Homeschool Tips Archives - Techie Homeschool Mom

Why You Shouldn’t Print Digital Homeschool Curriculum

I’m on a mission…a mission to inspire homeschoolers to add more digital learning to their education. We homeschoolin’ mommas don’t have the advantage of a tech director like many schools have. So, here we are, digital immigrants, trying to meeting the learning needs of our digital natives. [Related Post: What Homeschoolers Don’t Know (& what they need)] One simple way for adding more tech to your homeschool is to start using curriculum in digital format (aka ebooks). I know…you love the look, feel and smell of “real” books, and you couldn’t imagine replacing your books with eBooks. And I’m not saying … [Read on, my friend]

How Our Digital Homeschool Evolved

I recently discovered this video by BestReviews trending on social media, and it caught my attention. This “Evolution of the Desk” got me thinking about the evolution of our homeschool room and resources over the past 12 years. I considered all the materials I had when we started homeschooling my now 17-year-old. We had a whole bookshelf dedicated to curriculum, workbooks and activity idea books. Two shelves were reserved for the 100+ books that we’d have checked out at the library at a time. We dedicated half of our family room as the “school area”. Now that we’ve embraced … [Read on, my friend]

Van Gogh Online Unit Study

Look up any list of “Great Artists” and without a doubt, Vincent VanGogh will be at the top of the list. A list of “Most Famous Paintings”? Van Gogh’s Starry Night makes the top 10. So, my homeschoolin’ momma friend, if you want to study the art masters, Van Gogh is the way to go. (see what I did there…”Gogh”-“go”). Want to try something new? Feel artistically challenged? Or don’t have any idea where to start teaching your kiddos about art? This 3-day Internet-based e-Learning course is the perfect curriculum for you. Check out this video for a peek into … [Read on, my friend]

A Homeschool Mom’s “Must Have” Webtools for Teaching Writing

This week I read a post at My Learning Table with ‘7 Tips for Teaching Teen Writers’. As a former English teacher and current facilitator for a homeschool teen literature group, Anne shared her discovery that ”many homeschool moms don’t even know where to begin teaching writing to their teens.” In her post, she identified two types of writers and ‘7 Tips for Teaching Teen Writers‘ through the writing process of Prewriting, drafting, editing, revising, proofreading and publishing. You may remember the good ol’ writing process from your days as a student. However, you may not realize that the “how … [Read on, my friend]

How to Choose a ‘Just Right’ Unit Study

“Goldilocks and the 3 Bears” was my daughter’s go-to story when she was little. You know, the one she asked me to read over and over (and over and over and over) again. My little blondie even had a “Goldilocks and the 3 Bears” 3rd birthday party. How cute is that?!?! I remember her cute little voice quoting Goldilocks …”Too soft. Too hard. Just right.” “Too hot, Too cold. Just right”…over and over (and over and over and over) again. Choosing a unit study can feel like a Goldilocks experience. “Too long. Too short. Too dry. Too fluffy. Too rigid. … [Read on, my friend]

How I Answer When Asked “Why Do You Homeschool?”

“Why do you homeschool?” That is a question homeschooling families can’t avoid. Early in our homeschool journey, I would flounder when asked and throw out a random answer. “So that we can be the greatest influence in our kids’ lives.” “To strengthen our family” “Because I know my child best.” “So our kids can learn freely about God.” We had decided to homeschool even before our oldest daughter was born. We felt it was best for our family. I had taught school for a few years and knew that I didn’t want our children to attend school. There were lots … [Read on, my friend]

5 Benefits of a Paperless Homeschool

“Mommmmmmm the printer’s not working!” For some reason, that holler grates on my nerves. That is one of the wails I dislike more than anything, probably because I struggle with finding a solution. I see the documents in the queue, but it takes deleting the documents, shutting down the computer, and reprinting to correct it. I have a theory though. I think the little minions inside the printer forget what they are supposed to be doing because ….we hardly ever use the printer anymore. We only print monthly chore charts and schedules to post on the fridge and an occasional math … [Read on, my friend]

25 Free Webtools for Creating Homeschool Projects (Free Printable)

“25 Free Webtools for Creating Homeschool Projects” is a must-have list for digital learners. Discover cloud-based applications for creating graphics, video, infographics, timelines, maps and more. Want to see how these webtools can be used? Check out Online Unit Studies. Students use these tools for digital projects in most Online Unit Studies. Download your copy of “25 Free Webtools for Creating Homeschool Projects” To discover more digital learning tools and resources, follow me on Pinterest. Visit Techie Homeschool Mom’s profile on Pinterest.

Are Your Kids Wasting Time on Electronics? 3 Questions to Ask

Here we are, all home on a Sunday afternoon, most of us cozied up on the couch….and there are six screens glowing. Daddy’s researching products for a client, I’m writing a blog post, two girls are playing Minecraft together, two girls are watching YouTube and one girl is jamming to some tunes while she washes the dishes. Some people look at our family and think “They are on electronics all the time. They should be doing something more productive.” And, honestly, I think that myself sometimes and start doubting our unlimited tech time policy. But, my children are digital natives, and using … [Read on, my friend]

A Mom’s Greatest Struggle in This Tech-Driven World

“They’re always sitting in front of a screen. That’s all they want to do. I’m tired of nagging them to get off. Things are so different than when I was a kid. I wish they would just play or read a book or do something unplugged.” Sound familiar? Those are the words in my head. And the conversation I have had with many of my friends. And the complaint I read about online. It’s a big issue for us moms, trying to figure out how to guide our kiddos’ media consumption and electronics usage. And to balance the good of … [Read on, my friend]