This week, we’re sharing our favorite homeschooling sites.  I’m going to warn you right now…mine are different in the fact that few of them are actual homeschool sites.  However, these are the sites I find myself going to over and over again throughout the course of a homeschool year and that’s why they are on my list.  {By the way, these are listed in order of how often I use them.}

—- #1 —-

SCHOLARIC – I was introduced to Scholaric by Amanda from The Pelsers, but it took me months to finally sign up for a free trial of their lesson plan software because I have always shied away from such things due to how complicated they usually are.  I do not like software that requires hours of inputting data to make it work, and nearly everything I had seen on the market took more setup than I was willing to take the time for.  I really didn’t expect Scholaric to be any different, but it was!

It is web-based so I use it on my iPad. (this is part of what has endeared it to me - I don’t have to be tied to my laptop/desktop!)  I type in assignments, but my big kids can also add in their assignments since I don’t always keep track of where they are.  I have never been more impressed by a lesson plan software in all 10 years of my homeschooling!  And yes, we use it every single day multiple times a day.

—- #2 —-

GOOGLE IMAGES – I use the images from Google searches primarily for history and science.  For example, yesterday I was teaching the older kids about the Babylonian captivity of the Jews.  I Googled things like “hanging gardens”, “synagogue” and “hamanatshen”.  But, then I clicked on IMAGES instead of trying to search through EVERYTHING.

Again, I am using my iPad so the kids can easily pass it around and look at the pictures while I read (please be aware that not all search images are appropriate, but usually the first several rows are perfect!).  Having a visual to go along with what we are learning about is priceless!

—- #3 —-

AMAZON – I already told you about my freebie finds for next school year on Amazon, but then one of my readers told me about all the amazing Henty and Ballantyne books for free and I added even more to my Kindle app!  And in the process, I found the McGuffy readers there too!  A huge thank you to Reformation Acres for feeding my obsession for free books!

I also search Amazon first when looking for must-have books for the school year; however, you will see in a moment, this is NOT where I start my search…

—- #4 —-

PaperBackSwap – I told you in my post on creating my own history curriculum exactly how I use PaperBackSwap.  I just listed a long list of books we no longer need and am greatly anticipating sending those off and adding more to my list of needs for next school year!

The reason this site is near the top of my list is because the books come trickling in all year long, so don’t think just because when you initially post your wants and don’t get everything you want that you won’t see it pop up later in the year.  The things I can’t wait on, I buy from Amazon, but if I can wait, I’d rather try to get it via PaperBackSwap.

—- #5 —-

ChristianCinema.com – This is something brand new to our family, but it has already created some big excitement around here!

When we dropped our Netflix membership, we talked about getting an Amazon Prime membership so we could watch videos or subscribing to Hulu, but neither one of those options were distinctly Christian and the selection was a little iffy.  After our decision to be more purposeful with our movie watching, we decided to search for something more in line with what we were trying to accomplish.  I ran across Christian Cinema via an internet search engine and decided this was more what we were looking for.  They even have a “homeschooling” category!

—- #6 —-

HOMESCHOOL SHARE – I’ve told you before how this is the first place I look for supplemental material during our homeschool year.  This site has an amazing selection of free stuff!  And in case you are interested in getting a ChristianCinema membership and then lapbooking what you learn, here’s the link to their Movie Lapbook!

—- #7 —-

THE HOMESCHOOL CHANNEL – I don’t utilize this site as often as I should, but it really is a great resource for the homeschooling family!  But beware, you WILL get lost looking for items of interest there!  It is endless!

—- #8 —-

CurrClick – I have had a CurrClick membership for years and used it periodically to get freebies, but this past April at 2:1 in Washington, D.C., I actually met Leah from CurrClick and came to the realization of just how extensive and awesome the site is!

For instance, did you know there are online classes your child can take via CurrClick on everything from Biology to Math to Government to Essay Writing and all for very reasonable prices considering the last time I looked at an online class through a homeschool company, it was $250!

Leah also told me about their FREE Clubs.  There are Lego Clubs and Chess Clubs (yes, they actually get to play chess in a safe online environment!) and many, many more!  There are even parent’s groups where you can talk about specific homeschooling issues and get the help you need from parents who have been there.

The actual products available through CurrClick are all digital, so if you are looking for less clutter in your homeschool, please check out CurrClick!

—- #9 —-

HOMESCHOOL SANITY – This was an off-shoot of Sherry’s original site Large Family Mothering and it used to be called McGuffey’s World (you’ll see it’s still under that in the URL).  I started reading it because I have this strange fascination with McGuffey Readers.  Probably the same reason one-room schoolhouses fascinate me.  Sherry gives very practical educational application, and because she runs a large family household, I know what she offers will be doable for my homeschool.

 —- #10 —-

MOM’s MUSTARD SEEDS FREEDOM FRIDAY – This is a series I have had bookmarked since it started!  I want to go through the entire thing with my older kids.  It is 12 weeks of Government classes from Lynn at Founder’s Academy and it is entirely FREE!  The classes are presented via video, there is a reading list and worksheets and quizzes – absolutely AMAZING opportunity!

So, what would your top 10 be?  You might even want to write a post about it and link it up to Top Ten Tuesday!

A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE! Start renting movies worth watching today!


Announcement!
Now you can find all the Subscriber Freebies on one page! Click the link and enter Password: RAfreebies

In my post on affording the large family homeschool, I talked about using free stuff to homeschool.  One of the free things I mentioned was public domain works.  Now that I have an iPad these are a little more enticing to me.  I never wanted to use these before because I didn’t want to lug my 17″ laptop all over the house with me.  But having a much smaller and more portable device and the ability to use the Kindle app (works for PC too!) to store the books on Kindle until I am ready for them gave me the idea that I ought to search through my list of books for next year and see what I could find that was public domain.

By the way, we have decided to use Tapestry of Grace Year 2 for next school year, so the book list I was searching was from there and primarily for my junior high and high school aged children.  And yes, I promise to write a post about our choice to go back to Tapestry of Grace after all these years.

Please remember these books must be previewed by you, the parent.  Also be aware that you do not see HOW I use these materials in our homeschool.  I may be skipping sections, giving an overview of the work, or reading the entire book aloud.

So, here’s what I found!

I went with this version of Arabian Nights because one review called it the “sanitized children’s version”.

For those of you unfamiliar with the real “unsanitized” version of Canterbury Tales, this is not a book you read straight through.

Beowulf is not an easy read and I didn’t read it until I was in college, so I plan to skim sections with my children. There is a children’s version available, but not for free.

Not a light read I am sure!

This book, set in the middle ages, is one that I am very excited to be putting in the hands of my oldest son!

Frankly, I’m looking forward to reading this! I’ve heard it is a good read.

If you buy this in the complete version it is $.99, but if you get the two volumes separate, it is free. Go figure.

My oldest son will be earning a Government credit next year. This is part of that credit.

We own a hardcover version of this book as well (picked up from a used book sale!), but I wanted the opportunity for two children to read the book at the same time without needing to share the book.

In order to get Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, I had to get this selection rather than just the sermon itself which costs $.99.

The reviews on this particular book won me over as this being the sort of thing I was looking for.

Again, we own this in hard copy, but I wanted to give both my older children the chance to read this at the same time and not have to share a book.

As for the other books on my list, I am saving up Amazon gift cards from being an affiliate and as Swagbucks prizes. I’m starting to list what I need on PaperBackSwap as well with the hopes I can find some there for cheap too. I also plan to utilize my library as much as possible!

A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE! Start renting movies worth watching today!


Announcement!
Now you can find all the Subscriber Freebies on one page! Click the link and enter Password: RAfreebies

As part of my husband’s job, I sometimes take the wives of the potential executives out and show them around the the town and help them to get comfortable with the surroundings.  Introvert that I am, this is NOT a comfortable thing for me, but I do it because it is helpful to my wonderful husband.

One thing that is really difficult for me is knowing enough about the schools in the area.  I have a generalized knowledge of the schools, but we have never moved to a new city and looked for a house in the “right” school district because we have never had our children in public school.

In certain crowds, the fact that we homeschool can be a huge obstacle for people.  I find myself in repeat conversations with other moms over things like socialization and academics the moment I divulge the fact that we homeschool.  Even my children have found themselves in conversations with adults over the lack of socialization for homeschoolers.  {Yeah, think about that one for a second or two…my children talking to an adult about socialization…hmmmm….}

But, I cannot pussyfoot around the issue.

God called me to homeschool my children and I can do nothing else.  My children are neither ill-socialized nor academically backward.  But truth be told, those things are not my goals.  I don’t fill pails, I light fires!

Yes, we live a life far outside the norm, but as Kevin Swanson says,

The Bible has no law against being weird.

 

How do you handle the socialization discussion?  Are you shining a light for Christ in your interactions with people who are defensive about your choice to homeschool?  Are you okay with being weird?

A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE! Start renting movies worth watching today!


Announcement!
Now you can find all the Subscriber Freebies on one page! Click the link and enter Password: RAfreebies

Children see the world through a fresh lens. It’s almost as if they have a better understanding of creation than we adults who are racing and organizing and pushing. They have the time to see the vibrant colors of a butterfly, the fluffiness of a cloud, the funny gait of a “watopillar” (otherwise known as a caterpillar…otherwise known as a roly-poly). They wonder at the world around them almost as naturally as they breathe.

Having children has taught me something beautiful.  It has taught me a sense of wonderment.

As homeschool moms we need to harness this wonderment.  We need to take the natural curiosity and joy of learning our little ones possess and choose curriculum and ways of infusing information that correspond with this.

You will find I am not a big advocate of preschool “curriculum” because I don’t think preschoolers NEED curriculum.  They need mama and daddy.  They need books read to them and smiles and hugs.  But, it seems moms and dads who are new to homeschooling are eager to add their preschooler to a rigorous school day (I know I was!).

So, I beseech you to consider The Wonderment Curriculum.

No, this isn’t any particular curriculum, it’s a general frame of mind, if you will.  It’s the homeschooling frame of mind that says

Young children need only the opportunity to explore and learn from what they discover with mom and dad at their sides to guide their learning.

It is Delight-Directed for little ones!

So, if you must “do school” with your preschoolers, here are my top picks for building a Wonderment Curriculum for days full of delightful learning!

Free Ideas:

• Your local library – choose a topic and grab up as many children’s books as you can!  Take books you already own and supplement with library books, cookbooks, and online videos and information!
• Out of doors – There is so much to explore outside no matter where you live.  Take regular nature walks and keep a journal of what you find!
• Less electronics – Less entertainment-driven media (which almost always creates an environment where the child is told what to think) will easily and cheaply foster creativity.

Toys that encourage creativity:

• Playsilks – Oh, the possibilities!
• Dress Up Clothes – This doesn’t have to be fancy and definitely doesn’t need to be store-bought!
• Critter Catcher or other safe way of catching and observing bugs.
• Kitchen sets – this can be anything from stuff you pick up at a thrift store to the nice play kitchens you see in stores.  There is just something about kids and the opportunity to concoct with dirt and water!

Actual Curriculum:

• Five in a Row Series – literature-based in an easy style.
• Unit Studies – A quick Google search of “Free Unit Studies” will net you huge results!

Books for mom and dad that facilitate Wonderment:

And don’t forget to infuse your little ones with the Bible!  Everything you do and say and teach should be out of the overflow of a heart that loves the Lord!  He is the Creator of these little ones and their sense of curiosity.  Lead them to Him!

{photos by thegodlyphotographer.blogspot.com}

A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE! Start renting movies worth watching today!


Announcement!
Now you can find all the Subscriber Freebies on one page! Click the link and enter Password: RAfreebies

Welcome back to 10 Days of Large Family Homeschooling!
Start at the beginning of the series.

One day, as we were transferring files from one computer to another, I found this old webcam photo of me and my two oldest children.  Meg was 2 and Blake was 5 and they were our only children at the time.  I had started homeschooling that year.  I was nervous and excited and totally ignorant of what this journey would look like.

Believe it or not, we didn’t start out as a large family.  Very few people do.  Most of us gradually find our way there over time.  We adjust and revamp as needed and we never forget what it was like when there were only one or two children.

Frankly, homeschooling a houseful isn’t much different from homeschooling a couple of children.  There’s always chaos to avoid, we’re always concerned about finances, we are always looking for ways to organize and track our homeschool, and we always have to feed someone.  I’m just a small family…only magnified!

Homeschooling is a blessing.

Getting to spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with my children is something I would not trade for the world.  I heard their first words read, I saw their eyes light up when subtraction finally made sense, I was who they ran to with a carefully scrawled signature.

We share a bond many parents today do not have with their children.  We are able to stay up late talking, go on vacations in the off-season, and spend last moments with dying grandparents.

We love, laugh and live TOGETHER.

But I will caution you…

Homeschooling is not enough.

Enjoy the journey.

No matter your family size, homeschooling will not be enough in and of itself to bring about the blessing of a close-knit family.  You have to live Deuteronomy 6 and Titus 2 every day.  Don’t live in a house full of strangers.  Don’t let the world come before the family.  Cultivate the plants about your table, so that one day they will spread far and wide.  Infuse them with God’s Word and watch them grow!

And please, please enjoy them.  Enjoy the time you spend with them.  Smile at them.  Laugh with them.  Be interested in them.  Homeschooling shouldn’t be a drudgery.  It should be sweet, sweet fellowship!

I pray the last 10 days we have spent together have been ones that have challenged you and blessed you.  They certainly have done so for me.

To God be the glory!

*******************************************

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects. Visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.  Click the image below to visit all the 10 Days posts!

A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE! Start renting movies worth watching today!


Announcement!
Now you can find all the Subscriber Freebies on one page! Click the link and enter Password: RAfreebies

One thing I have found to be challenging as a large family homeschool mom is feeding 3 meals a day plus snacks day in and day out to a rather large and diverse group of people.  At any given time, I have teenagers, toddlers, and babies – all with different palates and needs.

Many of you already know breakfast is not my forte.  I like to eat it, I hate to cook it.  I’ve never been real awake in the mornings.  I can remember as a youngster never feeling as if I had fully awakened until about 10:30 am.  I always wondered why teachers thought math needed to be taught first thing in the morning when I was so very tired.  I am most on top of my game starting late morning and again at about 4:00 pm.  I try to have things on hand that can easily become breakfast, but rare is the occasion that I actually cook a hot breakfast.

*GASP*  Now, you know my secret!

So, now that you know, here’s a list of breakfast ideas – Roberts family style!

• cereal
• fruit
• toast with peanut butter
• hard boiled eggs
• muffins
• breakfast cookies
• yogurt
• baked oatmeal
• pancakes with real maple syrup
• fried eggs

Next is lunch.  By this point, we have been going strong with school and I almost hate to stop for nourishment!  Lunch happens here between 12 and 1 pm – or whenever there is a natural lull in our school day.  Occasionally, Daddy joins us, but most often, it is me and the 6 children.  We typically have a light lunch rather than something heavy for two reasons:

1. Our big meal is at night.
2. It is better and simpler to make something that takes less preparation when in the middle of a school day.

Here are some of our favorite lunch ideas:

• pizza or lunch loaf using homemade quick and easy pizza dough
• bagel sandwiches
• quesadillas
• taco salad
• cheese slices, crackers, & fruit
• sandwiches
• nachos
• egg salad

After we’ve cleaned up from lunch, we head back into our school day.  If I were pregnant, this would be Rest Time, but as it stands right now, only the 18 month old is taking a nap right after lunch.

Our school day is usually finished around 2:30, but this is not a good time to go outside since our road becomes quite busy at that time of day due to the high school down the road.  So, at about 3:00 pm we have a snack and then head outside.

Snack ideas:

• cheese & crackers
• fruit
• foldover peanut butter sandwich
• veggie sticks
• smoothies
• cookies – yes, cookies

After we have played outside for a while, I head inside (usually with a helper) to prepare for supper/dinner.

We eat supper between 6 and 7 pm due to Daddy’s schedule.  This is typically our biggest meal of the day since Daddy is home.  This is also the meal I am most creative with.  I like to go through cookbooks and my index box full of recipes I’ve been collecting for over half my life and pull interesting recipes I would like to try or family favorites.

Some recent meals have been:

• Italian Pot Pie
• Winter Soup
• Large Family Style Pot Pie
• Bierocks
• Egg Rolls & Rice

Now, we all know you can’t feed your crew without either buying or growing your own food (or a mix of both), so here are a few of my favorite shopping posts:

Once a Month Shopping Series (how we shop once a month and save!)

One Store Shopping Method

The Subscriber Pack contains a One Store Shopping Planner and the Bulk Grocery List from our OAMS trips!  To get yours, subscribe to Raising Arrows here:

Other Resources:

• Affording Kids Series
• Mega-size family recipes from A Baker’s Dozen
• Large Family Cooking blog
• MOMYS cookbook – My favorite large family cookbook – only 2 in stock at the time of this writing!

Don’t miss the other blogs participating in the 10 Days Series! Click the button below to find a listing of all the blogs and topics!

A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE! Start renting movies worth watching today!


Announcement!
Now you can find all the Subscriber Freebies on one page! Click the link and enter Password: RAfreebies

Welcome back to 10 Days of Large Family Homeschooling
Start at the Beginning of the Series

Click here to enter the Moore Family Films Giveaway!

If you have been a reader of Raising Arrows for very long, you know how our family tends to put outside-the-box homeschooling far in front of traditional schooling methods.  We choose to make the extracurricular intra-curricular and we are typically rather creative with our schooling.

This kind of methodology stems from our theology.  We believe a child’s education is not meant to make them rich so they can retire happy.  We believe true wisdom comes from knowing the Lord and all aspects of a child’s education must be subject to the Lord’s leading.

At the Midwest Parent Educator’s Homeschool Conference in Kansas City this past weekend, my husband and I had the express pleasure of spending time with convention speaker, Israel Wayne.  My husband interviewed Israel on his stance on homeschooling and I want to share with you this vision in the video below (if you cannot view this video, please click here.)

In the near future, I will be doing posts on what an education based on this understanding of Scripture looks like, but for now, I want to offer you some quick out-of-the-box ideas for what school looks like when it doesn’t look like school…

Working alongside Mom & Dad

So much can be learned by working WITH someone on a project or even in everyday duties.  Our children will all run households of their own someday and will need to know what it means to live life as a man or woman who seeks after Christ in all they do.

This requires patience on the parent’s part because children are not always going to live up to your dreams and expectations, but what God calls you to, He will equip you for and you can LEARN patience.  So, take the time to mentor your own children because all the book-learning in the world cannot take the place of a truly interested and loving parent walking alongside their child.

Real Life Learning

Kevin Swanson of Generations with Vision made some really great points this weekend about taking knowledge and “plugging it in to something.”  He said we often approach education as the be all end all sort of like learning to ride a bike by taking Bike for 12 years and never getting on one.  Our children need to know WHY they are learning what they are learning and how it fits with the ultimate goal of knowing, loving, and serving God and loving and serving others (again, a hearty thank you to Israel Wayne for bringing this Truth to our family!).

Entrepreneurships

In the spirit of plugging a child’s knowledge into a real life scenario, entrepreneurships are a lost method that must be brought back!  Our children need real life application in a career field before they commit to years of study and work for that field.  I’m not an advocate of wasting time and money, so I would much rather waste a little bit of time and money giving my children opportunities to make informed decisions.  A quick note here:  do not for a moment think a college counselor or someone at a career fair is a good representative of what a career field is truly like.  They are there to tell you what you want to hear.  You need to meet real people doing the real job and find ways to get your children working with them in real situations if possible.  Many young people see glamour in a job and totally miss the truth.

Field Trips & Vacations

I grew up going on vacations that were edu-cations so this has been something that has come naturally.  Even when Ty and I go places without the children, we tend to visit museums and other historical and informative sites.

When you have a large family, it is often much nicer and easier to go on field trips without a huge group of people along, so years ago, I quit going on organized field trips with homeschool support groups because it just seemed like utter chaos.  I’d rather take my time with my own children, guiding them through the field trip and not have to compete with their friends and a lot of extra noise.  I am sure they learn much more when we do this as a family.

Delight-Directed Extras

I have been a HUGE fan of delight-directed homeschooling ever since I read Gregg Harris’ book The Christian Homeschool.

Think about how you learn as an adult.  Aren’t you more apt to study and research and grow and learn when wanting to know more about a subject that truly interests you?  Your children are the same way!  And since God has wired each and every one of them differently, it is so very important we study our children and learn who they are and what makes them tick.  This is one of the beauties of the homeschooling environment!  Don’t squander it trying to fit into the box.

Multimedia

This is the section where I tell you not all media is bad.  In fact, it can be an awesome learning tool, especially for children who are visual learners.  My children have learned so much about Ancient Egypt and the Crusades and even how to make maple syrup from multimedia sources.  We listen to CDs, watch DVDs, and use computer software like World Book on CD-ROM on a daily basis.  The technological age does not have to be something that warps our young people’s minds.  It can be harnessed and used for good if we are always diligent to keep it in check.

That is exactly why our family has chosen to invest money in family films that give our children more than just entertainment.  And this is the reason I am pleased to offer my readers an opportunity to win a family film from Moore Family Films!

Please click here to enter to win!

And thank you for thinking outside the box!
{to discover if you are thinking inside or outside the box, click here!}

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects. Visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Click the image below to visit all the 10 Days posts!

A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE! Start renting movies worth watching today!


Announcement!
Now you can find all the Subscriber Freebies on one page! Click the link and enter Password: RAfreebies

Welcome back to 10 Days of Large Family Homeschooling
Start at the Beginning of the Series

I am fascinated by old schoolhouses.  Perhaps it is because I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie or because my own father was schooled in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Kansas.  Whenever we pass by one of these dilapidated old buildings, I stare and wonder at who might have gone to school there so many years ago, trudging through thick snow in black boots and prairie dresses, lunch pail in hand.

I now have my own one-room schoolhouse of sorts.  No, we don’t trudge through snow to get here or wear prairie dresses (except when we are pretending) or eat our lunch from pails (except when we are pretending), but I do teach in a way that is rather reminiscent of days gone by.

Why a One Room Schoolhouse?

Some of you may be scratching your heads wondering why I feel so strongly about this, especially considering the one room schoolhouses were NOT homeschools.  While I do believe taking education out of the parent’s hands and making it the government’s responsibility was not a good move, I do believe many of the one room schoolhouses based their design on what was already happening in many homes of the day.

In fact, homeschooling used to be the norm in which most children learned alongside their siblings whatever it was their parents deemed necessary for them to “make it” in this world.  I believe it is imperative we find our roots in this way of educating.

In the Subscriber Pack (free for the taking if you sign up for email updates from Raising Arrows – see blue box below this post or my sidebar to sign up!), I’ve included 12 Ideas for Creating a One-Room Schoolhouse.  I won’t be going through all those ideas here, but rather choosing a few I feel are the most integral to the task of turning your homeschool into a one room schoolhouse.  As I go through these ideas, I believe you will begin to see why I like this model of education.

1.  Start with the Bible.

Before every bit of Christianity was removed from the public school system, the Bible was the book by which all things were judged and measured.  While I do not believe the one room schoolhouses executed this in a manner befitting of Deuteronomy 6 where the Israelites were exhorted to teach the Lord’s ways to their children day and night and everywhere in between, I do believe the rural schools, like where my father attended, did acknowledge God as the ultimate authority.  My homeschool must reflect this as well.

2.  Work from youngest to oldest.

This is one of those classic one room schoolhouse paradigms.  The younger children, whose attention spans were considerably shorter, had the teacher’s focus at the beginning of class.  It wasn’t until about a year ago, I began to follow this model.  I had always set my school up with the intent that I would school the littles in the afternoon after all the bigs had finished their work.  However, more often than not, I never got around to schooling the littles.  Once I started making them the first thing on my list for the day, it was amazing how much we accomplished!

3.  The trickle-down effect.

One room schoolhouses were conducive to exposing younger children to what they would be learning in upcoming years.  By the time they were being taught in the upper levels, they had more than likely heard all the material several times.

The way we capture this in our homeschool is through something I call the trickle-down effect.  I encourage the younger children to stay in the room and play quietly while I read to or have discussions with the older children.  While they may not catch everything that is being said, I am always surprised by how attentive they are and how much they do manage to absorb.  (If you are looking for ways to engage your children in meaningful and educational conversation, read this!)

We also have our older children give verbal reports and plan activities for the littles based on what they are learning in school.  Typically, our younger children end up joining in with their own impromptu reports, repeating what their older siblings just said.  I couldn’t ask for a better teaching opportunity!

4.  Plan school around the needs of the family.

Back in the one room schoolhouse days, the family was still in charge.  School was secondary.  If there was work on the farm, school could wait.  If it was time for harvest, school let out.

We are not a homeschooling family…we are a family who homeschools.  If we are constantly trying to make our lives fit into the confines of a traditional school day, we will quite possibly miss out on some awesome opportunities that have value far beyond what a textbook can teach.  Don’t let school rule your family or ruin your family.

{You might also be interested in my post – Does That Count As School?}

5.  Seek mastery.

Years ago, the standard of the one room schoolhouse was the standard held by parents at home.  That standard was mastery.  Somewhere along the way, we lost the drive to master a subject and became complacent and willing to substitute “good enough” for “well done.”

I have high expectations for my children.  I am not wanting to make round pegs fit in square holes, nor frustrate my children, but I do expect them to do everything “as unto the Lord.”

We don’t go by grade levels, we don’t push through textbooks so we can get to the other side, and we don’t consider a C to be average.

As I look through this list, perhaps it isn’t the one room schoolhouse model I am truly after,  but rather he Deuteronomy 6 schoolhouse I am after.  For one room schoolhouses, despite my imaginations, were not perfect; however, Scripture always is.  And maybe, just maybe, what the one room schoolhouse tried to do had already been done.

So, while I look to the one room schoolhouse as a model, it is not because I believe it was the epitome of proper education.  It is simply because I believe the one room schoolhouse of yesteryear in rural Kansas can teach this public-schooled mama trying-to-make-her-way-as-a-homeschooler a thing or two.

Looking for more on homeschooling a large family, check out these tips!

And have you snagged your FREE Homeschooling with Purpose eBook yet?  Like the Raising Arrows facebook page, click on the Only Likers button and download your book today!  This ebook is free for a limited time only, so don’t miss it!

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects. Visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Click the image below to visit all the 10 Days posts!

schoolhouse photo credit

A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE! Start renting movies worth watching today!


Announcement!
Now you can find all the Subscriber Freebies on one page! Click the link and enter Password: RAfreebies

 Welcome back to 10 Days of Large Family Homeschooling!
Start at the beginning of the series.

If I could choose the one homeschooling conversation I tend to have over and over with other homeschooling moms, it would hands-down be the “homeschool record-keeping” conversation.  Frankly, it is not my favorite conversation, but it sure does keep a lot of moms up at night.

Tonight, I hope you rest easy…

What are your homeschooling laws?

Before you ever begin to try to keep track of homeschooling, you need to know what exactly you are required to keep track of.  States vary from super strict to super lenient, so be sure to check out your state laws on HSLDA.

By the way, a lot of states have laws that say something like:

Student attendance must be equivalent to the public school’s (i.e. 186 days per year, 1116 hours per year).

If that is the case with your state, then please, read my post on How Many Hours it Takes to Homeschool.

Decide how you want to keep track.

I live in a state where the laws are not very strict, so my keeping track will look quite different from say, homeschool moms living in Pennsylvania.  Once you know your state’s law, you can make a more informed decision about HOW you are going to keep track of your school year.  From one mom to another, my biggest piece of advice is

Don’t make it harder than you have to.

Here are some ideas to choose from:

• Attendance record – Similar to public school, you keep track of every day school is in session, assuming your day is similar in hours to a public school day.
• Homeschool Planner or software – These can be in the form of paper files or computer files.  The best ones are the ones that can be used over and over.  Here is an extensive list of planner pages and software.
• School Binder or notebook – This is an easy way to keep track that doesn’t require any forethought.  After your school day, you simply write down all you’ve done that day that constitutes school.  You WILL be surprised!
• Assignment sheets – Another easy way to keep track is to let your assignment sheets serve as your record.  Put them all into a folder and call it good.

{Note:  If you are looking for help in creating a transcript for your child or for simply understanding how to keep track of it all in high school, I HIGHLY recommend The Total Transcript Solution from The HomeScholar.  Phenomenal product and very easy to understand and implement!}

Now, that we’ve established how you are going to keep track of your year, let’s figure out the day-to-day stuff.

As I mentioned in my Organizing the Large Family Homeschool post, I have adapted over the years, so let me give you some posts from here at Raising Arrows that reflect some of the things we have done in the past to track the day to day homeschool assignments.

1.  Large Family Workboxes – I used a modified workbox method for years, but as my methods of homeschooling began to change, I realized my workboxes sat fairly empty and were taking up more space than I wanted to allow them.

2.  Assignment Binders – These were super helpful when I was pregnant.  One of the best parts was they were color-coded by child – oh, how I love my color-coded children!  However, once they wore out, I did not replace them because my oldest was no longer doing any worksheets and again, my methods of homeschooling had changed to more of a lifestyle of learning rather than textbook oriented.  However, at the time, they were a lifesaver!

3.  Markable Assignment Cards – I only used these for a short time, but thought they deserved a mention anyway.

4.  Quick and Easy Assignment Cards – When my 7th born had colic, this was how we rolled.  Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.  This is a great method for the morning sickness days as well.

Currently, I do a full-blown planning session on Saturday or Sunday night using planning pages I printed off the internet.  These are also how I keep record of our days.  I’m trying to be a more intentional planner while I can be.

A word to the wise: when you aren’t in the throes of morning sickness or a new baby, it’s a good idea to do a chunk of planning so that when that time does come, you can avoid the Mommy-Guilt and Shame On Me Syndrome.

And now for the Grand Finale…

What do I keep?

Short answer:  Only keep the really important stuff.

Large families often struggle with the issue of how much to keep when it comes to school things.  It would be easy to end up with boxes and boxes of papers by the end of your homeschooling career if you don’t choose now to take the minimalist approach.

Here are my guidelines as to what makes it into that precious “School Box”:

• Was it a momentous occasion? – Was it the first time Junior wrote his name?  Was it the first essay Susie wrote that actually made sense?  Was it a project that had been slaved over and finally accomplished?  Those things are box-worthy.
• Does it show progress? – I try to keep papers and worksheets that show definite progress from one year to the next or from one task to the next.
• Will I be sorry I didn’t include it? – The shapes book my 6 year old made isn’t nearly as important to me as the All About Me book he made the same year.  I won’t miss the shapes book, but I would be very sorry to not have the book that tells me all about his likes and dislikes, dreams and aspirations as a 6 year old.

Another large family tip pertaining to the School Box -
Label everything with a name, age, and date.  I put everything in one box, but even if you separate out into individual boxes, you will want to remember exactly what age they were.

Now, I hope you have a blessed day and restful night!

**********************************************************

In the Subscriber Pack (FREE to blog subscribers – just enter your email in the big blue box below or in the sidebar), I’ve included some resources to help you keep track of your homeschool.  Once you enter your email address, you will be asked to verify your email and the next time a post goes out, you will find a link at the bottom of my post with a password and link to the Subscribers Only Site.  Enjoy!

Don’t miss the other blogs participating in the 10 Days Series! Click the button below to find a listing of all the blogs and topics!

A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE! Start renting movies worth watching today!


Announcement!
Now you can find all the Subscriber Freebies on one page! Click the link and enter Password: RAfreebies

Welcome back to 10 Days of Large Family Homeschooling!
Start at the beginning of the series.

I love the concept of cutesy color-coordinated and labeled organizing, but putting it into practice confounds me and feels rather time consuming.  I want quick and simple homeschool organizational methods that will work for the large family household.

So, in this post you will find a smattering of simple ideas based on what we do to keep our homeschooling materials organized.

BOOKSHELVES ARE MY FRIENDS.

I have yet to meet a homeschool mom who doesn’t like bookshelves.  They are an absolute necessity in a large family household!  I have my bookshelves divided up into 3 different sections.

1.  The main bookshelves.

This conglomeration of bookshelves is in our “sitting room”.  My mom and my older kids painted the long bookshelf brown to sort of match the other shelves so it doesn’t stand out as badly as it did when it was a dingy white.  Most of what is housed here are our family’s personal collection of books.  I do keep the Phonics curriculum in here and a few extras like that.  But, for the most part, these are just books that the children can get out any time they like.

2.  The Books of the Year.

This bookshelf sits in our dining room and houses all the books that will be used during a particular school year.  I also put any books I plan to read in this shelf as well.  This keeps everything for the year in one place so I don’t spend precious time hunting down that one book we need to finish our Ancient Egypt study.  This has been a huge time saver and probably ranks right up there as one of my favorite homeschool organizational tips.

3.  Corporate Studies bookshelf.

When I use the word “corporate” I mean anything we do together as a family during our homeschool day.  The corporate bookshelf is home to our Bibles, our devotionals, the read-aloud history books I have all the children listen to, our art curriculum, some audios and DVDs from Vision Forum, and a few of the series books we are working our way through. (Elsie Dinsmore, Little House on the Prairie, and The Boxcar Children)

 THE HOMESCHOOL CLOSET

I have had some type of homeschool closet since the very beginning of my homeschooling years.  In our new house, it literally is a shelved closet in the hallway.  Prior to that, it was a cheapie stand-alone storage closet with doors.  I consider this to be one of the essentials of homeschooling organization.  Homeschool books are not used every year, even when you have back to back to back children.  You have to have a way to store all the unused curriculum.

This is also a good place to put those items you use only occasionally that would be in the way if left out.  Since our new house had so much space in this closet, I decided to use a portion of it for workbooks we use every day as well as scratch paper for the kids to draw and write on.  {If you look closely on that bottom shelf, you will see the bulk box of crayons I bought from Discount School Supply }

MOM’S BASKET

This is the basket of curriculum and extras I am currently using.  The things in this basket are used nearly every day.  It sits beside my chair where I am most likely to be sitting while using these items.  It’s a handy place to put them so that all I have to do is reach down and grab the next thing.  I started doing this when I was pregnant with #6 and our school room was downstairs.  I was too worn out to make the trek down to that dingy, dark basement, so I hauled everything I needed upstairs and put it in a basket by my chair.  Since then, it has become a staple of our homeschool organization!

School Binder for Mom

Not long ago, I introduced you to my revamped household binders.  My school binder was one of these.  This is where I keep lesson plans, notebook paper, pens, any extras I want to use in our homeschooling, but haven’t quite figured out where to put it, etc.  I’ll talk more about planning in tomorrow’s post, so you can see a little better how I use this binder.

LIBRARY BAG

I used to use a Library Box, but it wasn’t very portable.  When my friend , Stacy, started selling Thirty-One Gifts, I got this large utility tote from her and it has been great!  We keep all the library books in here and then just grab the whole thing and go!  It’s tough and holds up to the massive amount of books we bring home from the library.  It’s also a gauge as to when to stop the children from bringing us more books while at the library.  If the bag is full, we leave!

Organizing Extras

Plastic tubs and totes – They make a size of plastic tote for everything!  Currently, I use 2 small pencil boxes to hold crayons for all the kids.  I used to have a box for each child, but decided this year that was a waste of space.  Two boxes have been plenty for all the children to use together.  Besides, they were dumping them all together anyway!

I also use a tub for paints and another for extra supplies like glue, brads, magnet tape, and such.

Metal containers – I don’t use a lot of these, but I do like them for pencils and paintbrushes (see the photo at the top of this post).  We also keep our mail in one and we used to keep our napkins in a couple, but have since started using a basket on the table.

Baskets – Oh, how I love baskets!  They make the ugliest of things look lovely.

Laminator – For a large family, it is imperative you take as many measures as you can to make things last.  A laminator helps with that.  Amazon runs specials on this laminator a couple of times a year or you can buy it at WalMart for a little better price than Amazon’s every day price.

Binders & Page protectors – I love the versatility of binders and page protectors.  Everything from ebooks to nature notebooks can be put in binders.  I even know some homeschool moms who use page protectors as a way to reuse workbook pages.  I actually keep a stash of page protectors and notebook tabs on hand because you just never know when you are going to need them!

Other organizing ideas we have used over the years

Things change and as homeschooling families, we learn to adapt.  Here are a few organizational tools we have used in the past.  Perhaps you find just what you need amongst them:

Workboxes for the Large Family
Assignment Binders
Our Homeschooling Spaces over the Years
How We {used to} Homeschool Preschool & Kindergarten

If you have enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for Raising Arrows email updates below and get your FREE Subscriber pack for the 10 Days Series. And don’t miss the limited-time offer FREE ebook Homeschooling with Purpose – just for Facebook likers!  Details here.

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects. Visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Click the image below to visit all the 10 Days posts!

A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE! Start renting movies worth watching today!


Announcement!
Now you can find all the Subscriber Freebies on one page! Click the link and enter Password: RAfreebies