Homeschool Better Together

What is a catechism and why is it important to teach to our children? In this episode of the podcast Dr. Geoffrey Reiter joins me to talk about how catechism and memory shape us along with some practical tips for implementing catechism memorization into our Morning Time. It's a fascinating conversation full of practical advice (including which catechisms to use) and things to ponder. For shownotes...

Listener favorite Cindy Rollins is back on the podcast in this special cross-over episode between Your Morning Basket and the Mason Jar Podcast. Drawing on Cindy's vast experience, we chat about which subjects are best for Morning Time plus a whole lot more. Listen in and then search out The Mason Jar on your favorite podcast app to get the rest of the story. To access the podcast downloads for th...

The Advent and Christmas seasons are almost upon us and homeschool moms are looking for ways to change their pace and do something special for the holiday seasons. Today Pam and Dawn Garrett discuss options for celebrating while still learning until your holiday break. Tons of good ideas in this one! Find links and resources at https://pambarnhill.com/ymbsp2 .

What is lectio divina and how can we use this ancient monastic practice in leading our students to truth. Ashley Woleben is on the show today to answer that question and so much more.

Angelina Stanford and I started our conversation with a show down. "I'm going to have to limit you to an hour," I told her. "You're going to have a hard time with that," was her reply. Boy was she ever right! I just wanted this conversation about fairy tales to go on and on and on. Fairy tales are a staple of many a childhood -- I know I spent hours as a kid reading from Grimm and Hans Christian A...

All home education begins with self-education -- for mom. In our efforts to learn and grow as the teachers of our children one tool we can use is our own morning basket -- a Mother's Morning Basket. In this episode Jen Mackintosh is back on the program to tell us all about her own Mother's Morning Basket. We discuss how she plans it, what's inside, and the keys to making it an enjoyable practice....

One of the earliest books I purchased on homeschooling -- way back when my oldest was only four-years-old -- was Kendra Fletcher's Circle Time: Plan the Best Part of Your Day. It was my first introduction to what I would later call Morning TIme. That inspiration is why I wanted to have Kendra on the show today to tell her Circle Time story. I think you will be inspired. For shownotes and episode d...

We all know that Morning Time works great when you have younger kids in the house, but what does it look like for middle school? Is it even possible? The answer is "Yes!" Middle schoolers can thrive in Morning Time and Kim Devers is here today to tell us about how it works with the middle grade kids in her family. For shownotes and episode downloads, visit https://pambarnhill.com/ymb38 .

Learning about loop scheduling five years ago was one of the best things that ever happened to my homeschool. Suddenly I was able to schedule my day in such a way that I never stressed about missing a day in the schedule. Other times, I have used block schedules with much success in my Morning Time to be able to enjoy more subjects in a year. Both types of scheduling are handy and have benefits. B...

We all know that we should read to our children, but there are also benefits to the practice of telling our children stories. On this episode of the podcast Charlotte Mason educator and master storyteller Sheila Carroll is here to talk about the benefits of sharing stories, some techniques to use, and how to enchant your children with wonderful tales. To access the podcast downloads for this episo...

We love to say that Morning Time is for everyone from toddler to mom. No matter what your age, you can always take something from the subjects in Morning Time. This week Meghan Dempster is here to emphasize that message and add to it. Morning Time is beneficial to everyone no matter their abilities and needs as well. Meghan and I chat about how Morning Time can help kids with special needs as well...

Sometimes as much as we want to create an ideal Morning Time habit in our home, something stands in our way. That doesn't mean we have to give up. Our guest today, Hayley Beck found that by putting aside the idea of an ideal Morning Time she was able to create something that works very well for her family. Hear all about how it works for them in this episode.  For shownotes and episode downlo...

Hymn study has long been a staple of many homeschool Morning Times. One of the greatest gifts you can give your non-readers is the ability to sing along during worship. This week we are chatting with Kari Bass of Hymns at Home about the benefits of studying hymns and some of the resources she has available to make it easier on homeschool families. To access the podcast downloads for this episode i...

Over 2000 years ago Socrates used questioning techniques with his students to help lead them to truth. Today, homeschoolers are interested in using the same techniques for the same purpose -- but they wonder how exactly to do it. This week on the podcast Matt Bianco, Classical homeschooling dad and director of the Lost Tools of Writing for the Circe Institute joins us to explain what Socratic ques...

Sometimes I have a love/hate relationship with technology. Yes, I know there is bad in some, but also that the good in others parts far outweigh those bad things. I love the world that is opened to us because of the technology we have access to. That is why I loved finding Lynna Southerland. This mama has created a Morning Time that focuses on Truth, Goodness, and Beauty -- and it's almost co...

You know you love Morning Time but there is something that pulls at you each time you sit down to do it -- especially if your time is short or your day hasn't gone exactly according to plan. We are often faced with the temptation to skip the true, good, and beautiful so we can get on with the "real" learning -- the math, handwriting, and science. But why? Join Jennifer Dow and me as we talk about...

Just over a year-and-a-half ago Audrey Wilkerson and her husband welcomed three little girls into their home through overseas adoption. Facing three children who didn't speak English and had never even been inside a classroom, Audrey used Morning Time to help build relationships in this burgeoning family and the academic and English skills these girls so desperately needed. This is the story of ho...

One of the struggles we hear about often here at the Your Morning Basket podcast is how do you do Morning Time with boys -- especially resistant boys. To answer that question we brought in an expert. Kathy Weitz has five boys all of whom are in their teens or older. She knows what it is like to do Shakespeare, poetry, and literature with a passel of males and come out on the other side able to tel...

Morning Time planning. I bet there is a good chance you either love it or hate it. Or even if you love it, you might also be one of those people at a season in life -- newborn, toddlers, new to Morning Time, BUSY -- that still doesn't want to spend much time actually doing it. You know, though, it is important. In this special episode Dawn, Jessica, and I chat about Morning Time planning -- w...

We wrap this season of Your Morning Basket up with an interview with Cindy Rollins. Cindy has experienced the joy of Morning Time with all of her now grown children. In this interview, we talk a little bit about Morning Time, a little bit about Mere Motherhood, and a little bit about real family life. Cindy is no stranger to the messiness of homeschooling, and she shares some of what she has learn...

It is a question English Moms and Math Moms both dread, "What about the arts?" How am I going to help my child appreciate and love beautiful art, music, and dance? Why should I even bother? Why is this so important when the crowd is clamoring STEM? Prof. Carol Reynolds is here to answer your questions and more. She is passionate about art, music and how it defines a culture. We are reminded that o...

Your loving your Morning Time with your kids. You have gathered a feast for their minds with living books, poetry, scripture, and Shakespeare, but something is missing. Where are all the deep meaningful conversations you had hoped to have with your children about the big ideas of life? In this episode, Brandy Vencel joins us to talk about the marriage between facts and ideas, how to draw out big i...

In this episode of Your Morning Basket we talk with Dr. Kevin Vost about the virtue of studiousness and the value of memorization. In this fascinating conversation, we are introduced to memory methods taught by church fathers that can help us today. In the fast paced, information overloaded world we live in today we sometimes loose sight of the value of holding information in our own heads. Dr. Vo...

As a child Christin Ditchfield devoured the Chronicles of Narnia over and over again. As an adult she found that she kept returning to the truth's found in Lewis' work for guidance. As a result she created the Family Guide to Narnia , a book that highlights the Biblical parallels in the works, to help families see the connections between Narnia and Scripture. Today she is on the podcast to chat wi...

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is on my Homeschool Field Trip Bucket List. Yours too? I want to share the wonder and awe I felt as I looked at the larger than life paintings for the first time. But how? I am no where near the Met. I know little to nothing about art, except that I do like to look at it. Is this enough? How do I start a picture study with my children? What are we looking for? How ca...