A child’s first introduction to geometry is typically through learning about different shapes — identifying them, exploring the characteristics of various shapes, and matching like shapes, for example. On that foundation we begin learning about sides and angles, patterns, perimeter, area…and eventually Euclid! Here are suggestions for exploring simple shapes: circles, squares, triangles, and more. […]
Grammar Workshop: Portmanteau Words
Wordsmiths love portmanteau words. There is something appealing about taking two words that touch on our meaning and combining them into one that conveys our meaning exactly. Portmanteau is an apt word to describe this powerful effect. A portmanteau is a suitcase that opens into two compartments, enabling one piece of luggage to do double […]
14 Forms of Writing for the Older Student: Descriptive Narrative
What is a Descriptive Narrative Essay? Narrative essays usually tell us how something happened. They are typically written in chronological order and use transition words such as first, before, later, or finally. Narrative essays frequently have a point to make or a moral to convey — a lesson learned. They employ storytelling. A descriptive essay […]
Summer School for Mom: Evaluating
How do you know what your child knows? There are a variety of ways to find out! Here are seven tips for evaluating: 1. Set Goals Remember back when we set goals? We made a list of those things that were important to us, determined where our children were in their skills, and made […]
Summer School for Mom: Creating a Schedule
Creating a schedule can present unique challenges for a homeschool mom. We aren’t going to be able to merely schedule school hours. Those hours will have to work within the ebb and flow of our home-life hours as well — meals will need to be cooked, dishes will need to be cleaned, and laundry will […]
Summer School for Mom: Choosing Materials
Now that we have our goals in place, it is safe to start finding those tools that will help us reach those goals. Choosing materials can be a daunting task. There are so many good choices! Here are seven ideas that will hopefully help us in our selection: 1. Keep Our Goals in Front […]
Summer School for Mom: Setting Goals
We have laid a foundation, thought about what things are important to us when establishing the atmosphere in our homes, and toured the various homeschool methods. Now it’s time to come up with a path forward — time to set goals. Here are a six ideas that may make goal-setting simpler: 1. Find a […]
Summer School for Mom: Tour the Homeschool Methods
Some of us may find a method of homeschooling that really speaks to us. Perhaps we give it a trial run, before finding out that it will need some tweaking to fit. Or perhaps we hear of a completely different way of doing things that we’d like to try. In the end, many of us […]
Summer School for Mom: Establishing the Atmosphere
One foundational aspect of educating our children at home that is often overlooked is the learning environment we create. As tutors, mentors, and educators — we are responsible for establishing the atmosphere. In institutionalized settings, “school” happens between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. each day — unless there is homework. This unintentional, but obviously necessary, […]
Summer School for Mom: Laying the Foundation
When we first start educating our children at home, we tend to tackle the most obvious need first: the books. While this is an understandable first choice, it isn’t always the best choice. Before we scour the catalogs, the social media, and the plethora of “hottest” new products for an answer to our curriculum dilemmas, […]
Summer School for Mom: Introduction
Ah, summer. Time to shift gears. Take a break. Relax. Breathe…. It is also the time when most DIY homeschool moms plan! We’re excited to update and rerun our Summer School for Mom series that will help you prepare for next year. We’ll start by laying the foundation and establishing the atmosphere. Then we’ll explore […]
7 Easy Summer Learning Strategies
If you have educated your children at home for more than one year, you know all too well what can happen during the three months off during the summer — brain drain! Here are 7 summer learning strategies to help you combat learning leak: 1. Homeschool year round. One of the easiest ways to […]
