Homeschool Your Way

EPISODE 149 | The homeschooling landscape has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. With the advance of the internet, how we find things or communicate has radically evolved. It’s also altered how we interact with one another. The thrill of checking the mail or making sure everyone is off the phone so you can get that scheduled call is no longer a thing. Instead, we read messages instantly...

EPISODE 148 SEASON 4 | Art is subjective, right? So how can you teach someone what art is? It’s often a subject that as homeschoolers we may not think to teach or shy away from teaching because teaching art can be intimidating! But one way to look at teaching art is that yes it is subjective so everyone appreciates something different but it is also a chance for you to teach your child other skill...

EPISODE 147 | October is Dyslexia Awareness Month.  Join us as we support the homeschooling community to spotlight a range of dyslexic needs, struggles, signs, while bringing awareness to the issue of dyslexia. Our host, Janna, met with Sophia D’Antonio, a diagnosed dyslexic and gifted homeschooler.  This is a rare opportunity to hear from a student what it’s like to homeschool and be dyslexic. Pl...

EPISODE 146 SEASON 4 | Children can be a source of amazement and marvel. Have you ever looked at your child and wondered, why are you acting like that? Whether positive or negative, children’s reactions to events or tasks can vary dramatically from our own or our partners’. These personality differences are what make each of us wonderfully unique. With the uniqueness our children’s personalities,...

EPISODE 145 SEASON 4 | What makes a successful student or person? While there are a LOT of items on that checklist, there are a set of skills that can make it a great deal easier to be successful. This skill set is called executive functioning. It is a broad group of mental skills that enable people to complete tasks and interact with others. It is a skill set that allows a student/person to write...

EPISODE 144 SEASON 4 | The beauty of homeschooling is that you get to build it however you want. What better way to create supplement your curriculum than finding different pieces to make it a successful learning experience? Incorporating nature and animals into a part of homeschooling is what Sarah Skebba, founder of EdZOOcating EdZOOcating, does. EdZOOcating is an educational approach that integ...

EPISODE 143 SEASON 4 | As homeschoolers, the idea of cramming for a test may be slightly foreign but as your student grows and contemplates college or a form of higher education you want them to have the strongest skill set available to help them succeed. Part of that skill set needs to be studying. But how to study without cramming? How can you help your student best retain all the information yo...

EPISODE 142 SEASON 4 | Motivation is a tricky thing. It allows us to move forward to goals and accomplish what we need and even our dreams. But sometimes it is HARD! Sometimes getting motivated and staying motivated to finish that project or write that paper is so difficult, other times it’s a breeze. Motivating ourselves and our children can be a challenge. Wouldn’t be amazing if if you could det...

EPISODE 141 SEASON 4 | Tune in for the 2nd half of Janna and Nate Noorlander’s discussion on media literacy. What we see is just the tip of the iceberg.  How to critically think about the information we are exposed to and define the underlying reason ‘why’. The race is on to use the coupons below for The Nomadic Professor. The first person to enter nomadicsharkSUB gets 75% off the life of the subs...

EPISODE 140 SEASON 4 | It used to be that news only came from a few vetted sources, the news on radio or tv and the printed paper. With the advance of technology, the news is literally at our fingertips coming from the world over and from countless sources. It’s also given rise to people only getting ‘certain’ news based upon what they’ve clicked before and those ever-present algorithms. Join Jann...

SEASON 4 EPISODE 139 | As the global expanse shrinks with the use of technology, either through the ability to travel to other countries or visit new people ‘face-to-face’ on computers or phones. The barrier of time and distance is dissolving with one remaining hurdle: language. Language, its something we all learn and as we grow we realize learning a language can be more difficult than reciting w...

SEASON 4 EPISODE 138 | Strength-based learning. What is it? How does it work? Why should I care about it for my child? Join Janna on this episode of Homeschool Your Way with guest Sam Young as they discuss strength-based learning. Why Sam created the Young Scholars Academy as an avenue for students a and parents for a connection, chance at community and to fulfill the need they have to be able to...

SEASON 4 EPISODE 137 | Another Season is here! We are starting off with a blast from the past with previous Homeschool Your Way hosts DeeDee and Ximena ie. Chips & Salsa Ladies. Listen in as Janna, DeeDee, and Ximena talk about the joys and challenges of homeschooling multiple children for many years. See how the highs and lows that come with homeschooling balance out in the end with consisten...

Good mood, bad mood, calm or frenzied, there’s a song that can inspire or elevate that feeling for us all. There’s a reason why every great movie has an equally great soundtrack! Singing is something that can be intensely personal but can be experienced with people of all ages and cultures. But what about the mechanics of singing? How can we easily try to fit in more music into our family lives wi...

The thing about homeschooling is that it’s personal, personal to your life, your family, and your children. Your experiences can be unique to you but can also help others who are struggling or need validation that their journey is similar or not alone. That’s the goal of Homeschool Your Way to make you feel more comfortable in your homeschool journey and help you find the community and resources y...

Education, it’s about learning little things that translate into big things and how those little things can have the biggest impact on how we view the world or how we live in it. The official start to most of our educational journeys is preschool, where the world starts to expand. But really what is preschool? Ask people and you can get different answers but intentional learning or teaching seems...

Microschool? Micro School? Micro-School? However you spell it it's all the same, a small group of kiddos of a similar age getting together to learn and explore. Homeschooling is all about choice. What you teach your kids, and how you teach your kids. Join Janna and her guest as they chat about microschooling, why the Henderson family chooses to homeschool, and what that looks like for them.  A...

Math is a subject that inspires so many feelings in both students and teachers. It’s a subject that some seem to automatically excel in and others struggle. One thing that remains universal is there are varied ways to teach math, which is good because kids learn differently. What makes sense to one child may seem like learning quantum physics to another, but a different way of explaining or seeing...

The last frontier, no it's not space but it may feel as vast, is the state of Alaska! With wide open spaces, it can sometimes feel even lonelier when homeschooling. But homeschooling is truly what you make it and in keeping with the premise of Homeschool Your Way today’s podcast covers homeschooling, community, and of course a helpful hack or two. Join Janna and her guest Carol Simpson, an IDE...

It’s here, it's actually here!! High School Curriculum! We are so excited about World History & Literature and U.S. History & Literature levels. Today's podcast is for all your questions about books in the levels, how it differs from other levels, why you should consider BookShark’s High School curriculum and more. Janna and her guest Amy R., BookShark’s Curriculum Editor and Desig...

Parent and child, every journey into the world of homeschooling differs and that’s okay! But the end of the year in schooling can lead to questions of How did they do? Did they retain the information? Are they among their peers or more advanced? While state to state varies there are ways to test your student beyond the standardized test that you’ve heard of. Join Janna and her guest Marcia Manz, a...

Homeschooling can start in a variety of ways for each family. Sometimes it’s brought on by location, a need for flexibility, circumstances beyond our control, and in the best of times a personal choice because it is what suits you and your child the most. On today's podcast, Janna is joined by Mama (Christal) and Cash. Their homeschool journey has been one of choice and discovery with Christal sha...

Higher education, like college, can also come with a higher price tag. It’s a daunting expense for the majority of families.  An expense that can rapidly creep up on you if you aren’t thinking ahead and even then the price of a two, four, or more-year degree can have you blanching at the thought of writing those checks.  Join Janna as she is joined by Brad Baldridge, a financial advisor...

It’s a whole new year of homeschool conventions! Whether it is your first year of homeschooling and attending conventions are a brave new world for you or you are an experienced convention-goer get some behind-the-scenes tips from the people who get to go to them all! From core curriculum to educational games there are so many options it can make your head spin, get ideas on how to break up the da...

Homeschooling in Michigan? Or wanting to homeschool in Michigan? Find out how you can get a FREE literature-based curriculum with support and online assessments! Join Janna Koch, BookShark’s Community Manager, as she is joined by Jen Myers and Gwyn Domke, from Michigan BookShark Virtual with Alpena Schools in Michigan. Find out the benefits of using Michigan BookShark Virtual with Alpena and get i...