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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.

The Home School Mom The Home School Mom The Home School Mom

Homeschooling Blog

Check out our popular homeschooling series features, get to know our blog contributors, read Jeanne's answers to questions in the Ask Jeanne feature, or browse all of our posts.

brain illustration with text Resources for Right-brained Learning What to use instead of curriculum - homeschooling blog series Make the most of Homeschool Conventions - Homeschooling Blog Series

100+ Educational Gifts for Kids (Updated for 2020)

Family opening Christmas gifts with a Christmas tree in the background and text Fun & Educational Holiday Gifts for Homeschoolers

Gift-giving doesn’t have to be stressful! With our list of over 100 educational gift ideas for kids, you can cross off your gift list with educational gifts that are fun and promote learning and creativity. It might seem challenging to find fun and educational gifts that are not all technology-related. Now, I don’t have anything against technology, we use it every single day in our lives and homeschool. That said, I do try to find items and gifts that get them moving, creating or building and exploring. Continue reading »

Home(schooling) for the Holidays: 9 Reasons to Worry Less about Schoolwork

9 reasons to embrace the holidays and worry less about schoolwork - thehomeschoolmom.com

Thanksgiving is almost here in the U.S., which means homeschooling may take on a different look in the coming weeks. I’ve seen a lot of newer homeschooling parents panic as it becomes clear that forward progress through a math workbook comes to a crawl or the curriculum guide gets misplaced under the clutter — for days. Then, uh, maybe for weeks. Here are my 9 reasons why homeschoolers should worry less about schoolwork during the holidays and embrace the season. Continue reading »

Christmas around the world unit study & resources

Christmas Around the World for Kids

The celebration of Christmas offers a world of fun activities and lesson opportunities for homeschoolers. From recipes and crafts to discussing the historical and cultural background of Christmas traditions, opportunities for learning are endless. Continue reading »
Grandparent tips for helping during virtual learning

Grandparent Tips for Helping during Virtual Learning

If your kids are learning at home for virtual classes, it’s time to call on grandparents, family friends, and helpful aunts and uncles to join your virtual education team. How can they help via Facetime or Zoom? Share these nineteen ideas for your relatives and friends who are meeting with your kids online. Continue reading »
How will your actions now change homeschooling later?

How Will You Change Homeschooling?

A question to consider: how will you change homeschooling?  You might be a long-term homeschooler, or you might be homeschooling in reaction to public school closures and virtual classes. If so, your choice, along with the choices of many others, may impact both public school and homeschooling. Will the public education ecosystem change as a result of so many people opting out of the public schools? Will homeschooling change? Continue reading »
Homeschool Legalities: What you should do now to plan for homeschool end of year requirements

Plan Now for Homeschool End-of-Year Requirements

Many homeschoolers have to submit an end-of-year homeschool progress report of some kind to meet state, school division, or charter school requirements. Plan now to save yourself turmoil and make that process easier by asking yourself these questions now to prepare for spring requirements. Continue reading »

10 Ways To Nurture Your Child’s Creativity

We all want to nurture our children to develop their creative potential and find opportunities for artistic expression (especially as homeschooling parents), but sometimes we may worry about what our role should be in that process. Here are ten starting points for nurturing your child’s creativity… Continue reading »
homeschooling a non-traditional learner - 10th grade plan

Our 10th Grade Plan for a Non-Traditional Learner

Our 10th grade non-traditional learner stated that he wanted to tackle more challenging content, more in-person classes with homework and projects, and wanted to be in charge of his schedule. I got to work researching local classes, online classes, curricula, and more. We had long conversations, lots of texting back and forth, and finally came up with a plan that worked for him, for me and his dad, and for our budget and schedule. Continue reading »
girl dressed as superhero with text 9 helpful resources for homeschooling differently wired kids

My Top 9 Resources for Homeschooling Differently Wired Kids

The concept of kids being differently wired sparked my interest and had me nodding my head as I researched the idea. I knew one of my kids fit this description and I had been at a loss, even after evaluations, recommendations, and hours of researching. Each differently wired child is different in their own special way. These are the materials that I’ve found helpful for homeschooling and parenting differently wired kids. Continue reading »
happy girl with clay on hands and text Pursue interest-led learning with rabbit trails

Help Your Homeschool with Rabbit Trails

Homeschooling is boring, your child is resistant, the curriculum seems “complete” but moves on quickly and without depth. You can improve this kind of homeschool experience by opening yourself to following the rabbit trails. What are rabbit trails? They are the paths you make as you help your child follow an interest or a question from one resource to the next. Continue reading »
7 creative learning station ideas

Homeschool Classroom Setup: Using Learning Stations for Experiential Learning

Learning stations for homeschooling can often accommodate students of varying levels—activity prompts and supplies can encompass different abilities. Your learning stations can be focused on themes and subjects from the curriculum (such as animal habitats or creative writing), or your spaces could be more freestyle. These ideas for 7 different learning stations will help you to offer space for children to create, explore, and enjoy. Continue reading »
blackboard with formulas written in chalk and text overlay Survival tips for getting started homeschooling your middle schooler - thehomeschoolmom.com

My Top 4 Tips for Getting Started Homeschooling Your Middle Schooler

Homeschooling middle school can be a great thing because all the peer pressure, negativity, drama, etc. that comes along with these years can be lessened by choosing to home educate. I’m sharing my top four tips to help make your transition into homeschooling middle school manageable—whether you’re brand new to homeschooling or you’ve been homeschooling from the beginning. Continue reading »
school supplies and equipment with text is this curriculum accredited? Does it matter? - TheHomeSchoolmom

Is Your Curriculum Accredited? Does It Matter?

As families turn to homeschooling due to lack of information (or what they see as unacceptable policies) from public school systems about what fall may bring, they have questions. One of the most common questions we are seeing is whether a certain curriculum is accredited. Continue reading »
planning supplies with text 5 steps to simple homeschool planning for non-planners

5 Steps to Simple Homeschool Planning for Non-Planners

I really wish I liked homeschool planning. I’ve tried. Trust me. We are nearly a decade into this homeschooling journey and I’ve taken multiple planning courses, have purchased five different types of homeschool planners, spent countless hours planning and planning and buying and buying and organizing all the things. By the time I get around to actually homeschooling, I’m tired. Continue reading »
woman with questioning look and text should you homeschool this fall - what you need to know

Should You Homeschool This Fall?

As schools around the country publish their plans for re-opening in the fall of 2020 after extended spring closures, homeschool advocates continue to see more parents of school kids interested in homeschooling. For real, this time—not the suddenly-home-from-school situation parents faced in the spring. Here are a few suggestions to use or pass on. Continue reading »
Smartphone with earphones and text 21 ways audiobooks benefit your homeschool - thehomeschoolmom.com

21 Ways Your Homeschool Can Benefit from Audiobooks

Are you using audiobooks in your homeschool? If not, you are missing out on the awesome benefits that come from listening to books. Homeschooling parents embrace the benefits of audiobooks because audiobooks create a shared listening experience, with adults and kids on “the same page,” like watching a movie together… Continue reading »
stack of books with headphones and text where to find free audiobooks for homeschooling

Where to Find Free Audiobooks for Homeschooling

Sharing audiobooks is a great way for kids and parents to learn together. Hearing the same material at the same time means that moments for discussion are well-synchronized, and kids can ask questions or ponder meaning in real-time—leading to all kinds of opportunities for inquiry-based learning. Best of all, you can access many audiobooks for free! Continue reading »
Image of paint on paint brushes with text What our Interest-Led Homeschool Looks Like with Teens - TheHomeSchoolMom

What Our Interest-Led Homeschool Looks Like with Teens

Early on in our homeschooling journey, we tried many methods and styles of homeschooling. As my kids got older, I had to step back and evaluate what type of learning environment I wanted to create in our home. I had one vision, and it included all of us still sitting around doing as much together as possible because it was easier for me and because I thought that I had to do that in order to be ticking off the boxes for homeschooling the right way. However, my kids had other ideas. And, because it’s their education, I really needed to listen. This felt good and scary. Continue reading »

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