Math can be the bane of a homeschooling parent’s life. Kids who hate math might put off their schoolwork, lose their focus during math lessons, or become frustrated when trying to learn a new concept.
A simple way to make math easier for children is to use math games. Rather than running to the store or placing an online order, try these low-prep math games you can make at home in just minutes! They’re super easy to put together and they’re a nice way to switch up math class for the kids while reducing math anxiety. You will increase the learning component if you include your kids in the creation of the games, too. Make the set-up part of your homeschool math lesson, and your kids will anticipate the fun to come and take pride in their creations. These ideas work with any math curriculum.
1. Math Hopscotch
This game can be played indoors or outdoors. If the weather is nice, draw a traditional hopscotch court on the sidewalk with chalk. Replace the numbers 0-9 with mathematical expressions: exponents, algebraic terms, or even multiplication problems.
Toss a beanbag onto the court. The player who tosses the bag skips ahead to the square where the beanbag lands and tries to solve the equation or problem. If playing this game indoors, mark off the court with masking tape on a hard floor and use flashcards to represent the mathematical expressions.
2. Graphing Multiplication Shapes
This is a good game to play when teaching children about multiplication. You’ll need graph paper and colored pencils. Use a simple multiplication problem and show the kids how to draw each problem on the graph paper.
For example, show the problem 3 x 5 by tracing three squares down and five squares over. Then complete the rectangle and color it in. Once the kids have learned how to do it on their own, recite each multiplication problem and challenge the kids to see who can draw it first.
3. DIY Tangrams
Cut out small triangles, rectangles, squares, and diamonds. Laminate them for durability. Then toss them onto a table and challenge the kids to make simple animals: ducks, dogs, horses, and more using these shapes.
4. Flashcard Toss
If your kids are feeling active, here’s a good math game to burn off some energy. Use index cards to make arithmetic flashcards. Write a problem from your recent math lessons on each card. Toss a flashcard in the air. Whichever child catches the flashcard has to answer the problem!
5. Shape Sticks
Working on geometry with kids? Try this quick activity. Draw a shape on a white board or a chalkboard. If you don’t have either one, a piece of paper will do. Toss a bunch of colored craft sticks on the floor. Challenge the kids to try to recreate your shape within five seconds. The first one to do it successfully wins!
The next time a math lesson comes up, try adapting one of these games to use with a new concept. You might be surprised at how much the kids enjoy it. And the same kids who were math-phobic before may end up begging for math class from now on!
Although millions of people have been diagnosed with these mental illnesses, there is still a stigma attached to having them. At the age of 15, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and for years I let that label control my life. I lived in constant fear that someone outside of my family would find out about my mental health struggles and hold it against me or question everything I do as a parent especially since I homeschool.
Once I stopped letting fear rule my life, I realized that homeschooling actually helps me managemy bipolar disorder. Homeschooling has brought a structure to life that my family didn’t previously have. This newfound, flexible structure opened the door to incorporating more natural treatments for my bipolar into our daily lives. With these natural treatments and an incredible curriculum, I am able to both manage my disorder and successfully educate my children.
What do I mean by natural treatments? Here are a few examples:
1. Staying Active and Working Up a Sweat
Part of managing bipolar disorder is staying active with exercise. Exercising increases the production of endorphins in your body. These awesome little “feel good” chemicals can boost your mood over time and help you through the low periods of your disorder.
Since exercise is a key component of managing my bipolar disorder, I had to find not only a way to incorporate it into my daily life, but also find the motivation to stay consistent. I have always heard that it is easier to stay motivated when you have a workout buddy, so I decided to get my children involved with P.E. classes for homeschool. Not only is my whole family staying active now, but my children are learning from a young age the proper way to exercise and live a healthy lifestyle.
Afterall, exercise benefits us all whether we have bipolar disorder or not. Here are my favorite exercises to generate those happy endorphins:
Cardio We own both a treadmill and an elliptical, but you don’t have to have fancy equipment to get in a good cardio workout. Going for a walk, jog/run, or bike ride outside will work up a sweat in no time.
Weightlifting To avoid using the excuse of not wanting to leave the house to go to the gym, my husband and I built a home gym with a variety of weights, a weightlifting bench, and a power rack. Don’t be afraid to buy secondhand equipment for your workouts. You would be surprised at the treasures you can find at thrift stores and garage sales.
Exercise DVDs There are a variety of amazing exercise programs out there for a reasonable price or even free. Try out a few and find what works best for you and your family.
2. Eating a Balanced Diet and Avoiding Trigger Foods
There are certain foods that are considered trigger foods when it comes to bipolar disorder. These trigger foods can vary drastically, but my main culprits are these three:
Caffeine Caffeine is a stimulant which can interrupt sleep patterns. Sleep deprivation is a well-known trigger for bipolar mood swings and mania. I already have issues sleeping, so I only allow myself to have one cup of coffee in the morning.
Alcohol Alcohol is the leading trigger for bipolar depressive episodes. Alcohol takes away your self control and can be unsafe to take with your medications. Since managing bipolar disorder can be difficult enough on its own, I do not consume alcohol ever.
Starches Pasta, rice, and potatoes all make me feel a bit drowsy, which leads to me being very unmotivated and even depressed. Just like caffeine, I try to limit the number of starches I include in my diet.
Since there can be such variation in trigger foods, you should talk to your doctor and keep your own personal notes. I found that keeping a food journal not only helps me eat a balanced diet but also allows me to make mood observations. Through my food journal I discovered the correlation between starches and my low energy levels.
As an added bonus, keeping a food journal opened the door to teaching nutrition in my homeschool. My children each have their own food journals and are learning about portion sizes, macronutrients, and good and bad fats.
3. Getting Beauty Sleep, Sticking to a Schedule, and Socializing
Before I started homeschooling our life was very relaxed. I slept in, ate at random times, and spent a lot of time doing nothing. In order to both homeschool and manage my bipolar disorder I had to make some big changes to my lifestyle.
Sleep It is not uncommon with bipolar disorder to find it almost impossible to sleep or at least to have sleep disturbances. Despite these difficulties, I try to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day. I may not get the recommended 8 hours of sleep, but I know I can’t just stay in bed all day any more because school must go on.
Socialization Last year I enrolled my children in a homeschool partnership. I thought it would be good for them to take some elective courses and to make some new friends. However, it turned out to be so much more than that. Joining this homeschool community forced me out of self-inflicted isolation and brought some incredible friends into my life.
Don’t let a diagnosis hold you back. I am a mother, I am a homeschooler, and I am bipolar. Each of these labels is only part of who I am. Having a mental disorder does not make you incapable of living your life to the fullest—or homeschooling your children.
About the Author
Roxanne Raiche is a book hoarding, coffee loving, homeschooling mama of three in Iron Mountain, Michigan. She is the voice behind Blushing Bibliophile.
The new 2021 BookShark Science for levels A through F¹ was designed with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)² in mind. But why would a homeschool curriculum care about outside standards at all?
Isn’t the BookShark way of reading great books and doing hands-on exploration enough when it comes to learning science? Yes!
Aren’t homeschoolers allowed to do school their own way, at their own pace, without worrying about adhering to a strict outline of what should be covered year by year? Absolutely!
And yet we never want to become complacent when it comes to providing a top-notch education for your children. So we constantly evaluate our programs to make sure the material is up-to-date, culturally sensitive, and in line with the most current, research-based instructional practices.
Updating Science to Stay Current
Science moves fast! And it’s hard to keep up! That’s why you see Science books being replaced in our packages when the technology pictured in them is more akin to what you might see in a museum than what you’d see in a modern lab or a 21st century home.
When new technology is released, we want your children to learn about it! So, we periodically swap out books and add new content.
Updating Science Curriculum to Reassure Parents
With the influx of 2020 pandemic homeschoolers, we received more questions than ever about accreditation, state standards, standardized testing, and keeping kids on track so they don’t fall behind their peers. Many BookShark families feel a sense of reassurance to know that BookShark meets and exceeds state standards!
We love being able to provide that reassurance to you. BookShark works. It’s a solid curriculum. Kids love it, and kids get turned on to science as a result of this engaging program! Demonstrating how BookShark Science aligns with NGSS standards, for example, is just another way to affirm its high academic quality.
If standards don’t do much to impress you, you can safely ignore them, trusting that BookShark Science is still the robust, spiral approach curriculum you’ve loved for years.
Updating Science to Provide You a More Linear Experience
Over the years, we’ve gotten feedback from BookShark families who were confused about the weekly progression from reading to doing. Many times, the end-of-week activity didn’t match the weekly reading. Although the Instructor’s Guide was purposely designed this way and in no way is a flaw in the educational structure, still many parents were uncomfortable with the jumping around.
We listened to your requests and designed a more linear program in which the weekly activity always aligns with the weekly reading. Was the older way deficient? Not at all, but this new structure provides a progression that families feel better about. And we want you to feel confident. So, we flexed to your preferences!
But Why NGSS?
So, of all the different standards in America, why did we pick Next Generation Science Standards when making Science curriculum updates?
First of all, NGSS standards are both widely accepted and academically solid. NGSS standards were created by states in conjunction with practicing scientists and science-based industries in a variety of fields. The goal was to enable America to continue innovating and leading in the sciences worldwide and to create science jobs for the future. A worthy cause, right?! We want your children to be those scientists and innovators of the future, so we used the NGSS to inform our curriculum updates.
And while the NGSS standards outline what to teach, they don’t preclude our natural methods of reading great books, discussing them, doing simple (no busy work) Activity Sheets, and then exploring with hands-on activities. The NGSS are standards, not curriculum. Thus, BookShark Science remains true to our original design while also accommodating NGSS and giving you the more linear read-about-it-then-do-it sequences most parents prefer.
NGSS Is Not Common Core
You may be wondering if NGSS is another way of saying Common Core. No, NGSS and Common Core are different entities. NGSS standards are not a federally mandated or supported system and adherence to them is not tied to school or state funding. To learn more, including common misconceptions, read the FACT SHEET here.
NGSS Is About Application, Inquiry, and Discovery
There’s an important aspect of NGSS that we want you to be sure to know about. NGSS strongly emphasizes the application of science. In fact, the doing of science is more important than focusing on the facts behind science.
After all, facts are pretty easy to find in our digital age. What’s much harder is
knowing what questions to ask
learning how to process data and come to accurate conclusions
knowing how assimilate information across disciplines
grasping advanced processes
seeing how scientific principles apply to real-world situations
imagining the future of science
These thinking abilities—and a fascination with science itself—are our goals for your children. It’s not about rote memorization of the periodic table of elements or focusing on dates and definitions. While these things are included in BookShark science, we agree with the NGSS that learning is only complete when children can synthesize, draw conclusions, make educated guesses, and imagine innovative uses of technology yet to be developed.
New Science Levels A through F
Visit each Science Package listing to see everything included, samples, and scope and sequence.
New in 2021: Now when you customize your All-Subject Package, you can choose from three different Science levels on the customize tab.
So, you did it… You placed your order, eagerly stalked your shipment, and finally celebrated your BookShark Box Day! Whether you are new to BookShark or a longtime homeschooler, after happily unpacking your boxes and exploring the piles upon piles of books you just received, you may find yourself feeling a little intimidated. You might even be asking yourself:
Where am I going to put all of this?
Where do I begin?
How will we ever make it through all of these books?
If you find yourself wondering about these things, don’t worry! You are not alone, and I am here to tell you it is not as scary as you might first think. With just a little bit of organization and preparation, you will quickly feel as though you have been using BookShark forever and maybe even have a few of your own tips to share.
Organizing Your BookShark Materials
1. Label
The very first thing I recommend is labeling all the books in in your package. Some people like to put color coded stickers or write with Sharpies on the book binding, but I prefer sticking a mailing label on the inside of the book cover with the level written on it. With this method, if I lend a book out to someone all they have to do is open the book to see who it belongs to.
What section the page is part of (Example: Section Two)
Week number (Example: Week 2)
For this example, all of the pages with this label will be placed behind the Week 2 tab in the BookShark binder.
(Time required: 10 minutes)
3. Store
Finally, it’s time to find a place to store your materials. I recommend using two separate shelves for each level—a student shelf and a teacher shelf. If your children are anything like mine, seeing a shelf full of all the materials they will be covering throughout the school year is daunting. I have one student shelf next to our desks that holds the weekly required materials and school supplies (pencils, erasers, dry erase markers, etc.).
I store the rest of the materials on a teacher shelf on the other side of the room out of sight. By keeping only, the necessary materials close at hand, it is easier to find the books I need and to keep anxiety at bay.
(Time required: 10 minutes)
Phew! That wasn’t so bad, was it? It literally took me only 30 minutes to properly label, assemble, and store all of my books away. Now what about weekly preparations? I think you will be surprised by how little time is required to prepare for the upcoming homeschool day or week.
Daily Homeschool Preparations with BookShark
The daily preparations are by far the easiest steps to take. Since BookShark has everything completely scheduled for the week, I just quickly look over the assignments and discussion questions each day. This allows me to have an overview of what we will be learning about that day and to easily reach over and pull the assigned books off the student shelf.
Since BookShark is planned to use a 4-day schedule, I dedicate a few minutes of my Friday end-of-the-week wrap-up with these tasks. Some moms prefer to do these on Sunday night before the week begins. Pick a time that works for you.
1. Restock the Student Shelf
The end of the week is the perfect time to change out books. I put the books we have completed back on my teacher shelf, and add the new books we will be using in the upcoming week to the student shelf.
2. Add Worksheets to Student Binders
Next, I remove all the student activity sheets from the Instructor’s Guide and place them in the student binder.
3. Gather Science Lab Materials
Then I check the Science Instructor’s Guide to see if there are any household items required for the next lab assignment. I gather those plus anything we need from the included Science Kit in one area.
(Time required: 10-15 minutes)
It is as simple as that. At the start of the school year, you organize materials. Each week you do a bit of prep, and then each day you acquaint yourself with the assigned work. Your BookShark Instructor’s Guide carefully guides you through the rest.
About the Author
Roxanne Raiche is a book hoarding, coffee loving, homeschooling mama of three in Iron Mountain, Michigan. She is the voice behind Blushing Bibliophile.
I have always enjoyed doing arts and crafts projects with my boys as an add-on to our homeschool curriculum. But as they’ve gotten older, I have found it a bit harder to teach them art because they have less patience with the process of art. They want to have the satisfaction of a completed project at the conclusion of an art lesson instead of working for hours upon hours or days upon days to create something to be proud of.
In desperation to find art projects they would all be willing to work on, I turned to YouTube. Success! We found plenty of wonderful videos and have now started using them once a week as informal homeschool art classes.
I first watch each video in its entirety and gather all the needed supplies. I then sit with the boys and watch the video, pausing the recording after each step in the art process demonstrated. I model what was just shown on the screen and give help or encouragement as needed. Once everyone is ready to move on, we resume the video back, watch a bit more, and then pause again as needed. We keep moving through the lesson in small steps and re-watch any parts we need to.
Here are some of our favorite art videos thus far.
This 12-minute video takes the viewer step by step through the process of re-creating Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers using oil pastels. The video starts with a quick overview of what the finished project will look like and what supplies are needed.
This 12-minute video shows how to use the illusion of light and shadow to make traditional shapes like a sphere, cone, and rectangular prisms look three dimensional when drawing with charcoal.
Working with watercolors can be intimidating but this quick 8-minute video shows how easy watercolors can be. It illustrates how to paint two different sunsets of the sky over the ocean using different colors and similar techniques.
Once you get started on YouTube art tutorials, you can find dozens of resources to keep you busy for months on end. I’ll close with a tip: I often leave the day’s art supplies out for a couple of days afterthe lesson in the hopes that my boys will be encouraged to play around with the techniques and medium. Sometimes I spy them toying with the watercolors even without the direction of YouTube. That’s a homeschool win!
About the Author
Joanne Rawson is the author of the blog Our Unschooling Journey. Known around the web as Mother of 3, Joanne began her blog when she first started homeschooling her three boys in 2012. She lives in Connecticut with her family and enjoys reading, crafting, and traveling… all of which usually ends up on her blog.
Most homeschooling families have the same basic checklist when trying to choose from the endless curriculums available. We are all looking for one that fits our kids’ learning styles and our budget. We also want one that won’t bore us to death but covers the subjects our state requires. Talk about stress, we have all been there.
Unique Challenges of Military Families
Military families are rare. Homeschooling military families are even more rare. We have our own unique set of struggles. Things like deployments, learning new homeschool laws with each move, and even homeschooling from a hotel room while between base assignments. Long periods of time away from a parent is the norm for the homeschooled child in a military family. Keeping track of your homeschooling materials during moves? It’s a challenge!
Imagine you are happy with your curriculum in your low-regulated homeschool state. Your children are thriving, and everyone is breezing through life. Suddenly, you learn that you are moving in one month and you have absolutely no choice in the matter. You are going to a state that has stricter homeschool regulations, which include making progress reports and providing an upfront yearly overview. Or imagine that your school year is going smoothly, and your spouse receives orders to go away for six to twelve months for training or deployment, leaving you as the sole parent and educator at home. This is the life of the many military families that choose to homeschool. Hello, instant stress headache.
Relief is on the Way
Wouldn’t it be a little easier to breathe if we had one solid curriculum that covered all the topics our kids need to learn? Then we could stop panicking every time we get those dreaded orders to move.
I wanted a stress-free curriculum that would make my homeschooling life easy, and it delivered. I no longer have to worry if my boys will have a well-rounded curriculum. No more pulling my hair out, wondering if I am meeting the requirements of any state we can possibly be moved to, especially if the move is in the middle of the year.
We are currently in that exact situation, living in a half-packed house, eating random meals while trying to clean out the panty. And for once, worrying about homeschooling laws is the last thing on my mind. As a homeschool mom, this is huge. Normally I eat, live, and breathe homeschool worries.
But this time I know everything will be just fine because BookShark has my entire year planned out for me.
A Lifesaver
A plus with BookShark is that it will grow with my kids. I won’t have to switch curriculums when they get older and I can stay with what I know and trust. But not-so-secretly, my main reason for loving BookShark as a military family is their awesome Instructor’s Guide. Sounds silly, right? It is a lifesaver during deployments when one parent is holding down the fort alone. I started BookShark Level B with my boys when their dad was deployed.
Thanks to the Instructor’s Guide, no matter what type of day I was having, I managed to stay right on track, and their education didn’t suffer. Also, the curriculum is flexible and the guide is so easy to understand. When Dad is stateside, he is able to pick up a book and teach whatever topic comes next. It’s a real gift for him to be involved in his kids’ education while he’s able, especially because he knows that he might be sent away at any time.
Peace of Mind
The military homeschool family is unique in many ways. But one thing we will always share with our civilian counterparts is wanting what is best for our families and children. With a life as challenging as ours, I am glad to know that BookShark is there to ease one more worry from my mind.
About the Author
Ashley Panzica-Tolbert is a skirt wearing Army veteran who also happens to be the homeschooling and adventure finding mom of 2 boys. Her massive caffeine addiction and BookShark curriculum get her through the frequent moves and deployments of military life as a homeschool family.
Homeschooling is hard. Worth it, but still hard. Sending your child to school has its challenges as well, and when I weighed the stresses on sending my kids to public school versus those of homeschooling, I chose the stresses of homeschooling.
Most of the time, I would say that the stresses are about equal, at least for our family size. Getting four little kids out the door and into the car five days a week for drop-off and pick-up? I shudder just thinking about it.
Our first year of homeschooling was wonderful, mostly because we were surrounded by close friends. Even though we never lived close to family, there were several people I trusted who I could call and ask to watch my kids when I needed a break. I also had a couple of local homeschool mom friends who I leaned on for asking advice or venting frustrations.
I underestimated the impact of losing that support system.
Shortly after we started our second year of homeschooling, we made our first long-distance move. We left our home of the past 14 years and moved over 500 miles away from everything we knew.
I’ve spent the past year and half homeschooling without a support system. Without that support system, the stress scales tip. I confess that more than once, I’ve fantasized about sending my kids to school.
My reasons for homeschooling thankfully outweighed the difficulties, and we are still homeschooling today. Slowly, ever so slowly, I am building a new support system, but doing so has taken a lot of emotional energy on my part.
Because this is still fresh for me, and my support system is still a work in progress, I’d love to share what I’ve learned about surviving as a homeschool mom without a support system.
1. Find an Online Support Group
Thank goodness for the internet! Yes, our smart phones are a distraction, and the internet has more than its share of drawbacks, but what did homeschool moms do before the internet? They were far more isolated, that’s what!
Facebook groups for homeschool moms are plentiful, so if you haven’t joined any, now’s the time to find a few that work for you. (There is even an unofficial BookShark group you can join.) While many moms use Facebook groups to ask questions about curriculum, schedules, and learning difficulties, Facebook groups can be a great place to vent about the things that only another homeschool mom will understand. You just need to find the right groups.
Admittedly, finding the right group can take a little bit of trial and error. But your groups are out there! I recommend joining several different groups. With time, you will figure out which groups are going to be the most helpful to you as far a support goes. Eventually, you may develop relationships with a smaller group of moms within the group that could evolve into a surprisingly strong support system, though eventually you will need local support (see point #4 below).
2. Make Alone Time a Priority
You and I both know that getting alone time as a homeschool mom is important. When you have no support system? Alone time is more than a #selfcare hashtag you put on your Instagrams; it’s critical for your mental health.
Actually, getting that time is much easier said than done. I know what it’s like to not be able to afford a babysitter. Then there’s the problem of allocating babysitting funds to competing needs: date nights to strengthen your marriage versus alone time to save your sanity. And even if you have the money for babysitting, sometimes finding a babysitter you feel comfortable leaving your kids with is the greater challenge.
All of these obstacles leave you, for better or for worse, heavily reliant on your spouse to get that precious alone time. Communication is key. Sometimes, we assume our spouse knows we need a break. Trust me–they don’t.
You need to communicate to your spouse just how much you need this alone time to be a better mom, to be a better wife. Be clear and specific about what you need.
And when they offer you that break–even if it’s just going to grocery store alone, take them up on it. Seriously. Don’t be a martyr! Drop what you’re doing and go for it; these opportunities don’t come around all that often.
3. Go Ahead! Use Screens in Your Homeschool
When the babysitting money is gone or non-existent and you literally have no one to call to get a break, don’t be afraid to use media. I know, I know. In certain parenting circles, screen-time is the devil–right up there with red food coloring and McDonald’s.
I’m not in that camp, but it’s taken me a long time to get over the guilt of using screens to get a break. Now don’t get me wrong. When my kids choose outside time over screens, my heart skips a beat, and I pat myself on the back. However, when you have no support system, something needs to give.
Especially if you are an introverted homeschool mom, rest time, getting up before your kids, and early bedtimes will only get you so far. You need to make compromises around screentime if you’re going to avoid homeschool mom burnout.
I cannot believe how many educational shows, YouTube channels, and documentaries created specifically for kids exist today. Here are some lists to get you started:
4. Work to Develop a Local, In-person Support System
Building a new, local support system is one of the most emotionally exhausting things I’ve ever done…but eventually, you really are going to need it. You cannot live without it long-term. Homeschoolers need community, plain and simple; you can only survive on an island for so long.
That being said, it takes a lot of emotional energy to put yourself out there over and over again, and as homeschool moms, our emotional energy is limited. So, you need to take it slow and set small goals.
Here are some possible goals to get your started:
Try one new co-op a semester.
Set up one playdate with an acquaintance.
Check out a local homeschool mom night.
Try one new church a month.
Strike up one conversation a week with another mom at the park.
After you’ve completed your goal for the month or the week, give yourself permission to make no other effort whatsoever. It could happen faster than you think, or you could be at this for a couple of years. Allocate a certain amount of emotional energy to rebuilding and trust the rest to time.
A Final Encouragement (For the Days When You Want to Give Up)
You can homeschool without a support system. I’ve used the first three tips to make it this far, and as for the last tip, you never know when you’re going to strike gold, when your choice to put yourself out there one more time will finally pay off.
I met my closest friend in our new city at the park last summer. I put myself out there again, after six months of striking out in these types of situations. Because we only have one car, this was an evening park visit, and I completely exhausted. Quite honestly, I would rather have been sitting quietly on a bench reading a book than initiating a conversation with yet another complete stranger.
But I did it anyways. I chose a mom who looked more exhausted and lonelier than I was (that’s a bonus tip for you!), and I put myself out there for what felt like the millionth time.
We hit it off right away and have been close ever since. Our kids are the same age, and while they don’t homeschool, we have so much in common.
My support system is still weak. One good friend and a couple acquaintances are not enough. But it’s a start, and a few small successes have given me the resolve to keep going, to keep trying, to trust that it won’t be this hard forever.
Keep going! Both in homeschooling, and in rebuilding your support system. It’s worth it.
About the Author
June loves deep discussions about homeschooling, parenting, and minimalism. When she’s not homeschooling, decluttering, or blogging at This Simple Balance, she loves to enjoy perfect silence while sipping a hot cup of coffee and thinking uninterrupted thoughts—which, of course, with four kids ages eight and under doesn’t happen very often!
If you have children with ADHD, reading may not be their strong suit. Or if you’re fortunate enough to have an ADHD child who is a bookworm, that child might struggle to recall information or answer questions about the work afterward. For active kids, sitting down and reading can pose a challenge. With a few tweaks, though, a book-based curriculum can be perfect for ADHD kids.
Why a Book-Based Curriculum is Perfect for ADHD Kids
Some of the suggestions for teaching kids with ADHD include using video games, computer software, and active play as outlets for their mental and physical energy. As a result, parents might wonder about the value of using a book-based curriculum for children who have ADHD. Here are a few reasons why a literary approach can help:
A book-based curriculum improves comprehension skills. Children who have ADHD often struggle with comprehension due to executive function issues. Reading and learning to summarize what they read helps these kids improve their ability to grasp information and retell it.
Reluctant readers can see the value in books. If your children don’t enjoy reading books, they may feel differently after seeing how much they can learn from reading them. This is especially true if the curriculum is implemented in a way that lets them make or do something on their own.
Using a book-based curriculum inspires creativity. As children hear various book genres (legends, historical fiction, comedy, suspense, etc.), they are introduced to different styles of writing and storytelling. These stories can spark their imaginations, giving them material to think, write, and create their own works.
How to Create a Book-Based Curriculum for ADHD Kids
So the big question is: How can you create a book-based curriculum for kids with ADHD? The key is to choose books that are exciting and stimulating enough to hold your child’s interest. Here are a few tips:
1. Choose books with illustrations
Pictures do wonders for kids with ADHD. They take books from the abstract to the possible. When kids can see what’s happening, they remain invested in the story.
2. Create activities based on the plot.
Take any and everything you can from the book and make it into an activity, craft, or project. These extension ideas help active kids think more about what’s happening and remember the plot more clearly.
3. Encourage kids to write their own stories.
Add in a few writing prompts as you progress through the book to stimulate your children’s writing skills. When a chapter ends, ask “What do you think will happen next?” Then have them write about it. Or when the book ends, ask them to come up with an alternate ending.
4. Use immersion reading.
Immersion reading refers to reading a work while listening to it in audio form. Kids who tend to move around also tend to have short attention spans, so keep their minds on the material by having them follow along as it’s read. They’ll stay on task much better.
You can definitely make a book-based curriculum the perfect choice for kids with ADHD. Just remember: Keep the stories interesting, engaging, and interactive. If you do, your active learners will become lifelong readers.
One thing many homeschool moms want to do is land a work at home job. Relying on one income in today’s economy can be tough, and working from home seems like the perfect way to supplement a spouse’s income or provide a full time income if necessary while continuing to homeschool.
Once you have decided what type of work at home job is perfect for you, you need to apply and then land the job. In the virtual world, this is easier said than done. Often times you are competing against many other moms who want the job same as you. In order to land a work at home job, you must stand out. How can you nab the best work at home jobs as a homeschool mom?
Be Professional
The number one tip for a homeschool mom wanting to land a work at home job is to be professional. Your email tone will need to be professional not relaxed. This means leaving out the texting abbreviations (LOL) and the emoticons from your messages.
Also, be sure to end emails with a closing and a signature line that includes your full name, a photo, a link to your website, Facebook page, or other social media handles. Including a signature can make every email look professional and shows that you take yourself seriously.
Make sure your social media profiles include a recent and businesslike photo of you — no cropped-out kids or messy backgrounds. Also, be sure that you don’t share too much of yourself online. Everything you put online is available for the world to see and believe me when I say potential employers are Googling you!
Be Available
The next tip for a homeschool mom wanting to land a work at home job is to be available. This does not mean that you need to be attached to your email every second of the day. It does mean, however, that you respond to emails and requests in an appropriate amount of time —typically within 24-48 hours.
If a potential client is looking to hire you, he doesn’t want you to respond to his request a week after he asked for a phone interview. If you are unable to respond to email for a potential client, how will you respond once you are hired? Keep this in mind and do your best to be available.
Be Reliable
Have you completed tasks for other clients in the past? Were you reliable? Do you have references that will attest to the fact that you turn in assignments on time? As a work at home mom, you are responsible for completing tasks independently. Potential clients want someone they can rely on to complete a task correctly and on time.
Having a curriculum that minimizes your prep time means you can devote more time to meeting work deadlines. So, look at ways you can streamline your day-to-day schedule so that you maintain an impeccable reputation.
Always under promise so you can overdeliver. And never use your role as a homeschool mom as an excuse for being unreliable. Your client needs his work done regardless of if your children were sick or you had a plumbing issue.
If you are considering becoming a work at home, homeschooling mom consider these three things. If you present yourself as a professional, are available for employment requests, and can show that you are reliable you will have a better chance of standing out and landing that job!
It’s fun to spend bright summer days outside exploring nature or running around the park. What do you do on gloomy, rainy days though? Those gray days when you’re trapped inside? You create a cozy reading atmosphere and turn gloomy afternoons into beautiful memories of a cozy reading atmosphere.
Light a Fire
Gloomy rainy days tend to be cold due to the damp chill in the air. So light a fire in the fireplace to help create a cozy reading atmosphere. If you don’t have a fireplace, you can turn up the heat. Or play one of those YouTube fireplace videos on your television to at least simulate the sounds and look of a fire.
Just remember to keep the room warm. Your kids will adore staying warm on cozy reading days when the weather outside is abysmal.
Sleeping Bags, Pillows, and Blankets
Grab a big pile of sleeping bags, pillows, and blankets and drag them into the living room. Pile the pillows into comfortable nests. Toss blankets over chairs to make tents.
Encourage the kids to curl up in sleeping bags on the floor. The idea is to be comfortable and warm while it’s pouring outside.
Tea, Hot Chocolate, and Cookies
Brew some flavored tea or make hot chocolate to sip. Bake cookies and eat them hot from the oven. After all, nothing is as pleasant as curling up in a sleeping bag on pillows, sipping hot chocolate, and nibbling on warm cookies while reading a delightful book.
Dim the Lights
Dim the lights in the room while and keep just enough light to read your book. The dim light creates the intimate atmosphere needed to be cozy.
Use lamps and book lights to give yourself enough light to read. Book lights and lamps won’t turn the room too bright for an intimate atmosphere but will allow you to read comfortably.
Invite Friends Over
Invite friends over for a cozy reading afternoon at home instead of the park. Have them bring sleeping bags, pillows, and favorite books so everyone can curl up together.
Snuggle in front of the fire and enjoy being warm and together on a gloomy afternoon. Offering hot chocolate, tea, and cookies truly creates a fun, intimate, cozy atmosphere for reading.
Read Aloud
While curling up together to read books individually is pleasant on a gloomy afternoon, don’t forget how enjoyable it is to listen to stories together. Pull out your current read aloud or turn on an audio book.
Spend cozy hours listening to good books together in front of a warm fire. Read from your favorite childhood books or catch up on your stack of Read-Alouds from your curriculum. Listen to current popular kids’ books. Laugh at the jokes and weep at the tragedies. Enjoy listening to the stories together on these cozy afternoons.
Using these six techniques you can turn miserable, cold, gloomy, rainy days into beautiful memories, memories of cozy afternoons listening to good books or reading a fun novel while nibbling cookies.
About the Author
Sara Dennis is a homeschooling mother of 6 children ages 5 through 19. After much research into homeschooling in 2000, she and her husband fell in love with classical education and used it as the foundation for their homeschool. Sara Dennis blogs at Classically Homeschooling.
