Homeschooling help and encouragement from experienced homeschoolers - find out how homeschooling works and how to start, get tips & ideas for when things need adjusting, read curriculum reviews before buying, learn how online schools work, gain confidence about homeschooling high school, and more.
A popular speaker at homeschooling conferences, business groups, and parents’ groups, Jeanne Potts Faulconer homeschooled her three sons in North Carolina, Mississippi, and Virginia for twenty years. Jeanne is director of Brave Learner Home, which provides homeschool coaching, community, and "grad school for homeschool" for parents. She is the contributing editor for TheHomeSchoolMom newsletter and writes the popular Ask Jeanne column, addressing homeschool parents' questions here at TheHomeSchoolMom. She is a former college faculty member, former editor and book reviewer for Home Education Magazine, a long-time editor for VaHomeschoolers Voice, and a news correspondent for WCVE, an NPR-member station. Holding her Master of Arts degree in Communication, Jeanne has conducted portfolio evaluations for Virginia homeschoolers for evidence of progress for many years.
This post was originally published as the introduction to an issue of TheHomeSchoolMom newsletter. Sign up here and get access to subscriber exclusive resources. I’m reading lots of frantic posts on social media requesting help finding the best homeschool curriuculum (or at least better-than-what-we’re-using-now curriculum). I’m seeing lots of concern over creating the perfect homeschool Continue reading »
If you want to liven up homeschool for your older kids as you start the new year, consider whether they might be ready for a mentor. Mentors can be powerful positive influences in the lives of homeschooled teens. Here are six ways mentors can help homeschooled teens. Continue reading »
Back-to-school is firmly established in the seasonal section of the big discount stores, and the mom and pop shops do their part to stock up on the awesome pens, backpacks and planners families need or want on hand to prepare for school. But what does your homeschooling family need? None of the above? All the things? Continue reading »
You might like to hear about what I’ve been seeing while in the thick of homeschool evaluation season in Virginia. I meet with families, and they tell me what they’ve been learning about and show me evidence of progress. I write a letter documenting that progress as one way of satisfying our state’s annual homeschool requirements. I've previously shared some of the things I have seen when I review homeschool learning. Here are more ways homeschoolers have shared their learning with me. Continue reading »
During 2020, many parents felt extra-justified and got less criticism for homeschooling because of school closings. You may feel like a target now, with school attendance returning as a default expectation in many communities. What can you do when people feel comfortable making negative comments about your choice to homeschool? Try one or more of these strategies. Continue reading »
Have you considered using a homeschool evaluator? Take a peek at some of the rich learning experiences that one homeschool evaluator has seen in her evaluations. Continue reading »
If your kids haven’t mastered everything you or your curriculum set out for the year, should you have them repeat the grade? If they scored as well as a much older child would on an end-of-year achievement test, can you have them skip a grade homeschooling? Should you? Continue reading »
It’s hard to imagine, but someday your youngster may be a teen or young adult navigating pool parties, afternoons at the lake or river, and even boat rides with people you don’t know—and you won’t be there. Helping kids learn how to swim and some basic water safety rules when they are younger may make them safer for their future water activities, even when you’re not around. Here are some tips. Continue reading »
Now’s the time to make your summer bucket list or bingo card! Over some pancakes or smoothies, you and the kids can brainstorm experiences you don’t want to miss this summer. If you live in an area that has opened up, checking things off your bucket list will feel especially good. Here are some ideas to get your started. Continue reading »
In much of the U.S., the spring and summer seasons also bring yard sale season. Where you live, it might be known as a garage sale, rummage sale, or tag sale, but whatever the name, buying used items from families who are ready to let them go can be a boon for your homeschool budget. Here are some great homeschool supplies to search for at yard sales. Continue reading »
The single most important thing you can do as a homeschooling parent is read to your kids every day. But what to read? Try consulting some high quality book lists and recommendations to learn about the books librarians, educators, book bloggers, and families have loved. Pin or print a book list that appeals to you, or mix and match suggestions from multiple lists. You can find book titles grouped into checklists, lists with descriptions, lists by year, lists by topic, and more. Continue reading »
Are you trying to decide whether to homeschool again for the coming year? If you’ve only homeschooled a year or two, you may be concerned you and your kids will be isolated or lonely because you’re basing your decision on your experience of homeschooling during shut-downs. Here's how things will probably be different post shut-down. Continue reading »
The education pendulum swings, and homeschoolers often swing along with the trends of public schools. I’m old enough to have heard the experts be sure of phonics then whole language then phonics again. I’ve been through arithmetic, new math, and Common Core math. Various approaches to education have experts in their corner, and the experts often draw the battle lines clearly. Their way is the way. You do it their way, or you are doing it the wrong way. At least that’s the perception. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Consider Both/And instead of Either/Or. Continue reading »
Studying scientific current events—or science news—is a good way to help your kids understand that scientists are always learning and revising their understanding. Here are some ways you can follow science news with your kids as a way to help them understand the scientific process. Continue reading »
What makes spring? The vernal equinox! Well, at least that’s the term for what’s happening as the Earth’s tilt and revolution around the sun change whether the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere gets the most sunlight. Learning about the vernal equinox is a great way to welcome spring. Continue reading »
You might have noticed many homeschooling families spend a lot of time outdoors, regardless of the season of the year. If you need to jumpstart your homeschooling, consider the potential benefits of going outside more. Continue reading »
We’re halfway through February. Can we do this? February is the second semester version of October. Here's how to get perspective on the February blahs, when new pencils aren’t sharp and our own minds don’t feel so sharp either. Continue reading »
Homeschoolers know we can help our kids learn through life experience, curriculum, field trips, art, library books, nature walks, documentaries, and projects. Don’t forget games! Playing games with your kids has so many benefits. Here's how playing games can help your kids. Continue reading »
Winter is the perfect time for a bird unit study! Birds can provide you and your kids with a wild distraction from current events, a connection to the natural world, and a chance to be grounded in an off-screen reality. If you’re in a winter climate, the leafless trees, snow, and dormant vegetation provide a crisp backdrop for spotting birds. In moderate climates, your locale may be the recipient of migratory birds, providing an ideal opportunity to spot species that aren’t around during other times of the year. Continue reading »
In many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, winter is downright chilling, and both the season and the change from Daylight Saving Time mean the sun sets early. An activity that works well for homeschoolers this time of year is amateur astronomy—and you don't even have to stay up late to see the night sky! Continue reading »
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