My Blessed Mess

Evaluating and Filling Educational Gaps w/ IXL

02.20.2019 by myblessedmess // Leave a Comment

Please note: I received a free one- year membership to IXL for two students from IXL Learning in exchange for my honest review.

Ah yes, educational gaps - blank spots in our children's learning - one of the homeschool parent's greatest fears! How do we assess gaps and address them so we can be sure our children are getting a thorough, well-rounded education? When I received an annual membership to IXL for review, I was hopeful this would be an answer to a prayer for my family. In this post, I will share a bit about our experience in order to help you evaluate whether IXL would be a good fit for your children.

What is IXL?

From their website, IXL is "an immersive K-12 learning experience that provides comprehensive, standards-aligned content for math, language arts, science, and social studies." They also offer Spanish skills practice for those interested (and a spanish version of the entire program for spanish speaking families).

The continuous diagnostic - a tool for identifying problem areas...

Why I Don’t Keep Homeschool Grades

02.15.2019 by myblessedmess // Leave a Comment

Many long years ago, when I first started my homeschooling journey, our homeschool looked very much like "school at home". I used a textbook-style boxed curriculum, I graded every page of written work and kept meticulous records. I assigned grades and issued a report card every 9 weeks. I put a lot of pressure on my kids (and myself) to make sure they were doing things on the typical public school timeline, and keeping grades helped to show they were jumping through all those hoops.

We schooled this way for a few years. As I became more comfortable with home education and more knowledgeable about learning styles, educational methods, and how to foster real learning - our homeschool evolved. The way we "do school" now couldn't be further from the way things were done at the beginning of our journey! One thing I stopped doing was tracking and assigning grades.

Why not keep grades?

Top 5 Quick and Easy Meals for Busy Moms

02.08.2019 by myblessedmess // Leave a Comment

If you're like me, your to-do list is always long and your time is always short. Feeding my family delicious, filling meals is one of my top priorities - but I don't often have much time to get a hot meal on the table. Here is a short list of my go-to quick and easy meals to feed my large (and always hungry) family!

Tacos or Taco Salad - this meal is a bonus as it is also budget friendly! You can try our favorite souped up version of a classic taco salad here - Dorito Taco Salad
Chicken Broccoli Alfredo - Another budget friendly meal, this one takes 30 minutes or less if you use jared alfredo sauce. I pan fry cut up chicken in olive oil and add italian seasonings while the pasta is cooking. Add garlic bread and/or a salad if desired!

The Ultimate Homeschool Resource – (SchoolhouseTeachers.com Review) PLUS discount!

02.06.2019 by myblessedmess // Leave a Comment

As a busy homeschooling mom with kids of varying ages, I am always looking for resources that can make my days easier and benefit them all. Over the past few weeks, we've been enjoying reviewing the Ultimate Annual Yearly Membership from SchoolhouseTeachers.com. Let me just say there is SO MUCH INCLUDED in this membership! I won't be able to touch on all the wonderful, useful features, so I will focus instead on our personal favorites.

Overview - What's included?

SchoolhouseTeachers.com is an online educational resource for Christian homeschooling families, BY Christian homeschooling families. You will find self-paced, online courses and printable materials for preschool through high school, e-books, planning resources, an extensive video library, focused learning centers, and a whole area devoted to homeschool parent support - just to scratch the surface! They currently offer over 425 courses (both core subjects and electives) and are adding more every month! They offer both a monthly and a yearly subscription option.

Must-Have Tools for Homeschooling Families!

01.29.2019 by myblessedmess // 1 Comment

After homeschooling for over 14 years, I have accumulated a LOT of supplies. I have tried things throughout the years that I thought I would love, but ended up collecting dust. Then there are those items which I reach for daily. When starting out, it can be overhwhelming figuring out what the must have tools for homeschooling are and sifting through the many choices available. My hope is that this list might help both new and veteran homeschoolers alike! I will do my best to break these down by category for you. Read More...