There’s a little nip in the wind and there are a single tree here and there who’s leaves have started to change colours. That means summer is winding down and that in a few weeks Stéphane will head back to work and we will return to our “school year” routine. And while we will miss having dad home everyday, I’m certainly starting to crave the return to routine. It’s “back-to-school” time here and we are gearing up for a busy fall.
I love back-to-school time because I love back-to-school shopping. I’m a bit of a stationary junkie, and I look forward to all the sales. The pens, the notebooks, the colouring pencils…I love it all. And so do our kids.
I took Alexie for a little shopping trip and we picked up a few things to help fill our shelves for the upcoming months. Here are a few tips for back to school/homeschool supply shopping.
Take advantage of the Sales
Back to school sales are the BEST sales for supplies all year. From pencils and paper to shoes and backpacks. So now is the time to pick up some great things that you will need throughout the year. If you’re stocking up, stock up on the basics or things you will need.
But if you want to avoid the crowds either shop early or late. We went early about 3 weeks before school. Or you can wait until school in your area starts. By the end of the first week of school, the sales are still on but everyone else has finished shopping.
Do An Inventory
Before you go shopping, check what you already have. We had some watercolour paints, construction paper and a few other things. By checking and seeing what I had, I didn’t over buy. I was able to stay in budget and focus on what we needed. It also meant that I had a few extra bucks to splurge on a nicer notebook or new pens.
Get the Kids Involved
I took Alexie shopping with me. She loved picking out her different supplies. Letting them pick out a special note book for journaling or a new pack of markers makes it more exciting for them. If they are excited about the coloured pens or pink note books, they are more likely to be excited to use them.
Hopefully you have as much fun supply shopping as we did. Do you have any tips for Back-to-School shopping? Share them in the comments. We can use all the help we can get!
This is our second year homeschooling. Alexie just turned 4 this summer and she has gone through some pretty big changes in the last 6 months, which will really change what we are doing this year.
Back in March, Alexie was diagnoses with 67 food sensitivities which were triggering her sever eczema. Since eliminating those things from her diet her eczema has cleared up completely. And so has her napping. She quit napping which has really opened up our afternoon for more “activities” as she calls them. So we have a little more time to do some more exploring, outings and activities.
(If you are wondering about Zoé, she doesn’t need as much sleep and she isn’t as chained to her routine as Alexie. She’s more go with the flow and is happy to bop around with us wherever we go. As long as she gets an hour or so nap at some point, she’s happy. She’ll also join us for as much as she wants. She loves reading, so she’ll be sitting on my lap as we read all our books. And she’ll love getting messy with any art supplies we put in front of her.
Math
For math, I decided on Math Lessons for a Living Education as a curriculum. Why? I loved the use of stories in this math book. Level 1 has characters that visit their grandparents on the farm. While there many mathematical questions come up naturally and they solve them together. The situations are very real world, from baking to having to figure out how many egg cartons there are to using life cycles and seasons to teach patterns. I also loved that it’s kind of a middle level. With her love of numbers, I’ve found that many kindergarten programs are to simple. But the Grade one is too advanced. I found this book more like a second year kindergarten level.
Science
Alexie is a little bit of a scientist. We nicknamed her “our little engineer”. With that being said, we aren’t doing any “formal” science units. We’ll be kind of “Unschooling” it this year, letting her steer and determine what we’ll be learning about.
To encourage her love of engineering-type stuff, we’ll be doing lots of free play with our LEGOs, blocks and trains.
But we’ll also doing homeschool program at our local science centre. Once a month we’ll go and participate in mini-lessons with other homeschoolers. I think it’ll be a great way to introduce her to other science topics and to meet and hang out with homeschoolers.
Language Arts
Alexie has a goal of learning to read by the end of the year. Now we’re not talking novels, but a very simple book. She loves books and looking at the pictures. She’s even taking to “reading” stories to Zoé, telling her a story based on the pictures. She’s got most of her letters down, so now we’ve got to work on the letter sounds and stringing them together.
With that in mind, I found All About Reading. I loved that it had some interactive elements and games. It’s also a program that builds reading confidence. In the lessons, the child is introduced to words and then those words are used in games and activities. Only once the child is comfortable with the words, do you move on to the reader, where you’ll find all the words you’ve worked on. I’m very excited to see how she does with this program and to see her confidence build as she reads.
We’ll also do an author study in the winter. We found that we had a little dull period in January, after all the holiday excitement. So I’m looking to add some excitement with something fun. So we’ll be studying the works of Barbara Reid. Since her works are available in both French and English, it would be a great fit for us. And then we can also dive into her artistic work in plasticine (or in our case play-doh).
We are also going to be doing lots of read alouds. Later this year (like late spring) I’m hoping to introduce reading novels to Alexie. She already likes series and books that connect, so I’m thinking this will a hit with her. I’ve picked out Charlotte’s Web, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Pippi Longstocking and Winnie the Pooh. I think these texts will be funny and entertaining to Alexie while also fitting in with some of our unit studies.
In honour of her request, we will also try to have monthly tea parties. We will try to incorporate the idea of Poetry Tea Time, but considering I’m not a huge fan of poetry, we are going to be very loose with what we read. But still reading while drinking tea and wearing fancy hats.
Arts
Coming from an artistic family, we really want to include a well rounded arts education for our kids. But we also want to encourage creativity. I’m hoping have at least a weekly block of time when we can explore various mediums and get our hands dirty. My plan is to always have the basics available (crayons, paper, scissors, glue stick, etc) but also have a special material that I can change out every few weeks. I’m thinking of rotating watercolours, pastels, natural/found materials, different paper products (tissue, construction, newspaper), play-doh for our author study, and a few others.
I’m also hoping that a little more exploration of the musical instruments that we have in the house (we have a keyboard, guitar, ukelele, harmonica, kahone drum and hand bells) might prove exciting. Maybe she’ll find something she’s keen on learning. She loves singing right and certainly has her favourite radio hits. If singing along with radio is all we do then, that’s great.
Socialization
We are social people and we love to get out of the house. So we have a few weekly groups that we are going to be joining up. We are going to continue to go to the French preschool program at the school around the corner from us. And we are going to continue to go to our weekly playgroup meetings. And the girls are already signed up for gymnastics classes. But we do have some new things. We are going to be going to our local science centre on their homeschool days. There is also talk with some parents in our area of starting a new homeschool co-op and we are super excited to be a part of that!
That’s our big plan for the year. From September 2019 to August 2020. A little reading and math and a whole lot of exposure to different experiences, materials and activities. We are excited to meet and hang out with more homeschoolers and we can’t wait for our year to start!
The weeks leading up to September are some of my favourites. I always considered September to be the unofficial but real New Years. With all the schools and programs starting up in September and Stéphane’s return to his teaching job, it just feels like a new start.
the unofficial but real New Years. With all the schools and programs starting up in September and Stéphane’s return to his teaching job, it just feels like a new start.
Today I’m going through how I plan out our homeschool year and how my BRAND NEW PLANNER makes my life a little easier!
We are eclectic homeschoolers, blending a few different styles together to make our own unique style. We like to borrow from Charlotte Mason and unschooling while also doing some unit studies.
We use unit studies in a different way. We give each month a theme and fill our reading basket with books that connect (sometimes very loosely) to our theme. I also like to make a list of a few activities that also link in with the theme. When Alexie asks for an activity, I’ve got a couple of options already listed and she can pick from there. This unit study/unschooling blend really works for us and lets us explore new or seasonal topics without the pressure of needing to get everything done.
After using a few different planners over the years, I found that there were always a few things missing or extra pages that a homeschooler would never use. So I designed the homeschool planner of my dreams. It has pages for reflection, a yearly overview, monthly and weekly layouts, inspirational quotes, login/contact info pages and even progress reports! 219 pages of homeschool planning bliss and I’m showing you exactly how I use it today! From planning our unit studies to planning our field trips, all the details are in the video!
After visiting the girls’ aunt and uncle and their wonderful farmer’s market, we decided to break up the long ride home. We decided to stop at the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory.
Being totally honest, we didn’t expect much. We have a butterfly gallery at our local science centre and we thought it would be pretty much the same. But at least it would be a stop and a chance for the girls to stretch their legs.
Well we were wrong! The place was amazing!
Alexie loved looking at all insects they had in the galleries. Not only the beautiful butterflies on the walls, but also the live bugs they had. From the spider to the scorpion to the assassin bugs, they were all so interesting. But then we stepped into the conservatory.
It was like walking into a jungle full of butterflies. There were little birds flying about and even a turtle in the stream. There we little feeding stations throughout the conservatory and butterflies all around.
Both the girls loved it! Alexie even asked that we go around a second time! We were there for almost 2 hours and the girls were thrilled. It was a great experience and we will totally be going back in the future.
I think lots of people love spending a few hours at the farmer’s market. With all the fresh produce and local products, it’s a really great place to support local businesses and farmers. And, it’s full of educational experiences for kids. From talking about where our food comes from, to money and entrepreneurship, there are lots of learning opportunities.
We have a unique opportunity because the girls’ aunt and uncle live on a soybean and pepper farm. And they run The Little Farmer’s Market from their barn. When we went down to visit, we got to help out in the market.
The girls love helping out at the market. We started the morning by filling pint baskets with fresh sweet peas. Uncle Braden (or uncle Pepper as we like to call him) used a scale to weigh out 1 pound baskets of sweet cherries. We helped fill the shelves with various vegetables. Then Alexie got to work watering the flowers around the market.
Alexie even got to help serve customers. Working the iPad POS system is always interesting for the girls to use. And, it’s a chance for them to practice with money in a real-life situation. Plus, you can’t beat the chance to experience running a small business in an up-close and personal.
It was a great learning experience, and getting to work with their Aunty Bean and Uncle Pepper was the cherry on top.
We recently took a long road trip to visit some family. We decided to break up the 7+ hour drive with a few pit stops along the way. One of the places we stopped at was the African Lion Safari.
We decided to take the tour bus because we had a small crack in our windshield, which would bar us from using our vehicle. But we have also heard of the baboons taking pieces off the vehicle — which we weren’t interested in. It was actually a very informative experience. The bus driver was also the guide and had lots of interesting facts to share about the animals as we drove through their various reserves.
It was such a neat experience to see the lions, baboons, giraffes and rhinos just mulling around their large exhibits. They moved around freely and some walked right up to the bus. We certainly got a good close look at one giraffe that decided to come in for a closer look.
The park is big and there were other sections that we never made it to. By late afternoon, the girls were exhausted and we had lots more driving to do. We did enjoy the wonderful splash pad and Alexie absolutely loved the waterslides. We missed the parrots and some of the other exhibits. But, we still had a day full of fun and excitement! And Zoé, our little animal lover, was in heaven the whole time!
Scheduling your homeschool can be a little bit overwhelming. There are so many great schedules out there and every family has such a unique rhythm, it can be a little tricky to figure out what works for your family.
Regardless of whether you homeschool year-round or on a school-term, we really believe that every homeschooler can benefit from having academic terms in their year.
By terms, we mean that you find a way to divide your year up, giving yourself a point (or a few) throughout the year to stop and see how things are going.
First we are going to take a moment and define a few different term options you’ve probably heard of.
Semester: Half a school year (typically 15-18 weeks) at which there is a change in subjects being studied. Very common in high schools.
Term: Typically found in elementary schools where the subjects are taught for the full school year. Often the year is broken down into 3 terms. The length is determined by the school or homeschooling parent. There is also usually a rather large break (for example a summer break after the 3rd term).
Quarters: Four 3-month blocks of time. This timeline is often used by businesses and financial institutions, but many year-round homeschoolers like this to break down their year.
Now that you understand what each of these words mean, you might be wondering why you need to schedule your homeschooling using one of these breakdowns. Why do you need terms or quarters?
The end of a term or quarter is the perfect time do several things that will help make your homeschooling successful. Take an afternoon, a day or even a weekend (or even a week), and do these 4 things to help you keep your homeschooling moving forward.
Reflect
At the end of the term, you can look back and see what worked and what didn’t. You can look at fixing what needs to be fixed, tweeking your schedule to better fit your needs or ditching the curriculum and trying something new.
Regard the Future
It’s also the time to start looking ahead and making some of your plans a little more solid. Booking a field trip? Now is the time. What books will you need in the next few months? Make a list with your library so they are ready to be reserved for you.
Re-set
It’s the perfect time to reset your homeschool. We like to take some time at the end of the term to tidy up our homeschool area. It’s the time to see what we’re low on, and restock.
Record
Some provinces and states require that you have records of what your kids are learning. Take some time now to get caught up on your records, fill our our files and get your paper work in order. We are lucky that we don’t have that kind of requirement in Ontario, but I still make notes on what worked for us and what didn’t, so that this time next year, I’m better prepared. I also make a list of ideas, themes, trips, etc. for the future. It makes my life easier to look back and see that this field trip was awesome but that book fell flat for us.
Another reason you want to use some kind of breakdown is because you want to give yourself a timeline if you are trying something new. Those first few weeks of a new class, curriculum or schedule might have some growing pains. That’s okay. But you don’t want to throw in the towel after 1 week. By using a term or a quarter, you give yourself a realistic chance to see if it’s just growing pains or if it’s really not working.
How do you choose?
Usually, its choosen for you. If you are using online courses for your highschooler, you’ll probably use semesters because that’s what the on-line schools use.
But, most homeschoolers use terms or quarters. School-term homeschoolers often use 3-terms to divide their year while year-round homeschoolers can pick between terms (3) or quarters (4).
But how you break down you year is up to you.
We homeschool year-round, but with 3 terms; September to December, January to April, May to August. Why? Because this is the schedule that works for our family and how our year flows naturally.
Hopefully this will help you figure out which school-year breakdown works best for your family!
This week, we are talking about some simple ways to reduce your homeschool costs and homeschool on a budget.
Curriculum
Curriculum is often one of the biggest costs of homeschooling. But there are ways to lower your costs when it comes to buying curriculum. I always like to remind people that bigger and more expensive is not always better. You can buy some curriculum books second-hand. You can use free worksheets from the internet. Or you can buy packages from lower cost websites like Teachers Pay Teachers. You could also consider radical unschooling, a type of homeschooling that doesn’t use any curriculum, hence zero cost.
School Supplies
You’ll have to buy at least some school supplies. Pencils, paper, notebooks, printer ink, are all things that you’ll need to have on hand. Save a little money by stocking up during back-to-school sales. You can also get a lot of great basics at dollar stores.
And, speaking of back-to-school sales, here’s a tip if you aren’t a fan of crowds. You can wait until school actually starts in your area. For us, we wait until after labour day. Then all the kids are in school, but the sales are still on and the crowds have dissipated.
Art and Craft Supplies
Homeschoolers have a lot of time to create, and tend to go through a lot of art and craft supplies. Dollar stores often have great craft sections and very reasonable prices. Or you can take advantage of teacher discounts at stores like Michael’s. You might need a teacher I.D. to get your discount, but they are usually pretty good at accepting a homemade, but official looking I.D. with you name and title.
Books and Reading Materials
We love books, as do many homeschoolers. But books are so expensive. Libraries are a great way to get your hands loads of books at zero cost. We also love to look for books at department stores like Marshals and Walmart, where books are often a little less than cover cost. Another great place to find seasonal books is the dollar store. From experience, the best place to find the really good books are in the seasonal section near activity books and not in the actual book section.
Field Trips and Outings
Field trips and outings are an important part of our homeschool. Life experiences and hands-on learning is a great way to learn. But admissions can add up quickly, especially for a larger family. To save some money, look for free days at your local museum or science centre as well as free events around town. If you are trying a new place and think it’s somewhere you’ll visit often, consider getting a membership. Many places even allow you to upgrade your ticket, applying the cost to the membership. You can also join a co-op or get a group together for a group discount rate.
Extra-Curricular Activities and Classes
Extra-curriculars and classes are a great way to personalize your child’s educational experiences. To save some money, consider activities that have lower start-up and equipment costs. Also consider the length of the activities. You don’t want to pay for a year’s worth of classes upfront, when they decide they don’t like it after a few weeks. There are also a lot of free classes online.
Homeschooling doesn’t have to break the bank. But it always helps to save a little money, here and there, What are your favourite ways to save money on your homeschooling?
It’s a question you see in almost every homeschool group or forum. People wanting to homeschool but concerned about the cost of educating their children at home. So they ask, “Can you do it for free?”
The answer might surprise you!
Like I said in the video, you can’t homeschool for free. You’ve got to have a budget. But it doesn’t have to be big. You don’t have to spend a fortune on curriculum but you do need to set aside some money for outings, supplies and other necessities. But, you’d most likely be paying for many of these things even if your kids were in public school. It’s just a matter of having a real budget for it so you can keep yourself in a good position financially.
One of the first things parents think about when homeschooling is the schedule. You could easily spend a few hours browsing Pinterest looking for the perfect schedule.
But you will never find one.
Why? Because your family is different and unique from every family out there. So while it’s great to get some ideas, it’s ultimately best if you create your own.
One of the first things to consider whether you want a school-term homeschooling or year-round homeschooling.
Term-based vs. Year Round
School-term schooling typically refers to parents who school their children during a specific period of time, very similar to the public school system in you area. For example, you might choose to homeschool from September to June (which follows the Canadian public school system). At the end of the final term, you would take an extend break like a summer holiday.
Year-round schooling is exactly as it sounds. You homeschool year-round. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t get a break. Year-round homeschoolers often take several smaller breaks throughout the year. There’s something called Sabbath Schedule, where you teach for 6 weeks and then take a week to rest (like God worked to create the world for 6 days and rested on the 7th). And while that works for some religious homeschoolers, even secular homeschoolers can benefit from taking shorter breaks throughout the year.
Which is Best?
There is no one answer. It’s really what works for your family. There are pros and cons to each schedule.
School-Term Homeschooling
Pros
It follows the public system, which means you can take advantage of various programs likes camps for your children
You have a longer break for holidays
The longer break means you have more time to plan, organize and order things (supplies, curriculums, etc) for the next school year.
The shorter school year means that you have a more structured day and a stricter routine
Cons
Learning can be lost over the summer.
Feeds into the idea that learning is something that is done at a particular time, place, and in a certain way.
Year-Round Homeschooling
Pros
Learning stays sharp because kids don’t have big breaks to forget the lessons they were learning
Fosters the idea that learning can happen “anytime, anyplace”
Allows kids to go a little more at their speed
A more flexible and relaxed schedule (3-day week, 4-week)
Easy to move away from grades
Cons
A less structured routine
Can feel like school never ends
You have less time to plan your next year
Can be more expensive, if your child finishes their curriculum earlier than you anticipated.
What do we do?
We personally do year-round homeschooling. It just works with our family. We like it for several reasons. We can encourage our kids love of learning based on their interest and not on the schedule
We can school only a few days a week, and focus the rest of the time on following the kids interests, activities and spending time with friends and family (aka. socialization)
We want to foster a love of learning that goes beyond “school”. By schooling year-round, we hope to encourage them to see learning as something that can happen at any point in time, and not just “during the school year”.
We can take time off when we needed. If the kids get the flu for a week, it’s no big deal. Mom’s got a conference in the middle of April, great! We take the entire month of December off, just so we can fully embrace the season and all the festivities that come with it.
Picking a schedule for your homeschool is a very personal decision. Both are valid options and only you can pick the one that works for your family.
