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Phonics Game for Kids

Teaching kids how to read can be intimidating for first-time teachers. Yet, if you’re a veteran teacher, it can be stressful keeping the kids from getting bored. That’s why our Phonics Game for Kids are great for newbies and veteran teachers! HINT: Pair this with our Interactive Reading Program for extra Practice

If you have a child who is learning basic phonic skills, a struggling reader, or is ready for early reading skills, keep reading! With our DIY Phonics Game for Kids that are hands on, your kids will learn new digraphs or trigraphs in no time. Plus, it will keep the kids busy for hours while learning!

How Does a DIY Phonics Game Work

Wondering how our easy and creative language arts game work? Children simply match up letter blocks to word-ending blocks to create new words.  Keeping score for each assembled word makes this a fun and engaging activity for multiple children.

Word Family Game

Print this free Roll-a-Word score card to use with your word family blocks. There is room for four players to write in the words they make with each turn. The goal is to hit 15 words to win!

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Phonics Game Materials

DIY Phonics Game Instructions

  1. Determine what word families you want to use for your DIY Phonics Game in the phonics game printable. Count your blocks and lay them out to prepare for painting. Keep the correct amount of blocks paint free to use for the beginning sounds.

2. Paint several sides of multiple blocks with your choice of color. As you switch sides, make sure to let it air dry before beginning a new one.

3. When all blocks are dry, using a black sharpie, write your two letter or three letter endings using the phonics word family printables.

4. Write your beginning letters as well on the paint free blocks.

4. Print out Roll A Word Printable and prepare for having a fun game with up to 4 players!

5. First player rolls 3 beginning sound blocks and 5 ending word family blocks.

6. Keep track of all words discovered with each player. For each word, player gets a point. The first player who fills their column with 15 words is declared the winner!

7. Have a great time with this game. Building blocks also build proficient readers!

Ready for more Word Family Fun? Try our 36-Week Interactive Reading Program for K-1!

Homeschooling Without a Classroom

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There are so many decisions when you start homeschooling. What style of curriculum will you use? Then comes where to get resources and what do you need. Don’t forget about scheduling and organization. However, one decision that might have you really scratching your head is where to set up your homeschool. Pinterest is full of glossy school room photos, but what if you don’t have an extra room for a classroom? You are not alone! Here are some tips for homeschooling without a classroom.

Homeschooling in the Dining Room

Dining room homeschooling is actually more popular than you think. It tends to be a room that is not used regularly and has a large table. This gives children plenty of room to spread out but still be close to mom. However, you may still want to host Thanksgiving dinner, so how can it work? Well, here are some tips for setting up your homeschool in your dining room.

  • Protect and cover your table to keep it safe from accidents or spills
  • Have a bookshelf, cabinet, or other organization system for your supplies
  • Get into the habit of clearing off the table at the end of each day, this will make using your dining room for company or holidays easier.
  • Repurpose furniture like sideboards, built in cabinets, and shelving to create space for your homeschooling supplies and keep the room uncluttered.
  • Remember that you can think outside the box!

Homeschooling in the Living Room

Perhaps you don’t have a dining room, or you use it too often as a dining room for it to be practical as a schoolroom. Either way, the living room is an excellent place to setup your homeschool. Adding storage furniture is often easier than other rooms, there is usually plenty of seating, and it is already kid friendly. If your living room is where you plan to run your homeschool here are some ideas to get you going.

  • Designate a side or corner of the room for homeschooling if possible.
  • If you can’t fit desks, sitting on the sofa is fine don’t get hung up on using “school furniture”
  • Make rules about what can and can’t happen during school time. Your living room is likely a place to play, watch TV, and play games. Which are all okay, just not during homeschooling. (Unless they are part of the lesson, obviously)
  • Keep a collection of “school time toys” for younger siblings that are quiet and non-distracting. Put these away at the end of your school day to keep them interesting and help little ones distinguish school time from play time.
  • Have a clean up routine at the end of the day. Choose simple solutions for getting school supplies out of the way so the family can enjoy time in the living room after your work is finished.

Homeschooling without a Classroom, when You Have Zero Extra Space

What if you have zero extra space? Perhaps you live in a tiny house or your “extra space” is already used for one parent working from home. Sharing that space could be extremely difficult and frustrating for everyone. That’s okay, who says homeschooling can only happen at home? There are plenty of other options out there. So, let’s look at some places where you could homeschool even if you don’t have room at home.

  • The park at benches, on blankets, or in a pavilion
  • Your back porch
  • The library
  • A family member or friend’s home
  • A temperature-controlled shed or other outbuilding
  • Outdoor classroom in your yard
  • Other common or public areas that are quiet during the day

Zero Space Tips

  • Store school supplies in backpacks and/or easy to transport containers.
  • Make room in your trunk, garage, or shed for storing supplies when not in use.
  • Be creative!
  • Don’t be afraid to mix it up.
  • Have a backup plan for inclement weather or family illness—you just might be surprised the space you find at home!

Homeschooling on the Road

Just as homeschooling doesn’t have to be at home, it doesn’t have to be stationary either. There are many reasons why your homeschool may have to hit the road. Some families enjoy the traveling lifestyle, they are live and work in their RV. Other times, a parent much travel for work. Perhaps, the family only has one car and must spend hours each day driving dad to and from work. Whether this is a permanent lifestyle, or a temporary situation, you can homeschool on the go. Embrace homeschooling without a classroom and watch the possibilities unfold. Here’s how to make it successful:

  • Establish some non-driving time for one on one instruction, and questions and answers.
  • Make school supplies portable and make sure everyone has what they need before you leave.
  • Think small and minimize clutter, while maximizing learning. Be judicious when school shopping, only buy what you need and use to avoid stressful clutter.
  • Use audiobooks, travel games, and other outside the box ideas to learn on the go.
  • Make your travel part of the lesson. Whether you are only driving to the office or traveling the world, every trip is an opportunity to learn something new. Stop and take in the sights, explore local history, or use road signs to practice reading, map skills, and identifying letters.
Portrait of young businessman kid in office. Success, creative and innovation concept

Workschooling: Homeschooling From Work

So, you can homeschool on the road, but what if the primary teacher needs to work outside the home? Homeschooling is still possible for working parents. If you want to homeschool but can’t afford to quit you job, or perhaps your child’s school went virtual this year, you can make this work. It will take creativity and cooperation, but it is totally possible.

  • Have your children work in a break room or meeting room
  • Use your lunch hour and break times to do in-person lessons or answer homework questions
  • Include quiet games, activities, crafts, and toys with your homeschool materials for when children finish their work but you are still working
  • Consider getting headphones for kids to listen to audiobooks or watch educational TV.
  • Outsource some or all teaching to online programs, prerecorded lessons, or independent learning.
  • Get the kids involved in your work when possible, hands-on, real-world learning is some of the best kind.

How to Camp the Homeschool Way

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A group of small school children with teacher on field trip in nature.

Are you looking to getaway? Want to just unplug, relax, and get back to nature? However, you are worried about falling behind in your homeschool! Right? Now is the perfect time to plan an educational vacation. Camping is not only affordable but bursting with learning opportunities. Leave the books and gadgets behind, so you can learn how to camp the homeschool way.

Learning on a Hike

What is camping without a hike? Hiking is great exercise for your body and your mind. It brings you close to the learning and gives you the chance to explore the great outdoors. So, find a trail or forge your own and see what learning opportunities come across your path. However, be prepared! Make sure to carry water, a compass, first aid supplies, and a map. Going off the beaten path is exciting, but be sure you can find your way back. Once everyone has proper clothing, bug protection and basic necessities, it is time for the learning to begin. Take the opportunity to learn about the following on your homeschool hiking expedition:

Fishing for Learning Opportunities

Now that you have worked up a sweat and an appetite, it’s time to cool off by the water. Fishing is fun and educational. You can choose to catch and release or fish for your supper. Either way, you will be catching multitudes of lessons along the way. Be sure to check local fishing regulations and licensing restrictions. Cast your line into learning with these fishy lessons:

  • Learn to identify fish
  • Learn about the fish habitats
  • Identify other creatures in the lake ecosystem and how they relate to the fish you want to catch
  • Experiment with lures, baits, and different methods of fishing
  • Create fish art prints as a souvenir.
  • Learn how to clean the fish and prepare them for a meal.
100 Fun Filled Field Trips for Homeschooling Families

Set Your Homeschool Learning on Fire

At the end of a camping day, everyone loves to sit around the campfire. This is a chance to tell stories, recap your day, and just relax. Campfires are a quintessential camping experience. However, they are also an amazing classroom for more learning. Now, always check local fire warnings and requirements before setting up a campfire. However, sitting around the fire is a perfect place to have family learning. This will ignite the fire of learning in your homeschool and create memories that last a lifetime. Here are some lessons to incorporate into your camping fire experience:

  • Fire safety
  • How to start a fire
  • Cooking on a fire—it’s really different than the stove at home!
  • The art of storytelling
  • Campfire songs and folk songs
  • The anatomy of a flame—what do the colors mean and how do fires burn?

Homeschooling while Camping

Camping does not mean homeschooling needs to end. In fact, it could be the best way to keep you learning the rest of the year. Sometimes you need to get out of the classroom and invest time learning as a family. While you are camping, you can explore other topics as well. Bring along nature guides and basic tools, like a magnifying glass, tweezers, collection bags, and a camera. Be prepared to learn and to be safe. First aid is a life skill that is great to practice before you need it. Take the time to meet with a park ranger and discuss local wildlife, habitats, and how you can help protect the natural wonders you are enjoying. Most importantly, let the learning come. You will be surprised how much a little time in nature can teach you, even when you leave the lesson planning book at home!

DIY Homeschool Spelling Curriculum

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Spelling is a skill that we all need. It’s the first step in effective written communication. However, does that mean you have to buy a complete spelling curriculum? The answer is no. You can easily design your own homeschool spelling curriculum. The key is knowing how to collect, curate, and customize spelling word lists. 

Create Spelling Lists from Phonics Lessons

Phonics and spelling go hand in hand. So, why not use phonics lesson words for spelling. Dolch sight words and word families are the perfect lists to start with DIY spelling lists. Use the same word lists you would teach your child to read. Break down the lists into weekly chunks and collate in order of difficulty.

Here are some places to find phonics based spelling lists:

  1. Dolch Sight Words Lists
  2. Word Families Lists
  3. Phonics Word Lists
  4. CVC Word Lists

Curate from Spelling Lists by Grade Level

Another approach is to use already created spelling lists for your curriculum. These are easy to find and use. You can even update or edit them for your learners if needed. The nice part about pre-made lists is that it is less work for you. Also, if you are concerned with keeping up with your child’s grade level, you will feel reassured that you are right on track. There are many places online to find spelling lists by grade level. Some are paid and some are free. Your first step should be to do a search for “spelling lists grade X” and see what you find. 

Here are some sources for free lists by grade.

  1. Printable Spelling Lists
  2. 50 Free Spelling Lists
  3. 1st through 5th Spelling Lists

Collect Spelling Words From Literature and Life

Another fun way to create your spelling curriculum is from your own experiences. Choose a favorite book and select spelling words from the story. This can be done at any grade level. For younger children, the list can be based on the entire book. For older children, you can choose spelling words by chapter or section. This will make the words more relatable and relevant, especially if it is a favorite book.

In the same way, you can collect spelling lists from life experience. Every family has words that are used frequently in conversation. These make excellent words for your spelling lessons. Relevant words are easier to remember and more meaningful to study. 

Here’s some ideas for where to find new spelling words:

  1. Family Read Alouds
  2. Literature Lessons
  3. A Favorite Book
  4. Hobbies
  5. Vacations and Trips
  6. Family Business
  7. Frequently Misspelled Words (keep a log for each child to use for spelling lists)

Theme Based Spelling Lessons

Curating a themed list can be another fun approach. This is especially helpful if you do unit studies. Pick a theme for each month or week. Create lists of words related to that theme. You can even get the kids to help you brainstorm themes.

A few ideas to get you started:

  1. Holidays
  2. Favorite Toys or Games
  3. Unit Study
  4. Seasonal
  5. Nature Study
  6. History Study
  7. Geographically Based 

If you are looking for a fun and interactive way to memorize your new spelling lists, be sure to check out our editable spelling activity pack! Simply type in your word list and watch as each activity instantly auto-fills with your words! Click Here for Details.

January Homeschool Checklist: Taking Inventory

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The new year is here, and even though it isn’t a new homeschool year, there is some housekeeping to be done! January is the perfect time to do a mid-year review of your homeschool, assess your progress, and set goals for the rest of the year. This ultimate January homeschool checklist will get your homeschool organizing and thriving.

Tasks to Focus on in January

  1. Mid-year review of your homeschool
  2. Portfolio organization and planning
  3. Student assessments
  4. Homeschool goal setting and evaluation
  5. Organization systems for your homeschool

How to Do a Mid-Year Homeschool Review

Do you remember the excitement when you finished plans for the year and the new books arrived? How are you feeling about your choices, now? Sometimes, we have the “best” plans but they just are not the best for our family. Or, we realize that there are gaps that need to be filled. A mid-year review gives you the opportunity to evaluate how your homeschool is running, and how your children are learning. This is not a time to be overly critical. If aspects of your homeschool need to be changed, feel empowered that you can change for the better. Do not worry about the “should have” or “could have” ideas. The best homeschool are ones that grow and change with family needs.

Mid-Year Homeschool Review Steps:

  1. Evaluate how you feel about each book or curriculum resource. Is the beautiful language arts book dull and dry? Are you pleasantly surprised by the last minute science choice? Do you wish you had never bought that geography curriculum? Be honest with yourself and make a list of what you would like to change in your homeschool.
  2. Ask the children about how they feel. Child input is essential to a healthy homeschool. Ask them to recount how they feel about their progress and resources.
  3. Track your goals and set new ones. Have you met your goals for first semester? Are there topics you still haven’t addressed? Where do you want to be in June?
  4. Organize and evaluate your portfolios. 
  5. Assess your students and look for gaps and growth. See if anyone is ready to skip ahead, or needs some extra support to keep going. Where have they blossomed? Where are they struggling?
  6. Look at organization systems in your homeschool. Where do you need more organization? Are the systems you have working or do they need a little tweak?
  7. Consider your homeschooling schedule. Is your general plan for the day still working? Are there unexpected difficulties that you need to address? Are you spending enough time on schooling? Are you spending too much?
  8. Formulate a plan to fix what is broken. Decide which areas need the most attention. Choose how you will address these concerns. 
  9. Revise your plans for the year and proceed with confidence.

Tracking Goals

Tracking your homeschool goals is essential to meeting them. It also helps you form better goals in the future. Look at what you planned to do before the year began. How are you doing with that plan? Are you meeting your goals? Have you surpassed them? 

  1. Take out your homeschool checklist of goals for the year
  2. Check off the ones that have been met
  3. Circle those that you have not gotten around to
  4. Evaluate if your original goals are realistic
  5. Decide which goals were easy to meet.
  6. Rework goals that are unrealistic
  7. Rewrite your goals list for the rest of the year

Portfolio Planning and Maintenance

Portfolios are the perfect way to track progress and evaluate your children. They also provide ongoing records of what you learned for state evaluations. However, building a portfolio from scratch in June is a daunting task. Take the time to plan what you will be including and do some maintenance work on your portfolios, now. This will make the rest of the year easier and mean that you have a completed portfolio at the end of the year.

  1. Make a list of what must be included or take out the list you already made
  2. Make a note of any items missing from the first part of the year
  3. Ask your child to do a self assessment on their portfolio. How does he or she feel about the work included? What would he or she change?
  4. Set up a routine for updating portfolio contents
  5. Update record keeping logs
  6. Celebrate what you have already accomplished this school year

How to Assess Students with a Homeschool Checklist

We often think of student assessment as tests or stressful requirements. An assessment is simply evaluating where a child is and where he needs to be. It does not have to be a written test and can be completed fairly quickly. A thorough assessment of a student’s abilities, needs, and accomplishments will help you build a better educational experience. 

  1. Where has your child done very well?
  2. What new skills has he mastered?
  3. Can he demonstrate his learning in each of the core subjects?
  4. Where is he struggling?
  5. Is there a gap that needs to be filled?
  6. How is his learning style affecting his progress? 
  7. Is he investing enough time and effort into his studies?
  8. Is there something that would make his learning easier?
  9. Are there environmental factors? Work space? Noise levels? Dietary needs? How can you provide a better environment?
  10. Is there something your child really wants to learn in the new year?

Tips for Homeschooling in January

It is important to not be overly hard on yourself in January. A new year is a new beginning. You have 365 opportunities ahead of you. Focus more on what you have accomplished and less on what you didn’t. Also, do not take too long doing a mid-year assessment. Work through the January homeschool checklist and move on. There is still plenty of year left for homeschooling. 

  • Go gentle on yourself and your children
  • Take the time to work through the checklist and evaluations, but don’t spend too long.
  • Approach the next half of the school year with optimism
  • Make sure your children know what they are doing well, and where they can improve
  • Be willing to let go of resources, goals, or preconceptions that don’t serve your family
  • Celebrate how far you have come

4 Easy and Frugal Homeschool Art Projects

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I don’t know about you, but the homeschool day goes really fast! And, it can be hard fitting in the time-consuming, clean up-consuming subject of art. To help my fellow homeschool moms, I’ve come up with a simple, yet SUPER engaging list of easy and frugal homeschool art projects.

Kids LOVE art — getting messy is fun! And, any creations they concoct can be proudly displayed or shown lovingly to their Grandma on FaceTime.

However, for Moms — crafts can be exhausting! The time suckers and messy materials can be somewhat daunting for our busy days! Yet, we also know our children’s joy and creativity soars with art. It’s an important subject NOT to skip.

That’s why these fast, simple, and frugal art activities are perfect to use as boredom busters for any preschoolers, kindergartners, and elementary school aged kids.

Are you looking for simple items you can purchase to keep your Homeschool Art Supply Closet full?  We’ve compiled our favorite, frugal products and brands to make it easy for you to keep your art cabinet stocked.   All of these products are tried and tested in our own homeschool classroom, and are well loved by the kiddos.  We’ve picked these specific items because of the price and the quality, this is a list you don’t want to miss!  Click Here

On a budget? No problem! Most craft materials can be found at the Dollar tree or on Amazon at a great price (and shipped right to your door!). These art crafts are also wonderful time fillers and distractors for after school, on weekends, playdates, and gift giving!

Popsicle Stick Crafts

The possibilities are endless with popsicle stick crafts but when you’re in a hurry, here are some exciting ideas. Remember, kids have vivid imaginations and giving them materials only will get their creative juices flowing! Grab some glue sticks, washable markers or paint and ask the kids to get creative.

Here are some ideas to use for Popsicle Stick crafts:

  • Build Tic Tac Toe Grids, glue together, and cut out 9 pieces of paper to fit inside boxes. Write ‘X’ and ‘O’s using markers on pieces of paper with different colors.
  • Make a star using 2 triangle shapes. One will be upside down on top of the other. The kids can paint or color them with markers.
  • Create a frame with sticks shaped as a square. The kids can write “family” or any words they wish or paint with favorite colors.

Beads

Beads are wonderful materials to make gorgeous designs, bracelets, necklaces, and much more! These innovative ideas may require a purchase of a bead kit for a low price. Using beads strengthen hand eye coordination, focus, creativity and fine motor skills!

Please note: We wouldn’t recommend attempting beads until your child is about 5 years old or any child who puts things in their mouths.

Pipe Cleaners

Pipe cleaners are one of the most versatile and simple craft materials you can use for tons of kid activity! They come in a variety of colors, they’re inexpensive, and easy to manipulate into any shape!

Here are some ideas to get you started with your creative kid:

  • Make a flower arrangement: draw and color a flower, cut it out, and pull stem through. Put it in a pretty vase or cup and pass it onto a neighbor!
  • Bend and twist 2 favorite colors to make a bracelet or necklace.
  • Cut pipe cleaner in half, add a wonderful array of colorful beads, and twist the end.

Playdough

Playdough is SO easy to make! Here is a step-by-step recipe and tutorial.  Just combine 2 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons of oil, ½ cup salt, and 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar. Then, start adding 1 to 1 ½ cups of boiling water in increments to determine best consistency. Food coloring is also an option for a variety of colors.

Give each child a ball of dough, and the sky’s the limit! If you see some inactivity, throw some cookie cutters on the table for a little help. You’ll be amazed at what your child can create with his/her imagination!

Now, if you just don’t have the time or prefer commercial play dough, check out this colorful Play dough package.

Finding ways to give your kids creativity time fosters mental growth, stimulates new ideas, and encourages new pathways of thinking and problem-solving! Take time today to give your children these wonderful opportunities to grow and learn exponentially!

Looking for more easy and frugal ideas on homeschool art projects? Check out these crafts, activities, and printables here!