Special Replay – New Year New Focus

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
December 27, 2021 by Leave a Comment

New Year New Focus: Meredith and Felice cover three important goals each have set for their well-being.

Special Replay – New Year New Focus
Meredith Curtis & Felice Gerwitz

Join Meredith Curtis and Felice Gerwitz monthly for Lunch with Meredith and Felice the first Monday of each month. This month Meredith and Felice cover three important goals each have set for their well-being. If you are a Christian wife, mother and a homeschooler you will benefit from this session.

Here is a printable for you to hold onto or take notes on as you listen to today’s session. NewYear_NewFocus_LunchwithMeredith&Felice

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Filed Under: Vintage Homeschool Moms Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Special Replay – Teaching History

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
April 19, 2021 by Leave a Comment

In this session you’ll hear some of the ways that both Meredith & Felice have taught history to their children from the zany to the classes Felice asked her brother-in-law to teach to homeschool kids!Special Replay: Let’s Talk About Teaching History

with your co-hosts, Felice Gerwitz & Meredith Curtis

History is about a bunch dead people and stuff that happened long ago or so I thought when I was a kid. As a homeschool parent I found that history is actually “HIS” story and when it is revealed we find so many wonderful lessons to learn. In this session you’ll hear some of the ways that both Meredith & Felice have taught history to their children from the zany to the classes Felice asked her brother-in-law to teach to homeschool kids!

Please give us a rating on iTunes – go to iTunes, find our show (Vintage Homeschool Moms – or type in Felice Gerwitz) and rate it! AND… use the social media buttons on this page to share the show with your friends.

Meredith and Felice discuss their favorite resources – here is a list of their combined books, below the audio player.

American History: Class DVD hosted by Media Angels, Inc (Felice Gerwitz)- Fabulous Facts & Pres Event – $50 discount coupon VHM50 – HERE

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSS | More

World History Reading List  – All rights reserved Media Angels, Inc. 2014

September Reading Books

  1. In the Days of Noah by Gloria Clanin
  2. Life in the Great Ice Age by Michael and Beverly Oard
  3. The Mystery of the Ark by Paul Thomsen
  4. The Lost Kingdom (Reg Danson Adventure #2) by Clint Kelly
  5. Adam and His Kin: The Lost History of Their Lives and Times by Ruth Beechick
  6. Genesis: Finding Our Roots by Ruth Beechick
  7. Dinosaurs in God’s World Long Ago by Henrietta Gambill
  8. What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs? (DJ and Tracker John) by John Morris and Ken Ham
  9. Priceless Jewel at the Well: The Diary of Rebekah’s Nursemaid, Canaan, 1986-1985 B.C. (Promised Land Diaries)
  10. The Magic School Bus Shows and Tells: A Book About Archaeology by Jackie Posner
  11. Exploring Ancient Cities of the Bible by Michael and Caroline Carroll

October Reading Books

  1. Tutankhamun by Robert Green
  2. Tirzah by Lucille Travis
  3. Mummies, Tombs, and Treasure: Secrets of Ancient Egypt by Lila Perl
  4. Miriam’s Cup, a Passover Story by Fran Manushkin
  5. Learning About Passover by Barbara Soloff Levy
  6. Shadow Hawk by Andre Norton
  7. Adventures in Ancient Egypt by Linda Bailey
  8. The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
  9. The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Elizabeth Payne
  10. The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone : Key to Ancient Egypt by James Giblin
  11. Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
  12. Mummies Made in Egypt by Aliki
  13. Kids Discover: Ancient Egypt
  14. The Peaceful Warrior: The Diary of Deborahs Armor Bearer, Israel, 1200 B.C. (Promised Land Diaries)
  15. Hittite Warrior by Joanne Williamson
  16. Journey for Tobiyah by Barbara Morgan
  17. King Solomon’s Navy by Nora Benjamin Kubie
  18. The Temple at Jerusalem by Jacqueline Morley

November Reading Books

  1. The Usborne Story of Music by Simon Mundy
  2. The Usborne Story of Painting by Anthea Peppin
  3. The Usborne Book of Living Long Ago: Everyday life through the Ages, by Felicity Brooks and Helen Edom
  4. God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah by Joanne Williamson
  5. Aesop’s Fables for Children
  6. Hour of the Olympics (Magic Tree House #16) by Mary Pope Osborne
  7. The Seven Voyages of Sinbad (and Other Tales from the Arabian Nights) retold by Gladys Davidson
  8. King Solomon’s Mines (Puffin Classics) by H Rider Haggard

December Reading Books

  1. The Odyssey for Boys and Girls by AJ Church
  2. Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  3. Famous Men of Greece by John Haaren and AB Poland
  4. The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
  5. Usborne: The Greeks by Susan Peach & Anne Millard
  6. Adventures in Ancient Greece by Linda Bailey
  7. Cyrus the Persian by Sherman A Nagel
  8. Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher
  9. Within the Palace Gates: The King’s Cupbearer by Anna P. Siviter
  10. The Greek and Roman Eras: (Journey Through History) by Carme Peris and Gloria & Oriol Verges
  11. Hand Me Another Brick by Charles Swindoll
  12. Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights

January Reading Books

  1. Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile, Egypt, 57 B.C. (The Royal Diaries) by Kristiana Gregory
  2. About the History of the Calendar by AE Evenson
  3. Battle of Actium (Great Battles Through the Ages) by David Califf
  4. The Runaway by Patricia St. John
  5. Fountain of Life by Rebecca Martin
  6. Adventures in Ancient China by Linda Bailey
  7. A Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman
  8. Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick
  9. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
  10. Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace
  11. Titus: A Comrade of the Cross by Florence Morse Kingsley
  12. Augustus Caesar’s World by Genevieve Foster
  13. Famous Men of Rome by John Haaren & A.B. Poland
  14. Rome and Romans (Usborne Time Traveler) by Heather Amery and Patricia Vanags
  15. I and II Maccabees from the Apocrypha (available in Bibles that include the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books)
  16. Life Stories Of Men Who Shaped History, From Plutarch’s Lives
  17. Pompeii…Buried Alive! by Edith Kunhardt
  18. The Robe by Lloyd C Douglas
  19. Masada by Tim McNeese (Sieges That Changed the World)

February Reading Books

  1. Devil’s Island by John Hagee
  2. Outcast by Rosemary Sutcliff[
  3. See You Later, Gladiator (Time Warp Trio) by Jon Scieszka
  4. Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld
  5. The Eagle (previously published as The Eagle of the Ninth) by Rosemary Sutcliff
  6. The Story of Valentine by Wilma Pitchford Hays
  7. Augustine, the Farmer’s Boy of Tagaste by P. De Zeeuw
  8. The City of God by Augustine
  9. Ancient Rome: How It Affects You Today by Richard J. Maybury
  10. The Ides of April by Mary Ray
  11. Beyond the Desert Gate by Mary Ray
  12. Jesus Freaks: Martyrs by dc Talk
  13. Foxe’s Book Of Martyrs by John Foxe (many different editions of this work are available)
  14. Saint George and the Dragon retold by Margaret Hodges
  15. Saint Patrick: Pioneer Missionary to Ireland by Michael McHugh

March Reading Books

  1. Anna of Byzantium by Tracy Barrett
  2. Famous Men of the Middle Ages by Haaren and Poland
  3. Augustine Came to Kent by Barbara Willard
  4. Beowulf
  5. The Shining Company by Rosemary Sutcliff
  6. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People
  7. The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck
  8. Against the World: The Odyssey of Athanasius by Henry W. Coray
  9. Saladin: Noble Prince of Islam by Diane Stanley
  10. The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow by Allen French
  11. Le Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory
  12. The Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla
  13. The Book of Pastoral Rule (also published as Pastoral Care) by St. Gregory the Great
  14. The Song of Roland (an epic poem)
  15. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
  16. Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle
  17. Idylls of the King by Alfred Lord Tennyson
  18. Camelot by AJ Lerner (script for the Broadway play)
  19. Viking Raiders (Usborne Time Traveler) by Civardi, Graham-Campbell, & Wingate

April Reading Books

  1. Famous Men of the Middle Ages by Haaren and Poland
  2. Son of Charlemagne by Barbara Willard
  3. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
  4. A Chaucer Reader edited by Charles W. Dunn
  5. Leif Eriksson: First Voyager to America by Katherine B. Shippen
  6. In His Name by Edward E Hale
  7. Paula the Waldensian by Eva Lecomte
  8. Lost Baron: A Story of England in the Year 1200 by Allen French
  9. Macbeth by Shakespeare
  10. Hamlet by Shakespeare
  11. El Cid, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean
  12. Don Quixote (also published as Don Quijote) by Cervantes
  13. A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver by E. L. Konigsburg
  14. The Hidden Treasure of Glaston by Eleanore M. Jewett
  15. Castle by David Macaulay
  16. Cathedral by David Macaulay
  17. The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli
  18. The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman
  19. Knights and Castles (Usborne Time Traveler) by Judy Hindley
  20. The Striped Ships by Eloise McGraw ***
  21. The Third Crusade: Richard the Lionhearted vs Saladin (Great Battles Through the Ages) by Samuel Willard Crompton
  22. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle (who also drew original illustrations for this book)[
  23. The King’s Shadow by Elizabeth Alder

May Reading Books

  1. Men of Iron by Howard Pyle
  2. If All the Swords in England: A Story of Thomas Becket by Barbara Willard
  3. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
  4. Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde by Harold Lamb
  5. A Morbid Taste for Bones (Brother Cadfael Chronicles–we recommend this series) by Ellis Peters)
  6. Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray
  7. The Dragon and the Raven (The Days of King Alfred) by G. A. Henty
  8. The Magna Charta by James Daugherty
  9. The Inferno of Dante: A New Verse Translation by Robert Pinsky
  10. The Life and Words of St. Francis of Assisi by Ira Peck
  11. In Freedom’s Cause: A Story of Wallace and Bruce by G. A. Henty
  12. The Beggars’ Bible by Louise Vernon
  13. Ink on His Fingers by Louise A. Vernon
  14. Morning Star of the Reformation by Andy Thomson
  15. Henry V by Shakespeare
  16. Joan of Arc by Mark Twain
  17. The Pied Piper of Hamlin by Robert Browning
  18. The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric Kelly
  19. Constantinople (Sieges That Changed the World) by Tim McNeese[/easyazon_link]
    [easyazon_link asin=”0374457433″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”ultihomeradin-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]A Parcel of Patterns by Jill Paton Walsh[/easyazon_link]
    [easyazon_link asin=”0375802320″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”ultihomeradin-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Joan of Arc by Nancy Wilson Ross[/easyazon_link]
    [easyazon_link asin=”0891076026″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”ultihomeradin-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]The Hawk and the Dove by Penelope Wilcock[/easyazon_link]
Filed Under: Vintage Homeschool Moms Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Time Boosters for Mom

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
April 5, 2021 by Leave a Comment

With the time boosting strategies I'm about to share with you - you will learn how to be the master of your own time, increase your productivity and never let the lack of time get the best of you!Let’s Talk About Time! Time Boosters to Increase Your Time Daily

with host Felice Gerwitz

Everyone lives under the impression that there is not enough time to complete all the things you want to do each day, and I know, because I’ve lived with this concept for years. However, with the time boosting strategies I’m about to share with you in this podcast- you will learn how to be the master of your own time, increase your productivity and never let the lack of time get the best of you!

FREE Handout Instant Download: TimeBoosters_Handout_VintageHomeschoolMoms

Books I recommend:

Mary Jo Tate: Flourish at Home

Crystal Paine: Goodbye to Survival Mode

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSS | More

Filed Under: Vintage Homeschool Moms Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Special Replay – Let’s Talk About Teaching History

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
May 25, 2020 by Leave a Comment

History

History is about a bunch of dead people and stuff that happened long ago or so I thought when I was a kid. As a homeschool parent, I found that history is actually “HIS” story and when it is revealed we find so many wonderful lessons to learn. In this session, you’ll hear some of the ways that both Meredith & Felice have taught history to their children from the zany to the classes Felice asked her brother-in-law to teach to homeschool kids!

Meredith and Felice discuss their favorite resources – here is a list of their combined books, below the audio player.

American History Online Course 

World History Reading List  – All rights reserved Media Angels, Inc. 2014

September History Reading Books

  1. In the Days of Noah by Gloria Clanin
  2. Life in the Great Ice Age by Michael and Beverly Oard
  3. The Mystery of the Ark by Paul Thomsen
  4. The Lost Kingdom (Reg Danson Adventure #2) by Clint Kelly
  5. Adam and His Kin: The Lost History of Their Lives and Times by Ruth Beechick
  6. Genesis: Finding Our Roots by Ruth Beechick
  7. Dinosaurs in God’s World Long Ago by Henrietta Gambill
  8. What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs? (DJ and Tracker John) by John Morris and Ken Ham
  9. Priceless Jewel at the Well: The Diary of Rebekah’s Nursemaid, Canaan, 1986-1985 B.C. (Promised Land Diaries)
  10. The Magic School Bus Shows and Tells: A Book About Archaeology by Jackie Posner
  11. Exploring Ancient Cities of the Bible by Michael and Caroline Carroll

October Reading Books

  1. Tutankhamun by Robert Green
  2. Tirzah by Lucille Travis
  3. Mummies, Tombs, and Treasure: Secrets of Ancient Egypt by Lila Perl
  4. Miriam’s Cup, a Passover Story by Fran Manushkin
  5. Learning About Passover by Barbara Soloff Levy
  6. Shadow Hawk by Andre Norton
  7. Adventures in Ancient Egypt by Linda Bailey
  8. The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
  9. The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Elizabeth Payne
  10. The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone: Key to Ancient Egypt by James Giblin
  11. Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
  12. Mummies Made in Egypt by Aliki
  13. Kids Discover: Ancient Egypt
  14. The Peaceful Warrior: The Diary of Deborahs Armor Bearer, Israel, 1200 B.C. (Promised Land Diaries)
  15. Hittite Warrior by Joanne Williamson
  16. Journey for Tobiyah by Barbara Morgan
  17. King Solomon’s Navy by Nora Benjamin Kubie
  18. The Temple at Jerusalem by Jacqueline Morley

November Reading Books

  1. The Usborne Story of Music by Simon Mundy
  2. The Usborne Story of Painting by Anthea Peppin
  3. The Usborne Book of Living Long Ago: Everyday life through the Ages, by Felicity Brooks and Helen Edom
  4. God-King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah by Joanne Williamson
  5. Aesop’s Fables for Children
  6. Hour of the Olympics (Magic Tree House #16) by Mary Pope Osborne
  7. The Seven Voyages of Sinbad (and Other Tales from the Arabian Nights) retold by Gladys Davidson
  8. King Solomon’s Mines (Puffin Classics) by H Rider Haggard

December Reading Books

  1. The Odyssey for Boys and Girls by AJ Church
  2. Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  3. Famous Men of Greece by John Haaren and AB Poland
  4. The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
  5. Usborne: The Greeks by Susan Peach & Anne Millard
  6. Adventures in Ancient Greece by Linda Bailey
  7. Cyrus the Persian by Sherman A Nagel
  8. Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher
  9. Within the Palace Gates: The King’s Cupbearer by Anna P. Siviter
  10. The Greek and Roman Eras: (Journey Through History) by Carme Peris and Gloria & Oriol Verges
  11. Hand Me Another Brick by Charles Swindoll
  12. Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights

January Reading Books

  1. Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile, Egypt, 57 B.C. (The Royal Diaries) by Kristiana Gregory
  2. About the History of the Calendar by AE Evenson
  3. Battle of Actium (Great Battles Through the Ages) by David Califf
  4. The Runaway by Patricia St. John
  5. Fountain of Life by Rebecca Martin
  6. Adventures in Ancient China by Linda Bailey
  7. A Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman
  8. Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick
  9. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
  10. Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace
  11. Titus: A Comrade of the Cross by Florence Morse Kingsley
  12. Augustus Caesar’s World by Genevieve Foster
  13. Famous Men of Rome by John Haaren & A.B. Poland
  14. Rome and Romans (Usborne Time Traveler) by Heather Amery and Patricia Vanags
  15. I and II Maccabees from the Apocrypha (available in Bibles that include the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books)
  16. Life Stories Of Men Who Shaped History, From Plutarch’s Lives
  17. Pompeii…Buried Alive! by Edith Kunhardt
  18. The Robe by Lloyd C Douglas
  19. Masada by Tim McNeese (Sieges That Changed the World)

February Reading Books

  1. Devil’s Island by John Hagee
  2. Outcast by Rosemary Sutcliff[
  3. See You Later, Gladiator (Time Warp Trio) by Jon Scieszka
  4. Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld
  5. The Eagle (previously published as The Eagle of the Ninth) by Rosemary Sutcliff
  6. The Story of Valentine by Wilma Pitchford Hays
  7. Augustine, the Farmer’s Boy of Tagaste by P. De Zeeuw
  8. The City of God by Augustine
  9. Ancient Rome: How It Affects You Today by Richard J. Maybury
  10. The Ides of April by Mary Ray
  11. Beyond the Desert Gate by Mary Ray
  12. Jesus Freaks: Martyrs by dc Talk
  13. Foxe’s Book Of Martyrs by John Foxe (many different editions of this work are available)
  14. Saint George and the Dragon retold by Margaret Hodges
  15. Saint Patrick: Pioneer Missionary to Ireland by Michael McHugh

March Reading Books

  1. Anna of Byzantium by Tracy Barrett
  2. Famous Men of the Middle Ages by Haaren and Poland
  3. Augustine Came to Kent by Barbara Willard
  4. Beowulf
  5. The Shining Company by Rosemary Sutcliff
  6. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People
  7. The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck
  8. Against the World: The Odyssey of Athanasius by Henry W. Coray
  9. Saladin: Noble Prince of Islam by Diane Stanley
  10. The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow by Allen French
  11. Le Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory
  12. The Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla
  13. The Book of Pastoral Rule (also published as Pastoral Care) by St. Gregory the Great
  14. The Song of Roland (an epic poem)
  15. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
  16. Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle
  17. Idylls of the King by Alfred Lord Tennyson
  18. Camelot by AJ Lerner (script for the Broadway play)
  19. Viking Raiders (Usborne Time Traveler) by Civardi, Graham-Campbell, & Wingate

April Reading Books

  1. Famous Men of the Middle Ages by Haaren and Poland
  2. Son of Charlemagne by Barbara Willard
  3. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
  4. A Chaucer Reader edited by Charles W. Dunn
  5. Leif Eriksson: First Voyager to America by Katherine B. Shippen
  6. In His Name by Edward E Hale
  7. Paula the Waldensian by Eva Lecomte
  8. Lost Baron: A Story of England in the Year 1200 by Allen French
  9. Macbeth by Shakespeare
  10. Hamlet by Shakespeare
  11. El Cid, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean
  12. Don Quixote (also published as Don Quijote) by Cervantes
  13. A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver by E. L. Konigsburg
  14. The Hidden Treasure of Glaston by Eleanore M. Jewett
  15. Castle by David Macaulay
  16. Cathedral by David Macaulay
  17. The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli
  18. The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman
  19. Knights and Castles (Usborne Time Traveler) by Judy Hindley
  20. The Striped Ships by Eloise McGraw ***
  21. The Third Crusade: Richard the Lionhearted vs Saladin (Great Battles Through the Ages) by Samuel Willard Crompton
  22. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle (who also drew original illustrations for this book)[
  23. The King’s Shadow by Elizabeth Alder

May Reading Books

  1. Men of Iron by Howard Pyle
  2. If All the Swords in England: A Story of Thomas Becket by Barbara Willard
  3. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
  4. Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde by Harold Lamb
  5. A Morbid Taste for Bones (Brother Cadfael Chronicles–we recommend this series) by Ellis Peters)
  6. Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray
  7. The Dragon and the Raven (The Days of King Alfred) by G. A. Henty
  8. The Magna Charta by James Daugherty
  9. The Inferno of Dante: A New Verse Translation by Robert Pinsky
  10. The Life and Words of St. Francis of Assisi by Ira Peck
  11. In Freedom’s Cause: A Story of Wallace and Bruce by G. A. Henty
  12. The Beggars’ Bible by Louise Vernon
  13. Ink on His Fingers by Louise A. Vernon
  14. Morning Star of the Reformation by Andy Thomson
  15. Henry V by Shakespeare
  16. Joan of Arc by Mark Twain
  17. The Pied Piper of Hamlin by Robert Browning
  18. The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric Kelly
  19. Constantinople (Sieges That Changed the World) by Tim McNeese[/easyazon_link]
    [easyazon_link asin=”0374457433″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”ultihomeradin-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]A Parcel of Patterns by Jill Paton Walsh[/easyazon_link]
    [easyazon_link asin=”0375802320″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”ultihomeradin-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Joan of Arc by Nancy Wilson Ross[/easyazon_link]
    [easyazon_link asin=”0891076026″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”ultihomeradin-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]The Hawk and the Dove by Penelope Wilcock[/easyazon_link]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Spotify | Android | TuneIn | RSS

Filed Under: Vintage Homeschool Moms Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

10 Tech Tips and Tricks for Homeschool Families

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
July 28, 2019 by 1 Comment

homeschool mom planning and using tech to schedule her homeschool10 Tech Tips and Tricks for Homeschool Families

By Meryl van der Merwe

 

Homeschooling is time-consuming and homeschool moms are constantly juggling many things at once. I decided this was the perfect time of the year to share 10 tech tips and tricks that help me to be more productive and organized. Best of all, these tools are free!

Simplify Your Life With Google Drive

If you aren’t already using Google Drive and the Google Drive apps, be sure to listen to episode 2 of my Homeschooling With Technology podcast to learn other ways you can use these amazing apps! Google Drive apps make it easy to share anything: documents, spreadsheets, slides, surveys and more can all be shared with your children, husband, and homeschool friends.

Using Google for Homeschool Assignments

When your children submit assignments using Google docs or slides, you can comment and make suggestions for improvements right in the document. Because you simply share the Google Drive files with others, you are both always looking at the latest version. You save time and effort (and confusion) since you avoid emailing multiple files back and forth! If another user accidentally messes up someone else’s changes you can easily go back to an earlier version! Google saves your changes automatically.

Send Large Files Using Google Drive

Ever tried to email a video or other large file to someone and you can’t because the file is too large? Just upload it to Google Drive and then share the link and you are set!

Organize Links With Evernote

How many times have you found an amazing website, read a great blog post, or watched an interesting video – and thought you would remember where you saw it? Bookmark them all so you can come back to them whenever you want. There are many ways to bookmark links, but my favorite is to use Evernote. Create folders and save links in the relevant folder so they stay organized. If you use the Chrome browser, there is an Evernote extension that lets you “clip” any URL or highlighted text to save it in your folders.

Keep Your Browser Uncluttered

Maybe you are like me – really bad at having a LOT of tabs open at the same time. Recently I discovered a tool that has helped me declutter my browser. Often when I see something mentioned in a newsletter or a blog post that looks interesting, I am not yet certain that I want to save it. Now instead of keeping the tab open (which slows down my poor laptop dramatically), I use Toby! It allows me to drag the open tabs into a storage place. The Toby extension is available for the Chrome, Firefox and Opera browsers which makes the process super fast. Now I assign things I see to Toby and when I am ready to go through them, I open a new tab – and there they are.

Digital Scheduling Tips

When you use technology to schedule your children’s schoolwork and chores, it is simple to update their schedules every week or even daily. Effortlessly copy the parts of the schedule that remain the same and only update what needs to change.  Move part of the schedule to another day using Google Sheets or the Google Calendar. These are both great scheduling tools but my personal favorite is Trello. With Trello you can have lists for each child and use those to post their assignments or chores for each day. They can check tasks off as they complete them allowing you to keep track of how they are doing. Trello is available for desktop or as an app, so it is ideal for teens who like being on their phones.

Online Study Tools

Online flashcards are great study tools! Websites like Studystack and Quizlet allow your students to learn with games and create their own flashcards. This is a fun way for them to review and hone their memory skills!

Streamline Grocery Shopping

For years now I have used the Anylist app on my iPhone. My husband and teens each had it on their phones so that whenever someone noticed something was running low they could add it to our list. The app is also great for keeping track of supplies for homeschool projects. With Anylist the shopping list is updated and on my phone, so no more shopping lists left at home! And if my husband is stopping at the grocery store on his way home, he can pick up everything else on the list and save me a trip.

Proofreading Tricks

Use Grammarly as your proofreader. Add the Grammarly extension to your Chrome toolbar and you have an automatic grammar and spelling checker everywhere you type online. In fact, it is what I am using as I type this post! Teach your children to use it to check their work. If you don’t use a Chrome browser, you can still sign up for Grammarly. Just cut and paste your child’s essay and Grammarly will highlight errors.

Stay Informed and Get Inspired

Keep up to date with your favorite podcasts! As you teach your children, don’t forget you need to grow and learn yourself. I struggle to find time to read the many blog posts I find, but podcasts have become my favorite way to self-educate. The Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network has many shows that are useful to homeschool students and parents.  The Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network website (right here) makes it easy to find podcasts from experts on homeschooling and Christian parenting. You can subscribe and listen on your favorite apps, listen right here from the website or sign up for a weekly email with links directly to all your favorite homeschool podcasters.

In fact, if you found these tips and tricks useful, be sure to subscribe to my podcast, Homeschooling with Technology for more on using tech to simplify your homeschool and your life! Each podcast episode is just 15 minutes long but is full of practical information you can use every day. The beauty of following your favorite podcast is that you can listen while you exercise, on trips to the store or while waiting to fetch a child from an activity. You don’t even have to listen to a whole podcast at a time – sometimes it takes me all week to listen to a long episode. Most podcasts (mine included) have show notes, so it is easy to look up a resource that is mentioned when you get back to your computer.

More Planning Tools

Finally, it’s back to homeschool season and some of the best resources for planning a curriculum, adding fun to your lessons, creating a new schedule or organizing your days, can be found online. Visit with me at the Homeschooling With Technology podcast this week and find many more Online Resources to Help you Select Curriculum. I invite you to join in the discussion with the rest of our online community on Facebook and gather more ideas with us on Pinterest and Instagram.

Did you find these tips and tricks useful? Which are you already using and which do you plan to try? I would love to know – so leave me a comment here or email me!

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That’s Why I’m Here | Interview with Leslie Nunnery

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
May 16, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Join us to chat about motherhood – childbirth and all issues with raising families large and small.

That’s Why I’m Here | Interview with Leslie Nunnery

“That’s Why I’m Here.”

Visit Leslie at Teach Them Diligently

As busy moms, we wear many hats– wife, mother, housekeeper, chef, educator, taxi driver, and so much more. The demands on our time are endless. Do you ever lose sight of why you do all that you do? Do you ever find yourself feeling discontent with where God has you right now, or do you ever feel like there is no more of you to give to anyone? Let’s take a very practical and personal look at exactly why we are here. Along the way, I think we’ll see the incredible purpose and peace we all can have when we truly figure that out.

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TRUE Love of Christ for Mom

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
December 25, 2017 by Leave a Comment

true love of Christ | The true love of Christ is never more evident than at Christmas time and Easter. During this season we look to Christ, #Homeschool #homeschooling #podcast #happinessinchrist True Love of Christ

The true love of Christ is never more evident than at Christmas time and Easter. During this season we look to Christ, His coming as an infant and look at this sacrifice for us! We celebrate Christmas in so many different ways. Without loved ones, or sometimes alone. I’ve spoken to many single moms who share time with their children and explain that Christmas is a time of loneliness.

Do you feel the true happiness comes from Christ? Do you reach out to others in need? Do you look at the transformation that can come into your life by placing yourself in God’s hands?

In this special episode, I want to share the true love of Christ!

Merry Christmas from Vintage Homeschool Moms!  Back in 2013, I shared a story I wrote especially for you, the busy and weary mom. Felice writes a tale of a woman you can probably identify with at some point of your journey as a wife and mother. She writes about the transformation that takes place when this woman places herself totally into the hands of Christ.

We hope you enjoy this special story – and share it with your friends!

Please follow this show at VintageHomeschoolMoms.com and visit our sister website the Ultimate Christian Podcast Network and my show A Few Minutes with GodPodcast.

 

 

 

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Curriculum, Learning Styles, and Choices… Oh, My!

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
July 19, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Curriculum learning stylesAs a new homeschool mom with an arsenal of degrees and certifications to show for my years of college and experience in the preschool and special education arena, I thought I was prepared. I handled a class of 25+ students in the sixth through ninth grades of Specific Learning Disabilities classes. Surely I could handle two children who were my own.

So I set off as many of you do, to recreate the school within the home, only to find it was a dismal failure. Well, not totally. We loved waking up each morning to a hot breakfast, and then I’d take my second cup of coffee and my two little ones to my room where we’d snuggle up and I’d read the Bible, a biography, and often we’d end up back there again to read after lunch. My oldest child had some learning struggles and he was not getting math. Simple facts were beyond him and asking him to memorize the multiplications facts in later years was like asking him to recite the Pythagorean Theorem.

That’s when I discovered that while I could read most things and remember them, I had hands-on learners who loved exploring and delving into things, getting their hands dirty, and loving it! So instead of just talking about rockets, we turned the refrigerator box into a space ship, complete with countdown to blast off music. My children wore bicycle helmets and pretended to be astronauts.

When our lot flooded, I would have been happy to read about the flood plain, and use words like – “cypress slough” in a sentence or learn about all the animals that like the flood water habitat using an illustrated children’s nature book, but, nooooo, not my children! They had to don boots and drag their brand-new red wagon my parents purchased for them around our flooded yard. They would play outdoors for hours. One day my son ran in all excited and asked, “Is it red-on-yellow kill a fellow, and red-on-black friend of Jack?”  Do you see a recurring theme here?ChristinaSpaceShip

These two were not happy to read about nature in a book, they had to experience it, and so when I happened upon Cathy Duffy at a homeschool conference, it finally made sense! Learning styles, yes – I remember learning about those in my special education classes and then it hit me! Our styles were completely different and not only those of my children, but mine as well.

That doesn’t mean it happened overnight, nor does it mean that I couldn’t encourage my strong visual child to learn things orally as well. It just meant that I wasn’t trying to fit a square peg into a round hole any longer. I finally was able to hit on some compromises that worked for our family and we happily became a unit study, Charlotte Mason, textbook, workbooks, biographies, fiction author, eclectic type of family. One size does not always fit all – and I’m a case in point.

Have you struggled finding curriculum that works for your family? Or did you finally have an, “Aha!” moment like I did?

 

Felice Gerwitz is the host of Vintage Homeschool Moms show that airs on Monday at noon eastern time. Her guest is Cathy Duffy.

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Stress-Free Celebrations

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
June 28, 2017 by 3 Comments

 

Stress-free celebration

 

Regardless of the holiday you’re celebrating, there’s always a certain amount of stress to go with it. There’s no magic wand to make that disappear, but some thinking ahead can go a long way. Here’s what Felice has to say …

 

Is stress-free enough? Every year, I dream of a stress-free celebrations. I’ve created seminars on the topic for my Thanksgiving and Holiday Expo, I’ve drilled down to the things that really bother me during the holiday, and I plan ahead. Throughout the year, I keep an eye out for holiday bargains that won’t break my budget. But I’ve realized that during the holidays, there is going to be some measure of stress that just can’t be avoided. The strategies below keep me sane: enjoy this list from my Stress-Free Seminar.

Which one of these things can you implement in your holiday planning?

  • Plans with Prayer
    • Make a Plan
    • Plan to Break It
    • Cross Out
    • Add To
    • Discuss
  • Adult Privileges
    • Just Say No!
  • Exceptions:
    • Brings you peace and joy
    • You want to do it
    • You are obligated
  • Mommy Time Out
    • Meditations
    • Focus – 60 seconds
    • Praise music
  • Revive Your Soul
    • Music
    • Reading
    • Praying
    • DO the ONE thing
  • Gift Giving  –card wrap
    • Time
    • Creativity
    • Exchange
    • Encouragement
  • Back Up Plan
      • You aren’t in control
      • Take out the List and cross out
      • Enlist help
      • Regroup
    • The Reason for the Season
      • CHRISTmas (or THANKSgiving)
      • Attitude Check
        • Expectations – yours?
        • Expectations – family?
        • Others WORSE off
  • Permission Granted
    • Neck rub
    • Foot soak
    • Hand massage
    • Family snuggles
    • Eat chocolate or cookies!
  • Affirmations
    • You are loved
    • You are a child of God
    • You are special
    • You are unique
    • You are treasured

 

Regardless of the holiday (or holy day), with a little advanced planning you can make your celebrations more stress-free.

How do you plan to avoid stress during family celebrations? I’d love to hear from you!

Felice Gerwitz is a wife, mother and author who strives to keep stress out of her life — but knows that only with GOD are all things possible! Here is a handout she hopes you enjoy: Vintage Handouts Stress Free Holidays

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Need help? Look Up.

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
June 7, 2017 by 2 Comments

Need help look up | homeschool encouragement through faith

Need help? Look up!

Recently I’ve taken to looking at the sky. It isn’t a normal for me. I’m usually preoccupied with the many things happening in my life. I see the sky, but I don’t really see it. What is typical for me is the daily routine of life that I motor through, you know, the daily chores, teaching, cleaning, working, cooking, and shopping.

I don’t often stop to smell the roses or look at the clouds.

At church I’ve heard many sermons lately about being thankful in all circumstances, especially those in which we have no control. Our pastor unfolds story after story with real examples about people who have no reason to be thankful and yet they are. One of my long-time friends is a pediatrician. She stopped practicing long ago to be a full-time wife and mother. Her children are now adults and she took up missionary work. This was short lived as she was diagnosed with cancer. (In remission now, please join me in praying for Mary.) Yet she praises God in all things! At coffee one morning she shared how touched she was by the splendor of God’s work in the beauty of nature and how she feels it is a gift just for her.

How thankful am I?

Colossians 3:15 says: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

And so I’ve been thanking the Lord for everything — and I mean everything. The fabulous days, and the not-so-fabulous ones as well. As a result, it is as if the blinders have been taken off and I’m seeing the clouds for the first time. I’m enthralled with the formations, the color, and the Lord seems to be blessing me with these beautiful arrays! Just as my friend shared, I feel that it is a gift just for me!

 

Need help look up | homeschool encouragement through faith Need help look up | homeschool encouragement through faith

The first photo was taken in the early morning. Isn’t that an amazing sky? I’ve never seen anything like it. Only the hands of God can create that type of pattern and beauty. The second is a late afternoon sky which is typical for this area.

By looking up, I see the beauty and majesty of God and it gives me time to pause and to wonder!

What ways do you combat depression– feelings of insecurity or general blah in your homeschool day? Please share your ideas and tips with me … or if you need help in a certain situation, let me know. Post your comments below.

Be sure and listen to Felice Gerwitz at Vintage Homeschool Moms podcast.

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