ENTIRE Jewish Homeschool Preschool Curriculum in ONE download ON SALE NOW!

Fun and Educational Worksheets for Yom Kippur and Sukkot and SO MUCH MORE!!!

An ENTIRE Year of Jewish Activities and Worksheets for Hebrew School, Jewish Preschool, Jewish Homeschool and more!

Only $36 for over 360 worksheets you will use over and over!

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Now ALL of my printables are in ONE easy download for you to keep year after year! 

Access every single one of my worksheets, booklets, funpages etc. in ONE pdf file!

Unlock a world of creativity and learning with this comprehensive digital download of over 360 pages of Jewish preschool printables! Perfect for celebrating Jewish holidays, birthdays, and special occasions, this collection features engaging activities, vibrant colorful and educational pages, fun Jewish games, and Jewish educational resources tailored for young learners. Each printable is designed to inspire curiosity and joy, making it easy for parents and educators to introduce Jewish traditions in a playful and interactive way.

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Just some of the amazing resources you will find inside:

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Educational Life Coaching and Consulting

This past year I became a certified Educational Life Coach and Consultant. With over twenty years of experience in the field of education as well as having homeschooled my own children for 13 years, I realized the need for support and guidance on these journeys is very dire. '

My goal is to help you find the best way to educate your

 child as well as to advocate for them. Be it helping them thrive in their current school by communicating with the teachers or therapists, finding them a different school to fit their needs or assist you on your homeschooling journey. No two children's learning styles are the same and I am here to help you help your child find the best style for them.

Should you choose to homeschool, I am here to help you figure out your homeschooling goals for your child. As part of this process, I will work with you to discover your own strengths, resources, and ideas to help you find the best style of homeschooling learning for your child and lifestyle.​

Feel free to visit my website at https://www.educationallifecoach.com/

You are your child's best advocate and you know what's best for them. Sometimes it helps to get some guidance along the way. I'm here to help.

Always,

 

Spicing Things Up

We homeschool. No day is quite like the other, yet things can get pretty monotonous very quickly and easily.

The kids are home most of the day, and while they have the flexibility to move forward in a subject that is too easy or take their time on one thats a bit more challangeing, its always nice to add a bit of excitiement to the day.

I have found that this can be done by changing the smallest things, check them out:

1. Spice up the School Supplies
One of my kids is not a fan of writing, so every once in a while, I will give her a new cool pen or pencil to use to do her writing with. This makes it very exciting as she is so focused on her new apparatus, she forgets about the writing part. Same goes with a cool new pair of scissors, glitter glue, shiny ruler- below I have put together a few of my favorite things that are cheep yet will buy you much sanity. You are welcome.


2. Spice up the Homeschooling Room
If you can, spice up your homeschooling location, just a bit. Put up a new picture on the wall. Change the room around. Add a piece of furniture, or take something away. Add a new rug. Even if you do your work in the kitchen, get a cool new table cloth for the table.


3. Spice up your Location
If its nice outside, take a blanket and do your work outside on the grass. If you usually do work at a desk or table, get a mat and do your work on the floor. Change rooms for an activity. Sit on the couch for reading, back porch, even a siblings bedroom. Any change will be welcome.



Although these things may seem small, they really will make a world of difference in your little ones day. Try it, and let me know what happens :)

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

Always,

The Grass is not always Greener...

A good friend of mine started off her kids in private Yeshivas. For good reasons, her family moved to a place where there are no Jewish schools available for her kids and she has now been homeschooling them since October 2013.

She is having such a wonderful experience Homeschooling, and I feel that a lot of what we talk about can really help other moms out there who are new to or are having a difficult time Homeschooling.

Here is her story:

 "When we lived in a big Jewish community, my kids started school at age 2. They were picked up by the bus at 8:15 am and dropped off at home between 4:30 and 4:45 pm. They would arrive home starving and exhausted. I would feed them, do homework with them (the Preschool and Kindergarten age kids) bath them and put them to bed.

"I did not know my kids.

"I had no idea how advanced one of my kids were in reading since her class were only learning the Hebrew letters. I would never have known she could have advanced in her fluency of reading in Hebrew and English within 4 months if not for homeschooling. One of my other kids was behind (we later found out it was because she simply needed glasses) which was not good for her self esteem as she was not up to class level.

"Once I began Homeschooling, it was like this whole new world opened up to us on so many levels.

"For one, I now know what my kids are eating and make sure they have healthy wholesome meals and snacks throughout the day, something I had no control over when they went to school.

"For my child who is ahead of her grade level, I am able to move forward with her and challenge her and she could not be happier. For my other child, she got glasses and is now able to catch up at her own pace with out being compared to anyone. She feels so much better about herself, its amazing to see.

"Socially, the only time they complain is when they say they miss their cousins. Never once have they asked to go back to school. In fact, they are the happiest I have ever seen them.

"I did keep their uniforms for school time. I get them from http://www.cookieskids.com/ and it really helps keeping school time structured as well as keeps the weekly amount of laundry very manageable!

"We finish our school day at 2 pm and I don't see them until dinnertime. They play with the kids in the neighborhood, ride their bikes, play outside, play all together. It is so beautiful to see my kids all so close. I wish I would have had that as a child, to be able to develop real relationships with my siblings. But we were always at school or with friends or doing homework, we never got a chance to really get to know each other even though we lived under the same roof and shared parents.

"I get to hug and kiss my kids during school time. I really get to know them. They have chores at home that they are more then happy to do, since they don't have the pressure of tests and homework. I wish I would have had the opportunity to grow up like this. I always had friends at school, but I also always felt so lost. Here, my kids get their life and education catered to who they are. Its such an amazing gift! I feel that if we do move again, I don't think I can ever put my kids back into a conventional school. I want to Homeschool them all the way through High School if I can.

"To the moms out there having a hard time, I have been on the other side. Where your child just gets lost in the shuffle. Sure, you have A LOT more time to yourself! But the gift of giving your kids this individualized attention and guidance is something that will be with them forever. You may think the grass is greener on the other side, but if you take the time to water your own it will be greener."

Wishing you all a wonderful week,

Always,

Gifting our kids with the Love of learning

A few weeks ago, my husband bought me these gorgeous tulips for Shabbos. 

I put them next to the window and noticed how they all just naturally started leaning toward the sun.

The tulips gain nutrients by leaning toward the sun, allowing them to grow.

In a small way, this is very much like people. Children in particular.

We will naturally lean toward what feels good to us. What we like and enjoy.

If a child is artistic, they will love coloring and crafts.

If they like math, they will love all things numbers and see the math in every day life every where.

For the longest time I have always been drawn to child led learning. It just makes so much sense to me. If a child enjoys learning something, feed it and let them enjoy it as long as they wish.

The idea of forcing a child to learn something made no sense to me.

But as my children get older, I realize as an Orthodox Jewish mother, that there are some things that my kids will not love learning but as Jewish children, they need to do it.

So how do we 'force' our kids to learn things that they are not necessarily crazy about?

My answer is to help them get really good at it, no matter how long it takes.

It's not about the worksheets and tests or how much material you can cover with them.

It's about giving them the skills to learn and understand and get really good at it. Because when you are good at something, your confidence is higher and you want to do more of it, because you 'get it.'

Scour the internet for ideas and books and resources to make whatever it is you want to learn with your child as interesting and fun as possible. 

Now is the time to give them that sweet taste for learning.

One of my kids was having a really hard time learning Chumash. I was very fortunate to come across these fabulous workbooks that have helped my son so much and given him so much confidence in his learning.

Click Here to take a look inside the workbook

Click Here to purchase a set for your child

He is also learning Mishnayos and I came across these wonderful magazines, which illustrate the Mishnahs.

Click Here to check them out. 

We homeschool our kids, so we are their primary educators. It is our jobs to instill a love and enjoyment of learning. Just like we make their veggies taste good so they eat them and will grow strong and healthy, so too when we teach our kids, we want to make the experience as 'sweet' as possible. 

Wishing you a beautiful Shabbos,

Always, 

Welcome Home and Giveaway!

This past week I was away, for eight days. Yes, just me, alone, solo, for eight days in New York City spending time with my amazing family and friends and some incredible women from all over the world attending the annual Chabad Women's Gathering.

Whats so great about getting away by yourself (aside for being able to watch an entire movie on the plane and just needing one carry on which consisted of my hand bag) is being able to take a step out of your life and look at it from the outside.

I was able to see the things I wanted to work on or change as well as continue the things that are working well.

I attended some great homeschooling workshops and learned a lot from some other really great homeschooling moms, and I plan to share what I learned soon on this blog.

But whats great about coming back from these trips is that I come back with a tremendous sense of clarity and am always so excited to get back into my real life and implement what I have learned.


I received a wonderful book a few weeks ago called Home Field Advantage- A Guide to Teaching Methods for Your Homeschooling Champions by Skyla King-Christison.

We all want to homeschool our kids with the best method that works for us as well as our kids. There is no WRONG way to homeschool.

The book starts off by talking about why Homeschooling may be a better option, so for those that did not choose this, it really helps you to see and understand the benefits of homeschooling.

It then lists in detail the different methods and options of homeschooling: from Montessori, to Waldorf to Uncschooling and more.

It talks about the different types of children and different styles of learning and how you can figure out your childs personality type and how to work with your childs temperament at home.

There is an entire section on designing and planning a tailored home education and homeschooling plan, how to put it together step by step. And then shows you how to design your homeschool environment.

This is a fabulous book for homeschoolers everywhere and I am excited to let you know that FIVE lucky readers will receive one copy of  a Home Field Advantage e-book by entering the Giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For those who just cant wait, CLICK HERE to pick up a copy for yourself and any other friends you know who homeschool their kids.

Good Luck and in the weeks to come I look forward to sharing some jewels of inspiration and information as well as some fabulous interviews from some incredible women that I met on my trip!

Have a wonderful week and a Happy Adar!

Always, 

Creating a Peaceful and Successful Home Learning Environment

Whether you have a specific room designated to Homeschooling or you use your kitchen table, there are a few things that I have found to be extremely helpful in creating a peaceful and enjoyable learning environment for our kids.

1. A Clean, Uncluttered, Organized Space

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Notice in the above photos, the walls are pretty clear except for a few nice pictures , a black board and some shelves. No need for 20 different charts on the wall. It's a distraction and not necessary. 

There are not a lot of 'things' everywhere, it is very minimal, very uncluttered. Even if you have a lot of stuff, put away most of it in a closet or box. The less 'stuff' in the room, the more peaceful it feels to be there.

2. A Prepared Learning Environment

Whether you are doing things Montessori style or your own style, having a prepared environment is an absolute must. This means having all the supplies you will need for an activity readily available and accessible. 

Whatever your kids will need for the day should be ready and prepared. The time spent looking for a glue stick or blue crayon is a lot of time wasted and they can lose those precious moments of concentration very quickly.

Here's a look at my daughter's (age 6) Workbook Station:

Each box has a number on it. She can choose any order she wants to do it in and needs to do at least one page in each Workbook per day. Very often she will do more then one, and sometimes she will skip a book if she doesn't want to do it. I give her that liberty and she really doesn't abuse it. Once she has done a book, she puts a check on it using a card with Velcro attached to it. She loves putting her checks up.

Here's a peek at whats inside each drawer:

 Clockwise from the top:

1. Hebrew Handwriting (from the Chabad Shluchim Office)

2. Fun Hebrew Words activities (from the Chabad Shluchim Office)

3. English reading books (she picks which books she wants to read) {buy it}

4. Math {buy it}

5. English Handwriting {download and print- this is the Montessori order for learning to write English letters)

6. Hebrew reading book {buy Hebrew Reading Book} (buy DotbyDot}

Notice how every drawer has whatever supplies she would need for each book. This is a great system as she can get straight to work without having to look for a pencil or crayons.

Her workbooks usually take up about 45 minutes of her day, at the most.

With a clean, uncluttered, organized space and a prepared learning environment, you are sure to have success in your Homeschooling experience!

Good Luck and have a wonderful week!

Always,

Creating your own Jewish Homeschool Preschool Curriculum

I have received numerous emails in the past few weeks asking if I know of any Jewish Homeschool Preschool Curriculum that covers everything for the year.

In answer to those questions, the only two Jewish Preschool Curriculum that I own and think are really wonderful are:
From Plan to Product- Click Here to Check it out
Curriculum of the Arts- Click Here to Check it out

There are so many websites and blogs out there with Jewish Preschool resources that honestly, you can really make your own Jewish Homeschool Preschool Curriculum. Its just about proper planning and not getting overwhelmed by all the information that's out there.

At this stage in the game, its really not about content. Its about developing skills. If you take the average 4 year old in a Jewish Preschool who comes home with a state of the art Arts'n crafts project every day as well as a 5 page newsletter at the end of the week going into detail of everything the teacher covered in class that week about Rosh Hashanah, chances are if you ask them what they learnt about Rosh Hashanah they will give you the same answer as the Jewish Homeschooled 4 year old who spent the week playing, coloring, helping mommy bake round challahs and honey cakes and munching on apples and honey.

What we do need though, are things to keep our little preschoolers busy and challenged, things to help them develop those little brains of theirs. We also need our sanity so having a curriculum helps us stay focused.

With the help and guidance of my good friend and fellow Homeschooling Mama, Altie (she did a guest post on Kids in the Kitchen Here) I have put together some guidelines for creating your own Jewish Homeschool Preschool Curriculum. So grab yourself a notebook or iPad or open a word file on your laptop and answer the following questions...

What are your Goals?

In order to have a successful year, you need to figure out your goals for your days, weeks, months and year. You also need to know that as much as you plan, things will always come up and throw everything off, and that its okay.

 Goals for the School Day:

The average Homeschool Preschool Day is 2-3 hours. There is so much that can get done during that time, so if used right, those hours are gold. It may take a few days/weeks to find the routine that works for you. Start out with a lose plan and tweek accordingly. If your kids work better in the early morning, take advantage of that time. If baby naps in the afternoon, grab that hour. With Homeschooling, you really need to let go of 'the norm' and do what works for you and your family. 

Circle Time- Honestly, circle time never really went down in my house. It got old really quick, so if it works or you, go for it, but don't be too hard on yourself or your kids.

Davening- It's always a good thing to start the day with giving Tzedakah, singing a song about Tzedakah and then davening. Decide what prayers make sense to do with the little ones. Too much will have them yawning, acting up, scooting across the carpet and getting into trouble. Start small and add on new tefilos when you see they are ready. Have a special mat or blanket where you do it every day. Bring in a CD if you have (I recommend My First Sing-Along Siddur ) and props (a stuffed Torah, musical instruments, standing up, doing motions)- make it exciting for them. Remember, this can take only 5-10  minutes. It's okay, have realistic expectations and have lots of activities lined up for the rest of your school day. 

Here are some things to include in your davening time-

Alef Bet- Hebrew Reading and Writing-  At this age, its about introducing the letters to them. Make it fun, very tactile. Giving your 3 year old a matching worksheet will buy you about 1, maybe 2 minutes. Giving her a big letter Alef with finger paints to color it in will give you a good 5, maybe even 10 minutes, so plan accordingly!

 Here is a list of Alef Bet Curriculum you can explore:

Aleph Champ

Cap It Learn to Read Hebrew

Dot by Dot Creative Kriah Workbook

There are TONS of  FREE worksheets, games, books and Aleph Bet curriculums on Chinuch.org

And I have a bunch of worksheets and ideas you can check out

Goals for the School Week:

How many days is your school week? Some do Monday-Friday, Some do Monday- Thursday (thats me!) and some include Sunday. Decide what works for your family and plan accordingly.

Parshah- The Weekly Torah Portion- The weekly Parshah is a great time to learn about Halachos and Midos from that specific Parshah. It's always nice when things are connected so try bring out those gems each week for your kids.

My First Parsha Reader

The Little Midrash Says  

Parshah Workplans made by Me

Chitas for Kids

Chinuch.org- Parshas Hashavua

A Jewish Homeschool Blog

Jewish Story Books

Goals for the School Months/Year:

Yom Tov- Jewish Holidays- It is really easy to get overwhelmed when planning your school year. You know yourself and you know your kids. Take some time at the beginning of each month and write down each Holiday and underneath each one write down a bunch of fun and easy Arts'n crafts projects and activities that you will do. Designate, however many days or weeks as you want to work on these projects. Make yourself a Pinterest Board and closer to the holiday, start jotting down the days you want to do each project/activity and get the supplies you need. You dont need to do 25 fancy projects with your 4 year old. Keep in mind that simply peeling an apple by themselves and cutting it up with a plastic knife is a fantastic and very rewarding activity for them.  

Here are some resources:

Monthly Workplans made by Me

Chinuch.org- Yomim Tovim

Creative Jewish Mom

Challah Crumbs

And here are some Jewish Holiday Crafts Books:

The above is your very basic Jewish Preschool Curriculum. Yes, it's so much easier to just 'follow' a curriculum, but chances are your child may not be interested in everything in the book. If you know your child, work with them and give them things that they love doing. I know my son has no interest in coloring, so giving him a Rosh Hashanah coloring book as an activity to fill up 20 minutes is not going to work. But giving him clay and asking him what Rosh Hashanah things he would like to make and then paint can buy me a serious half hour, maybe more! But give my daughter the coloring book and she will be busy busy busy with her crayons, markers, colored pencils and paints as she creates masterpiece after masterpiece.

So as we get to know our kids, take each holiday, Parshah, Special Jewish Day, Hebrew Reading/Writing and gear it toward them. You will both benefit because when the kids are happy and busy, mom is happy too. No need to fight with our kids to do something they clearly have no interest in doing. We all lose that battle.

So the bottom line is, have realistic expectations from your kids. If they are playing on the floor happily, don't stop them to tell them its time to do an activity. Let them play, use that time. If they are busy doing an activity, don't stop them to tell them its time to go play outside. Have lots of flexibility within your day and you will all be happy.

Most important- Breathe. Allow LOTS of playtime- work it into your schedule. I am working on a Jewish Homeschool Planner and hope to post it soon.

Have a wonderful Shabbos and I hope this was helpful!

Always,

A Day in the Life of Guest Homeschooling Blogger Chaya

My daughters are turning 4 and 6 and I have been homeschooling them for the past 3 years. Before I go into detail about how our day unfolds, I just want to emphasize that what works for one homeschooling mom and child might not work for the next and if certain things you are doing get old or just aren't  working, change it up, nothing is ever set in stone.

I only started making and keeping a schedule this past year and it has really worked for us. I hope it can help someone out there to plan out their day too!

The girls wake up around 7:30 and I serve them breakfast. After breakfast they play until 9:30. They have specific things they can play with during those hours but they mostly busy themselves with Play Dough at this point.

My 6 year old is in first grade in the Shluchim Online School which is from 10am-12pm. During her time online is when I spend time with my 3 year old and get a start on my day (cooking, emails, and phone calls).

When online school is over we head over to our CHABAD house for lunch and from 12:30 until 2:30pm I teach them in our classroom. We usually cover the current Yom Tov and anything else that is going on. We are home by 3pm.

I was really fortunate to have found a "Cultural House" about a 6 minute drive from where we live. There are all sorts of after school activities for kids of all ages. No food is allowed in any class so that worked for me in the Kosher department. I enrolled my girls for 3 days a week. It is an awesome program! They love  it and have lots of fun and I get an hour and bit to myself.

Then it’s home, dinner, bath time and bed. For those of you wondering when and how I make dinner, I stick a chicken in the oven before I leave and it's ready when I get back, or I cook in the morning (during Online school) or just something simple when we get home.

This year I will be enrolling them in piano lessons twice a week so they will have something to do after school every day.

That’s my very basic day. And lastly, some golden words I heard from a friend of mine, Esther who homeschools her kids: if you have a lazy/ not so great day, don’t be so hard on yourself- as long as it’s an exception and isn't all the time! Cut yourself some slack, be a little chilled (I wake up telling myself this;) and all will be ok!

Thank you Chaya for giving us a glimpse into your day!

Good Luck to everyone starting out their Jewish Homeschool year- I have many more goodies lined up to share with you all!

Wishing you a wonderful week,

Always,

What I Love about Homeschooling...

Granted, there are plenty of challenges when homeschooling and I have addressed many of them right here in my blog. But what I haven't addressed are the things that I actually love about homeschooling...

Breakfast...

I LOVE breakfast in our house. I love how it can last for up to an hour, usually from about 7am-8am. There is absolutely no rush or pressure to be anywhere. We make waffles, pancakes, muffins, french toast and all types of yummy oatmeal. We sit, and eat, and chat. It is one of the most enjoyable hours of my day.

Home...

I LOVE to be home. "Barefoot, Pregnant and in the Kitchen"- I could not be any happier. I love that I don't have to leave unless I want to. I have always been a home-body. My home is like my nest. I am always happiest at home.

My Kids...

I actually LOVE spending time with my kids. I enjoy them. They're a fun bunch. I love watching them play together. I love watching them play by themselves. I love watching them learn and discover new things. I love watching them read to themselves and to each other. I love watching them laugh. I love snuggling on the couch and reading to them. I love being able to spend so much time with them, because I know this will not last forever.

The Freedom...

I LOVE the freedom of homeschooling. I love how nothing ever HAS to get done and we can always just learn and discover new things. I love how some days we can work on one thing for hours, and other days we can do lots of different things. I love how I don't have to rush to be anywhere at any specific time. I love how when its a gorgeous day, we can turn on the sprinklers and play all morning. I love witnessing how my kids learn so much without it being fed to them or forced on them. 

So while yes, there are plenty of challenges when homeschooling, its always nice to recognize the truly wonderful things that you get to do because you homeschool. It's all about how you look at it.

What do you love about homeschooling?

Have a wonderful week,

Always,

Paint by Number... not so much-

My kids received a Paint by Number gift set. They were really excited as they had never done this before.

I gave each one of them a picture from the box, my son got the parrots in the jungle and my daughter got the tropical fish under the ocean.

I gave them each the paints and they set to work.

My son is more academic then artistic so I was quite impressed to see how into it he was. My daughter, who can spend her days painting, drawing, cutting, gluing, etc looked at me after 5 minutes and asked, "Mommy, why do we have to paint the colors that they want us to paint? Why can't we paint our own colors?"

I told her she is more then welcome to paint in whatever colors she chooses and she continued painting, but not by number.

I then realized that my son liked this activity because to him it was like a puzzle, and if he followed the directions and painted the right colors, he would then see the end result.

To my daughter, this was an art project. And she expresses her little self through art. By someone else telling her what colors to paint, it was their work, not hers. And it bothered her. So she took matters into her own hands and painted it her way.

We all homeschool our kids differently, and there is no perfect way. There is however, the perfect way for each of us and our kids.

I have friends who have a set routine with their kids everyday with a set curriculum and they are able to document everything their kids are learning and where they are up to. I think this is awesome, but the type of person I am and the type of mom I am, I just couldn't do it. Though there are many times I wish I could.

Sometimes I feel like kids really don't need to 'paint by number' and its okay to use 'their own colors'. My kids have very different learning styles and as their mom and primary educator it is so important to tap in these.

My son likes the end result. He has no patience to go through the motions so he finds ways to get there by himself. For example, learning to read. He had no interest in sitting with me and reading the Bob books, which he found silly. Instead of begging him to read every day, I left him alone and made sure to read to him every night.

One night I was tired and decided to skip a few lines in one of the books we were reading. "Hey mommy, that's not what it says" was my little mans response. All this time he was learning how to read, by looking at the words while listening to me say them. He is 7 and reads fluently. I never taught him the ABC's. He figured it out.

My daughter loves going through the motions. She loves playing word games and doing her workbooks. She loves decorating each page that she completes. It gives her a sense of pride.

My 4 year old loves cooking. So as often as I can, I let him help out in the kitchen. Peeling a cucumber and cutting it up for lunch, making the coleslaw for Shabbos, braiding the challah.

So whatever way you homeschool, always remember to teach each child according to their ways and once in a while, its always nice to let them paint by number using their own colors~

Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos,

Always