A number of organizations, both secular and religious, have noted our culture’s lack of attention to the importance of strong males in both home and society. A lot of attention has been focused on myriads of other social issues, but the cultivation of strong, wise men has been neglected. As a homeschooling parent, you are […]
Keeping School-Year Smarts During the Summer
As summer approaches, most kids have just one thing on their minds—vacation! Most homeschool parents feel that the summer break is good for their children, giving them the opportunity to “just be kids.” It only makes sense, right? Everyone needs a vacation once in a while, especially the energetic “junior set.” The time away from […]
My 5 Favorite Things to Give a Homeschool Mom
As thunder roars and lightning flashes, seven children huddle around Maria. In a strange new place, she must comfort these frightened kids, ranging in age from preschooler to teenager. She rises to the occasion with one of The Sound of Music‘s best-known songs, “My Favorite Things.” Maybe you or someone you know is having a […]
4 Teaching Tips from the Master Teacher
Wouldn’t it be nice if teaching were like a science experiment or a math equation? You could do A and B, and then C would always result. It would be nice if teaching a specific way would result in perfect knowledge and understanding in your kids—every time! Yet even wonderful teachers with great skills still have […]
The Easy Way to Plan Your Homeschool Year
When I was a kid, at the beginning of every homeschool year, my mom would buy several spiral-bound lesson planning notebooks. She would spread all our textbooks out in front of her on the kitchen table, and she would meticulously handwrite all our assignments and lesson plans into her blank notebooks. It took hours. Now you don’t have […]
Unlocking the World with Phonics
Before I learned how to read, I pretended to read books aloud. With some of my favorite picture books, I could quote the text by heart as I turned the pages. The actual process of reading was a lot harder than rote memorization— it involved forming connections, remembering patterns, and applying principles. I still remember […]
How to Encourage Self-Motivated Learning
When I was growing up, I did my schoolwork in my parents’ bedroom, sitting at a cheap desk whose fake wood-grain pattern I can still remember today. Once I was past the early grades, I watched my video classes, did the reading, and completed assignments mostly on my own with some help from my mom […]