Homeschool Curriculum Blog Online Learning for PreK-8th

I’m a work-at-home homeschooling mom, which used to make me stand out in a crowd, but nowadays, I fit right in.  More and more homeschooling moms are having to figure out creative ways to bring in a little extra income while family finances are so tight.  On one of the homeschooling forums I frequent, this has  been a popular topic of discussion, with some moms and dads working different shifts in outside jobs, other moms making and selling things on Etsy or Ebay, or taking in preschoolers to watch in their homes.

Making the choice to homeschool almost always means making the choice to sacrifice financially.  But there are things all homeschoolers can do to make their pennies go further, and their purse strings not quite so loose.

One strategy to save money is to watch local classifieds.  Because shipping has gone up and up, even Ebay purchases can be a strain these days, but finding local options for homeschool-related purchases can make a great deal of difference.  Sign up for your local Freecycle email loop, keep a lookout on the Craigslist listings for your area, and make sure to attend any local homeschool book sales or curriculum fairs. 

Another way to watch your wallet is to make use of all the wonderful free homeschooling resources online.  Blogs like FreelyEducate.com and Free Technology for Teachers are terrific sources for locating quality programs and websites that can help you in your day to day studies.  Even subscription-based educational search engines like Nettrekker, can pay for themselves quickly with the amount of free educational information they can point you toward.

You can also team up with other homeschoolers to save on materials by using bulk-buying strategies.  Programs such as Homeschool Buyers Coop allow homeschool families to compete with the discount prices of large educational buying groups and receive incredible savings on educational subscriptions and supplies.

Homeschool curriculum can be especially tough on the budget, so choose carefully.  Make sure that you match the curriculum to your child’s primary learning style so that you don’t waste time and money on curriculum that just isn’t going to work for your son or daughter.  Take advantage of curriculum demos and samples to “try before you buy.” 

One of the most affordable choices for homeschoolers on the market today is the Time4Learning online homeschool curriculum.  For less than $20 per month (even less for additional subscriptions) homeschoolers receive full access to an interactive K-8 multimedia core program including math, language arts, science, and social studies.  In addition, the program offers state of the art lessons (no lesson planning involved), online quizzes and tests, and full record-keeping.  No other homeschool program available offers so much for such reasonable fees.

Feel free to try out the demo lessons.  For more information, sign up for our T4L newsletter.  Why not get on board with the quality, affordable curriculum offered by the folks at Time4Learning?

Posted under Homeschool, homeschool curriculum, working and homeschooling, working moms

In my last blog post, I explored the idea of working and homeschooling.  In these difficult economic times, parents who want to homeschool their child often feel like they have to choose between their job and teaching a child from home.  But the truth is that many working homeschoolers are finding creative ways to do both.

Last week we focused on finding a balance between working at home and homeschooling.  This week, I want to check out the idea of working outside the home and homeschooling.  Sound impossible?  You would be surprised at how many working parents are doing just that.  I myself can quickly think of several parents I know personally who work outside of the home and homeschool.

One dad I know owns his own remodeling business.  He takes his son with him every day to work with him, and his son does his school work right in his dad’s truck.  And in between, he gets an up close and hands-on education in math, science, logic, and design by helping out his dad with many of the jobs he is involved with. 

Another single mother I’m acquainted with gets a lot of support from her mom, who is willing to look after her grandchildren while their mom is at work.  She also guides them through two or three of their school subjects, and is also currently teaching them piano - - one of her many talents.  Then when mom returns from work in the late afternoon, she oversees the rest of their schoolwork, and they finish up late in the evening.  By spreading out their schooling over the day, the children benefit from the nurturing of two different family members, and get exposure to a wide variety of daily activities.

Amber, one of the members of the Time4Learning Parent’s Forum recently shared her story of how their family makes working outside of the home and homeschooling successful:

I am a baker at a grocery store. My hours are tiresome working 3-11:30a.m four days a week and sometimes I work midnight to 5am on one of my days off to pick up some extra needed cash.  Our days vary according to my sons moods. He has PDD-NOS which is an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Our main schedule is spelling, math, language arts, la ext, writing and reading daily. Science and social studies we plan on switching back and forth from day to day once we start them which keeps getting pushed backed do to my son having a hard couple months emotionally. My son likes to be independent so I try to let him do as much on his own as possible. I preview lessons ahead of time so I know what is expected from him. He works better in the afternoon which works great with my work schedule. On my days off we tend to stick with working after lunch. Some days he wants to get it over with so he does some work in the morning. He sometimes takes workbook work I have put together, based on what he is working on in t4l, when he goes to my moms or brothers house on the nights I work. Though working outside the home and homeschooling my son is difficult at times it is so worth it when I see him figure something out that has been causing him difficulty. All the quality time I get to spend with him is priceless. Before I would pick him up from school and be to tired to do much with him. Though there are days this is still the case, we do so much together now that would never be possible if he went to public school. He is a much happier kid now with less outbursts then before.

And these are not unique cases.  More and more families are pushing the limits of what are considered “normal” ways to homeschool.  If you would like to connect with other parents who are trying to make work and homeschool mesh, head over to the Time4Learning Parents Forum, where there is a section specifically created for WAH and WOH homeschooling parents to share their experiences and questions.

Posted under working and homeschooling, working moms

In my “journeys” across the web, I spend a lot of time on homeschooling forums.  And one of the questions that crops up over and over again is “Can I work and homeschool?”  The easy answer to that question is ‘yes.’  But individual circumstances are always so unique, that easy answers don’t always suffice. 

However, the fact is that many homeschooling parents, including myself, are finding creative ways to work and homeschool their children.  One option that has proven successful for some parents is working from home.  If your career offers the opportunity for you to do some or all of your work from your house, then by making some adjustments to your routine, you may find homeschooling to be a very workable possibility.

Aandwsmom (her forum name), is a work-at-home mom who believes that homeschooling is important enough to make some rather large adjustments and sacrifices in her family’s household and schedule. Here, in her words, she shares the particulars of how this plays out for them:

“I am a WAHM who does an In-Home Daycare. I have 3 children that I care for, all toddlers plus my own 2 boys. Taking on the Homeschool label has been a challenge, not because of my lack of ability but because our house is 796 square feet. It’s 2 bedroom, 1 bath and when you stick 1 adult(2 on Fridays when my husband is home), 2 large tween boys, 3 toddlers, 2 dogs and 2 cats it becomes a tight fit! We use every available space for different things and I am a super organizer. Homeschooling is done during the daycare naptime. The house is quiet and I have undivided attention to provide my boys with any help they need. With 1 homeschooler, we just sat at the couch and did it together. With 2  boys home now, we have invested in a storage unit for the daycare area that comes with a desk attachment that will seat both boys at their computers at the same time. It will also provide storage for the daycare toys and homeschool supplies.

…Homeschooling was a choice I wanted since my children were little. I grew up with a Public School teacher as a Mom and had wonderful school experiences but have watched the School systems slowly fail. Unfortunately, my husband was against it. So my children attended Public School. When my older son started having issues, we made the decision together to homeschool but my husband still had doubts. Not in my ability, but in the fact that was our son going to learn, retain and still emerge a normal child at the other end of this ride. Well, in the 3+ months since we started homeschooling, my husband has done a complete 360* turnaround. He loves homeschooling, thinks it is the best thing we have done for our children, and was the first to want to pull our 2nd son because of his school issues! We get to enjoy our children, teach them and watch them grow, and have family memories that will last forever!”

This working mom’s children use Time4Learning as their core curriculum.  Online homeschool curricula, such as T4L, have the advantage of allowing students to work somewhat independently.  They also require very little in the way of time-consuming lesson planning and record keeping.  With Time4Learning, the detail work is taken care of, so that work-at-home parents can focus on the important task of supporting their child’s learning. 

If you are thinking about working at home and homeschooling, be sure to stop by the Time4Learning Parents Forum and check out the WAHMs, WOHMs and other Working Parents thread for support and advice. 

And stay tuned for the next blog post where I will share even more about the ins and outs of working and homeschooling!

Posted under Homeschool, Online Learning, homeschool curriculum, working and homeschooling, working moms