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Jen Merckling

life.unimaginable

Early Learning

After 14 years of homeschooling--I've tried a lot of curriculums! Discover my top 12 favorite homeschool curriculums--the ones I keep coming back to year after year!

Top 12 Favorite Homeschool Curriculums

After 17 years of homeschooling–I’ve tried a lot of curriculums!  Homeschoolers have so many great curriculum choices available…Which is awesome, BUT–it can be totally overwhelming!  Don’t let the multitude of homeschool curriculums scare you into analysis paralysis!  Here’s the thing–there is no one perfect curriculum!  We all have different needs and preferences.  However, I do…

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Filed Under: Curriculum, Early Learning, Elementary, History, Homeschooling, Math, Middle School, Most Shared, Reading Tagged With: Affiliate, All About Reading, All About Spelling, apologia science, curriculum, elementary school, favorite curriculum, Homeschool, homeschooling, How to Homeschool, IEW, Institute for Excellence in Writing, middle school, Ready for Reading, Saxon Math, Sonlight, tapestry of grace, Teaching Textbooks, The Good and the Beautiful

How to Start Homeschooling: The Ultimate Guide

I have been homeschooling 16 years…It’s not something I ever imagined doing–but now I can’t imagine my life without it. If you’re at the beginning of the journey, I just want to come along beside you and give you a huge hug.  You can do this!   (Currently, some of you find yourselves schooling-at-home temporarily because…

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Filed Under: Curriculum, Early Learning, Elementary, Encouragement, High School, Homeschooling, Middle School Tagged With: Affiliate, curriculum, Getting Started, How to Homeschool

Letter A : Crafts & Activities

Let the games begin! My 5 year-old twins are just beginning to learn how to read!  They’re on step one: Learning the letters and corresponding sounds. We’re using my phonics curriculum: Ready for Reading (I created it especially for them and other homeschool families after years of teaching my other 4 children to read and…

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Filed Under: Early Learning, Homeschooling, Reading Tagged With: Affiliate, Apples, Crafts, Kindergarten, Letter A, Preschool, Ready for Reading

6 Reading Strategies for New or Struggling Readers

Training wheels…Sometimes I feel like teaching children to read is much like teaching them to ride a bike.  Some kids are super confident–“Take these training wheels off; let me go!” (These are the amazing early readers that apparently all the other moms have…If only kids reading too much was your biggest problem!) And then there…

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Filed Under: Early Learning, Elementary, Homeschooling, Reading Tagged With: Affiliate, First Grade, Kindergarten, Learning to Read, Preschool, Reading, Reading Strategies, Second Grade, Sight Words, Struggling Readers, Third Grade

Get ready for Thanksgiving with this super sweet Gratitude Bingo Game! Help your little ones build the habit of gratitude and thankfulness!

Gratitude Bingo Game {FREEBIE!}

As we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s a great time to focus on gratitude with our kiddos! I’ve got a super cute Gratitude Bingo Game for your little ones!  It will help them see there’s so much to be thankful for–everyday blessings! I’ve found that even small children can get into bad habits of…

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Filed Under: Early Learning, Family, Holidays, Homeschooling Tagged With: Character, Free Resource, Freebie, Gratitude, Parenting, Preschool Games, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving

Great pumpkin lesson ideas and super simple pumpkin craft for kids! Grab my free printable pumpkin activity and get started with your kids!

Super Simple Pumpkin Craft & Activity for Kids

What the heck even happened to October, Sweet Friends? Scary, wicked how time flies! This past weekend we did our annual trip to the pumpkin patch and the pickins were a little slim…(And it was an absolute crowded, crazy zoo…People in huge lines to ride a tractor and buy kettle corn…It was a NO for me. I…

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Filed Under: Early Learning, Elementary, Holidays, Homeschooling Tagged With: Activities for Young Kids, Affiliate, Book Recommendations, Crafts, Fall, Halloween

Free Preschool Math Worksheets (Numbers 1-5)

As much as I truly believe that young children learn best through play…my littles love sitting down and doing “work”! I think it makes them feel grown-up…So in a sense, it’s truly an extension of their imagination and play! When they are doing their “work,” I want them to experience success and joy–this should be fun…

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Filed Under: Early Learning, Homeschooling, Math Tagged With: Affiliate, Homeschool, Kindergarten, math, Preschool, Preschool Games

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

“Once upon a time…” There’s just nothing like those four words signaling the start of an enchanting story…a fairy tale. Personally, I adore fairy tales—give me all the princesses, castles, bad wolves, and magic beans! And I love sharing them with my kiddos!  One of my favorites is Goldilocks and the Three Bears. It’s lite…

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Filed Under: Early Learning, Homeschooling Tagged With: Affiliate, Fairy Tales, Goldilocks, Kindergarten, Preschool, Thematic Units, Three Bears

Why Sensory Play is Important!

Welcome to my house–don’t mind the tub of pinecones, collection of rocks, and the bowl brimming with water and toy frogs!  It’s all part of play–which as you know, is where kiddos learn best!  There’s a fancy term for letting our kids collect, pour, mix, sniff, and generally make a mess…It’s called Sensory Play!  And…

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Filed Under: Early Learning, Family, Homeschooling Tagged With: Affiliate, Homeschool, Importance of Play, Parenting, Preschool, Sensory Play, Toddlers

Choosing Homeschool Curriculum: Where Do I Start?

  Homeschooling has been such a huge blessing in my life and family–I’d do it again in a heartbeat!  I started researching homeschooling when my oldest son was about 3 years old–I really wrestled with the decision! (Here’s my post about why I homeschool and still love it). And after that initial decision to homeschool,…

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Filed Under: Curriculum, Early Learning, Elementary, High School, Homeschooling, Middle School Tagged With: Affiliate, Getting Started, Homeschool, Homeschool Curriculum, Homeschool Resources, How to Homeschool

Do you want to teach reading at home? Discover Ready for Reading, a phonics curriculum designed for moms by a homeschool mom and teacher!

Teach Reading At Home With Ready for Reading!

Teaching my kids to read has been one of the most rewarding experiences of homeschooling (and my life)! There’s just nothing like hearing your sweet babies read their first words and watching them grow as readers! When I decided to homeschool 15 years ago, the very first thing I purchased was a phonics curriculum!  My…

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Filed Under: Curriculum, Early Learning, Elementary, Homeschooling, Reading Tagged With: How to Homeschool, Kindergarten, Phonics, Phonics Curriculum, Preschool, Ready for Reading, Teaching Reading

Here are 3 Amazing Apps for Preschoolers that seamlessly weave together open-ended play, preschool skills, and technology!

3 Amazing Apps for Preschoolers That You Won’t Feel Guilty About

Often I get asked how I keep my littles (4 year old twins) busy while I’m homeschooling my daughter in high school and first grade son. (Honestly, it sounds harder than it actually is…twins have a way of entertaining each other!) But even if you’re not a homeschool mom, I’m guessing sometimes you could use…

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Filed Under: Early Learning, Family, Homeschooling, Lifestyle Tagged With: Activities for Young Kids, Affiliate, Apps for Kids, Homeschool Preschool, iPad, My PlayHome, Thinkrolls, Toca Boca, Using Technology With Kids

Homeschool Kindergarten Reading Curriculum

The Best Curriculum for Kindergarten

Kindergarten…so full of possibilities!  For many it’s the beginning of their “official,” journey into the world of homeschooling!  If that’s you–welcome!!  Along with all the excitement of starting something so monumental, comes a lot of pressure!  You are homeschooling because you feel it’s the best choice for your child and your family…You want to do…

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Filed Under: Curriculum, Early Learning, Elementary, Homeschooling, Math, Most Shared, Reading Tagged With: Affiliate, apologia science, favorite curriculum, Homeschool, Homeschool Curriculum, How to Homeschool, Kindergarten, Ready for Reading, Saxon Math, Saxon Phonics K

Teaching math with manipulatives helps kids understand math concepts and build a strong foundation in number sense! Plus using math manipulatives is fun! Here are my top 10 favorite math manipulatives! I've used them countless times while homeschooling my own children and as a classroom teacher!

Top 10 Favorite Math Manipulatives

I know I may be in the minority—but I love math, and I really love teaching math!  I’m truly a nerd at heart.  When it comes to teaching math to young students—using manipulatives is definitely the way to go!  Regardless of what math curriculum you’re using—math manipulatives help kids gain a more concrete understanding of…

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Filed Under: Early Learning, Elementary, Homeschooling, Math Tagged With: Affliliate, Hands On Learning, Homeschool, homeschooling, How to Homeschool, How to Teach Math, math, Math Manipulatives

Teaching your left handed child handwriting can be challenging--especially if you are right handed! I have two left handed sons--here's what I've learned to help teach them handwriting!

Tips for Teaching Your Left Handed Child Handwriting

All the boys in my house are lefties…My hubby, my teenage son, and my kindergarten son.  It makes for some elbow bumping at the dinner table–but that’s nothing compared to the struggle with handwriting!  Teaching my left-handed children fine-motor skills (specifically handwriting) has been one of the more challenging tasks for this right-handed momma!  I’ve…

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Filed Under: Early Learning, Elementary, Homeschooling Tagged With: Affiliate, Handwriting, Homeschool, How to Homeschool, Left Handed Kids

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Hello! Welcome--I'm Jen! I've got 6 kiddos, twins, toddlers, teens--lots of laundry and always dirty dishes! I've been Jason's wife for 20 years, a mommy for 18 years, and a homeschooler for 14 years...I'd love to be friends. ♡

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❤️Love of Learning, Leadership, Creativity, Cr ❤️Love of Learning, Leadership, Creativity, Critical Thinking… 
Just some attributes at the heart of why many of us homeschool! 

We’re digging deep into all that this coming week over at the Life Skills Leadership Summit! I’d love for you to join us!! {Grab your free pass in my bio!}🎉 

I’ll be talking about growing independent learners through all the seasons of homeschooling...💐☀️⛈🍁❄️ 

And the longer I homeschool (17 years now)--the more I am convinced that our kids create & experience meaningful learning through play! 🦄🤖🤴🦸‍♀️

❤️My 6 year old twins created this barn (and a set of paper dolls & horses)--complete with apples in a barrel, hay for the horses, and tiny carrots...I did nothing but provide the materials and the TIME to play!

It may not be Instagram or Pinterest “pretty”—but they were so engrossed and immersed in the process!!

 What project is taking over your dining room table?🐴🎨😉
Slow, cozy mornings...Just one thing I love about Slow, cozy mornings...Just one thing I love about homeschooling! The twins set out their toys to enjoy the fire & then disappeared...Now it’s very quiet—maybe too quiet... #whataretheyupto
Happy New Year!!🤩 Time to take down this tree Happy New Year!!🤩

Time to take down this tree & make some changes in 2021!🥳

{GIVEAWAY—Closed!! Winners have been notified —Congratulations to Sarah & Amy!}🎉❤️

But you still have time to join me for the Make Over Your Life Summit!🥰

We're covering all the things...in 8 individual tracks or grab the All-Access Pass:

❤️Marriage 
❤️Spiritual Life 
❤️Schedules 
❤️Home 
❤️Motherhood
❤️Homeschool 
❤️Health 
❤️Finances
Starts Monday--but Early Bird Registration (and best price) is NOW!
{Link in My Bio!!}
This sweet little book is meant to be read with ou This sweet little book is meant to be read with our little ones! They love joining in & “reading” the pictures! ❤️ 
It’s part of The Story of Christmas product in my shop—which also includes a game, narration, & coloring pages. 
 
Link in my bio!!❤️
All dressed up & nowhere to go!😂 #2020life All dressed up & nowhere to go!😂 #2020life
Happy Halloween from Harry, Hermione, & Professor Happy Halloween from Harry, Hermione, & Professor McGonagall!🎃🧙‍♀️

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