A complete list of free homeschool curriculum! Homeschooling for free is doable. There are tons of quality curriculums out there for zero cost! There are online courses, downloadable courses, and some even send you the materials. You can also mix and match. With COVID-19, a lot more people are turning to homeschool. My husband taught for over ten years, and my degree is in elementary education. I decided to homeschool my children before I even became a parent. When I created this website, I did it to support others in their homeschool journey. I realize that my background may make it easier in ..read more

How many hours does it take to homeschool? This is the most common question I get asked. The answer is, it depends. It depends on your child’s age and where they are academically. But I will tell you this, the homeschool day can be done in far less time than a typical brick and mortar day.  I am a former teacher, as is my husband. We have always homeschooled our children, now in 5th, 3rd, and Kindergarten. Many people are shocked to learn that we do not spend the full 8 hours that brick and mortar schools do. Especially as former teachers, we have endured more than our fair share of gasps ..read more

Writing can be a struggle for anyone, of any age. Improving literacy with journaling can be a great way to make it fun. Download three free, kids journals here to get started on your writing journey!  Journaling can be used for more than just writing. It is not only a great way to reflect on the day’s events, feelings and memories, but you can add just about any educational element to it and level it up. I have created three fun journals for early emerging writers, which can also be modified for older kids, too. In this entry, you will find a bullet journal, a nature journal and a writin ..read more

Homeschool secular curriculum materials can be a challenge to find, but I did the work for you. Check out my top five options! This list includes accredited curriculum, as well as homeschool curriculum for gifted learners and more.  A lot of parents who homeschool want to keep religion and education as two separate things. I can totally relate to that idea because even though we have always homeschooled AND we are Orthodox Christians, I keep the two separate. All of my lessons meet the Florida state standards and are secular.    I teach 1st grade Sunday school at our church and ..read more

If you are trying to learn more about how to homeschool in Florida, you have come to the right place. There are a few options that give families the flexibility and freedom to educate children at home. I will try to answer as many questions and provide vital Florida homeschooling information. I will also include a checklist to download so you can have a successful start to your homeschool adventure. The most important element is being compliant with Florida homeschool laws. We are a great state for homeschooling because we have a lot of freedom and many options available. I know it may seem ov ..read more

We recently visited the Medieval Times Orlando location with our three children, aged 9, 7, and 4. Our family could only base our expectations upon Youtube videos and word of mouth. As first timers, we felt a sense of wonderment as we approached the castle walls. The children gazed, wide-eyed at the warmly lit, stone walls and what might await them inside.   Once across the drawbridge–and safe from whatever beasts lurked beneath–we entered the lobby and ticketing counter. It became clear to us that upgrading our admission would be more than worth the cost. We decided to become VIP’s ..read more

Making a homeschool portfolio is important for so many reasons. You may need one for your students end of the year evaluation, and you need a portfolio to show progress throughout the school year. It is a snapshot of your child’s learning and the work you have invested in their schooling. There are many ways you can create one but I am going to show you what works best for us.  Creating a Homeschool Portfolio Binder At the start of our new school year, I make a new binder for each child. We sit down together and they answer some fun questions and I take their picture. Then I go into Canv ..read more

It’s a big deal: stores have special displays, children dawn new outfits and shoes, they get their precious locks cut, and they meet a gaggle of new friends. But what about your homeschooler? How will he/she respond to all of the excited talk of new friends and “favorite” new teachers who give out candy? We have some solid ideas that will make all of these homeschool back to school conversations easier to navigate for your kid. One of the easiest and most logical strategies is to be blunt with your child. Tell them that “back to school” is a big deal to kids who attend brick and mortar schools ..read more

This neat and clean multiplication arrays lesson plan with free printable is a nifty way to provide a visual to back up standard multiplication instruction. Long gone are the days of using rote methods to remember your “times tables.” Even though I had a blast racing my classmates to the chalkboard to fill in the answers, it just doesn’t work with today’s kids, who generally respond better to visual aids. Materials Laminated Arrays Template (see free printable below) Dry Erase Markers Standard Dice Lesson Description You will explain to the student that this lesson covers multiplication tabl ..read more

When we tell people that we homeschool, they usually ask whether our children have ever experienced the standard classroom setting. We always reply, “yes, of course, during their co-op time.” After the confused look subsides, they follow with “what is a homeschool co-op?” The idea behind a co-op is that you provide the primary instruction to your child throughout most of the week, then at a designated time, you meet with a group of other children. In this group, the children will be provided instruction from a “teacher,” who is usually another homeschooling parent, but can also be a teacher or ..read more