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TheHomeSchoolMom

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.

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Jeanne Faulconer

The Seasonal Table

The Seasonal Table

by Jeanne Faulconer

Sometimes we have had a designated nature table, something which is suggested by both the Waldorf-inspired approach and the Montessori-inspired approach to homeschooling, and something many Charlotte Mason homeschoolers implement as well.

Other times, we have just gathered seasonal treasures together as a kitchen table centerpiece. A walk in the brisk air, the scavenger hunt for natural objects that are lovely to see and touch and smell and shake, the artful arranging and rearranging of the bounty -- these refresh the senses and clear the cobwebs out of minds. Continue reading »

TheHomeSchoolMom: Using your surroundings

Shower Power

by Jeanne Faulconer

Homeschooling parents can pique their kids' interests by incorporating educational information right into the decor. One of the easiest ways to do this is to make use of the large block of space that is your shower curtain. The easiest-to-find educational shower curtain is the world map. These are commonly available at discount department stores. Our current world map shower curtain came from Target, but you can frequently find a similar world map shower curtain at Walmart, JC Penney, or Amazon. Continue reading »

What about Homeschool Physical Education?

What about Homeschool PE?

by Jeanne Faulconer

Homeschoolers have lots of options when it comes to physical education. First, we can remind ourselves that what we do for P.E. doesn't have to look like what schools do for P.E. We can get our kids moving, learning about fitness, improving their coordination, building strength, and enjoying their physical selves in a variety of ways. Let's take a look at some possibilities. Continue reading »

Phone schooling for families on the go

PhoneSchooling: Homeschooling with OneNote and OneNote Mobile

by Jeanne Faulconer

I've been using Microsoft OneNote 2010 and OneNote Mobile for Android as tools for homeschooling and organizing our activities. Microsoft will tell you that OneNote is a note taking and information management system that can capture your to-do list and important information.

What I will tell you is that OneNote lets me create notes at home on my Windows computer that I can access on my mobile phone -- when I need to know the soccer schedule, when my son needs access to a science quiz in the car, when I need my notes for work, or when I need to remember my errands. Continue reading »

TheHomeSchoolMom: The Homeschool Year

The Homeschool Calendar

by Jeanne Faulconer

The Homeschool Calendar: New homeschoolers and non-homeschoolers frequently wonder about whether the "homeschool year" follows or needs to follow the traditional calendar used by most public and private schools in the United States. Long-term homeschoolers frequently find their answer to that question changes as their children get older. Casual observers of homeschooling might think "of course" homeschooling has to follow a school calendar in order to be legitimate and sufficient.
Continue reading »

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