Curriculum Guidelines + Weekly Learning Ideas

If you’re not quite ready for the new homeschool year or you’re needing some guidance, this “Free Curriculum Guideline” by Worldbook can provide ideas for the coming weeks and months.

Subjects Areas, Topics, and Sub-Topics are all outlined in an easy-to-view format for each grade level from Kindergarten through Elementary, Middle School, and High School.

For weekly lessons based on the subjects and topics outlined there, you and your children can select books from your local public library. The more interesting the books are to your children, the better they’ll learn!

We also have hundreds of activities listed here on our blog for weekly learning. Just click the categories shown in "Labels" below our blog posts, such as Free Homeschool Lessons, Hands-on Activities, Learning Activities, Language Arts, Math Activities, Reading, Science Activities, Social Studies, STEM, Unschooling, etc.

We’ll continue to provide learning ideas and educational activities weekly and monthly, throughout the coming year.

Subscribe to our E-letter, in the box on the right, to receive weekly and monthly updates!

Be sure to check back often for new ideas!

Happy Homeschooling!

New Homeschool Year + Free Lessons

When does YOUR new homeschool year begin? Let us know by commenting below or on our Facebook page!

Or has your family already begun homeschooling?

Or do you homeschool all year, taking breaks when it works best for your family?

Does your family follow a "traditional" type of homeschooling?

Or do you prefer the "unschooling" method, or allowing your children's interests to guide learning experiences in your home?

Please feel free to share your comments below or on our Facebook page!

Happy homeschooling!

Fun Art Project + Holiday Keepsake

The holiday season can be a busy time! But it's actually a perfect time to paint or sketch your memories or special activities!

Documenting special events in a sketchbook will create a keepsake that you can look back upon throughout the years to come.

This easy watercolor sketch shown above could evoke memories of a walk through the woods, looking for a Christmas tree. Or a trip to your local Christmas tree lot.

To see how this painting was done, see the quick 5-minute video on my YouTube channel, Misty Glow Studio, here: Easy Festive Trees.

Take a few minutes to do quick sketches or paintings of the simple joys of the season, as you go through the month of December. They will bring more brightness and meaning to each day!

Have a beautiful holiday this year!

Happy homeschooling!

Learning Styles = Better Learning

Curriculum is defined as:

1. courses offered by an educational institution,
2. a list of all the courses of study offered by a school or college,
3. a program or plan of activities.

Your "homeschool curriculum" probably matches definition #3, above. New homeschoolers often become confused over "which curriculum to use" or "where to buy a curriculum."

But a homeschool curriculum is simply a "plan of activities" that you use in your homeschool. It need not be an expensive curriculum, nor does it need to incorporate textbooks or workbooks.

Your children will learn more readily and more fully when you and they homeschool in a manner that best complements their unique learning styles.

Observe your child's preferred style of learning -- such as hands-on learning through touch (tactile), or through moving and doing (kinesthetic), or seeing/visualizing (visual), or hearing/verbal (auditory), or a combination of these.

For help determining your child's learning style, check out some of these books:

* 8 Great Smarts for Homeschoolers, by Tina Hollenbeck
* Discover Your Child’s Learning Style, by Mariaemma Willis
* How Children Learn, by John Holt
* Learning All the Time, by John Holt
* The Way They Learn, by Cynthia Tobias

Remember: Homeschooling is not a "school at home." Don’t confuse yourself, or your children, thinking that it should be. You’ll only make it harder on yourself.

As John Holt warned: “To parents I say, above all else, don’t let your home become some terrible miniature copy of the school. Live together, as well as you can; enjoy life together, as much as you can. Ask questions to find out something about the world itself, not to find out whether or not someone knows it.”

Remind yourself each day that your duty is to guide your children, not force instruction upon them. Your role is to help them learn how to learn and to encourage them to seek answers to questions, find materials and information that will help them learn, explore the things that interest them, and allow them the freedom to learn in the style that works best for them.

This, then, will become the curriculum -- the "plan of activities" -- that best suits your children and your family!

For more help creating your own homeschool curriculum, using homeschooling or unschooling activities, or hundreds of educational ideas for weekly homeschool lessons, see our Home page at EverythingHomeschooling.com.

For a pastel painting demo, see "Summer Fields" at MistyGlowStudio.com or on my YouTube channel here: Misty Glow Studio.

Happy homeschooling!

Mid-Year Homeschool or Second Semester Homeschooling

Second Semester Homeschool or Mid-Year Homeschooling

You can begin homeschooling your children at any time of the year. Many families prefer to make the transition during the semester break.

Here are some helpful ideas to make the transition go smoothly:

• Check state laws by contacting your state's homeschool association or the homeschool division of your state's department of education.

• Allow plenty of time for your children to decompress, to reconnect with the normal rhythms of family life, and to "find themselves" again.

• Don't stress over what "to teach" or be intimidated by Common Core Standards. The Standards only pertain to public schools. Your homeschool need not be governed by Common Core Standards. If you want to follow the Standards for English and Math, you may read them on the CoreStandards.org website. (Note: State standards have been around since the beginning of public schools and continually evolve or are changed.)

• Discuss your children's interests, then take a field trip to your local library. Check out armloads of books, DVDs, and educational games that relate to your child's current interests.

• Observe your child's best learning style, i.e., visual, auditory, tactile, or kinesthetic learning styles. Incorporate specific activities that best support or supplement your child's unique ways of garnering, processing, and absorbing information.

• Start a scrapbook at the beginning of your homeschool and allow children to be as creative with it as they want to be. Encourage them to add to the scrapbook regularly. This will become a type of "portfolio" or "record" of your child's daily or weekly homeschool experiences.

• For daily and weekly homeschooling, see our Home page at EverythingHomeschooling.com.

Happy homeschooling!

Homeschool Activities + Homeschool Lessons + Unschooling

Homeschooling begins to wind down for many families in May and June. However, your children can continue learning with fun, educational projects all Spring and Summer at EverythingHomeschooling.com.

It's a great time to try the "unschooling" method of homeschooling, too. Our site provides a section just for unschoolers or for those of you who would like to incorporate some of the unschooling strategies into your homeschools.

You might be so impressed with how much your children learn through "unschooling" over the Spring and Summer, you'll continue unschooling year-round! If so, come visit us often at EverythingHomeschooling.com, and watch for our expanded "Unschooling" section debuting soon on our Everything Homeschooling website.

Happy homeschooling!

Avoid Homeschool Burnout

Your family can avoid homeschool burnout by discussing what is still enjoyable each day and what is not. Try these tips to reduce the chance of burnout in your homeschool:

• Discuss what is working and what is not. Ask for suggestions and ideas to inspire and motivate learning.
• Determine the ways your children learn best and use those learning methods.
• Add more flexibility to your homeschool days, and take advantage of spontaneous learning opportunities.
• Avoid over-scheduling your days. You need a good balance of quiet activities with the busy activities.
• Add more fun and laughter to your homeschool lessons and homeschool activities.
• Set aside homeschool curriculum packages or programs that are not interesting to your children. (If your children aren't interested, they won't learn as well.)
• Switch from "busy-work" -- such as worksheets, writing assignments, or dull reading assignments -- to fun, hands-on learning projects and science experiments.
• Try unit studies or "unschooling" for a while, rather than traditional subjects. Remember that "homeschool" is not "school at home." Experiment with different learning methods.
• Ask children what they would like to learn this week, this month, this year. Encourage them to find and share fun ways to learn those things.
• Take field trips to the library and allow children to check out books that appeal to them. Also guide them in selecting informative books that look interesting. Use those books as the backbone of your daily learning, and discuss the books you read.
• Use arts and crafts as an excellent way to reinforce learning and to complement the topics you read, study, or explore.
• Find online homeschool activities that promote family learning projects. Many interesting projects and activities are available at EverythingHomeschooling.com.
• Reduce stress by lowering your expectations. Try not to do so much each day. Get support and help from others.
• Have children record their daily lessons in their homeschool logs, organize their homeschool books and supplies, and clean up after homeschool experiments or learning projects.
• Ask family members to help with daily chores around the home and to be responsible for specific aspects of the homeschool day.
• Take time for yourself to relax and unwind. Spend at least an hour each day on something you especially enjoy, such as reading, painting, knitting, or sitting in the sunshine.

When you are rested, refreshed, and recharged, homeschooling will be easier, and children will be happier and will learn more! Happy homeschooling!

Start Homeschooling + Homeschool Activities + Unschooling Ideas

During the Christmas break, many families once again consider homeschooling. Here's a few things to keep in mind:

One of the first things you'll want to do is give your children some "down time" to decompress and to relax, after being in the school environment. There's no need to jump right into lessons today, or this week, or even next week. Just relax and enjoy being together.

Have lots of interesting discussions with your children, find out what their current interests are, and basically reconnect with who they are today. Ask for their ideas on things they'd like to learn, hobbies they'd like to try, things they'd like to build or create, etc.

Many children have lost the ability to think for themselves, after being in school. So allow them the freedom to relax for a while, to think for themselves, and to consider all the possibilities and opportunities now open to them, as a result of homeschooling.

Always keep in mind that homeschooling is not "school at home." Homeschooling is simply living and learning each day, in ways that are interesting for your child and fit your child's individual learning styles and goals. Yes, there will need to be some structure and organization to your days eventually, but focus on the above, first.

Other things, such as cursive writing and multiplication tables, can and will be learned in time. But, first, redeveloping a real interest and joy in learning is important for the child who has been in a school environment.

For lots of homeschool activities, homeschool lessons, unschooling ideas, and homeschool information, please visit us at EverythingHomeschooling.com.

Happy homeschooling!

Weekly Homeschool Lessons & Homeschool Activities

How do you find weekly homeschool lessons to keep your children actively involved in learning each day? New Weekly Homeschool Lessons are provided at EverythingHomeschooling.com.

It's simple, easy homeschooling, designed to make your homeschool run smoothly every day. It's a huge time-savings for you, too! The homeschool lessons and the homeschool activities are right there at your fingertips, any time, day or night! The research has been done for you, and your children can start learning and exploring right away, in a fun, interesting way.

At EverythingHomeschooling.com, we provide lessons for Grades K-2, or Grades 3-8, or Grades 8-12 Weekly Lessons for your children.

In addition, we provide Hands-On Activities, Homeschool Unit Studies, Virtual Field Trips, Writing Activities, Creative Thinking Activities, Unschooling Activities, Book Lists for Homeschoolers, Weekly Challenges, Science Experiments for all ages, and much more.

This site is here to make your homeschool experiences enjoyable, educational, and successful! Stay tuned!

Happy homeschooling!