Perhaps the biggest difference between homeschooling and more mainstream forms of education is the quantity of time as a resource. I recently came across this quote and it resonated with me, especially in the context of homeschooling: Someone who experiences time as a scarce commodity…is creating a completely different personal reality from someone who perceives …
My family loves playing the game Wingspan. The premise of the game is engaging–”buy” bird cards by “feeding” them the food they need from the birdfeeder. Put them in their preferred habitat (woodland, grassland or water) and give them time to lay eggs. Each bird in the deck is unique. The illustrations are exquisite. We …
“One star reviews don’t tell the whole story,” is the reminder I get when I read Amber Share’s delightfully clever book, “Subpar Parks.” The project started as a joke about the negative reviews people put online about National Parks. Amber took her graphic design skills and created artful hand-lettered travel-poster style images, poetically enshrining the …
Attending an in-person Homeschool Conference is always a great way to boost my mood and encourage me in my homeschooling. I love meeting other like-minded families and hearing about techniques that are working for them in their home. Here are some conferences I’ve consistently attended and enjoyed: LDSHE VaHomeschoolers (no longer being held) Here’s a …
What are the best ways to spend time with your 7th and 8th grade children as you homeschool them? How can you decide what curriculum to use? How do you choose what to focus on? There are no “government regulations” on the topics that need to be taught. As a homeschooler, you have flexibility to …
Throwing down the pencil in disgust and tossing aside the papers in frustration, my child unleashes a stream of forbidden words: “I hate this; I can’t understand this; this is impossible; I’ll never understand.” Moaned in one continuous exhale, my child repeats what has become a familiar script. She’s only 13, yet she is convinced …
Every homeschooler (and any parent!) should read this excellent book from Claire Lerner: “Why is my Child in Charge?” The foundation of the book is learning to correct the faulty mindsets of parenting. Lerner lists the mindsets that are commonly (but wrongfully) believed: 1.My child is misbehaving on purpose. He should be able to accept …
We have been laughing hard at our house this week, thanks to the newest book from Randall Munroe, “What if? 2” Munroe combines clever illustrations with witty (yet scientific) explanations as he answers the unexpected questions posed on his website. I have loved having my family members read the book aloud. We guffaw together. The …
I hope that my article in the Fall 2022 edition of “This Old Schoolhouse Magazine” inspires many readers to try teaching an AP class at home this year. I feel like our at-home AP instruction has been the best preparation for college and the best way to focus our high school studies. Though it may …
This summer, my fourth child is now my size, even though she is only 12. Many children outgrow their mothers. The unusual thing here is that I am 6’0” and three of these four older children are daughters. We have a remarkably tall family. Now that two-thirds of my children are nearly fully grown, we …
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