Fun-School Mentoring

Creatively Organizing

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / Leave a comment

You have all these amazing Fun-Schooling journals…how do you organize it all? The books are beautiful, colorful and engaging…a delight to the eye! So here are some fun ways to display them for ease of use. If you have the luxury of a large wall space, you can use floating shelves like these above.

We gathered some ideas from some of the amazing members of our Mom’s Fun-Schooling Support Group. You can choose to shop wherever you prefer–these ideas are mainly for inspiration. 🙂

Some members like Bern Bright like hanging wall units. Hers are below. Here are some cute chicken wire baskets and more choices for horizontal options.

Carmen Kloppers mentioned plastic magazine holders like these, which have room for your journal plus other resources, pencils, pens, etc. Easy to find what you need, because they are transparent. Here is something similar. Here is one for multiple books.

Jenna Sheridan mentioned, “When I was first looking around in this group I remember a mom saying she prints the covers from every PDF and has them in a binder the kids can “shop” at the beginning of the year to pick what they want.” Great idea!

Schooling on the go? Alex Romano mentioned getting a great book bag, and Bethany Messer offered the option of even repurposing a good diaper bag. Here is a terrific, sturdy option that is really roomy and has lots of pockets for pens, pencils, gadgets and other items. Sarah Nguyen mentioned upcycling an old scrapbooking bag. Brilliant!

Another idea for organizing things in a portable fashion is to use a large shower caddy that has a longer compartment which can hold multiple journals/notebooks and smaller compartments for writing tools, art supplies, sticky notes, index cards, etc. Here is one option.

Samantha Anderson mentioned rolling carts. There are lots of options available, but this one with additional hanging baskets is ideal for all the art supplies we use in Fun-Schooling!

Finally, Jenessa Boothby provided some ideas of how to “strew” books in a way that is inviting and engaging for our children. You can come to the Facebook group and see many beautiful way in which Sarah utilizes this method in her home:

On the Fence About Fun-Schooling?

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / 1 Comment

People are curious about this refreshing way to educate their children–a way that nurtures a love of learning, accommodates learning differences, and gives children the freedom to learn about what they love while developing their researching skills, independence, and critical thinking.

So many learning styles are addressed as students write, scrapbook, color, complete Art & Logic exercises, draw, research, do puzzles, try experiments…the entire approach is very creative!

This blog and and our online presence has exploded with activity just in the past week or so:

We’ve had numerous great giveaways recently (don’t miss this one right here at the blog!) and LOTS of journals are currently marked down significantly.

If you’ve been waiting to try Fun-Schooling, there has never been a better time to dip a toe in…or just JUMP IN feet first!

If you’ve already fully immersed your family, share this post with a curious friend!

BeYOUtiful

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / Leave a comment

My goal for our main Fun-Schooling Mom Support Group is to equip mothers to guide and teach their children according to their own values, world view, religious beliefs and political perspectives while empowering the children to think for themselves and ask hard questions.

This is why most Thinking Tree Books are so open-ended and research based.

I often recommend resources that we enjoy in our family. I often share pictures and stories of our unique experiences and celebrations, But I don’t do this because I think every other family should look like mine.

So, perhaps we are a Christian family with Jewish roots and love our Jewish foods and holidays. And maybe we celebrate Christmas and Easter traditions just as I learned to in my childhood. And maybe we embrace some Libertarian values, and drive Teslas…We believe in adoption, and even adopted some struggling older kids! I love herbal tea, but like coffee too. We have chickens in the back yard, and a hungry fox living in the front. There are a million dreams we haven’t even started living here on Earth, yet our treasures are best kept in Heaven. It’s a beautiful life and your life is beautiful too!

I don’t think you should be just like me. I don’t think your unique family should be anything like mine. Love what you love. Dream your dreams. Live out your vision. Follow your calling. Be you! Yet be willing to grow.

I’m investing in the homeschooling community in order to empower moms to create a FUN learning environment in their homes, and I have lots of tips and ideas!

Some of my older writings are geared towards the community I used to be most involved in – Conservative homeschoolers- but I never fit in. I was often encouraging those moms to quit “acting” and be real, and be realistic.

Our community has THANKFULLY grown to embrace a far greater homeschooling movement! And I’m loving it!!! If you want a homeschooling Facebook group that is clique-ish there are many. That’s not us, though many of us are outliers, eclectic, and neuro-divergent thinkers who don’t fit into any mold!!!

I’m growing a lot because of the diversity of thought in our group! I’m changing. I’m making friends who are opening my eyes to a bigger story, while staying true to my core values. I love the learning that happens in our community! I love the uniqueness and the vast diversity of homeschooling moms who make themselves at home!!! We are all welcome here. Come join us!

PDF Journals–All You Need to Know!

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / 1 Comment
Click this image to take you to our bookstore for a complete list of PDFs!

Special thanks to Amanda Osenga for writing this guest post to help all of our lovely Fun-Schoolers during this season of change!

When you think of PDFs, I bet your first thought goes to a pile of printed pages. What if I told you there are dozens of options for using PDFs? Including options involving zero printing at all. You can even get them printed into a physical book! I hope these tips will help you find new ways to use PDFs.

Binding and printing options-

Yes, you can go the standard route of print and staple. There’s nothing wrong with this! It’s a tried and true binding technique.
One of our Fun-Schooling mentors put together this fantastic visual guide for ways to print and use PDFs. Check it out!
Here are a few other options-

  • “Booklet” style.
                This is a setting in Adobe. This will print the size of a standard book. You can fold them in half, staple them, or even hand-stitch them. We find printing about 48 pages at once easiest to work with. Otherwise, it gets too thick.
  • Bookbinding
                Most local print shops can print PDFs as a book for you. Lots of Fun-School moms tell us Barnes & Noble Press does a beautiful job for close to the price of having individual pages printed through a print shop. https://press.barnesandnoble.com/print-on-demand/
  • Disc-bound binding
                These are most well known through the “Happy Planner.” A benefit is the ability to move pages around. Moms love this method for rearranging journals and/or combining multiple journals. You can purchase disc-bound punches at craft stores and office supply stores. This option functions similarly to a spiral notebook and can be folded back or laid flat.  This also allows you to reuse the same rings- saving money and resources!
  • File folder
                Use expandable or hanging file folders to sort, organize, and file PDFs. Print with your desired number of pages per sheet and organize to your heart’s content! Some moms organize by day, others by journal- and others by type of page (Reading Time, Screen Time, Math, etc.)
  • Multiple pages per sheet
                Consider printing two or four pages per sheet. This will save paper and money! It is also a great option for kids overwhelmed by writing because it reduces the space to write on. Moms with kids who love to color often choose to print the coloring pages full-size.
  • Three-ring binders
                Similar to the disc-bound method, this allows you a lot of flexibility. Fun-Schooling families often recommend the Five Star Flex binders because the cover bends backward and lays flat. Any binder will do!
  • Spiral bind
                Spiral binding is another classic printing method. Local shops and box stores can bind for you. Binding machines are also available for purchase, including some with reusable spines. Sometimes churches, schools, or community centers will allow families to use their binding machines.
  • Combine methods!
                Print a PDF booklet style and use it with disc-bound disks. Or print multiple pages/sheets and stick them in a binder. Play around with different methods until you find what you and your children like best. Remember, each kid may like a different method!

There are also several homeschool-based printing companies out there.

Your Local Print Shop

If you haven’t dropped into a local print shop lately, I encourage you to do so. One shop I visited had over 20 different ways they could print and bind PDFs! It’s worth it to head in and ask for their ideas.

Printing Considerations and Tips

Here are a few tips and considerations-

  • Ask your local library
                Many libraries have printing allowances for those with a library card. Some will do discounted or free printing for homeschoolers.
  • Reach out to local churches– especially those with homeschool programs
                We’ve heard from many moms who can print free or cheap this way!
  • Community centers sometimes have free or cheap printing available too
  • Do you, a spouse, or a relative have a printer at work? Ask about paying a small fee or providing your own paper to use printer
  • The Epson Eco Tank printer seems to be the lowest-cost option for an at-home printer This one is on sale at the time of this posting for $169.00 (discounted from $249.99!!)
  • Subscribe to email newsletters from box store office supply companies. They do deeply discounted paper a few times a year.
  • If money is extremely tight- ask your neighborhood Buy Nothing, Freecycle, or Neighbors Helping Neighbors group to see if anyone would be willing to print for you if you provide the paper.
  • Some moms combine multiple journals for an entire week, month, semester, or school year. You can rearrange journal pages with some of the flexible binding methods mentioned above. There are also programs available online to merge and reorganize PDFs!
  • If your print shop has any concerns regarding printing copyrighted material, you can email contact@funschooling.com and request a printing release.

Skip Printing and Use PDFs Digitally

You can use PDFs digitally with the following apps/programs- tutorials can be found on YouTube for using them

– Goodnotes
– Kami
– Notability
– Liquid Text
– PDF Expert
– Krita
– Microsoft Edge has a built-in PDF editor
You can also get the paid version of Adobe and edit directly on the PDF.


*Note- these are programs Fun-School Moms have suggested. We have yet to test all of them. This is not considered an endorsement of these programs. Do your research to verify their privacy rules, advertising, etc.

We hope these tips help you to get the most out of your PDFs! Let us know if you do something else unique with your PDFs.

*Some files do not have the fonts embedded properly for the Barnes & Noble system to recognize. We cannot guarantee Barnes & Noble will be able to print your journal. They do carry several of our journals pre-printed. Find them here https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/sarah%20janisse%20brown

Start a Fun-Schooling Co-Op!

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / 1 Comment

Step one in beginning a Fun-Schooling Co-Op is to Flip to Fun-Schooling yourself! Then you are prepared to encourage other moms to join you on your journey! Here are some photos from our Co-Op at Olive Branch Farm.

How Do I Start a Fun-Schooling Co-Op?

1. Create a Facebook Group: “Fun-Schooling in My Region, My State” (If there are no other homeschooling families in your city interested in FUN expand you reach to the county or region, like Central Florida, as soon as you decide on a region, post it in our Fun-Schooling Moms Homeschool Support Group so others in the same area can join you and not duplicate. Check comments for duplicates before you create a new group.)

2. Share some posts from our main page and FunSchooling.com in your group.

3. Invite me to your group.

4. Everyone who starts a Fun-Schooling Facebook Community group should join our Leaders Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/637742757064906/

What Do Fun-Schooling Co-ops Do?

Co-ops are private gatherings, like birthday parties- so don’t worry about legalities as long as everyone who comes is invited. Some people worry about creating a formal organization but that’s not needed when you are getting started. Everyone can pitch in and contribute like family.

They schedule FUN social activities for local homeschooling families and support each other while using Fun-Schooling Journals. They may plan activities based on a common Fun-Schooling Journal or Theme. For example if your group is using the Nature study PDF you might do nature crafts, weather experiments or go to a nature preserve together.

What are some activities we offer at Olive Branch Farm? Our always-evolving list includes: Pottery Painting, Watercolors, Gardening, Swimming, A Disk Golf Course, Soccer Field, Scooter ramps, Bikes, Scooters, Skateboards, Horses, Music Room, Lego Zone, Jewelry making station, Library, Fidget Room, Zip Line, Farm Animals, Nature Park, Cafe, Pool Table, Volley Ball, Preschool Zone, Snack Bar, Board Games, and our Herb Garden and Orchard.

Need inspiration? Here is a great resource:

Fun-Schooling “Show & Tell”

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / 1 Comment

Fun-Schooling is a very joyful way to homeschool. We engage in fun research and logic based learning quests that focuses on the individual child’s strengths, talents, career dreams, faith, family values and nature exploration. Kids learn through projects and journaling, with library books and educational videos! Much of the learning is focused on doing unit studies revolving around the child’s passion. There are Fun-Schooling Journals that focus of lots of different topics and subjects that kids love, like horses, travel, baking, gardening, survival, nature, art, writing and so much more.

Maybe I should show you instead of just telling. Some of us are more visual in our learning style. Want to see what Fun-Schooling looks like in our house? Here are some videos that can do just that!

We have over 50 videos on our YouTube channel, on all kinds of topics! Click here to go and browse them all! Here are some screen shots just to give you an idea of the information available:

All of this, and so much more! Come join us!

The “Why” of Mom-Schooling

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / Leave a comment

Mom-School happens when you remember who you are through your passions, your interests and your needs. You fill a basket with learning tools for yourself, then in your free time you dig into your Mom-School Basket, read a book or watch a tutorial about something you want to learn… instead of watching TV, Netflix, or cruising Facebook.

Mom-School energizes me while the children curiously look into my basket, watch me learn, see me grow… and they discover that I am not just their mom, but a woman with dreams, goals, ideas, needs and desires.

They see me research and join me for an online class, they flip through my Mom-School Journal and see my careful efforts and beautiful handwriting. They see me as someone who is curious, they see me as a detective, an explorer, a creator, a follower, a leader and a friend.

Mom-School is waking up with ideas, and being full of wonder. It’s problem solving and crafting, it’s higher education or a new recipe.

Mom-School is remembering who you are in the midst of the busy season of mothering and holding on to your dreams so your children will be inspired to become who they were created to be, because they are basking in the example of you.

Mom-School is refreshing and calming, and it’s worth your time and mine. Mom-School is empowering to you as a woman and sets the stage for your children to follow your example because you make learning look so delightful.

Join our Mom-Schooling Facebook group here!

Sarah’s Mom Tips: Don’t Fear a “Learning Gap”

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / 4 Comments

Don’t be afraid of learning gaps.

Kids don’t need to learn everything.

Kids need to know HOW to learn what they need when they need it.

Sometimes we fear learning gaps, but if a child knows HOW to research there will be no permanent holes because the child will be capable of learning on the go.

There is no way to prepare a child for what life and the economy will look like when they are adults.

Today’s standardized education is already behind.

It is research skills, creativity, character and resourcefulness that will insure potential for successful adult life.

Thinking Tree focuses on life skills, thinking skills, planning skills, being innovative, being creative, being resourceful, great character development, having excellent research skills, reading and writing skills and a strong work ethic. These things are NOT usually part of a standardized curriculum plan. You may worry that your kids will not be on grade level; but the skills that matter most are often overlooked and undervalued.

Inspiring Your Child to Read

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / Leave a comment

I don’t worry much about reading before age 9. The longer they play the better! When my children start asking me “Mom, how do you spell…?” That’s when I know they are ready for reading. When a child is ready to learn to read it’s so easy to help them.

When it comes to learning to read there shouldn’t be a struggle. Dyslexic children and creative kids struggle because we are trying to teach them too soon. Dyslexia Games helps prepare the mind for reading and writing without stress, and helps to teach reading in a self directed way that works for creative kids.

Still, sometimes the brain just isn’t ready for the job of reading before age 9. For some it may be age 11– kids who learn to read late tend to be very artistic and creative.

The first key to inspiring a child to read is to find out what the child wants to learn about and be attentive to what he is passionate about. Provide books on ALL levels about those topics. Look at the books together, and use books with a Fun-Schooling Journal. Allow the child to do a lot of drawing in the Fun-Schooling Journal if they can’t write, and please do some of the writing for him or her while the child watches and dictates (writing for your child once a week is enough).

The second key is to model a love for reading real books and writing on real paper – in front of your child – that’s what Mom-School books are for. When a child sees a parent reading and writing (not on a computer) they automatically desire to do it too. The brain is wired to give children a drive to do what adults do. (One big problem with classrooms is that all the kids are the same age, and kids are not getting an example of how people learn at a higher level.)

Curiosity will drive the desire to read, and the brain will begin to wire itself to read, write and spell. When a child is curious about reading they are going to learn quickly and efficiently. When a child feels the need to read, they WANT to learn.

When you try to force kids to read, write, and spell before they desire to do it naturally you are going to face a constant struggle. If the child desires to learn, they are going to be active in the learning, and actually teach themselves – it’s beautiful and joyful.

So, precious homeschooling mom, if your eight year old can’t read, don’t worry, just remember the two keys!

Sarah’s Mom Tips: Is Math Your Homeschool Nemesis?

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / Leave a comment

🧐The PROBLEM with math is that the way it is normally taught! Conventional math lessons are boring, hard to understand, seem irrelevant to real life, and are no fun. 😔

😉My books are like a reset button, kind of like comfort therapy. 😌

My math books are not designed to prepare your child to take a standardized test. Instead they bring math concepts down to earth.

My books make math practical, fun, creative, useful, and easy to apply to real life problems and projects.

What I do is have my children learn basic math with Fun-Schooling Books, and real life projects involving MONEY, time, calculating, and measurements. They become very confident and unintimidated by math. They don’t see it as a subject, but as a super valuable skill for getting things done.

If I were you and wanted to raise kids to be able to confidently use real math in real life… Work through the Thinking Tree Books, then add the math you need for testing, credits or grade level learning.

I would suggest Khan Academy, Life of Fred, Math-U-See, Prodigy…

My kids focus on learning the math that is relevant to their career goals.