2022 Blue Ribbon Awards

 

At the end of the year, the Homeschool Review Crew gets to vote on our favorite products. All of the votes are in and here are the 2022 Blue Ribbon Award winners!!!

 

Favorite Reading Resource: Reading Eggs

Favorite Language Arts: Institute for Excellence in Writing

Favorite History/Social Studies Resource: Home School in the Woods

Favorite Science Resource: Greg Landry's Homeschool Science

Favorite Math Curriculum: CTC Math

Favorite Math Supplement: Super Teachers Worksheet

Favorite Bible, Devotion or Study: Tommy Nelson Books/ Indescribable Kids

Favorite Bible Memory/Resource Tool: Bible Memory

Favorite Elective Resource: ARTistic Pursuits

Favorite Book/Audiobook: Tower of Light Christian Resources

Favorite Helpful Tool or Resource: Super Teachers Worksheets

Best Resource I Didn't Know I Needed: Reading Eggs

Favorite Preschool Program: Leap Frog

Favorite Elementary Product: Reading Eggs

Favorite Middle School Product: The Adventum

Favorite High School Product: Tablet Class Math

Favorite Mom/Parent Product: Teach Sunday School

Kids Choice: Progeny Press

Teen's Choice: YWAM Publishing

All Around Crew Favorite: The Critical Thinking Co.

 

Happy Homeschooling!

National Academic Homeschool Competition

 

Registration for the first annual National Academic Homeschool Competition (NAHC) for homeschool teens has officially opened. Homeschoolers pay only $110 to participate in this exclusive virtual event. 

This low cost includes:

• A reserved spot in the NAHC online event

• Access to practice tests (beginning October 1)

• Total College Success—A complete guide for getting into, paying for, and succeeding in college ($75 value)

• Zero Hour Threat—An interactive game that prepares students for the SAT and ACT, while increasing their knowledge of core subjects like math, science, and English ($30 value)

Want to learn more? Visit NAHCRegistration.com for a complete list of rules and details.

Career Exploration: Being a District Attorney

 

Choosing a career path can be extremely intimidating to a young person. In this Career Exploration series, I interview many different fields of study to help students explore the possibilities as they pursue a career path.

Meet Bruce Hoffer, 1^st Assistant District Attorney of Hardin County, Texas.

Why did you choose this career path?

AFTER WATCHING THE MOVIE, "AND JUSTICE FOR ALL", I WANTED TO BE "THE GREAT DEFENSE ATTORNEY, BUT THEN I REALIZED THAT I WOULD BE IN THE COURTROOM MORE OFTEN AS A PROSECUTOR.

What kind of education, training, or background does your job require?

AN UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE DEGREE IN ANYTHING AND THEN A LAW SCHOOL DEGREE (JURIS DOCTOR).

What skills, abilities, and personal attributes are essential to success in this field?

DEPENDS ON THE AREA OF LAW ONE PRACTICES WITHIN.  FOR TRIAL WORK - LIKE I DO - PEOPLE SKILLS AND THINKING ON YOUR FEET.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

I REVIEW A MULTITUDE OF DIFFERING TYPES OF CRIMINAL SITUATIONS AND PEOPLE OF VARYING BACKGROUNDS.  I READ A LOT (BOTH CASE FILES AND LEGAL OPINIONS). I SUPERVISE SUPPORT STAFF IN PREPARING DOCUMENTS OR OBTAINING EVIDENCE.  I COMMUNICATE - BOTH IN WRITING AND ORALLY ON THE TELEPHONE - WITH OPPOSING LAWYERS "THE STATE'S POSITION" ON A PARTICULAR ALLEGED CRIME PURPORTEDLY COMMITTED BY A PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL.  I SEEK TO FIND MITIGATING EVIDENCE THAT MAY CHANGE MY VIEW OF A PARTICULAR CASE.  ULTIMATELY, I "PRESENT EVIDENCE" TO A JUDGE OR JURY AND REITERATE MY VIEW OF THE FACTS PRESENTED.  WHEN WE DO GO TO TRIAL, I QUESTION THE POTENTIAL JURY PANEL REGARDING THEIR VIEWS OF PARTICULAR FACTS, OF PARTICULAR CRIMES AND HOW THEY THINK ABOUT VARIOUS THINGS - WHETHER THEY SEE THE "BIG PICTURE" OR INDIVIDUAL PARTS THAT MAKE UP THE WHOLE.

What do you like most about your work?

THE HIGH ANXIETY OF TRIAL.

What do you like least about your work? 

GETTING READY FOR TRIAL, ANTICIPATING TRIAL AND THEN SOMETHING OCCURS WHEREIN THE TRIAL IS POSTPONED.

What advice would you give someone who is considering a career in your field?

MULTITASK (LISTEN TO MUSIC, WATCH TV AND STUDY ALL AT THE SAME TIME).  PAY ATTENTION TO SENTENCE STRUCTURE.

Career Exploration: Being a Librarian

 

Choosing a career path can be extremely intimidating to a young person. In this Career Exploration series, I interview many different fields of study to help students explore the possibilities as they pursue a career path.

Meet Amanda Rodrigues, Director of the Lumberton Public Library located in Lumberton, Texas.

Why did you choose this career path?

I chose to be a librarian because I strongly believe in the power of books and self-education and enrichment. Books can expand minds, ideologies, and imaginations!

What kind of education, training, or background does your job require?

A librarian often wears many hats that expand beyond books. Librarians are managers, accountants, teachers, etc. Because of this, there are many different education and training paths librarians may take. Mostly, librarians obtain a Master’s Degree in Librarian Science, and are also required to have 10 hours of continuing education annually. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.

What skills, abilities, and personal attributes are essential to success in this field?

Librarians must be analytical and pay special attention to details, work well with all demographics and socio-economic backgrounds, and have an open-mind to embrace all ideologies, regardless if they personally align with your own!

What does a typical work day look like for you?

A typical work day will include managing budgets and employees, ordering books, keeping up with federal and state policies, notarizing documents, processing U.S. passports, and helping patrons with everything from government benefit signups, to tax forms, to voter’s registration.

What do you like most about your work?

I enjoy the changing dynamics and constant variety of duties and people we interact with on a daily basis.

What do you like least about your work?

Sometimes working with the public can be challenging!

What advice would you give someone who is considering a career in your field?

Despite some thinking that the technological world will be the library’s demise, I believe libraries will always be the backbone of communities. Modern libraries are not just about books anymore, and offer endless services to the public, often times for free! If you think becoming a librarian will ensure a career of quiet, uneventful days – think again – it is much more rewarding and adventurous than anyone can imagine!

Happy Homeschooling

Summer Reading Programs

 

Summer Reading Programs are a great way to keep your child learning, and not experience what’s known as summer slide or summer learning loss, where they forget what they learned. So I’ve compiled a list of Summer Reading Programs for your child this summer; and they are all free with great rewards!

ABC Mouse and Adventure Academy both offer your first month free. ABC Mouse encourages children to complete learning activities by rewarding them with tickets. Tickets can be used to purchase virtual items on the site. The rewards system makes learning a game, and also teaches important math skills as children keep track of tickets earned and spent.

Barefoot Books Global Summer Adventures Club offers fun activities this summer. Members have access to exclusive downloads: Official Club Membership Card, Travel Checklist (your guide for each destination), World Map (color it in and see where in the world you’re traveling), Reading Log (keep track of books you’ve read from each part of the world), and Activity Instructions (step-by-step instructions for activities from around the globe). Members also have access to activity videos, led by Michele Lepe, former host of the kids’ TV show, The Goodnight Show. Gather your materials ahead of time and then follow along!

Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program is a fun and easy way for kids to earn free books. They simply read a designated number of books – library books, books borrowed from friends or books bought at Barnes & Noble – write about their favorite part in the Reading Journal, and bring a completed Reading Journal to a Barnes & Noble bookstore. Children then chose their free book from the books listed on the Reading Journal and collect their free book from a store near them during July and August.

Chuck E. Cheese Reading Rewards offers reading rewards for kids who keep their bookworm skills strong through the summer. The more they read, the more rewards they can earn. Download and print out Chuck E.’s Rewards certificates, then bring them to Chuck E. Cheese’s for 10 free points to use on games, pizza, and more!

H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Club is intended solely for children who are residents of Texas. All you have to do is read ten books and record them on your reading log from the form linked on website. One of the books must be a Read 3 Book (see choices on website). Each time you log a book, have an adult initial by the title so you get credit for reading. Once the log is complete, mail the form to the address on website, and you’ll be rewarded with a special prize. You have until October 1 to get in ten good reads.

Pizza Hut Camp BOOK IT! Program rewards reading accomplishments with praise, recognition, and pizza! All parents with students PreK through 6th grade (ages 4-12) can enroll in Camp BOOK IT!, a reading program created to stop the summer slide. In June, July, and August, parents can use the digital tools to track and reward their kids reading with a free one-topping Personal Pan Pizza.

Scholastic Summer Reading Program offers kids an exciting, free, and safe summer reading experience, while helping to provide books to kids with limited or no access over the summer, keeping every child reading. From May 9 through August 19, kids can visit the summer zone in Scholastic Home Base, a completely free digital destination which offers stories, characters, games, and a community of readers. Home Base is moderated for safety 24/7.

Your Local Public Library offers a fun-filled and exciting Summer Reading Program each year! Children can read books to earn reading certificates, custom-designed t-shirts, and any number of other prizes donated by generous local businesses.

Happy Homeschooling!

Homeschool Life Magazine Summer 2022 Publication

 

The Homeschool Life Magazine is an online publication to empower, enrich, and encourage homeschool families. Each publication will empower readers with homeschool help articles from preschool through high school, enrich readers with curriculum giveaways, and encourage readers using biblical truths to live out God's calling and stay the course. Homeschooling is more than an academic alternative - it's a way of life!

Inside the Summer 2022 Publication:

• Literature-Based Homeschooling
• Career Exploration: Being a Librarian
• Summer Reading Programs
• Raising Readers
• Masada
• Animal Farm
• Learn to Read
• Reading Comprehension Strategies
• Complete Literature-Based Curriculum
• Learning Begins at Birth
• Content in God
• Homeschooling Across America

Happy Homeschooling!

Career Exploration: Being a District Clerk

 

Choosing a career path can be extremely intimidating to a young person. In this Career Exploration series, I interview many different fields of study to help students explore the possibilities as they pursue a career path.

Meet Dana Hogg, District Clerk of Hardin County, Texas.

Why did you choose this career path?

I chose to become a Certified Legal Assistant (aka Certified Paralegal). After 30 years of being a CLA, I felt called to run for District Clerk of the county where I live.  I wanted to help people and running for public office seemed the perfect solution.

What kind of education, training, or background does your job require?   

I attended college and then studied to take the certification exam given by the National Association of Legal Assistants.  District Clerks must complete 20 hours if CLE each year to keep their office.  I also renew my CLA certification by completing 50 CLE hours over a 5-year period.

What skills, abilities, and personal attributes are essential to success in this field? 

Some of the skills that are essential for success in this career include strong knowledge of legal terminology, office etiquette, working knowledge of computer software such as Word, Excel, Adobe Professional and like software.  Patience with people and the ability to manage an office staff are helpful attributes.

What does a typical work day look like for you? 

I start each day by checking email. I check voicemails and return calls. I usually have several email requests for records that are kept in my office.  Court hearings usually begin at 9 am.  The electronic filing system must be checked for new document fillings before the hearings begin.   I take the files that are on the docket for that particular day into the courtroom.  I give the file to the Judge as he calls each case.  After hearing the case, Judge will return the file to me with any orders he may have signed.  I file-stamp the signed orders. A copy of those orders will be returned to the parties in the case by electronic filing.  The documents are scanned, indexed and filed into the case file.  Other duties include fulfilling requests for certified copies.  A certified copy is a true and exact copy of the document in my file.  I am the keeper of all district court records.  Some records are sealed and are not available to the public. I report each month to the State with the number of new cases, types of cases and the resolution of cases that have been filed. The types of cases filed in district court include civil and criminal. Other duties include summoning petit and grand juries.

You see, the District Clerk is a constitutional position, elected every four years to serve as the custodian of all court pleadings and papers that are a part of any cause of action in the district and county court at law courts in various jurisdictions. The District Clerk also serves in the following capacities: Registrar (docketing, indexing and recording all documents part of felony criminal, family, juvenile, delinquent tax and civil court cases), Record Manager (manages records to be easily retrieved for public and court access, preserve records for permanent storage in archives and dispose of records according to the Texas Library of Archives Records Retention schedule), Court Collections (responsible for collecting and distributing court costs and fines), Financial Officer (prepares court cost in accordance to legislation every two years), Data Manager (responsible for gathering data and reporting to several state and local agencies), and Juror Administrator (maintains the jury wheel annually from the Secretary of State and summons all jurors for the county).

What do you like most about your work? 

What I like the most about my job is that I am able to assist people as they go through some difficult challenges in life. 

What do you like least about your work?

The thing I like the least is dealing with the hiring and firing of personnel.

What advice would you give someone who is considering a career in your field? 

Attend college and do your best to keep your grades up.  If you are interested in a political career, I would recommend taking classes that help you learn to speak in front of large crowds.  I will admit that this is not my strong point!

Happy Homeschooling!

Celebrate Your Homeschool Graduate

 

Homeschooling through high school is a great accomplishment; and what better way to celebrate than with a graduation! A high school graduation is worth celebrating with pomp and circumstance! I have graduated two homeschoolers, one with a formal graduation with her co-op class, and the other one a little less formal with her church family. But, with each graduation, everything was done decently and in order. Here is the checklist I used to create a memorable graduation.

BEFORE GRADUATION

[] Decide on location and set a date and time.

[] Schedule a senior photoshoot.

[] Create and order graduation announcements.

[] Order cap, gown, and diploma at www.homeschooldiploma.com.

[] Mail graduation announcements.

[] Order graduation dessert plates, cups, napkins, beverages, and decorating supplies.

[] Order graduation cake.

[] Create a slideshow to share before presenting diploma.

[] Decide who will speak at the graduation ceremony.

[] Prepare a Senior table to showcase talents/hobbies/interests and college admissions.

[] Prepare a photo booth for selfies!

GRADUATION DAY

[] Pick up cake.

[] Set up food and beverages.

GRADUATION CEREMONY

[] Graduates walk in to “Pomp and Circumstance” as usual.

[] Speaker welcomes guests and presents motivational speech.

[] Show slideshow.

[] Parent presents diploma.

[] If multiple graduates, show slideshow, allow parent to present diploma, do this for each graduate.

[] Speaker thanks guests for coming and invites them to celebrate with family and friends in the fellowship hall and presents the Class of 2022.

[] Enjoy your celebration!

AFTER GRADUATION

[] Mail thank you cards.

The high school graduation ceremony is for presenting the high school diploma. To help you put your own presentation speech together, I would like to share what I said to my oldest when she graduated with the Class of 2019 – When you were born, graduation day seemed a million moons away. I look at you now and see a beautiful, confident, young woman ready for the adventures that await; but I also see my little girl. As I look back over these seventeen years, words cannot express the pride and love in my heart. I recall our bedtime stories and now I see your love for reading, whether it’s curling up with a good book or volunteering at the Kountze Public Library. I recall the days you loved to dress up in your princess clothes and even now you still love dressing up, whether its for prom or a dance performance. I recall your curiosity and love for learning, in fact, you started Kindergarten at age 4 because you kept asking to do school and now I see your academic accomplishments as you graduate with a 4.0 grade point average and you still have a love for learning because you are eager to attending Lamar University for a Bachelor of Science in Theatre and Dance. You are my beautiful ballerina; but your beauty goes much deeper, you have a heart to serve the Lord, and I pray that you will continue to acknowledge Him in all your ways. Our homeschool journey has been a blessing and today we are reaping what we’ve sown for the past 13 years. I pray that you will continue to seek Him first, praise His name in the dance; but above all, whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. I am so thankful for these seventeen years. As you accept your diploma, remember your high school graduation marks the end of one chapter but there is so much more to your story yet to be written. I love you to the moon and back!

A high school graduation is worth celebrating with pomp and circumstance! You should feel proud of yourself and your graduating senior. Pause and cherish this moment! High school graduation should always be celebrated to recognize their hard-earned achievement!

Why Attend a Homeschool Convention?

 

With product reviews, You Tube videos, and Facebook groups filled with homeschool help, is a homeschool convention even necessary? Absolutely! Attending a homeschool convention has many benefits; but here are my top three reasons you should attend a homeschool convention this year.

Empowerment

In a digital age where we can press pause and come back later, our attention spans diminish as we go about with household duties. We need time to focus and be able to learn what we need to know to homeschool our children. We might even be able to speak one-on-one with speakers, and glean even more wisdom and inspiration.

Enrichment

Online curriculum reviews are a blessing, but getting your hands on the curriculum changes everything. Even though the handy “look inside” feature on Amazon allows you to see several pages, nothing compares to physically looking through the pages. When you attend a homeschool convention, not only do you get to view curriculum but also save money with convention-only specials; and some publishers even offer product giveaways!

Encouragement

Let’s face it. We all need encouragement once in a while, and getting with like-minded people can be just what we need to press on to homeschool through high school. Homeschooling is tough. Some days are just hard. As any mom can attest, we tend to get so focused on others and neglect ourselves. And that’s not good for anyone. We need to be with other adults – for that occasional grown-up conversation. When it comes to refueling the weary homeschool mom, taking time to be with other homeschool moms can help boost your confidence and give you strength to keep on keeping on.

Homeschool conventions are happening in 2022! I will continue speaking at online conventions; but I encourage you to join me at the Summer Summit where I will be speaking in-person about homeschooling through high school. Registration includes summit sessions, luncheon, summit shoppe, door prizes, and a take-home-tote filled with materials and resources to help the homeschool mom.

Happy Homeschooling!

Heart Smart Unit Study

 

The heart is a powerful muscle which expands and contracts to pump blood to every part of the body. Everyone has a pear-shaped heart about the size of a closed fist. The heart is located in the middle of the chest, just behind the breastbone. The heart is divided into two chambers. The left chamber, which is larger, pumps blood to the entire body. The right chamber, which is smaller, pumps blood only to the lungs. Each of these chambers is divided into two smaller chambers. The upper chambers are called auricles and the lower chambers are called ventricles. Blood vessels, called arteries carry the blood away from the heart. They expand and contract with the heart as the blood is pumped through the body. From the arteries, the blood flows into capillaries, which are tiny tubes throughout the body. The capillaries are then joined with tiny tubes called veins which unite with larger veins in the body to return the blood to the heart. This starts the blood flow all over again.

Heart Healthy Activities

Math – When the heart pumps, the veins stretch slightly causing a pulse. Instruct students to find their own pulse by pressing their middle fingers against the inside of their wrists or under the jaw on the neck. How many times did your heart beat in 20 seconds? Multiply this number by three to find out how many times your heart beats in a minute.

Science – There are many risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Learn what is means to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes; and explore ways to control it.

Health – With your students, make a list of heart healthy foods. Stress the importance of eating a low-fat diet and encourage students to look at the fat grams on their favorite snack – chips or chocolate – and discuss how unhealthy these foods are for a healthy heart.

History – National Wear Red Day is held every year on the first Friday in February. Heart disease is one of the most complicated health challenges in the United States. People are encouraged to wear red to raise awareness of heart disease. With your students, look back in history and discover the date this National Wear Red Day occurred, who inspired the day, and what caused them to raise awareness. Encourage students to wear red on February 4, 2022 to raise awareness of heart disease.

Physical Education – Exercise makes the heart work faster and harder. It also helps your heart become stronger and more efficient. There are many things you can do to keep your heart healthy – dance, soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, football, etc. Encourage students to participate in a Heart Walk or Cycle Nation. Both events, whether walking or cycling, raise money for the American Heart Association.

Happy Homeschooling!

National Puzzle Month

 

Puzzles have been around for centuries and they engage our brain in more ways than one. Whether it’s a jigsaw, crossword, or Sudoku, puzzles can assist mental stimulation therefore they can be useful tools for people of all ages to enhance concentration, brain function, and relaxation. In a study by puzzle manufacturer Ravensburger, 48% of Americans enjoy piecing together puzzles at least once a year. Why? Participants cited relaxation, stress relief, and family fun as their reasons for puzzling.

When we put together the pieces to a jigsaw puzzle, we use both sides of the brain. If we spend time daily working on puzzles, they will improve memory, cognitive function, and problem-solving skills.  Word searches and crossword puzzles have the obvious benefit of increasing vocabulary and language skills. Sudoku, a puzzle sequencing a set of numbers on a grid, exercises the brain as well. By testing memory and logical thinking, this puzzle stimulates the brain and can improve number skills.

January is officially known as National Puzzle Month and it’s the only month Barnes and Noble puts their puzzles on sale for buy one get one 50% off! Take advantage of this sale and enjoy some family fun on January 29 which is National Puzzle Day, the perfect day to do a little brain exercise.

Happy Homeschooling!

Career Exploration: Being a Veterinarian

 

I recently began writing a new series for the Homeschool Life Magazine and I am happy to share the article with you today from the Fall 2021 publication.

Choosing a career path can be extremely intimidating to a young person. In this Career Exploration series, I interview many different fields of study to help students explore the possibilities as they pursue a career path.

Meet Jenna Hunter, DVM from Main Street Veterinary Clinic located at 500 S. Main in Lumberton, Texas 77657.

Why did you choose this career path? 

I suppose you could say it was a calling.  I cannot remember a time that I didn't want to be a veterinarian. 

What kind of education, training, or background does your job require? 

Undergraduate and doctoral degrees were needed.  Like medical or dental school- you have to achieve certain pre-requisites to apply to veterinary school.  The veterinary program is 4 years, longer if you desire to specialize ( ie cardiology, surgery, critical care, internal medicine..)

What skills, abilities, and personal attributes are essential to success in this field?  

Personal attribute- Empathy.  I believe that this field- like any career path- takes dedication, intelligence, a passion to help others. Interpersonal skills are a must- from working with the veterinary team to talking with the clients.  A good thirst for knowledge and learning is a must as this field changes almost daily. 

What does a typical work day look like for you? 

For me, as a business owner as well, my day starts off with paperwork. However, then the good stuff starts.  Depending on the day of the week, my morning is either filled with all surgeries or all appointments.  We have a 2 hour down time to take care of patients dropped off for examinations, phone calls, lunch, errands or whatever is needed- sometimes it is still seeing emergencies/ patients.  The afternoons are filled with appointments until about 430.  Before leaving for the day, we round with the team on hospitalized patients and make phone calls to owners.

What do you like most about your work? 

That it is different every day.  This keeps you fresh and energized.  I love interacting with the clients and getting to know them and their pets through the years

What do you like least about your work? 

It is hard.  We have to sometimes make hard decisions- not always because a pet is suffering, but sometimes because of financial reasons.  Those are the hardest. 

What advice would you give someone who is considering a career in your field? 

I feel that you have to really have a passion for this field and for helping animals and their humans.  It can be very rewarding but it is hard, it is trying and stressful as well.  You have to have strong will and compassion-- lots of compassion.  Veterinary school is competitive.  You have to have the grades.  You need to have volunteer hours and/ or working hours in a veterinary clinic to apply. So, if you feel this is the career for you, find a veterinarian, shadow a bit- see what it is really like behind the scenes.  Not all veterinary practices are the same.  Ours is very busy.  Others are laid back and more relaxed.  Experience more than 1 location to get a good sense of what really happens- each practice is unique.

Happy Homeschooling!

Homeschool Life Magazine Winter 2021

 

The Homeschool Life Magazine Winter 2021 issue will empower readers with homeschool help articles for preschool through high school, will enrich readers with curriculum giveaways, and encourage readers using biblical truths to live out God’s calling and stay the course.

Inside the Winter 2021 Issue:

·         Meet Your Child’s Need for Self-Expression Through Art

·         Hands-on History: Megaliths

·         Career Exploration: Being a District Clerk

·         Success with Math

·         Preschool Theme Day: Winter Wonderland

·         Seniors, Get Ready – It’s FAFSA Time

·         All About Reading

·         From Adam to Us

·         Adventures in Phonics

·         Write Shop

·         Exploring Creation with Astronomy

·         Teaching Character Through Literature

·         Early Learner K-2

·         Heroes of History: Clara Barton

·         How to Homeschool Using an Online Curriculum

·         Help! What Should My Kindergarten Student Know?

·         Virtual Field Trip: Explore Life with Polar Bears

·         Brain Training Benefits

·         Walk in the Word

·         Homeschooling Across America

The Homeschool Life Magazine is published four times each year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) as an online publication (Homeschool Life Magazine - Payhip) and as a print publication (Home (my-online.store)).

Homeschooling is more than an academic alternative – it’s a way of life!

Using Literature to Teach about World War II in High School

 

Many of us use a curriculum to teach history; but using literature to teach history can be a great teaching tool. I am continuing this history literature series with some of the best books to teach about World War II. Using literature to teach history illuminates the time period, helps integrate the history curriculum, and enriches social studies. With my love for literature and history, it only makes sense to combine the two, so I have gathered some of my favorite books that teach about World War II in high school.

Bessie’s Pillow by Linda Bress Silbert is a story of resilience. May this pillow bring you peace. So reads the pillow entrusted to 18-year-old Boshka Markman as she prepares to board a train in Vilna, Lithuania. One of hundreds of thousands of Jewish immigrants who will leave Europe to escape persecution, she travels to America alone. This is not just a story about a pillow. It is a masterful blending of history and life in the early 20^th century as seen through one woman’s eyes. Based on the true story of Bessie Markman Dreizen. This story crosses genres life few others, offering a glimpse of what it was like for the thousands who came to America between 1880 and 1920 and a front-row view through a child’s eyes at the persecutions endured by the Jews of the Pale of Settlement at the hands of the Russian Czar.

Courage Through Faith by Shiloh Yazdani is a memorable, graphic novel for young adults. In 1944, Chris Bryson was fighting a war that had engulfed the world, but he was also fighting a war inside between what he’d built his life on and what he discovered to be true. In fellow Airborne member, Justin Latta, Chris saw a man whose faith guided him beyond the fear of death. Through some of the most notable battles of World War II, Chris was influenced by different people – some positive, other negative – but all add something to his fight. As the war dragged on, he found two different kinds of soldiers fighting beside him – those with courage to face bullets but not death and those with courage, through their faith, to face both.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand is an unforgettable testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit. In boyhood, Louis Zamperini was an incorrigible delinquent. As a teenager, he channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that carried him to the Berlin Olympics. Then with the start of World War II, the athlete became an airman. When his Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean, against all odds, Zamperini survived. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. Yet Louise’s willpower faced its ultimate test upon his heroic return home after the war when he grappled with PSTD, struggled to come to terms with the injustices done to him, and was set on the path of redemption by a momentous encounter with famed reverend Billy Graham.

Women Heroes of World War II: 32 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue by Kathryn Atwood contains thirty-two engaging and suspense-filled stories from across Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Denmark, Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union, providing an inspiring reminder of women and girls’ refusal to sit on the sidelines around the world and throughout history. Noor Inayat was the first female radio operator sent into occupied France and transferred crucial messages to the Resistance. Johtje Vos, a Dutch housewife, hid Jews in her home and repeatedly outsmarted the Gestapo. Law student Hannie Schaft became involved in the most dangerous resistance work – sabotage, weapons transference, and assassinations. Soviet pilot Anna Yegorova flew missions against the Germans on the Eastern Front in an all-male regiment, eventually becoming a squadron leader. In these pages, readers will meet these and many other similarly courageous women and girls who risked their lives to help defeat the Nazis.

These are only a few of my favorite books that teach about World War II, there are so many more out there! Feel free to share in the comments what you consider the best book to teach about World War II in high school.

Happy Homeschooling!

Using Literature to Teach about World War II in Middle School

 

Many of us use a curriculum to teach history; but using literature to teach history can be a great teaching tool. I am continuing this history literature series with some of the best books to teach about World War II. Using literature to teach history illuminates the time period, helps integrate the history curriculum, and enriches social studies. With my love for literature and history, it only makes sense to combine the two, so I have gathered some of my favorite books that teach about World War II in middle school.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is an unforgettable Newbery-winning novel. A ten-year-old Danish girl’s bravery is tested when her best friend is threatened by Nazis in 1943. As the German troops begin their campaign to relocate all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen’s family takes in Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family. Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war.

Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz is based on an astonishing true story to survive at any cost. 10 concentration camps, 10 different places where you are starved, tortured, and worked mercilessly. It’s something no one could imagine surviving. But it is what Yanek Gruener has to face. As a Jewish boy in 1930s Poland, Yanek is at the mercy of the Nazis who have taken over. Everything he has and everyone he loves, have been snatched brutally away from him. And then Yanek himself is taken prisoner – his arm tattooed with the words PRISONER B-3087. He is forced from one nightmarish concentration camp to another, as World War II rages all around him. Can Yanek make it through the terror without losing hope, his will, and most of all, his sense of who he really is inside?

World War II Heroes by Allan Zullo is a Ten True Tales Series that tells ten true stories of real-life heroes from World War II. Pfc. Jack Lucas, just a teenager, is on patrol on Iwo Jima when two grenades land at his feet. Can he save his comrades lives? Lt. Col. James Rudder and his Rangers are climbing a 100-foot-high cliff on a secret D-Day mission. Can they survive the Nazi’s devastating firepower? Sgt. Forrest Volser is blinded and wounded from an attack by German fighter planes on his crippled bomber. Can he make it home? The world was saved by these and many more real-life heroes. You will never forget their incredible true stories.

World War II Profiles Series #2 by Aaron Rosenberg includes six bios in one! It takes more than one person to bring about change and innovation. Find out how key players from yesterday and today influenced and interacted with each other during some of the world’s most memorable periods. So much more than just your typical biography, Profiles focuses on six of the most prominent figures during World War II – FDR, Churchill, Eisenhower, Hitler, Stalin, and Hirohito.

These are only a few of my favorite books that teach about World War II, there are so many more out there! Feel free to share in the comments what you consider the best book to teach about World War II in middle school.

Happy Homeschooling!

Preparing a High School Transcript

 

The college-bound student will need an official high school transcript for college admissions. A transcript documents the academic achievement of your student for the full four years of high school. Parents generate the high school transcript in the ninth-grade year and simply add to it each subsequent year.

Formats for the high school transcript abound, but the basic information that is required remains the same. The transcript includes three general section: personal information, academic information, and certification signatures.

Personal information includes the following information: a transcript title (label your transcript as an “Official High School Transcript” with your homeschool name), student information (name, mailing address, cell phone, email address, and date of birth), as well as school information (name, mailing address, parent phone, parent email address, and date of graduation).

Academic information includes the following information: courses (under each school year you will list the courses completed), grades (beside each course you will list the final grade), credits (beside each course you will list the credit in terms of Carnegie units – an 18-week course is worth a half unit or 0.5 credit and a 36-week course is worth one unit or 1.0 credit), GPA (beside each school year you will list the grade point average – to calculate the GPA, assign grade points to each grade ((A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, and F=0)), add together all the grade points for each course taken that year, divide the total grade point by the total number of courses taken, and this is your GPA), grading scale (document the grading scale that was used to assign the final grade), academic summary (document the cumulative grade point average, total credits earned, and test scores), volunteer summary (document the student’s volunteer service through the high school years), as well as activities (document the student’s extra-curricular activities through the high school years).

Certification signatures include the following information: parent signature (you will sign the transcript attesting to the truthfulness and completeness of the transcript) as well as notary (some colleges require homeschool transcripts to be notarized and you will include that in this section).

When student’s submit college applications, the parent will print, sign, and mail the high school transcript to each college. This transcript will not be complete because the student has not completed their senior courses; but you can note “in progress” in the final grade column. Upon acceptance, the parent will need to send an official high school transcript with final grades. The transcript should be sealed in an envelope and mailed from the homeschool, not from the student.

The high school transcript is more than a record of your student’s academic achievements. It is also a reminder of your accomplishments as a homeschool parent. Homeschooling through high school is a great accomplishment!

Happy Homeschooling!

Using Literature to Teach about World War II in Elementary School

 

Many of us use a curriculum to teach history; but using literature to teach history can be a great teaching tool. I am continuing this history literature series with some of the best books to teach about World War II. Using literature to teach history illuminates the time period, helps integrate the history curriculum, and enriches social studies. With my love for literature and history, it only makes sense to combine the two, so I have gathered some of my favorite books that teach about World War II in elementary school.

Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust by Loic Dauvillier is a gentle, poetic young graphic novel for young readers. In this picture book, Dounia, a grandmother, tells her granddaughter the story even her son has never heard, how, as a young Jewish girl in Paris, she was hidden away from the Nazis by a series of neighbors and friends who risked their lives to keep her alive when her parents had been taken to the concentration camps. Hidden ends on a tender note, with Dounia and her mother rediscovering each other as World War II ends; and a young girl in present-day France becoming closer to her grandmother, who can finally, after all those years, tell her story.

World War II: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House Super Edition #1: World at War, 1944 by Mary Pope Osborne is filled with up-to-date information, photographs, illustrations, and tidbits from Jack and Annie. When Jack and Annie came back from their adventure in Magic tree House Super Edition #1: World at War, 1944, they had lots of questions. How did World War II begin? Why were so many innocent people killed? What was D-Day? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie learn all about one of the darkest hours of history.

What Was D-Day by Brennan Demuth takes readers into the heart of the action as they discover how it was planned and carried out and how it overwhelmed the Germans who had been tricked into thinking the attacks would take place elsewhere. D-Day was a major turning point in World War II and hailed as one of the greatest military attacks of all time.

Spies, Code Breakers, and Secret Agents: A World War II Book for Kids by Carole Roman is an exciting history book for kids. Spies, Code Breakers, and Secret Agents explore the intriguing world of spycraft and shows you what goes on behind the scenes in war. From spy schools and ciphers to sneaky tools and secret armies, this guide takes you on a declassified tour of the undercover operations that helped decide the outcome of World War II.

These are only a few of my favorite books that teach about World War II, there are so many more out there! Feel free to share in the comments what you consider the best book to teach about World War II in elementary school.

Happy Homeschooling!

Back-to-School Checklist

 

Many of us will soon be back to school for another year-long learning adventure. Here is my back-to-school checklist to help you get off to a good start.

[] Choose Curriculum

[] Purchase Curriculum & School Supplies

[] Plan Curriculum

[] Organize School Area

[] Start a New School Year

Choose Curriculum

Back in May, I sat down with pen and paper to plan out our sophomore year. I made a curriculum list that included subject, publisher, and product. For grammar, we will be using BJU Press Writing and Grammar 11. For spelling, we will be using Critical Thinking Company Vocabulary Virtuoso PSAT-SAT Book 2. For reading, we will be using Progeny Press literature study guides. For math, we will be using Teaching Textbooks Geometry. For history, we will be using BJU Press World History. For science, we will be using Apologia Chemistry. For foreign language, we will be using BJU Distance Learning Spanish 2. During this time, I also made a list of any school supplies we were running low on – notebook paper, mechanical pencils, erasers, dry erase markers, etc.

Purchase Curriculum & School Supplies

In June and July, I purchase curriculum and school supplies. BJU Press materials were ordered at the Summer Summit, a homeschool mom convention, so I could receive 25% off plus free shipping. Science and Spelling materials were ordered through Rainbow Resource Center. Math was purchased from a friend; and Reading was already on hand from homeschooling my older children. For school supplies, I simply shopped at our local Walmart.

Plan Curriculum

In August, I sit down with my planner/gradebook to plan the entire school year. Planning is my niche, so I simply set aside one day to get this done. Here is the link to purchase My Happy Homeschool Planner; and here is the link explaining why I plan the entire school year.

Organize School Area

After planning curriculum, I place student books and teacher books in their bins and place on the shelf. We have a school room, so all materials are organized on the bookcase; and I have a small basket on my desk to store mechanical pencils, erasers, dry erase makers, protractors, calculators, etc.

Start a New School Year

I will begin our homeschool year when my older two begin their college classes, so we will all begin the 2021-2022 school year in August, at the same time, as we all learn a new schedule for the year-long learning adventure. When we begin the new school year, we like to take pictures and share on social media (just like our public school friends announce the new grade level, so do we).

Happy Homeschooling!

Summer Summit

 

You have one more week to register 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 to the Summer Summit are empowerment, enrichment, entertainment, and encouragement - the four ingredients for a happy homeschool mom!

09:00 Check-In & Summit Shoppe

09:45 Empowerment: Homeschooling in Texas

10:30 Empowerment: Tailoring Curriculum to Learning Styles

11:15 Empowerment: Joy in the Journey

12:00 Enrichment & Summit Shoppe

01:30 Entertainment

02:15 Encouragement: Q&A Panel

03:00 Door Prizes 

Registration includes access to speakers, vendors (with convention specials), door prizes, luncheon, and a take-home-tote filled with many resources that will equip and encourage homeschool moms! Register today to attend the Summer Summit and join moms like you to celebrate the homeschool journey together!