Homeschool Preschool and K - Science and Nature Study -




Homeschooling preschool and kindergarten is all about learning from play, don't you think?  And there is nothing like simple nature study and hands-on science activities to teach the love of science to your little ones.


Our early homeschooling years were all about exploring new things with my daughter always asking tons of questions about everything.  Does that sound familiar?

Preschool or K - Frugal Homeschool Pre-Writing and Handwriting Activities




Summary:  Free homeschool preschool and kindergarten pre-writing activities, including fine motor games, plus frugal or free resources for handwriting. Plus games that help with grasp, too. Is your child ready to write?  Sharing from my OT days. 



The early years of preschool or kindergarten, are the perfect time to help your little ones develop their finger coordination (fine motor) skills to get ready for handwriting.

I suggest waiting on the handwriting lessons until your kids have solid small muscle skills and coordination.  But how do you help them develop those things?

There are so many fun ways to get their fine motor skills going strong.  Playing with small objects, like small legos and doing lots of arts and crafts activities are great ways to build fine motor coordination.

Playing with playdough or clay is a also great way to build up and strengthen the muscles of the hand and wrist.


Today, I'd like to share a bunch of easy to do pre-writing activities from my O.T. days, that will help your homeschooled kids to:

- Develop hand strength and build finger coordination
- Learn a mature grasp 
- Frugal and Free Resources for Handwriting

Let's start with the small muscle games.

It Is Really NOT that Hard to Homeschool High School -




It's not that hard to homeschool high school!  Really!  Homeschooling high school can give your teen a quality education.  And it does not have to replicate public school.  Be encouraged.


Are you homeschooling high school, or thinking about it for next year? 

Homeschool High School Social Studies - Frugal Resources



Summary:  Our homeschool social studies curriculum choices, with frugal or free ones in mind.  Our favorites for U.S. History, World Geography, and more.  Plus what the colleges want for social studies college entrance requirements.  Note - This post may included affiliate links to products that we love and have used or would use in our  own homeschool.#homeschoolhighschool #homeschoolsocialstudies. Please see my disclosure policy.


Are you starting to look around for social studies resources for your high schooler?

How To KNOW What Your Homeschooler Really Needs to Get Into College -



Summary:  Homeschooling to college just takes planning, but it takes more than just looking up the college entrance requirements for your teen.  This includes a free download on planning for college, and how to make a 4 year homeschool high school plan for your teen.  It is not hard for homeschoolers to get into college.  It just takes knowing the important steps needed for doing that.


There is a lot of information out there on college, aimed at homeschoolers.  But do they really know what homeschoolers need to get into college?

Homeschool Graduation Celebrations



Summary:  Homeschool high school graduation and ideas for how your might like to celebrate it.  Make your own simple family homeschool graduation celebration, or find out if your state has a homeschool graduation ceremony.  In addition, links to statewide homeschool proms are included.



Will you be graduating one of your teens this spring?  If so, are you thinking about doing a special family event, or are you looking for a graduation ceremony in your area?

Homeschool Elementary Spelling and Writing Curriculum and Help for Struggling Spellers




Homeschool elementary spelling curriculum favorites, plus how we used them in our homeschool.  Curriculum reviews included plus tips for helping a struggling speller or homeschooling your 2e child.  Homeschool elementary writing curriculum discussed also.  Affiliate links may be included.




Are you looking for a solid spelling curriculum for your child?

Spelling is an important component to good writing, as you know.  But it can come very slowly to our young writers.  

Do you find that with your young writers, too?

Homeschool Phonics and Reading Curriculum - Explode the Code -



Teaching homeschool phonics to your homeschooled preschooler or elementary kid is not hard to do. Explode the Code homeschool phonics and reading curriculum is proven to improve your children's reading level.  



Are you looking for a good, easy-to-use, phonics program?  

How about a well-researched phonics program?  

Or are you looking for a way to help your child improve their reading and spelling skills?  We used this all the way through elementary, and it built our daughter into a strong reader.  Read on to see what we chose.  

Explode the Code offers all of these, and it is a very popular phonics, spelling and reading program that my daughter loved to use.  

It provides a well researched way to introduce phonics and improve your child's reading skills at any level, K through 6th grade.

First, let's look at the books for pre-readers....

Explode the Code Primers


In our homeschool, we started off with the Explode the Code Primers, when my daughter was five.  She loved working in her these books!   

First thing in the morning, she would ask for her Explode the Code book.


 All three Primers make a complete introduction to phonics for your young learners!

The Primers series includes:

  • Get Ready for The Code (Book A)
  • Get Set for The Code (Book B)
  • Go for the Code (Book C)

Each primer introduces a group of consonants and their sounds, with fun activities to do on each page.  

Each lesson follows the same pattern, which makes it fun and predictable for young learners to use.  

Each of the lessons consists of the following activities.........click here to read more.


The Primers prepared my daughter for the first grade book in this series, called Explode the Code, Book 1.  Let's look at what's included in that book....

Explode the Code, Book 1



Book 1 moves on to a study of the vowels and introduces basic phonics patterns.  Each lesson, again followed the same format, and my daughter quickly became independent in her work.  

Through the phonics, early reading work, spelling, writing and copying in the book, my daughter soon was ready for early readers.
This program did not require any preparation on my part.  

It was also full of the child drawn illustrations that had already caught my daughter’s eye!   

Meanwhile, she was learning all her phonics skills! 

Click here to read more about this book and their online options too.  

The Explode the Code series goes all the way through 6th grade. 

Explode the Code Book 1 through 6th Grade


Build your child into a strong reader!  That is what we did. Explode the Code continues to develop your child's reading skills each year, step by step, teaching more advanced phonics.

Explode the Code is a phonics based program I consider invaluable in helping my daughter learn to read, and continue to build her reading skills up for later middle and high school level reading.

Now she is a senior in college, and reading all those college research articles and long text assignments was not a problem for her.



Having a strong foundation in phonics and reading early on, gave her the skills needed to build on for success later in college. 


For more information or to purchase the printed workbooks, please click here

I encourage you to follow me on Pinterest.


My friend from 7 Sisters Homeschool also offers an extensive list of quality Elementary Curriculum Resources here - Favorite Homeschool Curriculum for Elementary Grades.



Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool,

Betsy



Betsy is mom to her now college senior, whom she homeschooled from preK through high school.  She blogs at BJ's Homeschool, about the early yearshigh school & college .  She offers homeschool help through messages at BJ's Consulting



Want to stay in touch?

This post was shared on my favorite linkups here.

Copyright, 2019
 All Rights Reserved



Our Homeschool High School English Sequence and Curriculum Choices




Our favorite homeschool high school English curriculum and resources for our teen and how we put together our sequence for high school English in our homeschool.  Tips for those with college bound , too. This post may included affiliate links to products that we love and have used or would use in our  own homeschool. Please see my disclosure policy.



Are you looking around for new ideas for your teen's English next year?  We used a variety of curriculum for homeschooling high school English.  

Homeschool High School Frugal Career Exploration Elective - Help Your Teen Find Their Direction in Life




Summary:  How can you help your homeschooled teen figure out what they want to do after graduation?  7 Sisters Homeschool high school career exploration curriculum was a great help for us and to gave our teen a homeschool high school credit. This post may included affiliate links to products that we love and have used or would use in our  own homeschool. Please see my disclosure policy.


Are you homeschooling a high schooler who just doesn't know what they want to do after graduating?

Homeschool Handwriting Curriculum - Free and Frugal Resources -



Summary: A frugal approach to homeschool handwriting curriculum for homeschoolers and preschoolers, elementary kids using these free or frugal homeschool handwriting curriculum and resources.   This post may included affiliate links to products that we love and have used or would use in our  own homeschool. Please see my disclosure policy.


Do you have young ones who are ready to learn how to write?  

Do they show signs of eagerness like playing a lot with crayons, noticing letters and signs, or making lots of marks and shapes on paper?  Do they know the alphabet?

Today, I'd like to share my guide to handwriting, using simple frugal resources for the basics of handwriting, including:

- Introducing the A,B,C's
- Learning to write the letters 
- Simple copywork activities using your child's own words
- Practicing handwriting with Draw, Write, Now, link below.

You don't have to use an established or expensive handwriting program.  We didn't.  Instead we found two frugal resources for teaching handwriting.

TIP - Make writing meaningful to your child by using her own words whenever possible.  

Here's how we approach handwriting, starting with the A, B, C's.

1.  Introducing the A,B,C's

Using the Library - We introduced the ABC's through fun alphabet books from the library.  You know, those books that start with "A is for Apple", etc, with lovely photos to go with them.


The Big Book of Alpha Tales - This book has very funny stories for each letter of the alphabet, with mini books to make for each one. (Approximately $7.00)

Using Clay or Magnets - Sometimes we made the letters out of clay.  I also got my daughter a set of magnet letters for the frig.  These are readily available at the drug store.

I just put our set of magnet letters onto our frig, and my daughter loved rearranging them into little designs.  And through her play, she learned the shapes of the letters.

Next, she was ready to learn how to write her letters.

2.  Writing the ABC's with this Frugal Handwriting Curriculum

from MelissaAndDoug Storytelling Paper

We used a variety of activities to help her learn to form her letters....including:


- copying large letters onto the chalkboard
- practicing writing the letters in the air
- making letter shapes in fingerpainting
- even using pudding!  

I gave my daughter a lot of time to explore the shapes and learn her letters.  When they are ready start with the capital letters first, using this chart above as to how to shape the letters.  

But if your child decides to write them a different way, starting at the bottom instead of at the top, let it go if their letters are legible.

Once she could write the letters of the alphabet, we went on to copywork, using Story Paper For Kids, if you like.  This frugal packet goes for about 6 dollars and has 50 heavy weight handwriting paper for your use.  Or just goggle handwriting paper, and chose a free one with wide lines.

3.  Frugal Handwriting Homemade Copywork

Once my daughter could write her letters, I looked for some very wide lined paper, which had a blank space on half of it, for coloring and drawing.  

I found Story Paper For Kids very helpful. 
.
We always started with drawing first, then I asked my daughter about the picture.

 Often it was something that she had done the day before, or a favorite animal, or two.  Then she would tell me about it.  

I listened to her words, then I would write down a few of her 
words, so she could then copy them onto the lines on her paper.  

My goal was just that the letters be legible. The important thing is that my daughter was using her own written words to communicate. 

Here's a sample of beginning copy work.  My child first told me about the picture, I wrote down her words, then she copied them onto her paper. 



Neatness and goals:  Neatness and staying in the lines will come, but often it takes a lot of practice, and I suggest not focusing much on that, but instead on helping your child practice handwriting, using her own words. 

The writing sample above is excellent work for a young hand writer who is not struggling with handwriting.  It is going to be a messy thing for quite a while, which is to be expected.

Next, we moved on to practicing handwriting, using frugal books from Draw, Write, Now, which involved copywork with short stories.

4. Building Handwriting Skills 


I was delighted when I first found Draw Write Now.  When we opened the book together, we saw that each lesson included a shape or animal to draw, and a very short story to copy. 

Learning to draw these shapes was easy, with the step by step guide provided.  Drawing first helped her to relax.  The more relaxed your child is, the better they will write.

The Draw, Write, Now series is a homeschool handwriting curriculum that consists of eight books, each with a different theme, and all written at the same reading level, around 2nd grade.

I took my daughter to the nearby children’s book store and she chose Book 1 - On the Farm, Kids, Critters. It was full of her favorite animals to draw.



My daughter's handwriting greatly improved from doing this easy to teach program.....Click here to read more of my review.....of Draw, Write Now.

If you have been following my series on handwriting, you already are probably familiar with my post on fun fine motor activities 

These activities help to develop the small muscles of the hand, key for little writers.   If your child has trouble grasping her pencil, you might like to check out Fun Ways to a Mature Grasp, or Grasping Aids and Devices and the other posts I have on handwriting struggles.  Just click on "2e" and scroll down to find the handwriting section. 

This year, my daughter is a college grad writing essays, etc. But it all started with these simple, frugal resources for handwriting.



Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool,

Betsy



Betsy is a former O.T, preschool teacher and published author of children's stories.  She is mom to her 2e college grad whom she homeschooled through high school.  She blogs at BJ's Homeschool about the early yearshigh schoolcollegeand is the author of "Homeschooling High School with College in Mind".  She offers homeschool help through messages at BJ's Consulting.



Want to stay in touch?


Copyright, Revised 2019
All Rights Reserved


Our Frugal Homeschool High School Math Sequence and the SAT/ACT



Summary:  Our homeschool high school math curriculum choices and how we did our math sequence in high school.  How and when to plan for SAT or ACT testing depending on what math your teen has completed.  Tips for teens who are headed into a math related field and more.  Homeschooler tips for college testing included.


Math was something that my teen did everyday in our homeschool.  Especially during the high school years.  Is that how it goes in your house, too?

Homeschool High School Math - Teaching Textbooks vs. Monarch




Summary:  Homeschool high school math reviews of homeschool Saxon math, Oak Meadow, Teaching Textbooks math, and Switched On Schoolhouse math.  Find the homeschool math curriculum that is best for your dear teen. #homeschoolhighschoolmath  Note - This post may included affiliate links to products that we love and have used or would use in our  own homeschool. Please see my disclosure policy.


We used a variety of math curriculum for middle and high school.  We began the middle school years with Saxon Math, then later switched to Teaching Textbooks.

Homeschool High School English - How to Prepare Your Teen for College Writing




How to prepare your homeschooled teen for college writing is really not that hard. I share how to prepare a homeschooled high schooler for college, and what was important in homeschool high school English.   This post may included affiliate links to products that we love and have used or would use in our  own homeschool. Please see my disclosure policy.


We had homeschooled our daughter through high school and this was her first quarter in college.

How to Deal with College Applications and How High School Electives Can Help




Summary: How to deal with getting into college as a homeschooled teen.  What are the colleges looking for? You can showcase your student to college with their high school electives! This article may include affiliate links to homeschool high school curriculum or resources that we have used or love.  Please see my disclosure policy.  #gettingintocollege #collegeadmissions 


Are you concerned about your teen getting into college as a homeschooler?

Or are you stressing just in regards to the competition involved in college admissions?

Did you know that high school electives can be a real help in getting into college?

How Homeschooling Helped My Teen Get into College



Summary:  There really are many advantages of homeschooling high school that so helped our daughter get into college.  What she saw on campus showed that many things about homeschooling high school really helped her with college admissions, homeschooling to college, and also with work once she was there.  Homeschool to college success story.


This week we found out that my daughter made the Dean's List. She surprised us by doing that fall quarter of her first year at college, then again in the spring.  

Course Descriptions and Reference Letters for Homeschooling to College - -



 Summary:  Homeschooling high school to college is not that hard, especially when course descriptions and homeschool reference letters come along for  the ride.  Homeschooling high school record keeping is key to writing good course descriptions.  Reference letters show the colleges what your student is about, and that is important to college admissions.


This article is now a chapter in my new book.


Have you seen my NEW Complete Guide to college for homeschoolers yet? 





and 
Barnes and Noble $11.99



It lays out 10 easy steps for homeschool to college, and covers everything you need to help your teen get into the college of their choice, with 7 NEW chapters. Recommended by Lessa Scherrer, a certified college counselor and a homeschooling mama of 3.

Create your own unique and nurturing high school program for your teen and showcase their accomplishments to the colleges. 

The 17 Chapters include:

>Chapter 1 - How to Start Homeschooling if you are a Newbie
>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 - Your GUIDE
>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!

>There are 12 downloadable high school homeschool planning printables plus a transcript form for you to just fill in.

The kind of transcript form that the colleges are used to seeing.



College in Mind - 2nd Edition




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

Top Sources for College Scholarships - -




Summary:  Where to find college scholarships with tips for getting merit aid, the National Merit Scholarships and more. Plus links especially for homeschoolers.  Did you know the FAFSA can help your teen get scholarships from the colleges?  Really.  #getintocollege #collegescholarships


Top Sources for College Scholarships is now a chapter in my new book.


Have you seen my NEW Complete Guide to college for homeschoolers yet? 



and 
Barnes and Noble $11.99

Kindle is coming!

It lays out 10 easy steps for homeschool to college, and covers everything you need to help your teen get into the college of their choice, with 7 NEW chapters. Recommended by Lessa Scherrer, a certified college counselor and a homeschooling mama of 3.

Create your own unique and nurturing high school program for your teen and showcase their accomplishments to the colleges. 

The 17 Chapters include:

>Chapter 1 - How to Start Homeschooling if you are a Newbie
>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 - Your GUIDE
>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!

>There are 12 downloadable high school homeschool planning printables plus a transcript form for you to just fill in.

The kind of transcript form that the colleges are used to seeing.


For more info: 


- 2nd Edition




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 @ BJ's Homeschool
2019

All Rights Reserved






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