Okay, this post is going to be a quick bullet-point style list that essentially is a brain dump from MINE to YOURS! I mentioned yesterday that my brain is often going at a very fast pace, but that may have to do with the caffeine supply streaming steadily into my body (no judgment…) Anyway, I will go through this list quickly as I hope it simply points you in the right direction. If you have questions, please ask!
THE FAVORITE’S
- Curriculum: Ambleside Online, Amblesideonline.org
- Method: Charlotte Mason
- All-In-One Homeschool Handbook (or Quick Start Guide): The Charlotte Mason Handbook, by Karen Andreola (She has several books that I love!!)
- Website for ordering Homeschool materials: Thrift Books or Rainbow Resource
- Podcast: The Homeschool Sisters or Simply Charlotte Mason
- Author(s): Karen Andreola, Sarah Mackenzie, Pam Barnhill, Susan Schaeffer Macaulay, Sally Clarkson
- Individual Curriculum choices: Draw The World book series (you can see find all here!), Math-U-See,
- Printables website: Worksheet Works (I use this mostly for calendars and daily planners, but they have so many great and customizable worksheets.)
THE MUST HAVE’S
- Ticonderoga pencils: Seriously, these are the only pencils that make it through an entire school year, and are so worth the “extra” cost.
- Crayola: Again, worth the “extra” cost over the store brands because they last longer and are high quality. Plan to buy during back-to-school sales or have grandparents purchase, if you are on a budget.
- Sharpie: I realize most of my must haves are name brand writing utensils, but I love using quality tools from writing and drawing. Plus, Sharpies are PERFECT for every situation, all while adding a pop of color.
- Scissors that CUT!: This may be self-explanatory, but really I feel like it must be mentioned. When my kids were first learning to cut, we skipped the saftey scissors and went straight for the ones that actually work. Oh, and since both of my kids are left-handed, we also buy specific lefty scissors.
- Storage Cart/ Bins: Plenty of organizable places to hold all those writing utensils and books are a MUST in our house. We have small bins for pencils, crayons, markers, craft supplies, manipulatives, etc… We have plenty of sturdy book shelves around our home, but having a cart and cabinet in the main area we do homeschool allows just the homeschool materials to be easily accessed and neatly put away.
I really do tend to be a MINIMALIST when it comes to homeschooling materials and supplies. I have learned that quality always outweighs quantity when it comes to book bindings/printers, writing utensils, craft supplies, notebooks, etc.. We have most of our materials and supplies in 2 cabinets and a rolling cart, none of which are completely full.
Over this past school year, I’ve also learned that not just our physical homeschool items should be minimal. I am beginning to realize that having a MINIMALIST SCHEDULE is also vital for success. Check back tomorrow as I share how I am paring down our schedule even more to get all of the learning done in as little subjects and time as possible.
