Schooling Resources

Skip the Worksheets: How to Homeschool with Real Life and Still Cover It All
Featuring the Real Learning for Real Life Series by Amy Maryon

When we think of homeschooling, it’s easy to picture piles of worksheets, printed schedules, and the daily grind of trying to “keep up.” But what if I told you there’s a gentler way—a way that still teaches the 3 R’s, builds character, and prepares your children for life beyond high school?

That’s exactly what the Real Learning for Real Life series is all about. Whether you’re just beginning your homeschool journey or stepping into the teen years, this trio of books is designed to help you teach through everyday moments—without the stress of rigid curriculum plans or worksheet overload.

📘 Real Learning for Real Life: A Gentle Approach to Teach the 3 R’s at Home (Grades K–3)

In these early years, children learn best through play, conversation, hands-on activities, and time with you. This book shows you how to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic in the simplest, most natural way—without ever needing a workbook.

From sorting laundry to reading signs at the grocery store, you’ll learn how to turn everyday moments into meaningful lessons. You’ll also get guidance on how to gently teach phonics, lay a strong foundation in math, and spark a love of learning.

📗 Real Learning for Real Life: A Practical Guide for Grades 4–8

This book helps you bridge those middle years with purpose and confidence. It’s packed with ideas for how to make school look like life—cooking, budgeting, gardening, researching, journaling, and exploring the world around them.

You’ll learn how to teach all the core subjects (yes, even grammar and fractions!) using real books, real conversations, and real-life projects. The goal is to build independent learners who love learning—and it’s more than possible without a single worksheet.

📙 Real Learning for Real Life: A Gentle Approach to the Teen Years and Beyond (Grades 8–12)

These years are often filled with pressure: transcripts, credits, future plans, and preparing for “real life.” This book walks you through how to homeschool high school in a relaxed, real-world way—without sacrificing quality or college readiness.

Inside, you’ll find:

Ways to turn jobs, volunteering, and hobbies into high school credits
How to track learning with printable transcript templates
Guidance on consumer math, real-world writing, tech skills, life planning, and more
A full section on unschooling-style learning, including how to record it all for graduation requirements

You don’t need to force your teen into a rigid textbook schedule to give them a great education. This book shows you how to do it in a way that feels natural, respectful, and purposeful.

💡 So How Do You Actually Do School Without Worksheets?

Here’s just a small sample of what Real Learning for Real Life encourages:

Math through daily life: budgeting groceries, measuring for recipes, calculating sale prices, managing a small business
Writing that matters: journaling, letter writing, starting a blog, planning a trip, or documenting a project
Science in the world around them: observing nature, keeping a weather log, experimenting in the kitchen, researching animals
History and geography naturally: reading biographies, mapping family ancestry, traveling locally, and studying maps during trips
Bible and character education: through discussions, service projects, reading Scripture together, and living it out

📄 But What About Transcripts?

You’re not alone in that question—and this is where many families feel stuck. That’s why the high school book includes a complete guide to creating transcripts, plus printable tools like:

High school course trackers
Assignment logs
Volunteer/service documentation
Sample course names for real-life learning
A customizable transcript template

You can absolutely count what your teen is doing in real life as meaningful, credit-worthy learning. And we show you exactly how.

🛒 Ready to Make the Shift?

If you’re ready to say goodbye to busywork and hello to meaningful learning, the Real Learning for Real Life series is your roadmap.

You can grab the full set or just the books for your current stage:

📘 K–3: Gentle 3 R’s without worksheets
📗 Grades 4–8: Middle years through real life
📙 Grades 8–12: High school transcripts & real-world prep

Each book is available in print and PDF to suit your needs. You can purchase them individually or as a bundle to save.

Click here to order

If you want to get the PDF download for the HIGH SCHOOL book. Click here to be directed to download it.

Let this be the year you feel more peace and less pressure.
Homeschooling doesn’t have to look like school to be a good education. In fact, the most powerful learning often happens in real life—right at home, right alongside you.