​Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

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​Reading Eggs has been a staple in our house since we began homeschooling in 2017. My children have loved their time exploring Reading Eggs lessons, adored Mathseeds , and I've been able to watch them grow in leaps and bounds as they play. We received a one year subscription from Blake eLearning Inc and my three oldest students were thrilled to dive back into Reading Eggs!  On day one of the review period, my son remarked, "This is the best learning day ever!" 
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Reading Eggs offers material for children 2-13. My 8, 6, and 4-year-old were able to explore different areas of Reading Eggs and learn at their individual levels. My students would work through a lesson 3-4 days per week.
 
My four-year-old used readings Reading Eggs Junior, which offers simple letter lessons as well as tons of educational games and videos. There's not an activity that she doesn't like, and every morning after breakfast, she asks to play Reading Eggs! Reading Eggs Junior’s material is suitable for pre-k students like her, but students aren’t limited to what they can access, so she’d also venture into the Reading Eggs and Mathseeds Lessons, which begin at a kindergarten level. One activity I encouraged her to practice involved sorting blocks to spell three letter words. It was a perfect exercise for her as she understands what letters say and is beginning to form words.

​My 6 year old used Reading Eggs and Math Seeds starting at lesson 50 for first grade. The lessons seemed fairly simple for her, but I wanted to start her there for some fun extra practice. Online learning hasn't been a particular strong suit. Whenever she gets something wrong she informs me that the computer isn't working correctly- so that's how my day is going... nonetheless, she enjoyed the diverse learning games each lesson presented.
 
My 8-year-old was able to use Reading Express after having completed the entire Reading Eggs and Math Seeds program in the past three years. Mathseeds just "clicked" for him, and spurred him on a lifelong love of numbers. He was able to cruise through at his own pace and complete years of math at a quicker speed. Here's his proud "graduation" picture!

Reading Eggspress, designed for students 7-13 introduces children to real book, with comprehension questions and spelling practice. Older students are also able to enjoy the library of online books of every topic imaginable!

Whenever students complete a map at any level, they take a quiz and earn a certificate, which is proudly displayed on the laptop and then we print it and stick it on the fridge! Reading Eggs also sends parents email reports that go over what their child has learned and accomplished in the last map.
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​Since our last review of the Reading Eggs Workbook last fall, the program has expanded with new areas to explore! One change we noticed was that each lesson closes with a quiz, this is helpful to keep students from guessing their way though the maps, rather than learning. Mental Math is another new area for students to practice new math equations. There's an option to practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Fast Phonics has also been added to help students master reading words!

Ultimately, our family gets so much out of our Reading Eggs subscription. From practicing words in Fast Phonics to learning entirely new math concepts in Mathseeds, and of course the step by step instruction reinforce with learning games to teach children to read with Reading Eggs! I highly recommend this program to homeschool families who are looking for proven, engaging, online learning for their students. 

To check of the rest of the Homeschool Review Crew's thoughts on Reading Eggs, click the graphic below! ​

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
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​ThemeVille Math offers a complete, comprehensive math curriculum for grades 1-5. We received level 4 for my 8-year-old, which consists of a workbook and an answer book, and he was excited to dive in! If you’re unsure of the level to start with, their website offers a placement test so you can see which program would be the best fit.
 
Level 4 consists of 126 lessons. Each lesson is composed of pre-lessons that act as a warmup and then the lesson that expands upon the topics covered.  We’d work through 4-6 pages of material, which offered different equation types to keep the work from becoming redundant. I was pleased to see that many questions used images like tens and hundreds blocks to aid visual learners.
 
This curriculum aligns with common core standards and level 4 covers fractions, adding and subtracting fractions, factors, prime numbers, rounding of numbers, long division, decimals, multiplication, and division by 10 or 100, time calculation, word problems, area, and perimeter.

​Overall, I was impressed with the content and quality of the curriculum. The material provides ample practice, review, and ventures into new content. The ThemeVille website offers some videos that go over content for groups of lessons and offer some explanations for students. But being solely a workbook for the student, I found myself referring to the answer book to try to explain how and why equations were performed a certain way which felt a bit clumsy on my part. I found it helpful to review the lessons myself before my son started, so I could get a sense of what would be new for him and what I’d need to explain.

Ultimately, ThemeVille math offers a thorough, common core aligned math curriculum, with great aids for visual learners.  The topics were equations were laid out in a very clear format, the lessons were diverse in material so that if a child struggled on rounding to the nearest hundreds, they’d only do 3-4 questions before moving on to another type of question they might be able to tackle with ease. I was impressed with ThemeVille Math, and many more members of the Homeschool Review Crew checked out the program to offer their thoughts. Click below to check them out!

This year, man. Covid, racism, natural disasters, political upheaval- and I’m topping  off the chaos with surgery  on the 9th followed by moving on the 18th, while I go to school full time and homeschool my own crew? There are very few words to describe life right now, and when I’m dry on words, I like to take a look back at some of the historic figures I admire to draw on their strength.
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This week, it has been a rough riding, war fighting, amazon exploring, President Theodore Roosevelt.   I was reading some of his notable quotes, and I decided to lay them out as a dose of monthly inspiration for our homeschool year- hopefully, I’ll commit them to memory as we go!

September, resuming schooling always feels a bit like falling down the stairs. You start out excited at the top, and before you know it, you're bruised at the bottom.

But, Teddy says,  “It’s hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”

October, rhythm is building and progress is happening, but not without error.
Teddy says: “The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything.”

November, the season to celebrate thankfulness, family, and heritage. Teddy reminds us, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

December, game over? Candy, Christmas, Fun. Who really get's much done in December? Teddy's advice: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

January feels like jetlag when the Christmas season lays behind you, but you have to claw your way back into reality. Teddy's word:  “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”

February, back to the rhythm, the depth, and the love of educating. Teddy reminds us, “To educate a person in the mind but no in morals is to educate a menace to society.”
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March, a little life advice from Mr. Roosevelt,  “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.”

April: “Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.”

May: “When you’re at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on.”

June: “When you play, play hard; when you work, don’t play at all.”

July: “I am an American: free born and free bred, where I acknowledge no man as my superior, except for his own worth, or as my inferior, except for his own demerit.”

August: “Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children.”

Which one's your favorite??

​Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Figuring out where to begin homeschooling, what topics to cover, and how much to do each day can be a challenge. Homeschool Easy provides parents with a complete year’s curriculum for a very reasonable price, making homeschooling- well, easy! As a member of the Homeschool Review Crew, I received the 1st Grade Entire School Year Curriculum in a downloadable format and was asked to provide an informed review as we weren’t able to use this daily during the time period.

Homeschool Easy arrived in downloadable folders that were conveniently labeled “1st Grade Reading, 1st Grade Grammar, 1st Grade History, 1st Grade Math, 1st Grade Science, 1st Grade Writing,” along with an overview and how to use guide. This made accessing what I needed simple and straightforward. It’s recommended that you print the worksheets you need week by week to keep things, though some topics are presented in monthly themes and it might be beneficial to download and print the month’s pages to stay organized. 
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​For reading, selected book titles are available online, and then students use the pertaining worksheets to answer the questions after they read the online book. It’s recommended that weekly vocabulary words are studied in flashcard form until they become fluent and easy to read.

Science consists of monthly themes including “plants, bugs, mammals, birds, and water animals.” Some themes carry into more than one month, but each unit consists of online teaching videos and some accompanying questions and worksheets. 

History is also broken down into monthly themes in a similar format to the science program. For 1st grade, the themes include patriotism, presidents, followed by six months of various geography studies. The geography units focus on American States and provide links to videos to watch and accompanying projects and worksheets.

Grammar lessons are about 5 pages each and there is one lesson per week. For  1st grade, grammar includes types of sentences,  nouns, verbs, tenses, contractions, irregulars, adjectives, synonyms, and antonyms. I was really impressed with the amount of topics covered, for grade one, this is would be effective in building a solid foundation!

Math is broken down into weekly assignments. The first week includes 29 pages of worksheets which cover adding and use picture blocks to assist visual learners.
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Writing is covered twice a week with creative writing prompts, and fun assignments. Writing is also reinforced throughout the other subjects and worksheets used daily. I felt like for 1st grade, there was more than sufficient writing practice, and would likely have students answer some questions verbally while they’re starting grade one.

​I really appreciated the simplicity of this program. Monthly science themes are a terrific idea to streamline learning, allow for endless learning rabbit trails, while maintaining coherent structure.  I felt like this program would be a great fit for families beginning their homeschool journey. I remember starting our homeschooling and spending ample time trying to figure out what to cover for each grade. Having it neatly organized is helpful and provides a great starting place. Homeschool Easy is also priced very well, making it a reasonable option for homeschool families. Overall, I felt like Homeschool Easy would be a great fit for homeschool families looking to streamline their learning and avoid curriculum overload! 

Other members of the crew reviewed different levels, so be sure to check out their thoughts by clicking the image below! 
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​Fall is quickly approaching and back to school planning is in full swing. Yet, this year is quite different. We've had the pleasure of meeting many families who are new to homeschooling and have made the leap due to the current pandemic. Most have a familiar look fear on their face and are wondering what to do or if they're homeschooling correctly, so I wanted to offer my tips- considering I know the feeling of homeschool uncertainties all too well.

​1. Don't be afraid of "messing up." The truth is, there's no right way or wrong way, only what is beneficial to your family and student. What works might even change from week to week, but progress isn't measured in minuscule details, rather the overall, holistic well-being, and growth occurring under your roof. 
( I wrote an article on this topic for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine called, "Watching Leaves Grow," to read if this struggle resonates with you)
 
2. Automate some learning. For me to teach 12 separate lessons, 4 per child times my three in school, while chasing a toddler would be impossible. Instead, my oldest has excelled in math and found online math programs that allow him to learn and progress, so for him, math is automated. My daughter tends to dislike online learning but enjoys reading, so I fill her learning time with history books or audiobooks that teach about history topics so that course is automated in a way. Another option is finding family-style studies. We do this with science, where I read one lesson and each child does corresponding work for their level. 

For more on what curricula options we've used, check out our comparative 1st grade curricula reviews

With multiple students, delegating their workload helps maintain sanity for moms and independence for students, so I highly recommend looking into a form of course automation for certain subjects depending on your learner. 

​3. Find a tribe. Building a community of friends who are on a similar journey helps provide support, friendship, and laughter. Having dedicated time to get together, let kids play, and moms refresh has been crucial to keeping a sense of balance amidst the chaos. Our homeschool tribe has been Wild & Free, which has grown quickly over the last few years, but I encourage all new homeschooling families to check out different communities and find what works for them.
 
4. Keep it simple. Curriculum overload is a real thing. I know because I live there full time.  When you start homeschooling, pick a program and work through it bit by bit. Don’t overload your schedule by trying to accomplish 3 years of math in 2 months, or try out 5 different science programs at once. There are SO many curriculum options that picking the “right” program can feel overwhelming, but starting with a few tried and true books and taking one step at a time will help you assess the material, your child’s learning style, and evaluate progress. 

5. Play. So much learning happens when children are playing. With my third grader, studies have become more regulated this year but when he was in kindergarten, first, and second grade, I made a rule for myself that I wouldn’t interrupt their independent playtime for studies. Children need to play, they need to splash in puddles, and get their hands dirty. Many families fall into the pit of trying to replicate schooling at home with 6 hours planned at a desk, but that’s not how homeschooling generally works. Typical days of work are completed in 2-3 hours, and kindergarten and 1st grade usually require less time. This affords extra hours for the wonders that make childhood complete- make sure you and you’re students are relishing in it!

Last year, I wrote my tips for homschooling first grade and you can learn more about playtime there!

​Any advice I should add to the list? I’d love to hear your advice to new homeschooling families in the comment section! 

​Looking for more great homeschooling content? Check out the Homeschool Review Crew's August collection! 

It's been a while since my last round up post of funny homeschool memes. And now, we have all the great covid ones to add :)

As always, I didn't create them, and have done my best to properly credit them and link back to the person who posted each one. 

Now, enjoy!

There is really nothing I enjoy about moving, except for [hopefully] the destination. Every thread of my emotions is tugged upon as we box up life and say farewell to home. Each of my kids feels differently about the move so conflicts are high. 
 
This week, I decided to share some tips that have helped keep my sanity a bit more intact as we prepare to leave Connecticut and head south to Georgia. 
 
1. Start by packing the toys with too many pieces. You know the things you clean up constantly, that wander into every room of your house? Put them in a box and tape it up. Feels good, right?
 
2. Next, tackle the "extra." Extra blankets, towels, dishes, clothes. Whatever is nonessential, now's the time to pack it or pitch it.
 
3. Clean out the closets. Closets are a great place to store boxes while your organizing for the move, but there has to be space in them first. Determine what's essential and what's not. For us, this meant deciding what clothing we'd keep in suitcases for the actual move, and boxing the rest of the stuff to make some room for boxes. 
 
4. Place limits on what you [and your kids] will bring. We have too many toys, who doesn't? I might love thrift stores too much and struggle saying "no" to that 50 cent toy my kids ask for. But, I did limit their own moving loads to 3 boxes each. This gives them the power to decide what they truly enjoy playing with and what's clutter. 
 
5. Use clothes/blankets to secure fragile items. Simply layering linens that need to be packed with grandma's glass picture frames helps to keep your breakables secure and gives your linens extra purpose!

Have any tips for me during this crazy time? I'd love to here your moving advice in the comment section!

​Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

         
​           Home School in the Woods has become a trusted source of unit studies for homeschoolers. We’ve heard about their programs for years and were excited to check out their Time Travelers U.S. History Studies New World Explorers. They have so many neat topics to explore including Make-A-State packs, Colonial Life, and even a US Elections pack, which is great for learning about the election this year!

                My 8 and 6-year-old had just wrapped up their study of the middle ages, and left off at the perfect position to jump into learning about exploration to new lands! I received a download of the program, and got off to a glitchy start due to my own lack of reading directions- oops! Make sure you “express” the files so that they open and function as they should. The program opens in an internet window which neatly lays out the lessons, the print outs needed, as well as helpful information on how to use the program. We assembled a binder to keep the worksheets in and began forming the lapbook, which becomes a final project for the program. 

​       Because we were technically on “summer break,” which is somewhat undefined in our house, we exclusively used this program during the start of our review time and my kids felt like it was an at-home summer camp! Each lesson comes with multiple activities that truly immerse children in a sea of learning and exploration. I didn’t even hear complaints about having to do school work during our break because they were having so much fun!

        In Lessons 1-5, we learned about reasons explorers would leave their home, about the ships they sailed on, and the living conditions within- made flags and even became “limey” and drank lime juice, which many sailors would do to prevent scurvy!  

It's a big birthday week in our house. My oldest daughter turned six and my dad turned 12x that... 
 
Years ago, my dad mentioned how his mom would make a blueberry pie on his birthday. Late July brings the ripest, juiciest blueberries, and lots of yummy baking, so since then, I've taken to making blueberry cobbler (pies feel out of my league at the moment) for my dad's birthday each year. 
 
This year, our normal birthday bash was broken up by lots of social distancing and no blowing out candles. It felt strange.
 
Then, my daughter wanted to head to the beach to celebrate, so we drove 40 minutes there, only to be turned away because the beaches had reached capacity. Once capacity is reached, all beaches shut down, and no one else if allowed in, regardless of how many people leave- at least that's what the police officer told us as they acted like we were public enemy number one. 
 
But- that's 2020 for ya. 
 
Anyway, we ate, and ate, and ate. 
Steak, mac and kale, rice, ice cream cake, and the cobbler...
...and I pretty much forgot to take photos of anything, even my daughter's lovely birthday outfit she picked out before it got paint on it...

But, I do have the Blueberry Cobbler Recipe to share. It's is super simple with just a few ingredients I usually keep on hand. 

Ingredients:

1 stick melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour, we use gluten free
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar, flour and baking powder. Gradually add in the melted butter and milk.
Grease an 8 x 10 baking dish (in the above, I doubled the recipe for a larger pan)
add the blueberries to the bottom of the pan and cover with your patter

Cook for about 55 minutes, until slightly browned on the top and a toothpick comes out clean!

Then enjoy!!

I'm fried this week- like so fried I can't comprehend how fried I am. I'd guess you know the feeling! We've been busy learning [we're officially back to school, and this mama is taking summer courses], playing, visiting a lavender farm -and sewing! Sewing is such a lovely escape. To delight my littles, I made this simple, free, bee applique pattern. You can download it below:

Bees are such important pollinators, and their simple shapes are great for beginning sewers to practice their stitches on. We chose three fabrics I had on hand, one for the quilt square, one for the bee's body, and one for the winds, but I hope you're inspired to craft as you please!

For simplicity sake, we didn't use interfacing and simply stitched one piece at a time, but you can certainly use some iron-on adhesive if you so- or shall I say- sew- desire to!
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Here's my five year old's bee:

I wanted to try out some new embroidery stitches on mine. Flowers seemed like the next logical thing to embroider on a bee square, so these are my sweet little flowers. You can learn how to sew them here.

I'm not too sure what we'll do with the finished squares. Maybe we can work within the color scheme to make a family quilt- or pillowcase, because let's be real, a quilt at this stage might be too ambitious for my crew, but fun is the name of the game!

Any thoughts on how we should use our bee squares?

Have a good week!