How do you do All About Spelling?

When I first considered using All About Spelling, I looked at approximately 3,258 blogs to see how other families stored and used the letter tiles that are a big component of the spelling program. So many great ideas are out there! Many moms use 2' by 3' marker boards (link to AAS tips about marker boards), either permanently or temporarily on their walls. Others use sheet metal with a decorative frame, or even an oil drip pan.

These are all wonderful ways to use the letter tiles, but right now I just didn't want to buy any new stuff to put on the walls.

So, I just used my fridge. 

The letter tiles are obviously magnetic, so this works well. 

But, you're probably wondering how we write on my black fridge. 

Being able to practice words with a dry erase marker isn't mandatory for the AAS program, but it is helpful. I have two solutions! 

The magnetic sentence strips I bought from Rainbow Resources, but a similar product is available on Amazon. 

The neon dry erase markers were purchased from Amazon. Little A4 uses these same bright, chubby markers to color and practice writing letters on the lower part of the fridge. 

If you're wondering what letter tiles are, please visit the All About Spelling site. They'll explain he The letter tiles are a key component of the Interactive Spelling Kit.

How have you set up your All About Spelling letter tiles? Please share your link below!

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Preparing for a new year of homeschooling

What to do about all the old curriculum materials... That's the big topic this week in my homeschool supply closet!

Here are some options for getting rid of old books and homeschool materials to prepare for the new year:

1: Send a message about items for sale to your local homeschool email list

I'm a member of a local Yahoo Group and our group allows us to sell homeschool materials to fellow subscribers. I always post "For Sale" and the item name in the subject line, then post a description in the body. I disclose the condition of the books, that the items are from a non-smoking home and include my email address, so no one accidentally hits the "reply all" button. This can be a great way to make friends with other homeschool families. Several times I have met new homeschool moms who I can encourage, and seasoned homeschool moms who have great ideas to share!

2: Use the Amazon Trade-In Program

You won't always get top dollar for books this way, but it sure is easy! They also pay in my favorite currency: Amazon gift cards. Amazon will pay shipping costs. and you can print the label from home. It's definitely worth looking at what they'll offer for your items, especially older or more obscure titles. Click on this link and enter the exact title of the book you're curious about, and they'll give you an estimate of what it's worth in their Trade-In Program.



3: Post high-value items on EBay

Items that have held a lot of their value, like IEW and Math-U-See, can be good to sell on EBay. The best way to see if your item is worth going to the trouble of posting is to search for similar items. What are they selling for?

4: Bless another homeschool family

If you ask around at church, a homeschool group, or on your local homeschool email group, you're sure to find someone who would love free materials.

5: Attend a curriculum swap

I've only been to one curriculum swap, and some moms got together at a playground and swapped teacher guides, reference books and more at a picnic table while the kids played.

What's for lunch? Homeschool edition

A hot lunch is perk #643 on a list of a thousand reasons why I love homeschooling. Who doesn't love a hot lunch? Now don't be impressed, because I'm not going to any trouble in the kitchen; I'm embracing the crock pot and casserole dish.

Here's a list of my go-to recipes for easy, inexpensive hot lunches at home:

Cheesy Polenta in the crock pot:
This dish is gluten-free for those avoiding gluten, and any leftovers can be stored in the fridge then sliced and heated up in a skillet. Cheesy polenta is good both ways! Top with leftovers from the dinner before,

Breakfast casserole:
This dish is for breakfast, lunch or dinner in my house. I've altered the recipe a dozen ways, adding broccoli or spinach, substituting ground beef for sausage... but I always use a full dozen eggs.

And any other four-hour-or less-crock pot recipe from this book...




Add some veggies with yogurt dip or hummus, and lunch is served!

PSAT just two months away

It's hard to believe August is already here. I'm looking at our calendar and many weekends are already booked through the fall. How did we get so busy? One event that is on the calendar is the PSAT for my 16-year-olds.

PSAT/NMSQT test dates for the next two years are:

• 2014: Wednesday, October 15 and Saturday, October 18
• 2015: Wednesday, October 14 and Saturday, October 17

The PSAT is offered only in October, and since it's inexpensive and easy to find a testing location, it's a test my big boys will take. Some families skip this practice version of the SAT, but my plan is to have the boys take it and then evaluate what they need in orders to prepare for the big test. 

Info for homeschoolers on the College Board site

C16's SAT vocabulary practice 

Khan Academy free SAT prep

I'll let you know how it goes!