All five of our homeschooled kids are now great spellers, but they weren’t always great. They learned in different ways that suited them, but in the end they all ended up becoming excellent spellers — without worksheets, drills or a curriculum. How? It was easier than I thought it would be, once they learned in […]
Category: Writing
Poetry Fun: 5 Creative Exercises to Get Kids Writing Poetry (and liking it)
Looking for a fun way to introduce poetry in your homeschool? Also want to sneak spelling, penmanship, vocabulary, antonyms and parts of speech into the play? Here are some creative poetry exercises that will fit the bill. Revised rhymes: Get out a book of nursery rhymes or short poems (try e.e. cummings or Emily Dickinson) […]
Awesome Bullet Journals on eBay for Under $5 (with free shipping!)
Bullet journals can be fantastic tools for kids and adults alike for everything from tracking days they’ve done math to planning next year’s curriculum choices to keeping track of the year’s read-aloud books. We’ve been using bullet journals in our homeschool for a couple of years now and the kids and I all love them. […]
Free Curricula in Every Subject for Your 3rd Grader
Continuing in our series of absolutely free curricula in every subject for every grade, here’s a round-up of resources for math, science, history, language arts and more that are absolutely free for third grade. (Note from Alicia: This post was compiled as part of a series for my homeschooling column at Examiner, which is no […]
Free curricula in every subject for your 7th grader
Homeschooling in the middle school years doesn’t have to be expensive. There are many outstanding curricula for math, science, history, language arts and more that are absolutely free. Here are some of the best free resources for 7th graders in each subject. Note: This is a tiny fraction of what’s available online for free […]
50 Fabulously fun ways for kids to practice their handwriting
Think handwriting practice consists of kids writing C-A-T on oversized stationery lines again and again? Think again! From cake decorating to scratch-n-sniff kool-aid words to feather quills to invisible ink, there are oodles of ways to make handwriting a treat for kids. Here are 50 fun ways kids can practice their printing and cursive handwriting […]
What is lapbooking and why is it so great for homeschooling?
Have you tried lapbooking in your homeschool yet? This delightful, hands-on activity is a wonderful way to combine crafts with science, history, literature, handwriting, math and more. Lapbooks use file folders as the basis for homemade project books that are laid out in a creative manner and fit in a child’s lap. You can think […]
Free bird sighting log sheets!
Here’s a sweet freebie to help with your child’s nature studies. Hobby Farms offers these printable bird sighting sheets to print out. They say: Use this bird-sighting chart to document what birds are nesting around your home and when you see them. When your chart is full of feathered creatures, print yourself another page! The […]
Thanksgiving fun with language arts
Want to work Thanksgiving into some of your homeschooling fun this week? Here are eight ways to incorporate grammar, creative writing and other language arts lessons into the holiday. Do a Thanksgiving mad lib. Here’s another. These are a great way to learn parts of speech! Challenge the kids to see how many words they […]
Harmony Art Mom offers excellent world geography curriculum (free!)
Looking for a good quality, open-ended world geography for your kids? Barbara McCoy of Harmony Art Mom offers a wonderful 36-week world geography curriculum online, absolutely free. Harmony Art Mom’s World Geography Plans (PDF) is a 48-page, in-depth weekly curriculum that aims to teach a broad overview of world geography, culture, world religions and current […]
30 Days of fun poetry assignments for all ages!
Designing your own lapbooks
We design our own lapbooks about 90% of the time. While it can take more time in terms of research and planning, there are many advantages. The kids learn more doing the research themselves, they feel a greater sense of ownership, it allows for more creativity, it can be tailored to the child’s age and […]
Boredom Busters: 10 fun challenges in writing, math and more
Looking for a creative way to jump start homeschooling or to just combat cabin fever? Here are ten challenges to offer the kids. Writing: Write a short story about a superhero whose superpowers lead to accidental, funny consequences. Write one page about the best or worst day you ever had. Do free writing for 3 […]
Homeschoolers invited to submit art to Project Home Educated Artist
Do you have a homeschooled child who loves to create art? Here’s a fun opportunity for kids to share their artwork and get some exposure! Project Home Educated Artist is asking homeschooled artists to submit their art to be featured online, along with their thoughts about art. The project was designed by Lauri Jean Crowe, […]
How to help your child love to write
There are many ways to show kids how fun writing can be. It doesn’t have to be a struggle, and it doesn’t have to involve standard curricula or dry writing assignments. Indeed, kids will become the best writers if they think of writing as fun and open-ended. One great way to help kids love writing […]
18 Magazines that publish art and writing by kids and teens
There are more and more magazines that feature writing and art by kids and teens, both online and in print. This is a great way to encourage reluctant writers and to give enthusiastic writers and artists a place to spotlight their creativity. Here are 18 magazines that publish children’s writing and art: Creative Kids magazine […]
Kids can earn a free book from Barnes and Noble’s summer reading program
Five lessons to take from Charlotte Mason for your homeschool
Many homeschoolers around the world follow Charlotte Mason methods, and it’s easy to understand why. This British educator approached education through nature and great works, creating an environment that appeals to many parents. Here are five Charlotte Mason philosophies that can enrich any homeschool. Let children learn through “living books.” Mason advocated teaching with books […]
12 Ways to improve your child’s spelling
Okay, so you crossed that first homeschooling hurdle and your child is reading well. Chances are, spelling is another story — and it will be for at least a couple of years. Although reading and spelling seem to go hand in hand, most children fully grasp reading long before they’re spelling well. This is normal, […]
