Howard Homeschool

Hello Families

I want to take a moment to sincerely apologize for my absence on the blog. My husband was severely injured at work which has completely transformed our daily life. With him unable to care for himself, I've been fully devoted to taking care of him and our three energetic boys. This unexpected situation has made it difficult for me to keep up with my regular posting schedule. Despite these challenges, I am committed to sharing educational materials as often as possible, ensuring that you and your families continue to enjoy learning together. Please bear with me during this time, as my posts may not be as personal or frequent as before. I appreciate your understanding and support, and I remain determined to pursue my dream of running Howard Homeschool, even in these trying circumstances. Thank you for your patience as I navigate through this difficult period.

About me

Welcome to Howard Homeschool!

My name is Stacy Howard. I'm a mother of three boys, ages 14, 4, and 2, and I love teaching. Yes, I am that mom who always has something educational up her sleeve. But, most of the time, we have fun doing it and always learn something new along the way. This blog allows me to share our homeschooling experiences and resources with other families, inspiring them to find joy in learning.

I have been teaching since 2013. I worked in kindergarten through sixth grade for a few years and became a preschool teacher before COVID-19 stopped the world. I have worked primarily with special education students and have helped them reach their academic goals. I have learned a lot during my teaching experience—some good, some bad.

My oldest son has always struggled in school. He has a few learning disabilities and does not learn the same way his peers do. When he was younger, I taught him at home since I could not afford preschool programs in my area. I wanted him to be ready for kindergarten, so I came up with my own curriculum and taught him the alphabet, colors, numbers, and how to spell and write his name, amongst many other things. (Much like the curriculum I plan to do with the littles and share with you guys on this blog!) This is where my teaching journey started. When he went into kindergarten, I found that I really missed teaching him, so I started volunteering in his classroom, and his teacher actually helped me get a job as a special education paraprofessional. So, really, my oldest son is who sparked my love and passion for teaching❤️.

Fast forward a few years...When the pandemic hit in 2020, I knew it would be challenging for him, so I resigned from my job and decided to homeschool him to keep him afloat until things finally calmed down in the world. I quickly realized that I could not find what I was looking for, which was affordable, on an online homeschool website. Almost all the sites claimed that they were an all-in-one homeschool curriculum, but they were the same. Watch a video, answer some questions, and move on. That's it. No supplemental worksheets in case a student needed additional practice. There is no teacher actually to talk to for help. No assignments. No sense of community. We worked with what we had, but I found that I had to do A LOT of supplemental teaching. Once I got the hang of things, I followed my own curriculum and used what I could afford to teach him myself based on his particular needs. My son is back in public school and looking forward to attending a technical school! He has come a long way, and I am very proud of him.

2020, I had my second son; in 2022, along came boy number three. I have tried to go back to work (as a substitute teacher and as a preschool teacher), but unfortunately, my youngest son has some health issues that have required me to stay home and care for him. I won't go into detail, but after seeing and experiencing some things that I wasn’t very fond of during my time as a substitute teacher in the very school where my boys are going to attend as well as my two-year-old’s chronic illness, I have decided to homeschool these guys as well. I really enjoy teaching. I am very passionate about education and want to give my children and other kids (and parents) an excellent homeschool experience. So here we are. I decided to launch my own homeschool blog. We are super excited to start this homeschool journey and look forward to sharing our adventures with you. I hope families will join in on the fun and follow along! This blog is not just about us; it's about building a community of homeschooling families who can support and learn from each other, fostering a sense of connection and support.

This blog aims to share our homeschooling journey, provide resources, and create a supportive community for families interested in homeschooling. I will be the first to admit that I am still determining what I am doing regarding running a blog. I tried for two years to create my own online homeschool classes. It was tough trying to do it all alone. That’s when the big idea hit me. I can run a blog following our homeschool journey, use my curriculum with my kids, and share it with whoever finds it and wants to homeschool right along with us!! Win-win situation!! I’m spending time with my kids, teaching them myself, AND sharing all my hard work with the world!! YAY! Sorry, I’m super excited…anyways. Now, about Howard Homeschool.....

My Howard Homeschool preschool curriculum is a unique blend of fun and learning! Each week, we embark on a new letter of the alphabet, engaging in activities that enhance children’s fine motor skills and letter recognition. I'm thrilled to share this curriculum with you, and I hope it sparks excitement and eagerness for learning in your children.

Not only will I be posting about what my boys and I are up to, but I will also be posting the resources for download that accompany my curriculum, making it easy for parents to follow along with my family. All you have to do is ensure you have all the materials and supplies. Some examples of resources you will find are handwriting worksheets, Play-Doh/sensory mats, cut-and-paste activities, templates for crafts, and much more, all made by yours truly. (If not made by me, I will give credit where credit is due, of course.) I will also be posting learning videos that I find on YouTube that follow the subjects in the curriculum. I have SO many ideas. Who knows what you’ll find?

If prepping and printing isn't your thing, you can purchase my monthly supplies box in my store (with free shipping!). Everything you need for the entire month will be ready to go right at your fingertips. There will also be a few other activities that are time-consuming to prepare that I will have available to purchase in my store for families' convenience. Other than that, all of my resources are available and completely free on my blog. But if you like what you see and want to help me keep the homeschool magic happening, please consider donating. You can do this in my store, and I would greatly appreciate it! 🤗

Submit your kiddo's great work by contacting me, and with your permission, I will post it on our Community Board! Even though we are from all over the place, we can still make this feel like we are part of a whole class together!

I look forward to working together on this homeschool journey!! Come learn with us! Our school is always open!