Successful Learning

I will never forget when my sixth grade math teacher presented the class with the largest multiplication problem we had ever encountered. He gave us a huge sheet of paper and asked us to multiply 123,456,789 by itself. We had a week to work on it at specific times of each day, and the first person in the class to finish correctly would win a prize. This was the perfect exercise to finish our year. Math for 6th grade homeschoolers should take all the basic operations students have learned in elementary school and apply them to larger numbers, fractions, decimals, and even negative numbers. Sixth grade is a year of transition from elementary to middle school. As such, it is a pivotal year for mastering basic math facts and starting to apply them to algebra, geometry, statistics, and even some physics.

Learn what 6th graders learn in math

Have you ever met someone who makes new friends wherever she goes? Someone who listens well, but also likes to think out loud? Someone who loves to collaborate and be part of a team? Perhaps I’m describing you, to a tee. Perhaps I’m also describing one or more of your children. The person I’m describing likely has an interpersonal learning style preference. Interpersonal learners, or social learners, may experience unique challenges in a homeschool setting. Incorporating some of the following strategies and activities for interpersonal learners into your homeschool will help your sociable children succeed.

Learn more about interpersonal learners

Whether you’re a homeschooling newbie or veteran, you’re probably constantly looking for ways to change, improve, and streamline your homeschool. We parents strive to give our children the best possible education. We are always evaluating our kids’ academic strengths, weaknesses, interests, needs, and goals. Often that means tailoring their schooling to fit their unique personalities and learning styles. We want to give them all the tools they need for a successful education. In short, we want to help them make the most of school—and it wouldn’t hurt if they enjoyed it, too! Hundreds of homeschooling programs vie for our attention (and dollars.) Thanks to the internet, online homeschool programs have a lot to offer.

Maybe you’re contemplating an online program instead of the more traditional textbook route. Is one approach better than the other? Does the quality of teaching differ? Will one help you run your homeschool more successfully than the other? We’ve researched and compared both of these options for you to help you reach your decision.

Learn about online homeschool programs

In your homeschool, how do you make learning choices for your children? Do you make decisions based on your knowledge, experience, and beliefs as their parents (parent-led homeschooling), or do you make choices based on their interests and natural abilities (child-led learning)? As you learn more about homeschooling methods and curriculum, you’re going to start seeing these terms a lot. In this post we’ll discuss what parent-led homeschooling is, and how you can decide if it works for you.

Learn about parent-led homeschooling

My husband and I get excited every time we hear about or meet a new homeschool family. It’s fascinating to hear their stories. Some started their homeschool journey during the pandemic because they were concerned for their child’s health. Some were frustrated with the uncertainty and crazy scheduling that accompanied pandemic schooling. And some were alarmed when they got a good look at their child’s curriculum. Parents have a host of reasons for homeschooling. But, in my view, there are no bad reasons—any reason to homeschool is a good reason. 

If you are new to homeschooling, the myriad of options may confuse you. Some curriculum publishers have designed their curriculum for Christian homeschoolers, but there are a growing number of secular homeschool curriculum options as well. Let’s take a look at the differences between these options so you can understand what might work best for your family.

[Read more…] about Choosing Between Secular and Christian Homeschool Curriculum