For people transitioning from a school outside the home to a school inside the home, it can mean a major transition from having ‘me time’ to not having ‘me time’. Even if you never had the house all to yourself, there is a difference in your personal time when you have all your kids home…
Finding and Choosing the right secular homeschool curriculum is the most exciting and the most exhausting part of homeschooling. Sorry to say but finding great curriculum is even more tough when you’re a secular homeschooler. But it is possible to find curriculum, and we’re going to do a quick walk through as to just how…
When I first pictured us homeschooling I had this idyllic view of three children sitting peacefully at their desks. One would raise their hand and say “Mother dearest, what makes the world go round?”. At this point we would all pour over books and the internet finding the answers. That’s never happened. Not once. Not…
As homeschooling becomes more and more popular people are finding it easier to find and develop homeschooling support and relationships. But easier doesn’t mean easy. In fact, one of the biggest complaints I hear is that people are having a really hard time finding decent homeschool support networks. I don’t know if I’ve been lucky…
So you’ve just decided to homeschool and now you have that panicky feeling “What do we do next?!?”. Don’t worry, many of us have been there. In fact, a lot of people suddenly find themselves homeschooling and they’re not entirely sure where to start. The good news is, especially if you have a child that…
One reason we wanted to homeschool the boys was to encourage them to think, not just recite. Sometimes reciting is appropriate, but the ability to think through a problem or issue is a talent that is learned. And it’s not learned quickly but through practice. So many books, TV shows, and people just want to…
So many kids hit a roadblock with a certain letter, and U is one of Logi-Bears road blocks. I don’t know what it is about U, but it’s too much for him. He’s trying to figure it out in the context of “U-Turns’ which is really funny for me, for some reason. Anytime I turn…
Math practice, especially just rote math practice, can be very boring. But I’ve found that presenting math on new and interesting mediums can persuade a pretty reluctant child to practice their math. We regularly find new ways to practice. I remember the first time I saw a dry erase board. Vividly. It was Take Your…
Learning a language, at any point in life, can develop brain pathways that make a significant difference throughout our lives. And don’t for one second believe the myth that it’s easier for kids to learn a new language – untrue! In fact, when using immersion programs adults and kids learn at the same speed (same…
Letter T was one of the first letters Logi-Bear could recognize. He loved the T-Rex and one day he just pointed at the word and said ‘T-Rex’. I was blown away. Of course, he just saw the T and made an assumption, but he was right on that one. In fact, t, r, e, and…
I am a big fan of anything that makes learning to read a bit more fun and engaging. Reading is so challenging but so totally worth that, and many kids can see that from the beginning. Logi-Bear wants to read so so badly and he tries so so hard, but I still want him to…
Kids are naturally drawn to puzzles. Not all kids, of course, but there is something about puzzles that naturally draws in a lot of kids. And adults. Yes, I admit to putting together all of the puzzles when we’re cleaning. (I absolutely have to make sure all the pieces are there…). Puzzles are naturally great…