Homeschooling Outside the Box

When you ask a seasoned homeschooler about structuring the day, you will often hear the same refrain: "combine as many subjects as you can." Academics can generally be broken into two categories: skill-based subjects and non-skill-based subjects. Anything that is skill-based really is best taught 1-on-1 or in a very small group of kids at a similar level of skill. Some examples are math, reading,...

I have no doubt that when my children are grown people, making their way in the world, they will hear the faint refrain of my voice when they roll out of bed and get ready for their day: "Attitude-dressed-bed" And again after they have breakfast:  "Teeth-face-hair-deodorant-zone" These have been the anthems of our mornings for years and my goal has been to create habits for them to help them (and...

Homeschooling is not for the faint of heart. It requires endurance and initiative. It requires sacrifice and diligence. But it also requires something you might not realize…a sense of humor. We homeschool moms can be so serious; the stakes are high! We're going against the grain! What if we mess up…this is our kids we're talking about, after all?! But, but, but…we were never meant to completely re...

If there is a quintessential practice in Charlotte Mason's approach to education, it is the act of narration. You can pick and choose which  living books  you want to read, you can use watercolors or not in your  nature journaling , and you can dictate your own  routine  in a way that best fits your family, but you simply cannot reap the full benefits of Charlotte Mason's approach without narratio...

"Morning time" is a phrase coined by the great  Cindy Rollins . She may not be the first person to ever put those two words next to each other, but the idea that it represents, the "coming together"-ness of it, can largely be attributed by the homeschool community to her. Pam Barnhill  calls it "Morning Basket" and has an entire website dedicated to the practice.  In episode 46 of this podcast, Me...

If given the option, would you choose for your child to have dyslexia? Dyslexia is widely thought of as a challenge that gets in the way of learning but what if we've got it wrong? What if dyslexia is a gift? What if dyslexia helps your child to think in a way that many people cannot, therefore, providing an angle of creativity that this world really needs? What if dyslexia is actually…. a strengt...

Christmas is no ordinary time of year. It intoxicates our senses; the air smells of pine and sugar. The days are filled with music and stories. The soft, warm sleeves on our arms and thick mittens on our hands, and hat on our head triggers our mind to think cozy thoughts despite the biting cold. Our taste buds crave cocoa and peppermint. Our children's eyes glow with the sparkle of twinkle lights...

Over the years, "autism" has gone from being virtually unheard of to a buzz word to, nowadays, a word a part of the common vernacular. Most people have at least heard of autism or have a personal connection to the disorder. Many people tend to think of a younger child, perhaps preschool - elementary age when they think about a person with autism. But teenagers and adults experience the joys and ch...

Childhood is a unique growing time for our children; educators, parents, and experts have known this for years and yet childhood often gets swept under the rug at the expense of rigorous academics and a schedule full of structured activities. Children are, for the first time in history, busy. Schedules have largely replaced curiosity. Organized programs have taken priority over free play. And if w...

To understand the importance of heritage, we must first make sure we're all working with the same definition. In regards to heritage, the Bible says, "Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him" (Psalm 127:3, NIV). Dictonary.com defines it as "something that is handed down from the past, as a tradition;" "something that comes or belongs to one by reason of birth; an inherit...

Homeschooling High School...what is it about this phrase that makes even the most confident homeschool mama shake in her boots a little? The expectations seem to go through the roof. The pressure from the elusive yet always present critics "out there" seems to double. And the group of moms who've gone ahead of you who have the credibility to cheer you on seems to thin out drastically the longer yo...

Keeping a nature journal is a big part of a Charlotte Mason education. Miss Mason had plenty to say about nature study and spending time in the great outdoors. If you're looking for a way to encourage nature study, My Nature Journal: One Year of Observation  is just the resource you need to gently guide your child in this delightful habit. Maybe you're like me and you love the planning process of...

What thoughts and feelings come to mind when you think of foreign language study? Conjugations? Vocab charts? Drudgery? Awkwardly trying to piece together a sentence with the few words you've learned? For many of us, the topic of studying a language brings back unpleasant memories from high school or college in a class we took to meet a certain requirement for graduation and nothing more. Adelaide...

'Tis the season for back to school! With the ever-present COVID-19 pandemic and mask mandates, a large number of parents will be looking at homeschooling as an option for the first time this fall. If you have a child with special challenges, this can be a particularly daunting decision-making process…but it doesn't have to be. I'd like to share 10 tips for homeschooling a child with autism. Ditch...

Stories have been a part of human history from the very beginning and have been used as a powerful teaching tool throughout the centuries. Teaching through stories is a wonderful way to approach lessons in your homeschool, as well. Jim Weiss is a household name among many homeschoolers and he made his mark by doing this very thing - teaching through stories. His seamless delivery and enchanting ab...

How do you raise a good man? And come to think of it...what exactly does it mean to be a "good" man? Nathan Clarkson explored this very idea in his new book, Good Man , and he was kind enough to come back on the show and talk to us about what that looks like. There is a shortage of good men in our culture these days but not for lack of want from their mothers. I know if you have boys, you probably...

Is record keeping something you've been keeping up with? Or is it something that keeps slipping from your mind? Or, have you decided to roll up your sleeves and do it but when faced with the amount of paperwork you get too flustered to deal with the decisions - what to keep? What to toss? What do you need for transcripts one day? And what should you hang on to just in case you want a trip down mem...

I may have already lost you with the title... Charlotte Mason did exams ? She sure did. But to make peace with this, you're going to have to first let go of what you probably think of when you think of "exams" in the traditional sense. I'm not talking about a high-pressure, stress-filled situation postured to see what your kiddos don't know. I'm talking about celebrating the growth and discovering...

Do you have a plan to help you teach your kids about money? I'm not talking about coin and dollar amounts - your math curriculum has that covered. I mean how to use money in real life. Do you have a system in place to help you handle trips to the store that provoke the question, "Can I get this, mom?" Last time we talked about Zone Work and I mentioned that we do not pay our children to do that wo...

Are you looking for a better way to teach your child to do chores? I'm talking about throwing away the sticker charts, being done with the bribery, and ending the arguments when you ask them if they've done their chores. I'm talking about reframing the whole concept of how and why you are teaching them to do chores and thinking about it in a new way (you might even say this is an "outside-the-box"...

Do you consider music lessons a priority in your homeschool? There are so many possibilities when it comes to curriculum and we've got to make sure the basics are covered...is music really worth teaching, too? When you've got multiple kiddos in multiple stages of development the thought of dragging everybody to a lesson just isn't very practical. Then there's the cost, the time commitment, and oh...

Do you have a plan to help you steer clear of survival mode?  I'm not talking about the temporary survival mode; the "new baby/new home/new job/death in the family" type of survival mode. That happens. That is circumstantial. We've all been there. I'm talking about when something happens (like...a pandemic breaking out worldwide...) and we just can't seem to get it together and survival becomes ou...

Are you an "accidental homeschooler?" Many schools have shut down in an effort to keep people safe during the pandemic leaving the parents of those children "accidental homeschoolers." Parents who had no intention of homeschooling have now been called to do that very thing...with very little time to prepare for the change. Join me today as I share some tips to help encourage and equip parents in t...

Does your child struggle with anxiety? Whether it's an ongoing struggle or situational, helping your child with anxiety can be a difficult thing. During this time where the entire world seems to be a little more than anxious, it's important to equip yourself with some tools that can help you and your child navigate stressful topics.  Join me today as I share from my heart some of the struggles we'...

Are you ready to homeschool? Whether you're a newbie starting from scratch or a veteran wanting to be sure you've built a firm foundation, I want to encourage you on your homeschool journey. I'm not sure what led you to this decision to educate your child at home but I am pretty sure of one thing – you want to do your best. You want to give this thing your all and provide your child with the best...