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Whether you are looking for Christmas gift giving or making a special kid in your life happy, think in HOURS not items. By this I mean you should look at the time your child will play with an item as you evaluate whether or not to buy it.
Welcome to homeschooling! I have homeschooled my four and been working with homeschoolers for over 30 years. Here are the Basics to help you get started so you can have a happy homeschooling experience.
Your schooling style will need to fit your family and its needs, but it will also have to meet the requirements of your state and school district. See below for more resources for your specific state! In New York we have to notify the school district within 15 days.
Homeschooling: You Need Some Books
Generally with home schooling, you purchase and teach the subjects your child needs. However you may be getting some material from your school district during this time. Whatever you are teaching, please join me on Homeschool with Confidence on Facebook for additional support. If you are having difficulty with finding curriculum or other resources, I can help you in that forum.
There are very good boxed all-in-one curriculums out there. I used and recommend BJU Press Homeschool curriculum for all my kids K thru 12. You can do parent led where you teach or purchase the DVD’s or get the same material through the computer. For any of those ways, there are recommendations for grading or they do it for you. I love the BJU curriculum because they have thought of everything. Subjects are well put together, they list tons of extra resources if you need it and all the prep work is done. On day one, you teach lesson one, etc. So the value of that kind of complete curriculum was worth every penny to me. Continue reading “Homeschooling Basics: Getting Started”
If you haven’t gotten your BJU Press Homeschool material yet, NOW is the time!
Everything will be 15% off (excluding Testing & Evaluation and Logos). Please not— this discount CANNOT be combined with any other discounts or promotions except for the payment plan.
This sale is not retroactive on orders already placed.
Note: The deadline for getting in orders will be 11:59 (EST) on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.
Some links in this article are affiliate links and if you click on them and purchase I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.
Bonus Homeschooling material:
Spelling is more than just learning how to spell words. If you are unsure of what to look for in a spelling curriculum, you can read more about it HERE: Review of Spelling, 6th grade. I highly recommend BJU Press Homeschool Spelling because they integrate so many of the language arts into their lessons.
If you know ANYONE with a 4 year old, the Footsteps for Fours curriculum is one of my new favorites. The authors have included SO MANY ideas!! I go through a lesson to show you how FUN and THOUGHTFUL the lessons are!
Prepare pasta as per package directions, till al dente. Rinse and hold.
In a large mixing bowl, add chicken, cream of chicken soup, 1 cup of cheese, onion, Rotel tomatoes and chilies, chilies, hot sauce, crumbled ritz crackers and pasta. Mix gently but thoroughly.
Transfer to casserole dish.
Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese.
Put into the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and browned.
Remove from oven. Let sit for 5 minutes. Dinner is served!
Serving suggestion: Asparagus with butter and a side lettuce salad.
I post recipes that our family actually eats! Why? Because no matter how good a homeschooling day you have, you (usually) still have to make something for dinner! I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Do you need some extra homeschooling help? Use this link to get on my calendar and let’s chat! Move from being a hesitant homeschool mom to a happy homeschool family.
A good homeschooling mindset will change your perspective.
There are very good boxed all-in-one curriculums out there. I used mainly one curriculum: BJU Press Homeschool curriculum for all my kids K thru 12. It is a Christian curriculum. I knew some people that worked there and we really liked it. It is a curriculum where the subjects are integrated (like the spelling words are in the reading and science lessons.) You can do parent led where you teach or purchase the DVD’s or get the same material through the computer. For any of those ways, there are recommendations for grading or they do it for you. I love the BJU curriculum because they have thought of everything. Subjects are well put together, they list tons of extra resources if you need it and all the prep work is done. On day one, you teach lesson one, etc. So the value of that kind of complete curriculum was worth every penny to me. You can see their curriculum here.
ABOUT ELIZABETH ESTELLE
Elizabeth Estelle, homeschooling mom of four amazing children, and now a grandmother. She has been married to her college sweetheart for over 38 years. She loves the Lord, teaches, writes, mentors ladies, and likes to cook. She cleans as needed. In her spare time she enjoys teaching art. She led a homeschool co-op for 24 years. Now, she wants to encourage homeschooling families to persevere and be successful in their own homeschool adventure, kindergarten through high school.
Fortunately, my children were already well aware of this. I didn’t have to burst their bubble, so to speak. My husband was supportive of the homeschooling so he greatly contributed to its success.
But my own mindset needed some adjusting.
I had my own ideas of how the days should go.
Of how the house should look.
Of appropriate lunches and snacks.
Of playdates and extra outings.
Of time for myself to recharge, read my Bible or even nap!
