Reprinted from a 1990 Timberdoodle Catalog That very word can strike terror into the hearts of both children and moms! Children would rather play than work, and moms sometimes find it easier to do the job themselves, than to plead with a child to undertake that responsibility. Here are some ideas that have worked in our family. 1. Inherent in the assigning of each job, is the need to be explicit in your desires. In our family, when a child assumes a new chore, she is instructed on how to execute it. This often means Dan or I must take...

We currently have a houseful of little ones with four involved in "school time" each day. They range from one to five years old, so we definitely know the juggling act it can take to keep everyone occupied!  In our home we've opted for different kits for each child, with the exception of our twins who share a PreK kit but have their own workbooks. There are a few subjects that have some overlap though. For instance our five-year-old is working through All About Reading Level 1 but still enjoys participating in All About Reading Pre-Reading on most days. So does our...

You Asked: How should I educate a 3- & 5-year-old together? Use a Pre-K curriculum and just challenge my older (who’s ready for K curriculum in reading and math) separately? Our Answer: What a great question! Have you done our early education placement test with your children yet? Each child is so very different, making it prudent to assess each one's actual skills and find his or her ideal starting point. But let's say you've done that and have a preschool and kindergarten student by level. The question then becomes whether to teach to the younger, teach to the older,...

This past year several members of our Blog Team had the opportunity to use All About Reading with their families. Find out what they thought in their posts below! Pre-Reading Level The Art Kit Dana says, "If you’re looking for an open and go, lightly-scripted pre-reading curriculum for your homeschooler, All About Reading is the curriculum for you. Through its darling read-aloud books, craft projects, and fun zebra puppet, your child will absolutely love spending time learning about the alphabet." Read more... Cummins Life Kathryn says, "This particular set is designed for young learners in preschool through kindergarten.  The All...

Originally published in Timberdoodle’s 1990-1991 catalog Don’t you just love toddlers? They are so enthusiastic, loving, curious, confident, and innocent. However, to a home-educating mom, they are also exhausting, impatient, loud, and unpredictable. But how can we incorporate these tornadoes in with the older children in our education program without making them the center of it? Here are some ideas that have worked for us. 1. Pick up a few school supplies for them. Construction toys, beginning thinking skills books, and even Kumon workbooks are all great choices for toddlers and will let them participate in school alongside their older siblings. 2. Most toddlers will be...