Fun-Schooling Support Group

Top Ten Letters to New Homeschooling Moms

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / Leave a comment

Are you new to Homeschooling or Fun-Schooling? Be blessed! Read these letters…

#1 Dear Homeschooling Mama,

Welcome to Fun-Schooling! Keep it simple, do not over think, and make learning fun. Have fun yourself! Get a journal and learn along with your kids. Don’t overcomplicate things. Kids learn best by example and having fun. This curriculum will really change the way you think and learn, but in the best way possible!

You have so many fellow Fun-Schooling mamas to help and support you, and who are rooting for you to succeed. You are not in this alone. Welcome to homeschooling, the fun way!

Love,

Audria Perez

#2 Dear New Homeschooling Mama,

You are about to embark on a new journey. It can be scary, overwhelming, exciting, and every other emotion. You have got this, mama! There will be good and bad days, but this journey is so worth it.

Welcome to Fun-Schooling! It is such a fun way to get your children to learn and enjoy what they are learning. At first glance, it may seem like it’s not enough, but it is! It is enough and you are enough to be their teacher! They will love learning about the topics they are interested in. The Fun-Schooling Facebook groups are full of other Fun-Schooling mamas that understand and are always willing to help!

Enjoy this Fun-Schooling Journey!

Stephanie Schulte

#3 Hi Mama,

I am so excited that you have decided to join in on the journey of homeschooling! I know it is overwhelming, so stop and take a breath. You are not alone. When you doubt your choice, remember no one loves your child more than you! No one is more invested or wants your child to succeed more than you. If you love your child, then you can and will do this. You will be amazed at how your child will grow, not only academically, but also spiritually and emotionally. There is nothing more rewarding that teaching your own child and seeing the light bulb click on.

Now you choose your curriculum. Pray. Pray hard! Contemplate what your goals are…a specific subject, character, Bible, etc. Think about the ways your child learns best. Plan your budget. Ask fellow homeschool moms to see their curriculum and find out what did or did not work for them. After doing that, you will likely still be unsure, so just pick something and get started. If it does not work, you can always try something else next time. Remember, no child is ever behind. Go at your child’s pace and enjoy the new, closer bond you and your child are making. Teach to the whole child, not to the curriculum, and enjoy the wonderful blessing of homeschooling.

Love,

Kera Adams

Your Sister in Christ and Fellow Homeschooling Mama

#4 Dear New Homeschooling Mom,

There are some things that you NEED to know before you get started. You will not be able to teach your child(ren) EVERYTHING that you want them to know. Guess what? That is okay! There will be things that they do not retain or that you’re all bored to tears by. The most important thing is to make the most of things that you do enjoy. Enjoy spending time together. Read aloud, create art together, go on field trips, let them cook with you, and enjoy nature. Not all learning is done by sitting at a desk and reading from a textbook. In fact, the best learning does not happen that way!

Another thing you should realize is that there is NO perfect, one-size-fits-all curriculum. If there were, homeschooling would be SOOOO easy and many curriculum publishers would go out of business! With that said, take some time to get to know your child’s interests and learning styles. Doing this will make homeschooling much easier. Once you do pick a curriculum, give it a fair chance, but do not be afraid to ditch it if it’s not working for your family. It is not worth the hassle and headache to try to stick it out with a curriculum that makes you miserable. Hopefully, these thoughts help you as you begin your homeschool journey!

Best of Luck!

Jennifer Fischer

An Experienced Homeschool Mom

#5 To the New, Overwhelmed, Homeschooling Momma,

Take a breath when it is overwhelming, frustrating, or scary. You will go through lots or curriculum until you find what works (the journals are great testaments to your journey). Not all days will be productive, things will be forgotten, and houses will be disheveled. It is all ok! Remember your children are listening and learning even when you think they are not. When Plan A does not work, go for Plan B, then C, D, and E. Grab the little moments, those will be remembered.

If there is frustration, regroup, refocus, bake cookies, go outside, and try again. It does not mean it isn’t working, it means it is hard and requires a different approach or a break to look at it fresh. Ask the veterans…we are always willing to help, and I would not have made it through our homeschooling journey without them. Most importantly, have fun! Education should not be drills and cramming, it should be about genuine curiosity and the ability to fulfill it. Give children the tools and they will surprise you. The best thing about our journey has been to watch my kids develop a true love for learning. They love to discover new things. As teens, it has helped them immensely as they prep for and attend college (my 17-year-old is on his second semester). It’s okay to admit you don’t know and learn right alongside your children. My son was teaching me things I never learned in history. It was fun and showed him we never stop learning. It will get done, they will succeed, and you will have done an amazing job!

Love,

Jessica Chakey

A Veteran, Self-doubting, Procrastinating, Homeschooling Momma

#6 Dear New Homeschooling Mom,

Get a cup of coffee, tea, or water and take a breath. Look at the beautiful kid or kids in front of you and breathe. You are ok, they are ok, and everything else will be ok. You have made an extremely hard choice to be responsible for your children’s education and complete wellbeing. You are doing great!

There will be days when everything flows. Assignments get done, dishes get washed, and no one fights; but more often than not, the days will be filled with unscheduled breaks, impromptu field trips, third breakfasts, half-done worksheets, and even tears…from the kids and from you, and that is ok and normal. They will learn, in their own time and in their own way, and so will you. Enjoy this very fleeting time.

Sincerely,

Mary Ann

An Experienced (and sometimes lost) Homeschool Mom

#7 Dear Mom,

You say you are not equipped to teach your child and that you are not a remedial teacher, but who taught her to walk, talk, potty, get dressed, and have good manners? Did you employ a speech therapist, a pastor, or an occupational therapist to develop these skills in your child? You have unconditional love and passion, you know what keeps her awake at night, what her biggest joy in life is, and how to bring the best in her about. I wish someone had told me five years ago that I can teach my child how to read and spell in a FUN way, without the stress and anxiety of a cold therapy room, with a person she has never met. I wish someone could drown my fears of failure by handing me a Fun-Schooling journal and share the joy of accomplishment. I hope I can help you and your little one to skip all the heartache I have felt and all the tears my daughter shed.

I would like to share with you the most engaging, fun, and resourceful curriculum you will ever find! Fun-Schooling with The Thinking Tree is a lifesaver. With as few as perhaps three journals, a library card, nature, and some stationary, you can provide world-class education, tailor-made to your daughter’s (son’s/child’s) needs. You will be able to address all the concerns you have regarding her reading and math, as this curriculum builds on the child’s strengths and not their weaknesses, like is done in most traditional settings. Your child will learn in creative ways. They will learn to research and make their education their own. Every day might not look the same and some days you might feel dismayed. Just know it is normal to feel that way. Relax and lead by example. Get a Mom journal and let her see what you are doing. Don’t fall in the trap of ticking boxes. Let your child lead you on this learning journey. Kids are wired to learn, even when it looks like FUN!

From a Passionate Homeschool Mom,

Stephane Burger

# 8 Dear New Homeschool Mom,

After 13 years of homeschooling and trying tons of different curriculum and styles of learning…Fun-Schooling is the best! The one thing I wish I had known from the beginning is to let them follow their interests with their whole heart. Don’t let school get in the way of their education. We started out schooling this way in the early elementary years and then let the pressures of how education looks in public school pull us away from child-interest-led learning. Fun-Schooling has brought back the joy in our home. Learning is fun again!

Give yourself grace and keep things simple. If something is not working, throw is out. Most importantly, focus their education around their interests and they will develop a life-long love for learning.

Happy Homeschooling,

Kirsten Crawford Turner

#9 Hey Friend!

This may sound crazy, but I never thought I would homeschool either. Never! I thought it was “weird.” I thought I was “too dumb.” I thought my kids would be “ruined.” But guess what? We tried it and we are never going back to traditional school again! There are a million different styles of homeschooling, a billion types of curriculum, and about a trillion more options to choose from. Before you get overwhelmed, would you like to know what worked for us? Fun-Schooling!

Did you ever know that school could be fun? Yeah, I had forgotten, too. With Thinking Tree journals, your kiddos can grow and learn in ways they never thought possible and enjoy doing it! The best part is that you can grab a journal and get in on the fun. There are some pretty amazing resources and groups on social media and at funschooling.com to help with any and all questions that might come up. Let’s be real—some homeschool days are harder than others, and some days make me doubt my choices, but when I watch my kiddos actually pursue their passions, become independent, and look forward to the next Fun-Schooling day, it makes this journey completely worth it. Above all else, friend, know that you are loved, supported, and YOU CAN DO THIS! Your children will be so glad you did!

Big Hugs and Lots of Grace,

Jessica Stidham Bittner

10 Dear Mom,

Welcome to the world you dreamed of when you were a child! Do you remember sitting at school during a lesson wishing you were somewhere else? I wanted to be a princess who fought like a knight to defend the castle and tame the dragon, who would become my friend. I would bake mud cakes, build forts, read in trees with the wildlife, or on a yacht sailing to do “6 impossible things before breakfast” (C.S. Lewis).

Now I can do that with my children. We can be knights learning about the crusades and doing math. We can tame the dragon and bake real cakes, not just the mud kind! We get to read about animals who fascinate us and write our own stories about them. I get to live my dream childhood through their imaginations, while recording all of it in their journals. “You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so…get on your way!” (Dr. Seuss) Who could wish for a better way to learn?

Alene Candy

You are not alone! Join us at our Facebook Support Group for Fun-Schooling Moms here! Want to read more encouraging letters? Grab “The Homeschooling Letters” by clicking the image below!

Fun-Schooling Super Sale Extended through Sunday! New Books Added to the List!

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / 1 Comment

Here are all the books currently on sale that are available (the books that never got discounted by Amazon have been swapped out for new sales), with Sarah’s affiliate links hyperlinked so she’ll get the most profit from each sale. Please be patient if you do not yet see the price change. We can request, but have to wait for Amazon to update. The entire sale will be live until midnight on Sunday, February 19th!

UPDATE 2/13/23: All the Sales and Discounts (with SEVEN MORE books added)!

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / 4 Comments

NOTE: SOME OF THE BOOKS BELOW WERE NEVER MADE AVAILABLE OR NEVER DISCOUNTED BY AMAZON. THERE IS AN UPDATED LIST THAT CAN BE FOUND IN THIS POST: https://funschoolingwithsarah.com/2023/02/17/fun-schooling-super-sale-extended-through-sunday-new-books-added-to-the-list/

There is an awful lot going on with sales and discounts on all things Fun-Schooling this week! You’ll want to be sure and join the Fun-Schooling with Thinking Tree Books Mom’s Homeschooling Support Group on Facebook so you don’t miss any of these posts, as well as TONS of announcements, giveaways, drawings, and contests. It’s a very busy time!

Here are all the books currently on sale that are available (some may not have been marked down by Amazon yet), with Sarah’s affiliate links hyperlinked so she’ll get the most profit from each sale. The entire sale will be live until midnight on February 14th.

US Link not yet available

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 101: Counting the Cost

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / Leave a comment

If we look strictly at the “ledger”, comparing the costs of pubic education to a Fun-Schooling education, there are lots of things to consider.

First, it is of interest to note this statement:

…per pupil spending for elementary and secondary public education (pre-K through 12th grade) for all 50 states and the District of Columbia increased by 5.0% to $13,187 per pupil during the 2019 fiscal year…public elementary and secondary schools received $751.7 billion from all revenue sources, up 4.5% from $719.0 billion in 2018.

https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2021/public-school-spending-per-pupil.html

Public schooling is big business, and each time a parent decides to homeschool their child, part of their revenue is lost.

Practically speaking, the costs for sending your child to receive a “free public education” are considerable. Lists of required school supplies are now provided to each parent. There are expenditures for lunches, activity fees, extracurricular supplies, uniforms and athletics fees, field trips, technology and textbook fees, and more.

Families will pay an average of $577 on supplies for elementary students this year, which marks a 5.3% increase over last year. Those with middle school students can plan on paying an average of $763 and high school students can expect to spend around $1,223 on supplies. Those figures mark 5.3% and 9.5% increases, respectively.

https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/the-hidden-costs-of-public-education

And most importantly, there is the “cost” of your child’s innocence while being exposed to many social and political agendas. There is the “cost” of their having an understanding of their true worth and establishing their identity in light of things that are lasting and eternal instead of in standardized test scores and the attainment of artificial “bench marks”. There is also the “cost” of being taught a humanistic philosophy, a skewed account of history, and science which eliminates the role of the Creator of all things and Master of all laws of nature. Indeed, God is subtracted from all aspects of their “education” for about seven hours each week day. Seven. Hours. (continued on Page 2)

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Fun-Schooling FAQ: Proceeding, Picking, Programs & Peeking!

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / Leave a comment
Fun-Schooling Journals

First of all, remember, there is no wrong way to Fun-School. We have thousands of Fun-Schooling families and every home is different. Your homeschool schedule, materials, and plans are uniquely yours. These are general suggestions but tinker to make it your own!

Proceed! 

How do I get started Fun-Schooling?
Check out this post first and/or watch this video. This post on the Facebook group will also help.

Next, read through this blog post, and the upcoming Part 2!  

Last, PM us here or email us here if you need more help selecting journals or have other questions.

Our bundles are the easiest way to get started. Bundles come with a suggested lesson plan in the bundle description and are the most “open and go” method. https://www.funschooling.com/all-curriculum-bundles

Picking 

How do I select journals?

There are several ways to choose journals:

  • Look on our website. 
    • You can view journals based on grade level, academic subject, and theme/interest.  
    • Choose a bundle to cover all the basic subjects for an entire school year, complete with lesson plans! 

Programs

What programs are available?
We have four programs:

Fun-schooling Books https://www.funschooling.com/  

Dyslexia Games http://www.dyslexiagames.com/

Teach Yourself to Draw http://www.teachyourselftodraw.com/

Math Craft (Dyscalculia Therapy) https://www.funschooling.com/dyscalculia-games-math-craft

Fun-Schooling core journals cover eight to 20+ subjects in one. Subjects include the standard school subjects as well as unique subjects like nature study, classical literature, music, and more. Single-subject journals give students a chance to go more in-depth into a subject of their interest.

Peeking!

How do I see inside Journals?
Almost all our journals have flip-through videos on Amazon. They also are on YouTube, search the title of the journal + The Thinking Tree. We also have flip through videos on our Facebook group- you can find them here. 

The easiest way to browse our materials is through our website- https://www.funschooling.com/  

Click a journal to go to the Amazon listing. The videos are about halfway down, people often overlook them because they look like ads.

This should get you off to a good start! Click here for Part 2!

Fun-Schooling Jitters? Jump in the Deep End!

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / Leave a comment

When you first started Fun-Schooling with Thinking Tree Books you were probably feeling kind of overwhelmed with all the options to choose from, not sure how to build a curriculum for your child. You just look at all these beautiful books and wonder what’s inside and wonder…

Will my child be able to embrace this style of learning?

Is it enough?

Is it okay for children to have fun and study what they love instead of staying on the “tried and true” educational path set years ago my the experts of yesteryear?

Is it really okay that they are not learning all the sames things the grandparents studied in the 1950’s?

Can Fun-Schooling really provide a well rounded education when the whole point is for the child to dig deep into their specific passions and interests?

So many questions, fears, worries all mixed with the joy and wonder of discovering a way of learning that makes total sense!

So you dip in your toes, and maybe your child just gets it and is already diving into the deep end.

Or maybe you get it because you read Brave Learner and Unschooling Rules and The Unhurried Homeschooler and it all is the perfect fit for the homeschooling plan of your dreams… But your child has been so scarred by  “kill and drill” learning methods that they resist EVERYTHING.

Or maybe you were so relaxed in the past, and gave your soul over to radical Unschooling, and now your child scoffs at your efforts to get more organized with Fun-Schooling… because they would rather play Fortnight, and doesn’t that matter anymore? They fuss and cry at ALL structure.

So we plan, we dream, we fight, we cry, and we let go, and then we hold on tight because that’s motherhood.

And all you know is that trying to be a teacher is no fun, because your child actually can not sit still, and you know in your heart your child was not created to sit still. Children need to be free within safe boundaries, to learn when curiosity sparks, to discover who they are, what love is, and to learn to think deeply, live passionately, to grow through the growing pains and to learn to navigate this Earth, with wisdom.

And so you balance freedom with responsibility.

You measure out the boundaries of purpose and pleasure.

You walk the path ever-changing, never knowing where this road will lead… because it’s full of wonder, and questions, and struggle, and newness, and growth. And just when you think you mastered the game, the rules change, the seasons change, the relationships change, and life happens…

And it’s oh so messy.

And you wonder how you could ever prepare a child for the unknown future of a changing world.

You study the child. You seek to understand their individual gifts, weaknesses, passions and learning styles. You adapt your strategy to their personality and everything keeps changing. And then they are gone.

Go ahead and cry, because this is every mother’s journey, and even more so when you take on the great responsibility of giving your child an education that was dreamed up, just for them. (to continue reading, click on Page 2 below)

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Fun-Schooling Themes for 2022

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / Leave a comment

In the Fun-Schooling with Thinking Tree Books-Mom’s Support Group, we have a theme for every month, complete with contests, projects, and giveaways! Come join over 26,000 moms and mentors! Here are our themes: