Making homeschool decisions easy
When I began researching homeschooling options way back when, I ran across Ambleside Online and was immediately intrigued. For various reasons, I ended up selecting another curriculum to begin with; however, Christmas found me lingering on the Ambleside Online website. By the New Year, we jumped into Year 1 and haven’t looked back since. Ambleside Online (AO) is a K (Year 0) through 12
Whatever one’s religious convictions, most agree that the Reformation was a pivotal event in Western civilization affecting not only religion but also politics, our view of ourselves, society, and science. Thus it has a foundational influence on almost every aspect of modern life in the west and also wherever the west has influence. I share with you this Luther and the Reformation Resource List. As
When I peeked into a room at our homeschool conference, I noticed keynote speaker Melanie Young (co-author of the excellent books Raising Real Men and My Beloved and My Friend) having lunch with her daughter. Gathering up my courage I introduced myself to them and was startled at the response. “Oh, you’re Annie Kate! You introduced us to the Scout books!” And then she excitedly
People have strong opinions about interjecting morals onto stories. Are Aesop’s Fables improved by tacking a pithy moral on the end? Should we read stories to our kids that aim to improve them? On first glance Laying Down the Rails for Children might seem to fall into such a category–stories intended to help kids form good habits. But what I’ve found, is that really the
After two decades of homeschooling, I sometimes look back and see things I wish I had done differently. If I could do it over, I would get more of Susan K. Marlow’s exciting and wholesome books for my family to enjoy. The Circle C Ranch books are written in several series from beginning readers to teens and, unlike many series, they remain interesting. In fact, I
There are few books as suited to finding homeschool rabbit trails as The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss. I’m sure you know the story: A family with four boys was shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island. Because they had been planning to set up a colony, the ship was full of useful supplies, but getting them onto the island was an adventure in
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
