Search Results for: planning

Free Simple Homeschool Planning Pack

May 24, 2017 By Valerie Mcclintick 2 Comments

This set of simple homeschooling resources is intended to help you simplify your goal setting, curriculum shopping and daily schedule. Today, we are offering this small collection FREE for all of our newsletter subscribers.

Print Simple Homeschool Planning Pack Here

Homeschool Goals: Sometime before you start your curriculum planning we suggest sitting down and writing out your goals for each student. This doesn’t have to be detailed, it can be as simple as, “Get through 5^th grade math.” However, there may be subjects that you have more detailed answers for, “Develop empathy and self control.” Doing this for each student is a great way to customize their education.

Homeschool Curriculum: Print one page for each student and use this sheet to keep track of what products, resources and classes you’ll be using during the year to cover each subject. Take this sheet with you to homeschool conventions and curriculum sales so you can always update and keep organized.

Homeschool Schedule: This sheet is intended to be an independent planner for your students. Print and add in your daily subjects and a photo of your student. Laminate or store in a page protector then provide your student with a dry erase marker to keep track of their daily tasks. Encourage students to mark off the boxes as they complete each task.

Print our Free Homeschool Planning Pack Here

Still looking for Homeschool Curriculum?

Shop our eStore Here

Homeschool Planning Pack

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Free Homeschool Planning Printables

August 23, 2015 By Valerie Mcclintick 2 Comments

Well, I’ve done it again.

I’ve waited until the last two weeks before really coming up with a solid Homeschool Plan.

Sure I’ve been collecting various eBooks and curriculum resources over the Summer, but it’s been more like a Homeschool Curriculum feeding frenzy instead of an organized and thoughful process.

It’s time to load everything on the table and see what I’m working with here folks

That is not even this years photo.

I’m so far behind, I haven’t even made the obligatory mess of dining room table yet.

It’s going to be a busy week folks.

So to keep myself invested in this process I decided to update our Independent Weekly Homeschool Calendar, as well as our Goals and Planing sheets. You can still print the older versions here and here if you like them, but this year I needed a little Color Pop to get my act in gear. If you’re struggling to wrap your head around how to schedule your curriculum, try this simple tip for each subject. How to make a list of Goals, Resources, and Action Plan

Download the updated Homeschool Planning Printables Here

I’ll be using these with my younger children this year for sure! My older children are going to try Lesson Trek, mostly because I thought Middle School would be a great time to learn how to keep an online calendar as well. We’re always looking for real life scenarios to add in that Technology requirement!

If you’re still curriculum shopping like me be sure to check out our Curriculum Reviews and our Homeschool eBooks!

I’ve just finished our Letter of the Week Preschool Curriulum, and it’s very low-prep, so grab that if you need a quick fix for your kiddo too.

Homeschool Curriculum Planning

June 9, 2013 By Valerie Mcclintick 2 Comments

When it comes to curriculum planning I like to keep things organized.
But sometimes I get bogged down by the actual organization process.

This is pretty much how it goes every year:

I print up my planner.
I sharpen my pencil.
I heat up my tea.
I clean my desk.
I organize the drawers.
I check my email.
I look at all the curriculum I’ve flagged
I spend HOURS pouring over detailed reviews.
I hunt down the best prices for each title.
I load my carts
But before I EVER purchase anything,
I step back and make a list.

I list out ALL of the curriculum titles that I’m 90% sure that I will use.
Then I take the lists with me to each every homeschool book sale, and convention
in hopes that I’ll find each specific curriculum at a bargain price.

This also helps me deter away from impulse buys.

I usually write out this list by hand,
but this year I decided to make a printable Curriculum Planning List

Download: Homeschool Curriculum Planning Sheet

Isn’t it cute?
It’s not rocket science,
but it sure makes my lists look a whole lot more organized.

Plus you can print one up for each child,
staple them together and take them with you to your Summer sales

When you’ve got a zillion kids it tow,
it’s nice to have something that fits in your back pocket and frees up your hands.

I think it goes perfectly with the simple Homeschool Budget sheet I posted last year.
Be sure you read all the ~~rules~~ suggestions for implementing this budget sheet.

So there you go, 6 years of homeschooling and I’ve managed two planning sheets.
At this rate, I should have a full printable planner by the time my children graduate :)

Fine Motor Skills Activities for Preschool

February 25, 2019 By Valerie Mcclintick Leave a Comment

If you have a preschool student who is in need of working on fine motor skills, you’ll want to provide them with numerous hands-on activities and development tools. These activities should provide students with the opportunity to use their small motor muscles while having fun learning.

Our monthly fine motor skills activity packs are filled with engaging resources, worksheets, activities, and games that build those small motor muscles for young students. If you have missed the prior months activity packs, not to worry, you can still pick them up in our TPT store here.

**HUGE Brick Building Mat Mega Pack Available Here**

April’s pack is filled with fun, thematic learning opportunities covering Weather, Earth Day, and Easter. NOTE: If Easter falls in March you can simply swap out the Butterfly & Frog theme from March for the two weeks of Easter in April. Everything is designed to coordinate and adapt to the changing holiday. Here is a peek inside our April Fine Motor Pack. For each of the themes, there are at least 14 activity pages described below:

GEOBOARD: Students use rubber bands to create the pictures on a geoboard. Each sheet features a letter of the alphabet alongside a thematic picture.
MAZES: Students solve the mazes and follow the prompts. Each page features thematic mazes alongside a tracing activity or prompt.

TRACING: Students trace the pictures with colored pencils or fine tip markers. Each page features thematic content and prompts students to complete the pictures.
PUZZLE PICTURES: Students use puzzle blocks to create thematic pictures. These sheets feature thematic shapes and provide students with easy and more difficult patterns. A full color example is available for easy reference.
LISTENING SKILL SHEETS: Teachers will read the directions aloud and the student listens carefully to finish the task. Tasks involve fine motor elements, coloring, and prepositional positioning of drawings

DOT & POKE: Students cut apart the halves. Students solve the dot to dot activities. Then, students use a push pin to poke a picture onto colored construction paper. See full instructions below.
CUT & SORT CROWNS: Each crown features a theme alongside a 4-step sequencing pattern. Students cut out the pictures and glue them in the correct order. Students write their name, color the pictures, then staple the sides to make a crown.

SNAP CUBE CREATIONS: Students use counting cubes to make thematic pictures These cubes can be snapped together. If you do not have cubes, students can color the squares in the grid to match the picture.
PLAYDOUGH: Students use playdough to complete the prompts. Prompts require students to form and shape the dough to make pictures, solve problems, or complete the scene.

DAB & DOT: Students use daubers to dab by number in order to reveal the mystery picture. (Hold at a distance to help students see the pictures).
CUT & PASTE CRAFTIVITY: These crafty projects are perfect for little hands.Students color, glue, and cut to make fun, thematic pictures.Pair with a simple writing prompt or poem for extra learning!
POM PICTURES x 2: Students use pom-poms to complete the picture.For added difficulty have students use plastic tweezers to pick up the poms. Alternatively students can glue poms to make these sheets into a simple craft project.

CUISENAIRE™ ROD PICTURES: Students use colorful centimeter rods to build thematic pictures. Students are asked to color the rod key to show how many rods they used of each color.
BRICK BUILDERS: Students use classic building blocks to recreate these thematic pictures. Students work on storing, planning, and stacking before creating their final picture.

With over 60+ pages of fine motor activities, this set is sure to be a hit for spring! With multi-level activities, this pack easily adapts to your homeschool or classroom setting. Read more and purchase from our TPT store here.

Bible ABC Dab & Dot Worksheets

September 28, 2018 By Crafty Team Leave a Comment

One of our best-selling curriculum notebooks is our Letter of the Week Bible ABC program. If you haven’t yet had a chance to check it out, you’ll definitely want to head over to our eStore to view the course overview and sample pages.

One of the most common questions I get is, “When will a Kindergarten Bible ABC Program be available?” While I do have a few planning pages in the work, it is still a long-term goal to add subsequent grade levels and (gasp) languages even. (“Do you have this in Spanish?” is probably the next popular question.)

Anyway, my boys have been all about Dab&Dot lately with these Free Sight Word Dab and Dot worksheets I made for First Grade Mom and I got to thinking it might be fun to make some more Dab and Dot Worksheets with a Bible theme:

I’m super excited at how they turned out. I chose to feature the lowercase alphabet alongside a beginning letter Bible picture for children to dab. There are also letter bubbles for children to seek and dab their letter for each worksheet.

I would even encourage students to use different color daubers to complete their pictures if you have them.

This is the set of daubers we have at our house, they are nice because the ink doesn’t splatter everywhere. They have a flat cap so you can store them upside down, and they take a little bit of priming before use (which I don’t mind at all, I prefer priming to splattering/dripping ink)

With 26 different letters, these would make a colorful display in your homeschool or classroom setting. Give each child a letter or two, then back them with construction paper and hand them on the bulletin board. Or, print up the letters in your child’s name and have them create a colorful custom art project. Better yet, print up a complete set for each child in your Sunday School classroom and send them home with their very own Bible ABC book.

There are lots of possibilities with this set, especially when you pair it up with our Bible ABC Curriculum Notebook.

We’d love to see your creations! Don’t forget to TAG us on INSTAGRAM!!!

Looking for more Bible ABC Fun?

Try our Letter of the Week Bible ABC Curriculum Notebook Today!!

5 Tips to Balance Busyness in Your Homeschool

August 15, 2018 By Crafty Team Leave a Comment

The demands on moms today, especially homeschool moms, are overwhelming. The truth is, most of those demands we create for ourselves. Do you find yourself say, “I’m so busy!” or even, “I’m way too busy.” I understand.

Here are five tips to find homeschool balance and why super mom is not busy mom.

Tip One: Create a Homeschool Mission Statement

Before you balk, thinking this is one more thing you have to do, this can be super helpful. It doesn’t need to be fancy or overly complicated. A simple paragraph of what you want to accomplish this year in your homeschool can help keep you on track. For example, “Our homeschooling goal for this school year is to be consistent with read-alouds, complete all textbook work planned out, be consistent with our daily schedule, and participate in one out-of-the-house activity.”

That doesn’t seem like a big deal, right? But this is a powerful little paragraph as the other tips will show. If you want, you can also have a family mission statement. This can help you keep homeschooling in perspective, too.

Tip Two: Recognize Your Limits

Let’s face it. We can’t do all.the.things. And we certainly can’t honor our mission statement and still get them all done. We have to be honest with ourselves and recognize that there’s no way we can do more than we can do. We can always do what we should do, if we are careful to honor what we should do first.

If you’re the mom of littles, recognizing your limits will help you to spend your best energy on your own little family. Small children require great physical stamina!

As your kids grow, they demand more emotional energy. Knowing that you can’t pour from an empty cup will help you be available to them. Fill your cup with self-care and recognize when you’re moving into the burnout danger zone.

Tip Three: Learn to Say No (without explanation)

There are so many things that want our time and attention. A lot of them good things. Extracurricular activities, church, extended family, and friends. But hear me on this, you can’t say yes to everything without burning yourself out. If you’ve neglected your appearance, your health, or most importantly- your spiritual health, by saying yes to everything, it’s time to learn the power of no.

You can really say no without explanation. Ninety-nine percent of the time, no explanation is warranted anyway. Just say no. If it doesn’t help you honor your homeschool mission statement, you can turn it down. You have the power to do that.

Tip Four: Plan to Succeed

It doesn’t matter how you plan, as long as you do. In general, things don’t just happen.

Without a plan you’re more likely to overextend, say yes, and stray far from the good things you hope to accomplish. Our cell phones, Facebook, and boredom can distract us from our mission.

If you’re not a planner, creating a repeatable rhythm in your home can go a long way. Same wake-up times, same bed times, meals, and schooling.

If you fall somewhere between ninja planner and rhythm keeper, you can keep a simple calendar and a daily to-do list. Print our FREE (SIMPLE) Homeschool Planning Pack Here

Tip Five: Ask for Help

There are going to be times, despite your best efforts, where you just can’t get the important things done without asking for help. Just ask.

Whether it’s your mom-in-law, sister, or spouse, be specific about where you need help and let them share your burden for a bit. This can be humbling if we’re used to doing all the things ourselves, but no one who loves you would want you to tough it through burn out.

There are no awards to be won for being busy for the sake of being busy. It’s totally fine to let others pitch in so you can rest when you need to, or simply get caught up.

The homeschool year may be just starting for you. I hope that these five tips to go from super busy, mythical super mom to peaceful and productive and present mom, bless you.

What tip can you use today to bring peace to your own homeschool?

Homeschool Helps

There are days when having something fun and educational to do can be a life-saver! The Bible ABC Curriculum to the rescue.

Over 600 pages of downloadable resources for teaching children the Alphabet one week at a time. For each letter of the alphabet, you’ll receive 24 pages of Bible activities, games, worksheets, charts, coloring pages, math explorations and more. Designed to keep the prep work to a minimum, our Bible ABC Curriculum Notebook can be spread over 26 weeks. View the sample pages above for a detailed course outline and a suggested 4-day schedule. Suggested age range is Preschool to K4.

Bible ABC Curriculum Notebook

Character Training in 4 Easy Steps Using Chores

July 25, 2018 By Crafty Team Leave a Comment

Do your kids hide when you mention household chores? Do you hide when you have your own unfinished household chores waiting to be done? It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you have so many things on your plate. And it’s even easier to let chores slide when there are seemingly more important things to do. But what if you could combine your regular household chores with those vital teaching moments? Homeschooling affords us that very opportunity. Here are several ways you can include household chores as teaching moments.

1. Planning to Succeed

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Teaching Moment: Making a plan to accomplish household chores provides an easy boundary of expectations.

It’s easier to finish what is planned. Sit down with your children with pen and paper in hand. Make a list of all the household chores and add them to a calendar. Now you have a deadline to finish the chores or a set time to tend to them on a regular basis. Giving your children a concrete visual of the work that needs to be done can help them “see” how it fits into the overall rhythm of the family.

2. Patience in Learning

“Patience is the companion of wisdom.” ~ St. Augustine

Teaching Moment: Practice patience with children learning a new skill so they can learn it more quickly.

If you’ve forgotten what it’s like to learn the skill required to do a new chore, try brushing your teeth with your left hand (or non-dominate hand). Try the same thing with writing your name. This is much like a child’s experience when learning something new. When you demonstrate patience towards their learning curve, they can begin to have patience with themselves in the learning process.

3. Diligence in Following Through

“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” ~ John Quincy Adams

Teaching Moment: Encouragement to finish the job well teaches diligence.

When the going gets tough, we tend to give up. So, it’s easy to understand our children’s tendency to give in when things are hard. It’s human nature. What can help to overcome this natural impulse so many have? Encouragement. As parents, our words hold power. Our children do want to please us. We can use this power for good through encouragement.

Applying this encouragement to our children’s work efforts can be magical.

When encouragement fails to motivate them to diligence, we can help them see how the finished chore fits into the big picture. For instance, if a child’s chore it to empty the dishwasher, the completion of it provides clean dishes for dinner. This helps the child see the importance of their place and their work within the family. It helps them feel valued and loved.

4. Having a Good Attitude

“With every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.” — Mary Poppins

Teaching Moment: Learning to have a positive attitude regarding our responsibilities helps us identify the fun in the work we have to do.

This makes the work easier to finish. Wouldn’t it be great if our kids could do everything with a happy countenance? Mom, this attitude starts with you. Modeling a good attitude while doing necessary tasks is the first step in establishing a good attitude in your children. This teaching moment has an impact far beyond teaching our children to have a good attitude. It will give you peace throughout your day. Why? A habit of a good attitude spills over to our homeschooling efforts, correcting our kids, and every element of our parenting.

There are so many teaching moments that we get to experience as homeschool parents. Using chores provides teaching moments that build character, and this serves our children for a lifetime. It makes our own parenting easier, too!

Free Homeschool Planner

May 11, 2018 By Crafty Team Leave a Comment

I know you are likely winding down from your 2017 homeschool year, and I am right there with you! We are counting down the days till summer vacation over here, and it can’t come quick enough! With the wrapping up of another successful homeschool year, it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on what worked and what didn’t so that we can plan for the upcoming year ahead of us.

One task I like to complete at the end of the school year is to start planning for the next year. I know that might not be how everyone likes to do it, but I like to have a plan in mind BEFORE the garage sales and homeschool books fairs start to pop up. Otherwise, I turn into a homeschool curriculum junkie and I just buy it all, whether I need it or not.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Shout Out to all my #Homeschool Buddies: SHARE your best curriculum score! @CraftyClasroom” quote=”Shout Out to all my #Homeschool Buddies: SHARE your best curriculum score!” theme=”style3″]

My favorite way to plan my year is with my Simple Homeschool Planning Pack, which I’ve been using for years. This year I’ve updated it with a couple more pages, and a whole lot of Rainbow….because this homeschool mama likes color! It really only takes 3 or 4 pages and I’ve got everything planned out for my kiddos each year. I’ve had so many people ask how I can get away with just a few homeschool planning pages so I thought I’d preview my planning method below:

Homeschool Goals: Sometime before you start your curriculum planning we suggest sitting down and writing out your goals for each student. This doesn’t have to be detailed, it can be as simple as, “Get through 5th-grade math.” However, there may be subjects that you have more detailed answers for, “Develop empathy and self-control.” Doing this for each student is a great way to customize their education.

Homeschool Curriculum: Print one page for each student and use this sheet to keep track of what products, resources, and classes you’ll be using during the year to cover each subject. Take this sheet with you to homeschool conventions and curriculum sales so you can always update and keep organized.

Homeschool Lesson Planner: Sometimes curriculum doesn’t come with a weekly schedule, or it will be a five-day schedule and you want to homeschool over four days instead. In this case, the simplest way to organize your lesson plans is to count the number of lessons or the number of pages in the curriculum. Then divide that number by the number of weeks you plan to homeschool. This will give you the number of pages you need to cover each week. You can then further divide that number by the number of days you plan to homeschool each week. You now have weekly and daily goals for this subject.

Homeschool Calendar: This sheet is intended to be an independent planner for your students. Print and add in your daily subjects and a photo of your student. Laminate or store in a page protector then provide your student with a dry erase marker to keep track of their daily tasks. Encourage students to mark off the boxes as they complete each task. The page comes with a blank version as well so you can write in your own topics.

Annual Overview Calendar: If you have field trips or monthly themes you want to plan, then this calendar is for you! Featuring a quick at-a-glance layout, this sheet is available with two different formats; the first starting in January and the second starting in September. Use this calendar to jot down quick notes for annual requirements, testing or even

Print our Free Homeschool Planning Pack Here

Still looking for Homeschool Curriculum?

Shop our eStore Here

Why Homeschooling Isn’t for Everyone

May 9, 2018 By Crafty Team 1 Comment

Homeschooling is such a great way for kids to learn, but is it the right choice for everyone? When I first started homeschooling (twelve years ago) you might have heard me say things like:

Homeschooling is the BEST thing for your child! -or
Everyone should homeschool no matter the cost. -or-
What do you mean you are sending your kids to school….don’t you love them?

Okay, that last one is a tad dramatic, but somehow I had the preconceived notion that because I had decided homeschooling was the best situation for my family, that is was the best situation for EVERY family.

(Did I mention I was a tad self-righteous as a young adult? Just a tad…)

Fast forward to today and I am still homeschooling two of my four children. My eldest two children, grades 7 and 9, were just enrolled in a local private school last year. My youngest two, grades 1 and 3, are still being educated and home and we continue our daily homeschool journey. We love and support our local charter school and my younger two boys take part in weekly on-campus enrichment classes.

So currently, we are like a hodge-podge homeschooling family now, but it’s working for us. And that is what the homeschool movement is all about…..doing what works best for each individual child and family.

So, back to the issue at hand…is homeschooling for everyone? Well, maybe not? If you are considering homeschooling, here are five questions to ask yourself before going any further.

Why Homeschooling Isn’t For Everyone

Although homeschooling is the perfect option for many families, unfortunately, it’s not for everyone. There are a variety of reasons why homeschooling isn’t for everyone, such as not having the time to homeschool or homeschooling simply doesn’t fit your child’s educational or emotional needs. If you’re wondering if homeschool is the right choice for you or not, ask yourself these five questions.

1. Do You Have the Passion?

In order for homeschooling to work, the passion to homeschool needs to be there. You need to be excited about all of the possibilities of homeschooling. Each day should feel like a new day to explore and have fun while learning. If you aren’t passionate about teaching your child at home, then commitment might become lacking, in which case homeschooling might not be the right choice for you. Note: It’s not all sunshine and roses. There will always be times of struggle when homeschooling, (some have coined the term, “Homeschool Burnout,” but the desire to continue to breath life and learning into your children should be an ongoing passion.

2. Do You Have the Patience?

Even if you have the passion to homeschool, you need to understand that homeschooling requires quite a bit of patience. It’s common to hear people say, “I just don’t have enough patience to homeschool…..” and there is a little truth to that…..homeschooling requires patience. Homeschooling takes time, energy, and commitment, just like anything else in life worth doing. Your children are not going to be perfect little students every day of the week and understanding that beforehand can help you prepare for the trials ahead. There are seasons of homeschooling that seem like a daily struggle sometimes, and that is totally normal. But like everything in life, when things are important to you, you stick with it and find a way to make it work. This goes back to my first point, deciding if homeschooling is important to you. If you lack the passion for homeschooling then when your patience is tried, and it will be, you’re more likely to become frustrated and give up homeschooling altogether. If you think your patience might be tried beyond your capability, there are many great homeschooling conferences (online and otherwise) to support the building of patience and realistic expectations. These conferences and homeschool support groups are amazing as you continue your homeschool journey. Sometimes all it takes is a new schedule, a little encouragement, or a renewed sense of purpose to instill order back into your homeschool. Take the summer to educate yourself about the specific joys and trials and the support resources available to you before making your decision to homeschool.

3. Do You Have the Time to Dedicate

Homeschooling is a big commitment for your time. A BIG ONE! When you decide to homeschool, you’re dedicating a large portion of your day to educating your child, ensuring they learn and grow at an appropriate pace. Although you won’t be sitting down all day with your child, teaching for 8 hours straight, you will spend hours teaching and exploring with your kids. Many homeschooling families strive to teach independent learning in their children, but that can be difficult if your child is not yet reading on their own. So be realistic about your time scheduling, and even if you cannot dedicate yourself completely to homeschooling full-time, try looking into local charter programs, online school, or even block scheduling at private school settings.

4. What Are Your Children’s Needs?

Your kids are unique and with that uniqueness comes different needs. For one of your kids, homeschooling might lead to academic and emotional success, making it the right choice for them. On the other hand, another child might struggle with homeschooling, making it the wrong choice for your family. When deciding if homeschooling is right for you, take your children’s needs into consideration. Knowing your child’s specific learning abilities or disabilities is key to your decision. There’s no shame in admitting that homeschooling might not be the best choice for your child. Many homeschooling families have a child or two in public or private education, while they continue to homeschool their other children. Do what is best for your family and each of your children.

5. Are Both Parents On Board?

You might have the passion and patience to homeschool, but does your spouse? Even if you’re planning to be the one that does all of the teaching, it’s important that you have your spouse in your corner, supporting you in this decision. If your spouse isn’t comfortable with homeschooling, then homeschooling might not be an option for you at this time. Before making a decision take time to research and learn about the cost and benefits of homeschooling with your spouse. Attend conferences, and learn more about your state requirements. Find local groups and homeschool communities in your area that you can connect with and learn from. Make sure your spouse is 100% on board before making the leap into homeschool.

6 Steps to the Perfect Homeschool Schedule

November 10, 2017 By Crafty Team 2 Comments

Are you tired of planning and re-planning out your homeschool year? There is nothing worse than spending hours upon hours getting organized only to have 2 weeks of sick days to throw a wrench in the works. Or do you start off the year strong, checking off each item from your homeschool planner…..only to completely ignore your plans by the second month in? Well, guess what? It doesn’t have to be this hard. Today, I’m gong to share 6 Simple Steps you can follow to create YOUR perfect homeschool schedule.

Sticking to a homeschool scheduled doesn’t have to be that hard. In fact, it can really be quite easy with a little preparation at the start of the year. Here are six tangible ways you can make your homeschool schedule work for you.

Choosing the Right Start And End Date

Between September 1 and June 1 there are195 weekdays. Most curriculums have 170 days of lessons

So, if your curriculum has 170 days in the curriculum, you could feasibly start the school year September 1, and end June 1 and still have 15 weekdays off.

15 days might seem like a lot but there is still more you need to consider.

Are you going to want specific holidays or birthdays off?
How many doctor’s appointments does your family typically go to in a year, including sick appointments?
Does your curriculum build in review days, or will your child need extra review time?
Will you be taking many field trips?
Does your child work well when they’re sick?If the answer is no, then you’ll probably need extra sick days.
Are you willing to have your children work in the evening if they didn’t complete their school work?
Do you want to go on a family vacation before all the other kids get out of school?

There is nothing worse than feeling like you need to cram lessons down your kids throats so they finish the school year on time.I would rather start our school year in the middle of August and end mid-June.That way I can have a few more flexible days during the year for Doctor’s appointments and field trips.

Staying On Track During School Hours

Have a consistent start time.If your kids are consistently not completing their work, then you may need to adjust accordingly.
Stay home during school hours as much as possible.
Don’t take phone calls during school hours.
Don’t do chores during school hours.
Pick up your groceries from the store using one of the many online shopping programs.
Use YouTube if your child is struggling with a concept but you don’t have instructional time to explain it multiple times.(I also find my kids hearing something explained in a different way by someone else generally helps them understand a new concept faster).
Plan daily breaks to help with focus.
Know what time of day your kids work best and plan accordingly.

Planning Ahead To Stay On Schedule

Know what assignments your kids can do on their own.Plan your days around it.
Get ahead on favorite subjects on weekends and days off.
If you need to miss a day during the week, work on Saturday.
Plan your week on Sunday evening.Do this every week, because curveballs happen.

What To Do When Something Derails Your Schedule

Build in plenty of flexible days at the beginning of the year so no one falls behind in work.
Complete the most critical parts of the missed lessons immediately but then move on and make everything else up gradually.
Extend your school day by ½ and hour to an hour until everything is made up.

Making The Most Out of Sick Days

If your kids are seriously sick let them rest as much as possible, otherwise, try and have them do some work.
Do the worksheets you can verbally.Obviously writing is an important skill, but for the sake of staying on schedule, you can do the writing for a day or two if your kids just can’t focus.
Read their lessons and books out loud to them.
Eliminate enrichment work until they’re better.
Watch educational cartoons or documentaries on what they’re currently working.

Staying Emotionally Healthy

An exhausted homeschool Mom is one who will have a hard time staying on schedule.

Get enough sleep.
Stay home Sunday nights.Emotionally prepare yourself for the week.
Learn to say “I’m sorry no.My plate is too full with homeschooling.”A lot of people assume because you’re at home full time you can do favors for them or the church.Most of us have a hard time saying no.Homeschooling is a fulltime job.You can say no.I promise it gets easier.
Don’t do activities just for the sake of doing them.Take a step back.
Give yourself time out of the house without the kids.

Looking for more?

Print our Free SIMPLE Weekly Homeschool Planner Here.

Local Homeschool Field Trip Guide

October 30, 2017 By Valerie Mcclintick 1 Comment

Yesterday we shared a list of 100 Fun-Filled Homeschool Field Trips you don’t want to miss!

Today, we are sharing a simple, editable planning template you can use to create a guide for your local homeschool group.

Let’s face it…keeping your children busy learning can be a difficult task. This guide will easily become your go-to resources for those days when you just need to get out of the house for some on-site learning.

We’ve organized this planning guide into six sections with tips and local recommendations.

Fine Arts
Local Government & Business
Museums
Parks & Recreation
Outdoor Activities
Group Tours

Each form includes an editable space for you to add in the contact information for your own local resources. Once edited you can save a copy and share your guide with other local homeschooling families. Best of all you can continue to edit and change the guide as local resources change….you’ll always have a handy resource at your fingertips!

Download this FREE Editable Template when you Subscribe to The Crafty Classroom.

100 Fun-Filled-HOMESCHOOL-Field-Trips

October 29, 2017 By Valerie Mcclintick Leave a Comment

Whether you’re looking for a homeschool field trip for just your family, or you’re planning one for your co-op here is a list of 100 ideas to get you started for your next outing.

Museum Field Trip Ideas

Science Museums
Hands On and Children’s Museums
Armed Forces Museums
Art Museums
Naval Vessels
Submarines
Lighthouses
Cultural Museums
African American, Jewish, Arabic etc. Museums
Space and NASA Museums
Planetariums
Aquariums
Automotive Museums or Shows
Omnimax Movies, a lot of science centers have these and they’re well worth the extra cost.
Historic Homes and Mansions
Mechanical Museums
Miniature and Model Museums

Pro tips: Always check if museums have homeschool days. Alternatively see if they offer group discounts, it might be worth it to go with other families for some savings. Also see if they offer guided tours, you’ll get the best look at the biggest museums and maximize time.

Outdoor Field Trips

Nature Centers
Farms
Zoo’s and Petting Zoos
Railroad Ride
Historic Villages, see if you can set up a few hours to do class in a one room school house.
Nature Hike
A Bug Walk (walk around look for creepy crawlies)
Practice Map Reading or Following Directions in a Downtown Area
Downtown Scavenger Hunt
Horseback Riding Lessons, or Dude Ranch
Camping or Survival Workshop
County, State, and 4H Fairs
Air Show
Fireworks Show
Local Outdoor Festivals
Historic Festivals
Renaissance Faires
Apple Orchards, go to one where you can pick your own.
Pumpkin Patch
Fort Tours
Caves
Bat Walks
Butterfly Houses
Aviaries
Natural Landforms
Waterfalls
Photography Walks
Amusement Parks
Maple Tree Farm During Tapping
Boat Tours
Star Gazing During a Meteor Shower
Berry Picking

Pro tips: If you’re going someplace like a nature center call and see if any special workshops or classes are offered. Talk to the people that work the events you attend. Encourage your children to ask questions.

Fine Arts Based

Local Professional and Community Theater Plays
Shakespeare In the Park
Orchestra Concerts
Operas, Musicals, and Ballets
Children’s Orchestra Days at Local Venues
Magic Shows
Magic Lesson
Craft Lessons, check your local Joann’s for some fun classes.
Drama Workshops
Prepare a performance and perform somewhere.
Pottery Class

Pro tips: If you know a local artist or performer schedule an hour for them to talk with your kids. Your kids are bound to love stories of their experiences.

Local Parks and Recreation Ideas

MADD presentations
Children’s Art Lessons
Special Local Events and Parties
Taste of Your City
Special Events at Your Parks
Tree Lightings
Trunk or Treats
Swimming Classes
Sport Scrimmages
Robotics Workshops
Auto Shows

Pro Tips: Get online and look at the brochures of the Parks and Recreation Departments of nearby cities, for even more opportunities.

Government and Local Business Ideas

Town Hall Tours
State Capitol Tours
Firehouse Open House (Generally in October)
Political Rallies
Washington D.C.
Historical Landmarks
Battlefields
Job Shadowing, my sister did this one year at a vet’s office and really enjoyed it.
Ethnic Restaurants, especially cuisine your family hasn’t tried. French, German, English, Middle Eastern, Indian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese etc.
Antique Stores
Flea Markets
Animal Breeders or Humane Society
Local Nonprofits, don’t forget to volunteer.
Book Readings and Signings
Sports Arena Tours and Kid Days
Auto Race Track
Old Fashioned Arcades
Maternity ward tour. I’m serious. If you have a student interested in the medical field, it’s a normal tour hospitals give so it’s easy to schedule.

Pro tips: Ask around, call ahead, think nontraditional. Let your kids experience jobs and businesses that could spark a future career.

Tour Ideas and Other Presentations

Factory, goods Tours
Water Plant Tours
Nuclear Power Plant Tour, this one was one of my favorites in High School.
Television Studio Tours (Check out public access channels.)
Science Presentations at Local Colleges
Old and Historic Churches, if you know an organist an explanation and tour of a real pipe organ is always awesome.
Chocolate Factory Tours
Dairy Factory Tours
Cereal Factory Tours
Parade Company Tours
Recycling Plant and Waste Management Tour

For more ideas, be sure to follow local mom and homeschool pages on Facebook. Check out city brochures online, and always keep an eye out in newspapers.

I hope you find some great field trips and make wonderful memories.

Thanksgiving Math & Literacy, Art, Science & More….

October 26, 2017 By Valerie Mcclintick Leave a Comment

Do you ever wish someone would just plan out your entire homeschool year for you….then maybe bundle it all up and email it to your inbox on Monday morning?

Yeah….me too.

Well, I don’t have an entire YEAR of curriculum to send you, but I do have something that will make your homeschool planning super easy this November.

SMART: Science, Math, Art, Reading & Take Home activities for Thanksgiving! This helpful set is filled with a week’s worth of fun, educational math games, hands-on activities, science experiments, art projects, early readers, writing prompts and a Bible memory verse. Everything you need to add a little holiday fun to your kindergarten classroom this year!

Thanksgiving Science: This set includes five simple science experiments and challenges. Each thematic activity guides students through a fun, hands-on science exploration with very little prep-work. Students work their way through the scientific method using the step-by-step science journals. Each experiment includes a follow-up activity for added learning.

Thanksgiving Math: Each day students will play a fun game or activity then follow up their learning with a lesson sheet to show mastery. Games focus on learning to frame numbers to ten, basic addition, counting to 100, and counting by 10’s.

Thanksgiving ART: We include five stunning autumn art projects that are perfect for Thanksgiving. Each project comes with a full photo tutorial, printable templates and easy to follow materials list. Students work with oil pastels, paint, textures, blending and more.

Thanksgiving Reading (and Writing): This set includes three early readers covering social studies and history. Each story includes a carefully controlled word list and incorporates key vocabulary for extended learning. Students are provided narrative and comparison writing prompts that are not only simple to follow, but would make wonderful educational keepsakes.

Take Home/Review Work: T is for Take Home Review Sheets. These sheets can be used as review work in the homeschool classroom or as homework in a standard classroom. Each page features reading, writing, vocabulary, and scripture memorization activities. Character thinking points are available instead of Bible memory for those using this resource in a public school setting.

Thanksgiving Math Games for Kindergarten

October 11, 2017 By Valerie Mcclintick Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and you might be looking for fun ways to get your students learning this holiday season! I know my kiddos sure enjoy a little FUN during the holidays and with our brand new Thanksgiving SMART Pack you can still include educational content

Thanksgiving BUMP is a super fun way to work on multiplication facts. Using a paperclip spinner students spin and multiple the number they land on by 10. Then, they cover that number with one of their markers (coin, flat marble) and it’s the next student’s turn. The goal is to get four in a row covered. If a number is already covered by the opponents marker you can, ‘BUMP,’ them off. A fun follow up worksheet is provided to reinforce skip counting by 10’s.

Thanksgiving SPIN and FRAME is another fun game for younger students. Children spin with a paperclip spinner then frame the number in the ten frame below. Provide students with fun holiday candies, such as candy corn or candy pumpkins to use as counters. A simple follow-up worksheet is provided to show mastery.

Turkey Trot is a FUN game for students learning to count to 100! Students take turns rolling the dice, adding their number and moving their marker across the hundreds board. Land on a multiple of 10 and you get to roll again. First one to 100 wins! A simple follow up worksheet is included for students to work on number value.

Roll a Turkey Printable Game is a fun drawing activity that also builds basic addition skills. Students roll two dice, add the value and then draw the corresponding turkey feature on their paper. Lots of silly turkeys will be made with this printable game. A follow-up worksheet provides students the opportunity to build addition equations, or work on number dot patterns.

Thanksgiving BINGO isn’t your average BINGO game! This game works with multiples of 10 so the calling cards are multiplication problems. The bingo caller will call out the problem (10 x 7) and the students will mentally solve the problem and find the correct square on their bingo board. The first one to get a bingo wins!

Find these 5 Thanksgiving Games and more in our new Thanksgiving SMART pack:

Let us do your holiday planning for you! SMART stands for Science, Math, Art, Reading and Take Home Review. We’ve included FIVE full days of thematic games, worksheets, and activities for your students covering all the bases. Everything prints in the order needed, simply print and go! Click Here for More Sample Pages.

Christian Character Curriculum

January 15, 2017 By Valerie Mcclintick Leave a Comment

Parenting is SUPER EASY!

(Said NO Mom EVER!!)

Parenting is likely the hardest JOB you or I will ever have.

It’s truly NONSTOP.

Which means it really NEVER Stops.

Like Never Ever Ever Never Stops.

Sometimes it slows down for a while…

A short while…

Just enough for you to catch your breath and lick your wounds,

but then it’s right back up again

Pedal to the Metal, one-hundred and ten percent effort on two hours of sleep!

And it’s not all about potty training, vegetable eating or learning to read.

Parenting is mostly about training children to have good character

Obviously, this happens mostly by setting a good example in your home.

However, a solid identity and self-awareness can also be achieved through purposeful, and thought-provoking study.

i.e…Children who can identify character qualities (or lack thereof) in others can certainly take time for introspection and self-analysis.

And really, there is something to be said about learning character qualities beforehand.

Am I right?

And by beforehand I mean BEFORE said child is screaming in your ear, reaching for that toy or hitting the poor cat.

As problems arise, we can certainly use each opportunity to correct and train…but when emotions are high, and adrenaline is running, cognition and higher thought is not so much….

Isn’t it far better to start building character vocabulary and understanding while your child is calm and able to “risk” their heart of hearts in a safer and less challenging….maybe even FUN environment?

Why YES, there is…

I’m so glad you asked

We Choose Virtues is a character building program designed to fill such a need.

Fun, tangible ways to learn good character that lasts.

Youth Virtue Cards are designed for tweens and teens ages 10-16.

For each character quality there is a simple catchphrase:

I am Diligent.

I start fast, work hard and finish strong.

As well as character antonyms:

I am not slow to get started, lazy or disinterested and I don’t procrastinate or quit early.

On the Faith Based versions there is also a corresponding Bible verse for children to learn.

The back of each character card includes five key areas to continue learning about the virtue:

Define The character quality is defined and children are prompted with activities to learn more about this specific virtue. Example: Find a quote about this virtue, Research a famous person who had this virtue.
Discern Children are asked to think about specific situations in which this virtue can be used. Example: Describe a time when someone with dilligence blessed you.
Dream Children are asked to think ahead to see how this virtue can help them in the future. Example: Can being dilligent help you overcome an obstacle?
Detect Self Analysis questions are given for children to answer to see how diligent they are and where they can improve. Example: Do you work hard when no one is watching?
Do A call to action for children to apply this virtue right away! Example: How, When and Why will you be diligent today?

With We Choose Virtues, everything is top quality.

They cards are full color, high gloss and printed on thick/sturdy cardstock to ensure they will last through the years.

I keep mine in page protectors in a three ring binder for easy access.

The Virtue Cards are perfect for a variety of settings and We Choose Virtues offers many different options available to suit your specific needs:

We have even used the Virtue Cards during our American Heritage Girls meetings. With all of the discussion questions on the back, it makes for simple planning with very little prep-work. Our Troop Shepherd can easily hold the card for children to view while she asks the questions written on the back.

Co-Op and Group Teaching Tips:

Provide children with small blank journals or the Youth Virtue Journals to write in answers to the questions and to keep track of their weekly virtue goals.
To break the ice, bring small snacks or incentives for children who answer questions.
Split children in to smaller discussion groups to talk over the ideas on the back.
Use the tasks on the back to assign children something to do before the next group meeting.

Family & Homeschool Kit for Youth

How to use this tool:

A parent can facilitate this program, or a student can work through the program independently. There are instructions for each scenario.
With only seconds of prep time, and only 10 minutes of discussing Virtues each day, you will be surprised how fast your students will learn to choose and use Virtue!
Simply choose one card to work on each week. The order you teach them in is flexible.
When you have finished with each card, start over again. Each time students go through the questions, they will be at a new place in their life, so you can go through them often, a few each day.

Included:

12 full color, printed, 8.5×11 glossy cards
2 11″x17″ posters
10 Youth Virtue Journal page styles and instructions (PDF)
Youth Character Assessment (PDF)
Youth Virtue Handbook (PDF)

Click Here to Learn More

For the entire Month of January We Choose Virtues is offering a special coupon code:

Don’t Miss January’s Special Code: Homeschool20

This will take 20% off any Homeschool Product from We Choose Virtues.

Hurry, Offer Expires Jan 31, 2016.

Jesus Loves Me: Valentine’s Day Activity Pack

January 3, 2017 By Valerie Mcclintick Leave a Comment

With Christmas behind us and Winter in full swing (we just got 10 inches of snow dumped on us here in Southern Oregon), I wanted to get a head start on planning out some upcoming holidays! Today, I’m releasing a brand new Holiday Activity Pack for Valentine’s Day.

Our Holiday Packs are some of our most popular teaching resources because they are NO-PREP, available in an instant download and include TONS of hands on activities, games, crafts, printables and teaching resoruces for K-5 students. Each set comes with special take home activities too, making them perfect for Children’s Ministry and Outreach.

You can purchase any or all of these sets in our Teachers Pay Teachers store here.

Here is a sneak peek inside our New Valentine’s Day Activity Pack.

Valentine Bible Verse Worksheets

This set features seven different bible verses and includes crossword, word search and word scramble.

Love Bingo Game

Each heart features a key Bible verse or quality of love as described in the Bible

Scripture Hearts Bulletin Board or Coloring Pages

7 Full size scripture hearts you can print and place in your classroom or send home with children. These make great coloring pages or cut outs to use on large heart shaped doilies.

Preschool Mazes & Tracing

Simple mazes and tracing activities for younger students

Jesus Love You Mazes

Fun and challenging mazes for older kiddos

God is Love Game

A fun game for children to play that focuses on the qualities of love.

Printable Valentine’s Day Cards & Bracelets

Each Valentine’s Day card features a simple message and fun maze for children to complete. Tape to a heart sucker and pass out for Valentine’s Day.

Cut apart bracelets and tape around children’s wrists. These are perfect to send home with children. Each heart features a quality of love reminding them of their lesson.

Valentine’s Day Art Project

A simple yet stunning art project for children of all ages.

3D Valentine Art Project

A dramatic new art project for older children

Small Scripture Hearts

7 Bible verse hearts just the right size for crafts and goodies.

Ideas: Tape to a heart sucker and pass out to students, Make a hanging mobile

Jesus Loves Me Crown

A fun take home project for young children to take home.

$5.00 Valentine’s Day Activity Pack

Free Homeschool Planner

August 7, 2016 By Valerie Mcclintick 2 Comments

It’s August and that means Homeschool Planning! Over the years I’ve created a variety of Free Homeschool Planners, Goal Tracking Worksheets, and Curriculum Guides so I thought I’d share them here easily in one post!

Free Homeschool Calendar/Plans/Goals Worksheets

Free Independent Weekly Student Planner

Free Homeschool Budget Tracker

(5 Simple Ways to Stick to a Homeschool Budget)

6 Simple Steps to Homeschool Readiness

Still looking for that perfect curriculum?

Check out The Crafty Classroom eStore!

St. Patrick’s Day Bible Crafts

March 1, 2016 By Valerie Mcclintick Leave a Comment

With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner I wanted to make a couple of new items you can use with your students this year!

Now, if you missed our facebook update or our newsletter last week, you should know that Christian Preschool Printables will be under construction during the first couple of weeks of March. (If you’re planning on grabbing anything for St. Patrick’s Day or Easter please get it downloaded ASAP as during the update some of the links might not be working and I don’t want anyone to be stuck scrambling right before the holiday).

With that out of the way, here are some adorable new St. Patrick’s Day printables for you!

Treasures in Heaven Bible Craft: A simple yet stunning Bible craft for children to complete this St. Patrick’s Day. Children add rainbow paper or streamers to create a beautiful rainbow coming from the cloud. A scripture card is glued to the back to remind children that their treasure is in Heaven.

St. Patrick’s Day Bible Verse Bookmarks: A set of colorful St. Patrick’s Day Bible Verse Bookmarks for children learning to store their treasures in heaven. Print on cardstock and laminate for durability.

St. Patrick’s Day Bible Verse Cards: These take home cards share a special Bible verse from Matthew 6:20, “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” There is room to tape on a small chocolate gold coin as a special treat.

3 in One Shamrock Coloring Page: A simple shamrock coloring page for little hands. Children can color and learn the rhyme, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit……3 in 1

Christian Easter Activity Pack

January 31, 2016 By Valerie Mcclintick 5 Comments

We had such a huge response to our Christmas Activity Pack last year, that I thought it would be a good idea to put together a similar resource for Easter!

I know many of you are already planning your Easter lessons, so I wanted to get this out in January to give you plenty of time to put these resources to work for you.

And since it’s the 31st I can pat myself on the back for that goal met…. ha!

You can download our Easter Activity Pack from our Teachers Pay Teachers eStore

Want to peek inside?

This pack is filled with 80 pages of multi-level games, activities and resources to take all the work out of your Easter Sunday School Lesson planning.

Three Different Easter Bible Games: