If I can turn it into a checklist I will. Have you ever written down something (or several things) you have already accomplished in the day just so you can have the joy of checking them off and seeing your progress? That’s me! And if that’s you AND you homeschool your children, keep reading…

Learn how I prepare and organize the Math with Confidence curriculum for my homeschool room. Using a 3-ring binder and a photo storage box, I gather almost everything I will need for the math curriculum before we even start the year so that it is TRULY Open and Go!

After using All About Reading (AAR) for several years, I have picked up a few tips that I hope might help someone else just starting out….Check the front of each workbook…Prep the student workbook…Make the fluency review fun…

How I set it up to REUSE all the materials with each kid…I pre-assemble the activities in a large 3-ring binder before we ever start the next level - The student book that comes with each level has lots of hands-on manipulative games to reinforce the concepts being taught throughout the book. I hate collecting and assembling lesson pieces on a daily (or even weekly) basis. I would much rather have a huge “project” where I gather everything for the whole year at once, spend several hours, and get it all done. Then when we are in the middle of a busy homeschool day, I can just grab it and start teaching.

All About Reading, the brain-child of Marie Rippel came about as she struggled to help her dyslexic son learn to read. Hers is a phonics-centered (Orton-Gillingham based) curriculum for early elementary students. All About Reading (AAR) includes four levels as well as a Pre-Reading curriculum. At the time of this writing, I am part-way through level three with my oldest and feel like I can finally say IT WORKS with some authority. Check out the All About Learning Press website here.

Feeling overwhelmed by all the decisions to be made as you begin your homeschool journey? This guide offers practical advice on where to begin and tips for choosing subjects and curriculum that fit your family’s needs.

Looking for some fun science activities for you kids? Or a way to make history come alive? Want to add some “active learning” into your educational day? Coloring books might be just the thing!! I have discovered some amazing coloring books that could stand alone as a unit study (or whole curriculum - depending on your goals). Check out the educational coloring books below.

Rather than waiting until children struggle, every child should receive systematic phonics instruction from the start. This is why I chose a dyslexic curriculum for my neurotypical child. Moving beyond the whole language approach, phonics focuses on understanding the sounds and rules of English. In this article, I explain the differences between these approaches, share my teaching experiences, and recommend valuable resources for effective reading instruction.