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Our Homeschool Curriculum Picks for 2017

February 4, 2017 by Emilee Evans

Probably the question I get asked most often is “What homeschool curriculum do you use?” I have to admit, I find it amusing because I think I get asked this question from people who don’t homeschool just as often than those who do. Regardless who is asking, it’s a question that stops me in my tracks. It’s not that I don’t know what we’re using, it’s that it’s not so easy.
Homeschool Curriculum
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Please refer to my Disclosure Policy for more information.
I don’t use just one curriculum. We pick and pull from all kinds of curricula. I learned a long time ago a boxed curriculum doesn’t work for us. Even having two children at the same relative grade level they don’t use all of the same curricula. It’s the beauty of homeschooling! All three of my children are unique. I love being able to tailor each child’s learning experience to their needs.
I think it’s particularly great for homeschooling special needs children because they can learn in the way that is best for them and they’re not tied down to one grade level. For example, I don’t have to hold my oldest son back in all subjects just because he’s delayed in one. He’s significantly delayed in reading and writing but only slightly delayed in other subjects. Or if they’re ahead you don’t have to hold them back like in my daughter’s case.
All that being said, it’s time to reveal our homeschool curriculum picks for 2017!

Homeschool Curriculum Picks for 2017

Our Homeschool Curriculum Picks for 2017
When planning our new homeschool year I do ask the kids how they feel about our curricula. I love getting their feedback and definitely take it into account. Of course, my oldest says he doesn’t like anything, so I kind of have to go on what he’s done well with and go from there. B and A are both at about a 4th Grade Level and C is at about a 1st Grade Level.

4th Grade Homeschool Curriculum

B – 4th Grade. He’s on the Autism Spectrum and has reading and writing challenges.

Veritas Bible – We just love this Bible curriculum. Our family uses VeritasBible.com, which has been working well for my kids. Check out our Veritas Bible Review.
IEW Primary Arts of Language – This curriculum is generally recommended for K-2, but B is still delayed in both writing and reading. PAL is also recommended for children with special needs. View our IEW Primary Arts of Language Review.
Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization – This is another great resource from Institute for Excellence in Writing. It’s a fantastic supplement. Check out our Poetry Memorization Review.
Red Apple Reading – We’re using this as a supplement and he really likes it. It has multiple levels, and he has fun while learning. See our Red Apple Reading review.
CTC Math – We had the opportunity to review CTC Math twice, and it’s definitely been one of our favorites. View our CTC Math Review.
Times Alive – My older two kids have been learning their times tables with Times Alive and have been loving it! Stay tuned! Our review is coming soon!
Science Shepherd – This is a great online science curriculum that is faith-based. It’s easy to follow and offers hands-on projects as well. Check out our Science Shepherd review.

A – 4th Grade.

Aurora is slightly advanced. By age she would be in 3rd grade. There are some overlaps since she and B are generally at the same grade level, though she doesn’t have reading or writing delays.
Veritas Bible
Lightning Literature – This is actually a 1st Grade Curriculum, but I knew it was too advanced for my 1st Grader. We hadn’t yet finished it, and I thought it would be a good review and way to ease into our new school year. Learn more in my Lightning Literature Review.
Bible Heroes – This is the next step up from the Primary Arts of Language from the Institute for the Excellence in Writing. We will beginning this soon and will share our review shortly after! Learn more about Bible Heroes.
New American Cursive – This is another curriculum we had started but didn’t yet finish so we decided to revisit it. Plus I already got the next level! Read my New American Cursive Review.
Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization
CTC Math
Times Alive
Science Shepherd

1st Grade Homeschool Curriculum

C has Sensory Processing Disorder and has fine motor delays as well as reading challenges. We’re going really heavy on the language arts this year, and this was actually by his request. I’m really excited about it!
Jolly Phonics and Jolly Grammar – He has just loved this and wanted to keep going, and so we are! Check out our Jolly Grammar and Jolly Phonics review.
Can Do Cubes – The Can Do Cubes really are a great hands-on resource to use alongside Jolly Phonics, but really they can be a great supplement for any grammar curriculum. Read our Can Do Cubes review.
Logic of English Foundations – C has really enjoyed Foundations and he was excited to jump back into it. We had the opportunity to review both Foundations A and Foundations B.
Eclectic Foundations – This is a curriculum we’re currently reviewing and he has been loving it! Stay tuned because the review will be coming in a couple of weeks!
CTC Math
Various Bible Activities from Twin Sisters Productions – They offer a variety of great Bible resources for young kids. C’s favorite is the Bible Story Mazes & Puzzles.

What Homeschool Curriculum are You Using?

Although this is the base of our curriculum it’s very possible we’ll make some changes through the year. Sometimes we discover something isn’t going to work from us. Because I review curricula, sometimes we end up reviewing something else that we discover is a great fit for our family and we either add it in on top of our base or we replace something. We’re kind of all over the place with our arts because it works for us!
Are you an eclectic homeschooler as well or do you use a specific curriculum? Do you have a favorite homeschool curriculum?
 

What I Learned at my First Homeschool Convention

May 21, 2016 by Emilee Evans

I can’t believe it’s been a week since I was at the Teach Them Diligently Convention in Sandusky. What a huge blessing it was! I got to connect with some amazing people – fellow homeschoolers, fellow homeschool bloggers, amazing speakers, vendors, and the amazing organizers. How amazingly refreshing to attend a convention that not only had great connections and information, but to attend a convention that is truly faith-based and supporting and encouraging discipleship.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for more information.
The few days before (including the first day of) the Teach Them Diligently Convention, things got a little crazy for our family. So, as the procrastinator that I am, I had nothing prepared before jumping in. I had looked over the sessions, but hadn’t yet chosen any! I knew when my volunteer shifts were, but I didn’t plan around them. I definitely was learning a lot along the way!
What I Learned Homeschool Convention Tips

Homeschool Convention Tips

Here are the homeschool convention tips that were my main takeaways:

Be Prepared

Given my preface, I’m sure you could guess I was going to say this. Seriously, though, I truly wish I had gone in better prepared. Look at every session and pray over it. Perhaps you may find that a session you initially overlooked may be the session God is leading you to. Despite my unpreparedness, I do feel praying over it helped me choose a session that was just what I needed from Simply Living for Him. It was amazing.
In addition to the sessions, I highly recommend having a plan for your meals as well. Are you taking a lunch or buying? If you’re buying where are you buying from? I went to get lunch at a quick food place within Kalahari, but the time it took to walk over there and then wait in line actually took too much time. I had to head back before I could even get food because I would have been late to my volunteer shift!
I, personally, attended alone and lived within a decent driving distance, so I did not have my family with me and did not stay in the hotel, so if you do plan on staying and having your family attend, I definitely recommend fully preparing for everything with your family in mind. For example, if our 6 year old was going to be with us, I would have prepared to have my husband and the kids do something flexible mid-day when he tends to get a little tired and irritated. That way they could even go back to the room for a rest if needed.

Take a Notebook and Pen

So, at my very first session, I felt a little silly when everyone around me was taking notes, and I had nothing to take notes on (or with). Of course, I always have my iPhone handy, and even take my iPad around with me once in a while. Although I am rather efficient at taking notes digitally, I also find getting out my phone can be distracting as well. I’m totally one of those people that has a compulsive need to get rid of the little red notification circles. So having a notebook and pen would be a much better option!
<h3take a Bag

Although we received a wonderful tote at registration, it’s always possible they could run out. Then you would be left without a bag to hold all the info you’re likely to pick up. Take a bag large enough to fit paper size materials that is also easy on your hand or shoulder. This way you can easily keep your notebook, things you need throughout the day, and still have enough room to pick up additional information.

Know Your Budget

Oh my goodness. Can I just say the Vendor Hall is amazing and overwhelming at the same time? Wow! If you don’t have a set budget going into it, it could be very easy to spend more than you intend to. The deals that are offered specifically at the convention are amazing and very hard to pass up. I can definitely say this first hand because thanks to some major dental work I had I had a budget of basically nothing. It was so, so hard to say “no” to all those things I thought we need.
After returning home and looking over all the information I picked up, there definitely were still some things that I do believe would have been a wise purchase (if budget allowed), but others I realized probably wouldn’t have been such a wise investment. Don’t be hasty to buy right when you see things. Take your time and visit vendors multiple times, then take a mental break to write everything down, the costs, and how you would integrate it in your homeschool. This will give you a snapshot of what you can and should buy as well as what you can’t or shouldn’t buy!

Volunteer

There are a variety of volunteer opportunities. There is the option to volunteer directly with Teach Them Diligently as well as some of the various vendors. Volunteer shifts are usually brief (2 hours at a time, for example, with 4-6 hours total) and either allow for free registration or offer monetary compensation.
If that alone isn’t enough, though, I actually have to say, it’s a great way to connect with others. I am most definitely an introvert. Put me in a room with 2-3 people and tell me to start up a conversation, and I’m stumbling over words. Put me in front of a lot of people, and I’m all kinds of chatty. I just love to help people, and volunteering put me in a position to do so. Essentially, it gave me a reason to talk to people! It was a great way to connect with the other vendors as well!
I cannot express enough how amazingly blessed I was by the Teach Them Diligently Convention. The fact that it is Gospel centered was a huge blessing, and I love that I connected with so many people. I saw people who live nearby that I see on a regular basis and got to connect with those I have only connected with online or those I only see once in a long while when we happen to be at the same event.
As someone who has been homeschooling for around 6 years now I have to say I definitely wish I had gone sooner. Now I will be waiting eagerly to go back to Teach Them Diligently in 2017! What are some of your favorite homeschool convention tips?
Here are some other great testimonials!
Testimonials Page
 
Have you heard of Homeschool Launch? It’s a great resource by Teach Them Diligently!
Homeschool Launch 2016
 

Tips for Homeschool Parents

April 1, 2016 by Emilee Evans

Today is the last day of the 5 Days of Tips for Homeschool Parents. I was only able to share a few tips during the blog hop as I was a little busier than expected because my son was injured on Easter. I shared tips for homeschooling through challenges such as tips for homeschooling when a child is ill or injured, tips for homeschooling when you are ill or injured and tips for homeschooling through fatigue and stress.
5 Days of Tips for Homeschooling Parents
You can check out all of my posts in the 5 Days of Tips for Homeschool Parents category which is also under the Homeschool drop down in my menu bar so the posts are easy to find.
Even though I only shared 3 posts, many members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew were participating, and I have read many of the posts, and they are amazing! There are so many different topics covered and they are shared from bloggers with different homeschool styles, family size, etc. You will definitely want to check them out!
Here are just a few of the participating bloggers:
Annette @ A Net In Time
Brandy @ Kingdom Academy Homeschool
Brenda @ Counting Pinecones
Carol @ Home Sweet Life
Cassandra @ A Glimpse of Normal
Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses
Cristi @ Through the Calm and Through the Storm
Crystal @ Crystal Starr
DaLynn @ Biblical Womanhood
Danielle @ Sensible Whimsy
To check out all of the participating homeschool bloggers be sure to visit the 5 Days of Tips for Homeschool Parents on the Schoolhouse Review Crew Blog!
 

Homeschooling Through Stress and Fatigue

March 31, 2016 by Emilee Evans

Fatigue and stress. Two unwelcome words that can wreak havoc on our day. Many times they can go hand-in-hand because excess stress can affect how we sleep. Sometimes they are completely independent. Regardless, homeschooling through stress and fatigue can be a big hindrance.
Over the past couple of days I’ve been sharing tips for homeschooling through challenges such as homeschooling when your child is ill or injured or homeschooling when ill or injured yourself. Just like illness and injury can be a challenge, fatigue and stress can be as well!
Homeschooling through stress and fatigue

Homeschooling through Stress

Stress can affect our children as well as us. Sometimes it’s the homeschooling itself that can cause stress! Curriculum not a good fit? Things not going as planned? (Link) Get homeschool back on track to reduce stress for both yourself and your children. When things are running smoothly, everyone can relax!
Sometimes we can’t easily change the situations in our lives that cause stress like financial troubles, family situations, physical ailments, etc., but we can change how we react to them and make a conscious choice to shut it off during our homeschool. 
We start each day with a prayer, and that’s a great time to pray over those stresses and then hand them over to God. Clear your mind and go into your homeschool day with God’s peace.

Homeschooling through Fatigue

Like stress, fatigue can affect your whole day. Fatigue can bring you down almost as much as an illness, which is why I would recommend many of the same tips I shared in homeschooling when ill or injured or even homeschooling with a chronic condition. In fact, fatigue goes along with my chronic condition! Here is a quick run-down of the tips I shared.

  • Know your resources and use them wisely.
  • Assign independent work.
  • Homeschool from a relaxing place.
  • Get help.
  • Set a schedule that could reduce fatigue for both yourself and your children.

If your schedule allows – take a day off! Sometimes one day off is all you need to feel refreshed and rested!

5 Days of Tips for Homeschool Parents

5 Days of Tips for Homeschool Parents
Do you need some encouragement today? Are you having different challenges? Good news! There are a variety of members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew that are participating in the 5 Days of Tips for Homeschool Parents Blog Hop. You definitely don’t want to miss it! Here are just a few of the participating bloggers:
Dawn @ Double O Farms
Dawn @ Guiding Light Homeschool
Debbie @ Debbie’s Homeschool Corner
Desiree @ Our Homeschool Notebook
Diana @ Busy Homeschool Days
Diana @ Homeschool Review
Elyse @ Oiralinde: Eternal Song
Erin @ For Him and My Family
Jen @ Chestnut Grove Academy
To check out all the participating bloggers be sure to visit the 5 Days of Tips for Homeschool Parents on the Schoolhouse Review Crew Blog! This is a series you don’t want to miss!
 

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