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homeschooling tips

Is There Life after Homeschooling?

Many years ago I talked to a cashier, a former homeschooling mom, whose life fell apart when her teens unexpectedly went to school.  For a year, she suffered from depression and was unable to do basic tasks around the house.  In fact, it was not until she became a cashier that she began to recover. […]

Reading about Math and Science

Years ago we started the practice of reading books about science and math as an ‘official’ part of our homeschool (i.e. something I make sure happens).  We read not only our carefully chosen textbooks, but also biographies, picture books, explanations of concepts, and deep discussions.  Why?  Because, while science and math textbooks are indispensable, especially […]

Why I Aim to be a Zero in Our Homeschool

Every once in a while I read something that sticks with me for a long time.  One of these concepts is “Aim to be a zero” from An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield, and it really illuminates many tasks.  I have thought about this concept so much that I no longer […]

Charlotte Mason, Lost and then Found

I have always loved Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy.  Based on a lifetime of teaching, a view that all children, whether of the nobility or not, could learn (revolutionary in those days), and a Christian faith, Charlotte Mason’s ideas work and have done so for well over a century.   They are not simply an idealist’s dream […]

Review: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

Once again, and probably for the last time, I read Carry On, Mr. Bowditch aloud to my children.  It’s one of my top 50 children’s books for many reasons, not the least of which is the brilliantly-written story. Little Nat Bowditch is part of a seafaring family that has hit upon hard times, but he […]