Homeschooling

Teaching Preschool to Your Littles With Materials Found in the Home

I remember feeling overwhelmed when I decided to teach my oldest preschool in our home. I was a former teacher but had sold or gotten rid of most of my teaching supplies so I felt like homeschooling would be tricky and EXPENSIVE! Over the course of several years, I have learned the art of “using what you have in the house” as a means of teaching preschool. Below are several examples of using what you have to accomplish the bigger goal. I spent not one penny on any of the activities below. I have found that making my own worksheets is actually easier than printing them off because I can tailor them to my own child’s needs and Pinterest has been KEY to academic success in household! Feel free to comment below with any questions you may have on any of the activities below. Happy (cheap) Schooling!

By Mary Bockert, ago

STEM Activities That Will Get Your Kids Thinking

Lately all I have been hearing about is this “new” concept of STEM that involves kids’ and their  learning.

So  what is STEM?

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math and is hands-on learning that applies to the world around us. STEM builds and teaches creativity, problem solving, life skills, ingenuity, resourcefulness, patience and curiosity. STEM is what shapes the future as our world grows and changes. STEM is everywhere and in everything we do and how we live. From the natural world around us to the tablets in our hands that show us the world far, far away. STEM builds inventors!

Wow…so that is A LOT of good piled into one little acronym right?!?

By Mary Bockert, ago

Over-Scheduling Your Child

We have all done it. I know that with my youngest, between play dates and extra-curriculars, we were always on the go. I dealt with meltdowns, tantrums, etc. just to fulfill the daily activities I had planned. Don’t get me wrong, I love to stay busy, but when it came to my second daughter, I decided to change the schedule up a bit. We have played more at home, said “no” to more play dates than “yes,” gone to less scheduled activities and enjoyed being each others’ company. The conclusion I have come to is that tantrums are less frequent, meltdowns are non-existent, and the one-on-one time I am getting with my second born is priceless.

By Mary Bockert, ago

The Importance of Reading to Your Kids

So our oldest daughter decided about a year ago that she no longer enjoyed reading. It was the “boring” thing to do, it took away from play time and getting her to  read on her own was, well, an impossible task. I found myself asking why other kids LOVED books and my daughter was turning up her nose at the thought of cracking one open.

Being a former teacher, books are OOBER IMPORTANT to me. For one, I know that statistics prove the more your read to your child and have them read to you, the more they learn. Reading is linked to vocabulary development, cognitive understanding, and overall growth in academics. So why is my oldest daughter displaying distaste toward reading?

By Mary Bockert, ago

Staying Active With Your Kids on Rainy Days

I don’t know about you but winter/ grey skies/ rain/ etc. gets me into a FUNK! I could just wrap up in an overly soft blanket with a good book and read my day away…and then there are kids 5 and under…which want nothing to do with sitting still and reading books all day under a blanket. Humph! What is a momma to do?

By Mary Bockert, ago

St. Patricks’ Day Crafts/ Science Experiments You Won’t Want to Miss with Your Young Kids

So I may be a little late with the March calendar of crafts/ science experiments, but I figured the 11th was good enough to get it out there. Most of my “crafts” are science experiments because my kids LOVE to tinker and explore. I also like my “fun things to do with the kids” to be educational and allow deep conversation to brew. Don’t get me wrong, there are times for the cute crafts, but I use them sparingly because there are so many amazing experiments out there with basic ingredients/ materials you have hanging around the house…so why not right!?! I have done some research on Pinterest and various teacher sites and have come up with a fantastic list sure to make your March fun and a HIT with your kids!

By Mary Bockert, ago

The Stay-At-Home Mom Game Plan

I don’t know about you, but as a stay-at-home momma, I can start to go out of my mind if I don’t have a game plan for the day. Winter months are always the worst because many days we are stuck inside. On days we stay home, sisterly tiffs can break out, television gets turned on, and momma gets TIRED! The best of my days are the days when I have various activities planned throughout to keep the girls “busy” and entertained. Here are a few of my go-to activities:

By Mary Bockert, ago

Teaching From Anywhere…

Let me preface with this is NOT a homeschooling post. This is a “If you have kids, read this” post.

When I decided to homeschool our oldest, it wasn’t an easy decision whatsoever. I had a battle going on inside me that brought many questions to the table.

Will she be well-rounded if I homeschool?

How will she be socially?

Am I equipped to get the job done right?

Will this be a frustrating experience or a pleasant one?

These questions flooded me on a daily basis until one day I just had to make the decision. Homeschooling it was! Being a former teacher, I used to roll my eyes at homeschooling moms who weren’t trained to be teachers. They didn’t the progression of how we educate kids so how could they be great at schooling their own kids?!?

By Mary Bockert, ago

10 BEST Kids Educational Apps and Games

Being a homeschooling momma to a preschooler I have to be very strategic in what I allow my daughter to “watch” or “do” when we have finished with the days work and there is time to “kill.” I use parentheses because honestly it can be easy to get in a rut of allowing her to watch the television while her sister takes her afternoon nap. I am an entrepreneur and it would be easy for me to set her in front of the “babysitter” and get some work done.

By Mary Bockert, ago