Making homeschool decisions easy
For the first three years of formal math instruction, we happily used Miquon Math. We loved the short lessons, the colorful yet not distracting workbooks, and the use of Cuisenaire rods. But the curriculum only goes through 3rd grade. Come 4th grade, we were going to need a new math curriculum. We have many friends who happily use Math-U-See, and we thought about it ourselves.
As homeschoolers it’s sometimes difficult to meet the needs of different aged children. True, we don’t have to manage a classroom full of 30 children. But most classroom teachers aren’t juggling multiple grade levels and a toddler and baby. Even with our best efforts, it can sometimes feel like no one is getting what they need. Easy Changes that Bring Peace At our house we
As homeschoolers our days are steeped in books. We connect with the characters we read about. And their stories become a part of our story. Carrot Top Paper Shop has created a wonderful line of gifts celebrating literary heroines from Jane Austen to Lucy Pevensie. The hand-drawn prints are whimsical and evocative. Each girl meets your gaze with an open, friendly expression. Role Models for
Homeschooling is hard, sometimes isolating, work. We can all use encouragement and an outside perspective. Throughout the month of September, Julie Bogart, the creator of Brave Writer, read an essay a day from her book A Gracious Space, Fall on Facebook Live. Even though you can’t tune in live, you can still watch the replays. They are available on the Brave Writer YouTube channel. It’s
Even after you settle on curriculum choices and are faithfully showing up to do the work of homeschooling, there are lingering problems. All these people need to be reliably fed and the house and calendar kept with a modicum of order. If you are a homeschooling mama, you’ve no doubt come across the ideas of a 30 Day Meal Plan and a Home Organization Binder.
Reading good books together is a cornerstone practice of our homeschool. Reading together gives our children a deep well of reliable language patterns. This reservoir helps them become discerning, articulate readers and writers. Good books also spark their imagination and give them a rich sense of lived history. But really, one of the biggest benefits is that it’s enjoyable to share stories together. ~Don’t miss
I’ll bet you’ve heard the verse a number of times, but have you ever related Proverbs 27:17 to parenting or homeschooling? “Iron sharpeneth iron: so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Isn’t that what homeschooling really is? Haven’t you experienced the iron striking iron effect? I know that I have never been so refined, never had a deeper sense of my own need,
This past September, I made my biggest curriculum mistake yet. I had researched and thought and finally purchased a curriculum. But when it came time to start school, I realized that I would have to do heavy editing to make the curriculum match my student’s level. I set it aside and bought another curriculum–happily, one that we have been making progress in all year long.
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