Hey there! Thanks for checking out my page. I am a homeschooling mama of 4 boys. My oldest will be entering 6th grade, my next is entering 4th, my middle youngest is entering Kindergarten and my last son is entering potty training.
I’ll keep my writing post short as most people rather jump to the actual resources. I will be sharing some of my advice and resources I have found useful through my years of homeschooling on my page, as well of some resources I’ve created myself or put together. I created a homeschooling planner to meet our family’s needs as well as putting some of my favorite resources for PreK and Kindergarten.
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A ● FREE HOMESCHOOL PLANNER ● PDF I MADE AT THE STORE LINK:
♡ Store ♡
There is a lot of great resources out there. Between Teachers pay teachers, canva, Etsy, and googling free printable for preK and Kindergarten, it can be awesome and overwhelming.
I have learned that doing less worksheets at the younger ages will actually achieve more. I put a few different styles on here in hopes you choose the best one or two fits for your little learner, but unless your child is asking for more worksheets, I encourage you to spend more time counting their toys with them, showing them the colors of things thru books and everyday life, and spending a little time with a letter for an entire week before moving onto a new letter. The sound that the letter makes may or may not come to your little learners easily so don’t stress it, usually by the age of 7 years old your child will begin to learn to identify the alphebet letters and it’s sounds fairly well.
Spend lots of time engaging with your little and read aloud to them. Spend more time teaching them and having them as your helper then sitting at a desk doing work sheets.
These Work sheets are just a few I have found helpful. When they are in PreK and only 4 years old or a young 5, then I personally have them trace the Large Font of ONE Letter and/or ONE Number a day every day for one week. Talking about the same number and letter every day of that week and pointing it out in books I read aloud to the child. We spend time going over the sound of the Letter and the names of that Letter and Number. We spend our time saying this apple starts with our Letter A that says ă ă ă. Then we do a color that week. Red, our color is Red. I may introduce a shape that week as well. (Keeping it very simple shapes) Triangle, Circle, Square, Star, and Retangle.
LA/Reading:
For teaching Kindergarten I have found that All About Reading is the way to go for Language Arts up until the 4th Level is completed. You don’t need busy work for your littles, you just need to teach them how to read. I haven’t tried all about spelling yet but I’ve read that it’s good to introduce after you’ve completed the AAR level 2. I honestly over complicated my children’s education where we used AAR for reading, another curriculum for LA and another for spelling on top of writing. After I completed AAR level 4 with two of my children I learned that it was majorly overkill what I did and no wonder my boys hated school lol. I was informed by a private school covering that I use that simply using AAR alone was enough to be counted as Reading and LA and spelling up to the point of after level 2. Then they encouraged me to go thru the spelling on AAS so and that it didn’t need to be done every single day (like I was doing with ALL of our subjects!!) Now my plan is to do AAR with my two younger ones and once they complete level 2 I will slowly introduce AAS. And that IS their language arts program!!!
HANDWRITING:
I enjoy using the Good and the Beautiful handwriting books up until 4th grade. After 4th grade I feel that my children have learned handwriting well enough to stop doing it as a subject since their other subjects begin to require more hand written assignments. My goal is for my children to be able to read cursive to some extent and write in it to some extent. TGTB Handwriting curriculm introduces cursive in the 3rd level and more in the 4th level, which I find is enough for my children.
MATH
I have found and committed to using the Good and Beautiful Math. We have used K – 5th so far and love it. However, midway thru 5th we have broken lessons up and even crossed out some problems as it just was taking us wayyyy too long with my ADHD son.
SCIENCE
Honestly, I’ve bounced around a lot with science curriculums. In my opinion reading topics on science in books with pictures is the most fun for elementary. However, I was set on having a curriculum, so some I have used is TGTB, BJUPress, Abeka (2nd grade and younger), and homeschool journey academy (this is really my favorite as it has a faith based video teaching) with textbooks/consumable printables available too.
HISTORY
I can’t say that I have found a history that I truly love for elementary. I would say out of all that I’ve tried (and I’ve looked into many and tried all good share) I like Not Grass Star Spangled Banner for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. I have learned that history before 3rd grade is pointless. Social Studies/Geography is better for teaching communities and cultures etc. Which honestly good library books can introduce that thru fun picture stories. I remember introducing president’s to my boys before 3rd grade and they didn’t retain anything. 🙈 So I have found doing a simple style of history and keeping it easier levels keeps them more engaged. I would say 5th grade and up I have enjoyed using Drive Thru History Adventures. (You can go online and order the dvds on amazon or purchase the streaming versions with the homeschool printable worksheets on the actual website.) I don’t personally use the work sheets as I don’t think it’s necessary until high-school. But that’s my personal opinion in which you may find a different one for your own families needs.
I do like masterbooks geography course and how they have little passport books which is cute. Yet again, as someone who seems to over do it, I thought at the time they needed MORE. Now looking back, I see I added way to much on them and will be more relaxed on the younger two entering elementary years. And I’ve definitely made some changes for my older two moving forward.
If you’re new to homeschooling fear not, you will find what works for you and your children. It takes time learning the learning style of your children but also learning your teaching style. I have found I enjoy adding stuff to curriculums so I just need a simple base that teaches the important stuff like Math and Reading. As I end up doing a lot of extras and like to somewhat expand on things.
⚫️ For this coming year I have found we will be using this:
🔜6th Graderwill be using;
MATH; TGTB Math 6. Possibly carrying over from level 5 if we dont finish as planned.
LA/SPELLING; BJUPress LA 4 and Spelling 5 as thats where he is at in that particular curriculum but we have found the video teachers very helpful for him.
READING; He reads books he enjoys, right now he has been enjoying the Hardy Boys Series. Occasionally writes a book report on them and often narrates what he just read back to me for showing me comprehension.
HISTORY: We will be watching it once a week, Drive thru History Acient Civilations. Then will likely do a fun project based on what he is learning.
SCIENCE; We may do some TGTB units or even do some generation genius science experiements. I haven’t decided but already own a lot of science curriculums so will likely just pull from my curriculms I have. I may even do fun printables from the acient civilations /Geography/cultures and incorporate some science from those areas. We shall see. We will do this 2x a week. I ALSO, bought the Elementary Science Biology from Homeschool Journey Academy so I may use that or wait and use it for my younger two. He may even do a combination of science with his 4th grader brother.
HEALTH; Sexual Repoduction from the Good and the Beautiful Curriculum. (Once a week).
SOME YEARS WE’VE DONE SCIENCE ONE SEMESTER AND HISTORY ONE SEMESTER.
This year we are trying to stick to our 4 day textbook school week. With doing LA, Spelling, Reading and Math every day. And doing history/science/health once a day (science 2x a week, the others once a week). Still keeping only 5 subjects a day.
We read the Bible and I will start logging it with my homeschooling umbrella school I’m under but I won’t call it school for my kids as I don’t want them to resent the bible as they often do resent school.
⚫️ My 4th grader wants to try all his subjects with BJUpress this time around with the video teacher (except hand writing) so we shall see how he likes that lol.
Mary Smith Creative 