Our twins, now 13, are in eighth grade. When we started the academic year, I sat down with each twin (a boy and a girl) to discuss what they wanted to learn about this homeschool year and to share what I had planned for them as well. Homeschooling middle school is a fluid, flexible few years. I have an older son, now in high school, and he was my test subject and helped me loosen up my rigid thoughts and fears that middle school had to JUST be a launching pad to high school. We're interest-led with a dollop of what I call my "non-negotiables." Continue reading »
Search Results for: unit studies
Benefits of Year-Round Homeschooling from January to December
When you think of the first day of school, what comes to mind? If you’re like most people, you imagine crisp autumn air. Maybe you picture fun “first day” signs and shiny new backpacks. Likely, in your mind, the start of school syncs up with the end of summer. What if it didn’t though? What if your school year ran in line with the calendar year? Continue reading »
Apple Tree Christian Homeschoolers Inc.
Apple Tree Christian Homeschoolers Inc. is a Christian homeschooling co-operative for children 1st-12th grade and their younger siblings. We desire to bring glory to God by providing activities, fellowship, and learning opportunities to enhance a family’s homeschooling journey. We meet several times monthly in Lake Villa, IL on Wednesdays, September through April. Apple Tree has a scope and sequence for each grade that offers alternating unit studies of history, Continue reading »
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 »
Build Your Library
Build Your Library is a secular Charlotte Mason inspired homeschool curriculum created by Emily Cook that takes a literature approach to educating children in art, history, literature, science, and language arts. Full-year general homeschooling grade level products are available for Kindergarten through grade 12. Build Your Library also offers multi-age unit studies using well-chosen popular Continue reading »
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. Continue reading »
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 »
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 »
Suddenly Homeschooling: Resources for When Schools Close
Because of social distancing, school systems across the country are closing for weeks or months, and parents everywhere are asking about how to homeschool or help their children learn at home. Short-term homeschooling is not new—it has existed alongside long-term homeschooling for many years, and parents may be reassured to know that this option has worked well for families for lots of different reasons. If you have kids at home unexpectedly, or if you’re advising a family member or friend with kids who are out of school, here are a few things to keep in mind. Continue reading »
30+ Educational Podcasts for Homeschoolers with Teens
Do you use educational podcasts for homeschooling? If not, you should! Podcasts are a great way for homeschoolers to explore a variety of topics and current events. Podcasts can be easily integrated into nearly all subject areas. Depending on the podcast platform you're using, you can search for topics, people, events, etc. We've recently had some great conversations about the Loch Ness Monster, Amelia Earhart, and King Arthur. Continue reading »
Homegrown Adventures
If your thinking about homeschooling or your homeschooling and you want to know how you can plan and put together a unit study so that you can teach all of your children at once then this class is for you. I'll explain what a unit study is, why unit studies are amazing, and show you Continue reading »
Valley Homeschool Co-op
Valley Homeschool Co-op offers collaborative, project-based and hands-on enrichment style classes for our student members from primary through high-school age. Students are divided into multi-age groups and attend four parent-led classes under the scope of the following categories: Arts, STEM, Gameschooling & Unit Studies. Actual class offerings vary from semester to semester but all classes Continue reading »
How Embracing My Strengths Has Made for a Better Homeschool FLOW
Do you ever get hit in the face with your own weaknesses as a homeschool mom? Here’s my truth: I'm not a huge fan of holidays. If I'm being honest, I'm not great at creating mind-blowing celebrations, whether it be for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, Pi Day or Halloween. So, when I woke up last Valentine's Day morning, I thought: Uh-oh. It's Valentine's day. And I've got nothing. Continue reading »
Our Favorite Book Series for 8-12 Year Olds
When my husband and I had children, books and reading were naturally part of our day and our routines. When we started homeschooling, I would snuggle up on the couch with the kids or I would sit at the kitchen table and read while they snacked or worked on projects. Some days were easier than others and some books were enjoyed more than others. I polled my kids and we came up with our top 10 favorite book series. Continue reading »
Why I Don't Do Homeschool Planning in the Spring
When I first started homeschooling, I was ALL about the planning. I would research EVERYTHING to nth degree. I almost broke our printer one summer printing out everything I could find about Charlotte Mason and Ambleside Online. I was pumped. We were going all in on Charlotte Mason—100 percent, friends. It was May and I was feeling awesome about everything. Fall came around, and can you guess what happened? Continue reading »
Can You Thrive And Not Just Survive February Homeschooling? Yes!
Dear February - Why do you sneak up on me and then drag out your days until eternity despite being the shortest month of the year? Why do you keep cramping my homeschooling style? Sorry, February, not this year. Nope. I’m taking February homeschooling by (snow?) storm and I’m going to encourage my friends to do the same. Can we be friends, February? Can we partner together to thrive and not just survive homeschooling in the longest shortest month of the year? Continue reading »
Create an Engaging Homeschool Geography Club
Geography. It was not my favorite subject growing up in traditional schools, and I wanted to teach homeschool geography differently from the way I learned it in school. Sure, I knew my states, could identify other countries, large bodies of water, various cities, etc. But, the process was lots of memorizing, spitting out facts, and then promptly forgetting everything. I didn’t want that for my kids. When we began homeschooling, I knew I wanted my kids to have a natural curiosity about out our world. I wanted our homeschool geography study to be something that we naturally discussed in fun and hands-on ways, using a variety of resources. Continue reading »
Middle School Mania: How We’re Transitioning to Homeschooling Middle School
Homeschooling middle school is a new season of life. I prepared by buying a new prepackaged curriculum, and while I loved everything about this curriculum, I had forgotten to take my kids' learning styles and desires into account. I assumed they would be happy to go along with whatever I put on the table. I had to accept that we were in a new season of homeschooling. I had to acknowledge that my kids were growing up and had developed their own interests. They had their own strengths and weaknesses. They were ready to let go of some anchors in our days that I was clinging to for dear life. Anchors that I thought were required to have a “good” or “productive” homeschool. Continue reading »
How to Choose the Best Homeschool Curriculum
Choosing curriculum is important to new and prospective homeschooling parents, as well as those who want to improve homeschooling or adjust to a new phase, such as kids starting high school. Many parents start with the question, "What's the best homeschool curriculum?" A more productive question is, "What homeschool curriculum is the best fit?" Continue reading »
Homeschoolers of Lake County
This is a support group dedicated to the homeschooling families in Lake County, Florida. The purpose of our group is share information and ideas as it pertains to homeschooling. In addition, our group does plan, coordinate and schedule various events, activities and field trips for the members. Group meetings are scheduled throughout the calendar year Continue reading »
Colorado Homeschooling
Colorado Homeschooling supports families on their homeschool journeys through low stress, quality evaluations and testing, consulting services, pre-designed unit studies, and lesson plans. This group helps guide families through "how to" homeschool in Colorado and present all options for meeting state requirements concerning evaluations and testing.
Benefits of Homeschooling: Efficiency
In Facebook homeschooling groups and in real life homeschool group meetings, I frequently see new homeschoolers asking "Am I doing enough?" You ask this about all ages, from preschool through high school, though it tends to center around the earliest years of homeschooling. The "Am I doing enough?" question often comes from a point of surprise. Continue reading »
Interested in Interest-led?
What is interest-led learning, and how can it fit into your homeschooling?
Interest-led learning is just what it sounds like -- letting a child's interests lead the learning process.
This means parents take note of what a child is curious about, enjoys doing, and is naturally drawn to. Then parents help a child learn about that interest. Since this may involve field trips, library books, research, projects, and more, there are many academic skills which are practiced, and a lot of content knowledge is learned -- just by helping a child pursue specific interests.
What might this look like in a homeschool? Continue reading »
Ohio Homeschool Convention 2023
With hundreds of information-packed workshops that are presented by a truly unparalleled group of featured speakers, attendees are able to choose sessions that are most applicable to their own homeschooling efforts. These sessions will include topics such as Math, Reading, Science, Spelling, Writing, Classical Home Education, Charlotte Mason Methods, Unit Studies, Beginning Homeschooling, Homeschooling through Continue reading »
Ask Jeanne: Age Restrictions in Homeschool Co-ops and Classes
I'm a new homeschool mom with an eight year old who is really advanced in his academic skills. My problem is that the people who run the classes and co-ops we're interested in won't let me sign him up above his age group. This includes our county recreation department, the local history museum, and activities sponsored by our local homeschool group. How can I get them to place him correctly so he won't be bored?
This is one of the reasons we took him out of school. He started reading and writing at an early age, and he got in trouble in school because he already knew how to do everything they were working on in the classroom. I'm frustrated that people don't seem to accept that he is gifted and should be in higher level classes. People talk about homeschoolers being able to work at a customized level, but then they apply restrictions that are similar or identical to school. What gives? ~ Frustrated Mom Continue reading »
Ten Things Homeschoolers Don’t Have To Do
You’re excited about the new homeschool year, and you have a list of things to do to get ready. Do you have a list of things you don’t have to do? Homeschoolers don’t have to... Continue reading »
How to Create a Homeschool Schedule (with 10 Sample Schedules & Template)
As a homeschool evaluator in Virginia, I've worked with hundreds of kids in families who have used all kinds of weekly homeschool schedules. I'm also in my 19th year of homeschooling, and since we've moved around a lot, I've been in a ton of different homeschooling communities and groups with so many good homeschooling families. I've seen all kinds of weekly schedules work well for people, and creating a strong week of homeschooling can look different for each homeschooling family. Some families have weekly schedules that look like school schedules, but most homeschooling families use the flexibility of homeschooling to create a weekly schedule that is customized for them. Here are some of the homeschool schedules that I have seen work to create a strong homeschooling week. Continue reading »
Homeschooling and Grade Levels (Or... Relax)
Now that you are homeschooling, grade levels are on your mind. How to judge them, how to keep up with them, what happens if your children fall behind them. Here is what you need to know. Continue reading »
Deschooling vs. Unschooling: What's the Difference?
Within the world of homeschooling, the two words deschooling and unschooling have meanings that are, most often, distinct from one another.
And in that sense, the words are related. Both deschooling and unschooling require thinking about the inverse of schooling.
But within the world of homeschooling, the two words deschooling and unschooling have meanings that are, most often, distinct from one another. Continue reading »
Ask Jeanne: What Curriculum for Homeschooling Active & Outdoorsy Boys?
We just started homeschooling about a month ago. Our son is in first grade. We purchased the curriculum (here she named a specific well-known Christian curriculum), but it's not going as well as I had hoped. My son really doesn't like the structure of the program. He's a six-year-old boy who loves to be outside. Any encouragement, advice, resources, wisdom, or thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks so much! Continue reading »
5 Benefits of Playing Chess
It's not part of the traditional curriculum in United States schools or homeschool families -- but playing chess is a part of the curriculum in about thirty countries around the world. According to Dr. Teresa Parr of MATCH, there are five significant educational advantages to chess for homeschoolers (and others) to consider. Continue reading »
Tips for Homeschooling with a Baby or Toddler
Parenting a young family is challenging. Babies and toddlers are needy, and homeschooling can feel like a huge responsibility. Here are some helpful tips for homeschooling with a baby or young toddler in the family. Continue reading »
Subscriber Exclusives
We have created these quality workbooks and unit studies exclusively for our newsletter subscribers. From our financial workbooks for teens to our notebooking units for middle grades, you can't buy these exclusive resources. We'll send you the links to your subscriber exclusive resources by email, just use the form above to request access. Comprehensive Homeschool Continue reading »
Homeschooling and ADHD
Will your child's ADHD get better if you homeschool? Parents who observe positive changes in their children after starting to homeschool also generally report actively shaping their homeschooling to address attention problems their child had in a school setting. Here are some of the things that have made them successful... Continue reading »
Parental Deschooling: Finding Your Non-School Normal
Have you decided to homeschool? You probably need some parental deschooling. Most parents who are choosing to homeschool their children today attended school themselves. We have also lived for many years in a world where the public school model of education is predominant. School is the status quo. School is the default. School is the norm. As many of my school-teacher-turned-homeschooler friends have pointed out to me over the years, one of the hardest things about transitioning to homeschooling as a parent is getting out of the school mindset. Continue reading »
9 Benefits of Hosting an International Exchange Student
Hosting an international exchange student can be a great experience for homeschooling families. We hosted a student from Ecuador, and while the commitment can seem daunting, having Isaac José with us for a school year enriched our lives.
What are some of the benefits of hosting an international student? Continue reading »
The Alphabet Walk: Learning ABCs with Rocks and Trees
Winter is a wonderful time to take Alphabet Walks with your children. In my part of the U.S., this means bundling up for the cold weather, but hunting for the ABCs in nature may be just the thing to get you and the kids moving on darker winter days.
The main object of an Alphabet Walk is to find letters that have been unintentionally formed in the outdoors. Perhaps crossing tree branches form an X against the blue sky, or a cat curved on your deck forms a perfect C. A front door wreath on your neighbor's house is an O. The brickwork above the windows in an old Main Street building creates a V. Continue reading »
Keeping It New in the New Year
The reality is that when you homeschool, it can easily seem like an endless treadmill. Often there aren’t the same demarcations in the school year that public school students experience, as many homeschoolers follow non-traditional schedules and do academics year-round. Moving from one "grade" to another becomes an issue of "in which subject?" and summer "break" can simply be a matter of shifting academics from traditional book work to more experiential learning. Homeschooling, like parenting, never ends while the kids are still at home. Continue reading »
Contextual Learning: Homeschooling Through Fashion
This year in my role as a homeschool evaluator, I met a number of tweens and teens who are interested in fashion. As we went through their portfolio of work and talked about their year, I was fascinated with the ways they had woven their interest in fashion with their academic studies. Two of the teens I met with had taken their interest in current fashion into the past -- studying the typical dress and accessorizing of women and men in earlier periods of history. They also took their fashion interest international -- studying the current typical dress of modern-day people in other parts of the world.
Both of these girls (who did not know each other -- they had arrived at this independently) had done extensive research to be able to portray the styles of other times and other places, and they could explain how the fashion reflected the culture, religious beliefs, gender roles, classes and roles in society, and daily life. They were articulate about the historical times and geography of the world as they discussed the observations they had made about fashion in these distant centuries and far-off places. Continue reading »
Delayed Academics: It's All About Learning
Many experienced homeschoolers have long valued the ability to delay formal academics to create a more holistic early childhood education for their young children, with the understanding that this creates a rich foundation for later academic and life success. Today, parents new to homeschooling are embarking on homeschooling at a time when public schools are emphasizing early formal academics and implementing standardized testing of very young children, despite lack of evidence that these practices enhance educational outcomes for the children.
As David Elkind (author of The Hurried Child and The Power of Play: Learning What Comes Naturally) writes in "Much Too Early" for the website EducationNext, "Why, when we know what is good for young children, do we persist in miseducating them, in putting them at risk for no purpose?" Continue reading »