As a young expecting mother, I devoured books and parenting magazines in a quest to find “instructions” for taking care of my baby. As soon as I found out I was expecting, my husband and I tried to prepare ourselves for the arrival of our son as much as possible. Our pregnancy was a miracle, and we were awed with the responsibility we had been … [Read more...] about Start Them Young: Parenting Teens
Homeschool
Living History: Real Teens Meet A Real Hero
Real Teens Meet a Real Hero Our Real Teens Read literature group had the privilege of meeting a real hero. After reading Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl and Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, discussing both books, and learning some background history, we arranged a field trip to meet a Holocaust survivor and hear her inspiring and miraculous … [Read more...] about Living History: Real Teens Meet A Real Hero
Looking Outside Yourself: Community Service for Teens
Encouraging Teens for Community Service More than just clocking volunteer hours for high school requirements, community service opportunities provide valuable learning experiences for teens. When teens participate in service projects, they benefit their communities, increase their own compassion and awareness, and they even get a chance to … [Read more...] about Looking Outside Yourself: Community Service for Teens
Legit Work at Home with VIPKID
Is VIPKID for Real? Have you seen ads for VIPKID and wondered if it's a scam? When I first started seeing these ads in my Facebook feed, I was intrigued, but I am a skeptic. Most work-at-home schemes have some kind of catch to them, and I usually just pass them by. However, when I heard about VIPKID from a fellow homeschool mom who has been … [Read more...] about Legit Work at Home with VIPKID
Revising Expectations
Not Living Vicariously Through Our Children As your teens grow into independence, it can be tough on moms to reframe our thinking. All their lives, our children have looked to us to make decisions for them--from which curriculum to use, to what courses to cover and what activities to sign up for—even what shirt to wear or when to get a haircut. … [Read more...] about Revising Expectations
Creative Writing with A Pirate’s Guide t’ th’ Grammar of Story
Creative Writing for Pirates! This blog uses affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Creative writing is an important part of language arts, but I talk to so many homeschool moms who have fallen into the trap of not teaching enough writing and feeling overwhelmed. The common reason is the difficulty of finding a curriculum that is … [Read more...] about Creative Writing with A Pirate’s Guide t’ th’ Grammar of Story
Homeschool High School Without Fear (Freebie!)
If you are homeschooling a high schooler, or planning to homeschool a high schooler, Kudos to you!! You Can Homeschool High School Without Fear Many homeschool moms find the idea of homeschooling high school so intimidating that they don't plan to do it. Believe me, at times it is tempting to send teens off to a brick and mortar building. … [Read more...] about Homeschool High School Without Fear (Freebie!)
What You Need to Know About the New SAT
How Homeschoolers Must Prepare for the New SAT The College Board is launching new and redesigned exams in fall 2015 and spring 2016. The redesigned PSAT/NMSQT and the new PSAT™ 8/9—for eighth- and ninth-graders--will launch in October 2015. The new PSAT™ 10—for 10th-graders—will launch in February 2016 and the redesigned SAT in March. These exams … [Read more...] about What You Need to Know About the New SAT
Getting Middle Schoolers Engaged with the Writing Process (Freebie!)
When middle school rolls around, students discover that writing is a big part of their curricular demands, and not just for English class. History, science labs, and even fine arts courses require more writing as students enter the secondary years. Homeschool students begin doing more independent work in these years as well, and we have to be … [Read more...] about Getting Middle Schoolers Engaged with the Writing Process (Freebie!)
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2018
#ReadYourWorld Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2018 (1/27/18) is its fifth year and was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom. Our mission is to raise awareness on the ongoing need to include kid’s books that celebrate diversity in home and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get … [Read more...] about Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2018
5 Tips for Enjoying a Homeschool Convention
Enjoying a Homeschool Convention This blog uses affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. We've been homeschooling for ten years, but last year was the first time I ever attended a homeschool convention. I was always afraid that it would be an overwhelming experience, but it ended up being a time of refreshment, encouragement, … [Read more...] about 5 Tips for Enjoying a Homeschool Convention
Easy High School Record Keeping
Record keeping! (I’m not talking about that cute little sparkly box filled with your vinyl 45s.) It kind of brings on a deer-in-the-headlights look when some of us are faced with keeping records for our high school students. I remember saying that we would take homeschooling one year at a time when we first started ten years ago. I honestly … [Read more...] about Easy High School Record Keeping
Planning for Homeschooling High School
Are you homeschooling high school? As part of the Back to Homeschool Blog Party hosted by Amy of Encouraging Moms at Home, I am sharing my plan for facing the high school years in your homeschool. This year, I have a college sophomore, along with a high school junior, and a middle schooler, and we are still homeschooling full force. Read on to see … [Read more...] about Planning for Homeschooling High School
Where Do Chicks Come From?
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science: Where Do Chicks Come From? This blog uses affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. About 5 years ago, my kids brought home some fertilized chicken eggs after attending a field trip to an alpaca farm. Being the true homeschoolers that we are, they asked me if they could hatch them. So, we loaded up and … [Read more...] about Where Do Chicks Come From?
What We See in the Stars
An Illustrated Tour of the Night Sky This blog uses affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. What We See in the Stars: An Illustrated Tour of the Night Sky by Kelsey Oseid is a fun introduction to astronomy for anyone who loves space. Featuring the myths, history, and science behind the solar system, the author includes "stories and … [Read more...] about What We See in the Stars
Brave Beauty
Finding the Fearless in You This blog uses affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Brave Beauty: Finding the Fearless You (Faithgirlz) by Lynn Cowell is a collection of 100 'courage-building ways' to find answers and confidence in God. Each chapter includes a story with relevant scripture references, questions or quizzes, challenges, … [Read more...] about Brave Beauty
Adored
365 Devotions for Young Women This blog uses affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Adored: 365 Devotions for Young Women by Lindsay A. Franklin is a pretty and inviting book of encouragement and affirmation for young women. The color scheme, design, and size of Adored are appealing right from the start. But, the content of this … [Read more...] about Adored
Indescribable
100 Devotions About God & Science This blog uses affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Indescribable: 100 Devotions for Kids About God and Science by Louie Giglio shows kids the awesome creativity of God. In a fun, conversational style, Giglio combines science lessons with life lessons from scripture to illustrate how the … [Read more...] about Indescribable
Planning Unit Studies for the Holidays
Incorporating Holidays and Homeschool Learning This blog uses affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. The holidays are just around the corner (at least according to the stores), and since I like to incorporate them into our school calendar, I plan now for some holiday-related books and activities. I schedule chapter books beginning … [Read more...] about Planning Unit Studies for the Holidays
Women in Sports
Women in Sports: 50 Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy. A brilliantly illustrated and fun introduction to the contributions of women athletes, Women in Sports: 50 Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win by Rachel Ignotofsky. Culturally diverse, and diverse abilities Fifty … [Read more...] about Women in Sports
