I'm Amanda. I live in a 1000 sq ft house with my husband, three children (9, 7 and 5), my mother, our dog (who likes my mother more than he likes me now), 3 mice and 1 betta fish. My children hope to add a snake to our family soon. (Not ready for it yet.)

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OUR HOMESCHOOL STORY

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I began homeschooling much like I learned how to teach in my public education courses and in my student teaching in the public high school: activities, worksheets and lesson plans thought out to the minute. 

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A full frustrated year into trying to teach that way taught me that I didn't want to teach my kids that way. I took a break from teaching completely. In that 3 month break, among other revelations, my eldest daughter went from struggling to read 3 and 4 letter words to reading "electrician" with no trouble at all. 

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What happened? Simply put, she taught herself because she wanted to be able to read.

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HOW WE DO IT NOW

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So, do I completely let go of my kids' education? No! But almost. It's not MY education, it's THEIR education and so I facilitate activities, I present options, I support decisions and I help when I'm needed. 

 

Unit Studies often help me do that. When my kids show an interest in a topic, my first step is to research what we might need/want in order to learn more. I make lists of books/movies/shows/websites/articles/projects/games/field trips that we can use to expand our knowledge. 

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We are also lucky to be part of Tech Trep which is a homeschool program that partners with a public school district. They provide funds to us to pay for homeschool supplies and opportunities. We could homeschool for free, but the money we get from Tech Trep and the accountability I get (having to report to a teacher really helps me keep track of what we do and makes me feel like we accomplish more). 

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HOW CAN I HELP YOU? 

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YOU can benefit from MY work! 

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When you click on the UNIT STUDIES button, you'll see all the unit studies I've created on different topics. You'll find resources organized in one place. All the books, movies etc listed for you - with printables! 

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WHO WANTS THESE UNIT STUDIES?

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You'll like my unit studies if...

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- you don't like being told exactly what to do, but you like a little direction.

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- you like to decide what order to complete projects, and checklists are your jam.

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- you like online learning and watching videos but you don't want the whole unit to be online.

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- you find Pinterest overwhelming and wish someone would just make your boards for you!

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ACTIVITY CHARTS

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For an even freer style of schooling, I make activity charts/menus on Canva and let my kids choose activities in different subjects. As long as they are hitting a variety of educational experiences I know they are learning. I'll make these available to you as well, however I tailor these menus to my kids' interests and skill levels, so I highly recommend making your own