Well, these children of mine keep getting older and I find myself with a sophomore in college, a high school junior and a 4th grader. My homeschool became a boy school last year - and I've come to enjoy planning with active boys in mind! Take a peek at our homeschool curriculum and slightly improved schedule... Homeschool Curriculum in Four Terms Our little homeschool is changing its look just a bit this year to better meet the needs of our busy schedule and to better fit in with my boys' learning styles. We're still eclectically Charlotte Mason. We still follow (a somewhat slower-paced) four-year history and science cycle. We still start our day with family morning time. The ... Read More
When Your Plan for High School Science Isn’t Working
Homeschooling works. It just doesn't always look the same from one child to the next. Sometimes even the best intended plans fail and adjustments need to be made. Our latest major adjustments were made in the subject of science and I've shared our success story here in hopes that you will be encouraged not to give up when your high school science isn't working. Or any subject for that matter! This post contains affiliate links. What works for one kid... With my oldest (who is now in college) we followed the plan so many homeschoolers follow for high school science...Apologia textbooks. They are absolutely wonderful science courses that I've found to be almost AP like in their ... Read More
10 Reasons I Love The Logic of English
I'm homeschooling my third (and final) child through 3rd grade. My next youngest is in 10th grade. Here's the thing...I'm tired. Tired of all the time it takes to plan the piecemeal approach to teaching language arts, that is. I used to teach in the public school system and in homeschooling my older two children I searched and searched for a thorough language arts curriculum that was strong in the foundations of phonics, spelling and grammar like I taught in the classroom. Most of the programs I found either required way too much preparation on my part, only offered practice worksheets with no real instruction, lacked severely in their scope and sequence, or left out systematic ... Read More
Homeschool Curriculum For Sale ~Last Chance!
It's time to declutter in the West household! The items on this list are priced to sell. What isn't sold in ONE WEEK goes to Goodwill, so act fast if you're interested. :) You may email me directly if you're interested in any of the following homeschool curriculum for sale. cindykwest@hotmail.com ALL PRICES INCLUDE SHIPPING VIA MEDIA MAIL. YOU MUST PURCHASE AT LEAST $15 WORTH OF MATERIAL. I ACCEPT PAYPAL ONLY. (Side note: Just because I'm selling something doesn't necessarily mean I endorse it. Please be sure to research whether or not the products are right for your family.) IF YOU SEE SOMETHING PICTURED BUT NOT LISTED, IT HAS BEEN SOLD ALREADY. Elementary Curriculum Daily ... Read More
Homeschool Curriculum 2015-2016
As much as I'm going to miss my sweet girl as she heads off to college this year, I have to admit it's kind of nice only planning curriculum for two kiddos this year. My boys are in 10th and 3rd grades. Yeah, we pretty much won't be able to do any multi-age homeschooling. It's okay, though, because the 10th grader will do most of his schooling without my help. That leaves plenty of time to focus on my littlest man during the school day. This post contains affiliate links. 10th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Caleb won't be completely on his own. We'll still meet together as a family at the breakfast table for Bible study and I'll be very involved in his writing instruction. ... Read More
Homeschooling Frugally: A Cautionary Tale
Once upon a time, there was a homeschool mom who didn't have a lot of money. She heard about homeschooling cheaply - or even for free - and decided this had to be the way to go... I like homeschooling on the cheap just like everyone else. In fact, I've been able to homeschool very frugally over the years and provide my children a top notch education. However, before I get into my tips for homeschooling frugally, I really must share a few notes of caution. Over the years, I've seen this homeschool-for-free bandwagon head down a bumpy path that has the potential to take homeschoolers to the wrong destination. What do I mean by the wrong destination? It's nothing sinister, nor ... Read More
Homeschool Curriculum: My Top Picks K-12
(This post contains links to my products.) Did y'all know I have a master's degree in elementary education and taught in a classroom for several years? Yep. Why does that matter? Well, I've been trained to recognize good curriculum. Flip the coin. Did y'all know I've homeschooled three children from PK-12 over the last 15 years? Yep. Why does that matter? I've had the opportunity to put "good curriculum" to the test many times over in the one-on-one and/or family-style situations of homeschooling. Did y'all know over the years, I've reviewed well over 100 homeschooling products? Yep. Am I trying to impress you? Nope. But, I've seen and used some of the most well-known and ... Read More
Organizing the Unorganized Learner
(This post contains affiliate links.) The Unorganized Learner Do you have an unorganized learner? Here are just a few hints that you might: Pencils (or any necessary school supply for that matter) can never be found. When pencils are found, they aren't sharpened and it takes 15 minutes to find a pencil sharpener. You're always answering the question, "What am I supposed to do next?" Once you've answered that question (again), there's a 20 minute search around the house to find the book needed for the lesson. Another 10 minute search locates the paper to write on and, oh, where did that pencil go now? Later in the day, you find completed work under the couch cushion, ... Read More
Curriculum Choices and Daily Schedule: 12th, 9th and 2nd Grades
(This post contains affiliate links.) I have a senior this year. A senior. Time. has. flown. While it's bittersweet to plan the last homeschool year for my little girl, I'm finally at a point where I can say with full realization that homeschooling works AND it's been worth every single second. I'll post soon about those two very big claims because they are monumental in the scope of this one life we have to live. For now, after much planning, I'd like to share our final curriculum choices and typical daily schedule for not only that senior, but our new high school student and his brother, the 2nd grader. The Senior This summer, Mahayla scored extremely well on her ACT test. ... Read More
Elementary Charlotte Mason Weekly Planner
I've used a bazillion planners over the years. You, too? I needed something to keep me on task with our Charlotte Mason style of homeschooling for my 2nd grader. Something that "forced" me to remember things like poetry recitation, narration of various subjects, and memory verse practice. The Perfect Planner I needed a planner where I could lay out the basics for the week and just jot down quickly when we did them. I needed a planner where I could make definite plans for our poem of the week, our artist of the week , our memory verse of the week, etc. When Pinterest didn't come to the rescue, I decided it was time to create my own "perfect" planner. It's nothing fancy, but ... Read More