Homeschool moms love technology and we’re constantly finding new ways to integrate this technology into our teaching. The internet is full of resources homeschool moms can use to enhance teaching and encourage learning.

Our homeschool is no exception, so today I’m sharing eight educational websites we love! I hope you’ll visit and bookmark these wonderful websites.

Start With a Book: When I’m planning a unit study or if I need a book on a particular topic, this is the first place I stop. Start with a Book allows parents to select a topic, such as cooking, sports, inventors, or money. Once selected, recommended book titles, fiction and nonfiction, are provided according to age group. If you’re looking for supplemental activities, Start With a Book even offers writing prompts and hands on activities.

A Maths Dictionary For Kids: Math resources are always in demand, so A Maths Dictionary is a great resource for homeschool families. Math topics up to beginning algebra are covered through a variety of printable posters. We use these printables as reference pages inside the girls’ interactive math notebooks.

Sheppard Software: This is one of the girls’ favorite websites. This colorful and engaging website features hundreds of entertaining and educational games spanning a variety subject areas. Preschoolers will enjoy animal games and paint activities, while older students can work on placing items in the Periodic Table, playing math mahjong (my personal favorite!), or studying vocabulary flashcards for SAT/GRE prep.

Udemy: This website features hundreds of self-paced classes for children and adults. Begin your class search by selecting a category (Business, Academics, Test Prep, etc) and continue by clicking through course offerings. Courses fall within a variety of price ranges, but Udemy often has sales and you can often snag a course for $10.99 or so. This year, my girls are taking a few art classes and Spanish classes.

Quizlet: Back in the day, my flashcards were all made by hand. That may be considered an ancient practice now that Quizlet is here. Users can either make their own flashcards or search for flashcards created and shared by other learners.  My daughter use her Quizlet account to study for science and geography classes.

Khan Academy: I’d be remiss if I failed to mention this amazing website. Sal’s video tutorials on math and science have helped many students. Now Khan Academy offers courses in history, computing, test prep, and humanities as well. Students can complete assessments online and even earn productivity badges for watching and taking quizzes.

Trello: If you need a powerful, clean, and user friendly organizational tool, Trello is for you. Use its system of portable boards and cards to keep track of homeschool projects and even create lesson plans. One of the best things about Trello is its ability to make collaborative efforts a breeze.

TEDx: These inspirational and educational videos have proven to be a homeschool hit with everyone, adults and children alike. There are many hundreds of talks to choose among and they address a variety of subjects. For TED Talks featuring African Americans, check out this page, Black TED Talks.

Have you used any of these websites? What educational websites do you use in your homeschool? You’re welcome to share info by leaving a comment.

Are your kids into board games? My girls like to play board games, but some of our favorites were too difficult for my youngest daughter to play. Since we didn’t want her to miss out on the fun, we had to shop for games she could play.

All of the games we found are great for homeschool families because they are fun, educational, and can be played during the school day. As older kids play these games with a younger sibling, you may gain a bit of uninterrupted teaching time with another child. That’s a win for everyone!

If you’d like to add a few more board games to your family’s collection, check out the six board games my youngest one loves most:

Perfection: This old school classic is great for motor development and memory skills. The premise is simple. Children pick up the pieces and place them into their corresponding spots. The game’s timer encourages children to place pieces as quickly as they can. Perfection can be played alone, one versus one, or with partners.

Guess Who: This is another much loved classic game. The board is divided into two different sections (red and blue), one for each player. Players then flip up the 24 faces on their side of the board. Each player draws a character card that shows the character their opponent has to guess. When a player’s turn comes, he or she asks a yes or no questio to help them identify their opponent’s hidden character. Players continue to question one another until someone is ready to guess the character displayed on their opponent’s card.

The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game: This is one of the cutest games ever! The squirrels are trying to store acorns for the winter. Acorns are scattered across the board and each player is given a log with holes of five different colors. Players spin the spinner and use the squirrel squeezer to pick up acorns and place them in the color coded log holes. Players need to beware of the spinner. Sometimes it lands on spaces that allow acorns to be blown away or taken away by other squirrels.

Brain Quest Sea-Quence: The goal of Sea Quence is to create chronological rows of cards based on themes such color, size,and time. There are three reasons I love this fun beach themed game. First, it is a cooperative game that results in a group score. This means as players help one another, everyone benefits. Next, children improve logical thinking as they strategize and move. Finally, the game helps children strengthen memory skills as they recall card placement. When playing with young ones just learning the game, it may help to leave properly placed cards face up and to play without the Beach Boost cards.

Count Your Chickens: Count Your Chickens is another cooperative game. It’s a short and simple game. While Mama Hen was was away, her 40 of her chicks escaped from their chicken coop. The players’ job is to get all the chicks back inside the coop before Mama Hen returns home. Players move along the path by spinning the spinner. Not every space on the spinner is helpful. Sometimes chicks escape from the coop!

Go Go Gelato: All three of my girls love this game. (Even the thirteen year old!) Players are given a set of 4 colorful cones and three colorful gelato scoops. To begin play, a gelato card is flipped up to display a pattern of scoops and cones. Players race to complete the pattern, but they may not use their hands to adjust the scoops. Scoops can only be moved using two cones. The first person to successfully recreate the pattern yells, “Go Go Gelato!” This is game is great for the development of logic and motor skills.

Younger children don’t have to watch while other family members play board games. Our younger learners can join in on the action and learn at the same time. Are there any additional board games you play with young kids? If so, leave a comment and tell us all about them. We’ve always got room for one more game!

 

I need to make a confession. I’m a self-proclaimed podcast junkie and have subscribed to at least two dozen podcasts. I listen to podcasts when riding in my minivan, while doing household chores, while showering, or during exercise. In fact, I love podcasts so much I sing the praises of podcasts to anyone willing to listen. And that now includes you!

Podcasts offer valuable content to listeners, so if you’ve not yet tuned in to a podcast, I encourage you to do so. Podcast providers such as iTunes or Stitcher are home to tens of thousands of podcasts. All you need to do is find a genre that interests you, select an appealing podcast, download it, and start listening. I suspect you’ll find at least two or three podcasts of interest, but be careful! You may end up like me: binge listening to hours and hours of podcasts!

So what makes podcasts such a big deal? I’m so glad you asked.

What is a podcast?

Simply put, a podcast is an audio broadcast or show made available to listeners online. Listeners can tune in by downloading podcast episodes and then listening to the episodes using a cell phone or a computer. When listeners choose to subscribe to a podcast, new episodes are automatically delivered to their devices by way of a podcast feed.

Why listen to podcasts?

People listen to podcasts for a variety of reasons. My favorite podcasts teach me new skills or show me how to improve an area of my life. However, I also listen to podcasts to receive spiritual encouragement, gain inspiration, or simply for the purpose of being entertained.

How can someone find an interesting podcast?

One way to find podcasts is by searching iTunes, Stitcher, or SoundCloud. Once you find a podcast you like, similar podcasts you may enjoy are listed. You can also find podcasts by asking friends or family members. Podcasts are popular, so these loved ones are likely to have a suggestion or two. Finally, search for podcasts online. A topical based Google search such as “podcasts about homeschooling” will yield multiple results.

How can I listen to podcasts?

Listening to podcasts is easy. You can listen to directly from your cell phone or computer. If you’re an iPhone user, you can download the Podcast App. There are many free podcast app floating around, but the one I use is Overcast. Once the podcast app is downloaded, subscribe to the podcasts of your choice and new episodes of your favorite shows will be sent straight to the app.

So now that you have a basic understanding of podcasts, let me share some of my own personal podcast suggestions.

Great Podcasts for Moms

Brown Ambition Podcast: If you’re looking to learn about careers, business, financial planning, real estate, and wealth building, check out this weekly podcast that caters to African-Americans. Hosts Mandy Woodruff and Tiffany Aliche (also known as The Budgetnista) are personable, entertaining, and knowledgable.

In Black America: John L. Hanson Jr is the host of In Black America a podcast dedicated to the African American experience. Listen in for great interviews with African-American leaders and visionaries.

The Productive Woman: Each week lawyer Laura McClellan shares tips for productivity, routines, project management, and planning. Her informational interviews with women entrepreneurs are always helpful.

Organize 365: Need to get your household in order? Need tips for time management? Lisa Woodruff’s weekly podcast offers tips and tricks to help families keep their homes and lives running smoothly.

Great Podcasts for Kids

Dream Big: Eva Karpman and her mother Olga interview amazing people doing amazing things. In each episode, they interview inspirational people from all walks of life, who are pursuing their dreams. My current favorite episode is the one in which they interview with Nicholas McCarthy, a talented one handed pianist. I love the cute printable downloads offered with each episode.

Levar Burton Reads: If you’re a Gen Xer like me, you’re likely familiar with the television show, Reading Rainbow. (I know I wasn’t the only one sitting in front of the television competing with Chahka Khan to sing, “Butterfly in the sky, I can twice as high. Take look, it’s in a book, a Reading Rainbow! I can go anywhere…) Well, the show’s host, Levar Burton is back behind the microphone with his very own podcast, Levar Burton Reads. In this brand new podcast, Burton reads a variety of stories from many different genres. This new podcast launches today, June 13, 2017!

StoryNory: Many homeschool moms and their kids have listened to books and stories featured on the StoryNory website. StoryNory has made the leap into the world of podcasting and now offers another place for us to mine literary gems. The current podcast library offers fifty episodes.

Story Pirates: This podcast’s unique premise has made it one of my favorite podcasts! In each episode, the hosts read an original story written by a child. The real fun begins when the Story Pirates reenact the written tale accompanied by sound effects and music. Each episode also includes an interview with the story’s young author. This podcast is highly entertaining and provides fabulous inspiration for aspiring writers!

Tumble: This is a science podcast designed for kids, but is a great choice for family listening as well. If you’ve got a child who is intrigued by bugs, bacteria, black holes, or batteries (or a host of other amazing science topics), you’ll want to subscribe to the Tumble podcast.

Podcasting is one of the latest and greatest offerings in the world of technology. Don’t miss out on the action. Grab your phone and start listening to some amazing podcasts today.

If you want to know how and where to snag a bargain, talk to a fellow homeschooling mom. We love bargains! Many of us know exactly how to find awesome educational freebies online and we’re highly skilled at creating engaging lessons and spectacular projects using inexpensive items from Dollar Tree and the Target Dollar Spot.

But now that spring is here, my bargain hunting excursions are taking me outside the traditional brick and mortar stores and pulling me away from online supersites like Amazon and Overstock. Instead, I’m out and about at local yard sales, gathering up all the educational goodies my minivan can hold.

This past weekend, and with happy, giggly little girls in tow, my sister-in-law and I headed off for a morning of bargain hunting and deal snatching throughout our town-wide yard sale. If you’re like me and yard sale hopping is one of your favorite things to do,  you’ll want to keep reading. I’m offering up some great tips and tricks for yard sale success. The Homeschool Mom’s Guide to Yard Sale Success will help you navigate the neighborhood sales with ease and help you score amazing goodies for your homeschool!

12 Tips for Yard Sale Success

1. Do online research first. Use the internet to find yard sales in your area. Craigslist and Yard Sale Search my are favorite yard sale search tools. Once you know where sellers are located, map out your route, and head off.
2. Clear out space in your vehicle. Make room in the backseat and trunk of your vehicle.You’ll need plenty of space to transport the educational goodies you purchase.
3. Bring your own bags. Some sellers will provide bags for the items you purchase, while other sellers will not. Save yourself the time and effort of making multiple trips to the car by bringing your own bags to yard sales.
4. Bring plenty of cash, including coins. Don’t run the risk of missing out on a fantastic deal because you don’t have enough cash to purchase an item. One dollar bills are good for smaller purchases and coins are great for quickly purchasing inexpensive items like books, which are sometimes sold for as little as a dime or a quarter.
5. Make sure you have plenty of time. Bargain hunting takes time and you’ll likely want to shop multiple sales. To avoid the stress associated with rushing and the disappointment that comes from knowing you missed a great deal, be sure to allow yourself ample time to travel, park, walk, and shop. Most sales begin early in the morning at 7:00 or 8:00 am and end around 1:00 or 2:00 pm in the afternoon.
6. Don’t be afraid to negotiate a price. If you’re purchasing several items from a seller, you may consider offering an appropriate price for the entire lot of goods. As you negotiate, do so in a friendly manner and offer a reasonable purchase price. Sellers are turned off by rude behavior and often say no when they sense buyers are trying to take advantage of them.
7. Go early. The old adage is true. The early bird does catch the worm! Those who arrive first get to see the entire selection of goods and often snatch up the best deals.
8. Go late. By the end of a yard sale, many sellers are tired and just want to get rid of stuff. Sellers don’t want to lug goods back into their garages or haul things off to the Goodwill store. You may be able to use this to your advantage and score some fabulous last minute deals.
9. Bring a measuring tape. Be ready to measure. If you find the perfect looking desk or stumble upon that beautiful bookcase that perfectly matches your style and decor, you’ll want to be able to measure it on the spot.
10. Look high and low. When shopping, don’t set your sights on tabletop items alone. Many sellers place items under tables or set them on higher shelving units. Items are sometimes spread out on blankets under trees. Be sure to look  everywhere.
11. Take a child with you. Because my girls have accompanied me to yard sales for years, they know what I like to purchase and have become skilled at spotting great goods and terrific bargains. Their well trained eyes have often zeroed in on items I have overlooked. In addition, we’ve had kind sellers give us things for free just because my cuties were tagging along!
12. Be pleasant. Approach sellers with a smile, extend a kind greeting, and don’t be afraid to chat. When sellers learn I’m a homeschooling mom looking for educational items, they often direct me to their best bargains or bring things to me as I shop. Recently, a seller went into her home, pulled out an additional stack of board games, and sold them to me at a tremendous discount.

What I Like To Buy at Yard Sales

• Board games: Board games are expensive so I pick them up at yard sales whenever possible. I always ask if all pieces are included and ask permission check the contents to make sure everything is there and is in good condition.
• Children’s Books: If you’re trying to create a home library for your family, buy books at yard sales. The going rate in my area is $.50 for hard cover books and $.10 to $.25 for paperback books.
• Reference books: Hard cover books like dictionaries and thesauruses  are often sold at yard sales. Bypass high prices and hefty shipping costs by shopping for reference books at yard sales.
• Textbooks: Teachers host yard sales too! I’ve seen student textbooks and even spotted a few teacher’s editions at local yard sales.
• Toys: We’ve purchased lots of great toys at yard sales. This is where we’ve found several cute dollhouses. Further, most of my daughters’ collection of Barbie clothes have come from yard sales. Once purchased, we toss the clothes into a small laundry bag and wash them with our next load of laundry.
• Organizational items: Scour yard sales for crates, storage bins, and shelving units. Many sellers are eager to offload these items and you can benefit from the seller’s downsizing efforts.
• Furniture: Larger furniture items are often sold at yard sales. If you’re looking for desks, side tables, or substantial bookcases, shop yard sales first.
• Sports Equipment: Yard sales are a never ending source of tennis racquets, tennis balls, frisbees, and badminton birdies. Step up your backyard game time by shopping for these items at yard sales.
• Musical instruments: If you’re looking for drum sets, guitars, or pianos, hit the yard sale circuit. They can be purchased at a fraction of the usual price.

Items I Avoid Purchasing at Yard Sales

• Stuffed animals: Many of these items are dirty, worn, and potentially full of germs.
• DVDs: The scratches, nicks, and dings sometimes found on DVDs often make them unplayable.
• Safety helmets: These items may no longer be up to current safety standards or may have unseen damage.
• Electronic devices: These items may look good, but may have faulty internal mechanisms that may prevent them from working properly.
• Personal items: Don’t risk your health by purchasing used items such as shoes, hats, bathing suits, mattresses.
• Baby items: Stay away from baby items as they may be damaged and may pose safety risks to your child.

Yard sales can be a great source of educational treasure for the homeschool mom.  If you search carefully, exercise selectivity, and avoid unsafe items, you may leave the local yard sale with items that can greatly enhance your homeschool. Happy shopping!