Homeschooling is great, isn’t it? You have the freedom and flexibility to teach your children according to your own style, schedule, and interests. Thanks to the recent uptick in families choosing to homeschool, curriculum choices, resources, and ideas are more abundant than ever. Still, you may find yourself needing something more for your family’s needs. Perhaps you don’t feel confident teaching a certain subject. Maybe your kids need more social opportunities. Or you wish your children had access to extra classes such as art, debate, home economics, or creative writing. A homeschool co-op sounds appealing, but there aren’t any in your area that seem to fit your expectations. If you have considered starting your own homeschool co-op, we’ve compiled some ideas and suggestions to guide you and help you get started.
[Read more…] about 9 Steps to Start a Homeschool Co-opSearch Results for: organization
How to Guide Your Homeschooler through Middle School
Quick question: Who would like to go back and relive their middle school years? No one? I think once was hard enough! We describe them with words like awkward, confusing, sometimes even painful. But you know what? Also amazing. Really. I don’t think of my own middle school years as amazing—but when I look back at my three (now grown) sons, and the hundreds of middle school students I was privileged to teach, I clearly saw God at work in these young people. In the middle of the mess, there were also victories.
So parents of middle schoolers, take hope. You and your children can survive these years of changes and growth without losing your sanity. As my church moms love to declare, God’s got this! Prayer, perspective, a support group, and maybe some deep breathing techniques will be foundational as you learn how to guide your homeschooler through middle school.
Learn about guiding your child through middle school!Considering Homeschooling Internationally?
“Better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times.” So goes an Asian proverb that highlights the benefits of traveling. I know there are wonderful virtual and online “tours” available, but there is magic in the words field trip. Visit a state capital. Explore a landmark, historical site, or national park, and windows to imagination and learning fly open. There are so many possibilities! Travel creates memorable learning experiences. So families frequently look for opportunities to take their children on trips. Other families live in another country long term or work internationally, and they want to keep the family together. For families both in the U.S. and homeschooling internationally, it’s a lifestyle that literally takes them places.
Millions of families have found that freedom and flexibility are appealing features of homeschooling. It’s an alternative to public or private school education with unique advantages. If you’re willing to take on the costs, planning, organization, and work of homeschooling, your family will also get the rewards. For one thing, your child’s extracurricular activities will have new, broadened horizons. You’ll no longer be limited by a physical school because you can take your lessons with you wherever you go. The portability of homeschooling is definitely an exciting plus for students and parents, no matter where they live. And then there are families that find the portability of homeschooling is perfect because they are taking it with them.
So if you’re considering homeschooling internationally, what do you need to know ahead of time? What will be different for military or missionary families compared to families who have moved for work or personal reasons? Can you legally homeschool in your destination country?
Learn about homeschooling internationally!45 Best Gifts for Homeschool Moms & Homeschoolers
As the holidays quickly approach, you may be scrambling for gift ideas that appeal especially to homeschoolers. If you’re looking for something unique that homeschool moms and kids will love, keep reading! We compiled a list of distinctive fun Christmas gift ideas to help you choose just the right present for the homeschoolers in your life. From elementary age to tween to teen to adult, you’ll find something for everyone on your list. If you’re a homeschooler desperately in need of some good gifts from your friends, maybe you can accidentally send this their way?
Find Gifts for Homeschool MomsGood Citizenship: Homeschooling Civics
Among the core courses for your homeschool—English language arts, math, science, and social studies—you may have heard that you also need to include civics. Civics is an often-overlooked component of a student’s formative education. A lot of kids have grown up only learning civic principles from media, friends, or family. Unregulated civic education can lead to students not learning why those principles are important. Homeschooling civics isn’t just about understanding economics or the way governments work. It’s a broader area of study that teaches children how to be good citizens of their country.
Because citizenship and the laws that affect citizenship differ from country to country, it’s important to look at the citizenship of your own country. BJU Press offers civics courses that are specific to American citizenship, but we may not be able to comment on how citizenship is different in other countries. For many states in the U.S., having courses that specifically cover civics is a requirement for high school graduates. Often this requirement can be covered with semester-long government and economics courses in the senior year. However, it can be very valuable for young children to develop citizenship early in their education. Keep reading to learn more about homeschooling civics.
Learn about homeschooling civics