Knowledge House Newsletter


Homeschool Information... Ideas... and Inspiration

August Holidays & Special Days - Click Here!

~ August 2015 ~

Dear Readers,

I can't believe the summer is almost over! How about you? Do you start up your homeschool in August or September, or continue all year round? My 15-year-old son was way behind in math, and he took it upon himself to get caught up one whole grade level this summer, often doing three chapters a day! So don't get discouraged if your kids are not willing to study; the time may come later when they finally decide to put their minds to it. My oldest son did the same thing one year. It's like all of a sudden they just get in the mood to do it. Wishing you a successful year of homeschooling!

Teri's Sig


Featured Article

Back to Homeschool

It’s that time of year to stock up on school stuff while everything is on sale! Even year-round homeschoolers will appreciate having a brand new set of supplies when moving up to the next grade. Get your kids involved in the planning process. Then go to the store as a family and let your children choose what they want from the wide variety of styles and themes that are available. This way they can express their individuality, and they will be more likely to enjoy using those items that they had a say in picking out.

Essential school supplies will vary depending on the type of curriculum and grade level. In general, however, if you have school-age children it’s a good idea to always have the following basic supplies on hand: dictionary, thesaurus, pencils, pencil sharpener, erasers, paperclips, stapler, scissors, clear adhesive tape, masking tape, computer, printer, ink cartridges, and paper.

Preschool to elementary students will need: pencils, crayons, pencil and crayon sharpener, eraser, washable markers, safety scissors, white glue, glue stick, colored construction paper, drawing paper, notebooks, pocket folders, lined penmanship paper, math manipulatives, chalk, lunch tote (for field trips), and magazines with colorful pictures to cut out.

Middle to High School will need: pens, mechanical pencils, colored pencils, No. 2 pencils, fine-line markers, highlighters, ruler, scientific calculator, graph paper, three-ring binders, spiral notebooks (one for each subject), lined loose-leaf paper, pocket folders, composition book, journal, calendar, wristwatch, bookbag or backpack.

You might think your teenager has outgrown the crayons, markers, and other art and craft supplies, but older children still do research projects, science fair entries, book reports, skits and plays that require visual presentations. You don’t want to find out that your supply closet is empty the night before a project is due, so keep some poster board, construction paper, and colored markers in there just in case.

One more thing - In addition to checking your inventory, this is a good time of year to have the kids test all of their glue sticks, white glue, markers, etc. to make sure these items haven't dried out just in case they need to replaced. There's nothing worse than being in the middle of a project and finding out that something doesn't work!

A long time ago I made a checklist of basic homeschool supplies that our family found useful, which you might want to download, print out, and adapt for your own use: http://www.knowledgehouse.info/HomeschoolSupplyList.pdf

Book(s) of the Month

Well, a new school year is right around the corner! This is a perfect time to think ahead about how to make the most of those back-to-school days--especially if you homeschool.

Check out the special package I’ve put together for you - save over 50% on my exclusive Back-to-Homeschool set! These books will be a source of refreshing encouragement and practical motivation throughout your school year.

Easy Homeschooling Library

Learning for Life: Educational Words of Wisdom
Easy Homeschooling Techniques
Easy Homeschooling Curriculum
Easy Homeschooling Companion
How to Write a Homeschool Mission Statement

Click here for detailed book descriptions!

Get ALL 5 BOOKS (valued at $85) for ONLY $30!*

*Plus you'll get FREE SHIPPING!

OR purchase one or more individual titles - also on sale!

How to Write a Homeschool Mission Statement

How to Write a Homeschool Mission Statement

The beginning of a school year is an exciting time of opening new curriculum, planning your upcoming schedule, etc. You want this to be your best year ever, right? So while you’re at it, why not write a homeschool mission statement!

How to Write a Homeschool Mission Statement is an easy-to-follow step-by-step guide that explains in practical terms how to create, utilize, and display a homeschool mission statement. It includes: Examples, Discussion Questions, Worksheets, Keyword List, Scriptures, Quotations, Mottoes, Things to Do, and more!

Download your copy of How to Write a Homeschool Mission Statement, a 36-page e-book for only $4.95! (WAS $8.50)

OR get this e-book FREE in my Back-to-Homeschool set!

Learning for Life

Learning for Life: Educational Words of Wisdom

Wish you had the perfect quote (or quotes) to provide support for your family's homeschool mission? Well, look no further! Educational quotations can be a source of inspiration throughout your homeschool journey. Learning for Life: Educational Words of Wisdom is the only book of quotations compiled specifically with homeschoolers in mind. In fact, you will be delighted to know how many famous people from the past to the present agree with your educational philosophy!

Learning for Life is a 420-page treasury of nearly 3,000 quotations by more than 1,000 people on teaching, learning, and the pursuit of knowledge. The quotes are categorized by subject, covering both traditional and nontraditional forms of education. Many of these quotations are from Christian sources, harkening back to our schools’ Christian heritage and reflecting a strong biblical perspective.

For more information, please visit my Learning for Life page: http://www.knowledgehouse.info/learningforlife.html

Learning for Life is part of my Back-to-Homeschool sale!

Famous Homeschoolers

Did you know...? Two Pairs of Famous Homeschoolers Have August Birthdays!

William Clark and Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis & Clark Expedition were both born this month (August 1, 1770 and August 18, 1774, respectively). http://www.famoushomeschoolers.net/bio_lewisclark.html

Wilbur Wright was born on August 16, 1867, and his brother Orville was born on August 19, 1871. National Aviation Day is also celebrated on Orville Wright’s birthday. http://www.famoushomeschoolers.net/bio_wrightbros.html

Also, don't forget Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell in honor of National Inventors Month! Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb as well as many other things. Alexander Graham Bell is most famous for inventing the telephone, but he was also a teacher of deaf people.

Reading Between the Lines

Citizens Rule Book

I've been working overtime sending out Citizens Rule Books lately. I'm guessing it's related to the presidential election season. People are buying them in sets of 25 - 50 - 100 at a time! I'm so grateful for my wonderful customers, and their patience when we had a technical difficulty this summer. Instead of getting nasty e-mails saying "Where's my stuff?" they'd write "just send them when you can." I have the best customers ever!

If you haven't already, maybe you'd like to purchase one or more Citizens Rule Books and see for yourself why they're so popular. My late father-in-law, a World War II Marine Corps veteran and printer from Boston, wrote and distributed this pocket-sized booklet, and I sell them for only $1 each! You can order them at HomeschoolPatriot.com.

Learning Links

Summer Movies - Wind down the summer and celebrate Family Fun month with some popcorn, lemonade, and one or more of these movies. Some of them have summer themes and others just evoke the feeling of a summer adventure.

Meteors - The Perseid Meteor Shower peaks on August 12.

Meteorites - How to recognize a meteorite.

Lemonade - August 20 is Lemonade Day.

Monarch Butterflies - The Monarch Butterfly's fall migration begins around August 21.

National Parks - The National Park Service was established on August 25, 1916.

I Have a Dream - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave this famous speech on August 28, 1963.

Labor Day - Labor Day will be on September 7 this year.

Freebie of the Month

Are you planning to do any cultural geography or religious studies this year? Voice of the Martyrs/Kids of Courage have all kinds of FREE resources for teaching children about many different countries and religions around the world from a Christian perspective. Click here for more info.

Quote of the Month

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” ~Thomas Edison

A Note From Teri...

August is "National Back-to-School Month" as well as "Family Fun Month" - and what better way to finish up the summer than by spending some quality time together! As if you really needed an excuse to have fun as a family, right? But time flies and people lead busy lives. So take a break during the month of August to watch movies, play games, go hiking and biking, have a picnic or campout, and enjoy some good old-fashioned family fun before everyone becomes preoccupied with school activities and projects!

Happy Homeschooling!

Teri's Sig

P.S. Did you like this month's newsletter?

Copyright © 2015 by Teri Ann Berg Olsen, www.knowledgehouse.info. To subscribe to this free e-newsletter, send a blank e-mail to and follow the instructions in the confirmation e-mail that you will receive, or sign up on the web at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KnowledgeHouse. To unsubscribe, send a blank e-mail to . Questions? E-mail .