The Homeschooling Blog

Expiring Giveaways and Upcoming Giveaways... iPad, Kindles, and Cash Oh My!

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:23:00 +0000

Oh, what would the world be like without the hope of winning that which our budgets won't allow us to purchase? Cool gadgets and books... sometimes even cold hard cash? Yes, we are truly blessed to live in a world where things can be won!

With that said, I want to update my followers on where we stand with our current giveaways as well as give you a head's up on a few new giveaways launching in the coming days.

Here are the expiring giveaways you'll want to enter before the end of the month... which in case you're not a calendar watcher is this Tuesday!

Current Giveaways
(ending on Tuesday)

$100 Amazon Twitter Blast

$100 Grocery Gift Card & $100 in Coupons

Kindle Fire Giveaway

(Ending soon)...

Kindle 3G Giveaway

(ends on February 6th)

And finally, you'll want to follow us or subscribe to our feed so you'll not miss the upcoming giveaways... which include, but not necessarily limited to:

Superbowl Weekend we'll have a Football PayPal Giveaway!

(February 3rd)

iPad Giveaway

(tentative start date February 1st)

Fit Moms for Life Review/Giveaway

(starts on Thursday February 2nd)

$100 Amazon Facebook Blast

(starts on Wednesday February 1st)

Cash Blast Giveaway

(as much as 1,000, starts on Feb 15th)

Kitchenaid Mixer Giveaway

(Mother's Day Event)

Good luck and may you have an amazing Sunday!

~Wendy

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

Is the Interest in Traditional Homeschooling on the Decline?

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:13:00 +0000

If you only look at the search reports generated by Google Trends, you'd wonder this too.

Earlier today I was looking at the history of Google searches collected since 2004, and couldn't help but notice the sharp decline in online searches relating to homeschooling. I typed in "homeschooling" and "home schooling" and found the same drop in searches.

Search using words "homeschool"

Search using words "home schooling"

On the other hand, if you type in "virtual school" or "charter school" the search results have continued to climb over the past 6 years. Does this reflect a new trend in the preferred method for home education? It clearly shows a growing interest in the new virtual school programs popping up across the nation... many of which are offered through public school districts for little to nothing cost to families.

Search using words "virtual school"

Search using words "charter school"

While this data is FAR from enough to prove a changing trend in homeschooling, and is certainly not very scientific, I do find it rather interesting. For some, the idea of homeschooling is very intimidating and having the guidance and "complete package" offered by a virtual academy or charter school can be very welcoming.

Do you practice a traditional homeschooling regimen at home or do you belong to a virtual or charter program? Having done both, I've lived through the pros and cons found down either road. I'd love to hear your thoughts and learn of your own experiences.

~Wendy

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

Win a Kindle Fire, Kindle 3G, $100 Amazon, and $100 Grocery Gift Card

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:53:00 +0000

This is a friendly reminder that time is ticking down towards are current giveaways! Have you entered to win the Kindle Fire or Kindle Keyboard 3G with Special Offers yet? What about the $100 to Amazon or the $100 gift card to your favorite grocer?

I've teamed together with a handful of other special bloggers to share these fantastic giveaways with you! Don't let your opportunity to win an amazing prize slip by! Also... be sure to continue following The Homeschooling Blog for upcoming giveaways.... including but not limited to another $100 Amazon giveaway and an iPad 2. Say what? Oh, and then there's the giveaway that could go as high as $1,000. No... I'm seriously not kidding. Could you use some cash? Stay tuned!

Current Giveaways

$100 Amazon Twitter Blast

$100 Grocery Gift Card & $100 in Coupons

Kindle Fire Giveaway

Kindle Keyboard 3G Giveaway

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

Ordered Another Pair of CHEAP Eyeglasses from Zenni

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:37:00 +0000

Cheap as in $37.90! That's for a full pair of prescription eyeglasses with shipping for my 10 year-old son. His current pair of Zenni eyeglasses were purchased last Summer, but our new puppy put a scratch in one of the lenses and it's pretty deep. So, we'll make that pair his backup frames... and puppy playing frames! For reading and school work he'll wear his new pair of eyeglasses, which should arrive in just a couple weeks time.

This is the pair of eyeglasses we've found best suited for his face. He looks great in these frames, which are very well made and have endured many boyhood mishaps, including but not limited to having been slept in a time or two. You gotta love that photo! Our family eye care center was able to bend them right back into place, which was an awesome surprise! I was afraid to do this myself... thought I'd snap the metal, but this particular pair is made to handle such situations. lol

Why am I always telling you about Zenni? I love them! I've told you before how much money they save us, but what I don't know is if you've tried them. I'd love to hear! I've already turned a few friends onto Zenni and they've come away looking and feeling great about their purchases. What's more, they're pocket books were left in tip top shape.

The pair of Zenni's I just ordered will be applied to our flex spending plan too. Eyeglasses are a covered expense after all! So, it's a purchase I have no hesitation about making.

J-man's glasses set us back $19.00 for the frames, $9.00 for the polycarbonate lenses, $4.95 for the anti-reflecting coating, and just $4.95 for shipping. Seriously cool! Seriously CHEAP!

This Valentine's Day be sure you can see! You want to remember that romantic dinner, or see that special homemade valentine your children made just for you! Even better... why not order yourself a pair of Valentine’s Day glasses? Never seen such a thing? Check out this pair of frames with a cute little heart on the stem. What a charming little touch this would make to your Valentine's Day wardrobe. Ok... most of us don't have a Valentine's Day wardrobe, but that doesn't make these frames any less awesome!

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

My Favorite Online and Free Beginner Typing Resources

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:37:00 +0000

I work with a handful of autistic children and a couple of those kiddos are learning how to type. Although those children are in middle school, they're learning to type at a very elementary level and if you think about it, that's what we all do when we're just learning a new skill!

I'd like to share a few of the websites I've found and currently enjoy using with my own students. My children who are 9 and 10 are on a more advanced level than what I'm focusing on today. The websites I'd like to share in this post are geared towards early learners, or children just being introduced to a keyboard.

You'll find your student learning finger placement with one of these resources, simple letter recognition with another, and finally with the last resource they'll be learning to type lines of text. With enough repetition they'll know just where to find each letter on their keyboard!

Learning Games for Kids
Keyboarding Sk ills
On this website, I usually spend about 5-10 minutes on "Typing Course", levels 1-3 (depending on the student). This site will require you or the student hit enter after each entry, and click with a mouse. I usually have the student hit enter after his/her entry, then click the mouse for them to move things along faster.

There are also typing games on this website, so be sure to check those out too!

FunSchool
Hyper Spider Typer
The kids seem to really enjoy this game. Your student simply types the letter matching that of a marching lizard before it can get to a climbing spider. So, it's a timed game geared at increasing speed. We've only worked at the "easy" level so far. The characters have pleasing faces and the game isn't overwhelming for a beginner.

KeySeeker
KeySeeker
This is one of my favorite typing games for very basic typing practice. However... the link is not working today! Hopefully it will be back up soon. I used it with a student yesterday and it worked, so perhaps there is just a glitch today.

This game allows the student to collect bananas as they properly identify and locate letters on their keyboard. Upon correctly identifying a letter 3 times, they will collect a banana for that letter. When all 26 letters have been mastered and all bananas are collected, the game is over!

Keybr
Keybr.com
Finally, if you have a student who is ready to type lines of text, this is an excellent tool providing just that. Your student can practice typing random letters and spaces. Keybr.com keeps track of your students time and errors too.

Happy typing! I hope you'll find these online resources as beneficial as I have!

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

Kindle Giveaway! This Time for Real! lol ENTER NOW!

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

If you are like me you've been coveting the Kindle, yet just aren't ready to make the purchase on your own yet. Well I've got the perfect solution for you, win one! The Mommy Bunch is hosting this awesome giveaway, along with several other super-duper bloggers who joined in, giving you the chance to win a Kindle Keyboard 3G with special offers to have of your very own! All you have to do is complete the rafflecopter entry form at the end of the post. It gets even better! On top of winning the Kindle, you will also get three free e-books to get you started:

Spellbound by Fire

by: Lavinia Thompson

Admit It, You're Crazy! Quirks, Idiosyncrasies, and Irrational Behavior

by: Judy Reiser

Super Blogga: 70 Plus Tips To Take Your Blog from Zero To Hero

Missy Diaz

In addtion, if you complete all of the required and optional entries on the rafflecopter form, you will get bonus entries worth up to 25 additional chances to win each! So if you want to win one of these as much as I do, enter today and share with all your friends too! If you get a chance, make sure to visit the participating bloggers and say hello. By combining together, we are all able to bring these awesome giveaways to you!

Colleen's Book Nook, This N That with Olivia, Mary's Cup of Tea, Blog with Mom, Blog with Dad, Follow My Investments, Mama Luvs Books, My Devotional Thoughts, The Homeschooling Blog, Loves 2 Read, Mommy Powers, B'Tween Prose, Crafty Zoo with Monkeys, Cute Like Me, Lavinia Thompson - Author, Coupons for Wisconsin, Centsable Coupon Lady, Coupon Hauls, Amelioration, My Frugal Mom, The Grandma Blog, PinkMama's Place, The unexpected Mother, ebook reader geek, The Ghostly Adventure Guys, Be-Wickless Independent Scentsy Consultant

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In case you've missed the links to our other live giveaways...

Current Giveaways

$100 Amazon Twitter Blast

$100 Grocery Gift Card & $100 in Coupons

Kindle Fire Giveaway

Upcoming Giveaway

$1000 Cash Giveaway

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

Free Bible Curriculum for Homeschool: Using What Works

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:32:00 +0000

Today I want to share a few free Bible curriculum that we have used in our homeschool over the years. We have tried more than these. But the following Bible lessons have worked very well for us.

When my children were pre-readers or just beginning to read I used DLTK’s Bible lesson plans. I’d print out the coloring pages or the mini books and have the children work on those while we listened to the passages of scripture from our dramatized audio Bible. (Nowadays we listen to the Bible on my smart phone using a free app.) And I’d ask the children a few questions to see if they understood the lesson. This worked very well when I had 3 that were all very small at the same time.

Once the children were reading and writing we switched to Calvary Chapel’s children’s curriculum. This site offers free lessons for over 200 Old Testament Bible stories and 175 New Testament ones. What is so great about this curriculum is that each lesson has a coloring page, fill in the blank pages, a crossword, a word search, and possibly an additional activity that helps reinforce the lesson. My oldest used this until he was about 8 years old. But then he came to me and said he felt that he was too old for the lessons.

So now he uses Padfield.com’s Bible Curriculum. He reads the passages himself and does all of the work on his own, which he prefers. Sometimes he’ll ask me questions about his studies or we’ll have some discussions about the Word of God in general.

Since changing over to a more simplified way of doing school a few months back, I have switched to a Charlotte Mason approach to Bible study with my 3 youngest. I use this reading list and read one Bible story a day. Then the children are free to discuss it if they wish, but I do not prod them to.

Hopefully one of these Bible curriculum will be useful in your homeschool as well.

The six loves of Serfronya Wallace's life are God, her husband, and her 4 children - whom she homeschools. Serfrony enjoyes sharing educational tips and writing about her family's homeschooling journey at Cookie's Domain.

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

Kindle Love of Reading Giveaway... Starts Sunday, January 22nd

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:01:00 +0000

In case you tried to enter the Love of Reading Kindle Giveaway last night, I apologize! I misunderstood the date to release the giveaway. Tonight however, is 100% the RIGHT time to enter!

I hope you'll be back to enter this awesome giveaway! I'll tweet, add to Facebook, Google +, and send out a reminder to my subscribers when this giveaway goes live.

We'll be accepting entries beginning at 11:00 PM CST!

In addition to this giveaway, The Homeschooling Blog is participating in the following AWESOME giveaways:

Current Giveaways

$100 Amazon Twitter Blast
$100 Grocery Gift Card & $100 in Coupons
Kindle Fire Giveaway

Upcoming Giveaways

$1000 Cash Giveaway
$100 Amazon Facebook Blast
IPad 2 Giveaway
Kitchenaid Mixer Giveaway

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

Do You Check Your Credit Score Annually?

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 03:24:00 +0000

I've decided I despise money, or at least the idea of it. I don't like what money does to people and the toll their actions take on innocent, hard-working people. We live in a world tainted by individuals seeking to steal identities for the sake of the almighty dollar. I know a handful of people who've experienced identity-theft first-hand. It's ugly.

I've gone so long without checking my own credit report that today as I sit at my computer, I'm almost afraid to look. Experts recommend checking your credit score annually and I'm at least 3 years delinquent. Yikes.

We're hoping to move sometime in the near future to a slightly roomier home. We're hurting for space.... partially because I'm married to what I'd call an organized hoarder, and partially because we are parents of children with many interests... all of which take up space!

Our credit will need to be in pristine condition. I've made a vow to myself to FINALLY check my credit rating now. In theory, it should be awesome. I pay everything before it's due and typically pay off my credit card each and every month. My husband does the same. We should be in great shape right? "In theory" yes, but in reality... who knows. You just never know what you might find on a credit report... errors, fraud, and most definitely credit card accounts you thought you'd closed long ago. Things that should be addressed immediately.

How often do you you check your own credit score? Have you looked into free credit score checkers on the web? Do you have any credit report nightmares?

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

Flashcards are Your Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:29:00 +0000

Flashcards are one of my absolutely favorite educational tools. They are the best for learning tables in math. But I have also used them to help the children learn theirs letters and colors as well. I’m sure I will find many other ways to use them in the future.

Anyone Can be the Teacher
One of the best things about using flashcards is that anyone who already knows the material on the cards can help the person who is learning. For example, when my daughter was only 4 years old she would sit next to her 2 year old brother and help him learn his colors. Anytime he got to a color he didn’t know, she would tell him what it was and then he would repeat after her.

You Can Use Them Anywhere
A lot of times I have the children pull out the cards when I am preparing breakfast or lunch. They either sit on the couch and help each other learn. Or, I have them stand next to me in the kitchen and I’ll help them with the cards while I cook. For whatever reason, this has worked remarkably well with the children learning their addition tables. Maybe it’s because it doesn’t seem so “school” like to recite math problems while Mom bakes up some muffins for you.

Flashcards are Inexpensive
For the cards to teach colors, I just cut pieces of construction paper into rectangles and labeled them. All the rest of our flashcards I have found for free on the internet. You might be amazed at what you can find printable flashcards for. Just a quick search on Google will do the trick.

Flashcards are Easy to Make
I print them out, cut them up, and laminate them. I also hole punch the tops of the cards and keep them on a ring. That way they can be turned easily; and, I don’t have to be concerned about any of the cards getting lost. The lamination ensures that the cards can be passed down to the next child, when the time comes. You can purchase an inexpensive laminator from one of the big box stores or Amazon. I bought laminating sheets in bulk years ago and I am still on the same box.

Even though the children only use the cards for a few minutes a day, that seems to be all it takes. Sometimes they will ask to pull out their cards on their own without being told to. I love when that happens!

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

Kindle Fire Giveaway! It's Time to Enter!

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

This Giveaway is LIVE!!!

We're announcing a new giveaway that you’re going to flip over! We've proudly teamed up with some fellow bloggers to give away a Kindle Fire ($199 value!). This tablet is nothing short of spectacular – WiFi enabled, access to thousands of popular apps as well as 19 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, and books! The winner will also enjoy speedy web browsing powered by Amazon Silk, and he or she will have cloud storage for all their Amazon content. Are you drooling yet?

Only one randomly selected individual will win the Kindle Fire... but we've also decided to gift $20! Enter to win below!

This giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

$100 Grocery Gift Card Giveaway Plus $100 in Coupons! Rafflecopter!

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:59:00 +0000

Yay! It's The Homeschooling Blog's second HUGE giveaway for the month of January! Welcome to the Fill the Fridge Giveaway! We also have a $100 Amazon Twitter Blast giveaway running on our sister blog: Wendy's Cake Space and are launching our Kindle Fire Giveaway today here on The Homeschooling Blog!

So, wanna win the $100 grocery store gift card and $100 in grocery coupons? Well, you're in the right place!

To enter, follow each of the blogs on Google Plus. You will receive 1 entry for each blog you follow.

This giveaway ends at January 31st at 11:59 pm EST and is open to U.S. residents ages 18 or older.

Have fun and thanks for entering! Good Luck! Here are the list of stores from which you may choose your gift card, should you be our randomly chosen winner (via Rafflecopter): Albertson's, Food Lion, Fred Meyer, Hannaford, Harris Teeter, Kroger, Meijer, Publix, Shaw's, Walmart

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

To Homeschool or Not to Homeschool When Family is Sick

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:17:00 +0000

My eldest hasn’t been feeling well since Monday. And over the course of the week that sickness has been contracted by 2 of my other children; and 2 days ago, I started feeling bad as well. So once again, the question had to be answered as to whether or not we should attempt any schooling.

A Hard Taskmaster
In past years this was a tough decision for me to make. Everyone had a certain amount of school work to be completed each day or else that child would “fall behind”. I was very determined to make sure that every page of every school book was covered before the end of the year. I was still stuck in “traditional school” mode.

Homeschool Isn’t About Completing a Curriculum
But I am happy to report that I have relaxed A LOT about homeschool lately. My younger children now have goals that we strive to meet by the end of year such as: learning phonics or improving their reading skills, learning their addition and subtraction tables, improving their handwriting, etc. I don’t use a set curriculum with them anymore. We just use whatever materials work to help us achieve our goals. We keep our lessons short, focused, and as engaging as possible.

Taking Sick Days is OK
So now if we need to take some days off - or even a week - to recover from illness, then it’s not a big deal. My oldest does use textbooks. But if he’s sick then I let him rest and we rework his assignment due dates once he’s well. Some work may be combined or possibly skipped if he already has a solid understanding of it.

Netflix to the Rescue
If any of the children still want to have school then we may watch an educational video or 2 on Netflix and then discuss what we learned afterwards. But that’s about it. I want the children to have all the time they need for their bodies to recover without them having to worry about making up work or falling behind.

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

Upcoming iPad 2 Giveaway... Blogger Sign-Ups Needed

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Want to gain lots and lots of new followers AND get a chance to win an iPad 2?
Come join us in this iPad 2 Giveaway event!!!

Head over to this signup post for more details!
Please enter "The Homeschooling Blog" name when asked for the blog who referred you!

The actual giveaway has not launched just yet.
This information is for BLOGGERS who want to participate in this giveaway event.

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

$100 Amazon Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:11:00 +0000

I've joined a handful of other bloggers to award one random winner $100 to Amazon.com!

Please head over to Wendy's Cake Space (my other blog) and enter to win now! Oh... and if you can't get through the widget in one day, be sure to come back before the deadline to snag every entry possible. Rafflecopter will remember where you left off! Just be sure you finish before the deadline to optimize your odds of winning!

Good luck!

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

Blogger Sign Ups for Facebook Blast, $100 Amazon Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:44:00 +0000

As I mentioned in my previous post, Twitter Blast starts tomorrow and I trust you're planning on entering on Wendy's Cake Space bright and early Sunday morning (January 15, 2012) for your chance to win $100 to Amazon.com!? I better see you there!

Today I learned about (and signed up for) Facebook Blast. If you're a blogger, you can join too! For just $1.50 you can jump on board and be part of a great giveaway opportunity in exchange for a greater following on your Facebook page. Your "Likes" will soar as participants seek out the $100 Amazon gift code which will be randomly drawn by Rafflecopter.

If you'd like to participate in Facebook Blast, click on the button above and find out how! If not, be sure to follow The Homeschooling Blog so you'll not miss this giveaway or the other half dozen giveaways launching over the next few days and weeks. We're going to have some fun here! Whether you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, or by email feed you'll be in the know as my giveaways launch. : )

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

Win $100 to Amazon! A New Day & a New Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Everyone loves Amazon.com (or at least they should)! If you'd like to win $100 to Amazon, visit me on Wendy's Cake Space tomorrow, January 15th and fill out the Raffelcopter widget! For every blog you follow on Twitter, you'll gain 1 additional entry into this exciting giveaway.

No time to click "follow" on 100 blogs? With Raffelcopter it's incredibly simple to do, but if you find yourself interupted by children, a phone call, or a work schedule you can come back another day to finish. Rafflecopter keeps track of your progress for you! How sweet is that? Simply bookmark the post, which you'll find by clicking on the button in this post, and return to finish before the giveaway deadline!

Blessings & Good Luck!

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

Grand Event Cash Giveaway! Blogger Sign-Ups Still in Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:21:00 +0000

Cute-Ecakes and Moms with Voices Media are hosting a Grand Event! (Yes- $1000.00)

With a goal of 100 bloggers, we are going to make this thing huge!!

[CLICK HERE FOR THE SIGNUP FORM!]

Details

The Grand Event Cash Giveaway will run from Wednesday, February 15th (12:00AM) to Wednesday, February 29th (11:59PM).
The Grand Event Grand Prize
The GOAL for this event is a $1000 prize
The actual prize will depend upon participation!
Grand Prize amount will be announced on 2/8!!

BLOGGER REFERRAL CONTEST
For an added incentive to spread the word, we've added a blogger prize! There are TONS of ways to enter, and I've tried to make it as easy for you as possible!
ONE WINNER- will receive $50 Paypal Cash
ONE WINNER- will participate in the event for FREE!

Find out complete details and sign up HERE!!

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

Online Writing Tutors for 4th Grade Through College Level

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:26:00 +0000

Do you have a student who could use a little guidance with writing style, format, or content? Perhaps your child hopes to one day become a published author? If you're looking for a writing tutor to either rescue your struggling student from writing frustration, or wish to boost a student showing great writing promise, keep reading. Who knows... maybe you have the next Rick Riordan, Jane Austen, or Kathryn Stockett (love The Help, so I'm throwing that Kathryn in there!) living under your roof!

TheWritingFaculty.com offers tutors with impressive credentials for children as young as 4th grade up and through the college level. Perhaps you yourself could use a writing tutor? I've considered throwing ink to paper from time to time, but usually stop when I realize I'm not quite polished enough to become a published author! lol Perhaps all I need is a tutor to review my work and teach me a few things!

Whether you're wishing to find a tutor for yourself or your student, imagine learning under the wing of someone with an educational or teaching background from one of our nation's most elite schools. Many of TheWritingFaculty.com's tutors have either attended or taught at some of our most prestigious universities.

What does online tutoring look like? The writing experts from TheWritingFaculty.com use Skype to chat live with the student, while incorporating the use of a whiteboard. Writing and discussion take place in real time, by both student and teacher.

In this manner, student and tutor can participate in live brainstorming, while looking at the same screen, and discussing ways to sharpen the final essay or writing assignment. Your child will be able to save all the notes taken during the online brainstorming session for later reference. How amazing! What's more you and your child won't have to hop in the car to travel to a remote location, or worry about the dirty dishes in the sink that a traditional tutor would see upon vising the house! lol

TheWritingFaculity.com offers tutoring for all varieties of writing assignments from short essays to complete novels and playwrites. Learn more from this innovative tutoring service directly from their website.

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

Upcoming Review on SensaCalm Weighted Blankets

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0000

Oh.... how I long for another weekend! It's almost here and I have oooodles of blogging to do. One of the articles I'm currently working on features a family favorite supplier (our family that is!) of custom-made weighted blankets for adults and children with sensory issues.

Weighted blankets help many people with special needs relax like nothing else. Adults and children suffering from developmental disabilities such as autism often benefit from the deep pressure of a heavy blanket when overly stimulated or when tensions are high. My little guy (well, he's 5' now) received his weighted blanket nearly a year ago from what was then Affordable Weighted Blankets. They've recently changed their name to SensaCalm and added a handful of new products to their website.

Recently I contacted Donna with SensaCalm to give her an update about J-man. He's still using and loving his custom-made blanket and occasionally I sneak up to his room to rest underneath it too! lol There have been a couple days when I'd had some tense moments with another family member and the blanket seriously helped me to de-stress! That experience made my heart smile... as I felt what I imagined to be a mere fraction of what my son must feel at night while sleeping.

J-man sleeps beneath his blanket nearly every night. He absolutely loves it too. He chose fabric featuring the solar system on one side of his blanket and a lime green underside. The green was a surprise to me, but it's what he wanted! lol That's what these blankets are all about. The customer chooses the fabric and the blankets are weighted based on his or her body weight.

I'll share more about the blanket and this company when my full review is published! Stay tuned!

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

5 Ways to Take the Frustration out of Handwriting in Your Homeschool

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

My 7 year old was having a terrible time with handwriting. He would get so frustrated every time he had to practice. I had tried handwriting worksheets. But that was upsetting for both of us. Then I switched to copywork and that was working a little better, but handwriting time still wasn’t that great.

Don’t Re-Invent the Wheel
I started thinking back to when I was teaching my oldest to write. And I wondered why those frustrations never came up. Yes, all children are different, but; handwriting really was a non-issue with my eldest. Then I realized that with him there was no “formal” handwriting training. I just started having him write things for me once he showed an interest in it. So, a few months ago I switched to using the five ideas listed below with both my 6 and 7 year old. And everyone is much happier now.

Informal Handwriting in Your Homeschool
1. Have the children write lists for you. For example, you can ask them to write a list of school supplies they need, your grocery list, or a list for Daddy that he’ll need when he goes to the hardware store. They may even come up with lists of their own.
2. Write letters to family members. My children are always excited to write to Grandma and Grandpa, who live in a different state.
3. Send postcards if handwritten letters are too much for your child right now. To help ease my son into informal handwriting, I had him write on a postcard to his grandparents. He only wrote “I love you” and signed his name. But I told him to take his time and do his best work since it was for his grandparents. And he did.
4. Have the children write titles for or label the pictures or artwork that they make. Again, this isn’t a lot of writing but it’s still practice.
5. Give the children “how many words in ____________” activity sheets. For example, in my son’s comic coloring and activity book their is a page that asks how many words can be made from the word “Spider Man”. My son spent a great deal of time coming up with words and writing them down.

I Still Have Standards
My only requirements with this method is that the children hold their pencils correctly and that they must write to the best of their ability. If they don’t know how to spell a word or how to form certain letters correctly then I’ll write it out for them and then have them copy it onto whatever they are working on. I still check all of their writing and have them rewrite letters, if they aren’t formed correctly. But since the children are now writing something fun or useful, the frustration has disappeared.

The six loves of Serfronya Wallace's life are God, her husband, and her 4 children - whom she homeschools. Serfrony enjoyes sharing educational tips and writing about her family's homeschooling journey at Cookie's Domain.

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!

Walgreens No Longer Contracted with Express Scripts. What it Means for You

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

After months of attempting to iron out a new contract with Express Scripts, Walgreens and Express Script are no longer partners in medicine. If you have a prescription plan through Express Scripts, you may or may not be affected by this fallout, but should check with your Walgreen's pharmacist to be sure.

This is unfortunate news for millions of customers who've come to rely on the convenience of Walgreens. I'm a Walgreens customer because of their extended store hours, some even offer 24 hour pharmacy drive-thru service. That's a big deal when your children are ill. We once needed a prescription filled at 2 AM after leaving the ER and Walgreens was there for us. We've also come to rely on them for late night cold medicine runs!

The impact for many will be that of convenience and perhaps cost. Walgreens offers an extensive number of generic prescription medications (more than many of their competitors) and has more locations nationwide than any other pharmacy chain. If you're from Kansas City and need your prescription filled in Orlando, it's no problem. I know, because I've been there.

So, what happened? Express Scripts wanted to cut the reimbursement rates to Walgreens to below that of industry standards, this despite the fact that Express Scripts earnings are more than twice industry standard. Additionally, they wanted full control over what would be called generic and non-generic. Walgreens didn't ask for an increase in reimbursements throughout negotiation, they simply wanted to receive the standard reimbursement rate.

In response to the situation Walgreens is offering a special discount on their Walgreens Prescription Savings Club. This will help offset the prescription cost to customers left out in the cold. For only $5 per individual or $10 for a family, this savings plan offers discount prices on flu shots, pet prescriptions, diabetic supplies, nebulizers, and savings on more than 8,000 prescription and generic medications.

Be sure to follow Walgreens on Twitter and Walgreens on Facebook to stay on top of all the latest from Walgreens, including money saving offers and incentives.

World Vision and My Growing Family

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 03:15:00 +0000

"After the death of my husband, I thought it was my turn."

I have two biological children living at home with me and their father... my husband, and 6 biological children in heaven. We've miscarried 6 times since the birth of our youngest living child 9 years ago this past September. Yet... through God's grace our family continues to grow.

Have we adopted? No. Not in legal terms, or even in geographical terms (not by a long shot!), but in terms of the heart? I feel I have. I started sponsoring my 3rd child through World Vision in November of 2011, the previous two I picked up at a Women of Faith convention the November before. My goal is to one day sponsor a child for each baby lost to miscarriage.

My sponsored children are pictured above. The little one on the left is my newest edition... he's only 3 years old. The other two kids are teenagers, whom I chose because of their age. Sponsors don't always think to seek out the teens, who are only eligible for new sponsorship until the age of 14. I didn't want these two kiddos to slip away from a life-changing (perhaps life-saving) opportunity.

Not only does sponsorship mean a better life for these kids, but it means a better life for their families. Additionally, they're taught about the love of Christ, which they experience first hand through World Vision.

I'd like to share a story from the World Vision website with you...

Emebet’s husband had always been strong — until a few years ago. That’s when his health began to deteriorate. Helpless to save him, Emebet watched him die.

A nurse from a nearby clinic encouraged Emebet to be tested. The results told the heartbreaking truth: she, along with her youngest daughter, had the same virus that killed her husband.

Emebet is HIV-positive.

"After the death of my husband, I thought it was my turn," she says, tears welling up in her eyes. "I was worrying so much about the children. If we both died, they would be orphaned."

One of Emebet's children, 6-year-old Birihanu, is sponsored through World Vision. The support helps Emebet provide for her entire family. World Vision also works to make sure that Emebet and others in Ethiopia get the medication they need to stay healthy.

Still, Emebet faces discrimination because of her HIV-positive status.

"People isolate my children," she says. "Because I'm living with the virus, some people won't buy from me. [They] think they will be infected if they buy from me."

Emebet sells handmade baskets to help feed her family. Good nutrition is especially critical for those living with HIV. Without it, life-extending medication has little effect.

"If I did not have this help," Emebet says, "I would have been in trouble. I would have died and my children would have been scattered everywhere."

For about $1 a day, you can help a child from a family like Emebet's, providing access to life's most basic necessities--things like nutritious food, education, clean water, health care, and economic opportunities for their caregivers.

Change a life. Sponsor a child today. Visit www.worldvision.org/helpachild.

Want to learn more about World Vision first-hand through the eyes of a sponsor?

I'm going to set a goal to share about my experiences with World Vision and the children we sponsor on a regular basis. The gift of sponsorship goes both ways. I honestly sleep better at night, knowing these precious children are sleeping better at night.

I look forward to the day when I'll receive updated photos of my sponsored children with smiles on their faces! The photos I've share with you here, are those taken for sponsorship... before they'd been assigned to me. God is so good! ~Wendy

This story has been shared with permission of World Vision. I was not compensated for this post in any way whatsoever.

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Congratulations to Our 10 Winners of the Free Online Piano Academy 4 Kids Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:12:00 +0000

This is going to be an exciting year for giveaways (have you checked out our sidebar?). Our first giveaway has come to a close and our winners have been selected randomly via Raffelcopter.

Congratulations to our 10 fabulous winners:
Natalie
Crystal R.
Melanie
Stephanie
Amber
Daniel
Kendra
Tabetha
Courtney
Rebecca

Notifications have been sent to all winners.

We appreciate everyone who participated in this giveaway and hope each of you will continue to follow The Homeschooling Blog!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Using Netflix in Your Homeschool

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Lindsey) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:39:00 +0000

Using Netflix in Your Homeschool

Originally, my husband and I decided to subscribe to Netflix so that we would have movies to watch for ourselves. But I quickly discovered that this video streaming service is a goldmine of educational programming. So much so, that my elementary aged kids are currently using Netflix exclusively for their Science class.

I found Beakman’s World and originally I was going to use the half hour show to supplement Science class. But since revamping our homeschool in November and taking a more simplified approach to my children’s learning, I figured the show itself might be enough. And so far, so good.

The children enjoy the program so much that they are just gushing to tell me what they learned after watching it. I listen and let them share as many details as they want. Then I ask what fact they'd like to draw a picture of and put a short description of in their notebooks. Then I let them have at it. So far, they have been notebooking about such scientific topics as volcanoes, gravity waves, and the storm spot on Jupiter.

Here are some tips on how to use Netflix in your Homeschool.

1. Subscribe to the streaming service, if you haven’t already. It’s under $9 a month. That’s much lower than the library late fees I used to incur from overdue DVDs.
2. When you are on the Netflix website do a search for “PBS”, “Discovery Channel”, “National Geographic”, and “History Channel” to find a lot of educational goodies.
3. Put the programs that you are interested in into your queue so that you don’t have to search for them again later on.
4. Decide which programs will become a part of which subjects in your homeschool.
5. Have your children watch them and enjoy!

The six loves of Serfronya Wallace's life are God, her husband, and her 4 children - whom she homeschools. Serfronya enjoys sharing educational tips and writing about her family's homeschooling journey at Cookie's Domain.

Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!