Stories are a big part of my children’s lives. My husband and I read regularly to them, and the oldest two sometimes read to us. But most often, my children read alone. They can frequently be found curled up in a comfy chair or stretched out on the hard floor with a book. And usually […]
A Sensory Poem Writing Activity (Printable)
April is National Poetry Month. Here in South Carolina, it’s also one of the most beautiful months of the year—the temperature is nearly perfect (no stifling heat and humidity yet!), the mosquito population is under control, and the worst of allergy season is behind us. Do my kids and I want to sit inside and […]
When Homeschooling Gets Hard
Sometimes homeschooling is not fun. Like when you’ve been up most of the night with a sick baby. Or when you have serious cabin fever after being stuck inside for days. Or when your to-do list is overwhelming you—again. In the craziness of trying to manage a busy household, sometimes it is tempting to look […]
A Third-Grade Probability Activity
Probability. It’s the reason my kids are required to wear a helmet when riding a bike and a seatbelt when riding in the car. It’s what determines the rate I pay for home and auto insurance and what helps me decide whether it’s worth purchasing an extended warranty for my vehicle. And it’s a challenging […]
The Dangers of Comparison
“Homeschool moms are like bullies. They can be brutal to each other.” Ouch. My friend’s blunt statement shocked me a bit, but I knew it was true, at least to a degree. My own heart’s wounds bore testimony, and, if I were really honest with myself, I knew I had probably inflicted wounds on other […]
Playing with Spelling Words
From my daughter’s very first spelling test in first grade, I knew that she was going to struggle. And I knew that I was going to have to find ways to help her learn those spelling words. I soon realized that even though writing the words and spelling them aloud helped a little, in order […]
How My Family Benefited from Standardized Testing
Have you ever wondered if your homeschooled child is falling behind? One of the challenges of homeschooling is that it is difficult to know whether or not your child is on track academically. I found this to be true in my own homeschool. My two oldest children are different in almost every way possible. Their […]