Have you ever wished you could find some reviews about a particular homeschool curriculum before you spend the cash? I know I have. In this post, I will share some of the curriculum review sites I’ve found and used. I’ll start with one of my favorites…

HomeSchool Reviews – The reason Homeschool Reviews is one of my favorite curriculum review sites is because the reviews are written by parents who have used the curriculum. Each curriculum may have several differing views that have been helpful to me in my decision making. Read the rest of this entry »

This weekend, as I know you all know, we as a nation will honor all those who have sacrificed to preserve the freedom that is so often abused and taken for granted. Memorial Day was declared a national holiday in 1971 and to many Americans that is all it will be – a holiday – cookouts, day off from work, family picnic etc. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with any of those things. In fact, they are good things and we can celebrate with them precisely because because we are free.

But our tribute to those who gave it all should be so much more, so much more.

May I encourage you to use this opportunity in your homeschooling to share with your children the real meaning and history behind this holiday. I have found some resources to help you with this. Read the rest of this entry »

A cheerful heart is good medicine – Proverbs 17:22a

Some of you may remember the popular show by Art Linkletter, Kids Say the Darndest Things. (Think I might be dating myself ) What a great show! I received a recent email & immediately thought of the show and just had to share these treasures!

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.
The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.
The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible. The little girl said, “When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah”.
The teacher asked, “What if Jonah went to hell?”
The little girl replied, “Then you ask him”.

Read the rest of this entry »

Not according to a December 19, 2007 article published in US News and World Report, a publication read largely by college graduates. Surprised?

The post-WWII era was a very different place than the world today and a college degree was accepted by most Americans as the safety net to job-security and personal success.

“If you want to get any where in this world, you need a college education” insisted most parents who remembered living through the Great Depression. Understandably, they wanted their children to live lives better than their own. It became the accepted norm: college equaled prosperity, no college equaled a life of “barely getting by”.

In my opinion, although I’m the first to confess, Read the rest of this entry »

Hi Everyone

My apologies for being out of touch for so long….it’s been quite the month!

Surgeries, knee injuries resulting in physical therapy 3x/wk for two family members – yada yada…. culminating in the near death of my computer two weeks ago. I’m still in the process of getting my computer up & running, but wow, is it time consuming!

Anyhow, I just wanted everyone to know that I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth & hope to be back up to speed within the next two weeks.

Food for thought: I am planning to post a survey soon to find out if there is any interest in a forum for HTH readers. Please give it some thought and if it is of interest to you, think about what kinds of things you would like to see in the forum.

Pressing on until next time,

Sue

It’s hard to believe that it’s that time of year again when homeschoolers begin looking for resources to use for next year. (Where does the time go?!?) Let me give you some ideas on where you can find some good buys and good places to sell the used homeschool curriculum and resources you no longer need.

eBay

EBay is one of my favorites. In my opinion and experience, it’s a great place to buy and sell. I have purchased a number of homeschool resources for a very reasonable price.

The most critical thing to check before purchasing is the seller’s feedback. I personally won’t buy anything from anyone with a feedback score below 98%

I have also sold many items, for what I believe is a fair price (my customers seem to be happy according to my feedback ratings – click here to check out my store) and I have been able to recover some of the cost of my original purchase. You can also check out the eBay box (you’ll have to scroll down a bit)on the right for some of the other current homeschool listings. Read the rest of this entry »

OK, this one is a treat for the whole family. Your kids will have so much fun that they won’t even realize it’s educational! What am I talking about? It’s a thing called “Letterboxing.” It’s been popular in Europe for hundreds of years, but has only caught on in the US in recent years. Our family has done it several times and we’ve had a blast!

So what is letterboxing? Simply put, it’s a treasure hunt. Letterboxes are placed, by different individuals (and, yes, once you get the hang of it, you & your family can hide a letterbox too!) all over the place. Some are located inside buildings, most are hidden outside. You have a list of clues, that when properly followed & with sharp eyes, will lead you to the letterbox.

Supplies you need to bring:

• A rubber stamp – you can use a purchased stamp or make your own. The more unique and reflective of you, the better. The whole family can use one stamp, but usually the kids each like to have their own.
  • Stamps aren’t hard to make and making them together can be lots of fun. Here’s a few sites with directions for making stamps How to Make a Rubber Stamp, Eraser Carving, Letterboxing Kids, and Make a Rubber Stamp with Foam
• Ink pad
• Small sketch book
• A pen
• A compass
• The set of clues
• A packed lunch or snack

The process:

• Follow the set of clues, using your compass when necessary, to find the letterbox. (The letterbox is simply a plastic leftover-type container with a lid, to keep the contents dry.)
• Once you find it, open it and inside the box you’ll find a rubber stamp, a notepad and usually an ink pad (sometimes the ink pad is missing or dried up which is why it’s a good idea to bring your own.)
• Using the stamp found in the letterbox, stamp it into your sketchbook. Make a note of where you found it and any other notes as well.
• Using your stamp, stamp the letterbox notebook and make a note of where you’re from and anything else you want to add.
• Take some time to look at other entries and where other people came from – you might be surprised!
• Remember to put everything back, just as you found it.

This really is so much fun and such a great educational experience for the whole family! With one fell swoop, you can cover art, geography, critical thinking, using a compass, all while you’re having a great time together as a family.

If you’re headed somewhere on vacation, be sure to check for letterboxes in the area of your destination and bring your supplies! It’s addicting

To get the whole scoop, visit Letterboxing.org. To access the information you will need to sign up, but registration is free. Have fun & let us know about your family fun educational experiences!

Sue