I have been homeschooling for a long time. I know what to expect from my children and from myself. I know how to set up our schedule to succeed. New homeschoolers, especially those who are beginning to homeschool after public schooling for some time, often say, “What if I mess everything up?” Truthfully, I haven’t …
In my college technical writing class, we were given the challenge to succinctly explain complex tasks without any images. That forever changed my experience reading instructions. I know it is important to keep things short, but it is equally important to be clear. We got this “how-to” book from the library and it made us …
“Use the sleeves from this pattern, the bodice from this pattern and the skirt from another.” Recently, while sewing, I was reminded of how much I love to customize. I like mixing and matching, combining and configuring. I like having a product unique to me. This is how I feel about homeschooling, too! I love …
Read this with your kids: The Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton Porter I have been in charge of many homeschool book clubs. Finding a book for a homeschool book group can be challenging for at least three reasons: Without pre-reading this book, I took the risk to simply put it on the list, …
This is my eleventh summer in Virginia, but I’m still surprised at how things grow in abundance. Today I noticed a sprout in the door frame. The door frame! As I studied it, I noticed another one nearby in the crack of the deck floor. Ah! “Anything will grow well in this Virginia humidity,” I …
“While we’re out of town,” my neighbor kindly asked, “will you please come empty our dehumidifier?” During the hot and humid Virginia summer, their basement becomes moldy. The dehumidifier decreases the moisture. Their front door is only steps away from mine, so it wasn’t a big ask. She warned, “you might need to go over …
“How can I get my child to become a better writer?” is a question I’ve heard repeatedly. One thing that works for me is finding my own pleasure in writing. Reading “First you Write a Sentence” by Joe Moran has increased my enthusiasm and motivation to write well. While on an afternoon walk with a …
My summer is spent poolside, participating in our neighborhood swim team. Our team is developmental, which means even children who don’t know how to swim strokes are allowed to join. Over the season, their strokes refine and improve. To me, breaststroke is especially descriptive of the changes. Once the arm pull and frog kick movements …
It’s that time of year–cramming, scrambling, weeping and wailing–we are preparing for AP tests. Among the stress and frustration, my son made me laugh when he shared this innocent observation: “I’ve always imagined the bubble sheet to be a river.” He continued explaining, “I want to try to block the river with the bubble choices …
Here are a few books we’ve been enjoying from our local library. In addition to having a paper copy, we listened to the award-winning audio for this moving graphic novel. What a fantastic collaboration by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed! Highly Recommend. This is a delightful story about the opportunity to attend school. The illustrations …
