Category: Resources

Homeschool Bartering

Maybe you can’t teach music but you love to teach a subject that a nearby friend does not. Maybe you could swap! If you like Nature Study and your friend isn’t the most motivated person for Nature Study yet she loves Art, Cooking, Sewing or History maybe you could do a Lesson Swap! The benefits of Lesson Swapping are numerous. You don’t have to each everything – especially the subject you’re either not interested in or know nothing about. Continue reading

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2012 The National Year of Reading

The National Year of Reading 2012 is about children learning to read and keen readers finding new sources of inspiration. It’s about supporting reading initiatives while respecting the oral tradition of storytelling. It’s about helping people discover and rediscover the magic of books. And most of all, it’s about Australians becoming a nation of readers. Nearly half the population can’t read with any fluency. It’s a shameful and worrying statistic. TNYR has identified three goals which will help turn Australia into a nation of readers and encourage a reading culture in every home:   For all Australians to understand...

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Sonlight: Literature Based Curriculum for K-12

Sonlight is a literature-based homeschool curriculum provider. Families around the world enjoy the literature-rich, internationally-focused curriculum. The goal of Sonlight curriculum is to empower parents to nurture enthusiastic, life-long learners who are motivated and equipped to follow Christ wherever He leads and in whatever He calls them to do. The curriculum has an Evangelical Christian perspective. Sonlight offers complete curriculum in all subjects for Preschool through 12th grade. Their specialty is the Core Programs, which are literature-based packages that weave together History, Geography, Bible and Literature. All your lesson plans are done! Discover Sonlight’s complete homeschool curriculum packages. But...

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The Chronicles of Narnia: Free Audiobook Download

Is there anything better than the Chronicles of Narnia in audio format? Yes there is! A *free* Chronicles of Narnia audiobook, read by a real person! Head over to AncientFaith website and download the free audiobook files of the complete Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. If you don’t want to download the audiobook files, you can also listen to the books in your browser. Pssst! You can pick up a fairly inexpensive set of paperback from the Book Depository for a good, regular price. But ChristianBooks have a fantastic special. But get in quick. Sale ends soon.   The Chronicles...

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Australian Book Traveller: New Social Studies Essential Resource!

AussieHomeschoolers…are you ready? Do you have children aged between 5 and 13 years? Do you love literature? Want to teach Australian Social Studies? Want a resource that also teaches you how to teach in a gentle but thorough way? Then look no further than Down Under Literature’s newest resource, Australian Book Traveller! Inspired by Five In A Row, Michelle has put together an affordable, literature based unit study for Australian Social Studies. You are the travel guide. The books are the transport. The children are the tourists. The journey is ahead! Included is an Australia Traveller’s Map Journal (extra maps are available for only $5) Map Markers The Australian Book Travellers Travel Guide EBook (on CD) The Australian History Notebook ebook (on CD) and An Australian Timeline Notebook Pages Not included but necessary as the main reference resource is Our Sunburnt Country and the Australian Picture Books. However, these books make a fantastic addition to any family library so it is well worth the money. They’re also available from DownUnderLiterature. You can use this resource with one child or with many. Whilst the core travel books are aimed at children aged 5-9 I know of many older children (and adults) who absolutely love good picture books. Teaching opportunities abound when using picture books! there are even Extension Activities for the slightly older children who don’t want to miss out....

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Poetry Month

April is Poetry Month! National Poetry Month is a month-long, national celebration of poetry established by the Academy of American Poets. The concept is to widen the attention of individuals and the media—to the art of poetry, to living poets, to our complex poetic heritage, and to poetry books and journals of wide aesthetic range and concern. We hope to increase the visibility and availability of poetry in popular culture while acknowledging and celebrating poetry’s ability to sustain itself in the many places where it is practiced and appreciated. Now while initially an American holiday we can use Poetry Month as a way of sharing how we appreciate poetry- Aussie style! Join us in the forums or our blog and share Poetry Month with us.  Further Information National Poetry Month Teacher lesson plans Tips for teachers Ideas to incorporate poetry into your lifestyle Some ideas that homeschoolers can easily begin and continue are: Start a Commonplace BookSince the Renaissance, devoted readers have been copying their favorite poems and quotations into notebooks to form their own personal anthologies called commonplace books."  Read a book of poetry "Poetry is a response to the daily necessity of getting the world right." Memorize a poem "Getting a poem or prose passage truly 'by heart' implies getting it by mind and memory and understanding and delight." Revisit a poem "America is a country of...

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