Sep 9

Homeschooling & Us: A List for You

I haven't been in this journey long compared to others, but I have researched more than I ever did in high school. So I'd like to share a few resources and things that I'd consider my favorites.

A cute little logo I made to go along with our "school." My oldest came up with the mascot

(if you buy any duck-related things from my site with the SCHA label, the proceeds go to our school supplies & field trips)

I'm not sure how long it's been since I've actually tried to sit down and write out my thoughts in anticipation of them being read by just about anyone in the world. I'm not the best when it comes to expressing myself, though I used to love writing. I think it comes from a "lifetime" of having my confidence abused, but that's not what we're here for today; I'm sure there are many people who have those types of stories.

I'm coming out of my writing shell today because I feel like it's been put on my heart to share what knowledge and experiences I've had on our homeschooling journey. I'm not going to go from the beginning, just know that we started at the beginning of 6th grade and we're now a few weeks into 7th, with a 3-year-old working on his letters, numbers, etc.

With the recent tragedies and uncertainties in our country, many people have decided to homeschool their children, which is great! There are so many people that have answered questions and offered help and support, just go to any homeschool FB group and you'll see how welcoming people are. (It makes me very sad that those groups are more positive than the women's Christian groups I've been in, but that's also a story for another time)

This post is not going to be me expressing my thoughts on politics, and I'm not making this to push my religion. I am a follower of Christ and that is what my life revolves around, so that is how we are proceeding with our school life. If you don't agree with that, that's fine. My favorite resources are not all Bible-based, though some are. I am not apologizing for my beliefs, I am just trying to help others. That is what I believe God wants me to do right now.

Like I said, we've been doing this a little while and I have done a lot of research. I'm going to list some great things I've found in my journey.

I hope it helps!

(These things are not ranked, just listed. It hurts my anxiety to rank things from best to worst. Haha)

Before I get into the helpful resources, I would suggest thinking about "deschooling" for a while, if your child has been in public school for a bit. This helps you and your child get out of the public school rhythm and mindset so that you can focus on what is best your YOU. Take some time to focus on your child's learning style and YOUR learning style. If they're different, figure out how to best help him/her get the most out of their schooling. There are many benefits for unschooling, and many articles that touch on it. I recommend looking into it and taking advantage of the time they now have to let them adjust to y'all's new life.

Now, let's get to it!

The first resource I highly recommend is your public library!

The closest one to us is the Rabun County Public Library, so I'm going to list a few things that I know they have and do that make life easier for homeschoolers (and parents in general).

Follow the link or find them on Facebook to keep up with all the things they have going on. I also suggest doing that with your local library if you haven't already

They host the local Farm Bureau insurance agency's agriculture classes. These are workshops that focus on educating the community's youth about the sustainable ways to grow much of what we eat. The kids will work on projects and crafts, and they provide grade-level standards for your records. It's also a great way to hang out with kids their own age. The kids are split into groups depending on their grade levels. We had fun at the few meetings we were able to get to, but our co-op usually meets on the same day and times this is going on.

The library has homeschool curriculum books that can be checked out.
If you're unsure what curriculum to choose, or if you've decided to do a school-unschool-hybrid, you can find some great books to help your child keep their brain going while you find something more permanent. Or you can just use those books. They've always been great when I go to look at them!

Free Wi-Fi
In the library and the parking lot! They have tables to set up and work on, comfy couches, a community room where drinks are allowed. It's quiet and comfy. The perfect place to go when you need a change of scenery

Story time
They have story time weekly for younger kids, which is a great way to get your little into reading and books, and hang out with kids their age. You can do story time with your youngest while your older kids take advantage of the free Wi-Fi!

Quiet pods
These are little stalls that you can go into to get some peace and quiet while you work. The doors are glass, there's a desk and chair. It's great for those kids who need to concentrate on their work but aren't able to elsewhere.

Programs and activities
ALL the programs! Random learning opportunities, such as Smokey Bear's birthday party, reading challenges, bingo games, art contests, crafts, chess club, book clubs, any fun thing you can think of. They're always doing something to get kids and families involved. (There are programs you can join over the summer, too. They have people come and teach and entertain the kids, free lunches provided by the Summer Lunch Program. It's a great time)

The most obvious and surprising: a library card With your FREE library card, you get access to way more than just a book from the library. You have access to their computers, hot spot devices you can take home, movies, tapes, audiobooks. You can check out a laptop! You can sign into Libby and other apps that accept your library's information where you can check out audiobooks and eBooks without stepping foot into the building (good for us since we live out of town). The most surprising things, though, that you can do with a library card: experiences! As in, tickets and parking passes! From our library, you can receive tickets for the zoo, aquarium, state park parking pass, etc.

There are so many reasons to love the library, and many more to go to your local library and ask what kinds of programs and other wonderful things they offer that can help you with your homeschooling journey. I will always love them.

Another thing I love to check every now and then is the website, For the Love of Homeschooling.

I love this resource because they have amazing studies on so many things! Seasonal studies, birds, countries, nature, etc. They have bird clubs and zoo clubs, lifetime memberships. And, what I love about them, occasional freebies and sales! Always affordable and useful, and beautiful. The photos are gorgeous, and the information is great to have! My son loves them. They definitely make for fun projects and studies outside of his current curriculum.

The next thing I want to recommend is our chosen curriculum, Schoolhouse Teachers.

I researched SO HARD before finally deciding on a curriculum. I wanted something that would give my son what he needed while also falling in line with his learning style. I wanted something Bible-based and affordable. I didn't want to buy ONE grade level because my son is above his grade in certain subjects. Buying multiple grades just for that not to work made me feel sick. Some things are so expensive! I could definitely put together my own using free and cheap books and things, but as I was completely new to this, I wanted something that would tell me what to do, basically.

I found everything I needed in Schoolhouseteachers.com. I love that I paid one price for EVERY grade level. Not only do you get that, but also so many resources: World Book, (a secular online encyclopedia, basically), Applecore (a recordkeeping website), RightNow Media (a Christian-based streaming service), planners that are unique to Schoolhouseteachers, access to every digital issue of the The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, printables. So many great things.

They also have a ton of electives, including health & fitness, foreign languages, technology, Bible. They have parent resources, such as zoom calls with other parents to discuss different topics. They also have fun things to do for students like art and writing contests.

This is an all-around great thing that we've found, and I loved it so much that we went ahead and grabbed the two-years-for-the-cost-of-one deal that they had going. I am NOT regretting it.

Something else I suggest looking into is a co-op, or hangout for your students.

If you don't have an account then I would recommend creating one just for homeschool resources! Just look for your local Facebook homeschooling group and you can find many options or start your own! Even if it isn't an official group, though, you can see how many other parents with homeschooled kids would like to just wander the park with you and your kids. You will always find someone willing to meet up! Join a church youth group! They're always doing something fun in and out of church. It's a great way for your child to be around kids their age, and to learn how to handle any conflicts that can arise in the "real world."

Another website that I like to go to when I need a little something more is Teachers Pay Teachers.

This website is full of printouts and lessons, etc. made by teachers. I've found so many useful things on it, and mostly for free!

You can either browse around and grab things that look good or filter your search by exactly what you need. You're guaranteed to find something you can use for all your kids.

The next is probably my most used resource: Canva!

And this is why I don't do well with rating things. Canva is my most favorite website, ever. I use it for everything. I created the numbers on this page using Canva.

I have a membership because I use it for work, but there are PLENTY of things you can make using a free account. I've made my youngest son pages that help him learn how to write his name, learn the days of the week, color-by-number, etc. My oldest son, I've made him country studies, Tardigrade studies, and so many other things. He even logs into our shared account and creates things for art, science, ELA, whatever he needs.

I highly recommend signing up for Canva! It makes life so much easier.

I hope that big list of things helps you out on your homeschooling journey. There are also the obvious things, such as Youtube, Pinterest, TikTok, etc. that have tons of helpful tutorials and things for you and your children. My son and I started out by just doing science experiments every week until we actually started school. I'll link some of my favorites below.

Some other things I didn't mention are the little ways I earn a bit of extra money (aside from the patterns and things I sell on this website). I've found some legit money-earning things such as Pinecone Research (survey-taking) and the Amazon Affiliate program that have made me a bit of money. There's also apps such as Ibotta, Upside, Tada, etc. that give you rebates if you buy certain things from certain places. Coupons.com and the Coupons app has been a big help in saving money, too.

Homeschooling is tough. Sometimes you have to decide to become a one-income family, or find somewhere for your kids to go while you both work, or you're a single mom/dad who has to work and earn but you also want to be in control of your child's education. You can do it all! There are many ways to do what you need to do. The important thing is to put your trust in God. I have been a single mom, I have been a new mom with a rough home life, I have become a blessed mama of two with a wonderful husband. I have trusted God through it ALL. He is the one that has given me the strength and wisdom to do this. There is no way I just decided to quit my job and raise my kids at home all by myself, especially after trying it once already when my oldest was a baby. I swore I would never be a stay-at-home mom again, but... God works wonders.

I hope that my ramblings and crudely-thrown-together list helps out at least one person. As I stated above, I am severely out of practice with this whole writing-my-thoughts-and-feelings thing. God has put this on my heart, so I will do my best to honor that. So, here it goes, out on the internet for the world to see. Please don't be too harsh. I'll update this as we go. For now, here it is.

Thank you. God bless you and your family. You're in my prayers.♥

Feel free to email me with questions: woodwife1221@gmail.com