A quill pen has a special way of transporting a writer to the past. Grip the quill, dip into an inkwell, start making long, curvy strokes across a piece of paper, and suddenly you're a young Revolutionary War soldier writing a hasty letter home, or you're Thomas Jefferson agonizing over just … [Read more...]
4 Reasons to Consider Digital Curriculum (Plus a SALE)
While I think homeschoolers generally operate on the cutting edge of education, some may be hesitant to use digital curriculum. I'm as big an advocate of real books as you'll find anywhere, and I'm not at all fond of the idea of parking kids in front of a computer all day long for … [Read more...]
6 October Field Trip Ideas for Homeschoolers
It’s official! Autumn is finally upon us! October approaches and people delight in pulling out the sweaters and hoodies and boots. Bonfires are planned, hayrides are scheduled, and pumpkin spice is all the rage. For most of us, school has been in session for several weeks … [Read more...]
3 Reasons to Try Something New in Your Homeschool
Overall, I’m a creature of habit. I like routine, and once I’m comfortable with a particular system, it’s hard for me to break away from it. But especially where homeschooling is concerned, I have learned that changing things up from time to time is one of the best things I can do for … [Read more...]
The Ready-to-Get-Back-to-Homeschooling Phenomenon
Sometimes I see the appeal of year-round homeschooling. Keeping information fresh in a child's mind is important, and more frequent breaks during the school year can be a real Godsend. Every year I tell myself we're cutting our summer break short this time. And … [Read more...]
My Favorite High School History Curriculum (Plus a Sale!)
You have no idea how many history curricula I’ve pored over. When you love history like I do, American history in particular, you’re naturally more finnicky the curriculum you use to teach it. And I’ll be honest – 90% of what I have found in my 10 years of homeschooling has left me … [Read more...]
6 Pros and Cons of Joining a Homeschool Co-op
I’ve homeschooled for 10 years, but I’m new to a homeschool co-op. There were plenty of practical reasons why I didn’t join one earlier. When my kids were small and I was fairly new to homeschooling, the only co-op I knew of was a good 40 minutes from home. In those days, going … [Read more...]
Studying History Through Primary Source Documents
Good history books, documentaries, and even historical fiction and film can teach us a lot about the past. But if you're looking for the best, most telling, most accurate way to study history, you really need to check out primary source documents. By that I mean things like … [Read more...]
Why You Should Subscribe to My Favorite YouTube Channel
Instructional videos are all the rage. Why learn something written in boring black-and-white when you can just watch a video about it, right? Except that I generally view video as a time vacuum. When I can skim a page of written material and learn in 30 seconds what a YouTube video … [Read more...]
