Sessions at the Summer Summit

 

I would like to invite you to attend our annual Summer Summit on July 31, 2021. For six years, our homeschool conventions have been a blessing to new homeschoolers, seasoned homeschoolers, and those who are just thinking about homeschooling. No matter where you are in your homeschool journey, you belong at the Summer Summit!

The four sessions of the Summer Summit are empowerment, enrichment, entertainment, and encouragement – the ingredients for a happy homeschool mom.

Empowerment – Three mini sessions to empower the homeschool mom. The session, Homeschooling in Texas will help you understand the requirements to homeschool in Texas, and provide you with curriculum considerations to meet those requirements. The session, Tailoring Curriculum to Learning Styles will help you understand learning styles, and provide you with the tools you need to tailor your child’s curriculum to their learning style. The session, Joy in the Journey will help you understand the sources of stress that steal our joy, and provide you with Biblical principles to show you how you can stress less and experience joy in the journey.

Enrichment – A luncheon will be served with chicken salad sandwich, baked potato soup, chocolate chip cookie, and iced tea. If you need a gluten-free luncheon, you can request one during registration.

Entertainment – Survey says this is the highlight of the Summer Summit! A fun time with games and prizes to entertain the homeschool mom!

Encouragement – Do you have homeschooling or homemaking questions? Our Q&A Panel will encourage you with some needed wisdom from having “been there and done that.”

These are the four sessions at the Summer Summit; but there’s more! The vendors in our Summit Shoppe offer homeschool products and services to help you on your homeschool journey.  And every attendee goes home with a tote filled with materials and resources.

REGISTER by July 1, 2021 to attend the Summer Summit for $30 Early Bird Registration and join moms like you to celebrate the homeschool journey together!

Homeschool Methods: Unit Study Homeschooling

 

If you are new to homeschooling, some the terms other homeschoolers use and the different homeschool methods they refer to may leave you with even more questions; but no worries. I will help you navigate through the different methods of homeschooling so you can choose the method best for your family.

Unit Study Homeschooling is a method teaching various subjects around one topic or theme. Unit studies allow students to delve deeply into a given topic so that they can gain mastery of it. Students learn about the topic or theme using different resources and hands-on activities.

Here are curriculum consideration for Unit Study Homeschooling:

KONOS Curriculum www.konos.com

Layers of Learning www.layers-of-learning.com

Five In A Row www.fiveinarow.com

Gather ‘Round Homeschool www.gatherroundhomeschool.com

Last week, the focus was on Charlotte Mason Homeschooling, today, Unit Study Homeschooling; but be sure to follow my Facebook Page for more posts on the different methods of homeschooling.

Happy Homeschooling!

One More Story - Crew Review

 

Disclaimer: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

One More Story is an online library of children’s literature read aloud and set to original music from the former director of Sesame Street. For this review, I received a one-year subscription to One More Story.

One More Story can be accessed from any computer or mobile device through any browser. There is also a free app. The same login is used for all means of access. Each account can be accessed by two users concurrently.

Each color tab is a bookcase filled with literature. When you click on the book image, it will tell you title, author, and illustrator for each book. After you choose a book, click on the green button for the story.

One More Story enables pre-readers to experience the joy of reading while acquiring fundamental literacy skills. Words are highlighted in sync with the narration, so pre-readers begin to connect the spoken word with the written word. Emergent readers may read without the soundtrack and click on any word to hear it aloud, helping them grow as independent readers.

One More Story is not part of a larger program. It is recommended that parents go over the site with their children for the initial use. After that, children can use the online library independently; but student activity can be tracked in the parent place.

One More Story has won a Parents’ Choice Award, Teachers’ Choice Award, and has received a James Patterson Page Turner Award for finding original and effective ways to spread the excitement of books and reading. Visit the Crew Blog to read more reviews from the Homeschool Review Crew.

Homeschool Methods: Charlotte Mason Homeschooling

 

If you are new to homeschooling, some the terms other homeschoolers use and the different homeschool methods they refer to may leave you with even more questions; but no worries. I will help you navigate through the different methods of homeschooling so you can choose the method best for your family.

Charlotte Mason Homeschooling is a method that uses living books to teach children. The Charlotte Mason teaching method consists of activities and attitudes that help a child learn self-discipline as well as academic subjects. Charlotte Mason had a motto – education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.

Narration – an activity that consists of a child telling back a story she has heard or read. It is done orally when the child is young, and as she grows older, she begins to write out her narrations.

Copywork – transcribing a piece of literature as handwriting practice.

Nature Study – a study of living science, with a focus of observation of things seen on nature walks.

Living Books – books written in an alive, engaging way by an author who has a passion for the subject.

Here is a curriculum consideration for Charlotte Mason homeschooling:

SCM Curriculum www.simplycharlottemason.com

Last week, the focus was on Classical Homeschooling, today, Charlotte Mason Homeschooling; but be sure to follow my Facebook Page for more posts on the different methods of homeschooling.

Happy Homeschooling!

Homeschool Methods: Classical Homeschooling

 

If you are new to homeschooling, some the terms other homeschoolers use and the different homeschool methods they refer to may leave you with even more questions; but no worries. I will help you navigate through the different methods of homeschooling so you can choose the method best for your family.

Classical Homeschooling is a method using the “trivium” model that teaches students to think for themselves through three main stages of learning: the grammar stage, the logic stage, and the rhetoric stage. In the grammar stage, you lay the groundwork, learning how to learn. Because children in the elementary years most often think in concrete terms, the focus of learning in these years is on memorization and repetition. The logic stage begins around fifth grade and focuses on reasoning and analytical thinking. No more are students willing to take information on face value, they want to ask questions, compare and contrast, and understand how knowledge relates to other knowledge. High school students move into the rhetoric stage, which applies the rules of logic to the foundation of skills learned at the younger years. The student combines their foundational knowledge from elementary school with the critical thinking skills they learned in middle school to be able to articulate their reasoned opinions and conclusions via debates and persuasive writing.

Here are some curriculum considerations for traditional homeschooling:

Memoria Press www.memoriapress.com

Veritas Press www.veritaspress.com

First Language Lessons www.welltrainedmind.com

Simply Classical www.cherylswope.com

Last week, the focus was on Traditional Homeschooling, today, Classical Homeschooling; but be sure to follow my blog by email for more posts on the different methods of homeschooling.

Happy Homeschooling!

Milton Hershey - Crew Review

 

Disclaimer: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

If you enjoy learning about history through literature then I highly recommend the Heroes of History series from YWAM Publishing. I have written several reviews for YWAM Publishing so when I had the opportunity to review another book from the Heroes of History series; I selected Milton Hershey.

Milton Hershey failed in business more than once; but this did not stop him from getting his confectionary business up and running. After making the best caramels in America, he sold the caramel factory to develop his chocolate business. After months of experimenting with milk chocolate, he made a breakthrough and managed to produce milk chocolate bars. When Milton Hershey’s famous Hershey Bars debuted in 1905, few people knew of the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice preceding the triumph. Debt, lack of support, and fatigue had been constant companions for the famous chocolatier – a man with a fourth-grade education. With the success of his Hershey bar, Milton developed several other milk chocolate products. Sales grew and by June 1906, net sales of Hershey chocolate reached a million dollars. As is company soared, Milton used his wealth to care for others, founding a town for his Hershey workers, an orphanage and school for children in need, and a foundation dedicated to education, culture, and health care. Milton Hershey really had a heart for people. Without an heir, he could not see what happiness a rich man gets from continually acquiring things and not giving any of it away. Milton and his wife agreed and they started an orphanage and school in Hershey, and on November 15, 1909, they signed the deed of trust that established the Hershey Industrial School. In fact, Milton gave 90 percent of his money to the orphan boys. When Milton Hershey died on October 13, 1945, the town went into mourning for its founder and benefactor. Milton Hershey spent a lifetime creating sweet things to eat and he will always be known for his Hershey chocolate.

YWAM Publishing also provides Unit Study Curriculum Guides to accompany the Heroes of History biographies. Each unit study brings to life an individual who powerfully impacted a particular time and place in American history. The Unit Study Curriculum Guide shows the homeschool parent ways to teach each chapter. Key Quotes display quotes and discuss their meaning and relevance to the historical character. Display Corner allows students to collect items from the time and place in which the character lived to create a display. Chapter Questions have your student answer questions for each chapter. Student Explorations are based on your student’s learning style and allow them to complete a project for each chapter. Community Links provide ideas for guest speakers and field trips. Social Studies uses maps and timelines to mark the locations listed in the book and record the list of events on the timeline. Books and Resources provides a collection of books, articles and movies for further study of the Heroes of History character.

Visit the Crew Blog to read what the Homeschool Review Crew has to say about this book, Milton Hershey, as well as other products from YWAM Publishing.