Click the graphic above to access all our novel studies!!

Monday, August 30

Science of Breakable Things + Scientific Method

 

Since the 17th century, scientists have been refining and honing the scientific method.  This is a standard way of acquiring knowledge through experimentation and observation...

The six steps of the scientific method include:

  • Observe: Make an observation.
  • Question: Ask a question.
  • Hypothesize: Form a hypothesis, or testable explanation.
  • Predict: Make a prediction based on the hypothesis.
  • Experiment: Test the prediction.
  • Iterate: use the results to make new hypotheses or predictions.

The purpose of an experiment is to determine if your observations agree with your predictions.  A well-planned experiment will have an independent variable which affects a dependent variable.  Be sure not to get confused, however, with confounding factors!  After testing the hypothesis, look at the data collected and see if it needs further testing.  Should a variable be changed?  Should you alter the conditions or the number of test studies?

It helps to know a little bit about statistics when looking at your measurable data.  Look at your sample size -- did you test three subjects or thirty?  A larger sample size will give you a clearer picture.  Think about this - if your family has a nut allergy, then 75% of the people in your family (a small sample) are allergic to nuts.  However, 75% of the overall population does not have that same allergy.  A larger sample size - say a sample of your entire homeschool co-op or robotics team - will give a clearer picture on how many people have nut allergies.

Your challenge today is to look at the world around you and ask a question - any question.  Design an experiment.  Be sure to label the variables and only change one variable at a time, otherwise you might be testing something other than what you planned!  Collect data and draw a conclusion.  What did you learn?

Our spine read for this unit is:

  • The Science of Breakable Things   
    • When Natalie’s science teacher suggests that she enter an egg drop competition, she thinks it could be the perfect solution to all of her problems. With the prize money, she can fly her botanist mother to see the miraculous Cobalt Blue Orchids--flowers with the resilience to survive against impossible odds. Her mother has been suffering from depression, and Natalie is positive that the flowers’ magic will inspire her mom to fall in love with life again.  But she can’t do it alone. Her friends step up to show her that talking about problems is like taking a plant out of a dark cupboard and exposing it to the sun. With their help, Natalie begins an unforgettable journey to discover the science of hope, love, and miracles.

The the ENTIRE UNIT in Twenty-Three Reads Bundle - for someone who wants a little bit of everything! 



It includes twenty-three unit studies covering a wide range of topics. Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand. These studies are directed toward upper grades students, but some have resources for younger students so that the whole family can work together.
  • There are photographs and illustrations, and we have also included primary documents when available.
  • After this text, there are featured videos, which augment the background information and help make the topic more accessible for more visual students.
  • You will also find a short list of reading books, including a featured novel that the unit builds upon.
  • There are vocabulary words, places, and people to identify.
  • Reading comprehension, critical thinking questions, and writing assignments are included.
  • We add fun with hands-on activities and extra videos to watch that will bring the era to life.
Includes:
  • Language Arts
    • Finding Langston & the Poetry of Langston Hughes
  • Geography
    • Anne of Green Gables & Canadian Provinces
    • Stowaway & Antarctica
    • Julie of the Wolves & Alaska
    • Blades of Freedom & the Louisiana Purchase
    • The Avion My Uncle Flew & France
  • History
    • Zlata’s Diary & the Slavic Wars
    • Freedom Summer & the Summer of 1964
    • Treasure Island & Pirates of the Caribbean Sea
    • Farenheit 451 & Types of Government
    • Red Stars & Russia in World War 2
    • The Great Gatsby & the Roaring Twenties
    • The Long List of Impossible Things & Post-War Germany
    • A Tale of Two Cities & French Revolution
    • Witch of Blackbird Pond & Salem Witch Trials
    • The World Made New & Early Explorers
    • Stitching a Life & Jewish Immigration
  • Life Skills
    • Teetoncey & Lifesaving Skills
    • Freak of the Week & Disabilities Awareness
    • Island of the Blue Dolphins & Sailing
  • Science
    • The Science of Breakable Things & the Scientific Method
    • Frankenstein & Human Anatomy
    • Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation & Albert Einstein

Product samples:

Saturday, August 28

Day in the Life of a High School Homeschooler

As with everything in life, there is an ebb and flow to the homeschooling day...and even the homeschooling career.  What an elementary household (all littles) routine looks like will differ greatly from our routine (all teens)... 

Day in the Life of a Homeschooled 11th Grader

  • 8:30 - wake up, morning chores, fix breakfast
  • 9 - breakfast and read-aloud time
I refuse to accept flak for letting my child sleep in this late.  There's ample research to show that teens need more sleep and have a different circadian rhythm than adults.  A later start to our day has proven time and again to result in a better, and more productive, day!
  • 9:30 - start school - Generally the kids try to do their online work first...just in case we are having a 'internet trouble' day (happens a LOT more than it should!).  If there's an issue, they switch to offline stuff and try their online stuff again in the afternoon...
  • Noon - lunch break & family time - Dad comes home for lunch and we have a quick family meeting while everyone is together.
  • 1 - back to school - Offline stuff, if they were able to get online in the morning.  Or vice versa.
  • 4:30 - afternoon chores & shop time - Quite possibly their favorite time of day, this combine farm chores and hobbies, is primarily outside, and lets them do what they love -- hands on projects!
  • 6:30 - dinner & family time -- On 'good' days, this begins the quiet, relaxing portion of the day.  On 'bad' days, our crazy evenings kick off closer to 5 or 5:30 since it's an hour drive to activities.  (Where 'good' and 'bad' are defined from my uber-introverted perspective!)
  • 10 - bedroom time - no computer - quiet projects and reading -- The rule is, don't keep mom and dad awake.  And no screens after 10pm.  Someone once told us we shouldn't give them that much freedom without checking in, but it's not like they could sneak out...with no car and seven miles to the nearest road.  No one is walking that far in the dark...
  • before 1am - lights out -- Because, hey...8:30 is rolling around again before too long.

Naturally schedule looks very different from an elementary school student.  With all teens in the house, this schedule is somewhat fluid and different for each child, but this is the basic flow.

The High School Homeschool Room

There are four main components to our high school homeschool room, and each serves a unique purpose...

  1. The bedroom doubles as an office.  Each teen has a loft bed with a desk built in beneath it.  They have a computer that they use for much of their schoolwork, including online classes, research, and writing papers.
  2. The kitchen table is where we do 'together time,' including morning time and any other family-style projects.  It's also where they sit when they need parental assistance with schoolwork.
  3. The shop is their favorite school location!  This is for votech-type classes, hands-on projects, and general hobby time.  Both boys take after their grandfathers in feeling most at home while tinkering around, designing and making things...
  4. Finally, the car / hotel / doctor office locale is our last resort for schooling.  This is for those days when the schedule is packed full, we're running to and fro, and they simply have to get things done.  It's not their favorite (or mine) because of the numerous distractions and the difficulty of trying to research or watch online classes on a tiny tablet screen...but we do what we must.
And that's our homeschool setup and routine!  What does your high school routine look like?


Monday, August 23

Number the Stars & the Holocaust

August 28, 1943 - A ban on people assembling in public, outlawing strikes, and a curfew was established in Denmark, under German rule, with the death penalty introduced for cases of sabotage.

August 29 - When the Danish government refused to comply, the Germans officially dissolved it and instituted martial law.


When World War 2 began in 1939, Denmark declared itself neutral, but they were occupied by the Germans in 1940, during Operation Weserübung.  The Germans allowed the king and government to stay in place formally, but without any real power.  This was the state of Denmark until 1943, when the Germans fully took over the country until it was liberated at the end of the war.

Denmark was the only occupied country that actively resisted the Nazi regime and its deportation of Jewish citizens.  In September 1943, a German diplomat secretly informed Danish Resistance members that the Nazis were planning a mass deportation of Jews.  This afforded them much-needed time to rescue and move as many Jewish citizens as possible ahead of time...

Our spine read for this unit is:

  • Number the Stars (Lois Lowry)
    • As the German troops begin their campaign to "relocate" all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen’s family takes in Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family.Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war.

Check out the Jewish Studies bundle here!

Get the unit, along with the entire World History Bundle!

Includes ten unit studies (plus a bonus!) covering World History. Each unit addresses a new topic, spanning from Ancient Hawaii to modern-day. There is also a study of archaeological concepts. Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand.
  • There are photographs and illustrations, and we have also included primary documents when available.
  • After this text, there are featured videos, which augment the background information and help make the topic more accessible for more visual students.
  • You will also find a short list of reading books, including a featured novel that the unit builds upon.
  • There are vocabulary words, places, and people to identify.
  • Reading comprehension, critical thinking questions, and writing assignments are included.
  • We add fun with hands-on activities and extra videos to watch that will bring the era to life.
These studies are directed toward upper grades students, but some have resources for younger students so that the whole family can work together. Our family has used unit studies as curriculum for many years, and we hope that your family will enjoy these, too!

Product samples:   Motel of the Mysteries & Encounter

Includes:
  • Motel of the Mysteries
  • Island Boy
  • Encounter
  • The Odyssey
  • A Loyal Foe
  • Indigo Girl
  • Gold Rush Girl
  • Around the World in 80 Days
  • Number the Stars
  • To Kill a Mockingbird
  • House of the Seven Gables (bonus)





Get the entire World War 2 Bundle!

Includes:

  • The Book Thief
  • We Were There at the Battle of Britain
  • Number the Stars
  • The Winged Watchmen
  • We Were There at Pearl Harbor
  • We Were There at the Battle of Bataan
  • Island War
  • Red Stars
  • The Night Witches
  • Mare’s War
  • We Were There at the Normandy Invasion
  • Code Talkers
  • We Were There at the Battle of the Bulge
  • The Light Between Us
  • We Were There at the Open of the Atomic Era
  • A Merry 1940s Christmas

Product samples:

Saturday, August 21

Back-to-Homeschool Plans {for the Last-Minute Parent}

It’s August, and while most of us have our homeschooling plans ready to roll, I know there are a few folks out there scrambling to get going at the last minute.  Here are a few things to keep in mind...
  • Keep it legal.  Some states have no requirements, while others are heavily regulated.  Check with HSLDA to ensure that you know your state's laws.  As long as you meet your legal requirements, it’s fine to de-school or un-school while you find your footing.
  • Start with the end in sight.  You’ll have long-term goals (such as students going to college) and shot-term goals (such as mastering multiplication tables).  Create a plan that works toward both of these.
  • Know your needs, but respect your limits.  Ask yourself if you have the time, energy, and ability to implement a program before plunking down money for it.  For many families these days, who are also trying to work from home, outsourcing homeschool classes is an option that meets their goals but also allows them the flexibility they need.
  • Find your people.  Every homeschooling family needs a tribe, be it a large homeschooling co-op or a small group of family friends.  These are the people who will lift you up on the hard days, and the ones being silly alongside your kids...
  • Give yourself grace.  It's a long journey, and one that will have many ups and downs.  No one expects you to be perfect.  Give your kids, your husband, your in-laws, and even the nosy people around town grace.  Remember to extend it to yourself as well.


Looking for a last-minute course to fill the curriculum gap?  

Check out the Best Online Learning Options!  We have personally vetted, and can recommend, every resource listed here for high school students.  

At Sparks Academy, your students will be part of an interactive co-op with other high school students.  Current class offerings are for The Good & the Beautiful language arts and Notgrass history (four levels of each subject), Consumer Math, and Apologia science (three levels). Classes begin on August 18th. Enrollment closes for the '25-'26 school year on August 19th. Use code BACKTOSCHOOL to save 20%  (exp 8/9)







Wednesday, August 18

Simply Good & Beautiful Math for Middle School {Review}

Now that our youngest is approaching high school, we are rethinking so many subjects. What worked best before is not necessarily the best fit now. With his special needs, we went off in search of more relaxed and gentle approaches to core subjects, including math...

Simply Good and Beautiful Math was the perfect solution!  Each of these brand-new math courses was created to provide a perfect balance of enjoyable learning along with development of a strong math foundation.  They combine fun games and activities with the highest academic standards, diversity, and connected learning, and we love the way that math is seamlessly linked to real life in engaging and meaningful ways.

I should back up and say that until this point, we have always used Saxon Math - and it is a fantastic course all on its own.  It definitely prepared my boys for higher learning, using a spiral method of mastery that included DIVE videos, and providing a great foundation for math skills.  It's an older program, but it works well.  Why reinvent the wheel?

Why indeed?  Well, because our youngest son learns quite differently, and needed something more visual.  Saxon math is a black and white program - all the way around - and it just wasn't working as well for him.  As we bridge into advanced concepts and look toward algebra, it has become very important to make sure he masters the foundational skills in a way that works for him.

The course includes a course book, Mental Math Map Mysteries, the answer key, and access to course videos.  The student has the option of reading a mini-lesson or watching the course videos, but I find he does best by doing both.  We start each lesson by watching the video, completing a couple of problems alongside the video, and then we complete the mental math together.  For the first time ever, math class is something he looks forward to!  I'm guessing that one of those reasons is because it's hard to be the baby of the family, and he knows that for ten minutes each day, the two of us will sit together, doing the mental math book as a team.

The course book features simple daily lessons, with a format including enjoyable activities and games. Advanced multiplication and division, geometry, graphing, measurement, and so much more are all taught. This book serves as both the teacher’s guide and the student book, and it guides parents and students through each engaging lesson.

The Mental Math Mysteries book is set up for you to sit face to face with your child.  He sees the side with the questions, and you see the side with the answers.  At the end of each page of four or five lesson boxes, the student is directed to place a sticker onto their included map.  At the end of the course, the student will have a completed picture of the map, and as a reward for completing the course, the child is then able to read the “You-Choose” book included in the course: Ivy and the Ice Village.

Admittedly, I wasn't keen at first to scrap the materials we already had on the shelf and purchase a new curricula.  After all, while it's common to go round and round searching for the right curriculum during your first few years of homeschooling, we've been on this train for a decade and have a system that works.  But sometimes, you just have to admit that there is a better way...

What actually swayed me?  Well, it was the visuals.  The course is so visually appealing, colorful, and engaging through multiple games and teaching methods, and this was exactly what our son was needing.  Even the answer key is beautiful!  For a kid who already strongly dislikes math, changing the format to something that at least seems like fun has already made a big difference.  We're only a week into school, but I'm usually hear complaints on day one...and haven't heard one yet!

This course also includes video lessons, which really bring the material to life in a real-world application way...exactly what he needs to answer that "why should I care?" question I'm always fielding.  But that's not to say that it's not a comprehensive, well-rounded book.  There are also graphing exercises, multiplication tables, geometric formulas, and all the things that a good math course needs.

Watch a Video Lesson  Try Sample Lessons Here!

It's a new program, so we'll let you know how it goes at the end of the school year, but so far I'm impressed!

Tuesday, August 17

Studying India with The Lost Kingdom

India's Independence Day, celebrated annually on August 15, marks the end of British rule in 1947 and the establishment of a free and independent Indian nation. It also marks the anniversary of the partition of the subcontinent into two countries, India and Pakistan, which occurred at midnight on August 14–15, 1947...

India (or Bhārat, in Hindi) is the second-most populated country in the world, and the seventh largest in size.  It is located in south Asia, bordered by the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Pakistan.  (It also shares small borders with several other Asian countries.)

It is speculated that modern humans arrived on the subcontinent around 55,000 years ago.  Originally hunter-gatherers, these first tribes were very isolated from each other, eventually creating a highly diverse population.  The Indus Valley Civilization is one of the oldest known civilizations, dating to around the third millennium BC.

By around the year 400, the caste system had developed.  Empires, such as the Maurya and Gupta, came to power in the Ganges Basin region.  Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism religions also rose to popularity.  By the medieval era, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism were also prevalent.

With the advent of the British East India Company, India became a colonial economy for the British empire.  The British Raj ruled from 1858 to 1947.  It wasn't until Mahatma Gandhi helped lead a protest movement that India began to walk down the path of independence.  

Our spine read for this unit is The Lost Kingdom


Access the entire unit in Beautiful Book Studies!

Each unit addresses a new topic, including science, history, and geography.  Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand.

  • You will also find a short list of reading books, including a featured novel that the unit builds upon.
  • There are vocabulary words, places, and people to identify.
  • Reading comprehension, critical thinking questions, and writing assignments are included.
  • We add fun with hands-on activities and extra videos to watch that will bring the topic to life.

Table of Contents

  • The King’s Fifth
  • Red Falcons of Tremoine
  • Golden Hawks of Genghis Khan
  • Red Hugh of Ireland
  • Calico Captive
  • The Story of Eli Whitney
  • Island of the Blue Dolphins
  • The Lost Kingdom
  • The Secret Garden
  • Heidi
  • Girl of the Limberlost
  • The Winged Watchman
  • When the Dikes Broke
  • Using the Good & the Beautiful in High School

The books selected for these unit studies can be found in the upper grades areas of The Good and the Beautiful Book List.  However, Homeschool On the Range and Sparks Academy are not employed by or affiliated with, nor do they receive any compensation from, The Good and the Beautiful.  It has simply been their curriculum of choice for many years.  These unit studies are not endorsed by The Good and the Beautiful or Jenny Phillips.

Saturday, August 14

Motivating Your Teens

Once upon a time, before automation became commonplace, teenagers were the working class of our society.  You'd see them in shopping malls, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and other such places working hard alongside adults.  However, thanks to technology, teen jobs have been phased out, leaving them to devote that time and energy to such fruits as video games and texting...

Teenagers are in that middle realm between childhood and adulthood.  They want to be treated like adults, and most would welcome the invitation to take on adult responsibilities.  "Back in the day," they could contribute to society through their after-school and summer jobs, which contributed to their own sense of pride and self-worth.

Teens today have those same desires, to feel worthy and contribute.  However, they often aren't given meaningful opportunities to do so, and they aren't motivated by things that seem trivial or that they can't relate to.   So how do we motivate them?

6 Secrets to Motivating Teenagers

  • Make it Personal

    • If you want to wear clean clothes, you'll need to do laundry.  If you want to drive, you'll need gas money.  If you forget to put the trash can lid on, you'll be picking up trash off the ground.  These are tangible benefits that teens will understand.  It can be difficult to understand WHY some things need to be done, but try to relate chores and tasks to a greater goal.  For example, you have to write this essay because it affects your grades, which affect your acceptance into a post-graduate program, which affect your ability to achieve your dream job.  We all have to do things we don't want to at times; helping your teen find that logical path will help remove some of the resistance.

  • Give Them a Say

    • Remember that feeling of always having to do what someone else told you when you were a kid?  It's not a good feeling, is it?  One phrase we eschew in this house is "because I told you so."  It disempowers our children and turns us into despotic rulers.  (And on the extremely rare occasion we've had to use it - typically in a move-it-life-or-death situation, the kids have perked up and responded!)  Teens are at a pivotal point in their lives, on the cusp of adulthood, and with that comes the need to make their own decisions.  That includes having some say over what they do and how things are done.  Our children have chores that must be done on specific days of the week, but it can be done at any point in the day as long as it's done correctly.  Should they fail to complete the task, or drop the ball, then we're on them the following week.  But just for the one week...because there's nothing more demeaning than continuing to harp on someone after they've recognized and corrected their error!

  • Remind Them...But Let them Fail

    • Teenage brains are undergoing one of the most major transformations of their entire life (second only to that birth-five range).  Because of this, neurons are constantly firing and occasionally things get forgotten.  This is in addition to emotional swirls, extracurricular activities, and #life.  One thing our teens need from us right now is help learning how to organize and create routines, which will help them to remember both the big and little things.  In our house, we have a giant whiteboard for notes and reminders.  If it's important, it goes there first.  The grocery list is on the fridge -- if they drink the last of the milk, they write it on the list.  Granted, this only helps them function as part of the family, but when they fly the coop, we'll be helping them tweak the system to their own personal needs.  By the same token, when it comes to more routine tasks (loading the dishwasher, taking out the trash), we're not going to go behind reminding them constantly.  If he fails to do his chore, there are natural consequences, such as having unhealthy animals, having to hand wash dishes, having to drive the trash to the dump in the car, failing a test, or perhaps even losing a job.  I'd rather them learn from failure here at home, where we can talk it to death discuss it and make a better plan for next time, than out in the big, bad world...

  • Be Realistic

    • I always say to my students (in my writing classes), "How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time!"  This is usually in reference to writing long research papers, but the same applies for bigger tasks and projects that teens are facing.  If it seems overwhelming, they're very unlikely to even start on it.  They may not think they can finish, or won't do it correctly, or just simply don't even know where to start.  In this case, we help them break a larger task into manageable pieces.  The more you do this, the more they will be able to begin doing it on their own.  We started years ago -- living on a large farm and telling your teen to mow the yard is a great way to get dumbfounded looks!  So we started pointing out specific regions of the pasture / yard to address.  Fast forward several years...our kids now take on big tasks independently by breaking them down one piece at a time.

  • Incentivize

    • Does your teen do their chores on time every week?  Help out around the house without being asked?  Are you praising the positives as much as you're nagging the negatives?  Using your teen's 'love language,' spontaneously reward him or her with something just to say thank you.  For our boys, this means making sure that in addition to schoolwork, extracurriculars, and chores, they have time carved out every single week for things they want to do...alone.  (We're a bunch of introverts over here!)  But also, once a year, we like to reward them for working so diligently and just being amazing.  😏  (Yes, I'm biased, but they are good kids.)  For one of them, this means a music concert with his dad.  For the other one, it means a chance to see water...preferably the beach.  (This is a huge deal when you live in middle America!)

  • Teens Just Wanna Have Fun

    • And now I'm singing Cyndi Lauper...  But seriously, who isn't motivated by the prospect of fun?  This might include playing games, turning a menial task into a competition (eg, raking leaves into the biggest pile), or just singing along to the radio while working.  And for these Gen-Zers, incorporating technology typically makes tasks more appealing, too...
You may also be interested in How to Engage Your Teen / Tween




Snag a slew of resources in the Homeschool Helpers Bundle!


Covers ten topics to get your homeschool running smoothly!
 
Getting Started
· A Parent’s Alphabet
· Choosing the Right Curriculum for Your Family
· Motivating Your Teens
· Seven Steps to Teaching Work Ethic
 
Special Needs
· Occupational Therapy in Homeschool
· Speech Therapy in Homeschool
· Teaching the Distracted Child
 
Making it Fun
· Game-Schooling – Learning through Play
· How to Snag Free E-Books
· Holiday Foreign Language Fun

Looking for more?  Check out the original Mom’s Bundle and Homemaking & Homesteading Bundle!

Wednesday, August 11

Top Ten Ways to Smoothly Transition Back to Homeschool



  1. Gather your materials ahead of time.
      Start the school year off with everything ready to roll.  Make sure you have the necessary books, library books on hold, and printed materials done and on the shelf.  Pick up all the must-have school supplies for a successful year!  Not sure what you're using yet?  Read curricula reviews for in-depth and honest information from homeschooling moms like you.
  2. Let your kids help choose curricula.  For older kids especially, having some input on their curricula will go a long way toward making the transition back into school easier.  Check out Engaging Your Tween & Teen and Interest-Based Electives for Middle and High School for tips on getting cooperation.
  3. Plan easy meals for the first week.  Spend the weeks just prior to school starting putting together some freezer meals and gathering ingredients for slow cooker meals.  These fix-it-and-forget it starters will ensure that you have healthy, nutritious dinners on the table each night...even when you forgot until the last minute!
  4. Make it memorable.  Take school year photos and complete an All About Me each year to record personal and physical growth.
  5. Kick off each day with a read aloud.  Having a morning time together is a fantastic way to start the day as a family, in a slow, relaxed pace.  This tradition doesn't have to fade away with age...just raise the book level.  We still read to our teens, even in high school.
  6. Take a last-minute vacation.  NOW is our time to shine as homeschoolers!  The parks and museums have emptied out as kids went back to school, but no one is taking spring field trips yet.  It's the perfect time for a short family vacation or museum day.  Find inspiration on our Family Travel page!
  7. Switch it up with a unit study.  Not ready to dive into school head first?  Or maybe you just need a break from the humdrum?  Pick up a book, read together as a family, and work on a multi-modal, hands on unit study!
  8. Don't forget about mom!  Diving into homeschooling will quickly take its toll if you forget to take care of yourself, too.  Schedule some time each week just for rejuvenation...be it a bubble bath, quiet reading time, girls' night out, or whatever replenishes your soul.  Need a book recommendation?  Check out Mom's Bookshelf!  
  9. Farm it out.  Maybe you're great at science, but not so much at history.  Regardless of what you need a bit of teaching help with, you have the choice to pull out your hair or farm it out.  It's more common than you think, especially in the high school years.  Check out the Best Online Options.
  10. Ask for help.  Snag more great tips and tricks as we head back to homeschool.  We'll be covering Back to Homeschool Celebrations, Motivating Your Teens, the Last-Minute Parent, and a Day in the Life of a Homeschooled High Schooler.
  11. Bonus - 

BACK TO HOMESCHOOL DEALS

  • Totally F-R-E-E

    • Snag an e-book on Homeschooling the Upper Grades.  This covers a wide variety of topics and issues facing the homeschooling parent of teens. In this FREE book, we are also blessing families with fun goodies!
    • Unlock a World of Adventure with the Free Literature Adventure Activity Calendar!  By incorporating this calendar into your homeschooling routine, you're not only checking off key educational boxes but also ensuring that learning remains a joyous and stress-free experience.
    • Pick up a slew of free resources from all subjects from Productive Homeschooling.  These notebooking pages can be tailored to any age. 
    • Snag free lessons from the Homeschool Made Simple video curriculum, a new series designed especially for homeschool parents.
    • Sign up to receive this semester-long FREE course for high school students on the subject of Psychology.  In this course, they use video and text to take a jaunt through the brain -- how it works, when it gets miswired, and how to cope with those issues.
    • Try out Techie Homeschool Mom unit studies with this Endangered Animal Project, totally free!
    • Pick up the Homeschooler's Delight Bundle, including fun stuff from the vault, product samples, and more freebies…all in one fantastic goody basket!
    • If you use The Good & the Beautiful, bookmark the TGTB extensions page, where you'll find video playlists, extra printables, quizzes and practice tests, and more that homeschooling moms have created and pulled together all in one place!
    • Several fantastic & free downloadable resources from our TeachersPayTeachers store cover everything from core classes to extras for mom!

  • Too Good To Pass Up!

    • Save 20%
      on online book studies from Literary Adventures for Kids with code HSRANGE -- choose one or enroll in an entire, self-paced year! (exp 8/31/22) -- update to reflect new sale from 12th-17th
    • Go back to homeschool in style with these adorable tees, mugs, and more from Homeschool Mom Style Co!  It's not just for moms...get your homeschool "uniforms," too!  Save 10% on your first order!
    • At Sparks Academy, your students will be part of an interactive co-op with other high school students. Current class offerings are for The Good & the Beautiful language arts and Notgrass history (four levels of each subject), Consumer Math, and Apologia science (three levels). Classes begin on August 18th. Enrollment closes for the '25-'26 school year on August 20th. Use code BACKTOSCHOOL to save 20%  (exp 8/9)
    • Save $10 on the Craftsman Crate subscription box.  This is the box that teaches you real-world, hands-on craftsman skills and has inspired my boys in so many ways!
    • SAVE 10% on the hands-on Homestead Science with code RANGE10 -- available for both elementary and upper grades levels.
    • Get ready to dive into a world of educational adventure with our Shark & Sea BOGO Sale at SchoolhouseTeachers.com! From July 22 to September 6, when you purchase a membership for just $269, you’ll get a second year absolutely free!

HOMESCHOOL SUCCESS RESOURCES

Planning & Prepping

Fun Studies

Year by Year

Homemaking Helps



Back to School Activities for Preschoolers and Kindergarten

Back to School Activities for Preschoolers and Kindergarten

Top Ten Ways to Smoothly Transition Back to Homeschool

Top Ten Ways to Smoothly Transition Back to Homeschool

Back to School Photo Prop Signs

Back to School Photo Prop Signs

Best School Supplies to Help Unique Learners

Best School Supplies to Help Unique Learners

How to Raise Self Motivated Homeschoolers

How to Raise Self Motivated Homeschoolers

Creative Back to Homeschool Ideas

Creative Back to Homeschool Ideas

A Homeschool Student Planner Built for Real Teens

A Homeschool Student Planner Built for Real Teens