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The life of a migraineur is one of uncertainty and often fear not knowing when the next big migraine is going to strike. Mix that with being a mother that homeschools and you have an unfortunate mix.

First, let me encourage you that you are not alone. While you may feel alone in the darkness of migraines. There is a world of others that suffer from migraines. I am one of those people.

How Do You Survive Homeschooling When You Have Migraines?

Don’t be too hard on yourself

You need to remember that as a homeschool family your teaching day isn’t just from 8:00 am- 2:00pm Monday through Friday. You are constantly teaching your children throughout the entire day. So when you need to take a “day off” remember that your children live in an atmosphere of learning. Therefore, when you need to take a day off, they are not going to fall behind.

How to Plan for the unexpected migraine

If your kids are anything like mine, then they know migraines can come out of nowhere. I have suffered from chronic migraines for years. God has been gracious to me in that the severity and frequency has gone down for me. Nevertheless, when one strikes, I am often withdrawn to my bed. Lights out. Quiet please.

While migraines are horrible, I have seen some benefits from them. My children are sympathetic to others and helpful when they see someone in pain.  Having a mother with chronic pain, although frustrating, prepares your children for empathy towards others.

Migraines cause you to appreciate every moment that you feel well. I have learned to wake up and thank God for the days that I wake up feeling well and I do not take them for granted.

It is important to be prepared and not be caught off guard when a migraine strikes

Creating an Emergency Migraine Homeschool Kit

When you are “prepared” for your migraine or a sick day, the school day will feel a bit easier. I recommend creating an “Emergency Migraine Homeschool Kit” for those days you wake up with the dreaded migraine. Here are the essential items you need for your DIY Emergency Migraine/Sick Day Kit:

Depending Upon the Ages of Your Children You Can Create Your Own Emergency Migraine Kit

Some items to consider putting in your emergency kit. If your kids are very young, this may not be the best option, you know your kids best, so here are the ideas.

Books on CD

Having books on CD readily available is a great idea because they are using their listening skills and imagination. My children were ages 2 and 4 when I discovered audio books at the public library . Some of our favorites are: The Chronicles or Narnia, Anne of Green Gables, and any of the short stories by Jim Weiss. You can even search for small picture books that come with CDs. We have the Toy Story collection book and it came with a CD that my kids follow along with. They can even listen to it with you in bed (if you are up for it).

DVDs that are educational

I have a set of “Wild Kratts” DVDs that we continually go back to. I bought them online. I know when they watch these DVDs that they are getting some type of education. Some other good educational videos are: “The Magic School Bus Series”, and “Octonauts”.

Word searches

Print up some word searches from this site: Discoveryeducation.com. You can even offer a small prize for finishing (or not).

Review workbooks that are independent level

Choosing some review workbooks for math, spelling, or any other subject is great so that they can review skills that they already have. Your children can practice multiplication or addition or anything else they have been working on in school. You can even allow them to check each others work by putting in stickers and stamps that they can put on when they are finished. (Don’t forget to add some stickers to your kit.

Novel toys

Have some toys set aside for when you are having a migraine. If these toys are novel, they will keep your kids busier longer. For example, you can have a new lego set or something random from the Dollar Tree or the 99 Cents Store.

New Books

Set aside some fun books that your children have never read. Make sure that they are at their reading level or at least they enjoy looking at the pictures. Where’s waldo and I spy books are great for independent time.

Sticker books

My daughter in particular loves these types of books. We recently purchased some “Timeline Sticker Books” and she loves them. So, I stuck one in my migraine kit.

Easy card games/board games

Having a pack of playing cards for kids to play go fish, war, or other simple games is a great idea. Other games that you can include are Bingo, Go Nuts for Donuts, Sushi Go, and Rummicube. Make sure these are games that your kids know well, so that they don’t have to come to you and ask for instructions. You want the games to be an indendent level.

Easy no mess crafts

The 99 Cents Store and the dollar tree are your best friends. They have so many easy and fun crafts for 99 cents. Put a couple of these into your Emergency Migraine Homeschool Kit to keep your kids occupied during your migraine. My Dollar Tree has a selection of easy wood crafts. While they may create a small mess with glue, I know that the benefits of these kits outweigh the mess.

Coloring pages and coloring supplies

I like to stock up on extra school supplies at the beginning of the school year when they are on sale. I stick a couple of them in the emergency kit so that they are new and crisp. Kids always seem to enjoy a new pack of crayons.

I have created some coloring books. You can see them by clicking here.

Easy Age appropriate snacks

Use your discretion for this one :-).

Plastic Tub or cardboard box to keep your DIY kit. You can even have the kids decorate it and make it special for when that dreaded day comes.

Store your Emergency Migraine Homeschool kit in an easy to reach place for your kids when migraine strikes.

**Note** You will notice that I have CDs and DVDs in the Emergency kit. I purposely put them in there because the last thing I want is to have my children freely looking online for material (movies, books, etc.) without supervision. I know firsthand that a child doesn’t need to be actively “looking” for inappropriate material to find it. In order to safeguard my children, I only allow searching on the internet when I am supervising them.

Be Flexible With Your Homeschooling Plans

I admit that I am a super planner. I love having my homeschooling lessons planned out and organized. When a Migraine strikes, I find that letting go of my plans for the day are the hardest part for me emotionally. It brings me down and it frustrates me. Once I start feeling better, I can’t wait to readjust and catch up with our learning lessons.

Remember to Not Be Too Hard on Yourself

Migraines are not your fault. Let me repeat. Migraines are not your fault. Please do not be hard on yourself.

While Migraines have been a part of my life since my childhood, I still haven’t been able to fully figure out what causes them and what triggers them. I have been able to figure out ways to naturally cope with the pain. I thought I would share them with you below.

Ways That Help Me Cope With Migraine Pain- My List.

The List FOR MOM

Pelegrino water – I know this sounds silly, but I feel like it helps me. It hydrates well because of all of the naturally occurring minerals found in it.

Keeping my water bottle filled at all times. I use the Takeya water bottle to keep my drink cool all day long and I make sure that I fill it up first thing in the morning so I do not get sidetracked and forget to drink water.

Menthol or peppermint ointment to rub my neck and shoulders

Getting to bed on time

Neck support pillow

Warm compress “Bed Buddy”

Wearing sunglasses (yes in the house)

Not drinking too much coffee

Watching my diet for triggers

Drinking Electrolyte water

Keep a migraine journal. You can find free ones online. Print one up, staple it and get to work recording when you have a migraine and what you  did differently or ate differently.

Ask for Help from friends and family

If you are able, ask for help from trusted family and friends. While others may not fully understand your migraines, those that love you are there to comfort and help you in your time of need.

If you suffer from Migraines or chronic pain, I hope that these homeschooling tips and tricks have helped you. If anything, I hope that you know that you are not alone in your suffering. I am right there in the battle with you. While I have found many ways to cope with Migraines, I still have room to grow. If you have any suggestions of what helps you, leave a comment below. We are in this together!

Living With Migraines- MY STORY

I wanted to include an excerpt from my Migraine journal. It hops around and is disjointed, but that is because it is straight from my journal. I hope that it is encouraging to know that you are not alone.

“It’s one of those days… again.”

You know how it is. You wake up and something is not right. Your brain isn’t quite working like it usually does. You’re crankier than usual. That wrinkle between your eyes is a bit more obvious, the light is hurting your eyes, the fact that your kids didn’t put their cereal bowl away annoys you more today. There is a dull pain in your head. It is bearable; nothing to write home about. But, you know that the other symptoms you are beginning to experience are none other than a prodrome. —a migraine is brewing, like a storm.

“If you are like me, then the fear begins to settle in. You know today might get pretty bad. Do you stay home, or do you ignore the symptoms of your migraine and go about your normal day?

“You hate that this is another one of those days. You end up laying down and closing your eyes because the pain is increasing. It has become unbearable. Your brain feels like it is on fire. You want to sleep, to try and pass the day as quickly as possible, but the reality of sleeping is a joke. There will be no sleep with a migraine like this. You can’t read, your eyes hurt too bad. You can’t watch T.V. because that light that emits from the screen seems to penetrate your eyes like a laser beam. You can’t check your phone for the same reason. Your kids seem so loud to that it also hurts your brain (even though they are just being normal kids).

“I cry sometimes during a migraine episode (even though it hurts to cry). I see how much my children and husband love me and it makes me cry. You see, they lose out on days too. Not because of pain or an aura, but because they lose their mama. I cry because they come to my bedside to comfort me. My 6 year old son quietly kisses me on the cheek and does his best to massage my neck. I cry because my 8 year old daughter has become accustomed to keeping things quiet in the house when mom has a “headache.” I pray that my children do not inherit this misery. I want them to have a brain that doesn’t fight them with pain and inconsistencies.

This is part of my migraine journey

*** Side Note***

It was interesting that During the couple of days that I was writing this article, I came down with one of the worst migraines I have had in a long time. It was a staunch reminder to me how horribly these affect our lives. While each person’s migraine has differences, the consistent aspect is that they impact our lives.

What things do you do to cope with Migraines when you are homeschooling?

Do you think that putting together a Emergency Migraine Kit for your kids is helpful? What are some things that you do to cope with migraines when homeschooling?

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(actually both moms and dads can benefit greatly from these great homeschooling books :-))

When you choose to homeschool your children, questions race through your mind. LOTS OF QUESTIONS. Where do I start? How can I actually do this? Am I crazy? Will I mess my kids up? These questions are especially strong when you do not have a supportive family or friends and haven’t been raised in a culture where homeschooling is acceptable. Turning to books by respected authors in the homeschool community is helpful when you are trying to find answers to your questions.

I came from a background that didn’t think homeschooling was a good idea. Homeschooling first came onto my radar at church, when for the first time I actually met some homeschoolers and their. They were some of the most kind, confident, smart, and all around amazing kids I had ever met. At the time, I was teaching in a public school. In my mind, public school was the only way to go. Yet, when I started getting to know the homeschool families and talk with them about their “whys” and “hows”, the idea of homeschooling seemed really amazing to me for the first time. These same families recommended a couple of books to me to help answer my many homeschooling questions.

“You’re going to WHAT?!?!”

Fast forward several years… We made the decision to homeschool our children. I heard it all after that announcement and for years after. There were the discouragers, the naysayers, the “know it alls,” that questioned our decision to school our children at home. So, I was thankful for the encouragement I received from friends and I was also thankful for the vast information and encouragement I received from books. I devoured as many homeschooling books that I could get my hands on and many of them are in my list of 8 best homeschooling books for homeschooling moms.

Books are an amazing resource for homeschool families. They inform us, encourage us, and keep us going when we are feeling like giving up. Nothing beats a good book and a cup of coffee! I plan to continue to add to my list of best books for homeschooling as I keep reading more and more from authors that I respect.

While life is busy as a homeschool mom, we need to make sure that we get time to study and prepare not only our minds, but our hearts to teach and lead our children. Great books help us do just that!

While I read less during the school year due to busyness with my children and the fact that we read aloud a lot as a family and let’s face it, I get tired; I find that during breaks and in the summer, I do a lot of reading for myself. I keep a notebook with space for notes for each book that I am reading. I underline and highlight my books as well. My kids know that I am building myself up as their teacher when I am reading books about homeschooling.

I think that it is also a great example to your child when they see you reading to grow in your knowledge of something. Modeling this idea will encourage them to be lifelong learners. It also shows that parents don’t know everything and that we humbly need to seek out information and truth.

Here is my list of the 8 best homeschooling books that I recommend for moms:

The Homeschool Mom Booklist: The 8 BEST Books to Prepare for Homeschooling

The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer

Actually ANYTHING by Susan Wise Bauer that I have read has been utterly fantastic! I have many of her books. What fascinates me about her is her intellect. This woman is brilliant! She was homeschooled herself and homeschooled her children as well.The Classical Learner is an amazing reference book for any homeschool family. I do not consider myself a strong intellect. I wasn’t taught classically. I have read very few of the classical pieces that classical education recommends, however the encouragement that Susan gives to someone like me, is that I can learn how to read difficult books such as…

You can find Susan Wise Bauer’s website by clicking here.

Consider This: Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition by Karen Glass

Again, anything by Karen Glass is worth your time to learn from. She has a brilliant mind and is great at explaining how classical education and Charlotte Mason are intertwined. While I am not a Charlotte Mason Purist, I tend to take many of my educational philosophies from her ideas. Karen expounds on Charlotte Masons philosophies in a brilliant, yet understandable way. I have read this one twice and refer to it often. I have given copies of this book away to friends because I thought it was so excellent.

You can find Karen Glass’s website by clicking here.

Rethinking School: How to Take Charge of your Child’s Education by Susan Wise Bauer

Rethinking School is a great resource for parents that are homeschooling their children and for parents of public school children as well. It has a plethora of information as to how as a parent you are in control of your child’s schooling and education. She challenges many of the widely accepted ideas about education. Like I mentioned earlier this woman is brilliant and she writes in such a clear and concise way. While she does cover a lot of public school issues, I think that it is important to understand what our rights as parents are in education. Plus it is a great book you can recommend to a friend who is struggling with their child in the traditional public school classroom. Here is a quote from the book cover: “Caught in this system, far too many young learners end up discouraged, disconnected, and unhappy. And when they struggle, school pressures parents, with overwhelming force, into ‘fixing’ their children rather than questioning the system.” WOW!

Living in a state that loathes homeschooling and charter schools (basically anything that challenges the traditional role of public education), I found this book to be quite helpful when discussing why I choose to homeschool rather than send my children away to the institution of school. You can even recommend it to those family members that give you a hard time about homeschooling. (Hmmm. Just a thought!)

Home Learning Year By Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool through High School by Rebecca Rupp

This is a great reference book for the new and veteran homeschool mom. Rebecca Rupp wrote this book as a template to follow as you plan instruction for your children. I like many of her book recommendations and advice on what is appropriate to teach at each grade level. It is written in a very reader friendly way. This is a good resource for a parent who likes to design their own curriculum for their child. It covers Preschool all the way to High School. Each grade level is broken down by subjects such as math, language arts, history, and science. While I use this periodically as a reference, it is not completely what guides my instruction.

Best Homeschool Encouragement Books for Moms

Here are a couple of the books that have encouraged my soul when it comes to homeschooling:

Mere Motherhood: Morning Times, Nursery Rhymes, and my Journey Towards Sanctification by Cindy Rollins

and

A Handbook to Morning Time by Cindy Rollins

So, I am combining the Mere Motherhood book and handbook into one section. What I have pictured below is my handbook to morning time. It is marked up, filled with post-its, and one of my favorite references. (I gave my original book away, so I need to buy another copy, lol)

Mere Motherhood (the original book, not the handbook) is one of the only homeschooling books that has made me cry. And, by the way, I would not say that I am a big crier when it comes to books. Cindy Rollins is an amazing writer and her book was one of the most beautiful, encouraging, and inspirational books that I have ever read about homeschooling. I think it goes down as one of my favorites :-).

I had never heard of “morning time” or its benefits until I read this book. I was at a homeschool convention when I randomly came across this book. I liked the cover and what the first couple of pages had to say, so I purchased it not really knowing what it was about. I am so thankful I did.

Her Morning Time Handbook has helped me to implement a Christ-centered morning time so that we are focused on what is most important to us. This book by far has changed my thinking about how important this consistent morning time is. I highly recommend this amazing homeschooling book by an amazing woman and author.

For the Children’s Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

This is a very gentle and warm book to encourage the mother in why and how she educates her children. This is a Christian book and therefore gives Christian principles that should guide educating our children. The experiences that you give your child should be rich, stable, and filled with joy and their education should be built around that. The principles of this book can be applied to all types of education. The goal of your education should be to provide a pleasant child-centered learning experience in your homeschooling (or any education).

The Call of the Wild and Free: Reclaiming Wonder in Your Child’s Education by Ainsley Arment

I checked this out from the Library! I was so excited to see it there. Usually my public library does not have homeschooling resource books, so I end up buying all of them. I will eventually purchase this one for myself at some point, but for now, I am happy to get it from my library.

The philosophy of a Wild and Free is to allow your children to experience the adventure, freedom, and wonder of childhood without being confined to a rigid system that values who they are. This book is very practical and gives a lot of insight, wisdom, and encouragement to the homeschool family.

This has started an entire movement that I believe has grown exponentially in the last couple of years. They also have their own magazine that you can subscribe too as well as other books in their collection.

You can find the Wild and Free Website by clicking here.

I like to hold on to the books I love. I re-read many of my favorites and eventually I give them away to other mothers or parents who are new to homeschooling.

The 8 Best Books Every Homeschool Mom Should Read

I am so thankful for the other homeschool parents that have made it to the other side and for writing in a way that educates gently and encourages greatly. Thank you fellow home educators for paving the way for us newbies and giving us the encouragement we need!

If you are a new homeschooling mom, check out this article, “14 Helpful Tips for the New Homeschool Mom.”

On My Future “Books to Read” List

These are the books I have in my personal reading basket. I look forward to reading them in the near future and gleaning from them! Have any of you read these books? If so, what did you learn from them?

The Lost Tools of Learning: A Symposium on Education by Dorothy Sayers

The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with your Kids by Sarah Mackenzie

The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life by Julie Bogart

The New Read-Aloud Handbook: Including a Giant Treasury of Great Read-Aloud Books by Jim Trelease

In Vital Harmony: Charlotte Mason and the Natural Laws of Education by Karen Glass

Know and Tell: The Art of Narration by Karen Glass

Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen

The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusades by Susan Wise Bauer

Do you have any recommendations for the best homeschooling books to read? If so, leave them in the comments below

Watch this YouTube video to see how to find good books at great prices. (I know that I love getting good deals :-))

One more thing about best books…

I am a “write in my books” type of girl. So I wanted to share with you these great pens and highlighters that are erasable, don’t bleed through, and are thin line for beautiful writing. I like taking notes for each book that I read as well, so I use smaller notebooks that I can bring along with me.

Thanks for joining me! Let me know what your reading list looks like!

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Do you enjoy planning homeschool lessons around your children’s interests? I know that I do. However, sometimes it can feel overwhelming. Where do I begin with planning? What should I include in my unit study? How can I keep track of supplies, books, crafts, and websites?

I developed The Perfect Unit Study Planner to help organize and answer all of these questions.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please see my disclosure for more details.

The Perfect Unit Study Planning Packet Printable!

Specific directions for this planning packet can be found at the end of this post. Don’t forget to subscribe for more homeschooling tips tools.

What is a Homeschool Unit Study?

Unit studies (also known as thematic unit studies) are a popular tool for teaching around a particular subject of interest. They allow students to see what they are learning as a whole and they provide an excellent alternative to textbooks.

Why Should I add Unit Studies to my homeschooling day?

Are you looking for a way to teach multiple children at different grade levels? Do you want to encourage a love of learning and engage your child’s interests? Homeschool Unit Studies are the answer!

What Are the Benefits of a Homeschool Unit Study?

My kids and I love Unit studies! It allows us to dig deeply into subjects that we are interested in. We are able to integrate so many of our subjects into our unit study. It not only encourages a love for learning, (sometimes my kids just can’t get enough) and it actually saves time in our schedule. For example, when we centered our learning around deep sea adventure, writing, spelling, reading, science, history, and even math were integrated all together, saving us time when compared to our normal homeschooling schedule. My children are able to learn together as well.

Why I Love Homeschool Unit Studies:

Perhaps my favorite part of Homeschool Unit Studies is that it allows my children to be creative and be hands-on. I make sure that I include free time in my unit study plans so that my children can play or create around the subject we are learning about. For example, for the deep sea unit, I may give them a large cardboard box to create a deep sea submarine or provide crafting material so that my children can make the animals or deep sea exploration tools for survival. This is really a child-focused free time, let them decide what they want to create and how they want to create it.

Here is a List of Some of the Benefits of a Homeschool Unit Study:

• less expensive than traditional curriculum and more tailored to your child’s interests
• freedom for children to take their time and learn at their own pace
• learn as a family- all ages can learn through unit studies
• hands-on learning is primary- this is proven to be the best way for children to learn
• in-depth learning
• Creating lasting memories
• Opportunities to learn in a less traditional way

How Long Should a Unit Study Last?

A Homeschool Unit Study can last as long as you and your kiddos want it to last. When we covered a unit study on birds, it seemed to last for months because my kids fell in love with birds. In fact a year later and my daughter still asks for bird learning. Some unit studies can be quicker: a couple of days or a week. Plan according to your children’s abilities and interests. Also, know when you stop your unit study and don’t drag it on longer than you need to.

How often should I plan out unit studies?

This is just my opinion, however, I suggest only planning out 4-5 unit studies a year. Sometimes they will last several weeks, depending on how much depth you and your children want to go into. They can work around you and your children’s schedules. Depending on the type of educator that you are, planning a unit study that you are happy with can take a good amount of time, so start planning ahead. Complete the planning of your unit studies during a time where you are less busy.

Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

Topic Based

• Space
• Exploration
• Civil War
• Mammals
• The Ocean
• Pets
• The Civil Rights Movement
• Government
• Habitats
• Insects
• Dinosaurs
• Dragons in History
• Honeybees
• Australia
• Shark Week
• Weather
• Missionaries in China
• Microbes
• The Constitution
• Money
• Finance

Literature Based

• Anne of Green Gables
• Pedro’s Journey
• Shakespeare
• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
• Charlotte’s Web
• Little House on the Prairie
• Any C.S. Lewis Book
• The Hobbit
• The Green Ember Series

Directions: How do I use the Homeschool Unit Study Planning Packet?

Thank you for downloading the planning packet. Here are the directions for using this tool:

Step 1. Look at the topics you will be covering this year with your children. Talk with your kids about their interests and what they would love to learn about. Feel free to give them ideas and ask guiding questions.

Step 2. Decide on your topic/theme. We chose the “Deep Sea” for ours. You can go many different routes. For example, you can base your unit study on a piece of literature and then learn around that or you can choose a specific topic and check out a variety of books on that topic. For the Deep Sea, I did not use a piece of literature to guide our unit study, instead I chose a variety of books that were interesting to my kids and we learned that way. Both ways are great, so choose what you think will work better for your family.

Step 3. Go over the KWL chart with your children. Fill in the first two columns: What you know already and what you want to learn. You will fill out the final column, “What I learned” at the completion of your unit study.

Step 4. Take some preliminary notes as you prepare your research (this you will do without your children). What should you know as background knowledge as you guide your children through this study. What do you need to research further? Take learning notes on your planning page. You can also record ways to integrate all subject areas into your unit study. How can you intertwine writing, reading, spelling, phonics, history, and science? Unit studies can be a very efficient way to integrate cross-curricular study.

Step 5. Start filling in what you need to accomplish for your unit study. Do you need to purchase books or check some out at the library? Do you need to shop at the Dollar Tree or Amazon.com? Do you need to research field trips or talk with another homeschool family who is learning the same thing?

Step 6. Research good quality books that you can use. Take an inventory of those books that you will use in your unit study. Write them on the planning sheet. I suggest keeping these books in a specific place, such as a basket or space on the shelf. This allows you to find them quickly when you need them.

Step 7. Research Youtube and Pinterest for ideas. You can create a playlist on Youtube and a board on Pinterest to keep track of what you want to use. Fill out the planning form as a reminder.

Step 8. Brainstorm board games and card games that correlate with you unit of study. Record them you your planning sheet. You can even create your own. For instructions on making your own educational card game, click here.

Step 9. Research and jot down any websites that might be helpful as you study your unit. For example, we visited Nationalgeographic.com often when we studied the deep sea.

Step 10. Keep track of movies, audiobooks, dvds or online movies that are useful for your study. Are you kids going to watch “Wild Kratts” on Netflix as they study? Write that down on your planning sheet.

Step 11. CRAFTS and HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES!!! This is my favorite part. I spend a lot of time correlating what we learn to hands-on activities. I have books that

Step 12. Field trip ideas and notes. Where can you go to support the learning that has taken place? Take lots of pictures when you go

Step 13. How can you integrate yummy food and recipes? Are you learning about the Goldrush? Could you learn how to make coffee or the bread that they used to eat? You can center a meal or a tea party around your unit/theme. Don’t forget to take pictures!

Step 14. Having an idea of how many days you want your unit study to be is a good idea. But make sure that you are flexible and know when to either end it or extend it. Use the Unit study daily overview planning sheet to start taking all of the ideas you have found and record what you want to accomplish or cover each day.

Step 15. Keep track of the supplies you will need for each day and keep them in a tub or basket.

Step 16. Create Daily lesson plans. While I do not use these for each lesson I teach with my children, sometimes I like to organize my thoughts and how I want to teach, so I use the daily lesson plan template. You can use this template for any subject and for any grade. You can also use it as a guide if you teach co-ops or in a classroom setting.

Step 17. Have fun, be creative, and enjoy learning with your kids!

Other Amazing Homeschool Websites for your reference when learning about unit studies

OurJourneyWestward.com has good introductory information on Unit Studies.

Homeschool-your-boys.com has a great article on the benefits of Unit Studies as well.

Links to Free Unit Studies

Faith and Good Works is a great website that features a “Giant List Of Free Unit Studies”

It’s a Mother Thing is a website that has a “100 Free Unit Study for all ages.“

Some Paid Unit Studies

CareitPatch.com has an Apple Unit Study available for purchase on Etsy.com

Do you and your family use unit studies in your homeschooling? Do you have any suggestions for planning a homeschool unit study? I look forward to hearing from you.

The post Simple Steps to Plan the Perfect Homeschool Unit Study – Unit Study Planner appeared first on .

You Can Design a Science Curriculum Tailored to your Elementary School Age Child

Keep in mind that science in the younger years should be focused on exploration and excitement. This is an essential component of the Charlotte Mason philosophy. Children are naturally curious about the world so you need to provide abundant learning opportunities for them. A great way to do that is to have access to beautiful living science books that cover a variety of topics. Also, be willing to go outside and explore. This will allow your children to fall in love with the natural world around them!

How do I Design My Own Science Curriculum Based on My Child’s Interests?

If you are anything like me, you struggle to fit your kids into a box of pre-packaged science curriculum. I have decided to be the creator of my children’s science education. Now I know that not everyone wants to take the time to do this, but for those of you homeschool moms who are able, you first need to be open minded and flexible. You can put together a fun science curriculum that works with your child’s interests.

You can put together a FUN science curriculum that works with your child’s interests.

What Made Me Change My Mind-from textbook to Living Picture Books:

When I started homeschooling my kids, I was a firm believer in the need to use textbooks to teach science to my kids (I was coming from a career as a public School educator). It didn’t go so well, though. Trying to get my young children to sit still while I read from the science textbook was nearly impossible.

Thankfully, I had the opportunity to start teaching classes once a week at a learning center. The purpose of these classes was to provide enriching learning opportunities-not what I was used to as a public school teacher. Using my background in curriculum instruction, I designed a buffet-style class around unique and rare animals as well as mysterious places. I called it “Mysteries and Marvels in Our World.”

The class introduced newly discovered creatures, unique creatures, and mysterious places to the children. For example, we learned about the Crooked Forest in Poland, the Cone Snail, Bombardier Beetle, and so many other amazing places and animals. The kids (and me too) were in awe of what we were learning about. It quickly became super popular and I was able to teach it 3 semesters in a row and each semester it was full. I loved that class for so many reasons. One of the main reasons I loved it was because it taught me that I could teach about so many subjects and content areas using these fun creatures and interesting places. Kids learn best when they fall in love with what they are learning. Who doesn’t love the adorable Blobfish?

The Blobfish was one of the first unique animals that we learned about. I had never even heard about this animal until I did the research for the class curriculum. It quickly fascinated me. Using this creature as a “learning base” we covered habitat, density, depth, geography (where it lives using maps), food chain, art (we had to draw it :-), classification, and so much more.

So I figured I could plan out my science curriculum for my own children in that same way. And that is just what I did and you can too.

Now I organize and plan out my own children’s science curriculum (as well as history- but that is another post and I integrate other subjects that they are learning. I even enjoy occasionally creating worksheets and activities that better suit my children’s interests. I am working on a tutorial that teaches other moms how to do that and will update a link to this post once I finish it (this will be especially for my fellow creative mamas!)

What is great about this strategy is that it also saves time in my homeschooling day. I don’t have to teach each subject separately. I can integrate reading, phonics, writing and so much more with core subjects like science and history. It also works for multiple ages.

Children LOVE Animals- Especially Unique and Interesting Ones- You Can Use that as a Hook!

This is a coloring book that I put together for my kids to go with the unique creatures we were learning about.

Creative Science- Learning about unusual creatures to cover a variety of science standards as well as other content areas.

Like I mentioned earlier, rather than teaching about animal habitats and adaptations as their own separate lessons. You can use content your child will be interested in and build their learning around that. First, go over the science topics and standards you want to teach over the year or semester for your child, then choose something that your child is super interested in. For example, you can choose an animal that your kids love. Use this animal as the “learning base” and make their education connected to what they enjoy.

Here are a couple of books that I used to teach about unique and creative creatures

Planning Out Your Year

When I plan for science for the year, I choose a couple of topics. I first talk to my kids and get an idea of what they are interested in. I take that into account, but I also know that there are some topics I will choose for them and I know that once they are exposed to the new topics and we learn about them in a creative and fun way, that they will fall in love with them. I use this planner to help guide what I teach my kids and make all the subjects connect as best as I can. It also helps me to focus on why I teach the way I teach.

You can also use this book by Rebecca Rupp called “Home Learning Year by Year”. It is a fantastic resource to help you organize and plan out your years of homeschooling.

Connected and Cohesive Learning

While what I am about to cover is often more work for the parent or teacher, it is important that your child’s learning be connected and cohesive. Connected and cohesive learning is when cross-curriculum learning goes on. Allowing subjects to cross in your child’s learning such as history, science, reading, phonics, and even math. When learning is disjointed, it not only takes longer to complete your school day, your child is left with thinking that each subject is separate. This is unfortunate because in learning science, you can teach writing, phonics, grammar, history, etc.

I have created a Homeschool Unit Study Planner where you can plan your own unit studies based on your kids interest. See the post and access your Planner by clicking here.

But Shouldn’t I use a textbook?

I do not use textbooks to teach my kids science. I will leave that for Middle School and High School. However, I do purchase science textbooks to help guide me when necessary, such as a when we are learning about human anatomy. I believe it is important to use beautifully illustrated living picture books to teach science to young children, however. Either going to the local library or investing in new and used books online or at the thrift store is essential to exposing amazing content to your kids. Here is a youtube video where I explain the five ways to build your homeschool library on a budget.

Textbooks in my opinion shouldn’t be used as your primary teaching tool. They are often dull and dry and lack beautiful engaging content (not always, but usually that is the case). Quality picture books and other living books that teach science content are much more appropriate for younger children.

Here are just a couple of science picture book that I like, however you can check out a more complete list here or scroll down to see picture book lists by subject area.

I am a BIOLOGY NUT!!!! I could study biology every year with my kids. Last year I designed a biology curriculum for my kindergartner and second grader. While I used the textbook personally, how I taught each topic to my children was through living picture books. I followed a set of topics that I wanted to cover over the year, however I tried to engage my child’s interests whenever possible. And we slowed down when they came to a topic they were fascinated by.

We purchased a high powered microscope and began to learn about the microscopic world. We went on field trips that connected our learning even further. Opportunities for digging deeper into subjects will come often. For us it came when we arrived at the Kingdom Protista during our learning about the classification of living things. We purchased amoebas, paramecium, and euglena. We watched them move around under our microscope. Then we sketched them into our nature journals. Now that was memorable learning!

I created this printable for my kids to record their microscope observations. It is available on TeachersPayTeachers.com

Side note: Nature journaling can be done with the microscopic world too. Things unseen are fascinating!!!

If you are able and interested, investing in a high quality microscope is a great way to get your children interested in the microscopic world around them. I use an Amscope microscope, which is an amazing brand.

Some Microscope Essentials if you are interested:

Quality Living Picture Books are a GREAT Way to Teach Science Content to Your Child

This year we are continuing our life science learning. My kids who are now first and third will be delving into anatomy and physiology. I have a textbook for my own reference. A textbook allows me to have a better understanding of what I want to basically cover even some of the technical words we may come across. The textbook is NOT for my kids, however. The goal of my science instruction is to provide a buffet style education. I offer the content and we slow down and explore when their is a high interest. We checkout or purchase books that correlate to the topics we are covering and then do hands-on activities and labs.

We are also going to do a brief overview of Chemistry this year (my daughter asked for this because to her chemistry means experiments). I have planned it into our school year, but I may be a bit over zealous. I was able to find a basic chemistry textbook to guide me as I plan out my children’s lessons, however, we will be using living science picture books to learn the concepts as well as LOTS of hands-on learning. I will let you know how it goes

Use Real and Technical Words When you Teach or Talk About Science

It is always tempting to simplify the vocabulary from science. I admit, some words are tough. We wonder if our child can even understand them. While at first your child may look at you puzzled when you say a difficult science word. With repetition in context, your child will begin to pick these more difficult words up. I have been using the scientific technical words since the beginning.

I have a funny memory of being in the hospital after having my son and my daughter, who was two at the time pointing at the doctor and saying “stethoscope”. It left the doctor shocked and he even asked her to repeat what she had said. I just thought it was so cute to hear her cute little voice saying it.

From the beginning I used real technical words to interact with my children about our surroundings. I don’t do it so they sound smart (remember Charlotte Mason encourages a humility in learning :-). Rather, I firmly believe that they are capable of using the real words that we all use daily.

Here Are Some of My Favorite Homeschool Planning Books

Get Creative

When teaching science get creative! Make lapbooks or fun books so that your child can document their learning. Check out this list of ways to get creative with science:

• dioramas
• stories
• newspapers
• news report for TV
• lapbook
• book
• art piece
• stop motion video
• song
• making their own board game or card game
• blog

You will notice that with each of these activities you can integrate your writing standards, reading standards, art, History, and so much more. At the end you will have an amazing contribution to your child’s learning portfolio. Let your child help pick out the best way to show their learning and allow some time for creativity.

SLOW DOWN and Let Children Take Their Time

Often textbooks chunk subjects into separate time blocks: 6 weeks for plants, 6 weeks for weather, etc. This is not how children’s minds learn. They need to be given their own time to explore and dive deeper into subjects that they find interesting. The goal is to make them fall in love with learning!

Where Do I Find Activities and Labs That Go With My Science Curriculum?

I like to research activities that I think my kids will enjoy. Pinterest is a great resource for homeschool science activities. It can be overwhelming however. Check out my Pinterest Board.

I am currently putting my Mysteries and Marvels Curriculum together so that I can share it with the world- well at least for those who love animals:-). Once that is ready I will post it.

Great Websites With More Fun and Creative Science Ideas

Creative Educator This site is full of fun ideas that you can integrate into your science teaching.

Home Science Tools is a fantastic resource for science activities. They are all about hands-on learning.

Check out these tips to build your homeschooling library on a budget:

How do you teach your children Science?

Have you found a curriculum that fits your kids? Have you found a textbook that your kids enjoy or that is useful to you as the educator?

Do you design your own science curriculum? What tips can you offer a homeschooling mom to help with teaching science to her children?

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How I began Using Morning Time in my Homeschooling Routine

How I began Using Morning Time

I was in my third year of homeschooling when I first heard about “morning time”. I was reading Cindy Rollins Book “Mere Motherhood” that I picked up at the Great Homeschool Convention and I immediately fell in love. I purchased her “Morning Time Handbook” the second I realized it was available and we have been doing Morning Time consistently ever since. Morning time is amazing in that it allows you to come together for family time at the beginning of your day. We talk about our daily plans, pray together, read, memorize together, and have an enjoyable and relaxed time listening to various read alouds. It usually takes about an hour. Sometimes more if we are really having fun with the read aloud. It has become a sweet time of togetherness before the other school work begins. This is such a relationship building time.

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What is Morning time?

Morning time is a part of your day that is set aside to certain routines. It can be different depending on the homeschool family. But the consistent part is that it is done together as a family (all ages) and it is usually done first thing in the morning before you start your official subjects and independent work.

Morning time has been around for about 30-40 years. It however has had a strong resurgence in the last 5 years in the homeschooling world. And I am so grateful to the women who brought it back to the forefront.

How Do I Get Started With Morning Time?

I started morning time full force and tried to get way too many things in at first. Over time, however, I started to realize what would work for our family and you will too. I came up with a Weekly Morning Time Planner to assist and keep me on track while doing morning time, feel free to use it if it is something that can help you. Sometimes, however, we sway from the plan (I am good at that….I don’t always like to follow the directions I give myself). But having some type of plan is good to have which is why I created one.

What do I Need for Morning Time?

I also learned that it was important for me to be organized and ready for morning time when it began. Thus I put together a morning time binder and a basket with all the supplies I would need. You do not have to use a basket. You can put all of your morning time items on a shelf, in a tote bag, or anywhere that you might like. What is essential is that all of your materials are together and ready to go before you start.

Take the time to prepare for your morning time so it will be successful.

You do not want to sit down to do your morning time and realize that you can’t find what you need. Taking time to search for books, your water, or other necessary items can disrupt your morning time. Sometimes it can even throw the whole morning time plan out the window; trust me from experience. I am sitting down with my coffee (I didn’t forget that ) but then I can’t find the read aloud book, so I get up and start looking for it. When I am up and about, I am easily distracted. I can go from focused on teaching and morning time to “oh, I forgot to switch the laundry to the dryer…” and all of the sudden I am putting off the most important time of our homeschooling day. I have learned that preparing my morning time basket with these essential items ensures its success.

What should I include in my Morning Time Basket?

Your Morning time schedule (I keep a 6×9 binder with my schedule, memory verses, read aloud list, catechism questions, poetry, etc. so that it is all in one spot. No matter how many days I have completed morning time (usually 3 days a week) I sometimes lose sight of what comes next in our morning. Having a schedule keeps me on track and focused. You can even make a binder for each of your kids, especially the ones who are good readers. They can follow along or take notes using their own notebook.)

8 Essential Items for your Morning Time Basket

Your essential  books (Each family will have a different set of books that they choose for their morning time basket. Mine are: Bible, Catechism, devotional, philosophy book, logic book, Shakespeare, etc.)

Manipulatives and quiet toys (small bin Legos, Rubiks Cube, Magformers, thinking games like Kanoodle)

Your read-aloud book(s)

Art Notebooks (we like Strathmore sketch books at least 50lb weighted paper)

Coloring Supplies (I put mine in a small pencil box and make sure I have a pencil sharpener as well)

Nature books (Audubon, animals books, how to draw books)

A bottle of water and/or cup of coffee.

Strathmore 200 Series Sketch Pad, 8.5×11 inch, 100 Sheets, Side Wire – Artist Sketchbook for Drawing, Illustration, Art Class Students

Magformers Basic Set (30 pieces) magnetic building blocks, educational tiles, STEM toy – 63076 , Rainbow

LEGO Classic Creative Bricks 10692 Building Blocks, Learning Toy (221 Pieces)

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, Soft Core, 12 count

Educational Insights Kanoodle 3D Brain Teaser Puzzle Game, Featuring 200 Challenges, Gift for Ages 7+

Birds (National Audubon Society First Field Guides)

Reptiles (National Audubon Society First Field Guide)

Wildflowers (National Audubon Society First Field Guide)

National Audubon Society First Field Guide Mammals (National Audubon Society First Field Guide)

Drawing Birds

Can I see your Morning Time Basket?

So here is what my morning time basket looks like. I wanted mine to be cute because I always leave it in the living room. It is tall enough to where everything fits in it nicely. My house is a 1950’s house and we have so little storage space. I suppose if I had a closet or something, I may store it in there. But…. No storage closets here.

What does a sample schedule look Like?

Like I mentioned earlier, when I started morning time, I tried to do way too much at first. My kids are young and I was overwhelming them. But being a homeschool family, we are always assessing and reassessing what we are doing and how we can do it better. I may plan to do several things during morning time, but if my kids and I start having an amazing conversation, I let that play out over getting to my next scheduled item. Once we hit the 45 minute to 1 hour mark, I can usually tell that my kids have had enough. It is break time!!!

Here is how my morning time goes: (I try to keep it simple:-))

              1.  We are a Christian family so we always start our morning time with our devotional, Bible Reading, Memory verses, prayer time, Catechism, and hymn singing.  This usually takes 10 minutes or so.

              2. We also alternate reading a logic book, a philosophy book, a biography of a composer, or great speeches, and an artist biography.

              3. We end our morning time with a read aloud. Sometimes I grab a read aloud that coincides with history, but sometimes it is just a fun enjoyable story. I always let my kids draw in their nature journals as I read. I keep a variety of nature books for them to peruse and copy from.

You can download my free PDF sample fill-in schedule here or go to my TeacherspayTeachers page and download it for free there. Keep in mind that it is a template and that there is always more than what can fit in a day . I am always more optimistic and put way too much in.

Inspirational Homeschool Mamas

So many of the veteran homeschool moms that I admire and follow have excellent resources on morning time: Pam Barnhill, Cindy Rollins, and Sarah Mackenzie. Each has a lot of experience and expertise to add to your knowledge of morning time. Here are some links to these amazing morning time resources:

Cindy Rollins with Circe Institute at CindyRollins.net

Your Morning Basket by Pam Barnhill at PamBarnhill.com

Read-Aloud Revival with Sarah Mackenzie at ReadAloudRevival.com

I hope that you have been inspired to look into morning time for your homeschooling day. I have been so thankful for what this treasured time has brought to my family. It is helping not only my children, but also myself to establish great routines for life joy and success.

Do you include morning time into your day? Do you have any tips for someone just starting out? Leave your response in the comments below.

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