Homeschooling: Evaluate Your Homeschool

Stop sign

Homeschool: It’s Time to Take a Break

This is a good time of year to take a break from some of your homeschooling and have a check up about how things are going.

And if they aren’t going well, it’s time to look for the resources and get the help you need so that your homeschooling days do not become a battleground between you and your children.

When your children are little, everything is new and learning is fun!

Writing their name is fun!

Counting is fun!

Drawing is fun!

Science is fun!

Even helping Mommy is fun!

However, as the children get used to the routine of their school days and learn the basics, school is not so much fun anymore.

In fact, it can become a battleground. So what can you do about this?

Stop sign

Stop Homeschooling for a Day or Two.

Look at what is happening so that you can get back to that fun stage.

Oh, I know that learning isn’t all fun and games.

Education is referred to as a discipline for a reason —but there are strategies that you can use to help you capture your children’s imagination and help make their learning meaningful and tolerable again.

Many families use unit studies as a break to freshen up their learning.

What is a Unit Study?

A unit of study focuses on one central theme, e.g. insects.  In the unit study, students will learn all about insects by combining multiple subjects into one study. These learning adventures may cover everything from the biology of insects, the history of species, the spelling of scientific names, adding and subtracting favorite bugs, drawing insects! In other words, one topic is studied via various disciplines. What does this mean for your children? Unit studies are a great way to introduce students to real-life experiences and use their natural curiosity to make their learning relevant. (More Information is available from Homeschool.com)

 

If your home and homeschool really has become a battleground, I recommend using an Action Plan to get back on track. Let’s face it- we all have bad days.  This action plan is not for a bad day, but it may help you change a bad pattern of behavior and replace it with the desired action.  And sometimes, it just helps you identify and decipher what is really going on with your child. You can read the whole article here.

 

Homeschool Art Project: So Blessed that I HAD to be thankful!

was featured on the How to Homeschool My Child FB page in November. This is a great art project to encourage some graphic design and gratitude.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Colossians 3:12-15

How has God blessed YOU?

Just for fun, here’s some reels. Click on them to play. I’m on Instagram @the.elizabeth.estelle. Be sure to like and follow while you are there!

Socialization

This Simple Mistake

People Don’t Talk About This But

Why do I write homeschool blog articles?
Make encouraging phone calls?
Post homeschool tips?
Read Scripture and have a biblical worldview?
This child.
Because there is another generation coming that needs to have the kind of Christian training and excellence in education that only homeschooling offers.

Cute baby in crib
Because there’s another generation coming!

Let’s connect:

SALE information: BJU Press Homeschool

IT’S SUMMER SALE TIME!

Exciting news! BJU Press Homeschool is holding a sale from Auguat 1st to 15th, 2023! Everything is 10% off (excluding Testing & Evaluation, AIG, Logos Science Kits, etc.) for these dates only! This offer cannot be used on previous orders and expires at 11:59 PM (ET) on August 15th.

If you haven’t gotten your BJU Press Homeschool material yet, NOW is the time!

Everything will be 10% 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 August 15, 2023. 

Please, please  please use my LINK for your orders by clicking here. Thanks in advance. You can thank me later. 

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.

Or you can watch my Youtube review here.

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!

Join us!

Homeschool with Confidence Facebook page Resources, Community and Encouragement

Homeschool Christian Mom Facebook page and group: We discuss the ins and outs of our homeschooling days and offer great ideas to help each other succeed.

Youtube: Homeschool Christian Mom  I review curriculum as well as presenting homeschooling tips. These videos discuss homeschool scheduling, working with your Littles, thinking long term, and many other topics.

For additional homeschooling support, Join us!

Twitter   @hmschchristnmom

Instagram

 

 

Leftover Chicken Southwest-Style Casserole

 

Leftover Chicken Southwest Style Casserole

Spice up that leftover chicken with this recipe!

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 2-3 cups leftover chicken, chopped
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese divided
  • 1/2 onion, chopped sauteed
  • 1 can Rotel, tomatoes and chilies
  • 1 can chilies
  • 2 tps Cholula hot sauce, to taste
  • 2 inch Ritz crackers, crumbled
  • 1 cup rotini pasta, uncooked
  • 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

  2. Spray 9 x 9 casserole dish with non-stick spray.

  3. Prepare pasta as per package directions, till al dente. Rinse and hold.

  4. 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.

  5. Transfer to casserole dish.

    Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese.

  6. Put into the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and browned.

  7. Remove from oven. Let sit for 5 minutes. Dinner is served!

  8. 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.

You might also like: Rich Tomato Vegetable Soup to Keep You Warm and Keep Away the Munchies

Warm and Comforting Spinach Artichoke Dip

Let’s connect:

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.