I love homeschooling, but sometimes I let it get a little overwhelming, especially when my “perfect” plans for the school just doesn’t work out the way that I imagine. Last year I was a part of the TOS Crew, a group of dedicated moms who review curriculum so that you get a clear idea of the best resources for your money, and I got an inside look at how TOS operates. And I’ve been very impressed.
This Labor Day holiday, The Old Schoolhouse is having a “Labor of Love” subscription sale — a celebration of our commitment to homeschooling. They are offering a one-year print subscription for just $7.95 or a one-year plus current issue print subscription for only $12.95!
My year of reviewing products and seeing how dedicated the staff at The Old Schoolhouse impressed me so much that I decided to take the subscription for their magazine. And that was one of the best things that I did for myself last year! Reading about other parent’s challenges (and unexpected triumphs) while homeschooling really helped me to understand that life happens to all of us, so stop stressing and start adapting to fit the new situations.
And I was surprised to see how interested in the magazine my own children were. I literally have to sneak the magazine in if I want to read it in peace! My eldest likes the stories about other homeschooling families and their children. My middle girl likes to look at the advertisements and see how she can spend my money. And little man just likes us to chase him around the house as we try to get the magazine back from him!
So from August 31 through midnight PDT on September 15 you and your homeschool group can take advantage of TOS’ crazy prices and join the fun of “steal the bacon” with your family! The sale starts August 30 at midnight and it will end on September 15 at midnight. Here are your subscription choices:
There are only 5,000 of these subscriptions available— once they’’re gone, they’’re gone. The sale could end before midnight on September 15th if they reach 5,000. So spread the word and grab your own — the encouragement alone more than covers the subscription price.
Yes, The SchoolHouse Expo is back in town and I can’t wait! With the family trying to get back into the homeschooling routine, I’m looking forward to the timely tips and suggestions that the Expo will provide. And best of all I don’t have to drive!
Registration is open for the online Schoolhouse Expo, October 4-8. It’s five days of top homeschool speakers, fellowship, and fun door prizes. You can save $5 per ticket if you register between August 16 and midnight August 22, and you’ll pay only $19.99. Plus you’ll receive over $200 in free E-Books.
You’ll be inspired by speakers including: Zan Tyler, Dr. Jay Wile, Jeannie Fulbright,Carol Barnier, Diana Waring, Todd Wilson, Davis Carman, Kim Kautzer, Lee Binz, and many more!
A special teen track is planned–the entire family will definitely want to listen to these special sessions. We’ve also planned a special focus on a topic that touches every homeschool–writing. Plus, an array of other topics that will inform and inspire you throughout your homeschooling years.
And better yet, if you miss a session because you’re car-schooling you can always listen later because we get MP3 copies of each session comes with your LIVE event ticket. Two special pre-conference shows on August 24 and September 21 with Dr. Jay Wile, Jeannie Fulbright, and Kim Kautzer!
The theme this fall is “Celebrate Homeschooling!” It’s going to be a celebration of the unique blessings of homeschooling, the beginning of another school year, our families, and the freedom to tailor our children’s education to best meet their needs.
If you already have made plans and cannot make the Live event, then the October Expo To Go is just your ticket! You’ll reserve MP3s from all of the workshops. This week only, pay just $14.95!
You can visit either of these links to get more information:
In this age of typing software programs I was quite curious how effective an e-book on typing would be. I learned how to type using a typing course book, but that was back in the dark ages of typewriters. Could it really be an effective way to teach kids how to type on a computer? And of course the answer is “yes.” It may not be as exciting as the video typing games for kids, but it does get the job done and done well.
While electronic typing programs have more flash, music and animation, Keyboarding for the Christian School does make the children focus on what’s right in front of them. There’s nothing to distract their minds from the task at hand because they’re not anticipating dancing bears or exploding asteroids to appear after the complete their exercises. For my children, at least, this is a big plus. However, it did make getting them to practice a bit harder because they found that portion “boring.”
While the keyboarding instruction at the beginning of the manual was pretty standard, what really impressed me was the way that the author introduced the word processing components to the lessons. As a virtual assistant I am very proficient with many programs, but was a little at a loss of the best way to teach the girls. After working with a product for so long I sometimes find it difficult to explain the basics in an easily digestible manner. But this book really does a great job.
This course covers everything from the basic keyboarding positions to how to create MLA and APA reports, proofreading marks and their usage, timed writings, personal letters and envelopes as well as how to create proper cover pages, works cited and bibliographies. These are skills that are needed in the academic and business world. My husband and I cringe before poorly formatted word processing documents, so we were quite pleased to see emphasis put on properly constructing a document by using tabs and tables effectively.
This is an excellent introduction to the world of keyboarding and it’s practical applications. However, secular homeschoolers may have some difficulty with the practice material since, with the exception of the business letter section, sample text is taken from the Bible. Also, the MLA and APA reports are Christian viewpoint essays.
The Keyboarding for the Christian Homeschool is available for immediate download for only $15.95. There are free samples available on the parent site which is www.ChristianKeyboarding.com.
That’s right the TOS Crew is looking for a few good families to come aboard and help us on our mission. Are you a homeschooler who loves blogging, writing, tweeting, and Facebooking (is that really a word?) ? Well, if so I’ve got good news for you. Beginning today through March 12, 2010 The Old School House are looking for new crew members to join our ranks and you could be one of us!
I joined the crew this past year and I must say that it has been an adventure for me and my family. Doing the curriculum reviews has actually helped me to identify my children’s strengths and weaknesses and use different tools to help them along their way. I’ve met amazing curriculum advisors who have taken the time to answer my questions and teach me a lot about how to be a more effective teacher to my children.
On a personal note, I’ve made friends with many homeschooling families that I may never have met during the course of a normal cyber-day. Overall, this has been the best experience that I’ve had in a long time. I’m doing the things I love (teaching and writing), exposing my children to different ways of tackling problems and best of all having a lot of fun!
So don’t be shy! The deadline for applying is March 12, 2010. Step right up and see if you have what it takes to begin your maiden voyage with the TOS Crew. You can learn more about the selection process by visiting The Old School House. Jump right in, the water’s fine! I hope to see you next year.
I just got this in my email and I wanted to make sure that I get the word out about a convention that highlights the necessity and rewards of saying what you mean. If you have a chance, check it out. It’s Virtual & Free! Thanks Teri for letting me know about it! And Teri is also one of the many homeschooling business sponsors.
The Say What You Mean Convention is being hosted by JoJo Tabares and it’s happening on Wednesday, February 3. It’s absolutely free and completely virtual so you can attend even in your PJs! This year’s theme is The Three Flavors of Communication: Writing, Speech and Conversation. Tune into the live events on Wednesday, February 3rd. There will be a total of six live events, seminars and workshops throughout the day teaching various aspects of communication beginning at 8am PST/9am MST/10 am CST/11 am EST.
P.S. Teri has a brand new re-designed newsletter a little bit. Check it out at: http://www.knowledgehouse.info/KHnews/02-2010.html. You will find a biography of a famous homeschooled photographer, lots of downloadable freebies and interesting links!
All About Spelling is a system that teaches spelling and phonics rules to children. It is a multi-sensory program — the lessons involve sight, sound, and touch. So it has something for all types of learners. For the visual learners they have the laminated letters and an extensive array of flash cards designed to test your child’s knowledge not only of their required spelling word, but the phonics rules that surround the word. For the kinesthetic learners, they can use the laminated letters and colored disks to do their sounding out exercises as well as forming complete words.
The techniques used in this program have long been used by Orton-Gillingham practitioners, and now they are available to homeschoolers through the All About Spelling program. All About Spelling combines the very best of the Orton-Gillingham approach with the latest research and proven spelling rules. And the staff of All About Spelling were also very willing to help with any questions or problems. Having that type of support when you are working with a new program is always appreciated.
As a parent there are many things that I enjoyed about this program. Being a work at home mom as well as a homeschooler, having the entire course scripted really saved me a lot of time when it came to prep work for the girls. Even if you haven’t had time to read through the lesson ahead of time, it’s easy to pick up where you left off and keep going. I also loved the laminated letters.
I received several sheets of laminated letters, letter combinations and even subheadings to help classify the different phonogram types. There are separate letters with extra vowels and other letters that can appear more than once in a word (such as the letter “s”). And then there are letter tiles that contain the phonogram combinations (i.e., “nk” or “th”). That was just so cool because so many ties I find an interesting curriculum, but I’m the one mstuck with creating the materials (or improving the components that I received). Having everything laminated and labeled saves lots of time and aggravation for me.
My eldest daughter enjoyed the ability to do the spelling work using the magnets since it eliminated her need to write out her words longhand. The flash cards were also instrumental in helping her to remember some of the spelling rules that have eluded her over the years. My younger daughter didn’t mind working with the tiles, but she didn’t like the little disks that she had to use to sound out the letters. Let me rephrase that — she loved the little circles that are used when the child is sounding out the words. Unfortunately she liked them for table hockey and finger frisbee. So I had to take those away from her for my sanity. My three year old son loves the magnetic tiles because he can move teh letters around when we sing the alphabet song together. So there’s something for everyone.
One thing that made this spelling course different (for me at least) was that they deal with the phonograms and not just the phonics. Phonics tries to teach spelling by sounding words out, but there are more sounds in English than phonics can work around. And that’s where the concepts of sight words come into play. Anything that doesn’t fit easily into the “phonics box” is memorized. This program does explain the other phonograms and talks about the rules that apply to them. Other programs that I have been exposed to didn’t do this as extensively if at all.
This is a good program for families who want their children to be good spellers and get a handle on the many rules that surround the English language. It’s both parent and child friendly and easy to work with. And with the daily review of the previous lessons you can be confident that the children are gaining a mastery over their subject matter.
The All About Spelling program has six levels so it there is something for every age within the family. The program is also very economical since once you get the starter kit, all you’ll have to buy in the future are the additional workbooks for the next set of children. So, this program would also work well for larger families too. You can learn more about the program by visiting www.all-about-spelling.com.
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/2/tymgpw
If a family is not wealthy and living on one income, how do they afford to homeschool their children? Do they get a stipend from the state government per child? If so, does that differ according to state? What about Minnesota, where I live? Is there a website with this information on it?
Thanks!
In Indiana it was far less expensive to home school that it was when my son was in public school. The book fees and registration fees alone were almost $1000.00 per year in our district. My son’s curriculum for his last year were only $150.00. Many of the public libraries have the text books used in the public schools. There are also websites where you can print worksheets. If you google home schooling you will find a lot of information.
Although I’m not an unschooler, I just can’t resist this Unschooling Conference Cruise because one thing that I promised myself this year was that I want my children to have a fabulous learning adventure this year. And after reading this I think I’ve found the perfect venue to fit the bill. Check it out!
2010 Life Rocks! Unschooling Conference Cruise
Click here for all of the information, including pricing…
April 18-25, 2010 (7 Nights)
Ship: Royal Caribbean’s “Freedom Of The Seas”
Departure Port: Port Canaveral, Florida
Ports of Call:
* Labadee, Haiti
* Ocho Rios, Jamaica
* George Town, Cayman Islands
* Cozumel, Mexico
Join your hosts, Dayna & Joe Martin, for the ultimate week-long Unschooling adventure and celebration!
You are invited to sail on board the Freedom of the Seas ship, and visit four different exotic locations with other Unschooling families! This is the ultimate, all-inclusive vacation within an unforgettable Unschooling Conference! Swim with the Stingrays in Grand Cayman, Visit Mayan Ruins or swim with the dolphins in Cozumel, Mexico, Enjoy a blissful day at our private water park on the beach of Haiti, Climb Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and explore jungles, ancient cities and beaches.
This Unschooling Conference Cruise is like nothing you have ever seen or experienced before! Whether you are just exploring Unschooling, or you are an experienced Radical Unschooling family, this conference cruise is a life changing and life affirming experience.
This ship is one of the newest and best in the Royal Caribbean fleet. This leading-edge line of Cruise ships happens to be the same Royal Caribbean line of ships that Nickelodeon Cruises uses. Can you say perfect for a group of wild, free, joy-lovin’ families?!
This cruise is not only perfect for families, it is also ideal for teens and young adults who want to travel to four countries/islands and experience something new and fabulous! All leading-edge thinkers and autonomous learners are welcome and encouraged to join our Conference Cruise to the Caribbean!
On the cruise we enjoy support and connections to others walking this path, inspiration and information from our conference speakers, opportunities for growth and learning through traveling to 4 different countries and being at sea on a ship for a week …
Travel, Freedom, Community of Kindness, Respect and Love, and the Joy of creating memories that your children will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Living on a boat for a week gives you a different perspective on life and the world itself. You can actually see and feel how much water is out there – how huge the ocean is – and by sailing on it, you gain such reverence for the earth in a new way.
Give your family as big of a world as possible: travel and see new places, different cultures, learn, grow and explore together … with your Unschooling tribe!
See you on the “Freedom of the Seas” ship on April 18th at the Life Rocks! Unschooling Conference Cruise
Visit www.UnschoolingontheSeas.com, Alumni Cruises, 1-800-516-5247, www.alumnicruises.travel for more information.
Any of you who may have bought microscopes for your homeschool kids, what was the price range you paid, features you looked for and what did you use it for? I was a veterinary pathologist so when I look at one I am looking for way more than my kids need. Thanks for the advice. Oh, any good sites to shop?
Hi! I live in a college town and have seen a lot of microscopes go through Goodwill for a fraction of the price a new one would cost. Glad you are homeschooling. I really feel it is a way for children to get a superior education. Teach on!
-Spec
I'm a homeschooling mom with seven children: 3 human, 2 feline and 2 canine. I'm also the wife of one very patient husband who seems to like the role of ringmaster to our circus. I am a virtual assistant who enjoys writing, crafts, music and laughter. I hope you'll visit often. Please be aware that this blog is supported by affiliate links, although every link isn't necessarily an affiliate program.
I love homeschooling, but sometimes I let it get a little overwhelming, especially when my “perfect” plans for the school just doesn’t work out the way that I imagine. Last year I was a part of the TOS Crew, a group of dedicated moms who review curriculum so that you get a clear idea of the best resources for your money, and I got an inside look at how TOS operates. And I’ve been very impressed.
In this age of typing software programs I was quite curious how effective an e-book on typing would be. I learned how to type using a typing course book, but that was back in the dark ages of typewriters. Could it really be an effective way to teach kids how to type on a computer? And of course the answer is “yes.” It may not be as exciting as the video typing games for kids, but it does get the job done and done well.
Learn how to use alphabet sound charts to teach kids to read through homeschooling in this free home schooling and tutoring video clip.
