Waters of Rest

I have been asked by several friends recently about homeschooling, so I thought it might be helpful to make a post for anyone else who may be considering it as an option for their kids this upcoming school year. For the info I am sharing, it is mostly relative to Texas. Homeschool laws vary WIDELY by state, so if you live outside of Texas, please check your state laws before proceeding. I recommend visiting HSLDA.org which is a national  homeschool advocacy agency and where you can find legal information for every state.  The legal rules of homeschooling in Texas. Homeschools are exempt from the compulsory attendance statute because they are considered a type of private school under Section 25.086(a)(1) of the Texas Education Code. According to the TEA vs. Leeper case, the only legal requirements to homeschool in Texas are: * The instruction must be bona fide (i.e., not a sham). * The curriculum must be in visual form (e.g., books, workbooks, video monitor). * The curriculum m...

  Our sweet girl began preK this school year, and although we don't technically do formal lessons until 6 years old-ish, she has been BEGGING to do schoolwork alongside her older brother each day. I originally read about ABC Bins/Baskets on another homeschooling blog,  1plus1plus1equals1.net , and began using the concept with Troy when he was around 4 also.  The idea is simple enough, each week (or however long of a time period you want) you focus on one letter at a time, and you fill a bin or basket with letter specific items like toys, flash cards, books, etc., to help your child focus on the letter sound and shape. It's meant to be a casual learning activity, playful, fun, open-ended and child-led. She loves discovering her new letters each week and I absolutely love watching her dig into her schoolwork with such enthusiasm.  Shop our ABC Bin ideas here! Watch our ABC Bin walkthrough on my Instagram!

1 Timothy 1:5  " But the goal of our  instruction is love  from a pure heart and a  good conscience and a sincere  faith." Being a mom has been a desire of my heart for a very long time. I now have a 2 year old son and a second baby due in 6 months! Having a strong background in early childhood education, I have always had the desire to work with my own children and possibly even to home school when the time comes.  For the past two years I've worked with my son doing simple at home activities to incorporate learning into our playtime, and we have both enjoyed it greatly. As we prepare to expand our family, and as my son grows older, I have decided to be more dedicated in my at home preschooling. Starting in September I plan to begin monthly learning themes, complete with bible, reading, math, science, sensory, art, music, and physical activities. I consider it pure joy to be a stay at home mom and to have the desire to work with my child...