Holiday Homeschool Freebies

Need or want some inspiration for keeping the kids interested this holiday season? Check out the link below for loads of freebies and ideas for learning. This week we shift into Christmas mode with some delightful(and unique)holiday stories and resources to make the season all the more meaningful for you.


Here's your lineup:


Monday, Dec 9th:
HOMESCHOOL FOR THE HOLIDAYS (PDF ebook)
Loads of practical, hands-on holiday wisdom from Homeschooling Families

Tuesday, Dec 10th:
THE FIRST NEW ENGLAND CHRISTMAS: A STORY OF LIFE IN THE COLONIES (PDF ebook)
This story of how the colonists of 1620 celebrated Christmas will surprise you!

Wednesday, Dec 11th:
THE CHRISTMAS OF 1776 (PDF ebook)
A young girl's Christmas during the American Revolution - great living history

Thursday, Dec 12th:
CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY (MP3 audiobook)
Don't miss this wonderful classic story of wishes that shouldn't come true

Friday, Dec 13th:
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (streaming video)
Amazing animation in the spirit of the original illustrations - wonderful!

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All of the above resources will be available on their respective days this week at:
http://www.homeschoolfreebieoftheday.com

24 Hours

 As I was taking our dog, Gunner, on his daily 2 mile walk around the neighborhood, I was amazed at the difference in my mental attitude from just 24 hours ago.
 Yesterday, I was feeling a little down, depressed, in a funk, unmotivated...whatever you want to call it. Nothing of any importance happened to make me feel this way. Just "got up on the wrong side of the bed" kind of day. It was dark, windy and very wet weather making the house feel dark on top of my dark mood. I did manage to get the girls guided through their school work...although, my tolerance level was low. During algebra, I was not making any sense to them, or myself for that matter, the lack of patience and my mood forced us to put away the lesson. Finished early, I retreated to my bedroom and sulked away the afternoon. I never managed to get out of my pajamas either. That kind of day.
  Yet today, on the walk with Gunner, I was feeling content, happy, accomplished, motivated, refreshed...you get the idea. And again, nothing in particular happened to make me feel this way either. I got up "on the right side of the bed" today. The girls went to co-op first thing, and I managed to get some things accomplished. I made it out of pajamas, got pictures of items and listed them on Etsy, made a blog post, and granola started in the oven. The girls returned and we flew through the second half of the algebra that we abandoned yesterday and completed the remainder of the school day in record time.  Then the walk with Gunner.
 We have all heard the saying "Take an aspirin and call me in the morning."  When we really think about it, 24 hours can make a big difference mentally, spiritually and physically. Physically, you can take a medicine and within 24 hours feel like a new human being. Spiritually, you can make the choice to be baptized into Christ and "...be raised with Him through faith in the working of God..." Colossians 2:12. Mentally, like me, you wake up on the wrong side one day and on the right side 24 hours later.
 Being a child of a mother that committed suicide, I just wonder what could have been so wrong that she couldn't see that tomorrow would be a new day. I don't generally share my feelings concerning her death, but while walking today, I realized that  her decision is not a reflection of who I am. The result of not having her in my life makes me sad a times and long for a mom, but not having her has not been all negative. A positive of not having her is that I fell it has made me the mother that I am today. I desperately try to not take moments for granted with my own daughter and steal a kiss or hug every chance I get. Maybe it comes down to being able to forgive yourself, ask God for his forgiveness and move on. 

College Prep

College Prep? Oh, I have plenty of time for that, right?

As we all know, time flies when you are having fun, and as my grandad would say, even when you're not. Preparing kids for college seems like a daunting task if you ask me. Starting the home school journey a little later than most, we have had no time to waste when it comes to preparing for the college exams. 

Here are a few of the resources we have found to help her prep:

1. Princeton Review  

 After attending a seminar at a local community college, we were on a mailing list for this company. The best part about getting on the mailing list was when they sent us a notice about an opportunity to take a FREE ACT, SAT, OR PSAT. I realize this is a tactic to get your money in the end, however, we took advantage of the opportunity. Having a daughter with test anxiety, it was nice for her to take the test when "it didn't matter."  She got to experience the test without the normal pressure and it proved to really boost her confidence. She returned a week later to get her score and a 1 1/2 hour review of test, along with tips for taking the test in the future. 

2. Flash cards     

 Barron's flash cards have proved to be a great resource. We ordered ours HERE. Each test section has a set of cards devoted to test strategy and a set of cards devoted to sample questions. The sample question cards have explanations for the right answer, as well as why the other answers are not correct. Having these flashcards has helped my daughter feel like taking this test is a game instead of testing her for knowledge, which is exactly how they are designed.

3. Books of the tests

 We were fortunate enough to have a former co-worker of mine give us a test prep book that her daughter had only slightly used. The Kaplan SAT test prep book has 12 full length practice tests. It contains detailed answer explanations, similar to the flash cards. I am sure there are many others, but this is the one we happen to have and use.

Keep in mind the learning style of your teenager when considering which source or sources to use. One or even a combination of the resources may benefit you, while some of the options may be a waste of time. This is by no means an exhaustive list of college prep material, just a few of the ones we have found and have used. 

I would enjoy hearing what you have done for your college bound student! I can NEVER have too much help in this area.  Thanks for stopping by.

Home School History

Where do I fall in this chart? I am a parent of one. I have an associate degree in dental hygiene. We spend over $600 a year for schooling...we pay to have my daughter's records kept by Bridgeway Academy. My husband and I were not home school. We began home schooling because we were not satisfied with the education our daughter was receiving at the local high school. We live in Texas, so the regulation on home schooling is simple. We have been home schooling for one year, about to start junior year of high school! If you have found this as a result of searching out information to decided if home schooling is the right thing for your family, I hope this has helped in some small way. The decision to school your child/children at home is a BIG ONE! The reasons are personal and only you can decide what is best for you and your kiddos...and remember YOU know them BEST. I was really the last person on earth that thought she would be a home school mom, yet it has been one of the best decisions I have made as a parent. My daughter is not only happier but healthier because of the decision. I would love to hear where you and your family fall in this chart! Thanks for stopping by!
Source: TopMastersInEducation.com