homeschool Archives | The Sparrow's Home

When your child struggles with reading…finding a reading curriculum and resources that are easy to use is everything.

January 4, 2021 by Susan Leave a Comment

Whether you’re a veteran teacher, or phrases like “phonics” and “reading comprehension” freak you out…you will love this reading program for struggling readers.

I was compensated for my time in writing this post. As always, all opinions are my own.

When I receive inquiries about tutoring, reading comprehension is often at the top of the list of concerns for elementary aged students. It doesn’t seem to matter if I’m working with kids who are in homeschool, public, private, or charter school. Lots of kids struggle with reading comprehension.

I’m always on the lookout for resources to use with my clients, as well as things I can wholeheartedly recommend to readers here. And after using PRIDE Reading Program with my own students I thought, as we sometimes say around my house…quoting a movie we enjoy… “That’s a Bingo!”

Introducing (drumroll please) Homeschool Disney

June 3, 2019 by Susan 10 Comments

I’m not the biggest Disney fan in the world. My husband, however, has a good shot at that title.

My appreciation and love of Disney has grown over the years. And that is in large part to how completely stuffed the Disney parks are with educational and learning opportunities. You see, I’m a consummate lesson-finder.

Movies, TV shows, books…lessons to be found.

Walks in the woods, games, random inanimate objects…I could teach a class.

When I began visiting Disney parks with my husband, I was wowed by the impeccable attention to detail. I have long said that when you visit Walt Disney World or Disneyland, you’re being invited to be a part of the stories. And I was also pretty amazed (and surprised) by the amount of learning that can be drawn from the parks.

17 role models of what living out an ordinary faith looks like

May 13, 2019 by Susan 3 Comments

There’s not one single answer to what it looks like to live a life of faith. These 17 people each lived out an extraordinary story in a uniquely different way, and a simple faith was at the heart of each one.

I received a complimentary book and was compensated for my time in writing this review. As always, all opinions are my own.

What makes someone a hero of the faith? Just the phrase is intimidating, if you ask me. But as with most things in life, a change of perspective can make all the difference. I’ve been reading about the lives of 17 individuals who did some amazing things and instead of feeling intimidated, I’m inspired.

The book is Eternity through the Rearview Mirror: How Simple Faith Changes Everything—Seventeen Extraordinary Lives, and I’m anxious to tell you about it.

Nurture your child’s head, hands and heart

October 29, 2018 by Susan 5 Comments

Young children learn best in gentle ways. Making crafts, telling stories, cooking together. Even more than the fun of the experience, they build memories with your child. How wonderful would it be if someone did all the legwork, laid it all out, and you could just choose what would work with your family?s

I am being compensated for my time in reviewing Rooted Childhood. As always, all opinions are my own.

Teenage boys don’t particularly like doing crafts. Nor do they like to read poetry or snuggle, for that matter. Thankfully, although my boys are getting older, I have some delightful littles in my life that I can do all this fun stuff with.

I thought of them immediately when I discovered Rooted Childhood. Well, first I thought how much fun it would be to have had this collection when my boys were young…then I thought of my little friends. I invited them over right away.

Meet DSST, the CLEP test’s lesser known cousin

October 15, 2018 by Susan Leave a Comment

Earning college credits with DSST tests is an amazing way to save money on college. With a few resources to help you study, you can be earning credits in no time!

I was compensated for my time in writing this review. Opinions are always my own.

$30,000. That’s my estimate of how much we’ve saved on our boys’ college through earning credits by exam. Thirty-thousand-dollars!

Credits by exam is exactly what it sounds like. A person takes a test and if they pass, they are awarded college credits. If you’ve heard of this amazing money-saver, you’ve likely heard of CLEP. CLEP tests are the most commonly known college credit granting tests.

We love CLEP tests! But there’s another way to earn these credits by exam that many people miss… DSST tests. (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests).

I think it’s time more people were introduced to this overlooked resource.

Ever wonder if you can learn languages on your own?

July 23, 2018 by Susan 2 Comments

I was compensated for my time reviewing this product/service, writing this review, and hosting the giveaway. As always, all opinions are my own.

What do you do when your child wants to learn a language that you don’t know, and there aren’t any convenient and affordable classes nearby?

We dipped our toes into a number of different languages in our homeschooling. Over the years the boys tried Spanish, Greek, Russian and French. I learned quickly that trying to learn a language, even at an introductory level, without a teacher who knows that language is not super productive.

I knew Spanish well and had studied Russian a bit. And not surprisingly, those two courses went so much better than the ones I didn’t know. We even used a computer program for one course and it was terribly confusing and not intuitive at all.

So when my youngest expressed an interest in learning Japanese, I was kind of at a loss. Japanese?