My Broken Bootstraps: Homeschoolers, Anyone?

I am so excited because on Saturday I am going to be a vendor for the first time at a homeschool convention in Cabot, Arkansas. I have never done anything like this before and there will be a lot of established companies (ever heard of Abeka?) there. Here I come with my little table of goodies. I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out.

I was so blessed to be able to homeschool my twin girls during two periods of their life. They were both special needs failing first grade and non-readers, so my husband and I decided I should take a year off of teaching other children and work with my own. We went against the popular public school course of study, and focused on only reading, writing, and 'rithmatic. I think we averaged reading 2 1/2 hours a day. By Christmas they were above grade level so we added science and social studies. That is the advantage of homeschooling - you can really individualize your instruction and make the biggest impact in the shortest amount of time.

Fast forward to the second time, middle school. They were struggling some academically, but I was more concerned about the influences of peers during middle school. This is where I have seen so many children flail and not make it back to the "good" side and I did not want to risk it with my children. They weren't too excited about our decision at first but finally accepted it as we moved from 6th to 8th grade. We put them back in public school for high school in Colorado Springs, and they had the most amazing Special Education staff. My girls are now in their second year of college and doing great! I know homeschooling is a very personal choice, but I know it was the best thing at times for our family.

Both daughters have thanked me for homeschooling them, especially during middle school. They both said they plan to do the same. When that time comes, I hope they are close enough that I can at least be their substitute teacher!

In honor of those hard working homeschool moms, I have made a binder that will be a tremendous resource. It includes the basic school stuff (lesson plan templates, long range goal templates, technology lists, etc.), but it also includes things we moms need to make our lives easier (chore charts, Bible study templates, to do lists, menu planners, etc.) It is for sale in my Teachers Pay Teachers store, but I have a sample that you can download for free here. Just click on a picture below to get your free download!