Math is a common struggle from home to home. We all want our kids to love it, but so often it is just battle of the wills to get through a lesson.
On top of teaching struggles, math can also be a TON of work for homeschool parents. First, there’s planning out your lessons for the year and daily introducing new concepts. Then, there’s answering questions throughout the assignment. Next, there’s correcting your child’s work. After your student makes the needed redos, you re-correct their work. Finally, you mark down their grade in the record book when their work is done.
And if you have more than one student, you’ll repeat that process multiple times.
It’s no wonder math quickly falls out of favor in homeschool- it’s exhausting!
BUT… what if I told you there is a math curriculum that:
✅ engages students with color and sound ✅ provides hints to set students up for success ✅ praises correct answers ✅ encourages students when they make mistakes ✅ teaches the lesson ✅ corrects the lesson ✅ records all your student’s grades
Does it all sound too good to be true? It’s NOT!
In our latest video I share our favorite math curriculum- Teaching Textbooks 4.0. This curriculum was a game changer for our homeschool experience and I look forward to sharing it with you in this week!
Have a favorite math curriculum? I’d love to hear about it! Let us know your favorites in the comments below!
In the past year, more students have been educating at home than ever before. But is school-at-home the same as homeschooling?
Talk to any veteran homeschool family and they will be very quick to tell you that the experience of virtually educating children from home is NOT the same as homeschooling your children. In today’s video, I help clarify the differences between a genuine homeschool experience and executing online classes from home.
You may find yourself wondering WHY the difference between homeschool and virtual education matters. Many families have fought hard over the past several decades to increase and maintain parental rights from state to state, specifically in the area of home education. While government oversight of homeschool varies greatly from state to state, those actively involved in lobbying for increased homeschool freedoms continue to advocate for a strong differentiation and separation between homeschool and virtual learning. Genuine home education is overseen and guided by parents or guardians to fulfill the specific needs of their children. Virtual learning is dictated by government regulations and overseen by public or private school teachers.
Watch my latest video to learn more about the distinctions between homeschool and virtual, online learning.
If you are looking for a quality online, self-paced homeschool curriculum that schedules, teaches, corrects AND record-keeps, Alpha Omega Publishing’s Monarch Curriculum is worth a serious look! Check out our latest video for a full curriculum review:
Homeschool is NOT for everyone. BUT, there are some great reasons why it deserves some strong consideration. Our latest video will give you some food for thought as you contemplate your educational options for the coming school year.
What questions do YOU have about homeschool? I would love to hear from you! Please leave your questions and comments below and I will answer them as quickly as possible.
AND, if you are completely overwhelmed as you consider homeschooling for the first time OR are currently homeschooling and struggling, let me help. You can contact me HERE for a FREE 15 minute consultation to see how I can assist you.
Ever wonder what it is like to be a homeschool parent? Today is your chance to follow me through a typical day of homeschooling. We currently have two teenagers and two tweens- homeschool looks vastly different now than it did ten years ago when we were just getting started. Now, our kids are able to work so much more independently than they used to. But some things do not change in homeschool, regardless of your kids’ ages or stages: schoolwork still needs to be checked and corrected, assigments need to be planned out, kids need assistance with difficult subjects and someone to keep them on task. It is a joy to see them grow- accepting responsibility for the work that needs to be done and pursuing learning rather than just trying to complete the work (a virtue we are continually working on)!
What questions do you have regarding homeschool? I would love to hear from you! Please leave your questions in the comments below.
Homeschooling can be an extremely rewarding experience for the whole family. Learning, growing, exploring, struggling and achieving goals together has the potential to draw families into a closer knit unit than ever before. Due to the fallout of COVID-19, many are contemplating homeschool as a valid option for the first time ever. Regardless of your reasons for homeschooling this year, it can feel very overwhelming to get started! There are so many considerations:
state laws
homeschool methods
multiple age levels and grade levels
setting up a school room/study area
supplies needed
curriculum options
scheduling the day
tracking progress
learning styles
keeping infants and toddlers engaged while teaching
finding local communities to plug into
keeping things fun!
It can be a struggle to know where to begin, but it’s not too late to get started! With the surge in homeschooling over the past decade (61.8% increase according to the US Dept. of Education1), there are more resources available to homeschool families now than ever. It’s merely a matter of learning what you need to know quickly and tapping into those resources.
And that’s where I come in.
Let my twelve years of home education experience serve you by giving your homeschool journey a jumpstart! Through my consultation services, I can accelerate your homeschool start-up by pointing you to all the resources you need. My homeschool start-up consultation includes:
a 30 minute phone or video call where I get to know you and your family’s personalities, needs, learning preferences, goals for the year, etc.
a personalized homeschool report, which will include homeschool laws specific to your state, homeschool methods, curriculum options and recommended assessments
a detailed checklist of items to consider as you prepare and plan for your homeschool, such as supplies, schedule and schoolroom setup
a final 30 minute phone call where we will review the document together, giving you an opportunity to ask any questions you have
And for those who want to ensure that their homeschool experience remains productive and positive, I offer ongoing consultating services throughout the year to keep you on track. I will
meet with you for 30 minutes via video or phone, followed by an email with notes from our time together
supply tips on how to incorporate the arts and physical education into homeschooling
offer ideas for active learning through field trips and various hands-on resources
My consulting services combined with my free weekly newsletter and Facebook homeschool support group, are sure to get your homeschool journey off to a great start this year. If you would like to learn more, click HERE to visit my Homeschool Consultaton page. I look forward to partnering with you in this adventure of life-long learning as a family!
YOUR TURN: In the comments below, share your biggest concerns about homeschooling this year. What homeschool topics would you like to hear more about on my blog or weekly newsletter?
The summer of 2020 is looking a little different than normal. Many public pools, summer camps, park recreation programs, festivals, concerts and fairs are closed or cancelled due to COVID-19. Our kids were crushed that these beloved experiences would not be available to them. With a heavy heart, I began praying and asking God how we could redeem this summer. His answer was swift and clear: if they can’t go to camp, bring camp to them- and share the experience with others. That is how DLD Virtual Summer Camp was born.
We would like to invite you to join our family for a summer of fun! Beginning Monday, June 15th, through our YouTube channel, Doing Life Deliberately, we will lead your kids of all ages in a variety of weekly challenges they can complete around your home. Challenges include elements of art, science, physical activity and even community service! Every weekday we will announce new projects by email that spur on your kids’ creativity and teach them skills they can use to complete the weekly challenges. Don’t worry, your kids won’t be on screens all day– we’ll lead them to a couple YouTube channels to get their creative juices flowing and send them off to complete the daily activity.
In addition, we’ll provide an opportunity for our middle school and highschool students to be a part of a weekly Bible study, entitled Experiencing God, where they can grow in their faith in Christ. Students who chose to participate can dig into the Word daily at home and then join our Livestream every Wednesday where we’ll share what we’ve learned and challenge them to go even deeper with their peers. They’ll definitely want to invite their friends!
On Friday nights, we’ll conclude the week with a family campfire. We’ll encourage you to discuss the highs and lows of the previous week, enjoy some smores and campfire snacks, and hear from some special guests. We hope that your family can set aside some time to have your own campfire- whatever that might look like (anything from the real deal to smores made over candlelight). The idea is being intentional about spending quality time together as a family.
The cherry on top? We’re asking all our camp participants to send in a video- 30 seconds or less- of your completed weekly challenge on Friday night by 6pm sharp. We’ll take the next week to create a mashup of all the wonderfully creative ways that our campers have completed the challenge and air it the following week on Sunday. This way, we can all celebrate as a community what we have learned and the creative ways we have met the challenge. In addition, campers can earn DLD Virtual Summer Camp swag for completion of mutiple challenges and participation in various contests throughout the summer.
Ready to join us? We hope so! Let us know your camper(s) are “all in” by sharing your email address below. We’ll add you to our mailing list so you won’t miss a thing this summer. We’ll also share how you can get your hands on extra resources to make DLD Virtual Summer Camp an easy, worry-free experience such as a summer event calendar, weekly challenge themes and supply lists. We can’t wait to see you at camp!
RV Living full time has its highs and lows! Trisha and the kids share their TOP FIVE Pros and Cons of full time RV living in this video! Our fun family is keeping it real (with lots of laughter) about the good and the bad of full time RV living. (Stay tuned to the end for some fun bloopers!😉)
Teaching math can be complicated and frustrating. Math isn’t everybody’s jam, but no one should have to suffer through it! That’s why we LOVE Teaching Textbooks!! This online curriculum makes math fun to learn and simple to teach. And the only thing better than using a fun math curriculum is using a FREE, fun math curriculum!!
In our latest video, I give a curriculum review of Teaching Textbooks 3.0 and tell you how you can WIN a subscription to Teaching Textbooks 3.0- any level of your choice.
Whether you homeschool on the road for a week or make a lifestyle of educational travel, roadschool doesn’t have to break the bank! Watch our latest video for some great money saving ideas for your next homeschool field trip!
Doing Life Deliberately 