When I first began homeschooling, a friend of mine introduced me to unit studies, lessons that center around a particular topic that include activities from across the curriculum such as reading, writing, math, social studies, science, art, music, and/or life skills. These work especially well for children in the elementary grades, and as a homeschooling parent, you can choose topics of special interest to your child. If you would like to try a unit study with your student, Teacher Created Resources (TeacherCreated.com) is a good place to start.

While the books offered by Teacher Created Resources were written with traditional classroom teachers in mind, they can easily be adapted to a homeschool setting as well. The pages are reproducible, so you have permission to copy them if you have more than one child. While there are a few group activities included, you can do these with your student or invite some friends to participate.

The unit studies, or Thematic Units, are available for science and social studies topics for students in the preschool years through 8th grade. Just click on the link on the left-hand side and you’ll find results organized by grade level and subject. Science topics include health and nutrition, the human body, inventions, weather, plants, sea animals, space, dinosaurs, rocks and minerals, and more. Social studies topics include ancient Rome, ancient China, ancient Middle East, Native Americans, the Middle Ages, the Revolutionary War, the U.S. Constitution, the Civil War, immigration, World War I, World War II, and much more.

Besides the unit studies, however, the website offers other resources as well. You’ll find links to books published by the company in geography, language arts, math, writing, and testing. Other products, such as awards, charts, stickers, notepads, and games are also available. There is even a section on the site featuring free lessons and teaching tips.

If unit studies are in your plans for the new school year, visit Teacher Created Resources and see all they offer. You might find just what you’re looking for.

Homeschooling Reading Curriculum by SmartTutor.com

Story Time – Stories for Kids

Picture By: lovelihood

Guest Blogger: Samantha Bell

I teach art lessons in my home during the school year, and I have some students who have been coming for a number of years. As I was searching the Internet for new lessons, I came upon IncredibleArt.org — an incredible site for art ideas!

From the homepage, you can click on the “Lessons” link to enter the art lesson section. There you can access the lessons by grade level, beginning with kindergarten and continuing all the way through high school, as well as by medium, subject, art period, and artist. You’ll also find lessons integrating art with drama that include topics such as Italian Renaissance art (Brunelleschi and Da Vinci), Impressionism (Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec), and Post-Impressionism (Matisse), and a page containing links to various art games online.

The lessons on this site have been submitted by art teachers from around the country. Each lesson features a list of materials, the procedures for completing the lesson, and notes of any other resources or books you might use to teach the lesson. Grade level and ages are also indicated.

One of my favorite features of these lessons is the comments section at the end. Here you’ll often find notes from other teachers who have tried the lesson describing what worked, what didn’t work, and what might help the piece come out even better. You’ll find variations of the projects here as well.

Although these lessons are intended for teachers in a traditional classroom with a lot of students, they can easily be used for homeschooled students as well. You can use them as  art lessons by themselves or as part of a unit study. There are so many lessons at IncredibleArt, you’re sure to find several that not only relate to what your children are studying, but that are a lot of fun to do, too!

Homeschooling Reading Curriculum by SmartTutor.com

Story Time – Stories for Kids

Guest Blogger: Samantha Bell

It’s that time again — time to finalize plans for the coming school year. Perhaps you already have your lessons in order, but, if you’re like me, you still have a lot to do before you feel confident and prepared. While I have some plans about the curriculum we’re going to use, I’ve been getting ideas from other homeschooling friends and family about what’s worked for them and what new programs they’re going to try. I’ve also been looking at curriculum reviews online, and one of my favorites sites for this is CathyDuffyReviews.com.

Cathy Duffy is a veteran homeschooler and known as a curriculum specialist. Having homeschooled her own three boys through high school, she now researches curriculum and teaching methods for all grade levels. As one might suspect, then, her site is full of reviews of products for every subject you might teach, from preschool resources to core classes to the arts and other electives.

The site CathyDuffyReviews is easy to read and navigate through, as all of the subjects covered are listed in the buttons on the left. The first thing you’ll find are reviews of how-to books as well as price comparisons, both for those new to homeschooling and those who have taught for many years,

Next, you’ll find articles about the different methods of teaching, as well as an overview of publishers that produce materials for homeschooling. From there you can choose the subjects you’re interested in, and you can search through the reviews to find the curriculum that would best suit your family’s needs. There is also a book available entitled Top 100 Picks for Homeschooling Curriculum, and updates to this book can be found on the website as well.

So if you’re still in the planning stages for the fall, talk to other homeschoolers and give this site a try. You’ll find it to be informative, helpful, and full of great information!

Homeschooling Reading Curriculum by SmartTutor.com

Story Time – Stories for Kids

Guest Blogger: Samantha Bell

Picture By: MC Quinn

Often, children who don’t work on any academics during the summer will forget some of what they learned the previous year. Time is spent in the fall, then, reviewing what was covered in the spring instead of moving on. Textbook companies know this, so many math and grammar books only contain review material for the first several chapters.

While you may choose to continue schooling through the summer with regular lessons, another option would be to re-introduce concepts now and then between playdates, traveling, and summer projects. While you could purchase workbooks to keep the lessons fresh, you might find it easier just to print off worksheets from the Internet. For just about any subject, you can find websites with free printables, especially for the younger grades. Here are a few to try:

• TLSBooks.com – I visited this site quite a bit during the school year as well. Featuring free worksheets for students in preschool through the fifth grade, this site is both easy to read and easy to navigate, and new printables are added every month.

• Kidszone.ws – This site is also very easy to go through, as pages are divided into categories featuring both grade levels and subject matter. One of our favorite activities for learning letters and letter sounds was the Itsy Bitsy Letter Books found in the Kindergarten section.

• EnchantedLearning.com – This site has been around for a while, and we’ve enjoyed it for years. Though it requires a yearly subscription to access all of its thousands of worksheets, many of them can be downloaded for free.

For children who have been out of “school” for a while, educational worksheets are not only a good way to sharpen those skills, but they can also be a fun change of pace.

Homeschooling Reading Curriculum by SmartTutor.com

Story Time – Stories for Kids

Guest Blogger: Samantha Bell

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Summer is a good time for me to catch up on some reading, especially when I’m sitting by the pool as the children swim. One of the books I just finished has served as a great reminder to me that even as a homeschooling mom, I can choose how I approach my daily work.

The book is Fish! by Stephen Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen. The book follows Mary Jane, an office manager who is given the task of overhauling her department, one that the rest of the company calls a “toxic energy dump.” One day, as she takes a walk to consider her problem, she comes upon the world famous Pike’s Place Fish Market. Over the next couple of weeks, she talks to the workers, who reveal the four secret ingredients to their success:

1. Choose Your Attitude: Even though you can’t always do the work you love, you can choose to love your work. You can choose to approach it with a good attitude and determine to do it the best you can.
2. Play: Work doesn’t always have to be tedious. Find ways to make your work and work environment more fun.
3. Be Present: When you’re interacting with someone, give him your full attention.
4. Make Their Day: Think about what you can do for someone else.

What a great reminder! As a homeschooling parent, I often get bogged down with the workbooks, the schedules, the housekeeping and chores. The day becomes about “getting everything done” instead of enjoying what we are doing, which was one of the reasons we began homeschooling in the first place.

But we can have that same kind of energy, the same attitude as the workers at the fish market. We can approach the schoolwork (yes, even summer work) with a good attitude. We can add more learning games into our school day, and we can even have fun cleaning the house or working in the yard together. I can give my children my full attention when they talk to me or when I’m helping them with their lessons, and I can teach them to give that kind of attention and respect to each other. And we can learn to “make each others’ day.”

I’m already looking forward to the changes I’m going to see with my children as a result of this quick read. More than just about changing the work atmosphere, Fish! is about building character – theirs and mine.

Homeschooling Reading Curriculum by SmartTutor.com

Story Time – Stories for Kids

Guest Blogger: Samantha Bell

Picture By: gavinandrewstewart

Since my children were in the early elementary grades, I’ve had them write journal entries, either once a day or just a couple times a week. Sometimes they would write about events such as trips, celebrations, or visits from family. Other times I would give them a particular assignment, such as, “If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be, and why?”

In Kindergarten or first grade, my goal was to have them get used to writing. Once they had written an entry, even though it most likely had errors, they had finished the assignment. By second grade, though, I was correcting their work, and they had to re-copy it on a separate sheet of paper.

These simple journaling assignments have yielded big results. Not only do the children become better writers and more able to put their thoughts on paper, but their grammar and spelling drastically improves. What’s more, they have a fun record of some of the things they’ve done growing up.

Recently, I’ve heard some great ideas that add a twist to journaling:

• Incorporate lessons from other subjects into the journal assignments. For example, if you’re studying the American Revolution, have your student write a journal entry describing his day if he were an apprentice of Paul Revere. If you’re studying animals, have your student pretend she is on an African safari. What animals will she see? What do they look like? What are they doing?

• Turn the journal entries into a family newsletter. You can be the editor of the newsletter, or you can assign that job to the oldest child. Then, once a month, the editor can choose a journal entry from each child to include in the newsletter. You can even email the newsletter to save on postage.

• Write or publish the journal entries on the student’s own blog. If you have a student who loves computers, he’d probably enjoy choosing the theme, layout, and widgets. Share the address with family members so they can read the blog, too.

However you decide to do it, try to make journaling part of your school day. Not only are your students learning, but they’re creating a wonderful keepsake as well.

Homeschooling Reading Curriculum by SmartTutor.com

Story Time – Stories for Kids

Guest Blogger: Samantha Bell

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With my oldest child going into the ninth grade next year, I’ve begun a search for a good high school history program. There are quite a few out there, ranging in price from under $100 to several hundred dollars. If you’re also looking for a history curriculum that will fit your schedule and your budget, here are some to consider:

Sonlight (www.sonlight.com) – Courses available include American History, 20th Century World History, and Civics and American Government. Prices range from $400 – $600 for each course.

Tapestry of Grace (www.tapestryofgrace.com) – This plan uses a unit study approach with the history of the world as its core theme. Homeschooling parents can purchase the four plans to follow the four-year cycles; each plan provides lessons and reading recommendations for all of the grades, K-12. High school courses require reading great literature and analyzing ideas and arguments. Prices start around $170 for one full year course.

History Odessey by Pandia Press (www.pandiapress.com) – This program also follows a four-year cycle, covering all historical eras three times throughout a child’s formal schooling. Level 3 is for high school students and includes original writings and classic literature, as well as assignments in persuasive writing and research papers. Prices start around $45.00 for each course book.

Notgrass Company (www.notgrass.com) – This company offers textbooks for the major high school history courses. Books start around $90.00 each. Titles include Exploring World History, Exploring America, Exploring Government, and Exploring Economics.

TRISMS Curriculum (www.trisms.com) – The “Time Related Integrated Studies for Mastering Skills” Curriculum offers four history volumes for high school students, including Discovering the Ancient World, Expansion of Civilization, Rise of Nations, and Age of Revolution. Each one includes language arts, geography, literature, and writing, and costs between $200 and $400.

A Basic History of the United States – Written by Clarence B. Carson, this six-book series presents U.S. History from 1607 to the present day. Intended for reading at the college/adult level, this would be a good choice for more mature students. A teacher’s guide is also available. The complete set costs about $70.00.

Of course, many of these curriculums can be found online or at homeschooling used book sales for a fraction of the price. So check out the publisher’s websites, read reviews, ask your friends, and get ready to find the best curriculum for your family.

Homeschooling Reading Curriculum by SmartTutor.com

Story Time – Stories for Kids

Guest Blogger: Samantha Bell

Picture By: skippyjon

If your children are like mine, they are always on the lookout for ways to earn a little extra spending money. And with summer just around the bend, they have more time to try new ventures and opportunities. If you have a child who’s too young for traditional employment, you might help him get started with one of these ideas:

Make crafts to sell: If your child enjoys making crafts, she can create items to sell. Hair clips, potholders, soap, candles, greeting cards, beaded jewelry, and key chains — the list of possibilities is endless. If she likes to sew, she could make baby blankets, doll clothes, or hooded beach towels. She can set up a stand at a craft show or flea market, or even place the items on consignment with local craft shops.

Help the environment: Kids can collect aluminum cans from family, friends, and local businesses, then take them to the recycling center to earn some extra money.

Face Painting: If your child likes to paint, he might try face painting at birthday parties or craft fairs. In our area, face painters earn about one dollar for each painting.

Yard Work: My son plans to be doing yard work for his uncle this summer, which could include weeding, trimming hedges, weed-eating, and mowing. These jobs could be done on a regular basis, such as once or twice a week, or just occasionally, such as when the homeowner is away on vacation.

Clipping Coupons: I’ve been trying to save money by using coupons for the past couple of months, but clipping and sorting them can be quite time consuming. This is an ideal job for my eleven-year-old, though, and I pay her for each coupon flier she completes. If you have friends or family members who are also using coupons, your children could clip and sort for them as well.

Work the Family Business: Along the same lines, if you own a business and have basic work your child could do, such as typing labels or sorting files, hire him to lend you hand.

Mother’s helper or babysitter: Younger children could work as a mother’s helper, playing with younger children and keeping them entertained while mom gets work done around the house. Teens can work as regular babysitters to give mom and dad a night out.

Internet Businesses: Even youths can work an Internet enterprise with help and supervision from their parents. They can sell items on eBay, create their own online store, or start a blog with Adsense ads and affiliate links.

A business venture is a great teaching tool for kids — from the planning and preparation stages, to carrying out the work, to learning how to manage earnings — and summer is a great time to do it!

Homeschooling Reading Curriculum by SmartTutor.com

Story Time – Stories for Kids

Guest Blogger: Samantha Bell

Picture By: JuJups Studio

From an early age, children learn that you need money in order to purchase something from the store. It’s so much fun to let a young child pick something out, give him the exact change, and allow him to pay the clerk. You’re child will have an even stronger sense of satisfaction, though, if he uses his own money that he has saved to buy the item. This is where the book Coin County by Innovative Kids (illustrated by Jim Talbot) comes in.

Designed for children ages 5-9 (though you could use it with younger or older children as well), this “Bank in a Book” helps children learn the value of the different coins while building math skills. Created in a board book format, each page of Coin County features slots in which to place the coins, marked with a “P” for penny, a “D” for dime, an “N” for nickel, or a “Q” for quarter. By the time your child has the first two pages filled in, he’s save $3.81; when the second two pages are completed, he’ll have $4.61. So the book continues until every slot is filled and your child has saved over $20.00!

You can use this book in several ways:

If your child is saving up for something in particular, show him how many pages have to be filled in order to buy it. You might mark that page with a bookmark or sticky note.

Use it strictly as a savings plan. After your child has filled up the book, take him to the bank and open up a savings account for him. Each time the book is completed, make another deposit.

Teach your child the different ways to use money. Once the book is full of coins, teach him how to set some aside for spending, some for saving, and some for giving.

However you use it, you’ll find that Coin County is a good introduction into money management, especially for the very young!

Homeschooling Reading Curriculum by SmartTutor.com

Story Time – Stories for Kids

Guest Blogger: Samantha Bell

Picture By: adam*b

One often overlooked area of study is manners and etiquette for young people. If you’d like to incorporate this subject into your homeschooling day, check out the curriculum Oops, Your Manners are Showing.

The lessons, written by Peggy Norwood and Jan Stable, are compiled in books for ages 2-3, 4-7, and 8-adult. Teacher’s guides and activity pages are available for each age group as well.

What types of lessons are included? Everything from practicing good table manners to meeting new friends: You’ll find lessons for making introductions, greetings and conversation, answering and talking on the telephone, inviting and welcoming guests, good manners when playing sports or participating in a class, setting the dinner table and dining etiquette, writing thank you notes, and more.

You can use this curriculum at home with your own children, or teach it to a group of children in a co-op class. If you’re not part of a co-op, consider creating your own manners class. Ask around to see if some of your homeschooling friends would also be interested, then choose a date and time to meet. You could meet at a library, in your home, in the home of one of your students, or even alternate meeting places.

While this curriculum is purchased online, you can also find books about manners in your local library. Here are a few of them:

• Social Smarts: Manners for Today’s Kids by Elizabeth James and Carol Barkin
• You’ve Got Manners!: Table Tips from A to Z for Kids of All Ages by Louis Elerding
• Emily Post’s The Guide to Good Manners for Kids and Emily Post’s Table Manners for Kids by Cindy Post Senning, Peggy Post, and Steve Bjorkman
• 365 Manners Kids Should Know: Games, Activities, and Other Fun Ways to Help Children Learn Etiquette by Sheryl Eberly

No matter what curriculum or books you choose to use, be sure to make learning good manners a hands-on experience for your children. Not only is it easy and fun to do, but it’s something we can all practice every day.

Homeschooling Reading Curriculum by SmartTutor.com

Story Time – Stories for Kids

Guest Blogger: Samantha Bell

Picture By: AndyRob