Do your kids (and you) moan when it’s time to do grammar?
What if I told you it was possible to actually laugh out loud while learning about nouns and verbs and phrases and clauses … ?
Well … it IS possible.
Because this book that I’m going to share with you does just that.
It will make you laugh and giggle and guffaw … all while teaching your kids AND you everything you need to know to write a flawless English sentence.
CLICK HERE to check it out for your homeschool
Student Edition: https://amzn.to/2GegTFj
Teacher Edition: https://www.rainbowresource.com/proddtl.php?id=018547
I come across cool resources all the time. Recommendations from friends, in stores, online … from conversation with you!
And it’s important to me to keep track of it all so I can remember my ideas when it comes time to spend a little money or get a little something extra.
I figure I can’t be the only one with this issue … which is why I’m sharing my favorite way to keep track of everything as it comes to me.
I have a problem …
I’m part of a program that reimburses a TON of my school expenses … in exchange for a few, minor requirements from us.
It’s called My Tech High, and actually in most ways, I absolutely love it. Manageable oversight (read … very little), maximum flexibility, and extra money that makes it possible for to do school “stuff” that we wouldn’t be able to do otherwise.
BUT … one requirement is that we HAVE to have a technology or entrepreneur class every year.
For one of my kids, this is not an issue …. He’s headed into a tech or engineering field, and he already shows LOTS of desire to be an entrepreneur.
For my other three — it’s super tricky. They love art and music and books.
And they are almost ALLERGIC to anything related to tech or design.
But every year we have to do this class. So what’s a mom to do?
Well … this year, I found THIS game that I’m sharing with you today.
It marries art and creativity and everything that I need to work for my “non-techy” kids —
It teaches out-of-the-box thinking (which is good for ANY kid headed out into the world) —
It allows us to play cooperatively without being competitive —
My kids can play without me, but it’s so much fun, I always want to play (BONUS!) —
AND it has turned out to be one of the major highlights of our week.
What if you DON’T have to do a tech or design class for your homeschool?
I STILL recommend you check this game out … it will enhance your child’s creativity and it works for ALL ages … and you can play with all your kids OR just one.
I think it’s the perfect addition to any homeschool. 🙂
CLICK HERE to check it out:
I’ve been there. More than I would like to admit …
I’ll have something new and exciting planned -- a fieldtrip, a game, an exciting video …
And at least one of my kids will start to whine and give me a hard time.
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OR
I’ll pull out the new curriculum that I’ve researched and poured over and been all excited about … and my kid will decide they HATE it before I even crack the cover.
And it is sooooooo easy to want to give up in that moment.
To throw up my hands and say “FINE!”
And that’s happened on occasion. I’m not proud of it … but it’s true.
But over the years, I’ve learned there is a better way to handle a situation like this.
And recently a friend of mine gave me the PERFECT phrase to help me remember what to do.
And that’s what I’m sharing with you today. 🙂
Register below to watch my FREE CLASS
Confident Homeschool Secrets
7 Ways to Create a Homeschool That Works (and you LOVE!)
Brain bending math with a dash of Scrabble …
That’s how I describe this latest game that we love to play at our house.
It’s not the easiest game in the world, but I love how it makes my kids … and ME … think when we play!
CLICK HERE to check it out for your homeschool.
Feeling tired? Overwhelmed? Burned out?
If you do … you are NOT alone.
This time of year is particularly difficult for homeschool moms. Today I want to tell you why.
What if Monty Python met Bill Nye the Science Guy …?
You would have the books I want to share with you today.
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These books are full of solid science, but with all the “gross” bits left in. But I find that even my girls enjoy the humor and style.
And I enjoy how easily the content is absorbed into their brain. 🙂
Hello, my name's ToriAnn Perkey, and from my homeschool to your homeschool, I want to tell you about why we're horribly excited about science.That's because we have this really cool series of books called "Horrible Science." Have you heard about these? First of all, I have to show you -- we have a lot of them.
Look at all those titles, you guys. I love these books! They come from the same people who do "Murderous Maths" and "Horrible Histories." I don't know you may have seen their videos on YouTube. "Horrible Histories" has videos, but today we're going to talk about "Horrible Science" because we are doing science right now in our homeschool, and we're specifically focusing on chemistry. So, I wanted to show you the chemistry book.
Let me tell you a little bit about why I like the "Horrible Science" series. First of all, they're all about making things really funny, and they don't take themselves at all seriously. In fact, if Monty Python could meet science, this would be the book. They actually do come from England.
That's where the author is from -- Nick Arnold. And these books are full -- I'm going to show you -- full of -- let's see if I can get that to focus -- full of really silly pictures. It's not one cohesive story. There are little bits and pieces. Think of it like a television show that's broken up into bits kind of like a "Bill Nye the Science Guy" television show.
There are pages that have lots of pictures, and they read more like a comic book, and then there are other pages that do tend to be a little denser in the content. Now, the content is solid. You're going to be learning whether -- and I'll go through a couple of these titles.
Whatever the topic is you're going to be learning solid, solid science, but in a way that appeals particularly to boys or girls that like kind of squishy stuff. Because it never ever ever talks about things in a super serious tone. It's always about why things explode, or why things are kind of gross, or why things are different. And whether they're talking about the history and the scientists who were involved in major discoveries or they're talking about how in this case atoms and molecules come together, they're going to tell it in a way that makes it super engaging and super fun.
Oh my goodness, we have read multiple versions of the series "Horrible Science," "Horrible Histories," and they make us laugh. And any time your kids are laughing … WIN! ... that means learning is happening.
So, the chemistry one is called "Chemical Chaos," and I love that they also do a lot of alliteration. So, we have "Painful Poison," "Killer Energy," "Fight for Flight." There's one here about "Ugly Bugs," and that's going to be all about the microscopic.
What are some other ones? Ooh, here we go "Bulging Brains: I'm a Bundle of Nerves" and the puns. It says "100 Percent Horrible." I love these books.
"Deadly Diseases: Evolve or Die," and obviously this is going to be a very traditional evolution book. So, if that's something that bothers you, you want to be aware of that. "Fatal Forces" here's one. "Fatal Forces" it's all -- what does it say? "It's Crunch Time," and so here we are forces, and he's going to step on the snail. I wish I could just sit down and read this to you guys. It's just funny.
So, the forces one is going to be all about like Newton science and the different Newton's forces and physics. That's the word I was looking for ... physics … but again it's just -- there are quizzes, there are games, there are horrible health warnings. It's just really fun.
So if this looks like something that would be interesting to you, I will link you to the best place to buy these. It's actually not Amazon, surprise! It's a different website. That's where I buy all my "Horrible" stuff, and the link will be up above or down below. I highly recommend you check it out because it's going to be horribly awesome.
I'm ToriAnn Perkey, and I make meet these videos every week so that you can be a super successful and confident homeschool mom.
Whether you're a new homeschool mom just trying to figure things out ...
OR you've been homeschooling for awhile but things seem to be falling apart ...
And you feel like you can't find the answers you're looking for that would just make everything all better ...
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This post is for you. 🙂
Because I have something to admit …
Right now one of my kids is really struggling with math.
And despite everything I’ve done, I can’t seem to find something that will work for this kid.
So I thought I’d make a short video to explain what I’m going to do. Hopefully, it will help.
Register below to watch my FREE CLASS
Confident Homeschool Secrets
7 Ways to Create a Homeschool That Works (and you LOVE!)
Hello, my name’s ToriAnn Perkey and from my homeschool to your homeschool, can I just be vulnerable for a minute and tell you something we're kind of struggling with in my homeschool right now?
You know I like to make these videos, and I talk about all the cool stuff we do and all the cool things we use and like to give you guys lots of resources and tips, but want you to know it is not all peaches and cream over here on my side of the fence. There are some times when we really, really struggle.
And right now we are really, really struggling with one of my kids and math. And this is not for lack of effort on this kid's part. This is not for lack of effort on my part. I have researched. I have looked for different options. We have tried different curriculum. We have tried playing games. We have tried, and this kid has reached a point in math where it's just getting hard.
It's way past abstract. it's way past just memorizing or doing the facts. Qnd it's really become abstract. And their brain is just not clicking with the abstract. And there are tears, and it's frustrating -- for me and for them. And you know, part of me just keeps saying, Hey, keep trying. We'll explain it another way.
But it's really affecting our homeschool because this kid is so frustrated and they want to give up and they wanted ...they're just done with math. And they're so, so frustrated. And I thought a lot about ... I've been thinking about it. I was like, Okay, well it's not okay to give up. Right?
So we've got to keep working. We've got to keep trying. But right now I'm trying to make the decision of whether or not we pull back and just pause and do other things, or whether I go searching for yet another solution for this kid who just does not seem to grasp these abstract mathematical concepts. Or do I hire a tutor or do I try to find a class that they can take?
I'm wrestling with all these questions. And the reason I wanted to make this video is I wanted to tell you guys that this is part of the process. It's not like you find,...I mean sometimes you find the perfect curriculum and you're off to the races and you're done.
But there's a lot of times where you don't always find the perfect thing. Or your kids -- you start out and it's working and then your kids change. They get older, you know, or you add a baby, or life just gets different. And when that happens or ... the material gets harder, right? Like it just gets harder. And suddenly what was fun isn't fun anymore. And I think that it can be really easy to get discouraged and think that you're doing something wrong when in fact you are living a homeschool life.
And homeschooling means that you are constantly in observation and problem-solving mode. And I'm always watching -- Is this working?
And if it's not working, what do I need to do? Do I need to just push? Do they need to work a little bit harder? Do I need to find a different resource? Do I need to approach it differently? Do I need to look at myself? Am I causing a problem? Like I'm looking at everything when I'm doing this.
And when I'm willing to take the time. And it doesn't always like solve all at once, right? Sometimes we don't get the answer right away. I don't get the answer right away. And for me it also includes prayer and it includes, you know, thinking and meditation and pondering and journaling sometimes. And I'm just, What is ... what's the next step?
And when you embrace that, that's part of the homeschooled journey. When you embrace that, you shift to a different mindset about homeschooling. It's no longer about are we doing it right, but are we doing it so that it works right now?
So I wanted to tell you guys that. I wanted to tell you guys that even though there's this situation with this kid and in the moment we're frustrated and it's hard, I'm not giving up. I'm not going to let them give up. We might take a break, but we're going to figure it out. We are going to figure it out because I've seen that happen over and over again.
If we figure ... if we take our time, if we're thoughtful, if I look -- answers show up. The right people show up. The right resources show up. Things happen and line up and I'm open to all the possibilities. I don't shut anything down because I want to make sure that I'm finding the one that's going to be the right one.
And I'm not talking about like I'm spending hours and hours and hours researching curriculum every night. I mean I am doing some research because I'm looking for something new, and I'm asking people questions and all of that. I'm just talking about taking the time to let the idea percolate and work in my brain and to pause to hear answers.
And so yeah guys, it's not all a walk in the park and sometimes things are kind of rough. And I'm not giving up and I don't want you to give up because I promise you're going to find an answer. You will find an answer that works for you and your kid if you stay in problem-solving, answer-finding mode. Because that's what this is all about.
I'm ToriAnn Perkey, and I make these videos every week so that you can be a super successful and confident homeschool mom.
It loomed large in my mind … college applications for my kids…
I wasn’t worried whether my kid could get into college. I had already done tons of research and figured that all out. (I’ll make another video about that some other time.)
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No … the idea that at some point I would have to help her fill out a college application.
And I remembered my college applications from years before -- lots of lines and boxes. Late nights and desperately trying to remember four or more years back …
Ugh!
Then a friend of mine recommended I do something so simple -- so easy -- and I know that applying to college is going to be just a little bit easier.
And now I’m sharing it with you ...my Master College Application List plan.
AND -- when you finish watching, grab my free template that I made just for you to go along with the video.
Download my Master College Application List Template
Hello, ToriAnn Perkey here! From my homeschool to your homeschool, let's talk about how you can make applying to college for your homeschooler just a little bit easier even if your kids aren't even old enough that you're even really thinking about college -- 6, 7, 8, 9. I'm going to teach you a simple trick that's going to make those applying years so much easier right now.
I wish I'd known this trick when my kids were little, but I didn't get started until a little bit later. So, I want to save you some grief and some pain because the reality is applying for college is a big deal, and it takes a lot of work, and colleges are looking for way more in your homeschool kids than just what classes they took. They want to know about their leadership. They want to know about their extracurricular. They want to know about the kid. They want to know if it's the kind of kid who's really going to fit into their school environment.
And because of that, there are applications across the board regardless of what school you're trying to get into are going to be asking questions about a variety of different topics and if you wait until your kid is 16 to start applying for college and you're trying to remember everything that your kid did that you could put on this application, talk about freak-out zone.
So, right now no matter how old your kids are, I want you to do this. I want you to create a master document either in Google Docs or Evernote or wherever you keep these kinds of lists, and I want you to start just writing down the things your kids do.
Now, you don't have to do this every day or even every week, but I recommend you put a reminder on a calendar or a phone, and look at it at least once or twice maybe three times a year. And as your kids get older, probably you want to do it more often.
Now, what do you put in this master doc? What do you put in this document? Because you're going to use this document when it comes time to apply for college. Years and years later, you're going to use the things on this list to fill out this master application.
So, what do you include on the list? Well, here are some ideas of different categories to include, and I'm going to include a link with this video, and you can download a free PDF that's going to walk you through all these steps as well if you would like that. I want to give that to you because ... well ... it's super fun to make that kind of stuff.
Okay. So, what do you need in this? Well, the first thing I would put on the list this master list -- the master college application list -- is the books that your kids have read. Now, if your kids are anything like mine, I'd assume that they're such voracious readers that the list would be hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of books long. You do not have to write them all. What we're looking for is the classics. The ones that are going to show that they're well read, they're well educated and that they have really kind of moved through a variety kinds of literature both fiction and non-fiction.
If they have certain magazines they read regularly ... Popular Science or National Geographic or whatever ... you can include those there as well. So, you're looking for a list of books and other things that they read that are classics. If you have certain religious books that your kids are reading on a regular basis, I would include those as well.
The second thing that you want to put down is activities. What are the things that they've done? These are activities in a school setting like with a local homeschool co-op or maybe if they've gone part-time or extracurricular things like orchestra or rock climbing or dance or whatever your kids have been doing that outside of academia that makes them more well-rounded. You can list those, and you can list the years that they've been doing them because that way you can show that they did it for 5 years or 2 years. That's just going to be information that's going to be helpful. So, I just list the year they start and then it just keeps going from there.
You can also list the leadership positions they've had, whether they've had a leadership position in like a student council setting in your school co-op, whether they've had leadership at church, whether they've done it in the community, whether they volunteered somewhere -- we can talk about -- volunteering can go in a couple of places, but you can certainly put those down.
Any service opportunities -- this is where volunteer would go in two different places. If they cleaned up something. If they did an Eagle project … that's a huge one! But if they're engaged in any kind of service even small service projects, write it down. You can use potentially that later, and you don't know, so you're going to write it down now.
Any classes that they've taken -- you don't have to get super detailed but starting in about 7th grade, I would start writing down. And I recommend that you just write down every class that your kid is in. And if you are radical unschoolers and there's no classes, then you want to describe what school looked like in a way that you can kind of remember the major projects they were engaged in or the major activities that you did as a family so you have some kind of transcript building material later on.
You want to write down another category is awards and achievements. If they're given an award because they win a contest or because they win something at an event, any awards, any achievements, if the local community honors them in some way, you want to write those down. Any jobs that they've held. Any entrepreneurial type things that they've done, you can totally include those. And those are just some of the categories that I recommend.
So I would go through, and I just would create bold headings and then I would just be plugging stuff in. It might be totally empty if your kid is 9 or 10, but as they get older -- 7th grade, 8th grade, 9th grade --you'll start to fill those in. And if you see a gap, then you know that might be something you want to encourage your kid to do so they come across as more well-rounded when they are getting ready for the college application process.
So, once again this is just an easy simple way to make the applying part so much easier. I have a free PDF that you can grab at the link below or above wherever it is so that you can access this information so you don't have to … like if you're listening this in a place where you can't scribble that down … and I'll have some details about the different categories and some examples.
I think it's going to be super helpful. It's going to make your life so much easier. Go do it right now.
I'm ToriAnn Perkey, and from my homeschool to your homeschool, I give you these tips and tricks and resources every week so that you can be a super successful and confident homeschool mom.
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A little dash of history … a sprinkling of periodic table … and a great story … all mixed together —
THAT’s what makes this particular book that I’m sharing with you today such a great way to mix things up for science in your homeschool.
CLICK HERE to check it out for your homeschool: https://amzn.to/2iEJBDE
