The perfect starting point for parents who suddenly find themselves homeschooling due to COVID-19 related school closures. Are you new to homeschooling and not sure how to go about teaching your children successfully? Or have you been homeschooling already but need help making sure your children learn the material you cover? In this informative article, veteran home educator and author Joymarie Dunlap shares the secrets that make your teaching job simple, effective and easy. After reading this article, you will find homeschooling easily doable, even as a complete beginner. Filled with first-hand examples from the author’s own experience. First published in The Teaching Home magazine.

These 2 sheets define the numbering system we use when we provide lines for copy-work and dotted letters to trace in our penmanship publications. You can download it for free and print it out to see what sizes your child is comfortable with at any given time.

Delightful illustrations of kind and loving Christian character through copywork about a child’s exemplary behavior, plus Bible verses in KJV. Teaches young children in the early grades Christian character through examples of the children told about in the copy-work. Your children will learn how to behave kindly as they copy these pages in manuscript printing on the lines provided. Relevant KJV Bible verses are included on each page, along with very appealing illustrations of kind and thoughtful children. This is the equivalent for children in the early grades of our more advanced A Celebration of Christian Character (KJV) The professional handwriting font set used in our penmanship books is used by public schools across the U.S. This book is reproducible for all students living in the same home as the book’s purchaser. Please note: The verses in this book are taken from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. This book is also available with the same verses taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

Delightful illustrations of kind and loving Christian character through copywork about a child’s exemplary behavior, plus Bible verses in KJV. Teaches young children in the early grades Christian character through examples of the children told about in the copy-work. Your children will learn how to behave kindly as they copy these pages in manuscript printing on the lines provided. Relevant Bible verses are included on each page, along with very appealing illustrations of kind and thoughtful children. Pictures are suitable for coloring. This is the equivalent for children in the early grades of our more advanced A Celebration of Christian Character (NASB). The professional handwriting font set used in our penmanship books is used by public schools across the U.S. This book is reproducible for all students living in the same home as the book’s purchaser. Please note: The verses in this book are taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB). This book is also available with the same verses taken from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.

Quotes from past inaugurations and other speeches by US presidents This penmanship book was created to affirm the importance of keeping God, prayer, and the Bible in government. It is a compilation of quotes from US presidential speeches that affirm both the necessity and the wisdom of seeking God’s guidance and providence in government and living by His Word. Students copy the quotes to practice their cursive handwriting. (We suggest copying one quote per week.) This book, which was compiled, created, and illustrated by a highly gifted homeschooled student (now graduated, with her writing published in all 3 of the What Really Happened series of books from Bramley Books) can be used for history, civics, government, handwriting, Bible, and character in your homeschool. The professional handwriting font set used in our penmanship books is used by public schools across the U.S. This book is reproducible for all students living in the same home as the book’s purchaser. Quotes About This Product The font chosen for this book is easy to copy, which I think sets the student up for a positive experience. Not only is my son seeing an immediate improvement in his writing skills, he is copying hand selected quotes from some of our nations greatest presidents - words chosen because they assert the importance of God’s word while imparting Godly wisdom. This is well done, and the fact that a 12-year-old homeschool student created it is absolutely amazing! Kathy Davis homeschoolbuzz.com

These Christ-centered carols in a gentle style with classical style accompaniment make a restful but inspirational background for relaxation amidst the Christmas rush. Give your homeschool a holiday touch with Christmas music in the background during schooltime or as a sing-along with your children. Use this CD with our Christmas penmanship book, A Treasury of Christmas Carols to Trace and Color, to teach your children the carols you love and to draw your family together during the holiday season. Joymarie’s trained voice is soothing, rich, and sweet, and is accompanied by James’s and Joshua’s gentle but exhilarating classical-style harmonies on harp, recorder, flute, oboe, and strings, in a style reminiscent of Baroque composers. James sings baritone harmonies in some of the songs, and the children also sing several of the songs with Joymarie. Our music is very relaxing, yet intricate enough to keep revealing new musical secrets each time you listen to it. This CD includes the following tracks: Jingle Bells O Come, O Come, Emmanuel In the Bleak Midwinter Joy to the World Away in a Manger What Child Is This? Little Drummer Boy Of the Father’s Love Begotten It Came Upon the Midnight Clear Once in Royal David’s City Ding Dong Merrily on High Stille Nacht (Silent Night in German) Un Flambeau (Bring a Torch in French) O Holy Night Angels We Have Heard On High Quotes About This Product I really like your music! It’s so beautiful and subdued…I hope you and your family will continue to create beautiful music. P. Alegria I have been very blessed to discover *Christmas Carols Sweet and Clear by the Dunlap family…. Their voices are fresh and inspiring and the songs they have chosen are among some of the most God-honoring out there. This is a great addition to any family’s music collection. It will certainly be a collector’s item at our house. Lynda Coats Author of Far Above Rubies and How Blessed Is the Man

For camping enthusiasts, here’s handwriting practice that spells out the basics of backpacking from A to Z. Joymarie draws from her own backpacking experiences to create these anything-but-boring copywork pages that share her practical wisdom. Every page shows not only backpacking scenes but also wild creatures of all kinds to add to your children’s enjoyment. Discusses how to prepare your family for the experience of backpacking. This is the first book in a series of outdoors penmanship books that also includes A Walk in the Woods, about the beauty of wildlife in a forest setting, and A-Z Have a Wonderful Walk, telling how to make family walks exciting and varied. The professional handwriting font set used in our penmanship books is used by public schools across the U.S. This book is reproducible for all students living in the same home as the book’s owner.

On Valentine’s Day, emphasize Christian love and unity in your family while making beautiful cards together. This beautiful craft book gives you ideas, instructions, and techniques for creating beautiful Valentine cards (with an emphasis on Christian love in the family, not on romance). The examples in full color are actual cards made by the Dunlap children at ages 5 to 15. However, this book can be used by kids younger than 5 (with stickers) and by older teens and adults (using the techniques shown, in finer detail). In this book we also give you heart, flower, and butterfly pictures in color to glue on your cards, Bible verses on love from 1 John that can be printed, cut out and glued onto your cards, plus, as a bonus, how to make cookie Valentines, how to arrange a dozen roses, and how to encourage your kids to keep on going in creative ways. Did you know that Valentine, the Christian martyr we celebrate, died because he upheld traditional marriage at a time when the king had outlawed marriage and was encouraging immorality? Read the story, so relevant to our current times, in this book. Inspire your kids today to be creative and practice giving by making some of these cards for others. This book is reproducible for all students living in the same home as the book’s owner.

Joymarie’s 26 character poems contain one Christian character trait in poetry form for each letter of the alphabet, 4 lines per poem. Each of the 26 character poems wisely teaches the moral basis and practical application of each character trait in the context of everyday life. Each poem is accompanied by a matching Bible verse for students to copy as well. Every page is graced by a large, fancy decorated letter reminiscent of “illuminated” Bibles of the Middle Ages. At the end of the character poems (A-Z) is a word search puzzle, followed by 14 pages of New Testament verses that form the foundation of Christian character. Each verse is accompanied by a stained-glass style bookmark to color (more than 14 bookmarks in all), with a colorful Bible memorization page and a crossword puzzle at the very end. We also have a character-building manuscript penmanship practice book for the early grades called A-Z Kind Kids Care. The professional handwriting font set used in our penmanship books is used by public schools across the U.S. This book is reproducible for all students living in the same home as the book’s purchaser. Please note: The verses in this book are taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB). This book is also available with the same verses taken from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.

Joymarie’s 26 character poems contain one Christian character trait in poetry form for each letter of the alphabet, 4 lines per poem. Each of the 26 character poems wisely teaches the moral basis and practical application of each character trait in the context of everyday life. Each poem is accompanied by a matching KJV Bible verse for students to copy as well. Every page is graced by a large, fancy decorated letter reminiscent of “illuminated” Bibles of the Middle Ages. At the end of the character poems (A-Z) is a word search puzzle, followed by 14 pages of New Testament (KJV) verses that form the foundation of Christian character. Each verse is accompanied by a stained-glass style bookmark to color (more than 14 bookmarks in all), with a colorful KJV Bible memorization page and a crossword puzzle at the very end. We also have a character-building manuscript penmanship practice book for the early grades called A-Z Kind Kids Care (KJV). The professional handwriting font set used in our penmanship books is used by public schools across the U.S. This book is reproducible for all students living in the same home as the book’s purchaser. Please note: The verses in this book are taken from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. This book is also available with the same verses taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

A Treasury of Bible Verses for Little Ones is part of our Artistic Bible Copywork series, which combines Bible verses, penmanship copywork, and art. It is so vitally important for our children to know the Holy Scriptures. This book includes 39 Bible verses for small children (grades K-3) to trace and then copy in a manuscript (hand-printing) font, with delightful childhood illustrations, including 14 beautiful paintings in the Pre-Raphaelite style, depicting small children and their world. This makes Scripture copywork a beautiful experience. In addition, this book includes 4 notebooking pages for extra copywork and 4 coloring pages for your young child to color and put up on your bulletin board or your child’s bedroom wall. Make copying Bible verses a delightful experience for your child! 47 usable pages The professional handwriting font set used in our penmanship books is used by public schools across the U.S. This book is reproducible for all students living in the same home as the book’s purchaser.

Having trouble getting your children even to think about creative writing? Experts say the best way to write is to stick with what you are familiar with. This advice holds true for beginning writers as well as adults. What does your child know more about than his own world? Here is a book that your child can write about his or her own life experience, with a slant toward thankfulness rather than pride. Writing prompts and old-fashioned illustrations throughout. WRITING TOPICS INCLUDE: Family, friends, pets, home, crafts, neighborhood, church fellowship, talents, homeschool, field trips, favorite places, music, play, birthdays, celebrations, favorite books and stories, and the Bible.

Inspire your kids during copywork time to enjoy a family walk. Through the years as we homeschooled, Joymarie took photos of our kids enjoying family walks and park time for PE. The color photos in this penmanship book span our kids’ ages from toddler to graduating teen, so kids get to see our homeschooled kids at different ages as they copy sentences about the many and varied fun things we did on family walks. This book is both an inspiration to kids to encourage them to enjoy family walks and also an inspiration and guide to parents on how to make family walks and exercise at the park (and in many other settings) enjoyable for the whole family, tots to teens. At the back of the copywork pages is a complete guide covering everything from how to avoid family quarrels and helping kids learn how to treat one another to how to photograph your own kids on family walks. Joymarie covers both the practical aspects, such as bringing along snacks, drinks and jackets, and the spiritual and inspirational side of being close to God, the Creator, on a walk. This beautiful book is an experience in joyfulness that just might change your family life. This is the third book in a series of outdoors penmanship books that also includes A Walk in the Woods, about the beauty of wildlife in a forest setting, and A Backpacker’s Alphabet, about the basics of backpacking for camping enthusiasts and anyone who loves the outdoors. The professional handwriting font set used in our penmanship books is used by public schools across the U.S. This book is reproducible for all students living in the same home as the book’s purchaser.

This copy book of beautiful, picturesque writing set amidst illustrations of natural beauty will delight kids from 4th grade through 12th. Full of word-picture scenes of the beautiful and interesting things a forest holds. Written by a homeschooling mother and daughter with the goal of giving students ample cursive practice of each letter in the alphabet. On its page each letter is repeated up to 42 times, but in sentences that are sensible yet charming enough kids will gladly do any page twice. Delightful text worth reading aloud as examples of alliteration, with breathtakingly beautiful coloring pages and a special section at the end of illustrated nature craft ideas to try. Here is a sampling of a sentence or 2 from over half of the delightful stories kids get to copy in this book: A - Acorns scattered across the forest floor are destined to become great oak trees… B - Birds bless the forest with their ballads, bringing the beautiful gift of song… C - The chipmunk scampers away, scattering leaves, and cheats the hawk of an afternoon snack… D - …They dine until satisfied. Then the deer detect danger. Suddenly, with a soft drum of hooves, they disappear into the woods… F - A shaft of light filters onto the forest floor through the firs. I find a frilly fern and finger its feathery leaf… L - Lacy leaves seem to laugh as they fall lightly to the forest floor… M At midnight, the mice are awake, meandering amid the many leaves and mosses… N - Blind birdlings rest contentedly in a round nest in a branch high above the ground… O - Old oak trees spread their strong boughs across the forest canopy, groping for light… P - Picture-perfect pines among the peaks line the peaceful pathway… R - The brush by the path rustles, and several rascally raccoons burst forth from amidst the branches… S - In the sunlight glistens a sparkling forest stream… V - Vivid violets quivering in the breeze thrive in their quiet place… W - Wildflowers waving in the wind, whisper in the wilderness. Wisps of yellow petals break off and wander away in the wind… This is the second book in a series of outdoors penmanship books that also includes A Backpacker’s Alphabet, about the basics of backpacking for camping enthusiasts and anyone who loves the outdoors, and Have a Wonderful Walk!, telling how to make family walks exciting and varied. The professional handwriting font set used in our penmanship books is used by public schools across the U.S. This book is reproducible for all students living in the same home as the book’s purchaser.

Illustrated with beautiful full-color graphics, photos, and paintings by famous artists, this Art & Nature Science Unit on Organic Gardening, which was the premier issue of Artistic Nature Magazine, includes the following features: Nature Articles Water, soil, bees and pollination, orcharding, successful vegetable gardening, 4 basic plant needs, kitchen composting, little kids’ worm compost project, At-a-Glance Gardening, warm and cold weather crops, chill hours for fruit trees, soil pH, sunlight requirements, beneficial insects, bats and toads, weed math Our Family and Home School Gardening, orcharding, plant experimentation, and old-fashioned values Poems (with originals by Joy Marie Dunlap) Sunflower, Planting Little Trees, What Plant Part I’m Eating, Foods under the Ground, God Made Good Soils Paintings Biography of artist Vincent van Gogh, with 3 of his paintings: Blossoming fruit tree Blossoms against the sky, with instructions so children can paint the same scene themselves Gardeners and small child learning to walk in the garden Coloring Pages Planting, ladybugs, bats, toad, pea plants, skunk, bees and blossoms, plus a coloring page to go with the color cover of this unit study. Activities To Do Gardening, composting, tree planting, caring for fruit trees, introducing beneficial insects and creatures to your garden Bible Reciting Psalm 1 with hand motions, verses from Genesis and Psalms, creation vs. evolution: how can plants know how to grow? Story from History Saint Patrick, missionary to Ireland Fun Puzzles and Activity Pages Fruit word search, vegetable word search, crossword puzzle, mazes, color-by-number, “what’s different?” This Art & Nature Science Unit includes enough material for a gardening unit study. (You are always free to add in books, videos, and other materials from the library or any other activity you choose!) One of the advantages of using this book is that you can print out any page the day it is used, and when your child is through with that page, it can be put into a notebook that becomes a record of what that child has learned and done. Your children can then decorate the pages and add pages from other sources you or they choose as the unit progresses. So download this book and get started on your Art & Nature Science Unit on Organic Gardening today!

Over 50 word search puzzles to supplement your US History studies and for a fun activity to keep your students occupied. One word search puzzle per state plus the District of Columbia, some with over 50 words or phrases to find! Word list of terms to find included with each If your students need extra help remembering facts about the 50 states as you study US History, here is a supplement that will motivate them to memorize facts for each of the 50 states and DC. Just set them loose on these puzzles, and watch their interest grow. (Word search puzzles help cement the words in your students’ memory due to the effort and concentration involved in finding and circling them.) Each state puzzle is in a shape appropriate for one or more of the facts associated with that state. For example, California’s puzzle is in the shape of the front of an old Spanish mission, and Oklahoma’s puzzle is in the shape of the state itself. 51 usable pages

Illustrated with beautiful full-color graphics, photos, and paintings by famous artists, this Art & Nature Science Unit on Nesting Birds, which was the second issue of Artistic Nature Magazine, includes the following features: Nature Articles Bird nests around the world, robin nest (cup), emperor penguin nest (feet), oriole nest (pouch), swallow nest (mud), hummingbird nest (world’s smallest), pileated woodpecker nest (tree cavity), wood duck nest, Eastern bluebird in crisis, bluebird nesting boxes, meadowlark nest (ground), gila woodpecker nest (cactus), burrowing owl nest (underground) Science Journal Page Nest types journal page to use again and again Artist Masterpieces Biography of American artist John James Audubon, with 2 of his paintings: Blue buntings Meadowlarks Activities To Do Gathering nesting materials for birds, attracting birds with water, decorated nest cupcakes, what to do when a bird is hurt, have a Mother’s Day tea Bible Parable of the Mustard Seed Art Experiences Decorating an egg or spatter-painting a natural-looking egg, how to paint a meadowlark, glue a bird on a nest and decorate with feathers and nesting materials, pictures to use for Mother’s Day cards, decorating the table for Mother’s Day. Poetry “To the First Robin” by Louisa May Alcott, “Robin’s Secret,” plus 3 original poems by Joymarie Dunlap: “God Taught the Birds” “The Meadowlark’s Song” “Waking Up to Bird Sounds” Stories Jonathan’s swallow nest story, Joymarie’s childhood – watching an egg hatch, “Kara’s Breakfast in Bed for Mama” by Joymarie and Jennaya Dunlap Our Family and Home School Bird watching, watching nesting swallows, watching a baby chick hatch, our son Justin’s meadowlark painting, Jennaya gets close to baby kingbirds, meadowlarks die off in the meadow by our house, Jennaya’s beautiful Mother’s Day tea Coloring Pages (with art instructions and teaching) Robin’s nest and apple blossoms, oriole pouch nest, barn swallow mud nest, tiny hummingbird nest, woodpecker tree-cavity nest, painted bunting nest (with high-school level coloring instructions for watercolor pencils), crossbill nest, wood duck nest, bluebird box and babies, saguaro cactus nest, vase of roses (Mother’s Day) Fun Puzzle and Activity Pages Nesting materials word search, hen house maze, nest mazes, egg picture to decorate, nesting birds crossword, dot-to-dot, “what’s different” in 2 nest pictures EXTRA! Includes a special 10-page Mother’s Day section, with colorful pictures and sentiments to use in making Mom a card, instructions for having a Mother’s Day tea, a heartwarming and humorous story, and an article on how to love Mom in practical ways all year. You can add in books, videos, other library materials or any other activity you choose to make this a unit study of your very own! So download this book and get started on your Art & Nature Science Unit on Nesting Birds today!

This Nativity activity and craft book encourages kids to give back to Jesus on His birthday by helping and loving the needy! It has 11 coloring pages, including 7 of the Nativity story, plus cut & paste and card-making crafts, ready to print. This will keep your kids occupied during your busy holiday preparations. This book also contains 4 pages of recipes for hot drink mixes and a healthy soup mix for gift giving, gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies, and frosting (including how to make natural colored frosting without artificial colors or flavors), plus frosting tips and 6 cookie shapes to cut out. Plus instructions for making mittens and warm neck scarves as Christmas gifts for the needy. This book is adapted from our big book, “A Victorian Christmas”, but does not focus on the Victorian Era or lavish Christmas celebrations. It is written from a biblical perspective, focusing on Jesus’ Birthday. There are 3 thought-provoking stories on the Nativity and Christian giving, and 8 motivating discussions on Christian giving and on living as a Christian. And we include Bible passages on giving, as well. Your children will use this book year after year! You may print copies of this book’s pages for members of your own household as often as you like. In addition, during the Christmas season you may choose 3 pages to share with all of your Christmas guests.

This 36 lesson course introduces children in the early elementary grades to fine art with 36 different wholesome and delightful kid-friendly paintings by famous artists. The subjects of these paintings are children and their pets, farm animals, flowers, and birds. The children in the paintings are doing a variety of things, including cuddling their pets, having a tea party, playing in the sand, pretending to doctor patients, and being read to by Grandma. In one painting, a girl is standing next to a very big dog, seeing if she is as tall as he is. With each painting is a single paragraph of simple questions designed to get kids to relate to the paintings and develop their observation skills. All you have to do is to either print out the paintings from your computer or show them to your child on your computer screen, and talk about what is in each painting using our provided questions, and/or choosing questions of your own. This will prepare your young children for the other levels of this course series. Our grades 3 and 4 art appreciation course is also available in our store. It goes a step further by introducing art terms and concepts through similar (but higher level) discussion questions. This course includes the biographies of 4 artists at an early elementary level. It also includes a student worksheet template and 2 painting scavenger hunts (in both color and gray-scale for printing, along with answer keys). 47 usable pages This book is reproducible for all students living in the same home as the book’s purchaser.

Bring the whole family together this Christmas season without having to depend on commercialism. Put Christ back in Christmas in enjoyable ways. And get those creative juices flowing with simple activities that bring beautiful results. This multilevel book is a smorgasbord of artistic activities revolving around Christmas—both the Nativity story of the birth of Christ and old-fashioned Victorian Christmas celebrations—for the whole family. In addition to sharing ideas for bringing the family closer at Christmas time, we give you easy arts and crafts in 3 different segments, for grades K-12, 48 pages in all. In the first section we give you Victorian Christmas cards and Nativity Christmas cards in color to embellish with star and snowflake stickers, glitter glue, and craft jewels. (You can take or leave any step you choose in embellishing the cards. Be as frugal or creative as you choose.) These are mixed with ideas for family togetherness, plus 3 hot drink recipes for cold winter days. The second section gives you nativity stained-glass cards to color, art instruction, and the Christmas story from Scripture to go with each nativity card, plus pictures and greetings (mostly with a Christian focus) for kids to paste inside the cards they make. The third section is a mix of artistic endeavors, including ornaments in color to fold, glue and hang, gift labels to color, a wrapping paper sponge stamping craft, Christmas star stained glass designs to color at 5 different age levels, decorated notebooking pages, 3 famous angel paintings with outlines for older kids to color or paint, plus additional angels for kids of any age to color. So much to choose from! But the best part is that you can reuse this book as many times as you like within the same household, year after year. This book will be a blessing to your family! You can also purchase our Christmas music CD, Christmas Carols, Sweet and Clear (available in our store) for your children to listen to while they do the artwork on these pages, and a Christmas handwriting practice book, A Treasury of Christmas Carols to Trace and Color (in both cursive and manuscript to trace–also available in manuscript only). This book is reproducible for all students living in the same home as the book’s owner.