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.
Unit studies, sometimes called thematic units or integrated studies, are very popular with homeschoolers. Unit studies usually use a hands-on approach for effective learning. The child learns by actually experiencing or discovering through different methods and activities, rather than just reading a chapter from a textbook. Studies show that children using unit-study methods retain 45% more than those using a traditional approach. Continue reading »
Not every state requires testing, but many of us test our students anyway to get a sense of satisfaction about what they have learned for this year. Sometimes we do it just to confirm what we already know (both positive and negative). I used to administrate the IOWA Basic Skills testing for my local support group. Here are just a few things that I suggested to my testers on the day of testing. Continue reading »
Have you ever been teaching a history lesson when one of your children pipes up with a question. “Mom, is Carthage a city in Oregon or some other country?” Oh dear, you think to yourself and then calmly explain, “Honey, first of all, Oregon is a state, not a country. And Carthage no longer exists, but I think it was located on the northern tip of Africa across the Mediterranean Sea from Italy.” After receiving two or more questions along this vein, you realize that you need some better resources. Continue reading »
Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to have a party. Whether you are part of a support group, co-op, or a class, kids really look forward to Valentine's Day exchanges. When a party is on the agenda, everyone can contribute ideas to make it fun. Here are some tips to plan an easy and fun Continue reading »
Hand washing and safe food handling are very important to me. I'm not above bringing food safety brochures to potlucks. This fixation is not without cause, though; as a teenager, I contracted my first obvious food-borne illness after eating strawberries in Mexico City. During the space of the next few years, I had the educational Continue reading »
Teaching math is one of the greatest ways to instill valuable goal-setting skills while ensuring academic success. Math provides the perfect opportunity for goal-setting lessons: its aims are realistic, obtainable, measurable and can be broken down into smaller goals or tasks. Developing goal-setting skills will help students learn how to manage their time, make better decisions and take ownership of their own academic progress. Continue reading »
Art appreciation (or the study of art history) need not be difficult. You don't need a fancy curriculum or a complicated plan. You simply need the desire to enjoy, along with your children, the beauty of God's creation as depicted over the centuries by outstanding artists. Continue reading »
You have been working on concreteness. Your student is excited to discover a world of new words in his thesaurus and WriteShop word lists. As a parent, you want to allow him to flex his creative muscles, yet you want to guide him so he learns to choose suitable words. This article focuses on picking Continue reading »
Telescopes for Homeschoolers: Before you buy, save yourself a lot of trouble and expense by obtaining a bit of experience with astronomy. Here are some points to consider before you buy a telescope. Continue reading »
Homeschool Conventions: At most bookfairs, there are two kinds of seminars: vendor workshops and non-vendor seminars/workshops. Each have their own benefits. Continue reading »
Homeschool Conventions: Sometimes we think that we might save money if we buy at a fair, BUT, if you are buying impulsively, you may live to regret that purchase. Continue reading »
Homeschool Conventions: Most states have fairly large to huge book fairs. These "insider tips" will help you to learn how to take advantage of your state book fair in one piece with your sanity and wallet still relatively in place! Continue reading »
What are your priorities? Are you the type to plan ahead? Do you have lists for daily activities, weekly menus, grocery items and coupons ...or even a list of things for which you need to make a list? Or instead, do you find yourself disorganized and short on teaching time? Continue reading »
Remarkably, the best homeschooling advice I received came when my first child was a baby. My friend Barb, an experienced homeschooling mom who loaned me stacks of Home Education Magazine and Growing Without Schooling, told me that to homeschool I only had to "provide a rich environment, involve children in everyday living, and help find answers to their questions." That sounded very simple, and it is; the challenge is in trusting that such a plan is enough. Continue reading »
I am now beginning my fifteenth year in homeschooling so I feel well qualified to tell you how our homeschool has evolved into the eclectic approach. My oldest daughter, Laura, graduated from homeschool high school in 2002 and from a one year Bible college in 2003.However, I am still homeschooling my son Stephen, aged 15 for tenth grade and my daughter Mary aged 10 for fourth grade.
Over the years I have tried many different curriculums and eventually I just learned to stick with what works for both myself and my children. I also learned that there is no such thing as the "perfect" curriculum. Each curriculum has its pros and cons for you as the mom, and from the kids persepctive and of course from a cost standpoint. I do know this, kids will learn if you are faithful do school work daily, regardless of the curriculum. Continue reading »
Dr. Raymond Moore and his wife Dorothy Moore are sometimes called the grandparents of the modern home schooling movement. For over 50 years they have been educational professionals, and for the last 30 years have been sharing their research and their "formula" for successful home schooling, a program that is low-cost, low stress, and yet brings high-achievement. Continue reading »
Each year the movie industry makes some very valuable films that can be used to teach children. Over the last 70 years, these films have accumulated into a national cultural treasure. Continue reading »
The Steiner Waldorf approach to education emphasizes on the use of practical, artistic and conceptual elements into education. This method of education was established by Rudolf Steiner, the founder of a philosophy called anthrophosophy. The Steiner Waldorf approach is based on the fact that the role of imagination in learning is integral for the development of creative and analytical thinking. This educational approach is aimed at providing an environment where young people can develop free thinking, which can be a basis for developing their own personalities as responsible individuals by fulfilling their destiny. Continue reading »
Keep your kids guessing and moving all summer long with a Treasure Hunt, a trail of clues spread out over the summer weeks leading your children on hunts for prizes and goodies week after week. It requires a little creativity and planning on a parent's part, but is guaranteed to offer weeks of summer fun and lifelong memories. Continue reading »
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