Over the summer, I experimented with a computer program from Home School Solutions for tracking home school progress. I found it to be a helpful tool, especially if you live in a state that requires daily record keeping, or if you have a high school student for whom you need to prepare a transcript.

It took some time to enter the initial information, but once that was done, this software could be a real timesaver!

The company offers a free 30-day trial, so you can try before you buy. One of my favorite things about the company is that the developers and owners, the Bonwell family, are homeschoolers themselves.

As you may have noticed, the company shares a name similar to my blog's name. We are totally unrelated sites, but have agreed to retain our similar names. There's a permanent link to the Home School Solutions data tracking software company to the right.

If you try the program and would like to share your opinion, I'd be glad to hear from you. Or, are there other information tracking programs that you've tried and liked? If so, feel free to add your comments below.

Happy Homeschooling!
Mrs. Sherry

This week, I will share our family's routine and curriculum choices for the new school year.

Every morning, my husband teaches the Bible lesson while I teach a couple of Bible classes for a local pre-school. When I return home, the children (1st and 3rd grades) and I kick off the rest of our learning with about twenty-five minutes of "Together Time." Here's a list of the activities we share each morning before we get to seat work and other learning:

1. Song of the Month (usually a hymn)
2. Prayer
3. Family Bible Verse
4. Pledge of Allegiance
5. 100th Day Sticker Chart
6. Weather/Seasons Chart
7. Calendar Review and Songs
8. Oral Math Drills
9. Poems
10. Oral Daily Language

I'd love to hear about how you start your day! Please share any ideas through the comment section below.

Happy Homeschooling!
Mrs. Sherry

In this space age world of technology that we live in, interesting things sometimes happen.

I was recently contacted by Ms. Mary Bonwell, who creates organizational software for homeschooling families. The name of her company? Homeschool Solutions!

Let me first say how gracious Ms. Bonwell was when we spoke. How wonderful that homeschoolers have such a tight sense of community!

I've downloaded a free trial of her software to explore for the next 30 days, and will share a review of the product within the next month.

In the meantime, you might want to download a trial of Homeschool Solutions Software for free yourself. If you like it, the good news is that the Bonwells are offering a "recession buster" special by discounting their software at half-price. The software enables you to record, manage and print every kind of record you could ever need for your homeschool. Those of you with highschoolers will love that the program automatically averages grades and creates transcripts. Do let me know your opinion of it if you try it out.

I've also added a permanent link to the Homeschool Solutions Software site under the "Sites I Like" tab to the right.

Happy Home Schooling,
Mrs. Sherry

I'm excited to announce that I've just signed on with the national on-line news service, examiner.com, as the Des Moines Homeschooling Examiner. While I'll be reporting primarily on homeschool happenings in Des Moines and central Iowa, I'll also post general features that will appeal to moms everywhere who want to be invested in their kids' lives.

I only get paid when you click, so please visit my new site often! Of course, I'd so appreciate you sharing my new pages with all your mom friends, too. Just click here to view my first posts: Des Moines Homes School Examiner. Check back often, as I'll be adding new content several times a week; you can subscribe to my page through an email link on my home page.

If you have a story idea for me, or are interested in becoming an Examiner yourself, there are links on the home page that give you details about contacting me.

Thanks in advance for checking it out!

Happy Homeschooling,
Mrs. Sherry

I've created a reading response journal to accompany the second grade A Beka reader, Growing Up Where Jesus Lived.

To use the journal, the student should read a chapter in the book, then draw a picture and answer the question on the corresponding page in the journal. For my own son, I also copied the Directory of Bible stories from the back of the A Beka reader and added it to his journal; he colors in a Bible icon each time he completes the Bible reading activity. It should take about a month to complete the book and activities.

If you'd like a PDF copy of the journal, I'd be happy to share. Just email your request to info@sherryfiscella.com and I'll send it your way. You can find the reader mentioned at www.abeka.com.

Happy Home Schooling,
Mrs. Sherry