Before You Throw Out Your Curriculum --- READ THIS!

I shared this a good while ago but think it can be helpful to anyone getting ready for a new homeschool year.  Click here to read more and gather tips to assist you in your planning.

Be well.

How to Plan 2.0 :: Tip #3 -- Take Inventory

Tip #3: Take Inventory

Now that you've evaluated what your children have learned--through personal reflection and tests (if applicable)--and taken time to complete your end of the year summary and record keeping procedures you can focus your attention on what you have and what you need for next term. Before running out to gather new or 'new to you' items, take inventory.

What supplies do you still have on hand?  What supplies need replacing? What supplies did not get used at all?

Are there books and/or resources you no longer need? Have you used everything you can from a specific resource? Are your children on a higher level and no longer need them? Do they cover topics you've completed?

Before getting rid of any items, evaluate their continued usefulness. Here are some tips to remind you how you can reuse what you already have: Before You Throw Out Your Curriculum...Read This!

Make a list of the supplies you will need for the coming year. Add these items to the list of things you have been making for the new year coming (yes, I know we all have these lists). :-)

Join me next week for Tip #4.

Be well.

5 Tips to Improve Your Time Management

Homeschooling can be challenging if you're struggling to manage your time. Truth be told none of us can actual 'make time'; we can only manage it in better ways.  Every family has its own rhythm--thus what works for one may not work for another.  Here are some general tips that can help each of us.

1. Prioritize
Something we all know but don't always do. Identify the people, activities and tasks that you want to give yourself to each day, week, month. Here on my blog I've started a weekly practice of intention setting. In practicing this each week, it has become a habit and we typically complete everything on our lists by setting our priorities.  Find a time each day/week where you can set your priorities and give your time to that.

2. Eliminate Time-Wasters
Within each of our daily schedules we will find activities that simply waste the time we have.  Some common time-wasters include TV, email, Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, books, magazines, and talking on the phone. None of these things are bad yet they can become distractions when we should be doing something else and eat up our time. Once you identify those that are taking up your time, cut them out. Or, perhaps a more realistic way to deal with them is to set a time for them.  For example, if you're an early riser, you may be able to check email and read blogs first thing--before the day is started with your family. For me, I typically do things either first thing or last thing.  I take a break in the middle of the day to check while we're doing lunch. One days when I keep to this schedule I find I have all the time I need.

3. Set Boundaries
Your time is valuable. Are you overcommitted? Have you said yes to activities in your homeschool group, church/mosque, community group, extended family? How much are you working? Have you agreed to tasks that are putting a strain on your time and your family's? If you are overbooked in activities and responsibilities outside of your home it becomes nearly impossible to take care of things within your home without a lot of undo stress.  Set boundaries. Saying no may feel uncomfortable at the beginning but it will free you up to do the things you really want to say yes to.

4. Cut Out Unnecessary Tasks
Are there things on your 'To Do List' that you don't actually need to be doing? For example, are you doing the lion share of cleaning around your house? Can your spouse/partner or children join you in those tasks or take them over? Would creating a weekly schedule for laundry work better for your use of time instead of doing it daily? Identify tasks that others can help you with--and let them do it! You may find much more time by spreading your load and focusing on your priorities.

5. Continue Personal Development
When we use our time for personal growth and development--learning something new and/or giving our time to what we enjoy--we find that we have time and energy to give to all the other responsibilities. Challenging ourselves mentally and physically makes for a better emotional state and can add a breath of fresh air to all those mundane tasks we must do to keep life moving forward.

An added bonus:
Children learn best from good examples. By being intentional in the way we manage our time we'll also be teaching our children to do that same.  Something we all want.

What else would you add to this list? Please comment below.  Thanks.

Be well.

How to Afford Homeschooling

I am reposting an article I wrote a while back for anyone interested in homeschooling and finding out just how to afford it.  During a recent discussion with several newbies, I decided to share it again for their benefit and yours.  Click the link below to read it. I ask that if you have found something in addition to what's shared here, that you add it in the comment section.  Thanks so much!

How Can I Afford Homeschooling?

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Today is rather dreary and rainy here. I'm thankful for the rain as it clears the air of pollen. However, this type of weather also makes it more difficult to get out of bed.

I've taken the time to update our family dry-erase calendar. It's the last day of May and so I've decided to go ahead and get June up so we can plan our week.

Here are some of the people and tasks I'm going to make time for this week beginning:

• Myself--making time for meditation, reading, exercise, writing and creating
• My family--making time to talk/listen, share stories/thoughts/ideas, prepare meals together, laugh, create
• My friends--we have plans to gather again this week
• My community--I will be leading two planning sessions this week with the families in my intentional homeschooling space.
• My home--continuing on the organizing, cleaning and purging path.  (I'm taking manageable steps each day!)

For whom and what will you make time this week? Share one or two items from your list below. I'd love to hear how things are coming along for you.

Be well.

How to Plan 2.0 :: Tip 2

This week's tip: Record Keeping.

Now that you've taken time to evaluate where your children are after this year of learning, you'll want to add this information to your records.

Begin by following the procedure your state requires for record keeping.

Here in Georgia, the state requires this:

1. The instructor shall write an annual progress assessment report in each required subject area for each student. These reports shall be retained for at least three years.

Find that laws for your state by searching '[state name] homeschooling laws' or something close. You should be taken to your state's department of education.  Each state varies on this so make sure you know what's required.

Every year I write a summary for each of the subject areas the children and I have covered. I do this by looking back at my goals from the beginning of the year, looking over the lessons we've covered and experiences we've had around each of the subjects. After spending time evaluating, it pretty simple to do this.

As they have gotten older, I have enlisted their assistance in some of the record keeping I do throughout the year. For example, we keep a running list of all books we've read, listened to during family reading time and listened to online or on CD. They each have their own notebooks they record in. I simply copy them into my record keeping journal for each year.  My eldest now types hers and emails it to me.

Another example is field trips. As we take them, we record them and write a brief summary of what we encountered and learned.  This, too, goes into my record keeping journal.  Any pictures we may have taken are also added.

Because our state has such little requirements for record keeping, I have begun to add a bit more to this.  In thinking about what each of my children is interested in doing as they get older, we have started portfolios containing samples of their work to show interest, growth and mastery. As we look at what the future may hold--colleges/universities they may attend, I'm also collecting and documenting their growth in ways that these institutions are looking to see from homeschooling students.  (This varies from college to college--it's important to start reading up on and speaking to college reps to get a good handle on just what these items are and how they'd like to see them presented.)

I have looked into a few online options for record keeping.  While I find that it's less paper to hold onto (when using online options), I haven't found one that I'm totally in love with. So, at present, I write out most of these and keep it in composition notebook with all the plans/goals for that particular year.  Looking back I have a good number of these books that I keep in a file cabinet. I can quickly look back over our goals, lessons and find the summaries at the end.  Presently, this is working well.

I would suggest that you find a record keeping system that works for your style. If you're brand new to homeschooling or just looking for a few more options, you can take a look at this collection on my Homeschool Organization board. 

How are you keeping your records presently? What is working well for you? Are there any changes you'd like to make? Leave a comment below and share what you're using.

Join me next Wednesday for another tip in Planning Your Year Anew: How to Plan 2.0.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Day to each of you. Thanks for stopping by and reading. I hope that you're well and that this weekend is just what it needs to be for you.

The past week has been full.  I'm exhausted! We celebrated several milestones in the lives of some dear family and friends--graduations, to be specific.  We held our first homeschool graduation in our community this year. The ceremony was simple and beautiful. Everything came together better than we'd hoped. From there we attended two other graduation ceremonies and celebrated in spirit with five other dear friends.  This is the time of endings and beginnings.  My children are now imagining how their milestones will be celebrated. (smile)

This week I'm being intentional about these people/relationships, practices and tasks.

• Quiet time, meditation, prayer
• Daily reading time for myself
• Give time to writing
• Assist a friend in packing for a move.
• Meeting my cohort to plan for our homeschool community's 2015-2016 year.
• Meeting with my librarian to schedule workshops for the fall.
• Continue planning for my children.  I've made a lot of headway with regards to their studies, classes, activities and want to line a few more things up.
• Connect with family/friends to solidify summer plans
• Continue with general organization of our home
• Get outside for daily exercise and fun
• Gather some friends for a pool date

To whom/what will you give your time, energy and attention this week? Stop now and make your list. Then move through this week with that intention.  Sure, everything won't always turn out the way you'd hoped. But I can assure you that you'll get more of the things completed if you're intentional about it.  Add it to your calendar; make a list and post it; do whatever you need to remind yourself and keep yourself aware of what it is you'd like to do. Thanks for allowing me to encourage you in this practice.

Have a wonderful week!

Be well.

How to Plan 2.0

Welcome back!  If you're at the beginning of your homeschool journey you may be interested in the first series: How To Plan.  If you're just joining in today and want the first tip, click here.

Now that we've gotten that little housekeeping out of the way (smile), let's jump right in.

The first tip I offered was about taking time to evaluate where you and your children are.  This second tip is in relationship to that task. I'll call it Tip 1.5: Administering and Reviewing Test Scores. For those of us who live in states that require testing, now is a good time to review the scores and analysis they can offer about what your children have learned and what they need more practice on. 

There are a lot of thoughts about whether to test, which tests to use, etc. I will offer you some of the popular tests homeschooling families use. 

I will preface this topic by saying that testing is only one part of evaluation. Whatever test you choose you must remember that it is just a snapshot of what your child did on that particular day the test was given. There are also different kinds of tests--achievement tests, norm reference tests and aptitude tests. Each serves a purpose. Knowing what you're looking to find out about your children will help guide you to the test that will be most meaningful for your evaluation.

Achievement Tests: This type of test measures the knowledge and skills your children have acquired over a set time (school year, three-year period, etc.). They are level specific, for the most part, and/or subject specific and can be used as a tool to look back over the year to see what your children acquired during that time. I have found them to be the most useful when planning for future lessons. 

Norm Reference Tests: As the name suggests, these tests compare your child to other children in the country--whether your immediate region or the entire population.  These tests offer insight in how your child measures up with the general standards of children in the same grade, across the country. If you are only homeschooling for a set amount of time with hopes of getting your children back into traditional school (public or private), these tests will be helpful in making sure you're keeping up with everyone else.  On the other hand, if knowing how your children measure up against the rest isn't important to you then you might not find the results of these tests useful.

Aptitude Tests: These tests attempt to make predictions on how well your children will do. They can focus on problem solving, mathematical ability, language development and then seek to project how well your children will do in said skills. There is great debate over this type of testing.  Many people question its validity and accuracy.

Here are some commonly used tests:

• Basic Achievement Skills Inventory (BASI) for grades 3-12
• Brigance Diagnostic Inventories (Said to be a very thorough test; helpful for IEP/SEP/Goal Setting for Special needs children. May be given by parents. Yellow Brigance: birth to developmental age 7; Green Brigance: grade levels Pre-K to 9th)
• California Achievement Test (CAT)
• Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS)
• Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)
• Stanford Achievement Test (Stanford-10 or SAT, not to be confused with the College Board SAT)
• PASS Test 
• Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT); Short but accurate; because of brevity, can be helpful for children with attention challenges

A quick note about testing in general: 

1. Read up on them. (The links I've shared above are one of several that came up during a basic google search. With regards to pricing, you may find better options going through a testing and/or curriculum site.) 
2. Know their dates for testing and deadlines for signing up. 
3. Prepare your children for them (this by no means mimic the public school system!). You can prepare them a week in advance by simply going over how to complete the test, teaching a few test taking skills and even giving them timed review of lessons you've covered.  A simple test-taking skill book should suffice. 
4. Know when you will receive the scores.

If you're already using a test and like it, do take a moment to comment below and add to what I've shared it. 

With technology as it is now, many of these tests can be found online and the turn around time in receiving the results is lessened.  

So now what do you do to figure out which tests will work for your children?

• Determine what you want to know about your children's learning. 
• Find out what your state requires regarding testing (how often? starting year? specific test?). Then do a bit of research on it.  This could be further reading on the kind of testing as well as a specific test. I have found that online homeschool groups can offer you a great deal of insight.  You can find out the pros and cons before making the financial investment.  
• Choose a test and take it.

Once you have the results back, use what the test found out to inform your planning.  For example, if your child needs improvement in vocabulary skills you'll want to make sure that as you plan your lessons you focus on this.  You might look for online resources the will help your child build their vocabulary.  Perhaps your child needs additional assistance in mathematical operations like long division.  In knowing this you can review and/or reteach these lessons going forward.  Remember, test scores are only tools to help you better serve your child.  I would suggest that you look more at the analysis offered by them than the actual number score.

I'd love to hear from you regarding your experiences with testing so far.  Are you new to the whole thing? Have you been testing for years and use a specific test and love it? No matter, your feedback would be awesome.  Plus, those reading this will welcome more insight.

I'll look for you next Wednesday when I'll share with you another tip/reminder as you plan your new homeschool year.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Morning!

Today is a pretty full day for me--not something I typically do on a Sunday. It's graduation season and we have several to attend this week.  The first one being that of a homeschooling student in our community--who has become more like family over the years.

There are clothes to lay out, hair to do and general prep of that sort (cards to sign, gifts to wrap, etc.). I have been working on an on-going project over the last two months now of getting organized.  It's such a huge job that it can be overwhelming at times.  This is why I've been taking it a little bit each day.  I am making great progress.  I can finally see a dent in things. (smile) I have to keep reminding myself that I am doing just fine at this pace--that it's not a race.

We're also coming to the end of our homeschool community's time together. This week we'll celebrate our accomplishments and break for summer vacation.  It's a well needed break--for me, anyway. As a leader/facilitator, planning and executing require a good amount of energy.  I'm looking forward to being 'off.' (bigger smile!)

So here are my intentions for this week beginning:

• Prep for graduations/celebrations
• Continue with homeschool organization for next term (for my children)
• Continue with household organization
• Create new job charts for the children--every so many months we rotate chores/responsibilities
• Request assistance from grandparents in securing family memberships to local attractions
• Set up summer schedule for the children
• Meal plan for week/month
• quiet time/meditation
• exercise
• reading

How will you use your time this week? With whom will you spend it? What things will you work to get done? Take a moment to make your list. Share one or two below. 

Wishing you each well in this new week and hope that things turn out better for you than expected.

Be well.

10 Tips for Preparing for Homeschool Conferences & Expos

It's time to prepare for homeschool convention season. How many of you have already purchased your tickets?

Now's the time to start planning for next year and conferences, conventions and expos all assist in bringing new resources and ways of thinking to homeschooling families around the country. Here are 10 tips to assist you as you get ready to attend.

Tip #1: Know Your Family's Goals
What are your family's goals for homeschooling? Why are you homeschooling and to what end? What subjects and topics are important for you to cover with your children? What specific lessons will you be doing in the new year? These are just a few questions you should ask yourself to help you hone in on what you are doing with regards to homeschooling.

Attending conferences and conventions will definitely help you expand your ideas, but take time to know where you're beginning. Make a like of what's important to you, to your children. Talk it over with your spouse or partner. Make sure the two of you are on the same page. This one step will help you identify information and resources that will be meaningful to you and your family.

Tip #2: Know Your Children's Learning Style(s)
How best do your children learn? Do they prefer listening or reading? Are they content with sitting for a good bit of time working independently or do they like moving, talking and interacting with others? Do they like to manipulate and handle tools or do they like to mull thoughts over in their mind before responding and coming up with new ideas?

Learning styles are not clear cut, yet understanding how best your children learn will assist you as you listen to suggestions and browse through curriculum and resource options.  Why purchase something that doesn't match the way your children learn? It will be more of a headache for all involved and you'll end up wasting your money.

Watch your children. Pay attention to what brings them alive as you learn and work together. Take note of their interests, their strengths and challenges. Knowing these things before heading to a convention will guide you as you weed through the overwhelmingness of all your options and get right to what your family needs.

Talk with others during the conventions and expos to see what curricula works best for children who are auditory learners or more kinesthetic learners, etc. Listen to others who have found things that work for their children who learn similar to yours. Let the information you gather inform your purchases.

Tip #3: Have a Plan
Know your reason for attending. Are you going to look through curriculum options up close and personal? Are you wanting to speak with an author or publisher (or their rep) directly to better understand their methods? Are you going to hear a particular speaker? Are you going to meet other like-minded homeschoolers in your area? Are you just curious and want to see what all the hype is about?

Knowing your purpose for attending can assist you in remaining on track so as not to be overwhelmed at the larger conventions. It can guide you through the smaller ones too.

Tip #4: Have a Budget
This is key. Many a family has broken their budget because they didn't have one. If you're new to homeschooling, speak to an experienced homeschooling parent or two to find out just how much they typically spend over the course of a year.

Know for what you are looking. Research now the typical price points for the items on your list. Deals and discounts are often offered during conventions and expos--so they are typically the time to make your purchases. However, be wise about it. Can you find the same resource at a used book sale or online store? Does your local library offer a similar resource for free? Everything at a convention is meant to draw your attention and encourage you to buy it. By having a list of the items you're looking for along with a budget, you can leave with peace of mind with regards to your spending.

Tip #5: Go Ready to Learn Something New
All the previous tips focus on the importance of knowing where you and your children are and being willing to hold onto those things in a way that keeps them priority.  Yet, you will want to make sure you remain open to learning new ways for approaching and teaching the subjects and topics on your lists. This could be from a speaker/presenter during a workshop or from another homeschooling parent who is willing to share their experiences as your browse through convention halls.

Look and listen. Ask questions. There are many ways of homeschooling. In attending, you may be surprised to find out another way of reaching your children that may work better than what you'd thought or planned thus far. Be open to this. (Why not carry a notebook to jot down the suggestions and tips you receive for reference and review later?)

Tip #6: Take Your Time
Take your time--plan now to spend a full day (or two) so that you have ample time to browse, ask questions, get the answers to your questions and attend workshops. You don't want to feel rushed, as this often causes stress, especially to those of you who will be experiencing your first one this year.  There will be crowds, so you'll want to account for this. You may also have to wait to talk to a speaker or vendor. If you aren't planning to stay the entire time, you can sometimes miss these opportunities. Even if you end up leaving early, plan to use the time you do have wisely.

Tip #7: Bring a Rolling Cart/Tote
Rolling carts/totes are better to carry the items that you purchase. There is nothing like lugging a heavy tote bag on your shoulder through a convention hall. It will make for a much more pleasant experience, trust me on this. You can find rolling totes at most office type stores. You will be glad that you have it instead of having to use your back and shoulders.

Tip #8: Plan for Your Children
Homeschool Conventions and Expos can be a lot to take in. If you can attend without your children, plan to do so. You will want to take your time while browsing so you can accurately identify the resources that match your family's style and goals. It can be challenging when you have little ones, and even older ones, chattering at you.

This may not be feasible for everyone, so here are a few ideas on how to approach it:

• Bring an older homeschooled child with you who can assist you with your children (like a mother's helper).
• Some conventions/expos offer a children's program. Find out now about them and the costs. Sign your children up for them. They usually coincide with the workshop schedule.
• Bring your partner/spouse and 'double team' the kids. When you want to speak with a curriculum rep, workshop speaker or another homeschooling parent your partner/spouse can manage the children and vice versa.
• Plan to attend with another family and take turns with the children.

If you do plan to take your children with you, be sure to set clear expectations with them. But also, be realistic. Children should not be expected to be silent the entire time. Bring snacks and water. Bring activities they can do quietly while you attend workshops. Plan for necessary bathroom breaks and lunch. This will help both you and your children get the most out of the experience.

Each year I secure a babysitter and plan a fun day for my children at home while I attend conferences and conventions. Last year was my first time taking my older two to the second day of an expo. I wanted them to see what it was like and what I had been looking at purchasing for them. I allowed both of them to pick out something that went along with one of the topics we'd be covering. We had previously talked about what it would be. That experience went well and I will probably do it again this year.

Regardless of what you decide to do--plan for your children.

Tip #9: Bring Your Lists

As previously shared, knowing your family's goals and budget for homeschooling will greatly assist you in determining what resources you'll be on the look out for during conferences. Knowing how your children learn and what subjects you'll be covering will help you navigate all the information that you'll be presented with during workshops along with all the resources/curriculum you'll see in an exhibition hall.

I suggest making two lists.  The first should include what you're wanting to make sure do, find out about or look at prior to leaving the conference.  Here's an example:

• Look for 6th Grade Science Curriculum
• Speak with a rep from a college campus
• Look for handwriting curriculum for 2nd grade
• Attend a workshop about how to teach the writing process
• Speak with [specific speaker] about how to implement a schedule
• Compare prices of [specific textbook]; ask about discounts

The second list can include what you're looking to purchase based on their budget and research. It should also include the items you want to make sure you walk out with. Here's an example:

• Handwriting paper for cursive writing
• Specimens for dissection
• Laminated wall map
• 3rd Grade Math Workbook
• Application for homeschool sports team

As you navigate through an exhibition hall, do take time to look, listen, ask questions and learn. However, don't forget what you're there for. Lists are a great way to make sure you've done what you've set out to accomplish. It will keep you on track.

Tip #10: Take a Positive Attitude

The final tip is simple and will assist you as you encounter others while attending workshops, maneuvering around crowded booths and browsing through resources.

As with pregnancy, you are bound to encounter unsolicited advice from a stranger or two. Take it in stride and be gracious. If you're able to be in a positive place, you may find something useful in what was shared.

Check out lines can be long. Having a positive attitude while waiting will come in handy.

Popular workshops can fill up quickly. Seats may be held for others who have yet to come in. You may have to stand in the back or may even miss attending one due to the overwhelming interest. A positive attitude is good to hold onto in this event.

But not only that, being in a positive space will allow you to offer your advice, tips and experience to others who may be feeling unsure, hesitant or apprehensive. You can give the reassuring smile or knowing look to someone else who may not be as prepared as you are and feeling overwhelmed.  Think how much they may appreciate your encouragement and positiveness in the midst of it all.

I hope that these ten tips will assist you in making this year's convention season a good one. Planning, of course, is key--knowing what you're looking for is important and being positive is essential.

What tips would you add to this list? Please share them below. 

Have you had any experiences attending conferences that would assist another parent in planning or being better prepared? I'd love to hear them as would my readers.

Thanks for stopping by today, reading and commenting.

Be well.

Planning Your Year Anew

It's once again time to begin planning for the new homeschool year, if you haven't started already.  For anyone new to homeschooling and starting at the very beginning of things, I'd like to share with you a series I've done for newbies: How to Plan Series. You'll find seven simply steps to get you on your way. (Anyone looking for a refresher is encouraged to take a look too.)

For many of us who have been doing this for a minute, we may need a few reminders or some pointers on just what we need to focus on as we end a year and start anew.  For those of us in that boat, I'll be sharing some tips and reminders over the next few weeks to help keep us all on track. This will be 'How to Plan 2.0.'

I invite you to join me each Wednesday for a quick tip/reminder and a resource or two.  I'd love to have your feedback and input on how you're already planning; what things you're already doing to put things in place for your children for next term. We all learn from each other and I invite each of you to share as you're able.

Here's the first tip/reminder in this new series: Take time to assess and evaluate where you and your children are at this moment.

Depending upon how old your children are and what levels they are on will determine just how much you'll need to review and reflect upon. I typically pull out the plans and goals I've written at the top of any given year and look to see if we've met them.  I look at our calendar of events to see just what 'impromptu' activities may have helped get us to where we wanted to be and what may have taken us in different directions.  I also review their journals and logs.

As your children grow, I suggest adding conferencing to your assessment and evaluation time.  Yesterday I had meetings with each of my children that focused mainly on their thoughts about this year--what they enjoyed learning, what they didn't; how much they felt they'd learned and what other things they would have liked to cover this year.  After listening to them and asking additional questions based on their answers, I took notes and asked them to start thinking about what they'd like to add to our learning experiences for the coming months. In another day or so, I'll meet with each again for this follow-up conversation--one of many, I must add. Although I did this more formally this year, we speak often about how they believe they're doing and how they'd like to improve.  I have found that they are taking more ownership in their learning since starting this a few years ago.

Depending upon where you live (state) determines just how you're required to do record keeping for this homeschool year ending. In Georgia, we're only required to write a summary on what each child covered in each subject. By reviewing our goals for the year, talking to the children and making my own assessments as to the successes and challenges we've had I can quickly write these summaries in my planning book.  These summaries are the record keeping that is required and are kept with the previous years' summaries. We then will take time to select some of the work we've done to go into our every growing portfolios--many of them have been lap books.

By taking time to assess and evaluate where you are, you set yourself up for figuring out where you need to go from where you are to where you'd like to be.  Don't feel rushed during this step.  Let me say that again--Don't feel rushed during this step. Paying close attention to just what your children know, how well they can complete specific tasks and what their challenges and deficiencies may be will assist you greatly in planning appropriately for next year.

Part of this assessment should include feedback from your partner/spouse and other family/friends whom your children interact with regularly.  If you're part of a co-op, speaking with other parents who teach or have taught your child or interact with them, may be helpful as well. We spend a lot of time with our children and may not always see things objectively.  Allowing other trusted adults to give us feedback on how they see our children is beneficial.  We may be surprised to hear that our children are learning and exhibiting the habits and behaviors we've been working so hard to teach them. Should we hear things that aren't what we expect to hear or would like to hear about our children, we can use this information too in redirecting and reteaching them. Either way, we can use this feedback for the good.

At present, I am seeing that my children are feeling pretty good about where they are right now. Each of them wants to do more and sees the areas in which they are challenged. I'm looking forward to hearing more from them about what interests they have and what subjects they may want to explore further in their learning. Of course I have a list of things I'd like them to learn too (smile), but that will come after I hear from them first.

Where are you with regards to assessing and evaluating? Have you started this process yet? Remember, knowing where each of your children is and how they're doing is key to planning well for next year. Take your time, listen and we'll move forward to the next step next week.

See you next time.

Be well.

Freebie Friday

We all love a freebie now and then.  In planning for next session for my children, I've come across a good number of them--some that I can use and others that I thought you might be interested in knowing about.

I'm sharing them by category/subject/topic. Leave me a comment below if you find something that works for you.

If you've happen upon a good resource--do share! (I like freebies, too.)

Happy Learning!


Math
Math Mammoth Light Blue Series
Hooda Math (Games for Levels 1-6)
Calculation Nation (Games for levels 3-8)
Math Practice (Level 5 and up)
Pre-Algebra & Algebra

Language Arts
Literature Network (middle school & up)

Reading
Worksheet Genius (will use to create word searches, crosswords, etc.)
K-5 Games

Science
Anatomy Arcade (middle school & up)
Human Body Resource
Virtual Lab
Biology (borrow-free dissection alternatives)
Periodic Table Lessons
Middle School Science Curriculum (several on this site, various topics)

History
Mapping History (levels 5-12)
Civil War Interactive (middle school and up)
Ages of Exploration (levels 5-12)
American Constitution (middle and up; lessons and activities)
American Constitution Interactive Timeline

The Arts
Free Sheet Music

Garden Prep

We went on and started yesterday even though it was cold and wet. The children are getting excited as well.  Here are a few pictures of getting things prepped, taking inventory and talking about all the things we'll need to get done--basic planning. lol

cleaning rocks--for project
counting recycled pots
locating pebbles for potting plants

composting leaves
picked up potting mix
cleaning previously used pots

reading books
looking at seed inventory--ordering more

new gloves
new bird feeder to attracted birds to assist in controlling pests
finding tools

Will share more again. Have a great Monday.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Welcome March!

I cannot believe we're this far into the new year. Wow.

Last week went mostly as we had planned. Due to the predicted weather for my area (which didn't actually happen), a few of the things I had hopes of participating in were postponed--a book talk/signing and we missed our time at the library due to closures.

We spent the end of the week working on our Georgia History Lapbook and Timeline Study. We've been able to go into a lot of further study based on our interest levels and having time to do so. We made a tentative lists of state sites we want to visit over the course of this month and the next. My hope is that we can do at least half of our list.

I've been gathering necessary supplies and enlisting help from my community in bringing our garden plans to fruition. There's a good amount of work to be done--I'm disappointed that it's rainy today, was hoping to start today. We will do what we can on the porch (thankful for a large one in this case).

How did you do last week? Were you able to get through your promises to yourself and others? Did you have snow at all? My children would have loved to have some to play in.

Here are my intentions for this week:

Repotting house plants -- I have so many that have been 'holding on' that I need to get this done right away. My mother grows and regrows many of her plants. I always snag a few during each visit to her house. Most of them have been growing in water and need to be potted now that their roots have come in well.

Yard work & Garden Prep -- We have a ton of leaves in the backyard (way more than in the front as we've tried to keep them picked up over the fall and winter months). We secured a couple of rakes to assist this process. We already have a compost heap of sorts, but I'd like to sure it up a bit more and make it a bit more structured. We'll be using pallets for this project. My intention is to get this all started this week.  I've enlisted the expertise of my husband in building/constructing our raised beds. My goal is to get all needed supplies for the project this week and get him scheduled for it once he's free and back in town.

Visit with my elder-mentor-sister-friend -- Aljosie Knight Harding is my Uncle Vincent's beloved. She is such a special woman and I am blessed to have access to her. We made plans last month to get together and just spend the day. My children adore her, too, and have been wanting to visit her space. That's on the calendar this week. During that time we'll be viewing and experiencing two of the sites in our state (off the master list). We are all looking forward to it.

Book Purging -- I've been weeding out for a few weeks now. It's hard for me to give away books. However, we really do have a lot. As my children's reading interests grow and as we get and receive more, I have to find room. We've been rereading a lot of the books we've enjoyed over the years, picked out a few that were our favorites and we want to keep and are giving away the rest. They've been well read and well kept so I've explained to the children that someone else will enjoy them too. (But I think that's more for me than them. lol)

Reading Time -- As always, I'm enjoying learning and growing through reading. I have several books I'm working on and will continue to read on them this week.

Personal meditation and quiet time -- The rhythm that I've created for myself is really working well.  I've been using late evenings, after the children's bedtime, for this.  I get in about 15-20 minutes in the morning too, depending upon which day of the week it is.

Plan to gather with my sister-friends -- Each of us has such a full schedule these days with husbands, children, work, etc. Yet it's crucial that I get with each of them to enjoy the special time of sharing, encouraging, laughing and being. I'll be again pulling out my calendar and connecting with them to get dates on this month's calendar.

Exercise -- we haven't been as diligent about this for a couple of weeks and I can definitely feel it. Looking at the weather predictions, it looks like this could be a good week to start our daily neighborhood walk. If nothing else, we can do some basic calisthenics here on the porch.

Crafting -- I have three projects that I want to begin. One is another crocheted hat. Another is a sewing project. The last one is a painting project. I will wait and see how the week shapes up. Sewing can be intense and takes up a lot of the same place we currently use for our learning time here at the house. I'm sure we'll get to the painting project as it involves the children and we've gathered on the necessary supplies. I will update you on just what got started/finished and what will be pushed on to next week.

Group Learning Time w/Homeschool Community -- I'm beginning a gardening unit with our homeschooling community. I've been working on the details of this unit for the last month. We'll be learning about needs of plants (general & specific), soil prep, composing/vermiculture, plant identification, planting schedules for our region, and a host of other things based on the groups' interest and attention spans of our children. There will be a couple of project that will be worked on outside of our time together, but that's what's great about homeschooling--we can all make the time. Most all of the families in this community are planning to do some sort of gardening this year. It will be interesting to see just how things turn out. I am hopeful that we will again have a good time learning and growing together.

Group Learning Time w/the Children -- We are still going strong with our Georgia Unit (will plan some time to start sharing specifics about this in a stand-alone post). We are also doing daily learning with our story (our history); math; reading. We've been using several documentaries for doing history and science. Our local PBS has had several great programs about global warming/climate change, our affects on the earth and how it's changing the land, water and animals. We've had some rather lively conversations about this. My intention is to continue with this and get in a library day or two this week.

Personal/Professional Development -- I'm finishing up one of the online classes that I started at the beginning of the typical school year (back in Oct). I like that it's self-pace so that I don't feel rushed or stressed about it in the least.  I also am completing two classes that will benefit my massage practice--will be adding new techniques to the menu list this week. I am working on learning some new techniques that will benefit my photography clients, too. I got new equipment which will assist me in practicing and acquiring the skill level I desire to have.  And (yes, one more!) I am also watching a video series on better ways of communicating--it's such a good one, I'm taking my time to really get it so that I can incorporate this in everyday life. I will make time this week for each of these things.

Helping others -- This is something that we do often. This week I've decided to add it to the list as I have some intentional assisting that I'm planning to do. This way I'm factoring it into my overall schedule.

As you can see, I have a full week. I'm hopeful that I will keep my promises to myself, that I will pace myself and allow others to assist me as the needs arise.

How are you filling up your week? For what are you making time? For whom will you give yourself? I'm interested in hearing from you. Take a moment to comment below.

I'll meet you back here next week for our weekly practice of intention setting.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions

So as I begin a new week, I will continue on the intentions of last week.  With a change of scenery, I am already enjoying less daily responsibilities (cooking, cleaning, regular routines, etc.) which is and will allow me to give myself more fully to the reading, listening and visioning I would like to do.

[click here to read them]

What are your intentions for this week? How will you use the new energy of the calendar year to push you forward to what you're dreaming up for yourself and your family? Take a moment to comment below. I'd love to hear from you.

Until next week,

Be well.

It's a New Year

Happy New [calendar] Year.

I have been receiving this greeting over the past few days now--it's what we'll be saying and hearing until mid-January, I guess. LOL.

I have been talking with my children about what things we'd like to do and learn together in this new year. We've spoken, in general, about goals and plans. We've also put together some vision boards and collages (my children enjoy this activity immensely).  Visuals are powerful tools for keeping us on track with the things we've said are important to us.  I've even gone so far as to talk about the whole resolution piece of the new year. How people make statements as to what they hope to accomplish, what they want to stop doing, what they want to begin doing.

For about seven years now I've been reading the book The Natural Year by Jane Alexander. I read it throughout a year and continue it into the next, and the next and the. . . you get the idea. This book is packed full of alternative health recommendations, tips and explanations. The author points out that by following nature--the natural patterns of ebbs and flows--we might better find balance and overall health emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Interestingly enough, the book begins with Spring--the season of the new year--the new self. In reading the introduction and completing the survey (which helps the reader fine-tune the book to suit her specific needs), Alexander hints as to why so many people who begin the new calendar year with great plans often fall short of them and even give them up before making it too far into the year. (Even the local news is talking about this.)

In reading further in the book, I learned some of the reasons why this is so. First, we are in the season of Winter (Winter just began on the 21st of December). Winter is not the time of beginnings. Just by looking at nature we can see that this is the time of resting--plants have died or are laying dormant; animals have migrated or are in hibernation mode; the weather is typically cold keeping many things inside their homes--including us.  Now, just as we're getting into the season of Winter, we're asking ourselves to begin anew--to JUMP back into action.  I would suggest, along with the author, that this is one of the main reasons why we don't often find success--we're asking of ourselves something that intuitively we're not in the space to do.

I remember when I first read this book and found this bit of information. I remember purposing then that I would not start anything new until Spring, especially if it involved physical improvements and/or better health habits. Even eating habits during Winter should be different than those of Spring. (Yes, I highly recommend this book if you're looking to make some deep-down, life-shifting changes in your life.)

Alexander shares briefly on the back of her book the book's synopsis:

Spring: The Season of the Body. Spring is the season of new beginnings--a perfect time to bring your body into peak fitness.

Summer: The Season of Emotions. Summer is the time to free your emotions--to open your heart to the natural joys of living.

Autumn: The Season of the Mind. Autumn is the right time to find your path in life, to strengthen your mind and body, and explore what you want from life.

Winter: The Season of the Soul. Winter is a time to make peace with your soul--to seek your spirituality; to investigate the past year and look forward to the next.

There is so much more information than what I will go into here. But this gives you a better idea of what I am speaking about.

Thus, I begin my new year on the first day of Spring. Yes, I often conform to the overall general populous in sharing the 'Happy New Year' greeting and even participating in new year type activities--vision board creating and other 'beginning anew' type workshops and classes. But this year, I am making a slightly different choice--personally, at least, and then with my children. I will continue this introspection time--this time of being honest with myself about where I've been and where I hope to be. I will give time to thoroughly explore my feelings, desires, needs, wants, etc.

I have to admit that I have already been feeling rushed. A few people have contacted me to assist them in getting themselves in order, with regards to homeschooling, and while I've been able to do this for them, I really want and need to take additional time for myself and my family.

Which brings me to my plans and intentions for this week. I've only made time for about three of those things and the week is almost over. Planning takes time--meaningful planning anyway. And I must give myself to this. I've learned that being surrounded by nature as well as being in a peaceful/restful type space allows my spirit to open up fully. So the kids and I will be packing up and taking another, longer, trip away. A mini-vacay to start the calendar year. My intentions are to be still and listen; to give myself the time to figure out just what I need and then, what my children need in this upcoming year.

Sure, I have plenty of hopes and dreams and wishes for 2015. Even now I'm remembering how we began 2014--away, in nature, in silence. It was so beautiful. I need this time and instead of talking myself out of it, as I often do (there's just so much to be done right here at home, etc.) I am giving myself permission to TAKE MY TIME.

I will not be mad at you for saying 'Happy New Year' because I expect this year to have happiness in it. I also understand that I am not a typical person and now like that about myself.

What I do wish for you, yes, any and all of you reading this post, is that you will find what it is you're in need of, what you're hoping for, what you're looking to give yourself to this year. I also hope that you'll leave room for the unexpected joys that this year will bring, space to learn new things and flexibility to grow into someone better.

And so, with all of that background, I wish each of you many blessings in 2015.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions

I am loving how this simple task of setting intentions is really redirecting my life. I would encourage all of you who read this to strongly consider adding this to your 'to do' lists. I am finding that I'm definately more intentional about what I choose to give my time to and put my energy towards. Perhaps this is something you'd like to add to your new year resolution list.

We enjoyed a relaxing holiday week filled with rest, time together, time with friends, lots of good food and treats and tons of laughter--my favorite part. Over the passed couple days we've enjoyed the unexpected company of some dear friends we haven't seen in nearly five years and we've picked up without missing a beat--laughing, joking, thought-provoking conversation. Good friends are hard to find.

So how did you week go? Were you able to make the most of your time and energy?

This week beginning I'd like to keep things at an easy pace. Here are the things I want to make priority:

• Rest & sleep
• Reading (I have a nice stack of good books)
• Reorganizing and purging our learning materials and books
• Setting our whole family goals for 2015
• Setting personal goals for 2015
• Preparing for and taking time away (1st trip of the new year)
• Organizing supplies for handmade goods
• Creating schedule for starting/completing handmade goods
• Reevaluating my five streams of income
• Spending time with friends
• Meditation and listening time
• Being fully present--wherever I am, with whomever I am

As the year comes to an end this week, what things will you make time for? Will you be evaluating where you're putting your time, energy, money, etc.? Are you making plans for 2015?

No matter what you're planning, I hope you're giving some dedicated time to it. It's true that what we give ourselves to becomes how our time it used. I encourage you, as I encourage myself, to be thoughtful about it. A short intentional list is more powerful than a lengthly list full of things you're only trying to impress another with--even if that 'other' is yourself.

Wishing each of you all the best as we close out 2014 and open a fresh new chapter, pregnant with possibilities, in 2015. What will you give birth to in the new year?

Be well.

Weekly Intentions

I've been laying in bed thinking back over the week that just ended and thinking ahead to what this week will bring. This past week went mostly as planned. There were a few things that I didn't get to on my intention list but I am happy to say that I am not beating myself up about them at all. I was fully present during each of the days and although I did deal with a sudden lack of rest (overly tiredness), I went right on with the flow.

Here are the things I intended to accomplish that I did (yes, focusing on the positive.):

• Started and completed TWO hat/scarf sets (one more than I intended--YAY.)
• Reading time for myself
• Made a list of 'fun' activities to do with the children this week.
• Contacted three people and spoke about the specifics of community and community building
• Only ran once this week--but walked three times in addition that it. (smile)
• Slowed down and enjoyed the moments.
• Completed one part of our 'making and sending' cards task

I did not get the items I already have to donate up to the donation center nor did I make any time to start the task of weeding out our books--mainly children's books.  I am taking care of the first one today but am thinking that we'll wait until after the season to do the bookshelves.  We'll see.

My intentions for this week beginning today are as follows:

• Run twice this week; walking at least twice as well.
• Reading time for myself.
• Art time with the children (specifically drawing together)
• Baking cookies for neighbors with the children
• Getting adequate rest for myself
• Asking for assistance when I need it (This is something that I need to do on a regular basis. Why not add it to my intention list? As things come up I will practice doing so.)
• Laugh

How did last week go for you? Were you able to attend do the things on your list?  I'd love to hear about how that went.

What are you intentions for this week beginning? Are you continuing with anything from last week? Are there any tasks or practices that you're adding to your list this week? Are you noticing habits developing around the things you want to add or continue?  I hope so.

This weekly practice of simply writing down and sharing what I hope to do is definitely something that is helping me find and maintain the rhythm I want for myself and my home.

Take a moment when you can to comment below. Should you belong to a community or network in which I do, you're welcome to share with me in person and we can speak further about things then. Either way, I'm wishing you well as you set your intentions and follow through with meeting them.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions

This week has been very full--full of emotions; full of reading, listening, talking, thinking and planning; full of reflection.

With the news from Ferguson in, we've sought to make sense out of nonsense. We've looked for hope through all the despair. We've tried to keep perspective while acknowledging the truth about just where things truly stand here in the United States of America.  All while being present with our children, living life, learning, cooking, keeping house, watching nature, doing chores, etc., etc.

I will say, right up front, that my promise to myself about heading to bed earlier than normal each night didn't happen most of the week. There was something that kept me awake most nights, even when I was in bed.  I did get ample rest, though.  After awaking early each morning for personal time of prayer and meditation, I climbed back under the blankets in my bed and slept in most mornings. I even got in a nap one afternoon.  I love that my children know how to care for themselves--this allows for it.  Also, their daddy has been home.

We kept a regular schedule, for the most part. This Monday we didn't have our usual homeschool meet-up so I did some errands that afternoon.  I've completed a lot of the reading that I wanted to do along with additional things--articles about our current events.  I've even found time to blog. I've begun two of the projects I have on my list and should be completed with both of them by this evening--keeping my fingers crossed.  I've also done some work on two of my professional development classes.  I met up with one of the three friends I've been intentional about crafting with and have the other two on the calendar for this new month. (Can you believe it's December already?)

In the midst of all of that, I've been able to give each of my children some individual time where we were able to talk and share and do something they wanted to do with me.  Drawing with The Boy. Reading with my SweetiePie. Talking about life and upcoming events with my PrettyGirl.

I count this week, even with all the emotional changes, a rather successful one.  I am thrilled that a few of my friends have joined me in being intentional about their weeks.  (If you'd like to join in and want a re-cap of where it started, click here.) A couple have shared in the comments section here; others have spoken to me directly or via social media.  What makes all this more than just a list to check off is the accountability aspect of it. Knowing that there are others who matter in my life that will hold me accountable to what I'm setting out to do keeps me mindful.  Although everything may not have taken place as planned, I made sure that I kept most all of the promises I made to myself.

So what does this new week look like?  Well, today is the last day of November. Tomorrow we begin a new month.  The children and I have a little ritual that involves changing the wall calendar and acknowledging the change of month with a new play list on Spodify.  We will do that together this evening since tomorrow morning will be full of getting out of the house.

Here are my intentions for this week:

• Donate the items I've collected from around the house.
• Go through two bookshelves and weed books out (for donation).
• Start and complete another hat/scarf set
• Reading time for myself
• Make list of 'fun' activities with the children for this month
• Make our cards and get them in the mail
• Contact three people (from list) to talk about the specifics of our community building
• Run at least three times this week.
• Slow down and enjoy the moments

I want to continue with some of the things I've already been doing--getting enough rest, meditation/prayer time, being fully present with those I'm with.

How did things go for you this week? Were you able to get through your list? Were there any challenges or unexpected events that kept you from it? How did you adjust?

Let's take a moment to celebrate the little steps we're each making towards the life we want. We are engaging in a powerful, life-changing practice--speaking those things which are not into being.

Now, what are your intentions for this coming week? What plans are you making for yourself and your family? Write them down somewhere where they can been seen by you easily. I encourage you to share them below in the comments section. I would love to know what you're working towards. Your words can encourage the next person reading this post to join us too.

We will check in again with each other next Sunday. I look forward to hearing about your progress.

Be well.