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Day in the Life 2020 (with a 14, 12, 9, 7, and 4-year-old)
Well, this homeschool day did not start as planned. I woke up before 5 am to the accompaniment of a dreadful migraine. Getting back to sleep was not an option, I quickly realized. I crept downstairs and took Aleve, accompanied by a Diet Coke from my emergency stash in the top of the pantry. I tried to take a walk, but it turned into a slow stumble. Home again, I did some gentle stretching before lying down on the couch with an ice pack. By around 6:30 the pain has somewhat receded, at least enough to take a shower and get dressed. I make myself a cup of coffee, and…
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Standardized Test Prep and the Homeschool Family
We don't want standardized tests to become a source of anxiety or stress for our children. Is there a way we could not merely “suffer through” the requirement, and instead use it to our advantage?
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Exploring Shakespeare With Children: How to Play with the Bard in your Homeschool
Exploring Shakespeare with your children can be fun and easy. I have books and resources to suggest, as well as a video where I share some of our own family's experience with Shakespeare!
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12 Poems Every Child and Adult Should Memorize and Know By Heart
Want to have your own and your children's hearts filled with poetry, but you're not sure where to start? There are the 12 poems I think everyone - child and adult - should know by heart!
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Snowy Homeschool: picture books, art, and fun wintry activities to learn about snow in your homeschool
Winter days call for cups of hot cocoa and stacks of picture books. What could be better than enjoying picture books about snow in your homeschool? Pair these lovely read-alouds with some poetry, art, and other simple activities for a cozy, snowy homeschool day! Note: real snow is not required…which is a good thing for those of us in the south! For many of us, these snowy picture books are as close as we will get to a snowman this winter. ❄⛄❄ Books about Snow Snow, Sam Usher Snow Day, Daniel Peddle (wordless book) Snow, Uri Shulevitz (Caldecott Honor Book) Snow, Cynthia Rylant Snow Sounds: An Onomatopoeic Story, David A.…
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There’s a Podcast for That: the best podcasts for homeschool moms
Are you looking for some great new podcasts for homeschool moms? Maybe you’re looking for parenting tips, homeschool encouragement, educational philosophy, or just something fun that has nothing to do with mom life at all. I’ve got good news for you: there’s a podcast for that! If I’m not reading a book, I’m probably listening to a podcast. It thus should not surprise you if you hear the words “I heard on a podcast recently” come out of my mouth within the first few minutes of any conversation. While in the past many folks followed their favorite blogs, there is now a sweeping move towards keeping up with content through…
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My First Science Experiment: a fun, simple, hands-on project you can do at home to fascinate preschoolers and kindergartners with the scientific method!
My oldest son was 5 when he asked, “Daddy, can we do a science experiment?” My husband, a brilliant engineer and an awesome dad, was obviously delighted to oblige. John designed a simple experiment to explore with our son and daughter (then 5 and 3 years old) demonstrating the process of the scientific method at home! Since then, he’s recreated the same demonstration twice: once with our middle daughters (when they were also 5 and 3) and once with our youngest son when he was 4. Try this “Does it Float or Sink?” experiment with your own preschool or kindergarten children for hands-on science experiment fun! The Scientific Method Explained…
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Heroes Then & Now Biographies from Benge Books: Mary Slessor
My daughter came running out of her room, eager to share the latest fascinating moment in the book she was reading titled Mary Slessor: Forward into Calabar. Usually this particular child would read what was assigned to her respectfully, but without much enthusiasm. But Mary Slessor’s biography, written by prolific biographers Janet and Geoff Benge, captured her full attention, and even had her reading outside of assigned times! (Keep reading, and see Sophia share her favorite parts of the story in a video below.) Mary Slessor: Forward into Calabar is part of the Christian Heroes Then & Now series by Janet and Geoff Benge, a collection of biographies focusing on…
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He clasps the crag with crooked hands: Simple Science Unit Study of Eagles and Other Birds of Prey, inspired by Tennyson’s “The Eagle”
We often discuss integrating our memory work with our other studies. But did you know that it can go the other direction, too? If there is a poem that captures your family’s imagination, you have the freedom to use it as a jumping off point for further study. You can explore books related to the topic, pursue hands-on activities, create an art project, and more! “The Eagle,” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, pairs beautifully with a miniature homeschool unit study on eagles and other birds of prey! The Poem and the Poet “The Eagle” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson He clasps the crag with crooked hands;Close to the sun in lonely lands,Ring’d…
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Fun {sneaky} Educational Gifts for Kids
Looking for fun educational gifts for kids that your children will actually love? Maybe you relate to this common gift-giving dilemma. You really want your children’s presents to be a good use of time and money, but you also want them to, you know, actually like them. Whether you’re a homeschool family or not, you likely need those educational and gift-giving budgetary funds to stretch across several categories. Here are a few of our family’s favorite (kinda sneaky) educational gift ideas for the kids…that are also super fun! Sneaky, Fun, Educational Gift Ideas for Kids: Great Shakespearean Deaths card game This is a favorite here at my house! Warning: not…
