Our DIY Student Planner!

I finally got it done!  I originally wanted to do my own, but after some frustrating attempts, I ended up purchasing a planner on sale.  However, I did want to go ahead and personalize one for my child.

Some of the pages are gracious freebies from other and some are mine!  I was a little disadvantaged.  My laptop is on its deathbed, so I've been sharing with Rosalinda.  Her laptop doesn't have my beloved Publisher.  Also, I didn't realize that I was almost out of yellow ink, and I have one of those Epson printers that requires all the colors to operate, so I kept everything black and white.  But a had a bunch of colored paper and coordinated months with that.  Also, I figured in the near future I could purchase some craft tape and let her "washi" it up! :)

1: Cover: It is a piece of scrapbook paper that I let her pick out and cut to size.  After I trimmed it, I ran it through the printer and added her name and year.

2. Academic Calender: It is downloaded and printed from The Flander's Family

3. Monthly Overview: It was downloaded and printed from The Home School Mom

 (I would've preferred to make my own, but without my beloved Microsoft, I was ecstatic she shared these!)

4. Student Monthly Progress Report: It was downloaded and printed from Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

 Last year I had an "Effort Rubric" posted to help Rosalinda evaluate how much effort she was giving in everything she did.  I plan on using this to help reinforce those principles I was teaching her

5.Goal Sheet: I downloaded and printed it from About.com

6. Weekly Prayer List/Whatever Girl Challenge: I made this one in Google Drive

7. Weekly Planner: I can't find where I originally got this from.  If you recognize it, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due!

8. Book Report Alternatives: I compiled a list of book report alternatives for us to use to expand her reading  experience.  Our bedtime schedule has 30 minutes of reading built in before lights out to make sure that it makes it into the day.  She will pick one of these activities and complete it when she finishes a book of her choice.

9. Suggested Reading List:  Rosalinda has always been a strong reader, so I grabbed a reading list for the next grade and listed suggestions.  One thing we're going try out this year is reading a chapter out loud together before we jump into our studies.  That way I can get some classics in her without having to assign them.  I'll probably pull from this list as well.  The list originally came from Vestia Hill (usually I don't list PDF's, but since it's a school site, I figured this would be best)

10. Reading Log: It was a gem taken from Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus.  I love the genre codes!

11. Summer Bucket List: This came from A Lil Lily Blog.  I wanted to transition into summer with some brainstorming!

Back: I just laminated another piece of colored card stock and was done!

I will list up the line up as if you had the book open and were looking at the left and right pages spread out.

Cover

Academic Planner -- Monthly Overview for August

Student Monthly Progress Report -- My Goals

Prayer List/Whatever Girls Weekly Challenge -- Weekly Planner (however many weeks for that month)

Doodles & Thoughts -- Monthly Overview for next month (September) AND REPEAT

After the last week of May I have

Doodles & Thoughts -- Book Report Alternatives

Suggested Reading List -- Reading Logs (multiple pages)

(last) Reading Log -- Summer Bucket List 

Back cover

I can't wait to give it to Rosalinda and to let her personalize it!

Do you make your own planner for you or your child(ren)?  Share your diy planner blog post, tips, secrets with us!

"So I'm Thinking About Homeschooling..."

When someone asks me questions because they are thinking of making the wondrous dive into the infinite possibilities of homeschooling, I generally always have the same advice:

-If you're saved, pray!  Pray that God will direct you to the write method of teaching the precious responsibilities that He has entrusted to you.  Pray that your transition will be smooth.  Pray that your transition will be smooth and that you will make decisions founded in His infinite wisdom and not your own. For His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.

-Know your reasons! (In times of discouragement and those moments of understanding of why some wild animals eat their young, you'll need to return to your "why"

-Buy and read "100 Top Picks For Homeschool Curriculum" by Cathy Duffy*. Even if you don't purchase curriculum, it helps you evaluate the type of teacher you are and the type of student each of your children are. You can look at the recommended curriculum's setup and design your own. OR if you do purchase, it recommends curriculum based on learning style, shows you how to blend for multiple children, fortells how much prep is required, whether or not it is writing intensive and more. Then it gives you an overview of the recommended curriculum.

There is a newer version with 101 picks, but this is the one I'm familiar with.

-Decide & Budget. Get a list of what you want and research what all you need. I always look at the publisher's sight, decide what pieces I'm going to need, and take note of  full retail price. That way I know if I'm getting a good deal or not when I buy it used or on sale.

I purchase the bulk of my curriculum off of amazon.com, but there are soooo many resale sites available that allow homeschoolers to support homeschoolers!  Also, if I have to buy something new, I will default to christianbook.com.  They run a lot of promotions and send me periodic deals, like free shipping.

How about you?  What advice do you always give?

What do you wish someone would have suggested to you?

*I have not been asked to review the above materials and did not receive any compensation for my recommendation/review.

DIY Yearbook!

We had an amazing year this year and I wanted my little Rosalinda to have something to remind her of all the wonderful things we did and people we spent time with this year.

This project had a lot of headaches, but I'm hoping it is because I was newbie and not because it is the nature of the product.

When I decided to do a showcase, I figured it would help to have a theme to help inspire the invite and yearbook.  I played with the idea of peacocks, owls, monsters, stars, dots, and a lot more.  I found an invite using monster graphics on walgreens.com or walmart.com, which was my original plan.  I wanted to be able to order nice quality, but economical invites that I could hand and mail out.  Yeah, didn't happen.  I couldn't change the "birthday" wording and couldn't find any other pre-made invites that would work.

So I ended up making my own and ordering them as photos from Walgreens.com.  It took two orders due to their network resizing it and cutting off part of the invite, but we finally got it done.

I made this invite in Microsoft Publisher, saved it as a jpg, and loaded it into my walgreens.com account.

Sticking with this theme I went to work on her yearbook, about six weeks before the showcase.  I made it all in publisher.  Originally I looked at picture books, like Walgreens and Shutterfly, but for the number of pages that I wanted, I couldn't find anything in my budget.  

I finally printed it out on my Epson printer (which did take A LOT of ink because I wanted it to be high quality) front and back on cardstock.  I decided to take it to our local education store to be laminated and bound, but that was a fiasco.  Their laminater completely ruined my pages and the laminate didn't stick to the page, creating huge bubbles.  The bubbles made the images and words almost impossible to make out.  It wasn't good. :(  However, the owner of the educational supply store is amazing!  She had me send her the files and she printed them herself, so that I didn't have to pay another $20 in ink, took it to an office supply store and had it laminated in really think laminate and bound.  I didn't pay a cent!  She took great care of us!

Here are my pages, so you can see how I organized it all.

Cover

Table of Contents

All the places we did school this year: library, in a tent, on the porch swing, in a hospital waiting room,
and other fun places!

My family was listed as the faculty...I could've added other people as well that had contributed, but I thought it would mean more to my daughter if it was her family only.

I've decided that even though we home educate, I'm still going to try and do a September school photo.  I know you could get packages as low as $6 at Walmart's Studio...so even if I had to go somewhere else and had to track down some coupons, I think I could budget for a single pose on a traditional blue background.  The picture I used for Fourth Grade is Rosalinda's first day of school photo.  One of our traditions is to buy a new pair of pjs for the first day of school, rather than an outfit. :)

Had to get some favorites so she can see how cool/dorky she was when she was 10, lol.  :)

These were some of Rosalinda's best buds.  One of them doesn't live in the same state, but I had the others sign their pages.

Our sweet pup Jules, kitty Twinkles, and a special project of mine.
Last December I did our own version of Elf on the Shelf with a polar bear named Snowflake.
Rosalinda got a package in the mail with Snowflake and a request from the Inuit Teacher's Association.  They had been overrun with cubs and didn't have enough teachers to instruct them all.  So Rosalinda was asked to teach mischievous Snowflake about the true meaning of Christmas.  We had a lot of fun with it. ;)


















We do a lot at our public library!  We have three branches that take turns hosting, tween, teen, and family events.


This is the awesome educational supply store that ultimately helped me get the yearbook made!


These pages were set aside for people to sign.  This same "paper" was on the back of the cover and the very back of the book to provide extra space for signing.  I asked for people to sign anywhere they wanted EXCEPT for the front cover.

Total Cost: $28

I did have to buy extra ink because I wanted a colorful yearbook, used cardstock I had on hand (printing front and back) and I didn't have to pay for the lamination and binding.  

My original idea would have cost me less than $7 to laminate and bind.

What I Would Or Would Not Do Next Time

• Do a border and not a full color background on each page
• More signature pages (some people had trouble finding enough space to say all that they wanted to say)
• Possibly look at formatting it to fit a photo book and keep my eyes open for coupons...that way it gets a hard cover and everything prints directly on glossy paper and I don't have to worry about laminating
• Because of the order of events leading to the final publishing of this book, the signature pages were laminated before being signed.  From my research everything I found said that sharpies is the best to use, but I'm finding that they still will rub off weeks after, so I'm trying to figure out what to do to preserve the wishes for years to come.
• If I laminate, I may leave those pages unlaminated and add them later.  That way I can still have it bound and available to view at the showcase.  
• Or leave it all unlaminated...undecided at this point.  
• This is what makes the photo books seem like a good idea.

Overall, I was pleased with it and am planning on doing one each year moving forward! :)

Another Successful Year

We have ended a successful year and I am already organizing our next year!

I started homeschooling midway through Rosalinda's third grade year.  I pulled her from the public system in November and started the week before Thanksgiving.

In a single week, I read "Top 100 Curriculum Picks for Homeschool Curriculum," created the list of curriculum I wanted to try out, touched base with Rosalinda's dad, who was amazingly in agreement, and even had the money on hand to make the $300 purchase in curriculum at our local Mardel's.  

Our first year wasn't a "trophy case" year, but I learned a lot about what NOT to do again, lol.  My poor child dealt with some craziness, but we survived and she still had a desire to homeschool fourth grade.

For fourth grade, I changed our science and language arts curriculum and made her own space in our living room to 'get her learn on.'  I affectionately labeled it her "genius corner."

I was more educated with my purchases and grabbed used pieces everywhere I could!  So my $300 purchase of last year was NOT repeated and I got even more materials for around $150!

We had an overwhelming busy year and learned so much!

I actually had an end!  Last year, I'm sad to admit, kind of faded out opposed to officially ending.

We ended our year with a showcase that allowed Rosalinda to show our family and friends all her hard work.

I designed the invitation myself after searching and searching in vain for an invite that didn't use the word birthday or have monster's with party hats.  I had them printed as photos at Walgreens.  

The only problem I ran into was finding envelopes that fit!  They do have photo sized envelopes, but

that were ridiculously priced because they are a specialty item.  So....

I took regular business length envelopes, sliced two inches off each side, and used craft tape to close it up!  They worked perfectly!

I sent them out about a month in advance due to all of the graduation schedules that would have to be coordinated.

Our showcase was a hit!  We had table displays for each subject.  (As the host, I wasn't able to really take pictures myself, so I had to rely on the collection of photos from our friends and family, so you might notice some style differences, lol.)  We greeted people as they entered and started with our presentations.  I gave an overview of our year and Tiff's accomplishments.  I said personal thank yous to everyone there, as we only invited friends and family that had impacted our homeschool experience.

Rosalinda did two presentations.  She recited a poem that she had to memorize as part of our poetry unit.  She also did a puppet show of Aesop's Fables.  She wrote the scripts and created the puppets herself and had some cute elements.  This picture is of her doing The Fox and the Crab.  She also did The Crow and the Pitcher, which brought lots of giggles. My favorite part being the light bulb she had that lit up above the crow's head when he got the idea to put pebbles in the pitcher.  This puppet show was a result of Aesop being one of her favorite history lessons we did when studying Greek Culture.  She gave a small summary of Aesop and his life before starting the show.

After the presentations, we gave my parents a certificate of appreciation, as this year they have become the biggest supports of their granddaughter's education!  I also gave Rosalinda a formal certificate of achievement.

After 20 minutes of presentations, I asked everyone to browse her trifolds and notebooks and to feel free to ask her questions.  We also had thank you favors for everyone and I made a yearbook.  All of our loved ones signed their summer wishes and now my daughter has a great keepsake from this year! :)

Her Art Display (She made all the trifolds herself, by the way)

We used our timeline trifolds from the year as our backdrop for our history display. 

Her Math Display

For her science display, we had a sound wave experiment available using combs and wax paper (the materials aren't pictured, but they are there!).

Here is a broader view of her history, math, science, and art displays!

Her Language Arts and Bible/Virtue were combined on this table

I also put up a small photo booth with monster props.  I posted the instructions and had props in a vase.  This is Rosalinda's uncle, Rosalinda with one of her brothers (from her dad), and Rosalinda with her great-grandparents that traveled 1,600 miles to support her!  We're sooooo loved!  (And probably a little spoiled.)

We had so much fun and it was so great to be able to show our gratitude and share our year with our community!  I can't wait to do it again next year!

Can a Single-Parent Homeschool? Part 1

Yes!!!

I know everyone has a different set of circumstances, but I want you to know that it IS possible.

For instance, imagine a seventeen year old girl who is the top of her class.  Has a loaded schedule every semester with advanced classes and has an extracurricular-schedule that would swim the head of most adults.

She is active in not only educational activities and organizations, but is a youth leader in her childhood church.    People rave about her maturity and intelligence.  Parents admit that they have asked their children why they can't meet the bar set by her.  She jumps from pedestal to pedestal, shined on with favor, and floats on the encouragement and amazement of others.

Sophomore year, she is infatuated with the new kid at school.  So many things in common, yet so many differences.  A source of fun and new experiences.  Months later, for many-a-reason, she calculatedly (is that word?) decides to hand over her most precious gift.

Immediately, regret and guilt removed the rose-colored glasses and changes were made.  Finally, her rouge train finally found comfort back on her fast-track to success and favor.

Six weeks later, her train is derailed.  The questions are asked and she faces the music of that fateful decision.  The mingling of these two lives for a single experience are now endowed with one of the greatest responsibilities life will ever give you---a child.

At seventeen, I gave birth to an amazing little girl, yet I determined to give my child the best.  Ten years later, we are chugging along on the peculiar, yet amazing path!

There have been many tunnels that seemed far too long, many unplanned detours, and many rays of sunshine.

Currently, I am a single-mom who homeschools her tween daughter.  How do I do it?

Try Number 3?!?!

I don't have any idea how many times I've attempted blogging, but here goes, I think #3 for this particular blog.  Now, in the blogs defense, I haven't advertised to any of the blogs that I follow and solicited anyone to follow.  So no surprise that I'm the single reader. *insert awkward laugh*

So where are we with the amazing Rosalinda today?  We're wrapping up our fourth grade year of homeschooling.  Year 2 of homeschooling for our family.  She's currently reading her final book study for English, we have our last math lesson tomorrow, before her final test and investigation, and we're trying to cram the remainder of science, history, virtue, and art in the newly released time slots.

This month is half over and I still have a ton to do!  We are having a garage sale this weekend to raise funds to go to her dad's wedding.  He lives six hours away and want Miss Rosalinda at the rehearsal dinner and wedding, which creates a need for two nights in a hotel.  I'm also creating a yearbook for her year of school to present at her showcase June 8th.  I'm really excited about the showcase because I always feel bad that she doesn't get to bring her work home and get additional accolades outside of her "classroom" environment.  Now, she'll be able to show our support community of friends and family all the hard work she's done.  We may even have some family make the 1,600 mile trip from Wisconsin!  *fingers crossed*

Hope everyone's May is progressing nicely!

Notebooking?

So many changes happening at one time!

We are completely changing directions in our schooling.  I was a great student in the public system.  I still tutor collegiate students through prerequisites   My own child did her first four years of schooling in the public system and excelled.  She became a master at checking off the items on her list and being grilled and penalized for what she didn't know.

By the grace of God, we were able to start homeschooling a year ago.  I spent $350 on our starting curriculum because I was not going to be responsible for my child being "left behind."  We didn't finish much of the curriculum and many-a-day I had to lay out Lil Bit's options...cooperate in homeschool or go back to public school.  I am actually ashamed of my scare tactics, but we did manage to get through the year.

Here she is, now a fourth grader, and I've tweaked some things.  I am enjoying the advantages of a character study and creating my own curriculum for her health and science studies.  She is confident and cooperative in her education no matter how mundane it may get.  However, something still doesn't feel right.

I adapted the brilliant ten-drawer system introduced by Sue Patrick.  This system allows Lil Bit to know where she is in her day and eliminates the dread of not knowing when she'll be done.

I only spent $100 this year on curriculum...a number that I hope continues to decrease as I master utilizing all my resources.

I currently keep a grade book, as this makes me my child more comfortable.  And I follow the basic setup of the curricula that we have.  Also I write out my lesson plans daily in a planner for her in checklist form with any additional instructions that the worksheets/etc don't provide.

Her usually work day takes 2 to 3 hours.

However, it still feels like school at home and though we both know that homeschooling is a blessing, there is still a negative shadow that seems to diminish the glories of this opportunity.

So NEW approach!!!!

We've watched the video and heard the testimonials!  We've talked about it and *drumroll please* we're going to try NOTEBOOKING!

What does this mean you ask?

Well, I'm not exactly sure.  You know homeschoolers...boldly venturing onto new paths.  I know that others have done it successfully for years with multiple children in all grades.  I know that I may be tossing much of the curriculum that I have purchased/accumulated.  I know that it is a refocus on what she is retaining rather than not.  I know that it is not busywork, but expressions of her knowledge.  I know that it may just be what we need to restore some of the joys of homeschooling.  

Now, I know that there will be hard days no-matter-what, but I still feel that there are some windows that haven't been opened yet to help us enjoy something so wonderful!

Have you used notebooking?  If not, how do you setup you "lesson plans?"  Do you have any suggestions or warnings as we turn this new corner?