Homeschool Hints Podcast

Join us for one (or all!) of these summer book clubs for homeschool moms: 1) "The Bookshop of 99 Doors" by Jamie Jo Wright July 13 @ 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (book club evening) This is a suspenseful tale woven between history and present day, all tied back to a Christian perspective. Read the book and come ready for discussion and fellowship. This will be at a home in Lenexa, with address to follow...

Upcoming events in June, July, August and beyond include: Our June 18 Used Curriculum Sale with a free how-to-homeschool workshop just before the sale opens. If you’re a seller, now’s the time to apply before registration closes June 11. Clean out your school room AND earn money at the same time! If you’re a buyer, come look for next year’s curriculum and save! You can also check out MPE’s curricu...

One of MPE's most enduring traditions is its high school graduation ceremony just for homeschool students!  While the ceremony is student-led, parents get to pronounce a special blessing over their graduate. This year's ceremony for the class of 2026 will be Friday, May 8, at College Church of the Nazarene in Olathe.   Enjoy hearing some excerpts from last year's Class of 2025, including senior ad...

Daniel Schwabauer, creator of the One Year Adventure Novel, explores how to engage reluctant writers and use stories to explain teaching concepts. Resource #1: https://clearwaterpress.com/curiosity-2/ (Curiosity Saved the Cat) Resource #2: https://midwesthomeschoolers.org/events/homeschool-conference/ (MPE conference) Continue the conversation! Website: https://midwesthomeschoolers.org/ Email: pod...

Upcoming events in March and beyond include: We’re getting ready for our March 6-7 homeschool conference and curriculum fair at the KCI Expo Center! Our conference silent auction is now live! You can bid on some great items while giving back to the homeschool community in Kansas City. You don’t even have to be at the conference to bid, so feel free to invite friends and family to join as well! Mak...

Kristi Windish of True Compass discusses the benefits of aptitude testing in this podcast episode. Learn how your homeschool high school student can make the best college, career and life decisions based on such assessments! -Kristi's educational journey, starting from her work in speech language pathology [0:30] -How to overcome challenges associated with making career and college choices [3:00]...

Jason Jackson of Ricketts Great Books College describes the benefits of distance learning in this podcast episode. Discover how your homeschool student can enjoy an immersive, accountable, accessible yet affordable college experience that's free of distractions! -Jason's educational journey as a lifelong learner [1:00] -How the learning experience at Ricketts Great Books College dovetails with hom...

Retired homeschool mama, author and podcaster Terri Hitt discusses our upcoming Women's Encouragement Day for homeschool moms. -Introduction to her book [0:30] -How Terri's homeschool experience shaped her parenting journey [3:00] -Terri's ministry to moms and godly motherhood mentoring, after her daughter died unexpectedly [4:50] -What moms can look forward to gaining at the Jan. 31 Women's Encou...

Upcoming events in January and beyond include: Homeschool youth ages 13 and older can apply for our conference Youth Leadership Team, or YLT, program . Homeschool Students ages 12 and older can now enter their creations in our first ever Creative Arts Showcase during our March 6-7 homeschool conference. Registration is FREE for MPE members. Homeschool dads get a special night out from 6:30 to 9 p....

Isaac Durst, former head of school at the Principled Academy (now ValuesandVirtues.org ), discusses the importance of character education in maturing and developing homeschool students. -How Values & Virtues got its start as Principled Academy [1:50] -Why homeschool families are passionate in asking questions and taking charge of their children's learning [4:40] -Some of the academic successes lin...

Wondering how to prepare your homeschool students for higher education? Brian Barber from Central Christian College of the Bible recommends his best tips in this interview - including internships, volunteering, and personality tests. -Brian's own educational journey as a homeschool grad [1:00] -His experience with homeschool graduates attending college [2:30] -How the COVID-19 pandemic affected hi...

Annette Vaughn wrote "Dear Homeschool Mom" covering unique aspects, circumstances and seasons of homeschooling to help parents throughout their journey - many of whom are first-generation homeschoolers! -How Annette got the inspiration for her book [1:30] -Ways in which she chose the different "ages and stages" of homeschooling, highlighting unique circumstances and situations from each family [8:...

Terrie Hellard-Brown of Hypurpley Press explores various tips and methods homeschool parents can use to value the uniqueness of each child and how to best their needs. -Terrie's homeschool journey as an overseas missionary originally getting faulty diagnoses for her special-needs children [0:30] -The inspiration behind Hypurpley Press [3:30] -Some challenges of being a homeschool mom with children...

Deborah Burns, founder of the Medical Transcription Service and retired homeschool mom, explains how she entered this industry and now helps other families with this work-from-home opportunity. -Deborah's homeschool journey from "terrible preconceptions" to huge fan [0:30] -How her family doctor "recruited" her into becoming a medical transcriptionist [4:00] -Some of the challenges of working from...

Joan Samuell explores the health benefits and advantages of Norwex and microfiber cleaning for homeschool households. Check out her vendor booth at our March 6-7 conference and curriculum fair! -Joan's homeschool journey [0:30] -Cleaning products for every household, and what to look for in microfiber cloths [2:50] -Tips to get the children involved in nontoxic cleaning [4:30] -Streamlined cleanin...

In this podcast episode, Author JA Webb explains his journey from atheist to Christ-follower who writes award-winning suspense thriller fiction that is male-centric in a speculative setting. Check out his books at our March 6-7 homeschool conference and curriculum fair! -JA's experience as former atheist turned Christ-follower [0:30] -What made him decide to write Christian fiction [6:00] -How he...

Sean and Caroline Allen homeschool their nine children ages 1 to 21. Learn their guidelines for choosing the right homeschool priorities this year and setting up your family for success! -Perspective after 20+ years of homeschool experience [1:30] -How to homeschool after having been homeschooled [4:40] -Building on the legacy of previous homeschool generations [5:30] -How to stay organized withou...

Upcoming events in September and beyond include: The first graduation meeting for our Class of 2026 will be Monday, Sept. 8, at Garrett Chapel at College Church of the Nazarene in Olathe. A field trip opportunity for MPE members only will be Sept. 12 at Vita Craft headquarters in Shawnee. Homeschool children grades 2 and higher can take a tour of the manufacturing facility producing handcrafted, m...

Struggling to homeschool unique learners? Whether you’re navigating curriculum adjustments, motivation challenges, or poor executive function skills, coaching helps you gain clarity, build confidence, and create a thriving learning environment. -Recent shifts in the homeschool world over special ed resources [1:10] -The staggering data of families (50%) who choose to homeschool because of a specia...

Explore ways to make your homeschool planning more intentional as this list of life skills from Lyndsey Mimnagh's "Treehouse Schoolhouse" can inspire all ages through family-centered learning! -Lyndsey's background as a childhood educator, missionary and entrepreneur [1:00] -How to build the right environment for family-centered learning [3:10] -Living literature vs. twaddle, and some options to h...

Jennifer Moreno started her homeschool journey as a "COVID homeschooler." She recounts withdrawing her then-4th grade son in 2020 during the pandemic and learning all about homeschooling from the ground up: curriculum, community, working in addition to homeschool, and more! -How "everything was in disarray" in public schools during 2020 [1:04] -Researching homeschool after growing up "public schoo...

Upcoming events in June and beyond include: Earlybird seller registration for our Used Curriculum Sale closes May 31, and the final deadline is June 7. The sale will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 14. We’ll also have a free how-to-homeschool workshop from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. just before the sale opens. Sign up now for the best pricing on our Homeschool Day at the K , July 28. The Royals will fa...

In this episode of “Homeschool Hints,” host Shanxi Omoniyi explores the data on homeschool graduates and how they fare in the real world. Despite myths and stereotypes of the isolated homeschooler, research over 40+ years demonstrate how they outperform public-school peers in terms of academics, social skills, community engagement, and self-esteem. See how you can homeschool with confidence and gr...

Upcoming events in May and beyond include: Our class of 2025 will be graduating May 9 at College Church of the Nazarene in Olathe. This is a FREE event and a wonderful peek into the world of life after homeschooling! The next Great Wolf Lodge Homeschool Weeks are May 4-16. There are still a few spots left, but availability is VERY limited since we’re competing with events like a NASCAR race and Mo...

Lisa Nehring from True North Academy explains the fourth industrial revolution and how to prepare homeschool students for a time of great disruption and change. Life skills such as entrepreneurship, communication, finance, problem-solving will always help our children pivot quickly - no matter what the job market is doing! -Lisa's experience in high school and how schooling felt like an unnecessar...