Successful Homeschooling Made Easy Course {Review}

As a veteran homeschooling mom of sixteen years I'm always on the look out for excellent support material for new Mom's beginning their home education journey's.  Recently Stephanie Walmsley from Successful Homeschooling Made Easy blessed the Schoolhouse Review Crew with her Successful Homeschooling Made Easy Course for review.

Stephanie's goal with this e Course is help show that you can successfully home school, that it is easy, stress free thing to do with your family that you will enjoy homeschooling and avoid burnout.


What we received
Successful Homeschooling Made Easy Course which consists of twenty six weekly emails with a download link to a .pdf document ready for you to download.  Intermittently she sends bonus material to enrich your homeschooling.

1. Start Homeschooling Today - this is a course introduction and overview along with how to make a workable schedule, samples and two ideas to put into your daily schedule so you can begin home educating. {26 pages}
2.  Math Made Easy {15 pages}
3. Welcome Home! This chapter is especially for the Mom who is bringing her children home from school.  It is full of beautiful letters from Home educating mothers who have done so and the things they wish they had known. {17 pages}
4. Fireproof Your Homeschool - this chapter is a little more about your home school schedule. {14 pages}
5. Three Key Ingredients for Success - this one is a little more introspective and great foundations.  Stephanie recommends some great resources. {11 pages}
6. Fulfill Your Dreams -This one is all about taking care of Mom. {13 pages}
7. Why Curriculum Doesn't Matter - It's all about curriculum {12 pages}
8. Why you Might Need to Let Go of Good Things - Time Management {12 Pages}
9. Housework and Homeschool - Let's get practical {16 pages}
10. Make a New Full Schedule {21 pages}

How we used it
Signing up was very easy.  I was very impressed with how fast and smooth the process was.  I instantly received my welcome email from Stephanie. She writes in an easy conversational manner of a long time friend encouraging you.

The initial email you receive is a welcome letter comes with a note from Stephanie explaining how the course works and what to expect on your journey with Successful Homeschooling Made Easy {SHME}.
Each new email arrives around the same time each week and uses the following format..

The lessons opened in One Drive and .pdf format which I saved to my computer  I prefer reading from paper so I printed each lesson.  Once I have all 26 lessons and all the bonus material I will be taking my papers to have them ring bound at our local stationary store.

Each lesson follows the same pattern

• 10 - 15 pages.  These are an easy read 
• A Preface
• Lesson for you to read
• Questions for you to meditate on and anser
• Lesson Summary
• A 5 minute assignment
• A note on what next weeks lesson will be on.

The 26 week time frame seemed a little long to me at first glance but as I have progressed through the course I can see it's value.  The pace means I am not overwhelmed and I feel as though I have a long term mentor walking the journey with me. 

It's gradual pace means that I'm implementing small changes which are having a lasting impact upon my home educating and there have been no sudden and dramatic changes here at home.  I am really looking forward to the remaining 16 lessons.

Often in homeschooling, we focus very much on the children and the teaching, and in particular, the teaching of academics. This is back-to-front thinking!- Stephanie

I just received Lesson ten this week and so far I am feeling encouraged and inspired as a homeschooling Mom.  Looking back over my home educating journey I wish I had had something like this to work through when I first started home educating it would have put many of my fears to rest and I would not have felt like I was groping in the dark.

Cost of Successful Homeschooling Made Easy

• You have the option of once off payments or monthly installments.
• One off Payments can be made in
  US dollars $48.50
  Pounds Sterling £30.60
  Australian Dollars $48.50
  New Zealand Dollars $48.50
• SIX Monthly Payments are currently:
  US dollars $9.50
  Pounds Sterling £6.50
  Australian Dollars $9.50
  New Zealand Dollars $9.50
• All payments go through PayPal
• After payment, you will see a page asking for an email address for the course lessons and a button to get your first email sent immediately. You will then receive an email every week with a download link for your weekly PDF lesson 

Recommended Age Range

• This course is for homeschooling parents.

Connect with Stephanie

Stephanie blogs over at Homeschool Family Life. You can find some FREE things, Homeschool products to purchase for your homeschool and other courses written by Stephanie. She has some amazing book lists in her Book Shelf section. You can also read a full Q & A section on Homeschooling Made Easy.

When you are feeling calm, peaceful and in control, you will have a calm, peaceful homeschooling family. - Stephanie

I love how this course is simplified and gives you concise information without overwhelming you.  Stephanie empowers you with her suggestions and add one small thing approach. 

You never feel overwhelmed and finish each weeks reading feeling refreshed and encouraged. I love how her approach is to help you find your own personal style and what works for your family.  She does not follow a cookie cutter approach to homeschooling.

As a veteran homeschooling Mom I have found this course valuable in that it has helped me return to basics and is helping me find balance again. I highly recommend this course to both Veteran home school Mom's and new Mom's alike.

Blessings
Chareen