When I first started homeschooling 11 years ago, I had absolutely NO idea where to start. I didn’t know anything about how to set up a schedule for our day, I had no idea what an umbrella school was, and I definitely didn’t know how to choose curriculum! I have learned so much each year, and I’m continuing to learn as I go! I wanted to share a few things that have really helped me along the way, and also share some of my favorite things that I use on a daily basis.
Several years after first starting our homeschool journey, I found THIS WEBSITE and it was a HUGE help during my girls’ elementary years. There are a ton of free printables on the site, and over the years I have used the author’s music and art curriculums. If you are brand new to homeschooling, you should start HERE. She also has a great article on if you are new to homeschooling because of Covid-19 HERE. This site has a ton of information, and you can spend hours reading through her blog and not even really touch the surface! Such a great resource!
THIS is the curriculum that I used all through elementary school. It is the best that I have seen for setting a solid foundation in phonics, grammar, and mathematics. It does include lots of busy seatwork, but that’s the beauty of homeschooling: you can choose how much of the “extras” to make your children do! Now that my two older girls are in middle and high school we are using a variety of curriculums, but Abeka is my number one choice for curriculum in grade school.
THIS has been on my schoolroom desk for four years now. It is my most used piece in my schoolroom! It is so convenient for holding all of our pens, pencils, stapler, highlighters, rulers, paperclips…well, I think you get the idea! Lol It is the first thing that comes out of storage each year when the school year begins!
THIS is my favorite homeschool planner. Every year I can’t wait to see what the new design is for the year’s planner. Although the floral designs of the planner are always so pretty, that’s not my favorite thing about the planner. There are also articles included in the planner that cover topics that encourage you in your homeschool journey, as well as tips on how to better your homeschool experience. It always seems like right when I’m getting discouraged with how things are going, I’ll turn a page in my planner and get encouragement on not giving up when things get tough! I just love the planner and how it helps me stay organized but also encourages me along the way!
And last but not least, this may seem inconsequential, but THESE are my favorite erasable pens!! They are like gold – everyone in my family knows not to TOUCH – no, not to LOOK AT – mom’s erasable pens! It’s serious. I have three packs right now and feel like it’s just not enough! Lol
That’s just some of my homeschooling favorites! If you have favorite items, please share. I always love finding new websites, resources, and products that will help in this amazing journey! Hope you enjoyed reading. Happy Monday!
