Modern Homeschool Today

How to incorporate World Travel into your Homeschool with a Large Family (and a budget)

2019-03-29T00:15:00.000-07:00

So, how do you incorporate overseas travel into your homeschool with a large family (and a budget).

It's not overly complicated but are you ready to know the secret?

Wait for it.

How do you do it?

You don't take them all at once!

Yep, that's right - you take one at a time.

1. Take one child at a time!

Can it become a logistical nightmare to work out what happens with the rest of the family while you (or your husband) are away? Yep - but it's worth it!

In 2015 my eldest son had the opportunity to travel to the Philippines with his dad on a church missions trip. Not only did this provide an opportunity to see poverty and understand the needs of others - it was also valuable father / son bonding time that he will remember for a lifetime.

In 2017 my second-born (pictured) had the same opportunity to travel to Philippines but with me included! I took great joy in watching him be-friend local children and learn some of the language. Having only one child to worry about in a country where hygiene and safety is an issue made for a less stressful trip too!

It was these experiences that made me realise that travelling with 1 (or even 2) children at a time is a) less stressful for the parent b) provides valuable quality time c) is not as expensive and d) You can choose a destination that the child is interested in.

My 13 year old recently showed an interest in Japan so we started to incorporate some online Japanese lessons into our schedule. Personally, I've always been interested in Japan too so a quick google lead me to cheap airfares and I took a leap of faith and booked!

Kids are so much more motivated to learn about a language and culture when they know they are actually going to get to experience it!

It also means that when we are there I can follow my son's interests rather than having to factor in what 6 different people want to do (or that is suitable for everyone).

2. Minimise costs by organising the trip yourself

We decided to organise the trip ourselves instead of going through a travel agent.

One reason we decided to do this was to save money but also to incorporate the planning and budgeting into our homeschooling. This has meant hours of online research and very careful planning.

My son has helped put together the itinerary, create a budget, save his money as well as think through additional things like transport, luggage and even insurance.

It has been so much fun!

3. Encourage kids to contribute financially

I gave my son an amount that I wanted him to contribute and if he didn't want to use his savings account then he needed to get creative and come up with ideas to generate income!

As a result, he has spent the last few months trying different ways to make money including selling things on eBay and gumtree (he made close to $50 selling Coles stickies!), creating an online business (force gaming accessories) and saving up all of his pocket money (we use the barefoot investor kids guide to pocket money).

Obviously, most kids aren't going to be able to contribute significantly but it's good to teach them personal responsibility and reduce any sense of entitlement.

My son will be responsible for all of his personal spending on our next trip (with the exception of main meals) so he will also have to budget his own finances.

So, there you have it.

I spent years being discouraged that we would never easily afford an overseas holiday as a family of six but we've found a way and you can too!

10 Things to do on a Homeschool Trip to Canberra

2019-03-11T21:39:00.001-07:00

We recently ventured to Canberra on a family holiday (a.k.a homeschool trip).

I had never been to Canberra and knew very little about it except that it would be a great experience to visit the war memorial. I was surprised to learn that Canberra was actually a hub of museums, cultural centres and educational experiences.

I recently blogged about how we made a Canberra Homeschool Trip on a budget and how you can too!

The best time of the year to travel, in my opinion, is February. The weather is still great for outdoor activities...and the best bit...school kids have only just gone back to school so popular places are less likely to be full of school groups. However, if you want to avoid school groups altogether then I recommend calling ahead and asking when the groups are coming in so you can work around it.

1. QUESTACON

This place is the best for ALL ages.

We've been to Scienceworks in Melbourne a few times and it doesn't even compare.

This place has 8 galleries full of exhibits and each gallery has a theme.

It was almost empty on the day we were there which meant that my kids had all the 'scientists' working there to themselves. Their job is to engage with kids by answering any questions, doing experiments or helping them work through puzzles etc....We spent almost an hour doing actual science experiments in a lab with one scientist who was amazing at explaining difficult concepts.

We also spend time in the early childhood gallery with my daughter with special needs and they went out of their way to support her.

We spent almost a whole day here and it was so amazing we couldn't believe it was free (with the teachers pass).This was definitely a highlight!

2. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA

This is (surprisingly) a museum about Australian history and culture.

When we arrived, staff suggested we head straight to the children's gallery so we could participate in the new interactive exhibition. It was a really unique interactive video-type game based on the Franklin Dam controversy in 1982.

I cried (actually sobbed) through the Indigenous section while I explained the stolen generation exhibits to my boys. I don't think they'll forget that in hurry.

Overall, they didn't find the exhibits overly engaging so this is probably more appropriate for older teenagers.

3. THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN MINT

This is where they make all of our coins in Australia!

It's a small museum so you don't need more than an hour to look around. It's size is a bonus as it means kids take a more time to engage with each display. There are a few interactive displays but the best part is that they have massive windows where you can watch the coins being made. My boys thought the fact robots were doing most of the work (including a forklift) fascinating. We stood there watching for about 30 minutes - it was really interesting!

Unfortunately, we did encounter a school group here and they took over the entire space so we just sat with them and listened to the teacher (from the Mint) talk through each display. This was particularly helpful when the guide was explaining all the machinery and processes involved.

4. THE NATIONAL ARBORETUM

Museums can be hard going for kids so we broke it up with a trip to this playground at the national arboretum.

Up on the hill there is also a centre with a large cafe / restaurant. We enjoyed a coffee and some ice-cream while gazing at the stunning view of Canberra and chatting about what we were enjoying about our trip so far. There is also a bonsai garden and a cute little educational book shop.

5. THE NATIONAL DINOSAUR MUSEUM

This is a must if you have smaller kids. My daughter loved it as it doesn't just contain fossils - it also has animatronic dinosaurs! It's a small museum so once again only takes about an hour and much less if your kids race through it. We spent more time in the gift shop which is awesome and had a big collection of rocks and minerals including some pretty spectacular geodes.

6. COCKINGTON GREEN

Much to our delight, the teachers pass covered this place as well and as it was next to the dinosaur museum with decided to visit on a whim.

We were so glad we did!

It's a massive garden full of miniature displays (see the railway station pictured). Our favourite was the world architecture section where they had significant buildings built to scale from around the world.

7. DEEP SPACE COMMUNICATION CENTRE

We decided to tackle the hour drive out to this centre because it's one of only 3 centres like it in the world that communicate directly with satellites in our solar system.

Once again, it's a small museum but the dishes alone are pretty impressive and to say that you've visited one of NASA's facilities is pretty cool. 2 of my boys are interested in space so they really enjoyed the displays and videos.

If your kids are into space, then this a great place to go see!

8. AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF SPORT

This was actually a highlight for my sports crazy boys. It is only worth a trip if a) Your kids are interested in the sports / olympics and b) You do a (free) tour of the facilities as the interactive section probably isn't worth the trip alone.

The tour of the facilities goes for an hour but the best part is that you get to learn some history of Australia's involvement in the olympics, check out where they train and if you're lucky you get to see some of the athletes in action. We got to see some volleyballers training which was surprisingly impressive and witness one of the tallest basketballers in Australian sport training - he's over 7 feet and only 18 years old!

My 9 year old was inspired and now his goal is to get amazing at basketball so he can go and be part of the AIS.

9. THE AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL

This was one of the main reasons we wanted to visit Canberra!

After spending time at smaller museums, we completely underestimated how big the war memorial is. We planned to spend about 2 hours here and then head to parliament house but ended up spending all afternoon there. It is an amazing museum with incredible displays and video footage but be prepared to discuss some tough concepts with your kids and shed a few tears yourself.

10. PARLIAMENT HOUSE

This was on our list but we didn't get there. I really wanted to take the boys to question time but parliament was closed so it will be something we do (and plan for) next time.

If you happen to go when parliament is closed there are tours you can go on but they are not covered by the teachers pass and cost $15 adult ($10 a child) for a basic tour or $25 adult ($15 child) for a more extensive tour.

How To Make a Canberra Homeschool Trip on a Budget

2019-03-03T00:57:00.001-08:00

Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

Me: What's the capital of Australia?

8yo: Sydney?

Me: Don't tell anyone you said that. No, it's actually Canberra.

8yo: Canberra? I didn't even know that was a place.....

This was the moment I decided that it was time for a trip to our Nation's capital!

Canberra is not only home to Parliament house and the Australian war memorial but is an educational hub of museums, cultural centres and activities. It's definitely a must-do trip for homeschoolers with middle to high school aged kids.

But, how do you afford it if the budget is tight?

1. Get your days activities for FREE

Here's the best part.

If you are a registered homeschooler - almost ALL museums and activities are FREE.

Yes, FREE.

You apply for a Canberra Teachers Pass here, flash your card and entry is FREE.

We visited 9 different places and museums and didn't pay a cent.

The best value is Questacon (the national science and technology centre) as without a pass, it would've cost my family of 6 just under $100 for admission.

2. Find Budget Accommodation

Look how much fun my kids are having at their 'budget' accommodation!

Personally, I prefer a nice hotel over a caravan park but with kids, caravan parks are a winner. Not only do they provide wide open spaces for kids to roam and explore but they also have...other kids to play with!

Did someone say socialisation?

When we arrived there were about 6 other homeschool families also on a Canberra adventure and then much to my initial disappointment, a school group. However, as you would expect, the school kids didn't have much 'free' time but when they did they were polite and friendly and provided extra kids to play with. Playing red rover is way more fun with lots of kids and I took great joy seeing my 9yo organise a game of bullrush with a large group on the jumpy pillow. Meeting new kids was a huge highlight for my kids and solidified for me why caravan parks are such a great choice for homeschoolers!

I highly recommend Capital Country Holiday park.

It's an older style (cheaper) park but well equipped with jumpy pillow, pool, mini golf, basketball and tennis court. It's in a great location only 20 minutes from Canberra but feels like you're in the middle of the bush with big gum trees and kangaroos hopping around.

The cabins are basic but we barely spent anytime in there as the weather was perfect so we finished our days with swimming, jumping and a family game of tennis before hitting the hay!

3. Eat Budget Food

My weakness is food. I love food. I love eating out but with a large family this gets expensive.

We decided that we would pack lunches and cook dinner at the caravan park. This was surprisingly easy as there were no temptations (unless you're tempted by an eat-in servo!) near the caravan park and my kids were so busy playing that we didn't have time!

We cooked el-cheapo meals most nights and packed lunches for our days out.

We didn't end up spending any more money on food than we do usually at home.

5. Budget-ish Travel

The biggest cost is getting to Canberra.

We drove from Adelaide. It was a long trip.

But as a family, we enjoy long car trips with time to chat, read and see new things. Driving gives kids a sense of how big Australia is and also the diversity of lifestyles (e.g farming) that exist across this wide brown land. It also helped our kids to see firsthand the challenges of drought and bushfires. We bravely said no devices on this trip because we wanted them to take it all in - plus, a little boredom never hurt anyone!

The other benefit of driving is that you really need a car in Canberra.

The city is quite spread out. If you stayed in the heart of the city then public transport might be okay but you won't have quite the same freedom to explore some places like the deep space museum which are off the beaten track.

Another thing that's really cool is that the government offers a Parliament and Civics education travel rebate which is anywhere from $20 to $260 per child depending on how far you have to travel.

It's designed for school groups but homeschoolers are also eligible.

We chose not to bother as it involves a whole lotta forms and we didn't plan on visiting all the required places. But, if every penny counts then this is worth keeping in mind especially if you have a large family and don't mind a bit of paperwork!

So, there you have it - a trip to our Nation's capital doesn't have to be expensive.

We absolutely loved it and would highly recommend it to every homeschooler!

Car-schooling with Jonathon Park Audio Adventures

2018-12-08T16:22:00.002-08:00

I once asked a seasoned homeschooler how she managed to fit so many activities and events around 'schoolwork'. She told me she had mastered the art of car-schooling!

Plenty of learning takes place in the car: Organic discussion of topics, answering questions, reading and the odd math quiz...and then she mentioned audio books.

We had only ever attempted an audio book in the car, once, and then a little person shoved chips into the CD player and that was the end to audio books.

But recently I got a new car - one from the 2000's - that has bluetooth capability and all of a sudden, audio books were back!

The problem? Finding ones engaging enough that kids actually want to listen, that doesn't make me fall asleep while driving and is relevant for 3 boys aged
8 - 12.

Enter: Jonathon Park audio adventures.

These. Are. Brilliant.

These are highly engaging stories based around a family of creation scientists who go on all sorts of adventures while defending their faith with scientific evidence, learning life lessons and growing in Godly character.

It's wholesome, positive listening for Christian kids with some great science lessons and character studies thrown in.

It's important to let you know that these audio books are American so they can be a tad, um, cheesy at times. However, a little 'cheese' never hurt anyone and personally, I feel it counteracts some of the rubbish our kids watch on TV and youtube these days.

However, my boys didn't think it was cheesy at all - they loved it.

We listened to an entire series on a big family drive and they kept asking for more! It also inspired some great questions paving the way for deep and meaningful conversation and encouragement.

I LOVE Jonathon Park and highly recommend it for Christian families.

You can download the series on the website on to your phone so you can play at home on speakers or even better, in the car!

You can also subscribe so you get unlimited access which works out more convenient if your kids (and you) get really into it!

Visit the website for holiday discounts www.jonathonpark.com

Homeschool Curriculum 2018 - Did someone say highschool?

2017-12-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

2018 marks our 6th year of learning, laughing (and crying) together at home.

When we first began homeschooling the most common question after, "But, how will you stay sane?" was "But what on earth will you do for highschool????".

I had no idea - my son was 6 and secondary education seemed a million years away....

Then... just like that we have an almost 12 year old ready for highschool.

ME: Did you realise year 7 is the beginning of highschool?
HIM: Nope. So am I going to go to a highschool?
ME: Oh...um, do you want to go to a highschool?
HIM: No - not really.

And so begins those 'highschool' years - at home.

After initially freaking out about what I needed to change to get more 'serious' about schoolwork and put a stop to all this 'fun' we were having, I received some wise advice.

If what you are doing is working - why do you need to change anything just because he's in highschool?

So I cancelled the booking with the boring old English professor and packed my Bunsen burner away realising that this was only going to be as complicated as I made it....for now.

So this year I will homeschool a 12, 10 and 8 year old and here is our resource list.

I want to reinforce that homeschooling is so much more than curriculum and resources - it's about giving our kids the freedom to direct their own learning and allowing them to find and explore their passions. Our focus has always been getting out and exploring and enjoying the world together...but when we are at home - this is what we have on hand.

Maths

Singapore maths

Once they hit level 6 - maths got REALLY hard (for me).
Maths teaching has now been delegated to my husband who thankfully is a maths wiz.
The 2 older boys do the same level to keep things simple.

Maths is reinforced with lessons on studyladder online and various ipad apps.

Writing

We have taken a relaxed classical approach to literacy based on classical method outlined in the well trained mind.

Grammar

Spelling

We use All About Spelling for my 8yo and sequential spelling for the other 2 but we only do this occasionally as they have good visual memories so don't really need to work on spelling.

History

This is our absolute favourite subject - including mine.

This year, we are using a bible based history curriculum so it starts with history documented in bible and how it lines up with other historical documents and accounts. We have used a few history curriculum's in the past like SOTW but I find history makes so much more sense and takes on a new relevance when we start at the beginning.

We will also look at Australian history.

Science

Move over science - history is our focus this year! We have a bookshelf full of science books and will go where the boys interest leads. We also have a membership to the University science club which holds events and activities throughout the year and will continue lots of hands on experiments at home.

Arts

Music is a big part of our life. 2 of my boys play the piano and the other 2 the drums and have various opportunities throughout the year to play in bands and perform.

We also make the most of community, cultural and homeschool arts events during the year.

Physical Education

We usually begin our day with a run and some brain gym.

The boys are active and love sports and plan to continue basketball and tennis. They will attend a basketball camp for a week in January and will continue their weekly homeschool parkour group this year.

Homeschooling is the hardest but most rewarding decision we have ever made for our family and now that I've decided not to freak out about highschool.........

Bring on 2018!

Why We Don't Celebrate Australia Day... And What We Do Instead.

2017-01-24T17:11:00.001-08:00

One of the first trips we took when we began homeschooling 5 years ago was to the Northern Territory. We spent time with good friends and immersed ourselves in Aboriginal culture. We learnt so much about the beauty of one of the oldest cultures in the world.

But I was ashamed to admit that most of what I learnt was new to me.

I don't remember learning about the stolen generation in school or that the Aboriginal people killed / massacred by the colonists numbered in the hundreds of thousands wiping out entire languages and tribes. I don't remember learning about how colonists actively infected the Aboriginal people with disease in an attempt to wipe them out. I didn't know that almost 100% of Tasmanian Aboriginal people were murdered. I didn't know that white people introduced alcohol into Aboriginal communities as a way to manipulate and control the Aboriginal people.

This new knowledge seemed to cast a shadow on the idea that the first settlers were heroic pioneers that we should honour. In fact to honour them seemed to dishonour the people that called Australia home long before they arrived.

The reality was there was nothing at all 'honourable' about the way Australia was taken from it's original occupants.

Suddenly I realised that what I wanted my kids to learn about Australian history was very different to the history taught in schools and the one discussed in most history books. I wanted them to know the real story - the truth - not a carefully constructed snapshot sugar-coated by a political agenda.

I wanted them to feel love and compassion for Aboriginal people and to learn to love their culture.

So, instead on Australia day we talk about invasion and celebrate survival.

I ask my kids to close their eyes....

Picture our home.

Think about how we have a comfy couch so that we can snuggle up and read books together.

Think about the photos on the wall of our family members and people we love and value.

Think about your bedroom and how you feel safe when you go to bed at night.

Then imagine that the council decides to rent out our home to other people - and strangers move in.

Other people sleep in your bed and sit on your couch.

These strangers take the photos off the wall and smash them because they don't understand that those 'things' have value to you.

How do you feel?

Then imagine these people start to threaten and intimidate you.

You realise that not only do these strangers want to live in your home - they don't want YOU to be there anymore.

How do you feel?

That's how Aboriginal people felt.

No, we weren't there personally at invasion which mean we weren't personally responsible. But that doesn't mean that we can't acknowledge the suffering of Aboriginal people. It shouldn't stop us from feeling compassion for what they went through. It also doesn't mean we can't stand alongside them and celebrate that their culture survived a dark time in our countries history.

Understanding the truth about Australia's history enables compassion which is the opposite of the intolerance and judgement often directed towards Aboriginal people. I admit that my old opinions were steeped in my own ignorance.

I didn't know the history. I didn't know the stories. I didn't know the people.

Now I do.

That's why we don't celebrate Australia day.

First Year - A Look At Our Homeschool

2015-01-07T01:38:00.001-08:00

I must say I'm much more relaxed about my third child officially beginning homeschooling than I was with the others. I've observed in my other kids an amazing ability to learn through play and in the freedom of exploration that homeschooling offers. Therefore, I trust that he will continue to learn in the same way so no need for a formal curriculum just yet.

Reading

DS5 showed readiness to read when he was 3 when he learnt the alphabet while we were doing an alphabet puzzle together and knew all his letters from that day forward! I then set him up with a reading eggs account and purchased some simple readers and we were off. I advocate watching for signs of children's readiness to read before introducing reading. I was in no rush to teach my children to read but found that my firstborn actually taught himself to read with very little prompting - I just provided some books and alphabet games! It made me realise that some kids WANT to learn to read when they are young and we are wise to follow the signs.

He will continue to read books from the library, readers we have and I will continue to do lots of reading with him while cuddling on the couch!

Writing

I have the first book of the handwriting without tears series which we will introduce at some stage during the year. DS5 can't hold a pencil correctly so I might need to seek some help with that.

Maths

When my other children were this age we used lots of maths manipulatives and simple fun games to learn about addition and subtraction, sequencing, grouping etc. DS5 seems to like maths and is confident with simple addition and subtraction so we will look at continuing to progress. He will continue with studyladder for reinforcement - which he loves.

Music

I may regret that for Christmas this boy received his first set of drums. He has been super keen and although given his age I'm not ready for drum lessons I will set him up with some YouTube videos to learn some basic drum skills.

He will also continue learning piano at the Yamaha school of music.

Sport

This is my 5 year olds strength. He has excellent hand/eye co-ordination and shows a good range of skills in most sports so we will continue tennis coaching and may look at district basketball and Auskick for later in the year. As this is something he is clearly gifted at we will look at how we can best nurture this.

As this is his first 'official' homeschooling year then I will include 1:1 time in our flexible schedule and he will continue to join his brothers for devotions, science and Australian history.

Most of all I will ENJOY this stage of learning and teaching this precious boy!

Year 2 - A Look At Our Homeschool

2014-12-26T18:15:00.000-08:00

DS7 will be in year 2 this year. He has always been advanced so this may not look like your average year 2 curriculum. This is why homeschooling is awesome for him as he gets to work at his own pace and no one teases him because he can do freaky things with numbers in his head!

When homeschooling gifted children they become less defined by academic ability and more by character which is so important. We knew the day he got offered a scholarship to a prestigious school that if he grew up in that environment that he would learn to define himself by his academic ability not who he was as a person. We chose homeschooling because we want more for our kids than just academic achievement - we want them to grow up to be people of integrity, compassion and empathy for others and with a strong sense of who they are and why they are here on this planet!

Literacy

DS7's reading list.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
Zac Power series
Abeka books
Pilgrims progress
The chronicles of Narnia

+ anything else that peaks his interest during the year.

We will use Writing with ease for writing as DS7 LOVES copywork.

First language lessons also works well with this boy so we will continue.

We will continue with handwriting without tears for handwriting and also we will introduce keyboard power touch typing too.

We will continue with All about Spelling 2 and 3 this year.

Maths

I use the same Singapore maths level for both boys so this year we will aim to complete 4A and 4B with some reinforcement on Skwirk and studyladder.

The Arts

DS7 wil continue weekly piano lessons which are one hour group lessons at the Yamaha school of his music. This year, I will also give him a 'private lessons' and help him to prepare to sit his first AMEB exam. We will also work on music theory and music appreciation.

Science

We plan to spend lots of time at the zoo this year as we explore this science text! We will also do some hands on science experiments and explore any interests that arise during the year.

Geography

We are going on a 4 week Northern Territory adventure mid year! What better way to learn all about Australia!

We will visit Uluru, remote aboriginal communities, Alice Springs, Kakadu national park and finish up in Darwin. We will be travelling with friends who are experts in Australia history and Aboriginal culture so they will be able to help us along the way!

Australian History

In light of our travels we will also take another look at Australian history. A while ago I shared about my passion for teaching kids the truth about our Australian history with posts about "Telling our own stories to honour theirs" and "Teaching small children about Aboriginal history".

Now, my children are older we are going to learn more!

We will use the DVD series: First Australians and First Footprints.

These series contain adult content so best to watch them yourselves to decide whether you feel they are appropriate or not for younger viewers. I would also suggest watching it with them to answer any questions.

Physical Education

DS7 will continue with Aussie hoops (intro to basketball) and auskick this year. He will also continue with weekly tennis lessons and we may consider trying cricket for the first time at the end of the year.

My parents have a swimming pool which we use a lot during the year too.

So...this is the snapshot of what "year 2" will look like for DS7. It is an absolute joy homeschooling this child who is just so persistent and diligent when it comes to learning.

I will inevitably follow his interests this year to add more exciting learning opportunities for him in 2015.

Year 4 - A Look At Our Homeschool

2014-12-22T22:12:00.001-08:00

Because I like a sticky beak into what other homeschoolers are doing with kids who are a similar age to my own, I thought I'd do this post for any other sticky beaks out there!

My nearly 9 year old will be in year 4 in 2015. His strong-willed, independent and highly innovative nature means he isn't the 'sit compliantly and complete your worksheet' kinda kid. This is exactly why homeschooling is such a great fit for him. He still has tasks to complete and persistence to develop but has plenty of time to explore his own interests and express his creativity.

Literacy

DS9 is an avid reader. At the end of last year he decided he wanted to read The Hobbit. We managed to find a copy in two parts to make it less of an ordeal. As a follow on he wants to read the Lord of the rings trilogy. Certainly not my cup of tea but if he can read it and comprehend it, then hats off to him!

In 2014 we read the chronicles of Narnia as a family read-aloud. We LOVED it. I want to continue this year with an in depth look into the Christian allegory.

We use DS9's reading interests to spark creative writing and grammar lessons in an organic way. He is keen to enter writing competitions so we will encourage that as we find some through the year. In fact, this is one way to get him motivated to correct his grammar!

We will also continue to use sequential spelling.

We will also start a keyboard touch typing course and possibly cursive through HWT.

The Arts

DS9 will continue his weekly piano lessons where has an hour group lesson and half hour private lesson at Yamaha school of music. He will be preparing to sit his first AMEB exam mid year!

I will continue to teach him trumpet and music theory and appreciation.

Maths

We will aim to get through level 4A and 4B of Singapore maths this year!

Science

We will supplement this exploring creation zoology course with lots of trips to the zoo!

Geography

We are going on a 4 week Northern Territory adventure mid year! What better way to learn all about Australia!

We will be visiting Uluru, remote aboriginal communities, Kakadu national park and finish up our adventure in Darwin. We will be travelling with friends who are experts in Australian history and Aboriginal culture so they will be able to help us along the way!

History

In light of our travels we will also take a look at Australian history. A while ago I shared about my passion for teaching kids the truth about our Australian history with posts about "telling our own stories to honor theirs." and "teaching small children about Aboriginal history".

Now, my children are older we are going to learn more.

We will use these DVD series: First Australians series and First footprints .

These come with a warning that they contain adult content so best to watch them yourselves alone to decide if you feel they are appropriate or not. I would also suggest watching it with them to talk through some of the difficult questions.

Physical Education

DS9 will continue playing district basketball which includes training once a week. He will also continue weekly tennis coaching and play his first season of competitive tennis at the end of the year.

We will continue to use Skwirk and Studyladder online for reinforcement across all curriculum areas.

So.............

this is a snapshot of what our year will look like with plenty of excursions, group activities, holidays and events thrown in along the way! There is also the amazing flexibility of homeschooling to follow my kids interests....so who knows what else we will explore and discover in 2015!

Why I Chose Skwirk For Homeschooling

2014-12-18T14:16:00.000-08:00

Over the years we've used a few different online learning resources but I'm particularly excited about trying something NEW for 2015.

Skwirk has had a make-over and quite frankly, it's awesome. There is nothing quite like it around at the moment and it has some great functions that work well with homeschooling. It provides animation based lessons for younger ones as well as great options for independent learning for older kids all the way up to year 10.

As an educational tool it is aligned with the Australian curriculum so if that's important to you, or you just like to occasionally see where your kids sit in relation to their peers (like I do) this is a good thing.

The subjects it includes are maths, English, science, geography and history.

My plan was to use this for my 5 year old who is 'technically' in his first year of school next year. However, once I learnt all the features of the program I'm thinking it will be a great resource for encouraging some independent learning for my older boys who are nearly 9 and 7.

And here's why.....

You can use the new teacher tool and set lessons even to the detail of date and time. But they aren't just set lessons. You can add YouTube clips or other videos and images making it a more exciting and complete lesson. It also gives YOU control over the lesson as you can add to the information, change it around, cut and paste and highlight important bits. You can also print out or set worksheets if you so desire and even create your own quiz to test knowledge of the topic. I feel this element of control over the information presented makes it appealing for us homeschoolers as one of the benefits of homeschooling is flexibility.

The way that we use online resources in our homeschool is as a supplement to our lessons. I also use it for one child while I work with another. However, this new Skwirk opens up a whole new way to use these resources. You can set lessons for each child for them to complete each. You can also keep online records of their progress to show your local friendly homeschool inspector (that's what we call him) when he pops by.

If you are looking for something new for 2015 or hunting for an online learning tool that is different to the other online programs out there then Skwirk is worth a look.

So, what's the deal?

The price per year is usually $350 per family they are offering 50% discount for homeschoolers. Just click on this link - 50% off deal
and use the code: mummedia

There is also a homeschool tutorial available for more info!

Disclaimer: I recieved a subscription to Skwirk in exchange for this review. As with all reviews, I only share my true and honest opinion.

Learning To Relax - A Day In Our Homeschool!

2014-11-14T13:49:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of this year I sensed the need to relax in my homeschooling approach.

I felt that less structure and more freedom would result in a more positive experience for us all. I can hear the more experienced homeschoolers saying, "I told you so!".

The two areas that are important to us as a homeschooling family are:

Freedom to explore interests, be creative and LOVE learning

To develop self-discipline and ability to persist with difficult, unpleasant tasks to prepare them for life

Initially, we trialled a very relaxed approach. But I found that although they were abounding in creativity they weren't being persistent and were giving up on tasks easily. It made me realise that in order to prepare them for the future e.g possible University life and work that they needed to learn self-discipline.

In order to be successful the ability to be both consistent and persistent are important. So persisting through difficult maths questions or getting frustrated with spelling words is actually okay - it's character building. But you don't want your child in tears all morning every morning. It's all about BALANCE.

We certainly haven't found the perfect formula but in response to the emails I receive, here is an overview of what a day 'might' look like in our homeschooling family as I learn to relax.

OUR 'RELAXED' DAY

5:30am Wake up. Yes, really. The early bird catches the worm!

7:00am Breakfast and excited chatter about the koala we saw yesterday at the national park. We decide to learn more about Koalas and other Australian animals. I show the boys a photo of a 'creature' I spotted while walking through the sand dunes near our house last night. We are going to find out what it is!

DS7 asks me to teach him to play 'clocks' by coldplay on the piano. We listen to a few different versions on YouTube and then I help him learn how to play it in the right hand. He practices until he can play it perfectly. The song is well and truly stuck in my head.

7:30am The house is quiet. DS7 decides to do a robot craft kit he won at kid's club.

DS8 decides to make a giant board game he designed himself....dressed as storm trooper of course!

DS5 starts with some reading eggs on the ipad (note the cracked screen!) and then follows by some magic piano (that's a cool app I recommend).

This continues until about 9am. Once the fighting starts I know it's time for some structure. I tell the boys to get dressed as it's time for some work.

After a busy weekend I have loads of laundry to do so we continue our DVD series on "families of the world" that we picked up from the local library. They are learning about Vietnam today!

It is now 10am - morning tea time! Green smoothies are on the menu!

After morning tea we sit down and begin our devotion. We are using the Apologia "Who is God?" series. It teaches Christian worldview and we love it. It does an amazing job of not just teaching Christian values but explaining other worldviews. It's great for kids who are deep thinkers and like to question everything!

10:40 It's maths time! We are using Singapore maths 3A for both boys (this is a great time saver!) and while I'm working with DS8, DS7 experiments with cuisenaire rods.

It's now 11:30am and DS8 is on studyladder on the computer doing set lessons. He loves study ladder and DS5 has asked if he can do some reading with me. We sit on the couch while does a few readers and we read together until lunch at 12pm.

After lunch the boys play music games on the ipad which help them in their learning to read music. They take it in turns until 1pm when it's time to take DD2 to an appointment at the hospital.

While at the hospital, DS8 goes to the starlight room where they do games and crafts and video games. DS7 and DS5 go to the creche where they play dress ups and do craft activities.

When the appointment is over we all leave and stop off at the library to return some VERY overdue books and get some new ones. DS8 decides on an animal theme and we go home with giant animal encyclopedias. At home, he dives into them looking for koalas and the mystery 'creature' I saw last night.

After dinner the boys all help me water our garden. We are growing veggies and herbs and we 'think' the strawberry plant might start to produce some fruit soon which leads to a discussion on how plants grow.

The boys read quietly for 30 minutes before lights out at 7:30pm.

So, there is a snapshot of what a 'relaxed' day in our homeschool might look like! I have no doubt any more that my kids are learning ALL the time and that as long as I provide them with opportunities they will continue to grow and thrive...even on those relaxed days! ;)

It's HARD to "Train up a child in the way he should go.."

2014-08-24T17:06:00.001-07:00

The other morning my day began in tears, my tears. I awoke to the sound of high pitched squeals, aggressive voices and unkind words. Like most parents, I don't like when my children fight. I'm not a morning person at the best of times but that day, I lost it. I lost my marbles, my cool, my common decency.. I was overwhelmed. See, justified or not, I take misbehavior personally. I see my own inadequacies and failings when I observe undesirable behavior in my own children.

I don't expect perfection and misbehavior is always an opportunity for character development but I take the task of raising children very seriously. Why? Because I know that my children are a gift from God and that he has given me the task of 'training' them. As long as I rely on him, he gives me the strength to rise to the challenge but I have to keep my eyes fixed on him and remember why he has given my children in the first place.

God's design for parents = Training

"Do not exasperate your children; Instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord" Ephesians 6:4 (Italics mine)

During that horrible morning this was the verse I stumbled upon. Did nagging count as exasperating? If so, I was pretty darn good at exasperating those children. But I didn't linger on that thought as my eyes focused on the word "training".

"Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it" Proverbs 22:6

What is the purpose of training?

- Obedience (obedience to parents teaches children how to be obedient to God)
- Protection (to make good life choices, know the difference between truth and lies, good and evil)
- Equipping and preparing for a task (preparing them for God's purpose for their life)

But then I began to wonder exactly what task was I training my children for? For life in a general sense? For a job? For being a husband or wife? For ministry? Or all of the above. How could I train my children well, if I didn't know exactly what it was that the bible was asking me to train them for. It's one thing to know we are supposed to 'train' our children but another to know how to do it and what we are doing it for.

Homeschooling provides an amazing opportunity for this biblical model of 'training'

In our culture, we often focus on schooling as equipping children for life with the goal of a 'career'. We make a job or occupation the ultimate goal and definition of success. The origins of mainstream schooling were to create workers for industrialism and even today, children spend 13 years 'training' for this goal.

As Christian parents, it's important to understand that mainstream education is a secular construct as it's singular purpose was (is) to equip students to do a 'job' in society. Therefore, school doesn't take the place of parental responsibility to "train a child in the way he should go" and yet, many of us delegate that responsibility based on our own assumptions and beliefs about education.

A great example is bullying policies in schools - they all have them. It is easy for parents to assume this means that children are being taught character values but they are confused with behavior management. It is one thing to discipline a child for bullying behavior but another to teach them a value system that equips them to choose NOT to bully in any given situation. Schools do not deal with character development- it's not their job - it's ours!

It's hard to train our children. It is. But thankfully if we have faith in Jesus, we know we are not tackling the task alone - we have a helper, a strength to help us persist through the challenges in the name of the 'bigger picture'.

Why I Keep Homeschooling.....

2014-05-01T23:41:00.000-07:00

When I first withdrew my eldest from mainstream school (in year 1) I told everyone that we would just 'see how we go' and trial it for one term.

It has now been over 2 years since we began our homeschooling journey!

It has quite honestly been the best decision I have ever made for my children and I believe that wholeheartedly.

This is why I can't go back.

I don't want to say that I will 'never' send my children back to mainstream school because no one know what the future holds. But the longer I homeschool, the more convicted I become of its importance and value for both our family and the wider community. The benefits of homeschooling are not only academic but emotional, spiritual and social.

I LOVE having my kids at home.

I didn't have children to delegate that responsibility to a complete stranger once they turned 5. I believe God has entrusted my children to me and it is my responsibility to ensure they are nurtured, prepared and equipped for the life he has planned for them.

But, how will they learn to cope in the real world you ask? Because they are actually living it...now! In the absence of formal schooling my children are actually living the in the real world now. They go to the shops, to appointments, to friends and families homes, they clean, they cook and they work and play. The transition to tertiary study and work will be a smooth transition compared to the transition one makes from 13 years of institutionalised learning into the real world.

2. My children are thriving

Happy, confident kids are what all parents hope for.

Home is a place of safety and security and an ideal foundation for building self-esteem and confidence in who you are. There is plenty of time to be in uncomfortable, confronting environments when kids get older. When they are older they will have already established a strong sense of who they are and their value system as well as the resilience to confidently tackle life's challenges.

I take great joy in seeing my children happy and seeing them secure in who they are. I love seeing my older ones care for the younger ones, learning that family comes first and sticking up for their brother or sister in playground disputes!

3. My children are excelling academically

In our competitive, success-oriented culture where we push our children to breaking point (have you seen the mental health statistics for children lately?) this seems to be the most asked question. How do we make sure our homeschooled children are on parr with their school age peers?

Initially, this was my number one concern with homeschooling too. Now, what is more important to me is building my kids character and ensuring they are equipped with the right attitude and value system to live a life that contributes meaningfully to the world. I'm not raising them to impress others with their test scores but to be people of character and integrity that understand they are here on earth to use their gifts and abilities to give to the world and those around them.

Like most homeschoolers, my kids are way ahead (in years) compared to their same aged peers. But this isn't a competition and I take little joy in this. I'm proud of what my children have achieved academically but I know that they are not defined by academic success the way they would be in the school system. In our home, what's most important is that they work as part of a team, treat each other with love and respect and have plenty of opportunities for character development (cough, discipline).

4. My kids are WEIRD

My 4yo holds the door open for people ALL the time. He will wait if he sees you coming to ensure that he can do that for you even if he doesn't know you. People either comment and think that's awesome or they simply walk through the open door with eyebrows raised. It's certainly not normal 4 year old behavior.

My children know that manners are important and they say please and thank you to adults. They are aware of others and will often say 'sorry' if they bump into you accidentally. If you drop something and they see, they will pick it up for you. If they see a child who is hurt at the playground then they will go over to see if that child is okay and they don't push in on lines! I know this isn't unusual for many of you but I know that for these reasons, my kids do stand out from other kids.

Yep, they are 'weird' and I couldn't be prouder!

And so, our homeschooling journey continues..........

When Your 8 Year Old Wants To Be An Entrepreneur.....

2014-02-06T22:32:00.000-08:00

I first heard about Camp Kidpreneur from a fellow homeschooler. It sounded like the perfect experience for my 8yo who has always been interested in shops and sales and has been running a store out of his bedroom for the past 6 months. Admittedly, running a business is in his genes, but certainly not from me!

2 years ago we held a garage sale so the kids could earn some money toward our Gold Coast holiday. DS8 organised can's of cool drinks and chocolates for the people browsing our stuff. Clearly, they couldn't resist his charm and he made more money from selling the drinks and chocolates than from his toys! It was the first time I'd observed a keen interest in the 'idea' of business. He took great joy in adding up his earnings and subtracting his expenses. I began to see that his interest came from within and since we had recently taken the plunge into homeschooling we were now blessed with the time and freedom to support this developing passion and watch it grow.

Club Kidpreneur is a not-for-profit social enterprise seeking to encourage entrepreneurial thinking in children on a national level.

Creativity and innovation are two of the benefits of homeschooling and the philosophy of Club Kidpreneur is exactly that - to inspire creativity and innovation in the next generation.

DS8 absolutely loved his experience attending the 4 day camp held in the school holidays and selling his merchandise at the market day (above). He even won an award for his innovative idea to sell gaming characters made from Lego that he had designed himself. He made a whopping $120 profit from his market stall and it really instilled in him the confidence to continue. It also made me realise that it is my responsibility as a homeschooling mum to continue to grow and nurture his interest in being an entrepreneur as best I can.

If you child has any interest in running a business I highly recommend checking out their website and resources or attending the camps they run in school holidays.

For DS8, this is only the beginning and I'm excited about where this interest will take him!

Morning Boards and Routine

2014-01-09T19:37:00.000-08:00

When we have homeschool days we use a flexible routine. So, here is an example of what mornings look like in our family.

Our morning routine

My children are early risers, often before 6am, so I do allow an hour or so of TV in the morning. I am not a morning person and find that without the TV I wake up to fighting, destruction and mess which sets a terrible tone for the rest of the day.

Once I am up the TV goes off and my children eat breakfast and I make myself a coffee. My children know that NOTHING happens before mummy has had her morning coffee and some quiet time.

If the kids are playing something that looks productive then I allow them to continue respecting that children of all ages learn through play and I don't want to interrupt this process! This means that although we aim to start homeschool at 8:00am we are flexible and often won't begin until 9:00am (but generally no later).

I give my kids the 'warning' that it is 10 minutes until homeschool time and they are to begin their morning chores. These chores are simple and involve getting dressed, making their bed and doing a quick tidy of their bedrooms.

It is then time for their morning charts.

This is the morning chart for my 4 year old.

When I do his morning chart we being with some songs.

Days of the week song

(tune of the Addams family theme song)

Day's of the week (click click) Day's of the week (click click)
There's Sunday and there's Monday,
There's Tuesday and there's Wednesday,
There's Thursday and there's Friday
and then there's Saturday...
Days of the week (click click)

Months of the year song

(tune of 10 little Indian boys)

January, February, March and April
May, June, July and August
September, October, November and December
12 months makes one year

I then tell him what the day of the week is and ask him to find the day that begins with "F" etc.

This is the morning board for my 6yo. All he has to do is write the number / day on the calendar and write the day of the week and the date. I also put a memory verse or challenging words for him to recite each morning.

Every now and then I will get him to recite the "months of the year" poem.

30 days has September, April, June and November

All the rest have 31 except for February alone

Which has 4 and 24 'til leap year gives it one day more

For my 8yo we have moved away from the morning board to the calendar notebook.

This takes a little longer to do each morning but crosses over lots of curriculum areas. So far, DS8 is enjoying it!

Once these are completed which usually takes less than 10 minutes we are ready to begin our homeschooling day!

See more homeschool morning boards and routines.

First Day Of Homeschool 2014

2014-01-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

It's a new year!

If you're thinking, wow it's only January 8th - are you crazy? let me fill you in. We homeschool all year round. This doesn't mean we homeschool every day of the year. It simply means we don't take long breaks so we can afford to take little breaks during the year for holidays, special occasions, my work commitments or even just a mental health day (week). I have a full on work schedule for term 1 so the next few weeks are a homeschooling intensive to account for the fact life will be a little hectic for 11 weeks or so. The good news however, is that I have made a big decision about my work / homeschool / life balance or lack thereof and will be working MUCH less from term 2 onwards. It is such a relief just writing that!

So here are my little cherubs (?).

I can't believe he's in year 3 this year!

This boy is an absolute JOY to homeschool!

DS4 will actually be going to 2 days of sessional kindergarten this year. The older boys went and the particular kindergarten he will attend is beautiful with amazingly dedicated and talented staff. DS4 begged to go and after wrestling with the idea we decided he would enjoy it and it would mean that for those days I could focus on the big boys.

For anyone who is interested here is our list of curriculum for 2014.

Writing With Ease - Review

2013-12-19T20:46:00.000-08:00

My 7 year old is a reluctant writer. When I say reluctant, I mean that he is more than happy to spend time writing stories but resists any of the rules of writing e.g correct punctuation. It is often messy, rushed and unreadable to anyone but him. When he was 5 I was happy with this as I wanted him to simply enjoy the experience of expressing his thoughts. I felt that perhaps as time went on that he would seek to be understood in his writing and learn to write so that others could enjoy his beautifully creative stories. This didn't happen. He continued to resist any guidance in even just the simple idea of capital letters and fullstops. Why? I think he just honestly didn't see any point! Hence why I named him a 'reluctant writer'.

In my search for writing program that would work for him I turned to Writing with Ease.

It is written by Susan Wise Bauer who is well known for her classical approach to homeschooling and curriculum. I consider my homeschooling style to be eclectic but a lot of what we do is fairly classical. We use many of the Susan Wise Bauer's resources including first language lessons for the well trained mind which can be used with this writing resource.

Writing with Ease is a program that begins in the early years of years 1 - 4 and has subsequent programs that move through to the proficient writing of year 12. The idea is that at around certain ages children have a readiness to learn particular skills in relation to writing and these skills build as the child grows. For the early years the focus is on copywork, narration and dictation. These provide a solid foundation for building the skills of writing and set children up for success in written communication.

Writing with Skill (Years 5–8)

In the middle grades the student learns to organize sentences into short compositions.
By now, he can put ideas he’s already read into his own words and get those words down on paper without difficulty. The technical difficulty of learning the act of writing has been conquered. But until the student can begin to think about the order in which ideas should be set down, he’ll continue to struggle with written composition. So during the middle-grade years, you’ll help the student develop a
toolbox of strategies for putting ideas into order.

The lessons are short and simple and easy to follow and for this reason would be suitable for children younger than my son. However, it also engages older children through the use of classical literature.

One thing I love about using narration as a technique is that it forces my son to THINK. What have I just read or heard? What happened first? Who are the characters? What happened when the princess kissed the frog? This technique, that I'd never heard of prior to homeschooling, is fantastic at encouraging higher order thinking and building skills in verbal expression and reasoning.

We have been really happy with writing with ease and I plan on using this resource with my 6 year old next year too!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of Writing with Ease: Strong fundamentals and workbook 1 for the purpose of this review.

Finishing The Homeschool Year Strong!

2013-11-28T20:30:00.002-08:00

I can hardly believe it's December - the year has flown!

Here we are thinking about Christmas crafts and trips to the city to see Christmas displays when I feel like the year has just begun. Where did the time go?

Despite the fact this year has had the usual ebb and flow of beautiful homeschooling moments combined with tear your hair out and "That's it..you're going back to school" moments, I want to make sure we finish the year strong. Last year, we fizzled out as lessons got less and less frequent with the busyness of Christmas concerts and family events so that everyone, including me, lost their motivation and getting back into it at the beginning of the new year was a struggle.

How can we finish the year strong?

Looking back at what we've achieved

This is great for the kids to look back and see what they've achieved. This year we finished 2A and (almost) 2B of Singapore maths with both boys. DS5 completed his 100 book reading challenge and DS7 has tackled the series of "Diary of a wimpy kid.." and shhhhhh, he 'might' be getting the latest one for Christmas. We read aloud "Charlie and the chocolate factory" and completed our first lapbook. We went on holidays to the Gold Coast and soaked in all the fun and learning of the theme parks...some slightly more 'educational' than others.e.g I'm not sure what we learnt at 'wet and wild' except that waterslides are fun!

We started looking at creation science which began with me actually learning about creation science. Although I never questioned that God made the world with purpose and intent, I'd actually been taught evolution at my Christian school so had never looked at the scientific evidence surrounding creationism. I am finding it fascinating and exciting and have been sharing my own discoveries with the kids...and more.

Mmm...perhaps I don't need to question whether we are doing enough?

Planning more trips to fun places

As the year becomes more frantic, this is a great time to plan those excursions that have taken a back seat during the year.

I juggle work and homeschool during school terms so the holidays are a great time for some intensive homeschooling and excursions that sadly, do get missed due to my work commitments at times.

Looking ahead to a new year

Even though we homeschool all year round, we still say that our official first day of homeschooling for the year is the first day of term 1. This is the day we take the obligatory photo and introduce new morning charts and routines. This keeps it fresh and helps the kids look forward to a new homeschooling year!

How do you guys finish the year strong?

Using Lego In Home Education - The Middle Years

2013-09-30T16:51:00.000-07:00

Lego is a huge part of my boy's lives and their love for it continues to change and grow in complexity as they get older. My kids loves the free play of the normal Lego blocks but are also developing an interest in the assemble kits. "Mum, Can I please get the Lego star wars deathstar? It's only $400...."

I've always known that Lego is 'good' for kids, for their developing creativity, problem solving and more. These reasons are more than enough motivation to encourage the use of Lego in our homeschool.

Why Use Lego In Home Education?

1. Kids love Lego, it's fun and motivating!

As delight-directed homeschoolers, I love using my children's interests and passions to impart different skills and knowledge. Lego is something I have used many a time to teach mathematical concepts, physics, engineering and even literacy. When a child is interested in a topic they have a motivation, a desire to learn and will readily accept and absorb what is being taught. Sometimes it's just me who needs to get creative and think of new ways we can use Lego in our homeschool!

2. Lego Develops Creativity

One of the benefits of homeschooling is that children have more time and freedom to develop their creativity and imagination through play and free time.

3. Lego can be used across all academic areas

I'm slowly learnt to relax and trust my kids are learning through play even as they get older but we do often use Lego as part of our structured learning.

- Lego in maths
- Lego in literacy
- Lego to teach and explain physics
- Lego in engineering

Just this week I was told my 16 year old nephew who has always been a huge Lego guy is scoring top marks at school and wanting to pursue a career in engineering. He kindly donated all of his 'old' Lego to his young cousins (my boys) who's heads nearly exploded with joy when they saw the box full of assembled police cars, castles and people. It was like Christmas had come early! He is a great example of a child who clearly was not only learning through his Lego play but developing skills that are helping him academically and leading him to a hopefully, fulfilling career.

Ideas For Using Lego In The Middle Years......

Obviously the Lego kits are great for teaching kids to follow instructions and order....but there are plenty of other ideas that we have used.

1. Lego Ideas Books

My boys LOVE these. There are 2 available. We borrow ours from the library but you can buy them at Target - they would make a great Christmas present!

You need a pretty big Lego collection to attempt some of the ideas in the book. We found a Lego specialist store in our state - the toy corner where you can buy individual pieces such as doors, windows, people etc as well as the bigger, more advanced kits if you are looking to expand your Lego collection.

2. Lego Documentary

I discovered this documentary about the Lego mega factory by accident on the national geographic channel - it was really interesting. Some of it is a little advanced for the middle year but the frequent images of Lego products being churned out of machinery held my boys attention for the most part!

3. Lego Social Events

Lots of homeschoolers love Lego and it's a great opportunity to help kids connect with others with similar interests.

- Lego playdates

- Show and tell Lego gatherings

- Lego technic groups (where kids can work together to build things..)

- Lego expos and shows - keep an eye out for Lego events in your state!

This is only the tip of the iceberg - there are so many great ideas out there for homeschoolers to use their child's natural love for Lego's to their learning advantage!

Brave Writer - Homeschool Writing Curriculum Review

2013-09-19T02:59:00.001-07:00

We are struggling with writing at the moment. 7yo loves to write but is very resistant to the 'rules' of writing such as punctuation, capital letters etc. He enjoys most aspects of homeschooling but when I say we are going to do some writing I can see his body tense, his eyes roll and then the complaining starts....

We are currently trying out a few different curriculum to discover what is going to work for 7yo and Brave Writer is one of them. A fellow homeschooler suggested the brave writer 'jot it down' resource as I love curriculum I can use for both 7yo and 6yo and this resource is designed for kids aged 5-8.

The book introduces the idea of a 'brave writer lifestyle' and suggests this is the daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal rhythm in your homeschool that explores music, the arts, film, nature, literature, poetry and various writing practices in a natural, predictable flow.

It provides a guide, not a "to do" list of activities designed to support your child's learning and natural interest in the world around them.

What I like about this curriculum is that it keeps it simple, and fun. There is less forced sit down writing which is exactly what 7yo is resistant to and more enjoyment based learning and activities.

This year long language arts program incorporates 10 fun and engaging writing projects including a fairy tale project, art appreciation and a photo journal.

To get started we began with the photo journal project as I knew this would be highly motivating for both 7yo and 6yo. I asked them what they would like to make a photo book about and 7yo said he wanted to make a book about his rocks and minerals collection and 6yo said he liked the idea of taking photos of different things he does each day (as suggested in the book).

I really like the project ideas in this resource and also the general information and encouragement for homeschoolers included in the book.

This is undoubtedly one of the best resources for those who prefer a more relaxed, natural approach to writing in your homeschool.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this resource for the purpose of review. It is my honest and true opinion.

Rocks And Minerals Study

2013-09-06T00:59:00.001-07:00

My 7yo has always been fascinated with rocks. So when he spied the national geographic rocks and minerals collection at our local newsagent his eyes lit up! I saw it as a great opportunity to foster his keen interest in geology and for me to learn something new along the way too.

There is something exciting about waiting for the next rock in the collection to arrive, going to pick it up and learning about something new. And move over Justin Bieber (or whatever the female equivalent is these days) there's a rocks and minerals poster next to my son's bed!

I must admit that rocks and minerals don't intrigue me the way they do my son so I've had to be proactive in finding motivating and exciting ideas for exploring this topic.

To get some ideas on how I could expand on this interest I visited some of my favourite homeschooling blogs and sites. I discovered this idea on teaching the layers of the earth.

I followed the links and printed and laminated our own set of cards.

We also went on to make our very own play dough model of the layers of the earth. Admittedly, ours wasn't as beautiful as others I found on the web but hey, we did our best!

I also purchased the magic school bus: inside the earth which we have read a few times together and discussed.

A trip to the museum to browse the rock section was also something we included in our study.

We have also had a good look through rocks and minerals for kids on youtube and even discovered this rocks and minerals website designed for kids.

I love seeing how motivated and passionate my kids are to learn about a topic that interests them. It still amazes me the things that spark their curiosity and I love being able to support them in their learning - just one of the many benefits of home education.

Who would've thought rocks and minerals could be so fascinating!

South Australian Maritime Museum - Port Adelaide

2013-07-11T21:33:00.000-07:00

We visited the South Australian Maritime Museum yesterday for a special school holiday event. We went with a homeschool group to enjoy the play "Shipwrecked".

Despite the fact I grew up in Adelaide, I don't know the area of Port Adelaide very well at all. It was a beautiful sunny, winter day (yep, only in Adelaide) so we decided to explore the port.

We walked along the water and admired the heritage buildings and stopped at a cute little cafe' for a coffee and orange juice.

The maritime museum has a ship that the kids can explore on and play in. The boys spent most of their time playing pirates and exploring the ship before we explored the rest of the museum.

After the play we went to climb the old lighthouse which is free with your museum entry.

We also stopped to consider going on a dolphin cruise. But there was no need as the dolphins were 'playing' right beside the boat so we sat and watched them for FREE!

So, our day out at Port Adelaide was great success!

Next time we visit the area we will visit the Port Dock Train museum!

All About Homophones

2013-07-02T16:47:00.000-07:00

We LOVE this resource!

All About Homophones is a resource created by the team at All About Learning Press. We have been using All About Spelling since the beginning of the year and really enjoy the multi-sensory lessons and were fortunate to receive a copy of this new homophone resource for homeschoolers.

This homophone resource includes engaging worksheets, games and activities and even a graphic organiser to assist with visual learning. It also starts at the beginning and is suitable for kids as young as 6 (year 1) and continues to progress in complexity until about year 8. It's a complete resource - for homophones!

My kids love homophones. They swell with pride when they discover a new homophone from real life and I love to see their brains ticking away as they work through the complexities of the English language. In fact, I was quite surprised at how fascinated they were with homophones. They seem to have a genuine fascination and interest in this topic.

The worksheets are short and sweet and because my kids enjoy the topic they are happy to sit and do one or so each week. We will continue to use this resource as a regular part of our weekly homeschool.

All about homophones is a fantastic resource for homesechoolers and is reasonably priced too.

Currently there are no Australian stockists for this resource that I'm aware of (please let me know!) so this resource will need to be purchased through All About Learning press.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this resource for the purpose of review. My review is genuine and honest.

Our Trip To Seaworld - Gold Coast

2013-06-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome holiday recently on the Gold Coast. One of the highlights was two days at Seaworld.

This was our first trip to Seaworld since our eldest was 3 so it was a different experience with the kids old enough to sit and enjoy the shows such as fish detectives. We scored a seat right at the front and were so close to the seals that the boys could almost reach out and touch them!

One of the newer attractions at Seaworld is dinosaur island and the dinosaur discovery centre. The dinosaurs are life sized which is truly amazing to see and the discovery centre is fantastic. I was explaining some of the exhibits to the boys and how they learn what dinosaurs used to eat by their poo. At the end, I asked the boys what they learnt about dinosaurs and DS3 piped up, "I learnt that dinosaurs eat poo". Not quite son, but good try! This has inspired the boys to learn more about dinosaurs so we are re-visiting some books and studies on dinosaurs.

The dolphin show is always my favourite - God's creation is amazing!

Pirate bay was also new and includes a boat ride which involves shooting cannons with water and an impressive climbing structure - like an enormous play center. The boys loved this!

Of course there was plenty of time to enjoy the rides too!

Another highlight was the shark viewing aquarium - I could have spent all day just sitting and watching the fish, stingrays and sharks - truly beautiful.The penguins were also awesome.

If you are a homeschooling family and planning a trip to the Gold Coast, Seaworld is fantastic and well worth the trip. I also recommend getting a pass that allows you to visit more than once as it means you can take your time and enjoy and appreciate everything it has to offer.

Our Homeschooling Room

2013-06-10T23:25:00.000-07:00

We are moving house and saying goodbye to our faithful homeschool room! Our new place doesn't have a designated space...yet... so we are going to miss this room!

I obviously took this photo before the wall was filled with artwork and posters and the computer desk is missing the laptop!

My love.......Ikea storage tubs!

I'm excited about the opportunity to design our new homeschool room so it's goodbye to our old room and looking ahead to something new!