Thrift Schooling

  If you are looking for a gift for a preschooler,  Hide and Goat S eek Deluxe   is a preschool puzzle game lending to hours of fun. Created for learners ages three through seven , this game challenges your preschooler to try and outsmart the wolf—can she do it? With seven goats and one wolf, children attempt to hide the goats—protecting them from the big, bad wolf. Using common hiding places that your preschooler might use in her own game of hide-and-seek, along with a couple of not-so-traditional options (such as a grandfather clock), your child will be able to relate her own experiences to this game when trying to figure out the best strategy.  Most of the strategy games that I share with you are for older children to help with their problem-solving skills, and this game is no different in that aspect. It definitely helps children work on problem-solving. The difference? It is presented in a way that preschoolers will understand. Not only are the instructions easy...

  Perfect for any homeschool shelf,  Grizzly Gears  is a single-player game to keep your younger ones occupied while you are homeschooling older ones. The goal? Rotate the puzzle pieces to get out of the woods. With survival on the minds of many kids these days, this is an excellent way to introduce survival skills in an entertaining manner. The six puzzle pieces with adorable animal figurines are not only made of high-quality materials, but are also enticing for little fingers still learning through play.  The object of the game is to move each character to its end position by moving the tree pieces only. Little bear is an exception and can be moved to be in front of mother bear. You don't want to get her angry! I have found that what makes this single-player game created by Smart Games unique is that the challenges are organized by figurine. As your child works through the levels, Starter, Junior, Expert, and Master, an image of the figurine he is working with is l...

  Order the new Teen Study Bible !  Build resilient faith in the next generation with the new CSB Teen Study Bible.  Featuring a unique Q&A-style study approach , devotionals for  personal growth, and topical articles on complex faith questions,  this Bible equips students to connect Scripture to their everyday life. Endorsed by Shane Pruitt, the CSB Teen Study Bible is an ideal study Bible for student  ministries to buy in bulk, with three economical hardcover editions available.   This Bible is the perfect gift for every teen —it’s durable, a convenient size to  carry, and includes content written specifically for their generation. Robust study helps and practical devotions make this Bible great for students who  want to go deeper in Bible study.  Students are growing up in a world in which AI and social media parade as truth.  There’s no more vital moment than now to present Scripture’s truth in a way that is  easy to fi...

The Great American Christmas Movie Challenge   Two of my favorite Christmas movie stars— Candace Cameron Bure and Danica McKellar are part of the Christmas Movie lineup this season on Great American Pure Flix . Eighteen movies will be streaming this season, and if you can predict the viewership rankings of these eighteen Christmas premieres correctly, then you might have a chance to win $100,000 ! I have already submitted my predictions, and I bet you can guess which ones were near the top of the list based on my favorite stars! Do you want to rank them yourself? Go ahead; it's easy. Simply: 🎄 G o HERE to create your Great American Christmas Movie List , ranking all 18 movies from most watched, 1 through 18, by October 8th. 🎄 Then, catch the latest ranking results on Great American Pure Flix every Wednesday at 8pm ET starting October 21. Stay for an exclusive first-look screening at an upcoming Christmas premiere! 🎄 At the conclusion of the Christmas season, we will reveal th...

The Originals Live Launches Exciting New Family Theatrical Franchise with Daniel in the Lions’ Den Tour Get ready to roar with the lions, stand with the Queen, and revel in the courage that echoes through the ages. Daniel in the Lions’ Den  brings an epic story to the stage in an exciting musical adventure. Created by The OriginalsLive , a new live entertainment company dedicated to bringing the world's most enduring and engaging stories to the stage, announced today that its inaugural live musical production, Daniel in the Lions' Den,  will arrive at Berglund Performing Arts Theatre in Roanoke on October 9   April 22, 2027 as part of an inspiring North American tour. The immersive storytelling production will also feature the story of Esther: The Bravest Queen. Created by the team behind live theatrical productions based on globally beloved family brands including Sesame Street, Blippi, Baby Shark, PJ Masks, Peppa Pig, and more, The Originals Live drives a new gen...

  As my son works his way through his  Timberdoodle Grade 4 Kit , he is lightly introduced to the concept of test-taking skills in various ways. Two of the materials included in the kit are: Thinking Skills for Tests: Upper Elementary Test Prep: Grade 4 Using the Timberdoodle scheduler, his school year has been primarily open-and-go. He logs into his scheduler each day, and he knows exactly what he needs to do. I am still helping him with about half of his subjects, but he is able to complete several independently.  Having these two test-preparation books built into the schedule is a gentle way to introduce test-taking skills. This was the first year he has been introduced to tests in the traditional sense. In years past, he would take occasional quizzes and tests for math and plenty of dictation for history and science, but not all homeschooling methods rank test-taking at the top of the list—usually it is the exact opposite. Testing makes perfect sense for a co-op,...

  Hands-on homeschooling does not have to be intimidating. It all comes down to a mindset shift. Redefining education. What I have seen with homeschoolers, and what I am guilty of myself is trying to do too much. By attempting to do traditional schooling *plus* the extras. What if the extras could actually count as school? What if the hands-on experiences around the kitchen table or on the living room floor are where the learning truly happens? This week, my kids have learned about the parts of a cell through notebook journaling, how to read through a Green Eggs and Ham unit study, and about the Middle Ages with paper dolls. Yes, paper dolls! A more acurate term would be articulated paper dolls, but yes, children can and do learn through play.  Epic Heroes & Heroines of the Middle Ages: Articulated Paper Dolls to Cut, Color, and Assemble   was added to our homeschool as an supplement to our Medieval studies, but this resource could easily be a stand alone unit. In add...

Families looking for a quick and easy way to teach their kids entrepreneurship without spending piles of time and money to get started can open-and-go with My Lil Startup ! I was hesitant at first. Are parents going to really spend five dollars on slime? The answer—absolutely. My kids actually SOLD OUT of slime. That's right. They sold out! So, yes, this slime essentially sells itself and I give all of the credit to the marketing. 75% of the Marketing Is Taken Care Of 1. The SLIME SALE tablecloth draws customers in. They know exactly what they are getting. The clear and concise signage bring them over. 2. The quaint packaging is uniform and consistent. The customers' eyes are drawn to the variety of slime options, not varying sizes or containers. Labels are already on the containers—your child just fills them in with creative names for each type of slime they create.  3. Marketing copy (text for your kids to read or memorize) is provided for your kids to use to sell their slime...

  Your kindergartner won’t stay in kindergarten. The child fascinated by dinosaurs today may be studying biology tomorrow. Interests change. Learning styles develop. New subjects become important. Your homeschool grows right along with your children. With a SchoolhouseTeachers.com Lifetime Membership , you don’t have to choose curriculum based only on what your family needs this year. Start with preschool and elementary resources. Come back for middle school. Explore high school courses when you’re ready. Find something new when an interest suddenly becomes the subject your child can’t stop talking about. And next year? Your membership is still there. One Membership. All the Years Ahead. During September 3–15, get Lifetime Membership for $1,600 (regularly $1,850) with code LIFE1600 . SIGN UP TODAY

 

  Living on a homestead has its perks—silence is not one of them. Although we haven't had sheep yet, we have had our share of goats—and they always liked to let us know they were around! Farm noises take some getting used to, but they are worth it. We did visit some friends with sheep recently, and though the sheep are not quiet, they are pleasant—especially during lambing season!  As homeschoolers, how can you incorporate homesteading, farming, and traditional skills into your homeschool when you do not have a homestead?  CREATE YOUR OWN UNIT STUDY! Creating your own unit study does not have to be as intimidating as it may sound—and it provides a hands-on educational experience. Choose a topic you want your children to know more about, then find 3–5 creative ways to introduce or reinforce it. Consider using any of the following: Themed Board Games Recipes Video Playlists Field Trip Lapbook Diorama  Collage Copywork Picture Books Counting Sheep without Falling A...

The 4th Grade Timberdoodle Kit continues to gain momentum as my son works through it. The beginning stages of the homeschool year are crucial when it comes to igniting a passion for learning, but how does this happen with a struggling reader?  Graphic novels (comic books) have been working surprisingly well when it comes to encouraging independent reading—even with history, generally a topic that can be met with resistance.  The  Disasters in History 8-Book Compilation  is a book that can be read anytime, anywhere, by a child of almost any reading level.  This book is divided into two sections: Part One: Exploration and Space Disasters The Donner Party Shackleton and the Lost Antarctic Expedition The Apollo 13 Mission The Challenger Explosion Part Two: Fire and Wartime Disasters The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire The Hindenburg Disaster The Attack on Pearl Harbor Teaching about historical disasters needs to be handled with care—...