Artistic expression is a wonderful way to encourage creativity in your children. Children’s imaginations are BIG, so inspiration can be as easy as supplying them with paper and pencil for sketching. Continue reading »
Karen Doll
Karen Doll is a freelance writer based in the beautiful countryside of eastern Pennsylvania. As a veteran homeschool mom, she specializes in writing about home education topics and creative learning. Karen's work has appeared in Home School Enrichment Magazine, Seton Magazine, Oak Meadow Living Education Journal, The Organized Mom, and Write Shop. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching old movies, gardening, bird watching, and fishing the day away with her sweetheart in his dad's old rowboat. Stop by and visit Karen at her new cyber home: athomewithkarendoll.wordpress.com
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Summer Learning: Creative Activities for Logging Extra Days
by Karen Doll
It’s almost summertime! Is a long summer vacation looming hot and bothersome in your mind? Why not transform that long and ordinary vacation into extraordinary summer learning? Many homeschoolers choose to continue schooling during the summer. Whether or not you homeschool year round, learning during the summer months is a great way to log in extra days, to spend quality time together as a family, or to just have fun—the more educational, the better. Continue reading »
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7 Simple Ways to Boost Your Child’s Brain Power
by Karen Doll
I’m sure you’ve all heard of the expression “brain food.” For me, that expression conjures up images of fresh fruits and veggies and all the vitamins and minerals that my body needs to be healthy. Building and maintaining a healthy brain does begin with a nutritional foundation, but there’s so much more to the process than just fueling your child’s brain with food. As homeschool moms, there are several things you can do to boost your children’s brain power throughout the day. Intrigued? Read on. Continue reading »
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Coping with Stress: Simple Strategies for Homeschool Moms
by Karen Doll
Homeschool moms are busy women who take multitasking to a new level. Even those with a more laid-back personality or approach to homeschooling can still feel stressed. As someone who’s struggled with anxiety for years, I know the effects of stress intimately. Stress can be defeated. Don’t give up! Gather the tools and the knowledge to both prevent and remedy the symptoms of stress with these simple strategies. Continue reading »
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Homeschooling a High Schooler Who Is Not College-Bound
by Karen Doll
So you have a high school student who is definitely not college-bound. How do you educate him? What does she REALLY need? Are there alternative training options available? I asked myself these same questions not so very long ago. Here is what I discovered… Continue reading »
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Creative Writing: Writing a Day in the Life Story
by Karen Doll
Journaling is a great writing activity because it’s very adaptable. Journal prompts are only limited by your imagination. A great extension of journaling is writing a day in the life story. Homeschooling families make excellent and interesting subjects–there’s always something going on… Continue reading »
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Let Your Children Keep Their Own Homeschool Records
by Karen Doll
Homeschooling brings with it a plethora of busywork that only adds more stress to a homeschool mom’s already busy schedule. Letting your children keep their own logs is an easy way to lighten your load. Children can easily keep track of their learning progress in simple notebooks, planners, or on pre-printed pages. Think of the process as another hands-on project that teaches valuable skills. Continue reading »
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Creative Writing Using Story Enrichment Paper Chains
by Karen Doll
Children’s minds are bubbling over with stories — funny stories, anecdotes about life going on around them, recaps of play dates with friends, and tall tales that grow taller by the minute. As a long-time homeschool mom, it was my job to tap into those bubbles of creativity and help my children put words to those amazing stories. That’s not as easy as it sounds. Continue reading »
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Year Round Homeschooling: 5 Tips for a Successful Year
by Karen Doll
I remember our first day of homeschooling like it was yesterday. In the beginning, we followed the traditional public school schedule. This was new territory for me, and I felt safe wrapped in tradition. Later, I no longer needed the safety net of tradition. I had evolved. It felt freeing. After a bit of trial and error, we discovered year round homeschooling. I was in love. Continue reading »
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Poetry, Percentages, and Pups
by Karen Doll
Do you want to boost your children’s learning? Homeschooling with your dog can work wonders. The beauty of homeschooling is the freedom to learn anywhere, any time, and alongside your favorite pup. Kids and dogs share a strong bond. Continue reading »
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