Frugal and FUN Homeschool English Resources for Your Kids and Teens - Plus Online Book Clubs

Here at BJ's Homeschool, we are all about frugal and quality resources and curriculum for your kids and teens.

Are you wanting a full language arts program that's fun!

Finding a good language arts curriculum can be tough. There are so many factors to consider: 

• Will my child enjoy it? 

• How much prep work is it for me,?

• Will it teach grammar, writing, and literature?

• And can it be fun at the same time?

Today I want to share a curriculum that checks off all the boxes for a full language arts curriculum but goes one step further. It is actually fun for the kids!

That curriculum is Literary Adventures for Kids by my friend, Dachelle, who you know from Hide the Chocolate

What is Literary Adventures for Kids?

• A full language arts curriculum - All courses include literature and age-appropriate grammar and vocabulary.

• Each course is based on a book and is approximately a month in length.

• The book clubs include optional hands-on projects that are sprinkled like Magic Dust throughout the course.

• Every course includes Rabbit Trails - These are parallel learning experiences that take deep dives into some of the subjects touched on in the book.

• There are currently 4 different types of book clubs:

 

• Nature Book Clubs: These guide your early elementary student through reading picture books while exploring different creatures and plants in nature and leading them on Outside Adventures (nature observations). These book clubs include copywork and beginning grammar lessons.

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• Elementary Picture Book Clubs: These guide your early elementary student through reading picture books while exploring rabbit trails. These book clubs include copywork and beginning grammar lessons.

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• Family Book Clubs: These guide your elementary and middle school students through a novel for kids while exploring history, art, pop culture, geography, music, or other subjects that are parallel to the story. These book clubs include four weeks of copywork, grammar, vocabulary, and a monthly writing project.

• High School Book Clubs: These guide your high school students through a novel while exploring subjects that are parallel to the story. These book clubs include four weeks of vocabulary, grammar, spelling, literary elements, critical thinking questions, freewriting, and a monthly writing project.

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• And, all courses include a Party School! This is the pinnacle of the Online Book Club experience. At the end of each literature study, students will celebrate the novel with a party. Invite friends or family over for some literary fun! All the ideas for food, decorations, and activities are included.

That's just a quick overview of Literary Adventures for Kids online book clubs. If you want to really dig in and see what some of them are like, check out the free book clubs.n and see what some of them are like, check out the free book clubs.

Click Here for the Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs Book Club for Elementary 

Click Here for the Wonder Book Club for Elementary and Middle School

Click Here for the Call of The Wild Book Club for High School 

 

And, if you decide these might be a good fit, you can use my code, ??, for 20% off! I highly recommend that you take a look at these English resources, which are frugal and I think, very well put together.

Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool,

Betsy

Betsy is mom to her college grad, whom she homeschooled through high school.  

She blogs at BJ's Homeschool, about the early years, highschool, college, and wrote - Homeschooling High School with College in Mind, 2nd Edition. Betsy offers homeschool help through BJ's Consulting and has had her articles picked up by the Huffington Post.

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Homeschooling High School - How To's and More

 

Summary: Homeschool your teen with my guide to high school will give you the resources so that you can focus on your teen's needs and enjoy this special time with them as they grow up.  Kindle now FREE to read on Amazon Prime.  #homeschoolhighschool #homeschooltranscripts  

Are you homeschooling a teen, or thinking about homeschooling 

high school? Or already doing that?

Does that give you pause?  

They did for me, until I found out that homeschooling high school was really not that hard to do.

This step-by- step book can help guide you as you homeschool your precious teens, your way.

It is an easy-to-read guide for homeschooling your teen including:

• choosing your high school curriculum
• homeschool transcripts step by step guide
• assigning high school credits
• making your 3 or 4 year high school plan
• creating your own homemade courses the easy way
• where are the best scholarships?
• choosing high school electives
• Common Application guide 
• reference letters for college apps
• course descriptions 
• lots more.

With 12 PLANNING PRINTABLES

The paperback and the kindle allow you to downloaded them including:

• Making a high school plan
•  Curriculum planning
• Credit recording form 
• Transcript form with step -by-step instructions
• College entrance requirements for your student, just in case they decide to go there.
• P.E. Form
•  Course descriptions recording form and more.

Frugal Paperback and Kindle and 

 Kindle is free to read on Amazon Prime

I homeschooled my teen through high school, then helped her get into each of the colleges she applied to with scholarship offers.  including a tier 1 University. 

 (Not that everyone needs college. That was just where my teen was headed.) After that, I met Lessa Scherrer, a certified college counselor and worked with her, advising her on the college application process for homeschoolers.    

Then I put my best tips for high school into this book. And I am honored that Lessa, certified college counselor, wrote the introduction to my book. For more information I invite you to click here.  The video below shares more about the book and how we got our daughter into college.

My hope is that it will be an encouragement to you for record keeping and more, so that you can focus on your teen's needs and have fun family activities along the way.

Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool,

Betsy

Betsy is a Christian and mom to her college grad whom she homeschooled from the early years onward.  She blogs at BJ's Homeschool, about the early years, high school & college and wrote Homeschooling High School with College in Mind, 2nd edition.   She offers homeschool help through BJ's Consulting. 

Let's stay in touch! 

 Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook 

Copyright @ BJ's Homeschool 2022

All Rights Reserved

Getting Your Homeschooled Teen Into College - Video by BJ's Homeschool

Summary:  Video based - 8 Tips for Getting Your Homeschooled Teen into College.  And it is not that hard to do. #homeschoolhighschool #gettingintocollege

Hi! I am Betsy from BJ's Homeschool where I blog about high school, college, and frugal resources.

Today I will be sharing 8 tips for homeschooling your college bound teen.  Many of these tips will also apply to teens who are headed to trade school or community college. 

I helped my daughter get into each of the colleges that she applied to with scholarship offers.  

 

Join with me on Getting Your Homeschooled Teen into College by clicking on the video and follow along with the step by step guide below.

To get started....let's talk about college entrance requirements.

1.  Know your prospective college's admission requirements

You will find these on the college websites.  Check at least 3 colleges in your research.  They are not all the same.  They vary from college to college.

Look for "freshman admission requirements" 

They will list the CORE COURSES required and credits required in:

•  Math
•  Science
•  English
• Social Studies
• Foreign Language
• Fine Arts
• Electives

FREE download on Getting Started with College Research

2.  Choosing Your Homeschool High School Curriculum

My favorite resources for curriculum searching:

 - CURRICULUM DIRECTORY at Let's Homeschool High School

This curriculum directory for high school is the most complete one I have seen. I invite you to check it out.

- THE CURRICULUM CHOICE

This site is full of curriculum reviews, written by a team of authors (I am happy to be one) who have actually used the curriculum.  Mostly faith based options.

Our favorites for high school curriculum, and how they helped us get the college requirements for  done are in my book.

Free PDF on High School Helps - Full of top articles on high school.

FREE PDF High School Helps 

--No email needed--

3.  Making Your Teen's Transcript

What are transcripts really?

"Transcripts are a record of the courses your child completed in high school, the credit he earned for each course, and each course's final grade. Transcripts also include personal information used for identification purposes and, usually, a grade point average (GPA)." 

From HSLDA

Transcripts include all courses and studies your student has done, in the home and out.  It is the place to compile all courses, including those from a community college or public school. 

SAMPLE HOMESCHOOL TRANSCRIPT 

Teachers Pay Teachers:

My book has a full chapter on transcripts plus an Official Transcript Form, with step by step directions, to just fill in.  It is the kind of form that the colleges are used to seeing.

4.  Do High School Electives 

Did  you know that your teen's electives can be key to getting into college?  

Colleges want to see what activities and electives your student has completed. Let's talk about:

Special interests and skills

Leadership

Perseverance

Working with others

More on high school electives and how to share them with the colleges are in my book.  Also included is my list of 100 High School Electives.

5.  Add in an additional credit or 2 in a core course to show rigor  

AP courses?

SAT Subject tests?

Dual Credit?

Another way to show rigor is:

--Adding in an extra core course or two can show rigor.-

Based on your teen's strengths and interests. 

6.  Know the # of high school credits that will be required by the colleges. 

This can vary from college to college.  It will be on the college's page on freshman admissions requirements.  Our prospective colleges asked for 24 credits.  But best to check with the college your teen is applying to.

7. Do the PSAT and Prep for SAT/ACT
 

Why do the PSAT?

SAT/ACT Prep 

Scholarships

Schedule the SAT or ACT during the junior year of high school. 

Much more on the SAT/ACT and test prep frugal resources are in my book. Including how to decide which test to use.

8. Get the College Application & FASFA in.  

The Common Application

College admission tend to be on a first come, first serve basis, so try to get your teen's college application in early, in the fall of senior year.

The FAFSA

For scholarship consideration or financial aid.  

FAFSA comes out October 1st.  Do it in senior year.

The FASFA is the application for financial aid, but it is also used for scholarship consideration by your colleges.  

And don't forget - Memory Making/Don't forget the Fun!

Getting out in nature with your teen.

Sharing your hobbies

Photography?

Handwork?

Crafts?

Sports?

Doing projects together

Video Making?

Special Routines

Tea Time?

Book Clubs?

Nature Study?

Special Events

Bird Counts?

Contests?

My book offers many more tips on homeschooling high school and getting into college. 

It is a FRUGAL easy-to-read guide for homeschooling your college bound teen on Amazon including:

• what is needed for college admissions
• homeschool transcripts
• assigning high school credits
• preparing for college writing
• make your own homemade courses
• scholarships
• my Common Application guide
• reference letters
• course descriptions
• lots more.

Note: Kindle is now free to read on Amazon Prime.

Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool,

Betsy

Betsy is a Christian and mom to her college grad whom she homeschooled from the early years onward.  She blogs at BJ's Homeschool, about the early years, high school & college and wrote Homeschooling High School with College in Mind, 2nd edition.   She offers homeschool help through BJ's Consulting. 

Follow her on Pinterest or Facebook for more on high school and college plus frugal resources.

Copyright @ BJ's Homeschool 2022

All Rights Reserved

The Nervous Mom's Guide to College

Summary:  A step by step guide to homeschooling your college bound teen.  "homeschoolhighschool" "getintocollege" 

Are your homeschooled teens interested in college?  

Mine was and is now a college grad. 

This article has been published on the iHomeschool Network.

It is full of tips and helps for getting into college as a homeschooler. 

To reach my article on applying to college as a homeschooler, click on the link below:

Homeschool to College, It Isn't That Hard!

Be encouraged!!  My teen got into each of the colleges she applied to, with scholarship offers.

If you missed that link, here it is again.  The Nervous Mom's Guide to College is here.

Feel free to send me your questions, too.

More tips on getting into college as a homeschooler, plus how to plan your high school at home are in my frugal book below.

 Homeschooling High School with College in Mind, 2nd Edition

Frugal Paperback and Kindle are on 

Amazon 

This book includes:

>Chapter 1 - How to Start Homeschooling if you are New to Homeschooling

>Chapter 2 - 101 Reasons to Homeschool High School

>Chapter 3 - Researching and Getting Started

  Chapter 4 - Planning High School and Making a 4 Year Plan

>Chapter 5 - Choosing Your High School Curriculum

>Chapter 6 - Three Ways to High School Credit

>Chapter 7 - Making Your Teen's Transcripts

>Chapter 8 - 100 High School Electives

>Chapter 9 - Making Homemade Courses

>Chapter 10 - Writing a Winning College Essay

>Chapter 11 - Course Descriptions and Reference Letters

>Chapter 12 - The Common Application 

>Chapter 13 - Preparing Your Teen for College Writing

>Chapter 14 - Dealing with College Testing SAT/ACT

>Chapter 15 - Top Sources for College Scholarships

>Chapter 16 - Dealing with “Those Questions” from Others

>Chapter 17 - Don’t Forget the FUN!

The good folks at Lit Pick, a great place to find quality, faith based books for your kids and teens, were kind enough to review my book.  Click here to read that. 

Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool,

Betsy

Betsy homeschooled her now college grad from preschool through high school.  Her teen loved that she had multiple offers for college acceptance with scholarship offers.  Betsy blogs at BJ's Homeschool, about high school, college and the early years, too.  She offers homeschool help at BJ's Consulting, and loves meeting with homeschool families.