Thrift Schooling

Couponing Made Simple  by Christi the Coupon Coach  is written for those who may have been interested in couponing but haven't yet taken the plunge. This book begins with several success stories of people who tried her method and saved large amounts of cash! You'll read about people who recieved amazing deals: $124.01 worth of groceries for $41.11 $54.40 worth of products for $1.55 $99.78 worth of groceries for $10.05 You'll see a snapshot of the products they received and how they accomplished such an amazing goal! $18.00 The second section teaches you a "new way to shop." She shares two main keys to help you use your coupons effectively and efficiently! The chapter I enjoyed the most was "the language of couponing." The author defines the terms commonly used in the arena of couponing, some of which helped me have a better understanding of how to receive the most bang for your buck! My Experience: Well, I have in fact tr...

Looking to make a keepsake for your homeschool this year? The only limitation you have is your imagination when it comes to creating a  Picaboo Yearbook . This year I was able to document our homeschool year in a sturdy, quality-made   20 Page Softcover Yearbook ! When I first entered the homeschool scene a few years ago, I visited the local co-ops in the area. One local group had on display their annual yearbooks for the homeschoolers in their organization. I thought that would be a neat idea when the kids are older and kind of put the idea on the back burner. Then, after looking around my house I realized that "photo albums" are a thing of the past. Instead of photo albums , my living room is beginning to be filled with photo books. What better way to capture the memories of homeschooling than by making a family yearbook. I love the one we created and could see myself making one each year for them! Soft Cover 20-Page Book    $8.49 (+ $8.99 ship...

1)  FIELD TRIPS:  Plan them around Dad's work schedule. I know many co-ops and groups plan field trips during the weekday and it can be fun to simply get out of the house, but after doing a couple of those I kept thinking to myself, "I wish my husband was here!" I wanted him to experience these events with the kids and enjoy this age while they were still young! I'm not talking about family vacations or outings but planned, educational field trips. This may seem challenging at first, but is well worth it for the whole family! Museums, farm visits and other activities can allow for dad to enjoy the perks of homeschooling as well!  2) DAD AS THE PRINCIPAL: We kid around with the children and friends that my husband is the "principal" of our school, but in reality that is what he is! I run the large curriculum choices by him first, he trusts my judgement with the little day-to-day activities but has his final say with big investments. I also try to...

Do you want to be able to save crafty items for your homeschool without being considered for an episode of "hoarders?" You know what I mean. You throw out the toilet paper roll or peanut butter jar KNOWING that you could use that for a craft in the future, you just aren't sure which one quite yet. You are nervous about having a pile of junk lying around so you throw it out. Then, when an activity arises that calls for "simple household items" you do not have them on hand and have to end up buying something!  Sound familiar? A quick tip that I use to remedy this situation is super easy. I simply took my kid's old toy organizational system that they weren't using anymore and put it in my pantry. Then, when I would come across an old jar that I thought would be great for the kids to catch bugs with, or a plastic item that would be great to hold paint, I would organize it in these bins. If they get full, then I quit collecting. But interestingly enoug...

The following is a guest post written for Thrift Schooling by Paul of YourHearing  Teaching Techniques for Deaf Children Whilst there are special schools established for children with hearing impairments, it is the goal of the National Deaf Children’s Society to bring deaf children into the classroom with other children their age. It is their contention that  Inclusion  should be the underlying educational model and that including children in classroom activities is vital to their development. Because of this, teaching techniques for deaf children aim at allowing for their growth within a group of pupils without impairments. National Curriculum Sets Criteria for Teachers With the goal of ‘inclusion’ in mind, the National Curriculum has identified three underlying principles for teachers to follow when working with deaf children. All techniques are developed around these principles which are: Learning challenges must be set realistically (suitable challenge...

Noah Webster: Father of the Dictionary by Isabel Proudfit is a must-have resource for every homeschool and private school in America. When I received this book I thought it would be more of a resource for me the parent/teacher, but in reality I see this as an excellent resource for children ages 8 and older. I gained much information from this book and would recommend it for parents and teachers alike. I also see the need for children, even at a young age to explore the history and truths of this time period in a way that this book creatively provides.  Noah Webster played an integral role at a pivotal point in history; the foundation of this nation. The author did an astounding job of taking you back to the late 1700's through imagery and stories rather than boring, rote facts. I appreciate her style of writing which draws you into the historical moment. It was one of those books I did not want to put down at night, but had to knowing I had to rise early the next morning to ...

  This is a frugal site, trying to encourage thrifty homeschooling. Yet one problem I have noticed for me is...Pinterest. That's right. So many cute crafty teaching ideas and methods that look like so much fun- but they are not free. When I first started finding fun ideas on Pinterest I made the classic mistake. I went to JoAnns and spent waaay too much money on what was supposed to be a "thrifty" craft idea. It was one of those cute front facing book holders, I thought the kids would love them! I spend three times what I should have in materials and they were broken in less than 3 months.  Oh well. You win some, you lose some.  Now I haven't completely given up on Pinterest but lets face it, if I don't have the materials on hand, or if I can't obtain them easily, then I will probably simply pin it and forget about it!  What I've been doing recently is making a mental note of materials that could be helpful throughout the year even if I don...

Classical Conversations  is a classical education method with a biblical standpoint. I had the opportunity to review one of their handwriting notebooks:  PreScripts Cursive Words and Drawing   $12.99 This notebook is geared towards 5-10 year olds. Classical Conversations also provide materials for children as young as age 3 up through high school. I had attempted to introduce the concept of cursive to my oldest son when he was four. Is that crazy?  I may have been a little over zealous but we only made it through a little over half of the alphabet when I realized I should probably focus on perfecting his letters in standard print first. Interestingly enough, we are STILL working on this two years in the running! Even so, he still remembers the early days of cursive and often times asks for a cursive worksheet to work on, just for fun! When I saw this particular workbook I knew that I wouldn't be pulling teeth for this one! When I receive...

The thunder continues to roll in. As it has been periodically for the past week or so. Some of my kids love the excitement of a storm. My youngest does not. I guess it's typical. The noise, the unknown. It's interesting how all weekend everyone was wishing us a happy 4th, and I replied the same.  Yet I wonder if we have even remembered what the 4th even stands for. The freedoms. The victory that was truly won that day. A people, oppressed by a government were able to form their own government in the name of freedom and liberty. My question remains today. If a similar movement were to happen today would fireworks be gleaming in the sky? I think not. We would be considered rebels, outcasts, freaks if you will. If a group were to stand up and demand their own form of government, free from the control of the oppressor would we be holding parades and running around in red, white and blue? If we requested the right to provide raw milk from our farm to our friends and neighbors ...