Encouraging Moms Who Homeschool

Hopefully most homeschool families are back in the swing of things and enjoying the school year. That's not to say homeschooling families have to follow the public school's schedule - as a very eclectic homeschooling mom, I'd be pretty hypocritical to think that way! But I hope you are feeling good about this school year, whether you're 5 weeks in or just rolling up on day 180. My mantra for this year is "Be Encouraged! Be Encouraged! Be Encouraged!" Fall is a great time of year for me to spend some time in reflection; this year I'm reflecting on the last 13 years of homeschooling. My oldest is 17 and his senior year is in full swing. He's working hard studying for his upcoming SAT II subject tests, keeping pace in his college Chemistry and Calculus classes,coaching Learn-to-Skate classes at the ice rink, and playing football with a local private Christian high school. (In his last game he had something like 30 tackles - he's really playing when he

Vocabulary Cartoons, SAT Word Power (published by New Monic Books)is a fast-paced, simple to use asset for any highschooler prepping for the SAT. This 347 page book uses menmonics to teach 290 words commonly found on the SAT test. The age range suggested is 7th t 12th grade, but it really could be used from 3rd grade on up through 12th. At $12.95 for the paperback edition, it really is a good deal. My high school students have used a variety of methods in their SAT and ACT preparations, including HUGE test guides, piles of vocabulary word flashcards, daily emails, and SAT prep websites. This handy little book would have been a real gem - if only I'd discovered it sooner!! Some "complaints" I have about the resources we used are that the stacks of flashcards can tip over and become disorganized; websites take time access when schedules are full & remembering passwords can use up valuable time; test guides are big, bulky and just plain inconvenient to use. While this re

Today is an exciting day for me - I GET to review some fantastic products. Notice the emphasis on the word "GET"...I'm not exaggerating in the least; the products I'm writing about today are some of the best I've seen in my 13 years as a homeschooler. Furthermore, this company's resources would be a help to any student studying math on any level (from basic math to physics). Read on to learn more! I received 2 DVDs from the MathTutorDVD company - The Pre-Algebra Tutor Volume 1 and The Texas Instruments TI-83/TI-84 Calculator Tutor. Of the two DVDs, my family and I have used the Pre-Algebra Tutor discs the most, so my review will focus more on that item than on the TI tutorial. Let me say, however, the Texas Instruments tutorial DVDs will be used in our home and I am certain I will learn a lot about complex calculators & their functions. Both of these resources are of great value to my homeschool - I am very impressed with both products. and each disc is di