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Literature-Based Elementary American History Curriculum

Literature-Based Elementary American History Curriculum

by Melissa Droegemueller | May 25, 2022 | Homeschooling (Elementary School)

Are you looking for an elementary American history curriculum? Check out Sonlight’s newly-updated literature-based US history homeschool curriculum for ages 9-12. Do you know how the Declaration of Independence begins? When I was in college, this was a trivia question...
Homeschool Keyboarding Curriculum | A Typesy Review

Homeschool Keyboarding Curriculum | A Typesy Review

by Melissa Droegemueller | Apr 4, 2022 | Homeschooling (Elementary School), Homeschooling (Tweens and Teens)

Do your kids know how to type? Touch typing is a skill that all children need, and the Typesy homeschool keyboarding curriculum is the perfect way to learn to type!   I received access to the Typesy Homeschool Family package and was compensated for my time...
Planning a New Homeschool Year

Planning a New Homeschool Year

by Melissa Droegemueller | Aug 10, 2021 | Homeschooling (Elementary School)

Planning a new homeschool year doesn’t have to be hard or complicated!   After a decade of homeschooling, this is my simple 4-step process to get ready for the first day of school. Get all of our learning at home resources — FREE in the Resource...
Favorite Homeschool Supplies for Elementary School

Favorite Homeschool Supplies for Elementary School

by Melissa Droegemueller | Jul 18, 2021 | Homeschooling (Elementary School)

It seems like Back to School season starts earlier and earlier every year, but I love school supplies! This year, I decided to grab the items I knew we needed while prices are low, before things get picked over. This is our last year with a child in elementary school,...
Homeschool Routines are Better than Schedules

Homeschool Routines are Better than Schedules

by Melissa Droegemueller | Mar 25, 2021 | Homeschooling (Elementary School), Homeschooling (Tweens and Teens)

If you are new to homeschooling or considering it for the future, you probably have seen beautiful, color-coded schedules on Pinterest or Instagram. Today, I want to share my thoughts about WHY ‘down to the minute’ schedules don’t work for EVERY homeschooling family....
Time to Change Your Homeschool Math Program? {Teaching Textbooks 4.0 Review}

Time to Change Your Homeschool Math Program? {Teaching Textbooks 4.0 Review}

by Melissa Droegemueller | Jan 20, 2021 | Homeschooling (Elementary School)

Are you curious about homeschool math options? Here are my thoughts on the NEW Teaching Texbooks 4.0! It’s one of the most common questions asked in homeschooling circles: How do I know when it’s time to change curriculum or programs? After years as a classroom...
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Melissa Droegemueller | Rolling Prairie Readers

About Melissa

I am an elementary school teacher–turned–homeschooling mom with over 15 years experience working with babies through 4th graders. I believe in making learning FUN for ALL kids.

Around here, we are passionate about learning through play, chasing adventures, and good books!

Our mission is to create a community of lifelong learners where parents inspire and empower their children to follow their passions and use their unique gifts to make the world a better place.

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  • Valentine's Day Sensory Bin
    Valentine's Day Sensory Bin
  • 100 Hands-On Activities for Tactile Learners
    100 Hands-On Activities for Tactile Learners
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    Toy Rotation Categories (+ Our FAVORITE Toys!)
  • 13 Desert Books for Kids
    13 Desert Books for Kids
  • 10 Ways to Keep Hands and Minds Busy During Read-Aloud
    10 Ways to Keep Hands and Minds Busy During Read-Aloud
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    10 Simple Learning Activities: Straw Pieces
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    Classical Conversations Review Game

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I love when the days start getting a bit longer an I love when the days start getting a bit longer and the sun sets later. It means the return of afternoon adventures!
Now that Christmas and New Year’s Day have passe Now that Christmas and New Year’s Day have passed, the cold winter days can be hard for our kids. We are constantly looking for new indoor play ideas to help the days pass more quickly. We turn to our sensory bins, our favorite indoor toys, and our invitations to play to make the best of winter. Ever since we packed away our Christmas boxes, our girls have been looking forward to our Valentine’s Day activities.

Years ago, I realized my younger daughter could get a few hours of play out of just a few materials. I started setting up a new “invitation to play” for her each afternoon when she would wake up from her nap. If she really liked the activity, she would ask for it again the next morning while I was homeschooling her big sister.

I started creating seasonal invitations to play from new materials I found at the craft store, Dollar Tree, and dollar spot section from Target. The best part is that these materials could be reused each year as the girls got older and learned new skills.

❤️ Today’s freebie for you: a printable download with FIVE simple Valentine's Day invitations to play, including a materials list! ❤️

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the skills found in our Valentine’s Day invitations to play:
* Color sorting
* Object transferring
* Counting
* Letter recognition
* LOTS and LOTS of learning through open-ended play

Grab yours here: https://rollingprairiereaders.com/5-free-invitations-to-play-valentines-day/

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More snow art! ❄️❄️ This is a fun, indoor More snow art! ❄️❄️

This is a fun, indoor activity using just water + food coloring, pipettes, and clean snow!

Kids can explore color-mixing while building up those fine motor skills AND having fun. 
Just have an old towel handy for spills. 😂

#homeschoolpreschool
#preschoolathome
#earlylearning101
#littlelearners
#totschool
#toddlerfun
#toddlerlearning
#preschoolplay
#preschoolfun
#earlyyearsideas
#preschoollearning
#preschoollife
#preKathome
#playbasedpreschool
#toddleractivities
#preschoolactivities
#preKactivities
#kidsactivities
#homeschoolingideas
#homeschoolideas
#invitationtoplay
#simpleplay
It is Winnie the Pooh Day (also known as author A. It is Winnie the Pooh Day (also known as author A.A. Milne's birthday). Some years, we have a large(r) celebration, with tea and cake. This year, we're going to watch the Christopher Robin movie on DIsney+ and call it good. ;)
Let's talk BEST children's books of 2022! I read Let's talk BEST children's books of 2022!

I read just under 100 titles this year, and this blog post includes my fifteen favorite 2022 children’s books. Each of the books listed received a 5-star rating from me on Goodreads. (I don’t give out five stars easily, so you can trust that every book earned their way onto the list.)

Read it here: https://rollingprairiereaders.com/2022-childrens-books/

#learningathome
#learnathome
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#readersofinstagram
#whatwearereading
#kidsbooks
#kidlit 
#homeschoolbooks 
#homeschoolbookshelf 
#homeschoolbookstack 
#homeschoollife 
#childrensbooks
My word for 2023 is COZY. One of the ways we're m My word for 2023 is COZY.

One of the ways we're making this real in our house is Cozy Family Hour on Wednesday evenings. An hour before bedtime, we all put our screens away and snuggle on the couch. 

In our family, it’s really easy to get into a screentime habit when it’s cold outside. Cozy family hour is a chance for all of us to reset with a book, our journal, a quiet activity, or craft project. (My tactile learner likes to build with her LEGO bricks during our time together.)

I also asked my oldest daughter to make a calming, cheerful playlist for us. We even cast a fireplace video to the TV for ambiance, since our gas fireplace in the basement doesn’t make that relaxing sound.

Other must-haves for cozy hour in our latest blog post: https://rollingprairiereaders.com/cozy-family-hour/
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