because you may have fizzled out in December!  Whether you are thinking about homeschooling, are new to homeschooling, or have been homeschooling for years, listen to this podcast for a suggestion on how to start the new with year off with a less-stressful, more enjoyable homeschool experience than before!

The post Starting off 2015 with a Bang . . . appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

With the holidays often comes a time of stress and commercialization and we often end up dreading, rather than enjoying one of the most important holidays of the year for Christians!  Why not plan a holiday co-op so that your family can join along with others to celebrate while serving this year?  If you begin planning now, you can make this year’s Christmas experience one that your family long remembers.  Listen in as I share a few ideas on how to make a holiday co-op fun and meaningful.

As promised, here are a list of favorite Christmas book titles.  If you visit our Facebook page you can add more titles, or see what others add!  https://www.facebook.com/dpkproductions

The Tale of the Three Trees by Angela Hunt
The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg
We believe in Christmas by Karen Kingsbury
The Christmas Candle by Richard Paul Evans
Operation Christmas Child by Franklin Graham
The Clown of God by Tomie dePaola
Jacob’s Gift by Max Lucado
Trees of the Dancing Goats by Patricia Polacco
The Pine Tree Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs
Song of the Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones
The King’s Christmas List by Eldon Johnson
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey Book by Susan Wojciechowski
The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado
The Christmas Scrapbook by Phillip Gulley
The Homeless Christmas Tree by Leslie Gordon
The Gift of the Magi by O’Henry

Also, Advent Books (which do not work well for a co-op unless your co-op meets daily, but are great to include in your family traditions) are Jotham’s Journey, Bartholomew’s Passage (both by Arnold Ytreeide) and The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp.

The post Enjoy Fun, Food, Fellowship and SERVICE with a Holiday Co-op! appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Joyce Herzog (teacher/author/consultant/speaker) has been a friend to homeschooling families for over 20 years.  Listen to this interview and be encouraged to help your children learn in spite of labels, or in spite of curriculum that does not seem to be working, or in spite of the naysayers!!  Curriculum is to be a guide, not a god!  Joyce offers all kinds of great advice and she shares a few secrets that teachers never tell!

The post Encouragement from an Expert appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Homeschooling should be a natural extension of your family life!  Learn while living!  Learn while loving!  And, while you are at it, teach your children to love learning!  Join us today as I interview Dr. Mary Hood, an expert in the field of enjoying a successful, yet relaxed homeschool experience!

Check out Mary’s websites here:

http://archersforthelord.org/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/maryhoodgroupies/

The post Relax and Enjoy the Ride! appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Is your homeschooling experience less- than- exciting?  Are you ready to throw in the towel or, worse, throw out the kiddos?  Have your expectations for a great year already been demolished by reality?  If so, listen in and receive some advice that might make things better.

The post Homeschooling: When All Else Fails appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

It is vital to be intentional about specific subject matters to be included in teen co-ops in order to help students think critically, speak articulately, question respectfully, understand the world around them and, most importantly, be ready always to give a gentle answer for the hope they have!  This podcast gives specific instructions for including power point, current events, worldviews, debates, break-out sessions and more in order to prepare students for life after high school by homeschooling co-op style!

The post Tweaking Co-op in Order to Prepare Teens for Life appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Teaching children to master public speaking skills is a must, and using the safe and friendly environment of a co-op makes this task easy!  Listen in to hear specific instructions on how to be intentional as you plan public speaking opportunities for the students who attend co-ops.   After all, we do want our children to be ready always to give an answer!

The post Be Ready Always … Honing Public Speaking Skills via Co-ops appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

This podcast will answer the questions below that have been asked by those who have yet to enjoy homeschooling co-op style:

1. How in the world do I find people to co-op with when so many of my friends are either engrossed in a compete curriculum or they already belong to a larger, formal co-op?
2. Is every parent expected to participate?
3. Does every student have to participate?
4. Are adults ever involved who do not have children in the co-op?
5. What if your group, for one reason or another, can’t stay at the facility where you are meeting?
6. What if you damage something at the facility?
7. How do you handle snacks with children who have allergies?
8. How do you pick a theme?
9. What subjects should you cover?
10. Should you include field trips?
11. What do you do about discipline problems?
12. How important is it to have a newsletter?
13. What do you do with toddlers and babies during co-op?
14. What if someone drops out in the middle of co-op?
15. What if someone wants to join in the middle of co-op?
16. Are there hardship situations that take special handling?
17. When you homeschool co-op style what do you do about high school transcripts?

If you have questions that are not included in this podcast, leave a comment and we will answer your questions as well!

The post Frequently Asked Questions about Homeschooling, Co-op Style! appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Now is the time to start thinking about fall co-ops.  If you have never been a part of a co-op, consider giving it a try next fall.  You will find the experience quite rewarding!  Several of our podcasts on the Ultimate Radio Network discuss how to start a co-op, but this week’s podcast will give you specific step-by-step instructions for how to begin now planning for the fall!  Below is a sample parental assignment chart as well as the front page of a co-op newsletter.

The post Plan Now for a Fall Co-op appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Listen in as Kendra Fletcher, a fellow Ultimate Radio Show host and a mother of 8, shares her co-oping experiences!  Sometimes Kendra’s co-ops included only one other family while at other times more joined in! Using the strengths of additional parents greatly enhances the co-op experience!   Neither Kendra nor I care for dissecting animals so we love that we can turn duties like that over to the parents who do enjoy dissections.  In this picture Kendra’s children and their friends are watching a turtle being dissected.  

The post What do dissections have to do with co-ops? appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Meet Terri who has worked part-time and full-time through her homeschooling adventure.  Listen in as she describes her co-op experiences and be encouraged to give homeschooling co-op style a chance!

The post Can working moms homeschool co-op style? appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.