Today is our first day of homeschool for the year. We are doing Abeka for the second year in a row, and I truly love it. This year, we are doing Abeka Academy, where the kids watch the videos of class. I wanted to share my favorite products that we’ve used over the years. We are doing third grade and first grade, just for reference.
These crayon boxes are my FAVORITE. They have been used for years and still look brand new other than some pencil/crayon marks on the inside. I know that they are expensive, but I personally would rather use it year after year than have the plastic ones break and get thrown away each year. Plus, these hardly make any noise when moved around. Addi’s actually is a lunchbox because it was cheaper than the crayon box. I like the Jumbo size.
These portable DVD players are what we are using for Abeka Academy. I didn’t want to invest in laptops for such young kids. They are new to us this year, but it has a 4 1/2 star rating on Amazon. I did get a protection plan in case they break.
Book bins are so handy. Each of the girls has their own book bin that holds their workbooks and folder. I also have some in storage to hold construction paper and other supplies. I found a wide one at Target’s dollar spot that holds all of our readers for the year in one place.
Pencil Sharpener. I’ve shared my love of this pencil sharpener here. I can honestly say two years later that I still love it. It’s easy to get jammed lead out. The kids can’t sharpen their pencil down a a nub, and it is really quiet! (If you want an electric sharpener, I’ve hard this one is THE BEST from many sources.)
These 5 pocket wall hangers allow me to get worksheets out for the whole week. We can just pull Thursday’s folder down and have all of the papers we need. It’s great for planning ahead and easy for the kids to get on their own. I’ve had these since I started homeschooling. You can also get replacement folders to make it more fun or subtle. Always check Target’s dollar spot!
This dry erase board is my favorite. It’s magnetic, so we can hang things from it. It cleans super easily. Love, love, love.
Counting Blocks make teaching math a breeze. I learn so much better when things are hands-on, and my kids have picked up adding and subtracting with ease because of these. Chloe also used them for learning multiplication and division last year.
I still love my laminator. Laminating things allows them to last through multiple children. I can’t recommend it enough! This one is what I have, but this nicer one is on MAJOR sale currently.
This 1-100 chart was a huge lifesaver when the girls were learning to count to 100. Seeing it as a reference really helped them. Now, we don’t really need it until Harper starts counting to 100.
Desk lamps are a huge help if you have a dark room or it’s just a cloudy day. I got something similar to these and love them. I’m really glad that ours aren’t LED. Is anyone else so sick of LED lights?
I love hitting up Dollar Tree for fun things like cork board boarders, stickers, and tape. Target’s dollar spot in July and August also always has loads of fun stuff. I like to have fun stickers and rewards for the kids to pick from. It helps push them through days where they are struggling more.
Our table and chairs were both freebies. The table was from a friend and the chairs were a curbside pickup. We had been using desks, but I just didn’t like the setup. I missed doing school around the table where I could sit next to them and help easily. I was going back and forth about what to do when Addi’s desk literally fell apart on me. So, that forced me to change to a table. This also gives Harper a spot to sit and work on some pre-K work. I do have Abeka’s K4 books to do with her, but I’m not setting a schedule. She is a bundle of energy and would distract her sisters more than anything at this point. I’m hoping she will calm down soon, but I also firmly believe that preschoolers learn best through play.
1 Thessalonians 4:11
