Lunch with Meredith Curtis and Felice Gerwitz

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The post Special Replay: The Best Homeschool Year Ever appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Are you ready for math the easy way? Enjoy my special guest Pat Murray – he’s been a math teacher and coach for more than thirty-six years.

And would you believe that Over that time, the programs and courses Pat and his company developed have helped students and families numbering in the tens and hundreds of thousands in more than seventy-two countries. So no matter where you live this information is accessible!

Pat and his beautiful wife Maree live in Sydney Australia, have 10 children, and 7 grandchildren – soon to be 8 (next month).

So, we are going to delve into seven of the most valuable tips for teaching math to kids –of all ages. I was amazed that your math programs have one low cost for a year, per family and it covers grades 1 through high school which is amazing and only a man with a big family understands what a blessing that is to parents with many children….

Pat shares a mathematical trick – kids can learn as a parent to impress their kids.

Visit our sponsor:

Are you looking for a new Math Curriculum?

CTCMath specializes in providing online video tutorials that take a multi-sensory approach to learning. Favorably reviewed in Cathy Duffy’s 102 Top Picks and The Old Schoolhouse Crew Review, the lessons are short and concise to help your children break down concepts and appreciate math in a whole new way!

The lessons are taught the traditional way, not to a “test”.

Each one of the video tutorials is taught by an internationally acclaimed teacher, Pat Murray, who is renowned for teaching math concepts in a simple, easy-to-understand way (and in only a few minutes at a time). Using a multi-sensory approach having the combination of effective graphics and animation synchronized with the voice of a friendly teacher together with practical assessment. This three-pronged attack makes learning so much easier and more effective. Even students who struggled with math are getting fantastic results! And ones who were doing OK before are now doing brilliantly.

Visit ctcmath.com today to start your free trial.

The post Math The Easy Way appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Have you considered a four hour school day? Well if not, my guest today will share how she trimmed the fat of her school day. How did she do this? Listen to find out.

Check out her book, The Four-Hour School Day!

Book press release: 

Buy the book here: 

Durenda Wilson Facebook 

Durenda Wilson Instagram:

Why take all day when you can finish your school day in a way that is great for mom, dad and the kids.

This was a great interview and I hope you listen to the entire podcast – here is a nutshell version of our chat! Much more is on the interview. Durenda has some great insights on homeschooling!

Durenda shares about the beginning of her homeschool journey. [For details listen to the audio] She says, “…we always just tell people we were selfish, we did not want to share our kids with anybody else, especially not for that many hours a week. And we felt like there were some things we really wanted our kids to have. We, we wanted first of all time with them because we wanted to disciple them. And we know that that takes time and we didn’t feel like we could do the kind of job we wanted to by sending them away all day, five days a week. And then the other thing is we really wanted our kids to have a childhood.

Some of the key points:

God was calling us to do it. He was going to give us what we needed to do that. And I tell parents all the time, you have to understand that your role in your child’s life can’t be underestimated. You have a very, very significant role in their lives. You know, God ordained the family. That was his idea.

The author of the Four Hour School Day:

I always tell parents to be stubborn about your goals, but flexible about your methods. So the mission statement would be about your ultimate goals. And then, and then we’re flexible about the methods of how we’re going to get there depending on the child, depending on the season of life we’re in developmentally where our kids are on that, scope as well. We always have a direction. I think this is important because we can get caught up in the minutiae of homeschooling.

(Much more on the audio)

The Four-Hour School Day will help you to:

About the Author:

Durenda married Darryl in 1989, and she is a mom to eight kids born less than thirteen years apart. She always considered motherhood to be the ultimate career, but she had no idea of the countless ways it would deepen and humble her. Many, many times she found herself unsure and struggling, only to discover God’s strength at the end of her rope. She realized she experienced the grace she desperately needed when she took the time to slow her heart and listen for His still, small voice. Her greatest joy is helping moms discover that grace as well–and with it the courage to put their full trust in Him as they learn to hear His voice above all others. Connect with Durenda at durendawilson.com.

Visit our sponsor:

Are you looking for a new Math Curriculum?

CTCMath specializes in providing online video tutorials that take a multi-sensory approach to learning. Favorably reviewed in Cathy Duffy’s 102 Top Picks and The Old Schoolhouse Crew Review, the lessons are short and concise to help your children break down concepts and appreciate math in a whole new way!

The lessons are taught the traditional way, not to a “test”.

Each one of the video tutorials is taught by an internationally acclaimed teacher, Pat Murray, who is renowned for teaching math concepts in a simple, easy-to-understand way (and in only a few minutes at a time). Using a multi-sensory approach having the combination of effective graphics and animation synchronized with the voice of a friendly teacher together with practical assessment. This three-pronged attack makes learning so much easier and more effective. Even students who struggled with math are getting fantastic results! And ones who were doing OK before are now doing brilliantly.

Visit ctcmath.com today to start your free trial.

The post Four-Hour School Day appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

When you are a busy mom it is important to have scheduling hacks that work. And, that goes double for anyone out there who is a homeschool mom. In this episode, I share scheduling hacks that work well for me and how I get so much done in the little time I have each day.

Check out this amazing website for deep discounts on books and products that can save you time.

When we think about scheduling so many things to come to mind. Scheduling time for work, cooking, cleaning, shopping, errands, and lessons. Each day there are so many interruptions as well as unproductive times. If we could bottle all of that time wasted it would add up to hours and hours each week. You know your problem areas so I’m not going to list all the of the downfalls to trying to schedule and to keep to a schedule. We have interruptions each day and how we handle these will help.

Scheduling takes planning. And, scheduling takes prioritizing. Two things we can improve up. Scheduling also takes flexibility. So, planning, prioritizing, and flexibility. Saving time also includes understanding what is a time-waster. Is it talking on the phone, social media? Is it text messaging? Whatever pulls you out of your train of thought wastes time.

Also, when we talk about scheduling we are talking about using the time you have the best you can. So, what makes the most sense in your already busy life, and… what is the best use of your time? Is it time-effective? Can you have someone else do this task or it is something you have to tackle? These are questions we can ask ourselves as we look at our projects!

Look at your schedule with the thoughts of planning to get the most out of your time, setting up your schedule with the most important things first and remembering that life happens.

Does this give you ideas for the ways that you can increase your productivity by smart scheduling?  I hope so! One last word. There is some debate about whether multi-tasking is effective, and I think it depends on the person. For some, it works fine and for others, it can disrupt their concentration. So, think about this when you schedule and work on ways that will enhance your productivity. Scheduling is just one way.

Visit our sponsor:

Are you looking for a new Math Curriculum?

CTCMath specializes in providing online video tutorials that take a multi-sensory approach to learning. Favorably reviewed in Cathy Duffy’s 102 Top Picks and The Old Schoolhouse Crew Review, the lessons are short and concise to help your children break down concepts and appreciate math in a whole new way!

The lessons are taught the traditional way, not to a “test”.

Each one of the video tutorials is taught by an internationally acclaimed teacher, Pat Murray, who is renowned for teaching math concepts in a simple, easy-to-understand way (and in only a few minutes at a time). Using a multi-sensory approach having the combination of effective graphics and animation synchronized with the voice of a friendly teacher together with practical assessment. This three-pronged attack makes learning so much easier and more effective. Even students who struggled with math are getting fantastic results! And ones who were doing OK before are now doing brilliantly.

Visit ctcmath.com today to start your free trial.

The post Scheduling Hacks For Homeschool Moms appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Do you have family loyalty? Do you know what it means to be loyal? In this episode we are going to talk about your family, your parents, and those adults in charge of you. And we are going to talk about that and so much more. Another episode for the kids!

Listen to these past episodes just for kids!

Books for tweens – Truth Seekers Mystery Series. 

What do you think being loyal means? If you said it has to do with standing by someone or some idea or purpose these are all correct. We hear about loyalty when we think about the military. The men who fight for our country to keep us safe, they are loyal to an idea or a cause. When people described people that were loyal they used the word chivalry. Chivalry means to protect, to be honest, to be kind and to care even to the point of giving your life. But did you know being loyal applies to your parents and your family as well?

So, again – let’s think about this word loyalty. Are your parents loyal to you?

Your parents put you first, above people not in your family, right? They feed you, make sure you have clothes to wear and a place to sleep. And, for homeschoolers you know your parents are your teachers.  You listen to your teachers whether it is a parent or a teacher outside of the home. So, what happens when someone tells you to trust? Well, trust is earned for the most part. If you are a kid, maybe you have lost your parent’s trust by making the wrong choices. But, generally, people who are authority figures should be trusted.

Do you remember in your early grades you studied about community helpers? These are people who had jobs within a community where you live that serve in a job that helps, for example, law enforcement, teachers, firefighters, emergency personnel like ambulance drivers and EMTs or paramedics. These are people in authority. There are many people that fall into this category. They pretty much get our trust because they are an authority figure. You really don’t want to argue with a firefighter who is trying to rescue you from a burning building.

Well, our parents are authority figures as well. Some parents are great and some, well not so much. Some kids in a family are great, some are not so great, but no family is perfect. We all make mistakes and when we do, we should all apologize and say we are sorry. I have written many apology notes to my kids during times when I messed up. Yes, even adults make mistakes. But we are still a family.

We should have family loyalty. It is important. Maybe you yell at your siblings but if someone else says something bad about them you want to fight with that person to defend your sister or brother, or maybe mom or dad. We should be loyal to our family because we know our family cares about us, even if they do not always show us they care.

Who put your family together? Are you a person of faith? If so, you believe that God had a hand in putting your family together. Maybe you wish that God didn’t give you the family you have because you think another family is better. God gives us all free will, we are not puppets, and we can make our own choices. Some people make good choices and others do not. So, where does that leave us?

But why have family loyalty? Why is that important? For some of you, you may think that is a strange question. I started thinking about this the other day when I caught the tail end of a superhero movie on television. Well, I think it was a superhero – it was an X-Men movie–are they superhero? I don’t even know. Anyway, at the end of the movie I heard one of the characters say some words that I have heard before. I heard these in my college classes. It started with this:

“Forget everything your parents have taught you.”

What! Why would someone say that to you? Why should you forget everything your parents taught you?

You are a kid no matter how old you are. You will always be a kid to your parents. Your parents love you and they care about you. They want you to be loyal to your family and believe what they have taught you at home is right and just.

If someone tells you to forget everything your parents taught you and listen to them, doesn’t that make you suspicions? When I heard a teacher say that to me, this is what I thought.

An authority figure that tells you to forget what your parents say that does not know what your parents said, is wrong. Why do they say this? A fancy way of saying this is they have an agenda. They think they know better than your parents. They want you to think the same way they do, and they do not want you to have an opinion that is different from theirs. There was a movie God’s Not Dead and in that movie the professor wanted everyone to sign a piece of paper that said that God was a myth and the belief in God was not true. Everyone in the class signed the paper except for one student. And the professor was very angry with him, and tried all different ways to make him back down.

This is why family loyalty is important but also what you believe. If you are confused, ask your parents.

Many teachers really do a good job and they care. But, some teachers really don’t want you to have an opinion and view that is different than theirs.  This happens to some adults at work as well. If people really care they should understand that we all think differently. Yes, even if we disagree. You should be allowed to have your opinions and other people should be allowed to have their opinions.

So, why are we talking about family loyalty? Because if we are loyal to our families we:

Each one of you is amazing and important and each one of you—I believe was created in the image and likeness of God. God does not make junk! he made you and gave you to the family you have, and we make the best with our family. Our family is practice for the family you will someday be with and do your part to be the best you can.

The post Special Replay – Family Loyalty: For Kids appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Most schools public and private assign reading lists for upper elementary OR middle-high school years — but we, as homeschoolers were never known to be the norm. Right? Right! We beat to a different drummer and in this broadcast Felice shares her love of books, when that came about and how you can foster that love with your children during the summer months. Who says school has to end in May or June? Enjoy the lazy days of summer with some great reading choices and see your child’s imagination and love of learning soar!

Handouts Below

Show Notes – 

A. What are your goals in having your children read books during the summer?

B. Do you want your children to learn to love reading?

C. Do you want to get a head start on your school year by reading good books?

You can find many of these books at the public library or purchase them for your 

Suggested Summer Reading List

Younger Children—K-3

Upper Level Elementary & Middle School

High School

The post Special Replay: Summer Reading List appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Why write? It is fun, and what better fun summer project than to write a book. For some children, this may be just what they need to get their creative juices flowing and for others, it may be better to begin with baby steps. This is a just for kid’s episode but parents are always invited, so get your kids and let’s begin!

Did you know storytelling is something that people did long ago for entertainment? Now we have television, video, and streaming apps, but long ago the way that people enjoyed themselves was to tell stories of real events or to exaggerate things that happened to make them more exciting.

For example, instead of saying… I was walking down a path, and I got to the end, and I turned right. After that, I kept going until I got home. Boring right?

Well, someone might tell the story like this. As I was walking down a path I thought I heard something rustling in the bushes, in fact, the noise got closer and closer, so I hurried along trying not to make it obvious that I was afraid and really, really scared. There are often lions in the woods and I knew that it was close to their feeding time, and if I didn’t hurry I might be some lucky lion’s dinner. As I walked I looked back, and the rustling was still following me and it was getting faster. So, I picked up my speed. And, yes – you guessed it the thing – whatever it was in the bushes was also picking up speed as well. I saw my house ahead and I ran as fast as I could as if my life depends on it. Because it did. As I opened the door and threw myself in, I heard a roar and a whoosh of air right behind me. Then a horrible scratching at my door. I looked out of my front window and there is was an angry, pacing lion who had just lost its tasty dinner. Me.

Which story would you want to read? The first one or the second one? I agree the second one sounds more exciting and both say the same thing just in different ways.

Fiction is very close in some ways to true events and if you can think of something that has happened to you, you may be able to turn it into a short story that people will enjoy. Because that is what storytelling is, it is a way to entertain or bring enjoyment to another person. And, who doesn’t want to make someone else happy?

I wrote three novels with my daughter and that is called being a co-author. We wrote different parts of a story and put the parts together. I wrote some scientific facts in the book and she wrote the fun, action-adventure, mystery part. We worked on it together and it was a wonderful experience. You can find the books on my website at MediaAngels.com and they are the Truth Seekers Mystery series.

How did we come up with this idea? I wanted novels that taught good information and my daughter wanted to write an action novel with kids that actually did something that wasn’t dumb. For example, if there is a noise in the basement no one is dumb enough to go down the dark stairs alone to check it out like in all the books where they get caught. I have a podcast where I interviewed my daughter and you can get more of an idea, here. PUT LINK TO OTHER PODCAST

So – back to writing.

Let’s say you always wanted to write a book and just didn’t know how to begin. One of the best ways to begin is through brainstorming. If you can brainstorm an idea, it helps to work out the angle you want to take. My daughter and I did this with the Truth Seekers Mystery Series TM. So you can begin with a marker board or a large sheet of paper. You can draw a diagram, and start with a circle in the middle and write the word, story… then draw spokes around your primary topic or goal.  And add to these, it can have characters (and spokes off of that circle to name your main characters), or it can have a setting, or a theme, or problem that must be solved.

Most books have a specific theme or another word for it is TrOps… look up the word tropes – which is pronounced trOp – the o is long. This is an overused or cliché … this may give you something to start with. For example, think typical kid mysteries, or time travel, finding treasure, you know things that most books or movies are about.

You keep drawing these spokes and circles until you run out of ideas. This is also called mind mapping and you can look that up as well.

What if you don’t think you can write a long story? Well, start small.

Here are some quick tips:

For more practice one thing you can do is retell a favorite story – you can change something in the story. For example, if the character is a boy make it a girl. If it is set in a mountain town make it a beach town. If they are finding buried treasure, change it to a valuable artifact – something that may be washed up on the seashore after a storm. So, the book is similar to the book you like but you change everything you can… the character’s names, and more to make it your own story. That is one way to start writing if you don’t know how.

Storytelling is all about the “what if” questions. What happens if the lion is faster than the person running away, what if the person had a bow and arrow, what the kid’s best friend or little brother was outside playing when the kid came running home chased by a lion?

Another way to jump-start ideas is to use open-ended stories or story starters … you can start reading a book and then put it down and write the rest of the story yourself. Don’t peak! After you are finished you can read the book and see how yours is better or how you can improve upon your idea.

You can do what I did with the first novels I wrote and that is to write with a partner. It is important if you do that one of you at least can take criticism. Because we were going to publish our books and they were going to be in catalogs and online stores, I gave the book to over 40 families to read and got feedback from the people reading the book to see what they liked or did not like. Then we changed our books to include the good ideas that people gave us. Some people do not like feedback or their feelings get hurt. Like an artist or anyone who puts their work or ideas out there – if you like it, and your family likes it? Well, that is all that matters. If you want ot look up the Missing Link Found on Amazon, you can read some of the comments that people have made on the book. As you can see there are good and bad. Another book I wrote, A Few Minutes with God also got good and bad reviews. But, you know what? It is okay. Some people do not like to share their work with others because of fear of what someone might say. I am not like that or I would not have over 20 different books published.

You can use software like Google docs if you have a Gmail account. You can share this with a parent or they can set it up for you.

Use Google docs – allows parents and children to access the document if permissions are set correctly at the same time, OR use a word document and allow tracking for corrections and comments when you edit.

So, what are you going to write? Is it a mystery? Is it a nature story? Is it a discovery? Did your character discover a lost island, or what about a bug? I have a friend who did discover a specific type of bug. Maybe you are writing about a tropical rain forest, or a vacation on the coast, and a big storm comes in and you find something exciting (or someone exciting) that is washed up on the shoreline. Imaginations can begin working if you give it some ideas to start with…

I wrote a book on writing and publishing for adults, but it is valuable if you ever want to publish your book, it is called Information in a Nutshell Writing and Publishing, and tells you more about the keys to writing. Another book on how to write fiction is by a good friend of mine, Susan Marlow, and it is called Reach For the Stars and is available with my eBook bundle on the MediaAngelsMembership website and if you want the print version, Susan sells it on her website. This book walks you through step by step guide on how to write fiction.

If you have any questions stop by this post and I’ll be happy to answer them.

The post Fun Summer Project: Write A Book appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Planning for summertime day trips or day trip is easy, fast and fun! It was the only vacation my family took for many years. With both my husband and myself, self-employed the business did not run if we were not here. Being the ever-resourceful couple, we decided to ditch our car and buy a conversion van, and the fun began! Our journeys started close to home. Museums, state parks, and the planetarium. We asked the big question — is this a day drive? If not, we planned a week-end trip.

Out of our day-trip journeys, we soon found a love for nature and purchased our first pop-up tent in 1998. It was brand new and the camping trips began. It was small enough to fit behind our now, SUV and the best news was that it fit our entire family of five kids and two adults. Recently our pop-up was infested with critters that tore it up, but it lasted twenty years!

Things to bring:

Rebecca from the Well Planned Gal understands the challenges of working within a budget, managing multiple children, and trying to keep up with a variety of information. That is why she created popular planner bundles!

Combine organizational tools with year long encouragement by bundling Well Planned Day planners with the popular Family Magazine. For a limited time, Save 30% with one of her popular planner bundles. Each bundle contains 2 planner products with a one-year subscription to Family Magazine.

Click Here to Go to Well Planned Gal

The post Special Replay: Best Summertime Day Trips appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

What are some fun summer projects? What about starting a family business? Summer seems to be a good time to have fun, but it also is a great time to think about a business for the entire family. Are you ready, here are some great ideas to get you started.

Visit my website at MediaAngels.com for great books, memberships, and classes.

Years ago I gave a talk at a state homeschool conference on family businesses, and then later at a smaller conference and there was a real interest in working from home. When we fast-forward today we find that many businesses are cropping up online and are based at home. I grew up with a family that was self-employed. My parents owned a bakery…(more on podcast).

We have been conservative in our investments and our businesses and we’ve never had a business not succeed – so, I feel a little bit qualified to give you some advice about beginning a home business. There are many questions you should ask yourself and the teacher in me always starts with the questions…because it is a great place to begin.

Keys to beginning a home business:

(Details are on the podcast – here is the short list)

Our kids worked and helped in our business throughout their time as homeschoolers. There were book sales and books to pack and ship, they helped with all aspects of the business that were within their ability. One of my children, Christina (now an adult) was the co-author of a three-book series we wrote together. She learned firsthand that there is no free lunch it takes work and perseverance. There is a booth at homeschool conferences, there are speeches to write and to give, and there is selling online and websites – business cards to design and slogans or catchphrases to create. If you want something that keeps the family together and teaches a good work ethic, this is it.

Well, what do you think? Do you have the next best idea? Well then, I hope you look through these suggestions, add some of your own and let me know if I left anything out that I should have added in the comment section below –

Check out these Information in a Nutshell books about Business!

Information in a Nutshell Writing Tips – Are you passionate about your writing? Do you have an idea that may be the next best seller? Do you have a story that must be told? Do you aspire to share your experience or knowledge with others?  It took me over ten years to get my first book published, not because I didn’t have the desire, but because many books I read about the entire process left me feeling lost or overwhelmed. This book is easy to read and will give you a quick understanding with insider’s secrets and tips. Don’t wait for ten years like I did! Discover today how to turn your ideas into a published book. Learn insider’s tips from successful published authors. Don’t wait another day.  This book will give you the tools you need to jump start your writing career.

Information in a Nutshell – Business Tips and Taxes for Writers – This long awaited companion book of the Information in a Nutshell line is finally here! Authored by Carol Topp, CPA this short book packs a powerful message ~ Authors MUST know the business tips, strategies, bookkeeping and tax advice in order to keep those profits from their writing. Whether you are an author of a book, blog or magazine articles you will want to read this book from cover to cover.

The post Fun Summer Projects: Family Business and Entrepreneurs appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

What are the best summertime outdoor activities — well they can range from those that please the most active child to those who would rather sit and read a book. Yet, there is just something about being outdoors that makes us happy! The sun, the sky the bugs… okay, well we want to avoid those as much as possible but still enjoy being in the beautiful world that God gave us.

Thanks to our sponsor the Well Planned Gal, Rebecca Farris! She has various planners for every homeschool need and the Prayer Journal is brand new. You can visit wellplannedgal.com – and in just a few minutes I can’t wait to tell you more about them…

In my last podcast (Best Summertime Rainy Day Activities Episode 277) I went over some things like rules that are important for kids to know before you begin any activity as well as encouraging positive character qualities – you may want to listen to episode 279 in order to learn more. It is important to realize that the minute kids get outside all they want to do is run. It’s like the saying, “Free and in the wild!” But, kids can also be directed once outside and I’m excited to share these ideas with you.

My list would not be complete without the following:

Do you have a great idea I left out that is a win-win? Please share them with us!

The post Special Replay: The Best Summertime For Kids appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.