The Joy of Teaching

Welcome to Step 4 in our 5-part blog and video series on How to Homeschool! In this blog we will be talking about one of the most fun topics in the series: creating and organizing your homeschool space! This one is especially fun to research on Pinterest to find all the creative ways homeschoolers are making homeschool organization affordable and easy by using what they have, but here are a few tips on how to efficiently organize your space that are all about location, location, location!

Whether your homeschool space is a room, shelf, cabinet, or a collection of boxes, it’s helpful to keep all of your materials in one area, or in the place they’ll be used during homeschool.

Tip #1: Keep materials in one place

Wherever you keep your homeschool materials, whether it’s in your homeschool space or somewhere else in your house, it should be a location convenient for both you and your kids. If the kids can get their materials on their own, it will save time and encourage independence.

Tip #2: Decide where to homeschool

Also consider where each of your children work best when organizing your homeschool space. Your children may prefer sitting at a table, standing at a countertop, or lying on the floor with their materials. Some kids prefer a quiet space, while others like having background noise or music.

Think about what will work best for your children when you’re setting up that space, whether it’s at your kitchen table or in an extra room. If you read Step 3: Creating a Homeschool Schedule, you know that sometimes it’s productive to alternate between group work, teaching time, and independent practice.

This can be tied into your homeschool space, as well; for example, starting as a group at the table and then letting the children go to their separate work spaces for independent work time, especially if they require a different learning environment.

One of my daughters needs a very quiet space when she does math, so we do our group lesson together, and then she goes and does her math in another room.

Tip #3: Bookmarking location in curriculum

This last tip is how to save time (and I’m sure we all like those, right?).

As kids are working through a few curriculum resources at a time, it’s super helpful to use a checklist of the assignments or lessons as a bookmark! Just fold a piece of paper in half lengthwise and write down a list of each chapter, lesson, or assignment in that book. The kids will learn to track their own progress, saving time and encouraging independent work.

Another homeschool secret? That checklist helps the kids feel a sense of success and accomplishment as they check off each completed lesson, motivating them to keep going as they visually see their progress.

If you have any homeschool organization tips, feel free to share them in the comments! We’d love to see your best tips and tricks.

Learn how to choose a homeschool curriculum in Step 5: How to Homeschool: How to Plan Your Year 

Learn about all five steps to get started homeschooling in the How to Homeschool video series.

Amy Michaels is a former teacher turned homeschooler. She creates fun learning activities based on popular children’s books. Connect with her at BookBrilliantKids.com.

What is your family’s typical daily schedule?

The easiest way to start crafting your homeschool schedule is to outline your current family schedule. You know your family’s schedule better than anyone, so ask yourself these simple questions:

• What is a realistic time to start your homeschool lessons without having to rush or make anyone anxious?
• When do you and the kids usually get hungry for a snack or lunch? This is the ideal time to take a quick break.
• What the time of the day do you and the kids need to be finished? When everyone gets a little burnt out, the kids need time to run around outside, and learning time is done…

Your homeschool schedule is going to vary from other families’ schedules, as each one is dependent on their life situation, how many children they’re homeschooling, and what age their children are! Starting with an outline of your family situation will help you create a natural flow for your homeschooling schedule.

Answering these questions will also help provide a framework for how many subjects and lessons you can fit into the day. The next step is planning for breaks that are necessary for every homeschool parent and child.

Optimizing teaching time

Another common question is how to optimize teaching time when homeschooling multiple kids. If you are homeschooling multiple kids, try alternating independent work with teaching time! Integrating this into your schedule can help optimize teaching time and balance multiple kids who may be in different grade levels.

For example, have your older child work independently while you teach a lesson to your younger child. Then, while your younger child does work or practices independently, you can teach a lesson to your older child.

You can also use group lessons as a way to teach multiple children at a time, by adjusting the grade level and practice for each child.

How many hours do you homeschool a day?

This is another big question when you’re creating your homeschool schedule, and depends on a couple of factors:

1. The laws in your area, which we discussed in Step 1. There may be state or local laws that determine how many hours you must homeschool a day, so make sure you check those first!
2. Your kids’ attention span! Pay attention to this so you can balance academics with other activities.

Sometimes kids love homeschool learning, and would rather spend more time doing lessons and academic activity. For other kids, their homeschool day is something they like to speed through so they can work on other projects. These independent activities should be encouraged – they usually involve learning skills like creating or building things, solving problems, or using strategies to play games.

A learning balance is important so kids feel successful rather than overwhelmed by their academics.

How many subjects do I teach?

Another common question most homeschoolers have is how many subjects to teach at a time. It’s important to consider both:

1. State or local laws (may require a certain amount of subjects taught, or which specific subjects you include).
2. You and your family’s daily schedule, which will determine how much time you homeschool a day, and therefore how many subjects you can realistically include.

How many subjects you include per school year or even per day will vary from family to family. It’s very common to start with reading, writing, and math, and then rotate through other subjects. Since there’s not enough time to do all subjects every week, you can do a month of science, then a month of social studies, or maybe a music unit followed by an art unit.

Rotating through different areas that are important to you and your child’s education helps bring balance into your homeschooling schedule.

Veteran tip: Adjust your schedule!

Whatever schedule you create for your homeschooled kids, try it out for a week or so and see if it works. Keep track of what works and what doesn’t and make adjustments at the end of the week.

Oftentimes, it takes close to a month of making small changes and adjustments to find the schedule that works for you! Give yourself some flexibility as you make changes, and remember that as life changes, homeschool schedules will, too!

Learn how to choose a homeschool curriculum in step 4: How to Homeschool: Homeschool Organization

Learn about all five steps to get started homeschooling in the How to Homeschool video series.

Amy Michaels is a former teacher turned homeschooler. She creates fun learning activities based on popular children’s books. Connect with her at BookBrilliantKids.com.

Welcome to the next step in how to start homeschooling!

In our last blog we covered Step 1, which answered the question: what to teach your children? Now, we are going to discuss how to choose a homeschool curriculum that meets your family’s needs and provides a strong educational foundation!

This is a really common question from beginning homeschoolers, especially concerning specific curriculum for each subject area per grade level. There are a lot of great options out there that offer specific curriculum, but I’m going to walk you through how to choose your curriculum so it best fits your homeschooling.

Build a foundation: Reading, writing, and math

When choosing what to include in your curriculum, I highly recommend you start with reading, writing, and math. These three basic subjects create a strong foundation for your at-home curriculum, and can help you kickstart your curriculum building process.

After you have these three subjects, you can pick and choose other areas depending on you and your child’s needs. Once you have your foundation, it’s also easier to select subjects areas that will build from your basic curriculum, tying it all together! You can add as many as your family schedule allows; how to schedule and organize your homeschool will be discussed in Step 3!

What is your child’s learning style?

Now that you have some subject areas in mind, it’s important to consider how your child learns best when choosing a curriculum. Every child learns differently, and probably has a way that they prefer to learn material. Determining how they learn best will help you choose a curriculum that fits best for your child and their unique learning style.

A few different ways your child may like to learn are:

• Workbook pages
• Hands-on activities
• Online learning

Your child may learn best using one of these or a combination! Try to find a curriculum that matches this learning style, but remember that it doesn’t have to be a perfect match. For example, your chosen curriculum might use workbook pages, so include hands-on activities to supplement your child’s learning.

Time management

A third consideration is how much time you and your child need to prepare, teach, and complete homeschool assignments. Depending on what your circumstances are, you may want a curriculum resource that offers no-prep activities, which require no preparations for each lesson or activity.

Knowing your family’s needs will be extremely helpful in choosing a resource that is optimal for your homeschool experience and curriculum.

Veteran Tip: Involve your child in choosing your curriculum

Here’s another tip from a veteran homeschooler: find a curriculum that is exciting for both you and your child! If both of you are excited and interested in the curriculum style and content, the learning process will be that much more enjoyable!

Get your kids involved by asking their opinion on the layout of workbook pages, learning activities, and types of assignment in the curriculum. It will get them invested in their own education and will help with the build-your-own-curriculum process.

Learn how to choose a homeschool curriculum in step 3: How to Homeschool: Homeschool Schedules 

Learn about all five steps to get started homeschooling in the How to Homeschool video series.

Amy Michaels is a former teacher turned homeschooler. She creates fun learning activities based on popular children’s books. Connect with her at BookBrilliantKids.com.

Are you new to homeschooling, or are you thinking about homeschooling?

Maybe you have questions about homeschool curriculum homeschool schedules, or homeschool organization. If so, we will walk you through the first 5 major steps to becoming a homeschooler.

Your homeschooling journey likely begins with one question: What do I teach my child? This blog will answer that question and continue to guide you through your journey to becoming a homeschooler!

Find out your local and state laws

Depending on where you live, there may be certain guidelines or regulations that determine what you teach your child. This could include requirements for what subjects you teach, how you document grades, or other guidelines. Some areas have little to no requirements at all!

Make sure you research your area’s homeschooling requirements to help you build a foundation for your at-home curriculum.

What is your educational philosophy?

The next part of figuring out what to teach involves your own personal educational philosophy! The reason you’re deciding to homeschool is an important part in building your curriculum. This could be:

• Religious reasons
• To provide a specific learning environment for your child
• To create a specific learning experience

Whether there’s a specific reason for deciding to homeschool, or you just want to watch your child learn and grow, your motivation can help determine what you want to teach your child.

What are your child’s strengths and weaknesses?

Now that you’ve researched regional requirements and figured out what you want to teach, it’s important to consider your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Maybe they excel in science but struggle with writing. Maybe they have a hard time with math but love art!

Consider these strengths and weaknesses when choosing what to teach; you can choose how in depth you go in each subject depending on what your child needs help with.

Remember that you don’t have to teach everything at one time! There’s time to spread out subject areas so that you can really cater your curriculum to you and your child’s needs. Later in this series, we will cover homeschool schedules and organization, so stay tuned for more tips and how-to’s!

Education is a journey that is going to last your child’s whole life! Enjoy the process as you begin your homeschool journey with your child!

Learn how to choose a homeschool curriculum in step 2: How to Homeschool: Choosing a Curriculum 

Learn about all five steps to get started homeschooling in the How to Homeschool video series.

Amy Michaels is a former teacher turned homeschooler. She creates fun learning activities based on popular children’s books. Connect with her at BookBrilliantKids.com.

African American History Month, also known as Black History Month, is observed in February and celebrates of achievements of African Americans. This important designation was created to bring to light and honor to the accomplishments of Black Americans in United States history who have not received adequate acknowledgement.

Included below are activities and books that highlight important successes of Black Americans in science, government, the arts, and sports who have been historically overlooked. In studying the lives of these talented individuals, students may develop an awareness of qualities of character common to those who have made a difference in the world.

Free Printable Activities

Holiday Art Projects: Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Paper Chain
Grades 1–5

This art activity provides a brief history and paper chain project to celebrate the contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Read and Understand Celebrating Diversity: Only One: A Story of Ruby Bridges
Grades 1–2

This reading unit presents a two-page story about six-year-old Ruby Bridges and her role in desegregating schools in 1960. It includes reading comprehension and vocabulary practice activities.

Read and Understand Celebrating Diversity: Jackie Robinson
Grades 3–4

This activity provides students with a biographical sketch of Jackie Robinson’s life as the first African American Major League Baseball player. This reading unit includes reading comprehension and language activities.

Read and Understand Celebrating Diversity: Thurgood Marshall
Grades 3–4

This activity provides a biographical sketch of the first Black Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall. It includes reading comprehension questions, vocabulary, and writing activities.

Read and Understand Stories and Activities: Marian Anderson
Grades 4–6
This reading unit describes the experiences of the first African American opera singer to sing at the Metropolitan Opera House. This reading unit includes a story and vocabulary and comprehension activities.

Easy File Folder Reports: Black Americans
Grades 3–6

This social studies report provides ideas, directions, and patterns for creating a report on a Black American. It includes making a mini book, pipe cleaner person, and timeline.

Additional Activities on TeachersPayTeachers

Reader’s Theater: George Washington Carver
Grades 1–2

This reading unit teaches children about the notable African American botanist whose life began in slavery. It includes a reader’s theater script, background information, and extension activities.

Reading Paired Text: People Can Change the World
Grade 2

This social studies and reading unit helps children answer the big question, “Do I have the power to change the world?” Included in this reading unit are two lessons with reading articles on Cesar Chavez and the Grape Boycott and Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Bus Boycott, with corresponding reading comprehension and vocabulary practice pages.

Reader’s Theater: Sojourner Truth: A Life Devoted to Justice
Grade 4

This play includes a reader’s theater script about a formerly enslaved woman who became a powerful speaker for abolition and women’s rights. This activity includes two extension activities.

Reading Information Text: Benjamin Banneker
Grade 5

This reading unit presents an informational article that includes how Benjamin Banneker’s scientific accomplishments in the 1700s helped change attitudes about African Americans. The unit contains a reading selection with supporting activities to guide students in close reading of the text.

Spanish-English Read and Understand Nonfiction: Jesse Owens
Grades 4–6

This reading unit presents a biographical article about track and field runner Jesse Owens. He won gold medals and broke track records at the 1936 Olympic Games. Written in both English and Spanish, this unit includes three follow-up activities with reading comprehension and vocabulary.

Top Kids’ Books to Read for Black History Month

Celebrate African American history with these stories of African Americans overcoming adversity.

Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine tells the true story of Henry, an enslaved boy, who mails himself to freedom.

This Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt is perfect for young children and gives tribute to jazz history. Children will learn to count and move to the music with the fun jazz songs.

Whoever You Are by Mem Fox explores different lives around the world and helps young children understand that despite our differences, we are all still the same.

Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter gives children a glimpse into the Underground Railroad with the story of a sailor who teaches escaping enslaved people a song about the drinking gourd in the sky (the Big Dipper) and how to follow it north to freedom.

The Other Side by Jaqueline Woodson shares a sweet story about two girls who develop a friendship by playing on a fence that separates the African American side of town from the white side of town.

Let Them Play by Margot Theis Raven tells the true story of a group of young African American baseball players who join a little league in South Carolina only to find that all the white teams refuse to play with them.

Teammates by Peter Golenbock shares the story of Jackie Robinson, who became the first African American player in Major League Baseball.

The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage by Selina Alko shares the true story of the Loving vs. Virginia Supreme Court case that made interracial marriage legal.

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and The Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly tells the inspiring true story of four African American women who overcame gender and racial bias to help NASA put the first men in space.

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson provides a comprehensive children’s history of African American history in the United States. From early slavery through the Civil Rights Movement, the story recounts America’s journey to justice and liberty for all.

The individuals highlighted in this article are only a few of the many talented African Americans who have contributed to United States history. These lessons and activities are designed to not only inform children on important historical achievements, but to inspire them to advocate for equity, civic participation, and equitable access for every person.

In highlighting the importance of culturally responsive social studies teaching, W.E.B. Du Bois said it best in his Propaganda of History from Black Reconstruction in America 1860–1880, “Nations reel and stagger on their way; they make hideous mistakes; they commit frightful wrongs; they do great and beautiful things. And shall we not best guide humanity by telling the truth about all of this, so far as the truth is ascertainable?”

For more lesson ideas that celebrate African American achievements, check out these articles and free activities:

Black History Month Free Reading Printables 

Celebrating African American Artists and Writers for Juneteenth

He Changed America by Talking: Classroom Activities to Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.

Heather Foudy is a certified elementary teacher with over 7 years’ experience as an educator and volunteer in the classroom. She enjoys creating lessons that are meaningful and creative forstudents. She is currently working for Evan-Moor’s marketing and communications team and enjoys building learning opportunities that are both meaningful and creative for students and teachers alike.