Why do little children do the opposite of what you say? Why do preschoolers reject new foods and green leafy foods? Why do toddlers refuse to share? Why do preschoolers always want what the other child has? Why do preschoolers fight bedtime? How can I help my child to have a good attitude when cleaning up? What can I do to help my child to behave, listen and obey?
A little over a decade ago, a friend of mine asked me to make a video about “Toddler and Preschool Behavior Problems” for her MOPS group. Here it is, featuring a tiny Ember Brown:
Restaurants provide one of the most common settings for behavior challenges, don’t they? Here is a free tool that can help! Just right click the image and drop it into your favorite word processing program (be sure to switch to landscape view). Take this with you when you go out to eat to keep kids busy playing I-Spy Games. This placemat covers: Numbers, Letters, Months, Shapes, Seasons, Days of the Week, Fruit of the Spirit, Cursive, and a little basic Math! Just print and if everyone has one at the table, each person can call out the next item to find. Whoever finds it first calls the next item. If you laminate it, it will be reusable!
In our family of 15, we don’t view k-12 education merely as a stepping stone to college. Our kids don’t even know what “grade” they are in half the time.
Instead of focusing on traditional academics, we see childhood as an exciting opportunity for our kids to begin crafting real-world skills centered around their passions.
As a homeschooling mom I get to create an environment for learning that inspires each child in the pursuit of their unique dream or calling, while exploring fulfilling options for a career.
Ages 2-5 From the outset, we introduce our kids to stories of passionate people who never give up, do great things and solve problems in the world. We are laying the groundwork for a life where work and calling intertwine. We love to read about people and find out about the jobs of the people we meet, from the high call of being a mommy or daddy, to the world-shaping influence of authors, political figures, heroes, artists and inventors.
I remember when my son Joseph was five, when he would meet someone new he would say “Hi, my name’s Joseph, I’m a scientist. What are you?”
Isaac’s bracelet-making and sword crafting were not just about making money but about igniting his creative and business acumen.
Leah, Ember, and Lilly’s craft sales at festivals were lessons in art, economics, and teamwork.
Rachel’s book reselling taught her about value, negotiation, and her love for literature.
Esther’s bath salts business combined chemistry with marketing, all while following her interests.
Ages 9-12 We deepen their engagement with their passions:
Providing resources like an aviary for Laura who is passionate about birds or a piano for Joseph who is gifted in music – these gifts allow them to live their passions daily.
We emphasize learning by doing, ensuring that education is not abstract but connected to real-life applications. Why learn something from a book when you can do it in real life? As homeschoolers we are not limited by the walls of a classroom!
Ages 13-20 Here, we move from exploration to mastery:
Investing in their vision on their 13th birthday We provide them with real tools to build their dreams, whether they lead to a career or a calling.
Skills taught are those they’ll use in their chosen paths, like marketing, leadership, or specialized knowledge.
We limit distractions to keep their focus on what truly excites and fulfills them. No phones until they are ready to run a business that requires it. They have to pay for their own phone, and we parents put filters on the device to keep the kids safe and productive.
I believe it is so important to understand how to nurture a child’s growing mind. I have a passion to teach them to be curious, to love learning, to research wisely and to grow in wisdom, understanding and knowledge. It’s been my lifework to understand why some children struggle to learn, read, and focus, and I dig deep into these matters sorting through vast amounts of research on the human mind to understand how to unlock the potential of each child. I work hard to find the answers and tap into the child’s gifts, no matter what their natural strengths and weaknesses may be. And I test these ideas and solutions and share them with the world, and many thousands of children have been able to overcome struggles related to ADHD, Autism and Dyslexia.
I also believe that it’s vastly important to nurture the child’s growing body, to give the child the best foods, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and the right balance of proteins, fats and carbs. I research and learn what is good and what is poison and ensure the child has sunshine and exercise. Because what good is a strong mind inside a weak and sick body? You can not care for one and neglect the other. Mothers and fathers everywhere make it a priority to care for the mind and body of the child, hoping that the child will grow, thrive and be strong and wise.
But this is not enough. We must also nourish the soul and spirit and character of the child as well–and even more so. How often is the care of the spirit the last thing we even consider at the end of the day? To nourish the spirit of the child is of greater value than all other efforts we could ever make to feed the mind and the body. How many of us have children who are starving spiritually?
Parent, you reap what you sow. If you plant in your child the seeds of the Spirit your child will grow in the Spirit. If you build him up in character, he will become a man of honor. If your daughter is nurtured in the things of the Spirit she will grow in grace, glory and faith. But if a parent neglects the nourishment of the spirit, the soul and the character of the child, the impact in the life of the child will be more devastating than if you failed to nourish the body and the mind. So I ask you, loving mother, faithful father? How will you tend to the garden of your child’s soul today?
A Simple Plan
Here is something simple to begin with. Make each child a cup of tea and make one for yourself and then you all go to your quiet spots with a Bible and Journal. Tell them that when they are done with “Bible Time” it will be “serving time” where each person helps someone else in the family with their chores. Turn on some peaceful music during Quiet Time.
In short, you begin by demonstrating what this looks like.
For younger children, you can have them listen to a Bible audio book. Get a children’s Bible and use Bible coloring pages. We have a number of journals that will help!
Find many more journals for Fun-Schooling moms and kids of all ages here!
When it comes to parenting, you never quite know what challenges you’ll face. For me, one of the biggest surprises came in the form of dyslexia. My oldest daughter, Anna, is the first one that we discovered is dyslexic, and it’s really an amazing story!
My first son, Isaac, was a natural when it came to letters and reading. He was already reading by age five, so I figured I’d use the same approach with Anna. But Anna was different – a free spirit who could never sit still. At four, she showed zero interest in reading, so I decided to step back and let her explore her own interests, like drawing and nature.
By the time Anna turned six, I felt it was time to focus on helping her learn to read – but it quickly became apparent that something wasn’t clicking. Phonics made no sense to her. She would get upset, she would get angry, she would cry. She would get one word correct one day, and then, the next day, she’d forget it. We tried again when she was seven, even bringing in a teacher, but the struggle continued.
As Anna approached eight and still couldn’t read, I started to worry. With five or six children at that point, my in-laws began suggesting that I might be too busy with the younger ones to teach her properly. It was heartbreaking when, at nine years old, Anna told me she didn’t care about learning to read because it was too hard for her to differentiate between letters. She declared she’d just be an artist and a mom instead.
I remember sitting there, stunned by her words. After a moment of reflection, I gently told her, “Anna, God wouldn’t have given us the Bible unless he was going to give us the ability to be able to read it.” It was then that I realized we needed a different approach. Anna was a real problem-solver, so I decided to try and outsmart her reluctance to read by creating something that turned reading into a problem-solving challenge.
Click here to find out what Sarah did next (and access some free resources)!
Eight-year-old Kassidy faced significant challenges with reading and learning in the public school environment. Thanks to Dyslexia Games, she’s at grade level and bursting with newfound confidence.
“She was eight years old when she came into our family,” says Jill Cain, adoptive mother of former foster child Kassidy. “It was a night and day difference between her and my biological children. She didn’t know letter sounds, but she could read some sight words, which didn’t make sense to me. There were other things too; it was like a jumbled puzzle that didn’t add up.”
Jill homeschools her biological children, but because Kassidy was a foster child at the time, she had to be in public school. The school provided her with a personal aide for an hour each day, but it didn’t help. Jill suspected dyslexia, but the school didn’t agree and passed Kassidy to the next grade, even though she couldn’t read.
The Emotional Toll
“When it came time for school or homework, she was completely shut down. She would cross her arms and not even try,” remembers Jill. “And when she did try, it was tears.”
Jill finally convinced the school to test Kassidy, and a dyslexia diagnosis was confirmed. She also convinced the school to hold her back the next school year to give her more time to learn and catch up with her peers. In the meantime, Jill researched dyslexia resources online.
Making matters worse, Kassidy was bullied at school. “The experience in public school greatly affected her,” laments Jill. “Her self-confidence was so low and it affected our relationships. She was very isolated.”
Fighting for a Fair Chance
In Jill’s online research, she stumbled upon Dyslexia Games by Sarah Janisse Brown. It looked promising, but Jill wondered if it would help Kassidy learn. “I knew she was bright and capable as she excelled in so many other areas,” notes Jill. “But how do I even do this, if the public school can’t do it?”
She decided to shelve her doubts, but the next step was for Jill to get legal permission to homeschool Kassidy. “I went all the way to the top,” she says. It took time, but finally, they were granted permission, and their homeschooling journey began.
Jill initiated some “deschooling” time first to give Kassidy a chance to decompress and build confidence and security. Then, when she felt like Kassidy was ready, she started her on just one page a day in Dyslexia Games.
“It really drained her,” notes Jill. “It was completely exhausting to do one page. There were days she just wanted to bail, and I was unsure whether this was the right way to proceed because we didn’t see any progress.”
Breakthrough! Four Grade Levels in One Year
Persistence paid off. After about three weeks, Jill observed the first signs of improvement. When she pointed out something that needed correction, Kassidy figured it out herself. “I thought, ‘Oh my gosh! This is working!’” Jill exclaims.
That was just the encouragement they both needed to keep going. As they progressed through the program, Kassidy experienced several more breakthrough moments in letter recognition, reading skills, and math skills.
“She had about a six-month jump in math in six weeks, that I just can’t explain except for Dyslexia Games,” Jill adds.
Jill turned the reins over to Kassidy, who began doing several pages a day. By the end of Dyslexia Games, Series B, she was reading at a 4th-grade level, representing a jump of four grade levels in one year.
Kassidy’s confidence soared. “We’re a read-aloud family,” says Jill. “We go around the room and read aloud. Before, she would refuse. Now she will read an entire chapter!”
Click here to keep reading about Kassidy’s story, including some tips from Jill!
When traditional schooling failed her son and the pandemic forced shutdowns, Clerissa Kritzinger turned to homeschooling, which ignited a love of learning in her family.
“I was at my wit’s end,” Clerissa Kritzinger recalls. “We had tried everything the traditional system offered, but nothing seemed to work. The tension in our relationship was palpable.”
Clerissa’s journey began with her oldest son’s struggles in school. Despite various therapies and medications for his ADHD diagnosis, his situation didn’t improve.
The Kritzingers moved Anthony to a tutoring center, hoping that a smaller environment with more one-on-one attention would make a difference. Then facing pandemic-related school closures, Clerissa found herself alone with her son’s reading difficulties.
A Turning Point: Discovering Dyslexia
Homeschooling was not common in South Africa, but with the pandemic, it became a widespread reality. Clerissa found herself with no other choice. She quickly discovered that teachers had been sugar-coating Anthony’s progress, and she was upset. She chose a different curriculum, hoping that would make a difference.
It wasn’t until her friend, Alene, suggested her son might be dyslexic that Clerissa found a new direction. After researching and finding Nessy, a free online dyslexia screening tool, she confirmed her son’s condition.
“It was a moment of relief and clarity,” she shares. “Finally understanding the cause of my son’s struggles opened up a world of possibilities.”
Alene also recommended Fun-Schooling journals and Dyslexia Games by Sarah Janisse Brown, author and founder of Thinking Tree Books.
Slow and Steady: The Impact of Dyslexia Games
“You’ve got to be kidding me. How is my kid going to learn to read by doing pictures?” says Clerissa of the moment she first looked through Dyslexia Games. “It did not make sense to me.”
Alene reminded her that her daughter began reading within three months of using Dyslexia Games. “Just trust the process,” she advised.
So Clerissa plowed ahead with assigning her son two pages a day. She was surprised to see him enjoying the games and asking for more pages. His concentration began to improve.
Then, a month and a half in, Anthony started to pick out random words during daily activities like grocery shopping or playing a game. At three months, Clerissa introduced a phonics program and he took off with it.
“It was like night and day,” Clerissa explains. “He’s never been depressed since we started homeschooling and using Dyslexia Games. The meltdowns that used to happen every single day at school just stopped. Now, his favorite place is the library.”
“The Dyslexia Games approach is so different from traditional methods,” Clerissa notes. “It’s like it speaks directly to the dyslexic brain, creating new neural pathways for learning to read.”
Nature is one of the best ways to help your kids grow and connect with the world around them, while also providing a great opportunity for learning! Here are some easy ways to begin incorporating nature into your homeschooling:
Keeping a nature journal! Nature journals are an easy way to help build your children’s observation and writing skills!
Bird watching and identification! Bird watching is a fun skill that gets your kids outside, helps them pick up on small details, and learn the basics of identifying species!
Gardening! Let each of your kids pick a plant they like – whether it be a favorite flower or a favorite vegetable – and help them to cultivate their own little garden!
Rock collections! Rock collecting also helps with identification, but it’s also a foot in the door for geography and the study of earth science!
State trees/animals! On the topic of geography, having your kids learn state trees, animals, and flowers is a fun way to connect with their world and some of the fun, defining characteristics of new places!
Go for a hike! Hiking is a great way to explore new places, find new interests, and spot interesting plants/animals that might inspire future research. You can also have your kids pack their own snacks and drinks for the hikes in order to learn more about personal responsibility!
There are just some of the basic, beginner ways you can introduce nature to your young homeschoolers. Here are some books from our nature-themed journals that provide lessons and ways to expand on the above ideas. Click the images for more information!
Autumn is one of the best times of year for a variety of reasons – holidays, family gatherings, and of course the changing of the leaves! As a way to learn from and cherish the season, here are a few activities your fun-schoolers can do during the fall:
Leaf Identification & Prints Take a nature walk to collect leaves, and teach kids to identify different tree types! Once home, you can use paint or other art materials to create leaf prints by pressing painted leaves onto paper. This introduces children to plant science and creates beautiful fall art. It’s perfect for younger children, and gets them inspired by and connected with nature!
Pumpkin Science & Math Pumpkins and gourds are great for hands-on learning! You can teach your children how to measure their heights, circumferences, and weights, then compare pumpkins of different sizes. For a long-term project, you can also carve or decorate a pumpkin, and plant its seeds to observe how they grow!
Autumn Sensory Bin Fill a bin with seasonal items like dried leaves, small pumpkins, pine cones collected from your yard! Then, you can let your kids explore the textures and sizes, practicing sorting and scooping. This activity promotes sensory development and imaginative play!
Fall Harvest Collage Provide construction paper, fabric scraps, and dried leaves for kids to create a fall harvest scene or abstract collage! This craft encourages creativity and fine motor skills, all while celebrating autumn colors and textures! It’s also a fun way to learn what sorts of leaves and seeds are in your yard during the autumn season!
Autumn Storytime & Craft Read a fall-themed book to your children, or have one of your older children read to the younger ones! Afterward, have kids create a craft based on the story, like making their own scene or even a fall item, like a scarecrow! This combines literacy, creativity, and storytelling.
DIY Bird Feeders Teach your children about wildlife by making bird feeders from pine cones, peanut butter, and birdseed! Hang them outside to attract birds and observe different species, helping children understand the importance of nature conservation! You can even use the Fun-Schooling Birdwatching Journal!
Find more nature-themed Fun-Schooling journals here!
6th grade seems to be the grade nobody quite knows what to do with. Are they middle schoolers or elementary? Should we call them kids still? Fun-Schooling allows families to let their 6th grader find independence and autonomy in what can be a confusing season of growing up.
Our journals are super flexible in terms of age. You’ll see kids age 8 through 18 using the same journals. It’s all in the materials you use alongside them. Kids can repeat the same journal- especially core journals. Some kids have done the same core 4 or 5 times!
The Top Fun-Schooling Journals for 6th Grade
Bundles for 6th Graders
Bundles are great for this age because they invite independence and provide structure. We include a lesson plan kids can follow along with.
Here are our 6th grade bundle options. Click the image below to be taken to the suggested lesson plans and journal descriptions. We have one bundle that’s more girl focused, another that’s boy focused, and one for kids with Dyslexia/ADHD or other learning challenges.
The journals from these bundles are available for sale individually on Amazon and most are PDFs on our website as well.
More 6th Grade Journals
These journals are also popular for 6th Graders
We suggest working through the single-country journals starting at this age if you haven’t started them yet, see our bundles for suggestions on the order to do them in. Start with your country’s journal first, if possible.
All About Dogs- Fun-Schooling Journal– Cover every subject with a fun dog theme. Kids will learn about dog breeds, jobs, and more. Even includes math practice!
Inventions & Inventors Students will study 30 of the most impactful lessons of all time. Space is included in back for them to research inventions of their own interest too.
Grades 6 to 8 Fun-Schooling Journal is one of our most in-depth core journals. This is a Christian-based journal with tons of variety and Bible study included.
Top 30 Grammar Mistakes dives into the most common Grammar mistakes and gives students plenty of practice using proper grammar rules.
Tropical Birds Research Journal Students will research, finish activities, color, and enjoy breathtaking photography of 26 different tropical birds.
Yum-Schooling 15 recipes to teach children how to bake, calculate, measure, spell, use logic, serve others, apply science, and be creative. Create delicious dishes to share with the whole family while working on building your skills and learning.
What other journals is your 6th grader using? Share in the comments to help other families!
About the Author- Amanda Osenga is a Fun-Schooling mom in Columbus, Ohio. She is also the social media manager and a Virtual Assistant for Thinking Tree. Her family combines Thinking Tree books with the Charlotte Mason method using books from Ambleside Online and Wildwood Curriculum. In her free time, Amanda is an avid reader and loves to be outdoors.
Before the kids came along, I considered myself an artist, a writer, and a traveler. I was filling my life with art, creativity, and wonder. I used to travel Europe selling jewelry and art to fund my passions.
After becoming a mother, my passion became my children. Around 3 years into motherhood, I began to remember how much I loved art and poetry. I started to add a few of my passions back into my life. My husband started working four days a week. I took Fridays to dive back into my passions.
I began reading, writing, and small art projects. I purchased paintbrushes and acrylic paint and covered my home with murals. That turned into a small business decorating other’s homes. Then I started teaching moms homemaking, homesteading, and creative skills. We let our little ones play while we learned together.
There was one thing I didn’t do lots and lots of moms my age were doing. Spending time on TV and the Internet. I found when you have little kids, you’re going to be exhausted. The default can be turning on a show and putting them in front of a TV. We didn’t have a TV so that was never an option. I didn’t want that to be the example I set for my kids of adulthood. As parents, we are our children’s greatest teachers. The life we model for them is what their perception of adulthood is. Do we really want them to think being an adult is about working so much you’re exhausted and then starting at a screen watching other people live their lives the rest of the time?
As my kids reached school age, I started customizing their education around their passions. They take their passions seriously and become experts in their fields of interest. All of my kids start businesses in their early teens. Creativity and beauty has kept my children from becoming addicted to screens and technology.
Well-meaning family and friends have expressed concern my kids are missing out on aspects of “standardized” education. Yet my children have skills and talents kids in traditional school don’t have or have to wait until their 20s, 30s, or 40s to develop. I let them let go of things that are irrelevant and they’ll never need to know.
When a child’s education revolves around what they love, there’s no struggle or fight.
Our modern day workforce is all about skills, talents, and ability more than degrees and head knowledge. My children will be able to have specialized careers in their fields of passion. They’ve been studying since they were young and most of my children are making their own income before they ever move out as legal adults.
The way I raise my children looks very different from what you would see in a schoolroom because the childhood happening in our house looked like a lot of fun, adventure, exploring, creating, community, and more. Everyone is contributing their own gifts.
This is all because I set the model for them of pursuing my passions and letting it fuel my actions and career path. I want my children to look at the model I set of adulthood and be excited.
Today I have 15 children age 8-24. I delight in my teens and we have so much fun together. You have one life to live and it shouldn’t be boring. This is what I want my children to know and how I want their education to look. What about you?
Find my whole talk on this subject in the video below. And subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos like this.
Get a FREE Mom School bundle so you can dive into your passions.
