Not Another Homeschool Blog

About 18 months ago I launched a Kickstarter to get my homeschool curriculum published.   The Kickstarter did not work out... at all.   That did not deter us a bit. Instead, my business partner and I financed the purchase of our homeschool history textbook from our own pockets, as we had the finances to do so.   Several times I posted. Coming next month... coming soon, but we were not able to launch.  We have our not-for-profit homeschool program to run, and the kids are our first priority.   Finally... I feel 99% confident that we are almost there. We are in the layout process. We have launched our YouTube channel where we talk about homeschooling and history. 

update: Kickstarter cancelled. We will be releasing the curriculum soon to the public.    Our first Kickstarter for CheesePress History was not funded, so we started over again and have 25 days left to meet our goals. It seems we are doing even worse than last time.  It is a bit disappointing.  But we will prevail.  We have already paid for editors, but need the pre-orders for printing, packaging, and promotion, but if this fails, you'd better believe I have a plan 1, 2, and 3.   Chances are, if the project fails to fund, we will release the program one week at a time, or perhaps we will release it in two parts, the fall semester and spring semester.  But, we will release it.  In the meantime, please help us get it funded right away because if we can be expedient with this first volume, the next volume will follow it in a matter of months!  support our  K I C K S T A R T E R  here

 Honestly, I am not sure how to get the word out further.  For years, on my youtube channel, whenever I mentioned writing a curriculum, folks have told me they wanted whatever I wrote. I finally pulled it together, created, tested, and wrote a curriculum that is to be released in August.  We have put it on a Kickstarter for pre-orders to make sure we can pay our editors (they are getting paid regardless), but we would like to release the first run without going broke.  No need to fill out a form for the waiting list anymore, you can go right to Kickstarter.  Here is the link:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cheesepress/a-cheese-press-history-ancient-history  Here is a long-form video that explains more about the curriculum.  Who is it for?  Homeschoolers who want the full history story from early man (Ancient History) to modern times. The first of 4 volumes will be released in August.  Parents of public school students who you want...

 Yes. I don't love these programs.   PACES (Accellerated Christian Education) Lifepacs (Alpha Omega Company) However, while the programs are problematic, they are not the whole problem.  

In this video I share ways to approach the foreign language requirement for homeschooled students.  Doing a survey of foreign languages in middle school, then it will be apparent which foreign language they should tackle for high school.  Colleges require a student to have two years of foreign language under their belt.  Many give a foreign language test.  Some only test in Spanish.  If the student passes this test than they don't have to take any foreign language in college.

As it is an expected requirement that students have taken two years of the same foreign language in high school, 8th grade is a good opportunity to try out a few languages to see what might be a good fit.

I did math this evening.... for fun. I am brushing up my math skills to eventually get the nerve to go take college Algebra and maybe do some college-ing myself.  I figure working the old noggin will put of senility.  I was much sharper when we were homeschooling.  Why not homeschool myself? In the meantime, I started at arithmetic.  The photo shows how much I have done in two sittings.  An hour a month ago and two hours today. If I remember to keep at it, I should be through all the high school maths, or at least through Algebra in a month. I think this is a Free math program that parents should consider for their homeschooled kids. I've always loved this site, even back when it was just very quietly  spoken videos.  I loved it when it had a weird way of tracking progress, but now they've really got it together. While my kids hated videos, they would stop and use them if they got stuck, so this math program now offers the best of two worl...

free learning games for grade 3 For early elementary school kids, I favor unschooling as a method of teaching, but not the kind of unschooling where the kids vegetate and don't want to do much of anything, so you leave them alone, kind of unschooling... instead the kind of unschooling where you don't really let them know you are teaching them, but you are.  Apps like the kind I mentioned in my last post would go a long way in doing that, but so would all the same games we played as children, counting games, calling our car colors, watching school house rock, and lots of reading and storytelling. Something I came across today would also fit into this, but it is for older kids.  Playing battleship using the periodic table. I wish I'd had this as a kid. Check it out!

I was watching a commercial this morning on ABC Mouse reading program and I heard the mention that the parent had tons of learning apps.  The word APPSCHOOLING  popped into my brain. Eureka! I thought, I just came up with a new homeschooling term. NOPE. I googled it and it already exists. Here are some links for you to enjoy. The Wired Homeschool Ben and Me appschooling (on pinterest) If I had another kid to homeschool, I would definitely take advantage of this way of homeschooling!  I would probably mount an iPad to the wall and load it up with educational apps and let the kid "play all day".  I think this would work great up until about 4th grade when kids start needing more structured instruction (in my opinion).

I picked up the phone today and told a friend to come over with some file boxes this weekend and pick up any homeschool books she wanted.  I'd been giving her all my books one at a time anyway, and since I won't be living here full time,  I decided to turn my home office back into a guest room. It's kind of bitter-sweet parting with the homeschool books I have accumulated over the years... a few I even purchased after I stopped homeschooling... (hard habit to break). It is bitter because I am done homeschooling my kids.  It is also sweet because I am done homeschooling my kids! And what books exactly am I giving away?  Mostly standard high school textbooks.  In the end, they are what I enjoyed the most.  They tend to get to the point quickly and they don't cost much second-hand on Amazon.com.  We mostly used them as a spine or resource anyway as most of the kids education centered around research and educational websites. I really preferred teac...

In shifting my mindset for living (even if only part time) in NYC, I have inventoried my belongings and am considering what I am bringing with me and what I am leaving here.  I looked at my purses, and then I threw some away... maybe I should just get a money clip and skip the purses, I thought, but perhaps, just for special occasions, maybe my old Coach purses will do. Burberry bags $500-$3000 + So I took them out, and polished them, and ordered new hang tags, and wrapped them lovingly.  But then I asked, what is the big deal with designer purses? Sure hubby purchased them for me as a gift because women he worked with insisted his wife should have these purses... and I used them for a couple of years, and then put them in the closet, because they cost too much to throw away even though I was tired of them, and because they were still in excellent condition. I started researching designer purses, and if my old Coach bags still even qualify as such.  I found tha...

Unfortunately, one of the sites I have relied on heavily (Hippocampus) to provide my kids with free, high quality education is has lost it's contract with NROC  but I have found a couple new sites for you to try.  Keep in mind that most of my picks are for high school students, as that is hardest to find, and that you need to check these out thoroughly. My kids no longer try out these sites as they are in college, so I rely on reviews, poking around, and a couple hours of trial access. 10.   MIT Open Courseware  is a great way to challenge advanced students who aren't quite ready for the college classroom environment.  Most specifically, I recommend the Audio  Video Lecture based courses  as they are easier to follow. 9.   Spanish Hour has helped a couple of young people I know with this very important foreign language. You can start with the basic free membership, and then move to Premium membership for the extra tools later. It helps to prep...

I am not actively homeschooling my own children this year because both of them will be in  ♫♪ COLLEGE ♫♪    However, I still spend a lot of time researching, talking about, and planning out curriculum with other parents.  My top 10 list still includes many of my old favorites from previous years, but my opinions have also changed about others.  With that said, here is my top 10 list for homeschool resources for 2013-14.  As it is very easy to find online resources for elementary students, most of my picks  are for high school students.  (All but number 1 is free) 10.  Let's face it.  Grammar is boring, boring, boring, so my pick for this subject spices it up a bit. Grammar Bytes! presents grammar in bite-size pieces with an urban flair that will attract teens to pay attention long enough to learn the concept.  You will find handouts, videos, and exercises to test knowledge. 9. Learning languages outside of a classroom or imme...

Free Video Lectures http://www.learnerstv.com This site eliminates the need to search the entire internet for videos. It sit has compiled video lessons from all over the internet. You will find: every subject imaginable LearnersTV offers free learning resources for students on various subject categories. Following is the current list of subjects available as on Monday, August 22, 2011. We will be adding more subjects in future. Subject Categories Biology  |  Physics  |  Chemistry  |  Maths-Statistics  |  Computer-Science  |  Medical-Science  |  Dentistry  | Engineering  |  Accounting  |  Management   McGraw Hill Biology Mc Graw Hill Biology  has an website that can be used in conjunction with the textbook (7 edition).  You will  find an outline of each chapter, tests, labs, and other activities.  This can be used as an outline for teaching biology, ...

American History for Middle School and High School The Simple Homeschool Presents Raising Refounders "shovel ready history for the masses".  This online program  teachers all about the founding fathers of our country and has a full years American History Curriculum.  Government Curriculum, free with shipping  This is  Choosing Our President and history curriculum  is sponsored by Mike Huckabee.  It claims to teach history without bias. Learn Our History’s latest DVD, Election Day: Choosing Our President, is a great way to get your kids excited about the upcoming presidential election.  Your kids will join a group of time traveling history students who go back in time to meet past presidents and understand how the United States election process came to be.  History and more for Kids Kidipede , is a site that middle school homeschoolers will enjoy. It allows you to research to your hearts content form many subj...

ACT Website has review materials If you are preparing to take the ACT,  the ACT website  has practice questions and writing prompts: Review these practice questions to help familiarize yourself with the ACT® test. For each question, click on your answer to see if you are correct. Five sets of questions are available for English and Mathematics; four sets are available for Reading; and seven are available for Science. To prepare for the Writing Test portion of the ACT Plus Writing, see a sample writing prompt and responses. The website also allows you to schedule exams, view your ACT scores, and to change your registration if necessary. Why take the ACT? ACT scores are accepted at all 4 year universities in the United States. The questions are curriculum based, not aptitude or IQ based, meaning students should not be at a disadvantage.  ACT Test Prep-Science on YouTube Super Magnet Man on YouTube has a set of 8 videos that will help you to prep...

All that my child has to finish to be done with her homeschool academics forever is health.  She finished her economics course last night while I was doing her hair.  She used a basic text book via Glencoe   and online tests to learn the basics of Economics, then we finished up with "Whatever Happened to Penny Candy" , a book that I recently came upon.  It is "an Uncle Eric Book", from a series that has a matter-of-fact way to describing political and financial subjects, and I seems like homeschoolers are taking to the book series. Anyway, after she finished the basic curriculum, I had her read the book and requested a discussion of it... she chose verbal and I was fine with that as I am anxious to finish the year.  She described the book chapter by chapter, told my how it compared and contrasted with the textbook and what insight it gave her. She basically feels that I should have had her do this Economics course before Personal Finance because she may have...

It is so hard to focus on the final academics that need to be done before graduation.  There are almost 2 months before graduation, so there is plenty of time, but a lot of that time is accounted for with the SR. Project for her arts program.  She has had to write, design, and will need to rehearse and perform a show on graduation day.  So I want the academics done. Left to do: 2 Lifepac paces for Physical science 1 term paper for economics. 1 full .5 credit study on health. The college she is going to also wants her to take a math test, a writing test, and a spanish test online right away. Meanwhile, I am having problems pulling her attention from her SR. Project, as that is most exciting. Sigh. I'm just glad to know that I won't have to micro-manage her work anymore.  She responds much better to teachers (like the one who is mentoring her Sr. Project).  I'm not worried about college... just anxious to get 12th grade finished. FREE HOME EDUCATI...

I realize the title is a bit redundant, or perhaps more of an oxymoron, but homeschool classes and programs have been very valuable to us. I feel  classes outside the home was the thing that we needed to give my daughter (especially) the extra boost to get into even her most far-reach college choice.  She was able to show that not only had she met the recommended academic guidelines to make her college ready, but that she had far exceeded it by taking as many elective classes as she did core classes. Now classes outside the home are not for everyone.  There are certainly many pros and many cons.  I will list some of them for you. Pros of outside classes: Reference letters:  We had to find people to call on for academic and other references for college admissions and for internships and such.  The outside classes provided plenty of people to call on to help with these letters. Mom is not the font of all knowledge.  In fact, I actually despised...

I've noticed some online murmuring about Khan Academy .  The critique is that it is imperfec t and maybe not as ground breaking as we all thought.  Meh. I have loved Khan Academy since the day I found it a few years ago, but as much as I like it, I have had problems with the videos themselves. First, Salman Khan is a quiet speaker.  I have to strain or use earphone to hear most of the videos. Second, there's not always enough background  in a particular subject information to move you forward. Third, as much as homeschoolers would like it to be, for the reason listed directly above, it is not a full homeschool curriculum.  Instead it is a tool best used for review of concepts a student does not understand. For what it is.  It is AWESOME. While I don't love the videos themselves, I do love the format and program that allows a student to test through the levels of math, refresh their skills, and even move ahead. So while it is imperfect.  I...