Our Favorite Frugal Homeschool Curriculum Choices for Math - PreK through High School




Summary:  Are your kids struggling with their chosen math curriculum? Are you looking for another way to go that might fit their learning style better? How we dealt with math through the years when we needed to make changes in our curriculum. #homeschoolmath



Are you kids struggling with their chosen math curriculum?  Are you looking for another way to go that might fit their learning style better?

We switched out our math curriculum more than once in our homeschool, once in elementary, and then again in high school.

Sometimes our original choice in homeschool math curriculum just didn't make the grade, so to speak.  

So we did search around for other options again, and each time we found a math curriculum that worked better than the original one. 

It was hard to let go of our initial homeschool curriculum choice, and it did impact our budget, but each time it made for a happy math student in our house.  

And success in her math studies.  Let's start with preschool, and go through our favorites for math, all the way through high school.

PRESCHOOL MATH



Math has actually always been something that my daughter looked forward in our homeschool.  

From playful learning approaches during preschool/K through elementary, we have always tried to take a hands-on approach.  

And each of our math curriculum favorites showed us just how to teach math to our child.  And it was not hard to do.





For preschool we recommend a play oriented approach.  Counting, adding, subtracting, making sets....all of that can be discovered through play.  

To see how we did that in our home, I invite you to click here for my article on:  HomeschoolingEarly Math - Making Your Manipulative Kit and More.  

KINDERGARTEN MATH

My friend, Amy has encouragement and information on a new kindergarten curriculum in her article here - Homeschool Math with Confidence.  It includes a video interview with the creator of this new option for kindergarten curriculum.
For kindergarten, another nice option is Saxon Math.  It has a nice hands-on approach, and Amy, of the Curriculum Choice, has a review on Saxon Math Kindergarten

ELEMENTARY MATH

Then in the primary grades, we chose Saxon Math.

Young learners often need to see, feel, and touch objects to learn the processes of basic math.  There are lots of used Saxon curriculum resources on the web, under homeschool used curriculum.

Saxon Math is available all the way through high school.


MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH



For Pre-Algebra, we chose Saxon Dive dvd's  I did not recall my pre-Algebra facts, who does really?  

I loved how they explained each problem, using a chalkboard.  The instructor wrote out each problem as he discussed them.

Saxon also has another product called video education. A sample 5th grade lesson, using that product is here.  

During these years, we enjoyed living math activites, too, such as:

  • introducing checking accounts 
  • how to balance a checkbook 
  • our household bills

Seeing her math lessons being used in real life, made them more interesting.


HIGH SCHOOL MATH



Doing homeschool math in high school.....Many of us are leery of that.  I was at first.  But with a solid homeschool math curriculum, I found it to be more than doable.

We began Algebra 1 in 9th grade, and decided to try Teaching Textbooks.

I liked how TT offered even more help through their Teaching Textbook DVD's and we were happy having all their dvd's, 
especially the ones that explained errors in the practice problems.

photo credit - www.aop.com


Then in 10th grade we used Monarch (SOS)

  
We liked how thorough and more repetitive they were compared to Teaching Textbooks.   

That helped my daughter with retention.

I also loved how it was self-graded and included a video lectures for each lesson, plus lots 
of practice, and some hands-on math projects as well.


Living Math activities in high school centered on:


  • getting and managing a savings account 
  • learning about taxes while she watched us do that 
  • car insurance 
  • saving and compounding interest
  • as well as family budgeting.


Doing these living math acitivites above were easy to teach, just by including my daughter in our family budgeting activities.  

Don't miss Amy's article, full of tips and encouragement for math for all ages here -Homeschool Math with Confidence.


Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool,


Betsy

Betsy is mom to her now college grad, whom she homeschooled through high school.  She blogs at BJ's Homeschool, about the early yearshighschool
collegegifted/2e and wrote -Homeschooling High School with College in Mind, 2nd Edition,   She offers homeschool help through messages at BJ's Consulting and has had some of her articles picked up by the Huffington Post.


Want to stay in touch?


Subscribe, Pinterest, Facebook 


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Just encouragement for your homeschool 
in your inbox.



All rights reserved. 2021 @ BJ's Homeschool

Homeschooling High School - Make Your Teen a Frugal Study Space





Summary:  How to make a homeschool high school teen space, using what is on hand at home.  Plus organizational methods for storing study supplies.  #homeschoolhighschool #homeschoolstudyspaces #homeschoolrooms #organizationalmethodshomeschool


Are you looking for some new ideas for making a study space for yourself, or your homeschooled teen?

Today, I am sharing how we fixed up our homeschool space for my high schooler.  We had a lot of fun doing this together. 

I wanted her to have a cozy place to study, and she was looking forward to having it in her own room.  We didn't have a desk in the house, so we set about making one.

Making a Desk

We didn't have a desk so we used what we had and put one together ourselves.

By combined a small chest of drawers with a wooden table, that we already had.  Then we went to Goodwill, together, and looked around for a desk shelf.  



Can you see the fish rug on the floor above?  

It was made from a puzzle, that my teen put together, then just added a layer of clear packing tape.  By the way, our kitten ran in while I was taking this picture, so he was a surprise addition to it...!

We then found a desk chair at a garage sale. 

After that, my daughter went about decorating it with her favorite things. She put in her touches, to make it her own.  I loved how she kept one of her stuffed penguins, and found a place for it, in her high school desk area.

Can you see the penguin here?  She also stores our printer on her desk, one that we found used from a computer shop.  

Next, my teen did some simple redecorating, along the walls of her room.  She took down her old things, and updated them with her new finds, including this one....






The Reading Nook

Above, my daughter worked on an old bookshelf that we had from her earlier years.

It was used before as a little reading area, when she was little. We decided to use the same bookshelves, and remake it into a teen reading space....




Organizing Study Supplies

Next, we went shopping for school supplies, getting what was needed for certain subjects, like a protractor for math, along with lots of spiral notebooks.  

We bought three for each subject.  We gathered together all the supplies and books needed for each subject, and just put them into a box.




Our Workboxing Method

We used the spiral notebooks for her written work, such as essay drafts, math problems, taking notes on a history text, etc.  That way, we didn't have the problem of losing and having to find this paper and that.

It was our version of the workboxing method...I know it is not truly workboxing, but it was our way of doing it!  And. later, when my daughter started college, she took the concept of workboxing, with her to college, and it helped her alot!  

That's how we set up things for high school.

Thanks for stopping by, to see where our homeschooling high school happened...and, as you know, homeschooling happens everywhere.

I love reading your comments.  Where is your teen's favorite place to study?

Are you homeschooling high school and wondering about transcripts, assigning high school credit, and all those other important details?

After helping my teen get into each of the colleges she applied to, I wrote this book - and it guides you through planning high school at home and helping with college application.


Below is the book and the table of contents.




For more information: Homeschooling High School with College in Mind. 

You are also invited to join my encouraging group for high school moms, called at Homeschooling through High School



Lots of moms just like you there, sharing triumphs and challenges.  Get your questions answered there, too. 
Join us here.




Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool,


Betsy

Betsy is mom to her now college grad, whom she homeschooled through high school.  She blogs at BJ's Homeschool, about the early yearshighschool
collegegifted/2e and wrote -Homeschooling High School with College in Mind, 2nd Edition,   She offers homeschool help through messages at BJ's Consulting and has had some of her articles picked up by the Huffington Post.




Want to stay in touch?

 


   Subscribe, Facebook 


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Just encouragement for your homeschool in your inbox.


Copyright @BJ's Homeschool 2020

All Rights Reserved





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BJ's Most Popular Posts on HIGH SCHOOL and COLLEGE



This page is full of a collection of my best tutorials on #homeschoolinghighschool and getting into college.  Including help for: planning, curriculum, assigning credit, transcripts, #100highschoolelectives, plus how to get your homeschooled teen into college.  #gettingintocollege #bjhighschool 


Are you considering homeschooling your high schooler or have already begun doing that?  

Are you concerned about college?

I have written about homeschooling high school and getting into college for years now.   

I began as I was helping my teen get into each of the colleges that she applied to, with scholarship offers.

This article is a collection of my tutorials on that, including:

  • high school planning
  • choosing college bound curriculum
  • assigning high school credit
  •  transcripts, 
  •  100 high school electives
  •  homeschool speech and debate
  •  a day in the life of high school at home
  •  plus how to get your homeschooled teen into college. 

Today I am releasing my best articles in this collection for you.

I encourage you to pin each article, as I usually do not share these., but you can save the links on Pinterest.

Be sure and PIN each one!

Look for the small icons at the bottom of each article.

And I invite you to also follow me on BJ's Homeschool Pinterest to keep up to date on high school and college.


WHY HOMESCHOOLED HIGH SCHOOL


Here at  BJ's Homeschool, my husband and I homeschooled our daughter all the way, and we are so glad that we did.  

Homeschooling it gives you and your teen, a chance to be together, side by side, as they enter the all important years, and begin to explore their future possibilities.



I found that being there, as my daughter grew into a young adult, was priceless. 

Let's get started.  First, with planning tips for high school: 
 
4 Steps to Planning High School @ Home  Here is my guide to planning for the high school years....




Our favorites, plus tips for meeting college admissions requirements.

 Here are 3 ways to do just that.  We did a lot of different kinds of learning, and all of it counts!




 What should be included in your high school transcripts?  What colleges are looking for.


Building Up our Teens Teens need to know they are important, and that they have special gifts to offer.  


BJ's Homeschool - Our Journey Towards College: Finding the Play in our Days!

Finding the Play in our High School Days 
This article is linked to 100 High School Electives



What is the best way to share electives with the college?



and Life Schooling

With links to where to build leadership skills, through activities and volunteer opportunities.


Building Teen Relationships  - Easing transitions for our teens and ourselves.


The Value of Homeschooling High School  links to your FREE High School Helps PDF



Living Literature and Literary Analysis - Oak Meadow English

One of our favorite living lit curriculum and how it helped my daughter to expand her narrations and essay writing, with 
creative questions. 
or
Homeschool Speech and Debate

Links to activities and frugal resources for developing leadership skills in your teen, like the colleges are looking for.










Get Your Teen into College in 5 Easy Steps

- The story of how my teen was accepted into one of our premier state's 4 year colleges, and later three more.






Don't miss this one!



What to do, virtually or in real life, and what to look for, with help to make your list.







Here is one of my most popular articles, that I usually never share, except in 
my book.


100 ideas for High School Electives.

PIN THIS ONE FOR SURE!

See the tiny icons at the end of the article for pinning.





Tips for transcripts, accredited or homeschooled?, plus how to prepare for College Writing and more.



or
 5 Tips for Getting into College  




Above shares some of the key steps that we took in our journey towards college...don't forget to pin them for your use.


or
8 Tips for Getting into College




I wrote this article after my teen got accepted into the top state college in our state.  



   


 A Week in my High School Life @ BJ's Homeschool
  If you are new to high school at home, here is how it might look.


A Rooster and a Prom Dress - with resources for finding a homeschool prom for your teen.



Celebrating graduation was special, and a little bit hard for me. But little did I know, those special moments would continue, and even become fuller and richer.






















Homeschool Graduation Ideas  - Here's how we celebrated, with lots of ideas for your teen....There are so many different ways to honor your graduate, with links and resources, too.
 
  We at BJ's Homeschool are Washington State homeschoolers




Be sure and PIN each article, as I don't often share these.  They are mostly just in my book now.

Note - Look for the small PIN icon at the bottom of each article.

Follow me on BJ's Homeschool Pinterest to keep up to date on high school and college!

Have you seen my facebook group called Homeschooling Through High School?


Join us!


After helping my homeschooled high schooler get into each of the colleges she applied to, I wrote this guide:


Paperback is at Amazon $11.99



Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool,

Betsy

Betsy is mom to her now college grad, whom she homeschooled through high school.  She blogs at BJ's Homeschool, about the early yearshighschool
collegegifted/2e and wrote -Homeschooling High School with College in Mind, 2nd Edition,   She offers homeschool help through messages at BJ's Consulting and has had some of her articles picked up by the Huffington Post.


Want to stay in touch?

Subscribe, Pinterest, Facebook 

No spam ever.  
Just encouragement for your homeschool in your inbox.



Copyright, 2019 
All Rights Reserved


4 Steps to Planning High School at Home



Summary:  This is a 4 step tutorial on how to plan your homeschool for your high schoolers.  Including tips on transcripts, curriculum and more.  Every mom can homeschool their teen.  We did it and our daughter is was not ruined! In fact, she loved being homeschooled. This post may included affiliate links to products that we love and have used or would use in our homeschool, and here is my disclosure policy.  #homeschoolhighschool #highschoolplanning #highschoolcurriculum



When we began thinking about homeschooling high school, it felt more than a little daunting to us.  

We had been homeschooling for years but the thought of doing high school meant that we would have to make transcripts, assign high school credit and other things that we did not yet know how to do.


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