Making homeschool decisions easy
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
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
History is one of those subjects that can be dry and boring (do you remember your history textbooks from elementary school?) or filled with fun and adventure. I don’t know about you, but I prefer history lessons that are filled with fun and adventure! History with Heirloom Audio Productions One of the best ways to make history come alive is with great books – and
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.
The dark comes early these days, and the temperatures stay cool. That makes winter the perfect time for stories! Recently, our family had the opportunity to try out Bookroo–a subscription book service. Every month a handsomely wrapped package arrives filled with your choice of board books or picture books. What a fun morning we had receiving our package from the letter carrier, then tearing open
When I started to read Journey Through the Night to my youngest daughters, they expected to be bored. However, by the third paragraph one of them jumped up. “What! John does judo?” The other one was interested by the next page. As the story moved on, they begged for chapter after chapter. Once, when I could not read aloud any longer, I stayed behind in
