July Home School Round-Up

Welcome to the Homeschool Review Crew monthly homeschool round up for the month of July. Can you beleive we are five months away from Christmas and two weeks away from our annual NOT Back to School Blog Hop? This month we have ten homeschool bloggers sharing some encouragement so grab a cup of your favourite refreshment and enjoy some enriching insights and support.

Not Back to School Blog Hop 2020

Save the date our annual Not Back to School Blog Hop 2020 will be commencing on Monday the 10th of August 2020 and will run for five days. I am looking forward to reading the insights and wisdom from the members of the Homeschool Review Crew. To whet your appetite here are some of the topics our members are writing about this year:

PS if you are on Pinterest be sure to follow the 2020 Annual Not Back to School Homeschool Blog Hop Board for homeschool encouragement and inspiration.

Looking for some more resources and encouragement? You can find our past editions here:

• January Homeschool Collection
• February Homeschool Collection
• March Homechool Collection
• April Homeschool Collection
• May Homeschool Collection
• June Homeschool Collection

From the Crew for July

During the month of July the Crew have been reviewing some great products. You can read about these homeschooling resources here

• Study Guides for Literature – A New Coat for Anna, In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, My Side of the Mountain, Animal Farm & Little Women {Progeny Press Reviews}
• STEM At Your Fingertips – Elementary, Middle & High School STEM Kits {Pitsco Education Reviews}
• From Kindy to Calculus CTCMath 12-month Family membership {CTCMath Reviews}
• Experience Biology: Elementary Level, Upper Level and Experience Astronomy: Elementary {Journey Homeschool Academy Reviews}
• The LIFE Plan – Living Intentionally For Eternity {The LIFE Network Reviews}

July Homeschool Round Up

Chareen from Every Bed of Roses

• 5 Days of Picture Books – Some of my all-time favorite picture books after 20+ years of homeschooling
• 10 Charlotte Mason blogs to follow – Today I would love to share with you 10 Charlotte Mason blogs that I’ve been learning from. These are presented in a random fashion and not in order of preference.
• House Cleaning and Home School? – I am not going to share any magic formula on how to home school and keep a clean home. There are many amazing moms who share how to accomplish that. Today I’m going to share a little about me and my journey.
• Christmas in July – Super easy step by step Ginger Bread House Tutorial to celebrate Christmas in July

Yvie from Homeschool On the Range

• Occupational Therapy for Homeschool – As homeschool parents, we are responsible not only for our children’s education but to make sure they receive any needed therapies. Here are a few ideas to help you with basic therapy at home…
• Who Was Milton Hershey? (Road School) – What’s the sweetest town in the US of A? Did you guess Hershey? It’s where the streetlights are chocolate kisses, and one of the yummiest places to visit!
• Easy Homemade Elderberry Syrup – For the price of one bottle of elderberry syrup at the store, you could make ten to fifteen times that amount at home! This is super easy, and anyone can make it.

Annette from A Net in Time

• Goals for August – Supporting local homeschoolers whether because of choice or life circumstances is my biggest goal for the month of August. Steps for people to take when it comes to educating our children at home.
• Best Memories of Homeschooling – What are your memories of homeschooling? What memories bring smiles or acknowledgement of lessons learned to your face?
• Things to do this summer – Are you looking for ways to entertain your children this summer, a summer where staying home seems the best thing to do? Several ideas for you to consider.
• Seven things that make me smile – Have you ever taken the time to sit back and think about the things that make you smile? On this day I took such a moment, perhaps my smiles will remind you of your smiles.

Lesa from Misfit Mama Bear Haven

• Free Printable Homeschool Planner – a free printable homeschool planner that can be printed as many times as needed
• Lessons From a Homeschool Veteran: My Homeschool Story – How my family began our homeschool journey and what we have learned along the way
• Easy to Do Homeschool Activity Checklist for Beginning Homeschoolers – An easy to use printable plus ideas for homeschooling lessons for beginning homeschoolers and homeschool families wanting to break the monotony
• 4 Things to Consider Before Starting Your Family’s Homeschooling Journey – Things to think about before starting your homeschooling journey

Kristen from A Mom’s Quest to Teach

• Things That Make You Smile: Homeschooling Edition – There are so many aspects of homeschooling that make me smile – from new books to the moment the light bulb turns on for my kids.
• Crafts: J is for Jump Rope – Looking for a simple but fun craft to teach the letter J to your preschooler?
• Learning About the Alphabet: I is for Iguana – Learn about iguanas and paint your own picture of one using leaves!
• Homeschooling with Curriculum: Creating a Connection – Sometimes it is very easy to find good supplemental material for your homeschool curriculum!

Alyssa from Teaching with Faith

• Wackford Walrus Week – We learned about the letter W with preschool activities focused on walruses, water, woodpecker, wind/weather.
• Arctic Animals Week – This week we reviewed a lot of preschool concepts using the theme of Arctic Animals.
• Vicky Vulture Week – This week we learned about the letter V with a variety of preschool activities. We focused on vultures, vegetables, and veterinarians.
• Upton Umbrette Week – This week we learned about the letter U. We focused on umbrettes, underground animals, and umbrellas.

Adrienne from Practicalmindedness

• 3 New Mom Survival Power Tips – Tips to help and encourage the new mom in her role as SAHM.
• Vegetarian Italian Summer Spaghetti Salad – Recipe
• The Ugly, Horrible, Homeschooling, Worry MonsterJ – Encouragment to the struggling homeschool parent
• Shrimp Creole – Recipe

Yvonne from The Life We Build

• Should I choose to homeschool this year? – Unsure if you should homeschool this year? Check out some wonderful reasons to make this choice for your family.
• Calendar Activities for Homeschoolers – Ideas and free printables to incorporate calendar activities into your daily homeschool routine.
• How To Rescue A Bad Homeschool Day – We all have bad days, even in our homeschool. It might seem like a good idea to just throw in the towel, but there are several ways to rescue your bad day. Turn your bad day around and still engage your kids in learning.
• When I Lost Sight Of Our Homeschool Purpose – Are you and your child butting heads trying to get through the school day? This doesn’t mean homeschooling will not work for you. Instead it might be a sign that your approach might need to be changed. We were at that crossroads and I am thankful that I was able to change my perspective on schooling for the better.

Richie from Homeschool and Humor

• 50 States Unit Study – Learn All 50 States and Capitals – The best way to learn all the 50 states of America is with this incredible 50 States Unit Study packet filled with fun facts for all 50 states, plus bonus games!
• How To Make Bookmarks (Free Bookmarks Included!) – If you want to make bookmarks for yourself and your children, I have a simple and quick guide teaching you how to make bookmarks easily and for free! Plus, get your own set of free bookmarks to download and print!

Lisa from Homeschool Notes

• Butterfly Literacy Theme for Preschool – Preschoolers love butterflies. This butterfly literacy theme will give you and your child an opportunity to learn more about these spectacular insects while building literacy skills. Reserve a stack of caterpillar and butterfly books from your local library and download a copy of the butterfly literacy theme for preschool to get started.
• Beginners Guide to Writers Workshop for Homeschool – The most valuable thing you can do is consistently spend time writing together with your children. Writers’ Workshop is a wonderful framework to use. There are four components to the workshop. This guide will help you learn how to start taking steps to implement a writers’ workshop in your homeschool.
• First Grade Homeschool Curriculum – If you are looking for first-grade curriculum that will best suit an active child in need of hands-on experiences, here is an eclectic curriculum organized by subject area. Reading, writing, and math are the subjects to do every day because they’re key to building a good foundation for learning. The rest of the subjects can be spread out throughout the week.
• 7 Common Types of Writing for Kindergarten – When you think of teaching writing in kindergarten, what comes to mind? What do you teach your kindergarten writer? Narration, copywork, handwriting, journaling, writers’ workshop, and writing prompts are common types of writing for kindergarten. Once you understand each writing type you can make an informed decision about what type of writing fits you and your child best.

FREE Magazine for your Encouragement

Don’t forget to take a look at The Old Schoolhouse Magazine the trade magazine for homeschooling families. It contains over 120 pages per issue of information, interviews, product reviews and guidance.