Can you believe that it’s Spring Break time? Some kids have already enjoyed theirs and others are only days away That last bit of freedom before school’s out for Summer is so sweet, isn’t it? You might be thinking about what you’re going to do this summer with your kids to keep them learning. Or maybe you’re considering your school options for next year. I receive a lot of questions and comments about homeschool, so today I’m sharing all about our homeschool life with you. This homeschool post contains affiliate links, all opinions are completely my own. I am a firm believer that there is no one right way to teach a child.

what homeschool looks like for us

Homeschool looks different for every family. For example, my two older children are enrolled in a local Charter school. There is the option for them to attend on site classes and have us supplement at home. Or, we could use all of our educational funds that we receive from them and fully homeschool. Technically we have chosen the homeschool route through their Charter. However, we use our educational funds to have them attend a local tutoring center.

| Read: Travel-themed Worksheets for Elementary Students |

They attend on site classes three days a week for a few hours. There they take ELA, math, science, and my son takes history. After school and on the days that they’re home we do homeschool where I teach things that support what they’re learning on site, or things that I just think will interest them. One question I get asked a lot is what homeschool curriculum we use. As of now, with my kids as young as they are I don’t follow a particular curriculum.

our daily schedule

Currently our homeschool schedule looks like this:

• Mondays and Wednesdays are our home days. Our school day starts around 9:00 am. We spend an hour each on ELA, math, and another subject that rotates daily. By doing this we are done by noon and can then go on field trips, run errands, do P.E., or just hang out.
• Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays are the days that my kids have their on site support classes. They always start at 9:00 am but their end time varies depending on which classes they’re taking that day.
• Currently for P.E. my kids are taking gymnastics once a week. In addition, they’re spending as much time outside as possible. We love hiking, walking or biking. They’ve also done soccer, horseback riding, and basketball for more structured P.E. time. They love doing different activities and learning new skills!
• One of the great things about homeschooling is that our schedule can be as flexible as it needs to be. My kids do best when we get our school done in the morning. However, when we need to we can push it off until the afternoon. We can even bring our work with us when we’re on vacations and tailor our lessons to back up our travels.

| Read: The Ultimate Resource Guide of Homeschool Printables |

our favorite resources

education.com

Education.com is a great website for lesson plans, online lessons, and worksheets. There are some functions that you can use for free, and a certain number of worksheets that you can print free of charge each month. However, I recommend purchasing a membership. I bought a lifetime membership last school year (with some of my educational funds) and it has definitely been worth it. We use the online lessons almost every school day and the worksheets are a main part of our lesson plans. The website is set up really conveniently so you can search by grade, subject, and even using keywords (like “butterflies” or “Christmas”).

handwriting workbooks

Handwriting workbooks are the basis for our ELA work at home and we have a couple that are our favorites. The Explode the Code and Handwriting Without Tears series are two that are simple for your child to work on with little guidance. Plus, the repetitive nature of them are a great way for them to learn the fundamental building blocks. My kids are really proud of themselves when they can easily complete the pages I’ve assigned them by themselves.

multi-subject workbooks

These are the workbooks like Brain Quest and School Zone. I like to purchase mine from Costco, but you can of course also purchase them from bookstores or online. These are perfect for supplementing the rest of your school curriculum. They’re also great for continuing the school year into the summer if you want to. We typically homeschool year round, although during the summer and winter breaks we cut back a little bit.

dollar store

When you’re a homeschool parent it’s easy to want to buy all the school supplies you can. However, in my experience there really isn’t a lot that you actually need. The great news is that your local dollar store is a great place to find a few supplies for your homeschool environment. Some of my favorite things to purchase for school from the dollar store are:

• consumables, like paper and notebooks
• pocket charts
• art supplies
• caddies for organizing supplies

amazon.com

Amazon is a great resource not only for purchasing workbooks but also for finding fun activities to incorporate into your science curriculum. Hands on projects to teach weather, the human body, space, life science, and any other topic can be ordered with free two-day shipping if you’re an

is homeschooling right for your family?

If you’re considering homeschool think about all the options you have. There’s fully homeschooling on your own, homeschooling through an online program, or homeschooling through a Charter. You should also ask yourself why you want to homeschool in the first place. It’s also important to have realistic expectations of what it will be like. Lastly, I need to point out that what works for one family might not work for another. During different seasons of your life you and your children might need different learning situations. If homeschooling, or traditional school, or private school, or any variation doesn’t work for your family long term–don’t beat yourself up! There’s not one right way to teach a child.

Do you have any experience with homeschool?