Are you and your kids tired of the same old writing drills?

Do your homeschool bookshelves house more than three types of writing curriculum?

Writing, even if you feel you are quite good at it yourself, can be one of those subjects you find hard to teach in your homeschool.

Why?

Because, we tend to automatically recall and implement techniques from when we were in school.

Think back to all the creative writing assignments, ugh!

I enjoyed using my imagination, but often felt too much pressure when it came time to writing it all down.  Now that I have matured, I recognize that I didn’t dislike writing; I just felt stifled.  Stifled by correct grammar, spelling, and use of literary concepts that felt cold and mechanical.

All the excitement and fun of my story was held hostage to criteria and outlines; and that dreaded red pen.

Yes, we need to learn the mechanics of writing, but I also believe we need to enjoy the process.  Writing is something we all use every single day and it shouldn’t be something we dread doing.

So, how can we make some of those writing curricula work for us?

How can we make writing more exciting for our kids?

We need to get creative and not be weighed down by the curriculum.  We need to explore and read great literature to them.

Consider addressing writing lessons in a personal, fun and/or real way.  Find a way to have your child connect to what they want to write.

Make it Fun!

Any chance I get, I use books and novels to drive home my point about certain literary devices. No pens, no paper; just me, my kids and books!

As and example, the other day we were discussing how we need to think of our readers.  How can we engage them and make them want to read what we write?  How do we hook them?

Instead of pulling out our curriculum, which does discuss and teach this through examples and practice, I decided to change things up. I zipped around our house and pulled a book off every shelf, and added the library books we just brought home.

I read the opening paragraph or two from every book.  We discussed it, I encouraged them to share with me what they really thought, in their own words! They need to know they can express their opinion, so I asked them questions like:

• What do you know so far?
• Does it capture you?
• Can you guess what the book will be about?
• Do you want to read more?
• What intrigues you, what do you want answered?
• Did it take you to another place?
• Could you understand the vocabulary?
  
• How long do you think it will take before you are captivated enough to keep reading?
• Do you like it?
• Did your imagination kick in?
• Which of your senses were engaged?
• etc.

(In case you are wondering, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White won by a landslide!)

Make It Personal!

What stories and books really connect with your kids?  It can be a new novel or something you’ve read before and want to re-visit.  As you read use sticky tabs to mark passages of text to discuss or dissect later.  Ask lots of questions and get a discussion going.

• What do you think about this character?
• Who do you think the hero of the story is?
• Would you have done the same thing?
• Is this person being a good friend?
• Do you see yourself in any of these characters?
• How would you have handled this situation?
• When is it right to … or is it wrong?
  
• Can you picture yourself in this setting?
• What do you think they feel right now?
• Can you think of a situation in real life that could relate?
• Imagine if the author didn’t use these exciting descriptive sentences, would you still like the book?

Make it Real!

Use real writing examples from novels they love and passages that take your breath away or send you off to some far off land.  Talk about why it captures your child’s imagination the way it does.  Use it as copywork and take the time to point out some literary devices the author is using; or highlight the different clauses within that particular paragraph.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all had a copywork journal full of  passages from great novels or poems? Not a novel or poem that I love or you love, but one your child loves and identifies with!

This could be a great keepsake as well; all the while teaching them something about good writing practice. By the time they graduate they could have a little portfolio of the novels they read and loved over the years; with passages that meant something to them at that time in their life.

By diving deeper into the novels we read together, it provides us with an opportunity to learn much more about ourselves.  It also helps us to understand what good writing is and what it can become for us. It helps us to discover our writing voices.

Take the opportunity to have fun with words, explore and stretch your imagination!  Help your kids fall in love with writing not because it is part of a curriculum, but because beyond it being an essential skill, it is a beautiful way to communicate. 

Don’t be afraid to use a curriculum, but do be wary of becoming a slave to your writing curriculum.

Take a detour, step outside the box from time to time; push the curriculum aside, and just fall in love with great writers!

If you want more ideas on how to have discussions or ways to engage your learners with process questions check out “How I Teach Critical Thinking in Our Homeschool”

Want to know what great books we have been Reading? Here is some of our Reading List.

This post is part of a “How to Teach Without a Curriculum”  link up at iHomeschool Network

Click on the picture below to find other “How to Teach Without a Curriculum” posts:

The post Supporting Young Writers in Your Homeschool With Great Literature appeared first on Home School Innovation.

We are living in a time where STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education is gaining in popularity.

Many exciting and innovative career choices will centre around STEM subject areas which, as homeschoolers, we have an opportunity to provide our children with in a more real life way.

I am excited to share a new user friendly CAD (Computer Aided Design) program that we can teach our kids!

Learn Onshape is a company dedicated to teaching online 3D design projects to anyone interested with a special interest in also helping families and kids learn this real life program application!

It is one thing to learn STEM projects, but as homeschoolers we understand the amazing and magical growth which can happen when we teach from real life experiences; and Learn Onshape knows this too!

Learn Onshape has released the first in many videos on “How to Set Up Your Free Onshape Account” which you will need in order to learn and complete the exciting project he has lined up for us very soon!

Or download this Getting Started pdf to help you set up your Free Onshape Account.

Here’s a sneak peak of the first project!

To stay informed of all the inspiring content Learn Onshape will be offering, you will definitely want to sign up for their newsletter!

What kind of 3D designs do your kids want to build?

The post Effective How To STEM Projects Your Kids Will Love appeared first on Home School Innovation.

The sacrifices of men and women who have served our country in time of war, conflict and peace should never be forgotten or taken for granted.  Those who have served our nation, both in the past and present, deserve to be honoured for their dedication and allegiance to our country and our welfare as a nation .  It is our duty to not only take time to pay our respects, but to teach our youth about the history of our nation and our military.

Taking part in Remembrance Day services, in one way or another, has been something I have done my entire life and it is something my children participate in as well.  When they were quite young, we wore our poppies, made crafts, observed the 2 minutes of silence every November 11th and we shared simple stories to help them understand, on their level, what this day was all about.  As they grew and could grasp more, we did more. We now share stories of our family and friends who have fought in wars and who have taken part in peace keeping missions.

Most recently my boys took an online course about WWII which covered the strategies and politics of the war as it unfolded. They came away from that course with a deeper appreciation of those who stood up for our country and fought to preserve our freedoms.

By taking opportunities to be involved in Remembrance Day ceremonies, history courses, family discussions and online activities, I am proud to say my children have a deep respect and appreciation for our veterans.

Here are some resources I have found to help you learn more about Remembrance Day…

Links and Resources:

Education/Lesson Plans/Support Materials:

• Veterans Affairs –
  • Remembrance Day (main page)
  • List of Events – grouped according to Province
  •  Veterans’ Week Learning Resources
  • Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae – includes his poem “In Flanders Fields”
• The Royal Canadian Legion
  • Youth Contests – Plan ahead and research your local deadlines for entry
• Canadian War Museum
• Donna Ward from Northwoods Press – Remembrance Day Resources/Links
  • WWII Secret Agents in France – Remembrance Day Lesson 1:1
• Activity Village 

• CBC News – Canada – Type “Remembrance Day” into search box for articles and look for a link to a Live Stream on November 11th to watch the ceremonies.

Arts and Crafts:

• Painted Coffee Filter Poppy Craft for Remembrance Day from Happy Hooligans
• Colouring Pages and other resources from Activity Village
• Poppy Crafts from Hodge Podge Craft
• Worksheets, Colouring Pages and Crafts  from DLTK Kids

Books and References:

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    On social media, you can look up #RememberThem to find more links or to express your gratitude to our Veterans.

    ~Lest We Forget~

     

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This year we are officially homeschooling high school!

As we venture into this new chapter, we require curriculum which will both engage our children as well as helping them succeed in earning credits towards their high school diploma.

Where we live there is a Social Studies requirement for the high school diploma, which covers both History and Geography.

My research for a great Geography curriculum has lead me to Bright Ideas Press and North Star Geography written by Tyler Hogan.

North Star Geography covers:

Geography Skills (maps, navigation, etc.)

Physical Geography (lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, atomosphere, etc.)

Human Geography (social structure, heritage, culture, interacting with environment, etc.)

 It is written from a Christian perspective and counts towards high school credits!

What Helped Me Decide to Use North Star Geography?

• Watching this Bright Ideas Press Hangout called All About Atlases for Homeschool  helped me to get to know more about Bright Ideas Press president and North Star Geography author Tyler Hogan.  It is evident that Tyler really loves Geography and Atlases!
• On the Bright Ideas Press website under the Geography tab, you will find North Star Geography. They have sample lessons available to download.  I took advantage of that and had my junior high and high school kids work through that sample lesson with me. We also watched the intro video where Tyler explains about North Star Geography.  While you are there be sure to check out other materials to accompany your geography curriculum like the North Star Geography Audiobook!
• The icing on the cake was this fun video called “Got Geography”.  Yes, we all should learn geography!

The Day North Star Geography Arrived

My first impression was how beautiful the book is! Yes, it is a text book, but it really is a beautiful, well laid out book.  It is obvious this curriculum was written by someone who truly loves and appreciates the importance of learning geography.

I promptly made a cup of tea, called my kids and we began reading! As I read I became excited because not only did I realize I made the right choice for our high school years, I am also excited to teach it! Although I have always loved maps, I didn’t particularly think I liked geography.

I was wrong.

After reading through and planning out our year with North Star Geography I realized I do, in fact, enjoy geography. As a homeschooling parent you look back at your own school experiences and my experience learning geography left a dry, apathetic taste in my mouth. 

Now, I am motivated to have fun bringing geography alive for my kids!  Only one lesson in and they have already realized how easily geography crosses into other subject areas; and they enjoy the atlas building exercises too!

North Star Geography is a win for us and for our high school goals!

The post Homeschool Geography Curriculum for Your High School Needs appeared first on Home School Innovation.

We have often kept up some sort of study throughout summer.  We are a family who embraces learning as a way of life v.s. something more institutional and dry.  Not to mention we live in Canada, so studying botany or entomology in the dead of winter (and -35 Celsius) just isn’t practical or rewarding.  Until this year however, our summer homeschooling has been quite unstructured.

This year I made the decision to truly embrace a year round homeschool schedule. We still make time for fun and lazy days, but we are not tossing every subject overboard for two and half months.

Why Now?

Seeing as we have a child entering high school (yes, I blinked!), one finishing up middle school and the other in elementary we have hit a stage where I am needed in many different ways.  While they are all quite independent and good students, it doesn’t change the fact that I need to be there to guide, encourage and motivate them.  I can see that we will all benefit from a bit more structure, more acquired skills and even more fun.

My eldest is discerning possible career paths and has the foresight to know he will need advanced Science, Math, English and Social Studies (History/Geography) to achieve his goals for his high school diploma.

With this realization, I knew we would need to change up our homeschool routine and some of our curriculum.  At our spring homeschool convention I was able to purchase a new science curriculum from Apologia and shortly thereafter I found a great high school level geography curriculum from Bright Ideas Press called “North Star Geography”.

Looking at Our Year

As my kids get older, their interests in sports and music lessons take up more time, not to mention some volunteer commitments and part time jobs.  With this in mind, I can see that following a typical school year of  September to June is crammed full with very little white space. 

We need white space!

I will admit this past year there were days where no one wanted to do anything.  No chores, no school work, not even fun read alouds, which is always my “go to” when things are upside down and we need a break.  When I witnessed this I knew I needed to make some changes.

Not only are we continuing to homeschool through the summer, but everyone is taking a good look at their extra-curricular activities.  We are committing to only participating in the activities which bring the most joy and the most beneficial.

By spreading the academics out, we can make more room for down time to replenish, book appointments, go to sporting events and competitions as well as our musical recitals.

The beauty of homeschooling is the flexibility it affords each family to embrace their calling and vocation and give them the time to address any needs which may arise.

This summer my family is having fun exploring Geography, History and Science mixed with a good dose of lazy summer days and great books.

The Math and Writing will be sprinkled in a pinch at a time, but don’t tell my kids; it’s a secret!

Besides, if summers are completely unstructured it can take a toll on mom.  Keeping some kind of routine is always beneficial.

More Ideas About Summer Homeschooling

• Summer Circle Time by Kendra Fletcher over at Preschoolers and Peace.  
• Summer Road Trip blog posts over at Bright Ideas Press.

The post Adopting Year Round Homeschooling, New Curriculum and Loving It appeared first on Home School Innovation.

All too often I see or hear of homeschool families divided.

The Unschoolers v.s. the Classical; the Charlotte Mason v.s. the Textbook Style, Christian Homeschoolers v.s. the Secular Homeschoolers, etc.

But, what if we stuck together, despite what style, method or philosophy we adhere to?

What if we celebrated what we have in common instead of separating ourselves by our differences?

What could we accomplish?

For one thing, we could give homeschooling a stronger more unified voice. When it comes time to defend our rights and freedoms as parents to choose how our children will be educated, we need to build upon our similarities.

We could also willingly lend each other a helping hand. Encouraging one another in this vocation we have taken on is so important. While homeschooling is great, I don’t think anyone of you would disagree when I say days of challenge or even doubt do arise; and in those times we need someone to listen.

We can improve everyday if we keep the lines of communication open to one another.  Not for the sake of evangelizing our ways to sway a family into our methods, but to learn from one another and our experiences.  I have learned many bits of wisdom from those who follow a different faith or method of homeschool, which I then adapt to fit my family. Some of my greatest supporters don’t even homeschool!

So, with the theme of standing together, here is a start to a list of similarities you and I have.

What All Homeschoolers Have in Common

1. We all love our children.

2. Our hearts fill with joy when our kids hit a milestone and break through a previous barrier.

3. All of us have children in our family unit who will learn differently than their siblings.

4. We all have books/curriculum on the shelf we thought would be awesome and have yet to crack open.

5. We all need quiet time to replenish and nourish our souls (Time for Mom (or Dad)).

6. Everyone has had a day (or many in my case) where we don’t get one thing done on our looming ‘To Do’ list.

7. We’ve all stepped on Lego or hotwheels in the night and have had to hold our tongues as not to wake a sleeping child. (Why, oh why does that Lego hurt so much??)

8. There are days when we overhear our kids ‘expertly’ conversing with someone over a topic we know nothing about.

9. We’ve all answered the socialization question 2,348 times (or more).

10. Those days as 5 pm approaches, your husband is due home and you realize you are all still in your p.j.’s because it’s been ‘one of those days’.

11. Once your husband arrives home, to find you in your p.j.’s as stated above, you just roll with it and enthusiastically declare “It was fun p.j. day!!” pretending it was planned long ago.

12. We’ve all struggled with what or how a child learns v.s. what or how we, as parents, like to learn or teach.

13. Someone’s science experiment has ended up mistakenly in the garbage because we thought the kids just forgot to clean the kitchen. (Or worse yet … we’ve eaten it!)

14. Bugs and critters have been brought in the house only to escape. (Ask me about Stacey the ladybug, or our painted lady butterfly fiasco.)

15. We have all learned something (or many things) from our kids. (check out this link up from iHomeschool Network bloggers: What My Child Has Taught Me)

16. We have all witnessed how big, loving and forgiving our children’s hearts are.

17. The wisdom and innocence our kids possess has helped us appreciate homeschooling and family time.

18. There are days when we raise a white flag, days when we need support and a cheerleader to keep going.

19. We’ve all wished for a laundry fairy and are truly disappointed that she never show up for duty. (Seriously…where is she??)

20. The internet and researching have sucked a whole day out of us at one point or another.

21. We’ve all wondered if we are doing enough for our children.

The grass isn’t greener on the other side, it is just different grass. So please, don’t fall for the comparison game which can lead to division and feeling too proud, it’s a trap.

We need to humble ourselves,  be welcoming and soften our hearts.  We all come from different backgrounds and beliefs which can build us up rather than divide and tear us down.

Today, make an effort to reach out, in real life or via social media, to encourage another homeschooler!  Share your experience; but also take time to learn what works well for others so you can improve your homeschool day too.

Be Stronger – Stand Together

The post All Homeschoolers Need to Stick Together To Be Stronger appeared first on Home School Innovation.

Feeling excited and at peace with your decision, you start to gather resources, plan field trips and set up your home to be a haven where children fall in love with learning.
Even your children are excited! They start to dig into their History lessons, craft projects, and even fill their spare moments with exploring, self-directed learning, and fun, imaginative play.

Then “that day” comes!

That day where hour upon hour nothing seems to go right…nothing! Not only that, you can see it snowballing to the point where you know it is going to take you off track.
Those challenging days, whether they be a few in a row, or scattered throughout a semester, are heavy.
If we don’t have a great support system in place, that heavy feeling can open the door for doubt, fear and worry to take a firm grip of our hearts and minds.

The Truth You Need to Know

Truth is, you are brave and resilient enough to deal with these days!

You proved that the day you decided to go against the grain and homeschool. You also proved that during those seemingly normal and regular days of parenting! Parenting is hard work, but also abundantly rewarding!

The other truth is that if you are feeling a little short on resilience, you can decide to take the steps to find it. Homeschooling does afford you some flexibility to change things up, so take advantage of that when you are feeling weary. Dedicate some time for you to find your groove again!

“…decide…whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. If it is, stop worrying…” ~Amelia Earhart

Prayer and Meditation

Never dismiss the power of grace!

God is so good that He gives us grace in the simplest of things if we are willing to see and accept it. We just need to be still long enough to recognize it. So, make quiet time, even if it is just a few minutes scattered through your day, a priority.

It has been proven, through MRI, that prayer and meditation actually has an affect on the grey matter of our brains. (Check out this article “Eight Weeks to a Better Brain”.)

Being still and quiet can be a challenge, and something we should work on in this age of busyness. If we tend to ‘pray on the run’, while that is fine, we also run the risk of missing all the extra little gifts of grace God is bestowing upon us and our families as we rush about the day.

We need to invest in ourselves and set aside some time everyday to meditate or pray.

When we are feeling stifled by the fear, worry and doubt it is a cue to slow down and recall why we are on this homeschool journey and to also know we are not alone. It might be time to reach out to those who can help build you back up again.  HSLDA has a link for support groups in your area, so reach out and make a connection.

No matter how brave or strong any of us are, we all have a time when we need encouragement.

Even those who lead your support group, or the ones who are your cheerleaders…we all have days where we need a boost from time to time. To know others have walked this path, to share stories of success, trials and even stories of our seemingly bland – boring days; it all goes a long way to encourage other homeschooling parents.

Especially on those days where our legs are shaky!

Be Gracious – Be Courteous – Be Genuine – Be Humble – Be Kind – Be Brave

Let’s build each other up and kick fear, worry and doubt to the curb!

The post Kick Homeschool Fear, Worry and Doubt to the Curb appeared first on Home School Innovation.

Each and every member of our family has their own value they add.  We all have special talents which can enhance our family relationships.

Have an evening or a rainy afternoon meeting with your kids to brainstorm and help one another recognize their own special gifts and talents?

I’m sure your family has someone who:

• Can make you laugh
• Enjoys a good and lively discussion
• Is a caregiver
• Can fix or build things
• Bakes or cooks
• Is musical
• Enjoys organizing
• Loves to read to others
• etc.

The list can go on, but you get the idea.  Sharing your unique talents and gifts within the family will strengthen everyone and also help you recognize how you can help others outside of your family unit.

As homeschool parents, husband and wife can also take time to brainstorm how to add more value to the homeschool day.

How can we enhance the education of our children?

Add more value to your homeschool by:

• Adding in more of the Arts – Music and Art
• More fieldtrips
• Co-op classes
• Online classes
• Park days and play days with other homeschool families
• Finding ways to help break down learning barriers
• Having a flex day
• Join in on the learning! Let them see Mom and Dad trying their hand at something new!

Some ways we have added extra value to our homeschool and our curriculum can be found in these HSI posts:

Spelling Help

Home Schoolers Journey…Am I Doing Enough?

Homeschool Business Letter Project

10 Homeschooling “Mistakes” You Need to Quit

Think You Can’t Homeschool Art? Think Again!

This vocation of home educating our children is important, but never forget to enjoy the process, and more importantly…enjoy one another!

The post Add Value to Your Homeschool appeared first on Home School Innovation.

In doing so, I thought I would take the time to share with all of you the Top Ten of Home School Innovation for 2014.

Here are your favourite HSI Posts from 2014:

1. Tips For Homeschooling the Early Years …You Can Do It!
2. How To Rise Above the Negative
3. 8 Homeschooling Methods
4. Homeschooling Middle School and High School
5. How I Teach Critical Thinking in Our Homeschool
6. Spelling Help – Think Outside the Box and Have Fun!
7. Think You Can’t Homeschool Art? Think Again!
8. Choosing Homeschool Curriculum
9. Recovering From Homeschool Burnout
10. Traditional Homeschooling v.s. Blended

I wish you all the best in your 2015 Homeschooling Adventures

and

Thank you for being a part of HSI!

This post is part of a “My Top Ten Most Popular Posts from 20014”  link up at iHomeschool Network

Click on the picture below for more “Top Ten” posts from other iHomeschool Network Bloggers:

The post Your Favourite HSI Posts from 2014 appeared first on Home School Innovation.

Grabbing your coffee or tea on the run and feeling the pressure for everything to be perfect?

During busy holiday seasons, or even seasons when family commitments abound and pile high on your plate, it is easy to be too focused on that looming to-do list.

We can become so burdened with a whirlwind of errands, making the best Christmas cookies, or having the kids finish off their Math assignments before you declare “Christmas Break”, that we fall short in taking time to breathe and enjoy the season with our family.

Trying to create a perfect holiday by piling more on our plates without removing  other things is a recipe for disaster.

Life is all about give and take.

We are far from perfect.

You know that rule about shopping?

Where if  you buy something new to bring into your home, a piece of décor or even clothing, then at least one thing you previously had has to go?

What if, during these busy times of preparation we apply the same principle? 

What can you remove from your busy schedule in order to have more fun during the holidays?

Really think about this!

There is something you can put off or not do or even allow yourself to say “this is good enough”!

In our home, we change up our homeschool schedule and learning during the weeks leading up to Christmas. (See “Holiday Traditions and Homeschooling”)  My kids are still learning, but this allows us time to prepare for Christmas together v.s. me running around feeling all worn-out in the last days before Christmas.

You should also know that even though I change things up and strive to have things run smoothly, there are still days where things are very real and messy. Days where despite my best efforts I can feel the pressure.

As parents, we want every holiday to feel special and dare I say we even strive for perfection.

But Guess What?

Your kids version of a perfect Christmas and your version are probably a bit different.

Kids remember the little things you do as a family, like the time you had a picnic by the Christmas tree, or when you let them use glitter for their crafts, and your favourite carols playing in the background.
(Yes, I know how messy glitter is, take a deep breath and let it happen, I promise you will survive. )

As much as it is nice to have family traditions, it is okay to acknowledge that some years those traditions might be too much of a burden.  You can let it go and use this as an opportunity to create a fun and new memory!

The other day, I was rushing around and I could tell my kids just wanted to have fun.

So, we packed up and headed out to pick up some new decorations.  Once home, we laid a nice table cloth and sat together at our ‘fancy’ table to eat a simple lunch complete with some hot chocolate.  S-I-M-P-L-E !

We had such a great day!

Time spent with our family where we are free from distractions and can have focused time with our children is a way to create special memories and happy hearts!

Today, take time to hangout and do something fun or even silly together – it will be good for all of you!

Want more inspiration?

Check out my friend Kendra’s series:  5 Days of Making Christmas Memories – Stress Free!

She shares some very real, down to earth advice for all of us!

The post Enjoying Family Holidays and Christmas appeared first on Home School Innovation.