BookShark

Sometimes we’re stuck at the kitchen table nearly all day. We watch our kids drill math facts, trace maps of the fifty states, and work on spelling words from that table. Then we pull out our latest historical novel and read aloud while the kids color or play quietly with blocks. We eat snacks and lunch right there at that same kitchen table. Besides bathroom breaks and the inevitable dash to find a pencil sharpener or ruler, we find ourselves constantly hovering over our kids in that hub of our home — the kitchen.

If you've had your fill of kitchen table homeschooling, here are seven ideas for learning in other areas.

If you homeschool for any length of time, you’ll inevitably struggle with the idea that a different curriculum than you’re currently using might be a better for you and your child, even if you’re current curriculum is a good fit!

Why We Chose BookShark Homeschool Curriculum

My oldest loves history and reading, and we chose BookShark for that exact reason. While using BookShark, my son received a strong historical overview of the time period that we were studying, but he also got plenty of excellent historical fiction related to the events he was studying in history.

Setting your own daily schedule is a wonderful luxury homeschooling brings. We’re not scrambling to get kids on the bus at 7:30 in the morning. Breakfast becomes a leisurely meal instead of a frantic race against the clock. The shift into and out of Daylight Savings Time hardly impacts us.

You have time to welcome the morning, spend time with your children, and enjoy a slow start. You determine the course of your day by setting your own daily schedule regardless of what the school does or what your other homeschool peers are doing.

Whether we used to be a teacher in the school system or we’re brand new to homeschooling or we’re just unsure of what we’re doing as homeschoolers, there are some big assumptions that homeschool moms need to let go of. I would venture to say that most of us grew up going to a brick and mortar school, sat at a desk with metal legs, went out for recess and drank warmish milk out of a cardboard carton.

We might have loved school. We might have hated it.

But the fact is that we’re homeschooling now. It takes place (mostly) at home. We don’t have to wait in line for lunch or sit in uncomfortable desks. It’s home. It’s different than regular school. Some of us, though, feel this awkward disconnect when we stray from the ways of the school we grew up in as if somehow if it’s too different it won’t work or it won’t be valid. Can I squeeze your shoulders in encouragement and let you in on a little secret?

Congratulations to you for exploring the idea of homeschooling! It is a rewarding lifestyle! But even if you can imagine the future rewards, you may still feel unsure about your qualifications to homeschool your kids. If you're not a teacher yourself, do you have what it takes to homeschool? The truth is, there are only two necessary requirements for you to homeschool your kids: curiosity and connection. If you are willing to ask questions and are connected with your kids, the rest will flow into place. Sure, there will be ups and downs, but every worthwhile venture is filled with them.Read More

I never imagined I’d homeschool. Ever. In fact, I was vocally anti-homeschooling. I loved my public school experiences and had very little experience with families who chose to homeschool, so I had based my (very strong) feelings on (very incorrect) stereotypes and assumptions. Since you're reading this post on a homeschool curriculum blog, you can guess how those false beliefs turned out for me!

My oldest child was what I call a trick baby—a dream come true—a kid so easy to parent that I figured I must be a pro and should have a hundred more babies. My assumptions obviously fail me pretty often because my second born, my middle child, was not easy. He did not make me feel like a pro. He was adorable and fun and never ever boring, but he was, to put it gently, a handful.

For our family, paying attention to time is a huge piece of why we homeschool: having enough time for things we love, spending time together, and learning at the times when we feel our best. I homeschool because I want my children to have time to learn and follow their passions. For us, this means we don’t follow a traditional school schedule.

Depending on the day, season, year and the outside classes my children take, our learning might happen in the early morning or late afternoon.

I’ll be honest. Sometimes I love our rhythm, and other times it’s challenging. I’m a morning person and prefer to get going right away. My nine-year-old is a night owl and has been since birth. Her creative juices get going about bedtime.

I get mixed feedback when I tell people that my children and I are year-round homeschoolers. And I can understand why! Before I used year-round homeschooling myself, I had the mental picture of spending long days hovered over textbooks all year long with no breaks.

The reality is quite the opposite!

Year-round school for doesn't mean that we keep the same pace day in and day out. It means we flex our studies based on seasons, weather, and opportunity—stretching out a 36 week program to fill 52 weeks of the year.

Once you make the plunge to homeschooling, you may start to question everything that you assumed to be true about education. You break more and more of the molds from traditional schooling and blaze your own unique path. You wonder... Is it possible to homeschool in fewer hours than the traditional school day? Can I meet my children’s academic needs in less than five days a week? Can a shorter week and shorter school day provide enough academics?

These are questions every homeschooler weighs. The resounding answer is yes! You can give your kids all they need academically with a highly efficient model at home, using a 4-day school week, often with as little as a 4-hour day!

I’m about to come clean. Deep breaths. I don’t homeschool all of my children. In fact, I don’t homeschool most of my children. Pause for pearl-clutching.

Of my three kids, one is homeschooled and two attend public schools. My husband and I do what works best for each child, and right now this is what works. This arrangement is likely to change in the future as each kid's needs change. But for right now, this is the set-up that allows each child to thrive.