Spreading the Homeschool Love Blog Hop
Welcome, Homeschoolers!
I am SO excited that you are joining us today for our "Spreading the Homeschool Love" blog hop. We (the Homeschoolers of TpT) created this hop with two ideas in mind. FIRST, we wanted to introduce ourselves to all of you. SECOND, we wanted to share some tips and resources to make your lives as homeschool mommas (and daddies) a little bit easier!
... and we want to introduce you to the joy that is Teachers Pay Teachers! ;)
I'll start by introducing myself for those of you who are just joining us! My name is Rebecca and I am NOT a homeschool mom. [Cue screeching brakes!] I am, however, a homeschool graduate, homeschool advocate, homeschool co-op teacher, and future homeschool mom! If you're interested in finding out more about me, you can read this "Meet the Teacher Blogger" post that I wrote a few weeks ago. It contains more information about me than you probably want to know! (Downton Abbey fandom? Auditions for American Idol? Blue ribbons in the science fair? It's all there!) Just click the picture below to read it!
I started my Teachers Pay Teachers shop, Edventures at Home, a few years ago while I was still teaching at a local "hybrid" school for homeschooling families. At first I set it up with the intention of making a little money to offset the cost of all of the educational resources that I was buying. Little did I know that the extra "book money" was just the icing on the cake. I have made so many AWESOME connections through Teachers Pay Teachers with like-minded educators around the world! :)
I could spend all day telling you about the wonders of "TpT," but I'm going to guess that most of you are here for the fun and helpful resources that you were promised. So, let's move on, shall we? :)
One of the best things about TpT is how it enables me to whip up quick lessons when I need a time filler, or an impromptu lesson for one of the rabbit trails we as homeschoolers so often find ourselves investigating! Let me show you what I mean:
My most popular free resource in my store is this little packet on writing paragraphs. I don't know if this happens to you, but when I sit down with the children I work with, their young brains suddenly become BLANK! They can tell me stories all day, but there is something about that blank sheet of notebook paper that is super intimidating! :)
So, I created this to help:
I know I'm biased, but I think this resource is great all on its own. It walks students through the process of asking their brains questions to "dig up" information that they can use to respond to any topic. All you have to do is provide them with a prompt! However, when I saw this awesome (and did I mention, free!) resource from my friend Sallie Borrink, I knew that it would pair up PERFECTLY with mine!
Sallie created this sampler of her amazingly cool fun fact cards. As she mentions in her description of the product, they are perfect for bulletin boards, unit studies, games, or morning meetings. I think they would be also be wonderful starting points for journaling or writing prompts. You could share the facts with all of your children in the morning, have your younger children draw a picture or write a sentence relating to the fact, and have your older children write a paragraph relating to the fact. Voila! No fuss journaling - and a great way to get the "brain juices" flowing!
Before I send you onto the next blog, don't forget to enter our rafflecopter drawing for this AWESOME prize bundle! It contains tons of awesome resources for Pre-K through grade 3 and is valued at over $50! :)
Now click around and visit some of the other Homeschoolers of TpT for more great ideas and resources!
