight Instructor's Guides are available this week) and then purchase the books on their own. I have found books  Sonlight books at  garage sales, at thrift stores, at paperbackswap.com, and other sites online where used curriculum is sold. Certainly ebay is a good place to look, or better yet, look at Best Homeschool Buys since that site has store pages devoted to the different Sonlight levels. Also, you can get some of the workbooks for cheaper prices at places like Rainbow Resource.com or amazon or on other used homeschool curriculum boards like:

Homeschool Classifieds

Homeschool Swap

We are not using Sonlight as our only curriculum but we do incorporate the books into our unit studies. I have been quite happy with my quest for used homeschool books from the Sonlight list.

Sonlight Curriculum Home

Used Sonlight for Sale? is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Sonlight Catalog If you are considering Sonlight as your homeschool curriculum... The best way to learn how the Sonlight homeschool curriculum works is to order a Sonlight catalog. Sonlight produces a beautiful...
2. Used Sonlight Core 2 See more Sonlight Core 2 Auctions The Used Homeschool Curriculum-Sonlight Core 2 shown above is listed today and ends Aug 23, 2009. It is selling as a Buy it...
3. Used Sonlight Core 6 See what  Sonlight Instructor's Guides are available this week. This week's:   Best SONLIGHT Buy (for Sonlight Core 6)......a Best Homeschool Buy! For those homeschooling families looking for used Sonlight 6...

Some advice from an experienced A Beka Teacher:

"I have taught A Beka for years . The curriculum is very scripted meaning that it tells the teacher exactly what to say and do. It is also very seatwork oriented.  The best thing about it is that my children learn so much! To make it more pleasant,  I try to incorporate hands-on science, cooking, learning centers, and field trip so that it is not just paper and pencil work. I would not recommend this curriculum for the below-average student, but for children at average or above-average level, it is a winner for teaching reading skills.

Just try to keep the curriculum enjoyable for the students and the teacher.  Cut out seatwork that you don't see as necessary and add in activity that fits with what you are studying. That will effectively balance out the strain of too many paper and pencil assignments. One more thing...don't feel that you must go by the script when teaching. Use it for a reference. It is there if you need it and is especially helpful if you are a first time teacher. It is a tool and you are not a slave to it."

Another Abeka teacher that praises the Abeka Curriculum:

"I have been using the Abeka curriculum for many years and I love it. I don't use ALL the ABeka work sheets but I use most of them. Believe me, you have no idea how much paper and pencil work is required in public schools plus centers. . I have incorporated most of the Abeka methods into my classroom. Everyone is surprised at how far ahead the students in my classes are.  They seem to think that in some way,  I end up getting the children who are naturally smarter.  I know that the success that I am having is because of the Abeka curriculml.  It is so good. I try to share the strategies but they are locked into free choice play centers while I devote my time to group activities and again I use the ABeka stategies for learning. I am definitely sold on ABeka."

Homeschool parents do not have the specific lesson plan requirements that traditional school teachers may have.  You are free to adapt the Abeka Curriculum to your child rather than adapt the child to the curriculum.  THAT is the beauty of homeschooling.

For Sale:  new and used Abeka Curriculum at great prices:

Used Abeka K

Used Abeka 1

Used Abeka 2

Used Abeka 3

Used Abeka 4

Used Abeka 5

Used Abeka 6

Used Abeka 7

Used Abeka 8

Used Abeka  9

Used Abeka 10

Used Abeka 11

Used Abeka 12

Bargain LOTs of Abeka Books

Using Abeka Curriculum in Homeschool is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Abeka Curriculum Abeka K Abeka 1 Abeka 2 Abeka 3 Abeka 4 Abeka 5 Abeka 6 Abeka 7 Abeka 8 Abeka  9 Abeka 10 Abeka 11 Abeka 12 Bargain LOTs of Abeka...
2. Used Calvert-Grade 3 This auction will end on Aug 13, 2009.  If you need Calvert Curriculum for grade 3, here is a set that will save you money.  Check out all of...
3. Abeka Kindergarten Reading - One especially good product from Abeka is their Kindergarten Summer Reading Library, "Reading for Fun".  This is a boxed set of 55 little books that my children really enjoyed....

Homeschoolers are always trying to choose the best curriculum for their children, and of course that is important. However, the beauty of homeschooling is that it is not standardized as traditional schooling is. At home and within my own family, I can tailor our  learning time to my own children, not to the "average" child.

For Nathan it was raising parakeets. For Robert it was working with his Dad. For Sara it was reading voraciously and writing her own stories. For Jonathan it was learning to play guitar and making films.

Our children's time has not been consumed with school busywork, with endless hours tied up in the whole process of schooling.  Not being on the traditional school track frees our children up to follow their interests and their dreams.

photo credit: egarc2
photo credit: ktylerconk

Delight Directed Learning is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschooled Engineers Nathan (at  left: Mechanical Engineering-2008) & Lane (at right: Electrical Engineering-2009) After over 12 years of homeschooling, then community college, then the university, our two oldest sons each received a...
2. Is Homeschooling Radical? Are we homeschoolers radical in our approach to our children's education? No. No. No. photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography How long has homeschooling been around? Home education has been the...
3. Year-round Homeschool The homeschool schedule I like the best is 4 or 5 weeks of school and then taking a week off. We allowed extra time off at Christmas and during the...

If you are looking for excellent literature that will  inspire your sons with a knowledge of world history and global geography, and that do so in the context of the love of Christ....

R.M. Ballantyne was born into Edinburgh’s great 19th century publishing elite. His family firm published both Walter Scott and Thomas Chalmers. No wonder he knew how to spin a classic yarn! His prodigious output of nearly a hundred adventure stories was the natural fruit of the rich Scottish legacy of unbridled courage, undaunted chivalry, literary excellence, Christian virtue, and global vision. I am so grateful that Vision Forum has once again made these rip-roaring tales available. May they inspire the next generation to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord.— George Grant

Republishing the Ballantyne Christian Adventure Library is a dream come true for Vision Forum. Each Ballantyne book is produced with quality and care to give another generations of readers Smythe-sewn hardbound books that can be passed down to grandchildren.

Do you have a boy who needs a little inspiration? Give him Ballantyne!
Your son will learn about the preciousness of time and the Christian boy’s call to action through the pages of these exciting literary adventures.  He will learn that only godly character will win the day, and he will learn what it means to be a man with a Gospel mission. And he will learn this in the context of high adventure and the chivalric code of nobility. Eric Quayle, author of The Collector’s Book of Boy’s Stories explained that Ballantyne’s characters:

...rescued helpless natives from a cruel death at the hands of cannibals, or dashed through smoke and flames to the side of the swooning heroine, or plunged without a moment's hesitation into the shark infested waters for the sake of an injured friend. And, at the end of their courageous display of selfless devotion to duty, they modestly refused to accept any thanks from the victims of the drama other than perhaps a firm shake of a gratefully outstretched hand of the one who had been snatched from the jaws of a fearful death.

A list of the newly published Balantyne books available through Vision Forum follows:

• Blue Lights
• The Coral Island
• Deep Down
• The Giant of the North
• The Gorilla Hunters
• Hunted and Harried
• Martin Rattler
• The Pirate City
• Red Rooney
• The Young Fur Traders
• Gascoyne, the Sandal Wood Trader
• The Dog Crusoe and His Master
• The Cannibal Islands
• The Pioneers
• The Island Queen
• Ungava
• The Lonely Island
• The Norsemen in the West
• Post Haste
• Fighting the Flames

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

Best Match Time: ending soonest Time: newly listed Price: lowest first Price: highest first Price + Shipping: lowest first Price + Shipping: highest first

The Coral Island Puffin Classics RM Ballantyne Go    US $5.36

Coral Island R M Ballantyne Acceptable Condition    US $15.00

Battles With The Sea RM Ballantyne ND c 1906 HC VG    US $32.00

New and Used Homeschool Curriculum

R. M. Ballantyne Books is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Vision Forum 50% For three days only, vision forum has these collections and more on sale for 50% off!. Just in time for Christmas shopping. If you have been putting off a purchase,...
2. Vision Forum Sale (Christmas Sale is over, but many Vision Forum items are still selling at reduced prices) Vision Forum carries toys and books that are hard to find elsewhere; so if you...
3. Vision Forum Books – SAVE Save money on Vision Forum books and media this week (Aug 26-30,2008) with a $50 gift certificate for every $95 your spend. Now is a great time to buy Vision...

Our cat Frankie loves to get on Jonathan's Saxon Algebra 2 books.  He loves to be the center of attention so he plops down on Jon's books whenever he needs attention. Anyone who has a cat knows that they can be a very big distraction to a student who is trying to learn a new Saxon math lesson. Concentration goes out of the window.

Jonathan is our fifth "child" to use this Saxon Algebra 2  set of books.  We have an older edition and textbook is a hardcover. Having all the Saxon Math books through Advanced Math has been economical for us since we are getting five years use out of each set.  That is just $10-$15 each year. What's more, I have sold some of the earlier grades like Saxon 54 for $15 - $25 dollars after we used them for so long.

Save money on your homeschool curriculum for next year. Check for used Saxon Math below on  eBay:

Saxon Math 1 Saxon Math 2 Saxon Math 3
Saxon 54 Saxon 65 Saxon 76 Saxon 87
Saxon Algebra 1/2 Saxon Algebra 1 Saxon Algebra 2
Saxon Advanced Math Saxon Calculus Saxon Physics

Buy Used Saxon Math is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Used Home School Curriculum One important task to accomplish over my home school summer break is to find and purchase homeschool curricula for our next school year. Summer is the time I preview curriculum...
2. Alpha Omega Spring Sale Alpha Omega is having their annual Spring Sale! You can save BIG..... Save 20% in April & 15% in May Calling all homeschooling families.....now is a great time to buy...
3. Homeschool on a Shoestring The financial crisis is affecting homeschool families. Here are some things that I have done to save money on homeschooling...tips on how to homeschool on a shoestring. ...

Switched on Schoolhouse (SOS for short) has become an extremely popular homeschool curriculum. So many of the visitors to Best Homeschool Buys are looking for homeschool software.  Switched on Schoolhouse offers a complete homeschool curriculum, every typical subject, on CDs for easy computer use.

See our complete Switched on Schoolhouse Review :

Used SOS Curriculum is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Phonics:Explode the Code Explode the Code is our newest search category on Best Homeschool Buys that lets you see the best bargains on eBay Explode the Code is a phonics curriculum that is...
2. Alpha Omega Spring Sale Alpha Omega is having their annual Spring Sale! You can save BIG..... Save 20% in April & 15% in May Calling all homeschooling families.....now is a great time to buy...
3. Switched-On Schoolhouse Software Review Switched on Schoolhouse even assigns projects. Her children are enjoying this curriculum. They read a chapter and answer a series of questions on their own. Then they push the grade...

The newest Jonathan Park album, 'The Journey Never Taken', is coming out next week. For a limited time, get at 25% price reduction. Hurry and act today!

'The Journey Never Taken' — Episode Descriptions

• Episodes 1-2. The Journey Never Taken: Parts I & II
  The Polar Star Medallion, awarded to Carl Linnaeus in 1758, mysteriously arrives at the Brenan Museum of Creation. Attached to the medallion is a puzzling clue that sends the Creation Response Team on an exciting scavenger hunt—beginning at Linnaeus’ home in Sweden! Meanwhile, the team is tailed by two unidentified men who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the medallion!
• Episodes 3-4. The Mysterious Host: Parts I & II
  The Creation Response Team members finds themselves tracking through the eerie Père-Lachaise Graveyard in France, as they continue to search for the Polar Star Treasure. Back in Boston, Benjamin Park leads the Junior Response Team to the top of the Old South Meeting House during a horrible storm that transports them back to a clue from the 1800s. This clue begins to unveil the identity of the unknown host of the hunt. And, crack reporter Trenton Wells and puzzle expert Mitch Hubbard, both of the London Harbinger Newspaper, join the competition to find the treasure!
• Episodes 5-6. The Pirates of Whitby: Parts I & II
  The clues seem to be taking the men of the Creation Response Team onboard the HMS Endevour—the vessel once piloted by Captain Cook. The voyage leads to an attack by modern-day pirates who kidnap the men and take them to the Isle of May to search for the treasure. During the midst of a pirate mutiny they realize they’ve made a grave error that may result in the treasure landing in the hands of Trenton and Mitch. With no ability to communicate, the men’s only hope is that the ladies of the CRT can unravel a clue found at Bartley Lodge—the childhood home of Charles Lyell!
• Episodes 7-8. The Search for the Beagle: Parts I & II
  One of the most famous voyages of all time was Charles Darwin’s expedition to the Galapagos on the HMS Beagle. There was one more voyage, followed by a coast guard assignment, before the notorious vessel disappeared from history. That’s bad news for the Creation Response Team, who just discovered that the next clue in the Polar Star Scavenger Hunt is buried in its hull! They must beat Trenton and Mitch in a race to rediscover the Beagle!
• Episodes 9-10. The Chosen Four: Parts I & II
  The latest clue lists four names — Miklos Lanick, Jiri Novak, Harvey Littleton, and Milton Puttock—that’s it. Who are these men, and when and where did they live? The Creation Response Team must decode the mystery behind each and find out what they have in common before the next clue will be revealed. But can they beat out their competition? It seems even less likely when Trenton and Mitch are joined by the CRT’s greatest nemesis!
• Episodes 11-12. Hunt for the Priceless Treasure: Parts I & II
  Legends of tunnels under the colleges of Cambridge, England have been told for years. Now, as the international Darwin celebration takes place in the city, the Creation Response Team discovers an underground world through an airlock beneath the River Cam. Every corner provides new challenges below as Benjamin and the Junior Response Team guide them from above. The world is watching as the teams wonder whether this secret passage may be the final resting place of the Polar Star Treasure!

See  Jonathan Park — The Journey Never Taken for more information.
-

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

Best Match Time: ending soonest Time: newly listed Price: lowest first Price: highest first Price + Shipping: lowest first Price + Shipping: highest first

Jonathan Park No Looking Back Volume II and Study Guide    US $10.00

Jonathan Park Adventure Begins Volume I and Study Guide    US $10.00

Jonathan Park Volume III Winds of Change Study Guide    US $10.00

Jonathan Park Hunt for Beowulf Volume IV Study Guide    US $10.00

New and Used Homeschool Curriculum

Newest Jonathan Park is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Vision Forum 50% For three days only, vision forum has these collections and more on sale for 50% off!. Just in time for Christmas shopping. If you have been putting off a purchase,...
2. 7000 Children’s Books-Half Off I have ordered from BookCloseouts .about half a dozen times and each time I have been impressed with the service and the value. I have found some hardcover classics...
3. Vision Forum Books – SAVE Save money on Vision Forum books and media this week (Aug 26-30,2008) with a $50 gift certificate for every $95 your spend. Now is a great time to buy Vision...

Since we are renting a house while trying to sell our house in Florida, we are having to budget carefully to make ends meet.  As far as homeschooling goes, the single most helpful saving money tip that I incorporate by habit is buying used homeschool curricula whenever possible. Not only does it save me money, but it usually helps another family get money they need to buy their curricula for the coming school year.  So I feel good about buying "used" for more than one reason.

This web site, Best Homeschool Buys, is available to help you quickly find what is available on eBay at bargain prices.

If you use the A Beka curriculum, you'll find a very good selection of Used Abeka that is divided by grade level for your convenience.

We have always used Saxon math for homeschool from grades three and up. I have always been able to find good buys on Used Saxon Math.

We use Apologia Science for high school science.

So many families use Sonlight curriculum. Though it is harder to find used entire curriculum packages, sometimes they are available if you keep checking over a few days and weeks.  Check our listings of Used Sonlight Curriculum by grade level to see what is available.  You might find exactly what you need at a much reduced price.

Used Bob Jones Curriculum like Abeka is widely available on Best Homeschool Buys divided by grade level for your convenience.

photo credit: tiffanywashko

Other sites that you might like to visit are:

Yahoo Group Homeschoool Classifieds

(There are other yahoo groups for homeschooling that allow you to connect to other families who are buying or selling curricula. Just do a search for homeschool on Yahoo Groups.)

Homeschoool Classifieds

Used Home School Curriculum is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Sonlight Catalog If you are considering Sonlight as your homeschool curriculum... The best way to learn how the Sonlight homeschool curriculum works is to order a Sonlight catalog. Sonlight produces a beautiful...
2. Used Sonlight for Sale? For Discount or Used Sonlight: Sonlight- Core 1 & 2 Sonlight- Core 3 & 4 Sonlight-Core 5 & 6 Sonlight 7 Sonlight 100 & 200 Sonlight 300, 400, 530 A...
3. Buy Used Saxon Math Our cat Frankie loves to get on Jonathan's Saxon Algebra 2 books.  He loves to be the center of attention so he plops down on Jon's books whenever he...

I wrote last year about our success with  our Year Round Homeschool Schedule.  If you haven't settled on a good schedule for your family, you might want to read here about what Cindy Rushton is offering that you can help you (Free for you). It concerns developing a good schedule for your family. This is the story:

Cindy was telling me all about her Ultimate Homeschool Expo.  She has just finished adding all of the resources into the Ultimate Homeschool Expo virtual library where everything is ONLINE for your convenience. Cindy builds a  exclusive Membership Site that includes everything from the UHSE in one place--it has audios (from all of the sessions and from the bonus gifts that her speakers give to us), ebooks, complete unit study guides, articles, printable notebooking pages, cookbooks, on and on. I can't believe all of the things that we receive for only $39.95. But she is offering a sampler FREE...

I am so excited that Cindy has given me permission to give my readers a sampler of one of her free gifts that is part of the Membership Site. This gift is an ebook and audio set that Cindy normally sells on her website.

I just listened to this and it is so practical and helpful, just what what I need to help me set priorities and set up the routines that will help us accomplish our goals.

Listen to.....

Scheduling ABC’s Audio Workshop with Cindy Rushton

Let Cindy show you her secrets to developing a homeschool schedule that works for your family!
Download by Mp3
http://tinyurl.com/2cpsb9  (you may have to copy this url and paste into your browser

As a  picture captures a thousand words, a gift like this lets you see the value of the Homeschool Expo Library.  And, just think...this is only ONE of the homeschooling helpful gifts included on the Homeschool Expo Membership Site. There are hundreds more!
New homeschooling ideas and classic homeschooling ideas are ready and waiting to encourage homeschool families.  Join today and get set your next homeschool year.

Setting up a Homeschool Schedule is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschool Record Keeping Perhaps,  like me, you need help with record-keeping?    Do you need something that is  easy to set up and that will give you more time with your children while helping...
2. Learn How to Homeschool I want to share with you what is available at this years online homeschool convention...Just Look at a few of the homeschool workshops for you this year: photo credit: ?eagan...
3. Online Homeschool Convention photo credit: Andrew Stawarz When Tim and I made the decision over 20 years ago to homeschool our children, my first task was to read everything I could find...

Nathan Making a Yellow Dog with Play Dough

Play dough is an art medium for homeschool with multiple uses.  I always kept a supply of play dough for my preschooler's "school" acitivity time.  Making things with play dough was an activity that was often on their school time list. It would keep my 4 year old occupied for a while while I worked one on one with my older children who needed help with reading or math.

I often made playdough with items I already had available in the kitchen. I stored it in a freezer bag and placed that bag in a plastic container with a lid. The container also stored cookie cutters, a child's rolling pin, plastic knives, and other home tools for playing with play dough.

Keep some plastic placemats to lay down for a playdough work surface on the table. There are wonderful learning placemats available at Walmart and other stores that feature world map, US map, the presidents, fractions, and many other facts that children will pick up over time, just by having the information on the placemat and talking about it with them from time to time.

You can color your homemade playdough with food coloring, but many children will prefer the uncolored since it looks more like real cookie dough.

Our playdough kit was put up and we only brought it out once every couple of weeks. By making play items available only at certain times, makes the children more excited about them.

When the playdough started to get old and dry, we would just whip up a batch of new dough!

Here is one recipe for it:

Playdough Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups flour
• ½ cups salt
• 1 tablespoon alum
• 3 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 ½ cups hot water
• food coloring

Combine oil, water, and food coloring. Combine dry ingredients and mix thoroughly and knead.

Lane Concentrating on His Creation

Homemade Play Dough Recipe is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. History Dolls Vision Forum's dolls were not available when my daugher, Sara, was playing with dolls. We bought her an American Girl doll and she loved it. It became her "daughter". Like...
2. Vision Forum 50% For three days only, vision forum has these collections and more on sale for 50% off!. Just in time for Christmas shopping. If you have been putting off a purchase,...
3. Frugal Simple Living Help for the frugal family! Christian parents have a desire to have homes that model good work ethic, enterprise, and accomplishment. Homeschool families strive to incorporate activities for all family...

photo credit: ?eagan

1. Teaching the Multi-Grade Homeschool Home
2. What You Need to Have a Good Art Education Program in the Home
3. Saving Money with Coupons
4. Habit Formation
5. Reach for the Stars: Getting Your Children (and You) Excited about Story-writing
6. Unfamiliar Territory: Covering Subjects You’re Not Familiar With
7. Lap Booking
8. Bringing Science to Life
9. Reading and spelling - How to Get it Right and What to Do When the
10. Why Teach to the Strengths When You can Strengthen the Weaknesses. An Intro to Cognitive Skills Testing and Training
11. 7 Essential Ingredients to Homeschooling Success
12. Management and Home Ministry: Getting it all Done While Putting First Things First
13. Simplified Biblical Instruction&Character Training for Your Young Children
14. Homeschooling on a Shoestring
15. Lies Homeschool Moms Believe
16. Hands-On History - How To Make History FUN!
17. Choosing Curriculum Based On Learning Style
18. Cooking Up Some Fun- How To Teach In The Kitchen!
19. Teaching Science Out of the Box
20. Evolution-Proofing Your Kids before They Go to College
21. Doing the Impossible One Day at a Time
22. Taking the Mystery Out of Science Fair Projects
23. Geology Dig into Rocks and Fossils (KIDS CLASS!!)
24. Homeschooling: Preference or Conviction?
25. What About Socialization?
26. Making Time for What Really Matters
27. Get a Jump Start on College: Save Thousands of Dollars and Give Your Teen a Safe Head Start on College!
28. Decoding the Classics: How to Read, Enjoy, and Teach Great Literature
29. The Language of Leadership
30. Funschooling
31. 46 Million Dead: Why Worldviews Matter
32. Staying Sane, Keeping On
33. Homeschooling Your Child with Learning or Attention Difficulties
34. Raising Kids to Godliness
35. Cornerstones of Communication: Beyond the Words (Specifically Teens)
36. Listening Beyond the Words: Communicating with your Teen
37. Tying it All Together: How to Use Unit Studies as the Centerpiece of a Relaxed Method of Homeschooling
38. Certified to Teach by the Grace of God --- Encouragement for Moms Who Feel Inadequate to Teach Their Children
39. Seven Highly Effective Habits of Happy Homeschool Moms
40. History & Geography through Literature
41. The Truth Behind the Mom-First Myth
42. The Three R’s for Mom:  Reason, Relationships and Resources
43. Discovering Creation with Living Books and Hands-on Science
44. Making Time for What Really Matters
45. The Mistakes Manual
46. Can the Bible REALLY Tell Me How to Succeed at Homeschooling?
47. Building your Home Library
48. Teens in the Throes of Today's Culture
49. Asking the Right Questions and Questioning the Answers
50. Hints for Successfully Homeschooling High School Students
51. How to Create Self-Reliant, Financially Successful Teens
52. Creating an Unbreakable Bond with Your Child
53. The Secret to Parenting
54. Helping Your Teen Get Published
55. Marking Your Teen's Writing
56. The Great Art Escape: Incorporating the Arts in Your Homeschool
57. Life in the Fishbowl: The Homeschooling Pastor’s Family
58. Fitting in Fitness

PLUS! Kids Classes this Year!
(For Members Only!)

1. Geology Dig into Rocks and Fossils with Felice Gerwitz
2. Civil War to Civil Rights with Angela Broyles
3. Research and Report Writing with Tyler Hogan
4. Make Your Writing Great with Cindy Rushton
5. Expressionism with Sharon Jeffus
6. Notebooking! SURE to Addict You Too! with Cindy Rushton

This is not all! There is much more to check out at the Ultimate Homeschool Workshop. Get your ticket today!

Learn How to Homeschool is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschool ACT Scores ACT Scores for Homeschoolers Many of you who visit this site know us, the Simmons family. Four of our five children have finished homeschooling through high school and have gone...
2. Is College Necessary for Homeschoolers? My daughter and I watched this short video today. She can identify with many of the points made by the students in the film. We had just been discussing...
3. Apologia Science Review Apologia Home School Curriculum for Science was a Good Fit for Our Family Our oldest son used Christian science texts that were designed for classroom instruction. He got through Chemistry...

photo credit: Andrew Stawarz

When Tim and I made the decision over 20 years ago to homeschool our children, my first task was to read everything I could find about homeschooling.  With my children's future in my hands, I wanted to learn, learn, learn so I could offer them the best education and family life that I could by God's grace.  (Another day, I will share with you the books that I read that gave me direction.)  When Lane was 12 and Nathan was 10, Robert was 6, Sara was 4, and Jonathan was 2, we were living in SC and I had the chance to go to a homeschool workshop convention at Bob Jones University.  It was not often that I took a day away from the children to go somewhere by myself, but with the help of my husband, I was able to go. At this workshop, I got so many great ideas and was so encouraged by the 100's of other homeschooling families there.  There were individual classes on homeschooling like "Teaching with Live Animals", "Learning History through Reading Classics Aloud", "Multi-level Teaching". These were practical classes that helped me immensely.

Those days of needing to travel to a homeschool convention are over.

I just got an email from my friend, Cindy Rushton.  Cindy is excited to offer her newest edition of the Ultimate Homeschool Expo.  You see, the amazing thing about the Ultimate Homeschool Expo is that everything is ONLINE so it is more than a convention--it is a homeschool resource library.  If you are a new homeschooler or if you have years of homeschooing under your belt, you will find loads of ideas and encouragement from the top notch guests that Cindy has on the Ultimate Hmeschool Expo lineup

With every online event that Cindy plans, she builds a private Membership Site that includes everything in one place. There are audios from all of the sessions (and more from the bonus gifts that her speakers give to us), ebooks, complete unit study guides, articles,  notebooking pages you can print, cookbooks, and more....!  I can't believe all of the things that we receive for only $39.95.  You are likely to be able to save on your next year's curriculum and supplements through the ideas you get and the included homeschooling materials.

Anyway, back to the reason that I am sharing with you...

Cindy just sent me permission to give you a sampler of one of her free gifts that is included on the Membership Site. I am so excited to give it to you! It is a audio and ebook set that she actually sells on her website, but she is giving away on the Membership Site. Here is the link:

Need some help gearing up for the new school year? Wish you had a friend to take you by the hand and help you plan your year? You will LOVE this! It includes a quick Mommy Planner with a selection of planning sheets from all of Cindy's products to help you get  on target with your homeschool planning. You'll find lots of goodies!

These gifts give you an idea of the quality information Cindy provides. ...and this is only ONE of the special gifts included on the Homeschool Expo Membership Site.  There are hundreds more!

Let’s Get Ready for a New School Year Super Set! Let’s Get Ready for the New School Year Mommy Planner…Ebook by Cindy Rushton

Download Part One

Download Part Two

PLUS! Companion Audio! Let’s Get Ready for a New School Year–Audio

Download by Mp3

Take my word for it, you will WANT a ticket to this event and access to all of these wonderful resources. Grab your ticket here:

Ultimate Homeschool Expo
Julie (from Best Homeschool Buys)

Online Homeschool Convention is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschool Help The Old Schoolhouse is offering a FREE E-Book to Best Homeschool Buys  site visitors. Download your copy of the E-Book: The New School Year It is their gift to homeschooling...
2. Setting up a Homeschool Schedule I wrote last year about our success with  our Year Round Homeschool Schedule.  If you haven't settled on a good schedule for your family, you might want to read...
3. Learn How to Homeschool I want to share with you what is available at this years online homeschool convention...Just Look at a few of the homeschool workshops for you this year: photo credit: ?eagan...

photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

How long has homeschooling been around?

Home education has been the primary means of learning for the majority of recorded history.  Even before history was written down, we are certain that children learned mostly through the teaching in their own families.

Through participation in  life's daily activities, children acquired knowledge of everything from farming, building, caring for livestock,  tool making, sewing, making soap, and everything else they needed to be able to do.  Lessons necessary to teach them to  read, write, and cipher  enough to be responsible citizens  and to handle their homes and businesses took  a small fraction of the time that they take today, and the lessons stopped when the season called for their help in the field or elsewhere. The lessons were provided by parents, grandparents, siblings, or perhaps a  hired teacher paid for by the community's families to teach the basics. There were no laws that compelled attendance. The highly educated founders of our country were for the most part educated through their own parents or tutors.  There was nothing like our modern institutionalized schools back then, yet they were far better educated.

In contrast, institutionalized schools are a recent invention.  It seems to be taken for granted today that these schools have been around for ages and are the best means of education.  That is just not so. The last compulsory education laws were not passed in the United States until 1918.   The current homeschooling movement is considered new only because it has occurred after the compulsory attendance laws have taken root and been accepted.

The modern homeschooling movement began building in the 1960's One of its early advocates was John Holt who in 1977 began publishing Growing Without Schooling, a magazine advocating  no school for children.  He was a former teacher who  gave up on school reform. His magazine offered a look at natural curiosity as a basis of learning, and gave a fresh view of education that is often lost in the drudgery and boredom of the usual traditional school. Also, in the 70's and 80's Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore began publishing books that  focused on the harm that can be caused by pushing children too early into  school.

As a young mother in the 80's, I subscribed to Growing Without Schooling to read about this curious "new homeschooling". I was amazed as I read story after story of children thriving by spending time with their parents learning throughout the day, more from activity, reading aloud and conversation than from textbooks.  Then in 1985  I found a  book that really gave me a heart for homeschooling. The book was Home Grown Kids: A Practical Handbook for Teaching Your Children at Home by Dorothy and Raymond Moore (more on that in another post).

So, the  history of Homeschooling takes us back through the ages to see that education through families and small communities works. Homeschooling  (as it is termed today) or home education is actually a return to family-based education which has been the norm throughout history.

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

Best Match Time: ending soonest Time: newly listed Price: lowest first Price: highest first Price + Shipping: lowest first Price + Shipping: highest first

No items matching your keywords were found.

photo credit: claudiogennari

Is Homeschooling Radical? is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschool Record Keeping Perhaps,  like me, you need help with record-keeping?    Do you need something that is  easy to set up and that will give you more time with your children while helping...
2. Home Grown Kids photo credit: John-Morgan My friend Debbie Bailey gave me a book to read about homeschooling.  The book was Homegrown Kids: A Practical Handbook for Teaching Your Children at Home...
3. Switched-On Schoolhouse Software Review Switched on Schoolhouse even assigns projects. Her children are enjoying this curriculum. They read a chapter and answer a series of questions on their own. Then they push the grade...

photo credit: John-Morgan

My friend Debbie Bailey gave me a book to read about homeschooling.  The book was Homegrown Kids: A Practical Handbook for Teaching Your Children at Home by Dorothy and Raymond Moore.  I was interested in homeschooling but I knew nothing about it.  Debbie had given me a book that was to change my life!

As I sat down to begin reading this book, Lane was an active 4 year old and Nathan, toddling around in diapers, was only 2. I opened the book and read,

"To mothers and fathers who are more concerned about principle than social pressures, who cherish their children more than their own freedoms, who are willing to study to provide them sound values, academic excellence, and a sense of self-worth."

I was hooked from there on.  I found time to read chapters as I watched my little boys play outside, or while they were sleeping or even as they built a camp with the sofa cushions.  My heart was engaged.  God was drawing me to an untraveled path that would give Tim and me the opportunity to be with our children, to teach them the Truth, to create a family togetherness that would bless us for years to come.

The Moores showed me (through this book) how I could teach my children using everyday experiences and resources that were available in my home, how I could really enjoy my children, how I could give them a first class, wholesome education that encourages character development and promotes creativity.  Today, there are so many books, articles, and websites that can give you this precious information that I first read in this book, but at that time, there was little available. Our culture with its accepted belief that you need a school to teach your children was so prevalent that mothers like me felt uneasy just considering homeschooling.

When it comes to faith or when it comes to my children, God grants me His special strength. I may give up if I am pursuing something for myself, but if it is something for the Lord or for my children, perseverance is my friend through God's grace. That is only the reason we have been able to homeschool our children all these years (from 1985 until today).

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

Best Match Time: ending soonest Time: newly listed Price: lowest first Price: highest first Price + Shipping: lowest first Price + Shipping: highest first

Mary Pride The Next Book of Home Learning Enriching    US $3.00

Mary Pride School Proof Book Learning Organize Motivate    US $11.99

New and Used Homeschool Curriculum

Home Grown Kids is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Online Homeschool Convention photo credit: Andrew Stawarz When Tim and I made the decision over 20 years ago to homeschool our children, my first task was to read everything I could find...
2. Hooked on Phonics Sale Hooked on Phonics-Fantastic Overstock Sale!! I am reaching out to let you know that Hooked on Phonics has a fantastic Overstock Sale happening right now, with savings up to 75%...
3. Hopeful Farm-Families with Special Needs Children The mission of Hopeful Farm is truly unique and much needed as it seeks to provide an all-access environment in which families impacted by special needs may find time to...

Save 20% in April & 15% in May
Calling all homeschooling families.....now is a great time to buy new homeschool curriculum at Alpha Omega's lowest prices of the year.  Their  award-winning curriculum and resources are loved and widely used by homeschoolers everywhere.

Take time to look at their online catalog so you can take advantage of the savings before the sale is over. Act now to enjoy incredible savings on everything* at Alpha Omega Publications! During AOP's Spring Sale, save 20% during April and 15% during May on homeschool resources, family entertainment, and  Christian-based homeschool curriculums:

Switched-On Schoolhouse® – The interactive, computer-based curriculum for grades 3-12. (Make it easy on yourself with this curriculum)

LIFEPAC® – Still the best-selling, consumable curriculum for grades K-12 which includes the  time-tested, student-directed workbook/texts.

Horizons – The hands-on curriculum for grades PreK-12 covering math, language arts, health, and more with colorful workbooks and lots of activity ideas.

The Weaver Curriculum® – The unit study curriculum for grades PreK-12 with lessons and activities that reinforce biblical truth and and that cover multiple subject areas in that context.

Don't miss Alpha Omega's great SALE!!!
Sale Items Include:

• Switched-On Schoolhouse
• LIFEPAC
• Horizons
• The Weaver Curriculum
• Homeschool Resources
• Family Entertainment

and more family resources
*Alpha Omega Academy® tuition and fees are not included in this sale

Alpha Omega Spring Sale is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Alpha Omega July Sale! ALPHA OMEGA is offering their best discount for one day only!!  20% OFF for ONE DAY ONLY- Monday- July 27 Don't Miss This! No Coupon Needed. I just got a...
2. Used SOS Curriculum Used Switched on Schoolhouse Curriculum by Alpha Omega is sometimes available on eBay. If you are interested in seeing what is available right now, click on the link: Used Switched...
3. Switched-On Schoolhouse Software Review Switched on Schoolhouse even assigns projects. Her children are enjoying this curriculum. They read a chapter and answer a series of questions on their own. Then they push the grade...

2009 Homeschool Resource of the Year Award

For You They Signed Hardback. 393 pages.

“There are about a half-dozen resources which are ‘must-have’ staples for the Christian homeschool family — For You They Signed is one of them. Easy to read and full of wonderful quotes, this is the book that will teach your children to thank God for the remarkable, God-blessed foundations of their country.”

-Mother of eight homeschooled children

There are so many resources available for homeschools today. but when you get down to what is most important,

the following 3 books will guide you:

1.   your Bible. — for the foundations of our faith and worldview

2.  Webster’s 1828 Dictionary-To help you define your words and build your vocabulary in terms of that Christian worldview

3.   For You They Signed by Marilyn Boyer -to help your children understand and defend the  providence of God in American history and be thankful for the gift of liberty He has given to them.

Here is why: For You They Signed is an answer to the  historical revisionism dominating the schools and media today. Our founding fathers were not atheists.   Read MORE...

Page from For You They Signed

Marilyn Boyer is  descended from a Revolutionary War soldier, and is the daughter of a World War II soldier.  She is married to an Air Force veteran and is the mother and teacher of fourteen children.

Marilyn is deeply patriotic and feels so strongly about America’s Christian history,  she set upon a path to write a book about the 56  men who pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to secure our freedom. Marilyn wrote this book, For You They Signed,  and has brought to life the true stories of the signers.

" Thanks, Marilyn.  This is a wonderful resource for our families!"

Vision Forum Homeschool Resource of the Year is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Vision Forum Classic Toys In December most of us are looking forward to a little break from homeschool as we celebrate Christmas.  Every year I buy a few family gifts from Vision Forum.  They...
2. Review of Vision Forum DVD-Biblical Femininity Discover practical, biblical solutions for the young woman who wants to do more than just “survive” in a savagely feministic, anti-Christian culture. Find the answers a girl is not likely...
3. Vision Forum Books – SAVE Save money on Vision Forum books and media this week (Aug 26-30,2008) with a $50 gift certificate for every $95 your spend. Now is a great time to buy Vision...

I am reaching out to let you know that Hooked on Phonics has a fantastic Overstock Sale happening right now, with savings up to 75% Off!  If you have been putting off buying any of the following Hooked on Phonics products due to cost, now is a great time to buy. The company does not give us an ending day for the sale, so I don't know when it will be over. If you need Hooked on Phonics for you homeschool curriculum, this sale is a tremendous opportunity for you.

Of the Hooked on Phonics products on sale, the most popular products are their:

Hooked on First Grade Activity Pack
$46.95
Sale Price: $14.95

Learn to Read—Pre-K Edition Premium
$64.95
Sale Price: $19.95

Hooked on Phonics® Learn to Read Kindergarten-1st Grade
$139.95
Sale Price: $39.95

Hooked on Spanish™
$64.95
Sale Price: $19.95

Click on the banner link below to see the other products at rock bottom prices in the Hooked on Phonics Overstock Sale.

30 day money back guarantee on all Hooked on Phonics products
Free shipping on orders over $130

For this week's eBay listings, click here >Hooked on Phonics.

Hooked on Phonics Sale is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Sonlight Catalog If you are considering Sonlight as your homeschool curriculum... The best way to learn how the Sonlight homeschool curriculum works is to order a Sonlight catalog. Sonlight produces a beautiful...
2. Phonics for Christmas Is your child ready to learn to read? If so, you might like to take advantage of these last minute discounts for Christmas from Hooked on Phonics.  Hooked on Phonics...
3. Abeka Kindergarten Reading - One especially good product from Abeka is their Kindergarten Summer Reading Library, "Reading for Fun".  This is a boxed set of 55 little books that my children really enjoyed....

Christian parents have a desire to have homes that model good work ethic, enterprise, and accomplishment. Homeschool families strive to incorporate activities for all family members that work toward these goals. Now more than ever, as we face challenging economic times, we all want to find cost-saving activities that are constructive and helpful to our families.  Vision forum is offering a sale this week on products for practical and frugal home management.

Homestead Blessings:

Learn how to bake bread, create soap, and make lovely homemade candles—each skill offers a great way to save money while working together as a family. Use to cut your family’s grocery bill, or as thrifty, but uniquely personal gift.  Professionally-produced, 3-DVD set: a fun-filled presentation of homemaking skills by Vicki, Jasmine, Hannah, and CeCe West as they “teach by doing”-experts at saving money and family togetherness.

Transform your yard into a family vegetable/fruit garden! Learn how with The Backyard Homestead. Save money and enjoy fresh, organic, great-tasting food all the time; raise chickens, goats, or even a cow OR keep bees; . The Backyard Homestead gives the details you need to make it happen. Then, when the harvest is in,  The Backyard Homestead will guide and instruct you so you can learn how to cook, preserve, brew, cure, or pickle the fruits of your garden.

The Last book in this offer is Just In Case by Kathy Harrison: (essential guide to family preparedness.)

Disaster can strike when you least expect it. Be  prepared by following Kathy Harrison's practical suggestions for emergency preparedness and self-sufficiency in Just In Case.

-Everything you need to know about how to survive when public services fail is covered

-Evaluate, organize, and rotate your food supply;

-Pack an evacuation kit;

-How you can protect important documents from fire;

-How to develop a communications system;

-Learn to make nutritious soup with canned and dried items from the pantry.

-Keep your children entertained in difficult circumstances.

Check Vision Forum's website for these helpful books.

Frugal Simple Living is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Sonlight Catalog If you are considering Sonlight as your homeschool curriculum... The best way to learn how the Sonlight homeschool curriculum works is to order a Sonlight catalog. Sonlight produces a beautiful...
2. Vision Forum 50% For three days only, vision forum has these collections and more on sale for 50% off!. Just in time for Christmas shopping. If you have been putting off a purchase,...
3. Vision Forum Sale (Christmas Sale is over, but many Vision Forum items are still selling at reduced prices) Vision Forum carries toys and books that are hard to find elsewhere; so if you...

Kid's Chores

Tips for Successful Kids Chores

Homeschooling families have to be organized to get the household chores done.  The benefits of developing a better system for your children's chores is two-fold:

1) The house cleaner and straighter

2) The children learn to work (and hopefully develop a good work ethic and an appreciation for what others do for them).

I want to encourage you in the worthwhile endeavor of teaching your children to work in the home and with the family. This e-book - Tips for Successful Kids Chores will help you improve your home chore plan. You will find suggestions for implementing a chore program in your home that includes your children. Here you will find some ideas for how it is done in other homes. Also, you'll find chore ideas to give to your children so that they can to work as part your family team.

Included in this booklet are the following sections:

1. How to organize your children’s rooms including how to perform a 3 day blitz!
2. How to deal with unsavoury attitudes over chores
3. Age by age chore suggestions & help
4. Zoning your child’s room
5. Dealing with Chore Allowances
6. Motivation for training your children to do their chores
7. How to set up your chore pocket system
8. Chore cards for children from preschool to young teen (Separate File)

This is mostly a total system to enable you get your chore plan up and running but also has a chore pocket system that adds some fun to the process. While the booklet will help mothers with kids of all ages the pocket system is mainly for children from preschool to 10 years of age.

This booklet, Tips for Successful Kids Chores, is offered free from CurrClick for the last week of December 2008.  Every week CurrClick offer certain free downloads primarily for homeschooling. Sign up for the CurrClick mailing list to find out what is free each week.  It is a great deal for homeschoolers, especially those that enjoy making lapbooks and notebooks in their studies.

For my best tips for avoiding homeschool burnout see post on Homeschool Stress.

Children’s Chores is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Homeschool Stress! By Julie Simmons Avoid Homeschool Burnout... I've heard it said that if you are new to homeschooling, and you haven't felt like crying several times in the first few weeks,...
2. Free Bears Unit Study This week's Free Homeschool  Download- All About Bears by Brandenburg Studies Looking for homeschool units  that will  hold your child's attention AND  give them a joy for learning? This week's...
3. Homeschool Planning for Success It is time to begin a new year of homeschool (unless you homeschool year round, but that's another post). Homeschooling moms must juggle teaching with housework, cooking, shopping, mothering, being...

Vision Forum

Vision Forum Sale is a post from: Homeschooling Curriculum

Related Homeschool Curriculum posts:

1. Vision Forum Rebate This is a short and sweet sale notification for Vision Forum: For four days only, Vision Forum is pleased to offer up to $100 in Instant Rebates on all qualifying...
2. Vision Forum Classic Toys In December most of us are looking forward to a little break from homeschool as we celebrate Christmas.  Every year I buy a few family gifts from Vision Forum.  They...
3. Vision Forum 50% For three days only, vision forum has these collections and more on sale for 50% off!. Just in time for Christmas shopping. If you have been putting off a purchase,...