Explore a range of essential homeschooling advice and resources from a veteran homeschool mom. Our Homeschooling Essentials category covers beginner strategies, organizational tools, and insights for overcoming common homeschool challenges, and draws from personal experiences, including homeschooling a STEM gifted child and navigating the unique journey of homeschooling an only child.
Poetry is an important component of any solid elementary language arts curriculum. But how can we make teaching it fun and engaging for young minds? As a homeschooling mom with over eight years of teaching experience, I’ve found poetry to be an excellent tool for enhancing vocabulary, encouraging creative writing,…
Inside: There are many online homeschool planners to choose from but what’s possibly the best homeschool planner? I think it’s Homeschool Planet because of its features and automation as well as its ease-of-use. Let’s talk about something close to my heart, planning. You know I love my paper planners but…
Inside: Ready to jump into homeschooling your preschooler with both feet? This guide’s packed with advice to make learning at home a long-term success for you and your preschooler. We’ll chat about why letting your kiddo lead the way with their curiosity can make all the difference but also about…
Inside: Ever wondered what makes homeschooling an only child so special? Discover why homeschooling an only child tops the charts! Join us as we unravel the unique benefits and address some concerns. Learn why this might be the best decision you’ll ever make for your family’s future. Thinking about homeschooling…
Inside: Looking for engaging Spring activities for kids and a Valentine’s Day Unit Study to sprinkle some fun and learning into your homeschool day? You’re in the right place. From engaging activity ideas to learning about myths and developing literacy and numeracy skills, this post has it all! Spring is…
Inside: Tackling the hot topic of socializing homeschoolers, this article navigates the delicate balance between actively seeking social opportunities and honoring the unique individuality of each homeschooled child. “What about socialization?” This omnipresent, cringey socialization question is often the first one you’ll hear when you start homeschooling. It’s been dubbed…
Inside: Thinking of ditching book reports in junior high? Hold that thought! Book reports teach vital skills to teens. Learn how to quickly organize and effectively create comprehensive book reports by using my free book report template, a sample of my comprehensive The Ultimate Book Report Master Guide. In elementary…
Inside: Ever wondered about the magic formula for instilling a lifelong love of learning in kids? The answer lies in balancing child-led learning with structured guidance. This approach creates a flexible yet focused educational experience that sparks curiosity and allows skills to develop at each child’s unique pace. When I…
Inside: Discover the best educational toys for 6-year-old boys (and girls), handpicked by an experienced homeschool mom. Plus, get exclusive tips for enhancing your child’s learning experience.
There’s a common misconception that kids can pick up all computer skills for kids on their own. We might assume that because our little ones are tech-savvy with iPads or our teens breeze through video games, they’re already tech experts and computer literate. But here’s a different way to think…
After going through Algebra 1 and elementary math in our homeschool, I can say with certainty that teaching basic math is sometimes more difficult than Algebra 1. We had our fair share of hurdles in math, despite my rising 7th grader getting ready for high school Geometry for the upcoming…
As homeschool moms, we all know how important it is to stay on top of things, to be organized, and to balance the various aspects of our life. Homeschooling is an amazing journey but also a big responsibility that requires planning and organizing. That’s why homeschool planners, whether paper or…
Homeschool planning doesn’t have to be complicated or take a lot of time and I discovered that including kids in the planning process will make them more involved in their learning, giving them the opportunity to take learning into their own hands. My ultimate homeschooling goal is to get my…
A question I get asked the most during this period is “How do you plan your homeschool year? And what types of planners do you use?” As much as I would love to give you all a universal recipe for this, there is nothing like one size fits all when…
Because I promised we don’t only do academic stuff during the summer, here’s part two of our plans for the next couple of months. I condensed them into 10 summer ideas for homeschooling fun and exploration. You can read about our planner, summer learning, activities, and why we chose to…
This will be the first summer since we started homeschooling that we will take a break from our regular schedule. It feels odd, but we will still be doing summer homeschooling in a different, more relaxed way. I felt that the passage from elementary to middle school is worthy of…
You know… I never read many books about homeschooling. I feel many of them don’t apply to us. Or they are too technical or cumbersome to read and apply. But Teach by Dennis DiNoia was different. I’ve read several over the years and while I finished some, others are still…
As a homeschooling parent, you’ve likely encountered the need to bind your children’s workbooks and books to keep everything organized and prevent papers from flying everywhere. Fortunately, there are several cost-effective DIY binding methods you can explore. In this article, we’ll delve into 10 different ways to bind homeschool books…
This is something we’ve all gone through. There are good days, but a lot of them seem dreadful, dragging on forever. You spent a lot of time planning and choosing the best materials, things seem to go well for a while and then you’re met with a schoolwork refusal. Here…
I know some kids love writing… I know some are great story-tellers. This post is not for them. <3 This post is for the struggling parents and kids. You know who you are. You pull out a worksheet for your 7,8,9,10 year old. It has a lot of “multiple choice”…
Homeschooling internationally and particularly buying books and textbooks, isn’t cheap. But by researching and choosing wisely, you can keep your expenses minimal while still getting all the books you need. Because a new homeschooling year is looming closer, I decided to write about how I manage to keep costs down…
This year, instead of choosing a curriculum for comprehension, I discussed with our teacher and decided that we would do book reports instead. She helped us choose 4 books and we picked: Around the World in 80 Days (from Bookdepository- our version is not available anymore) Mrs. Frisby and the…
Inside: Beginning homeschooling might feel overwhelming and scary, but with a little research and armed with some good resources for both parents and kids, you can start to carve your own path in this wonderful world of homeschooling. In the current global climate, homeschooling has emerged as a viable and…
Inside: Considering Homeschooling in Europe? You might need to choose an umbrella or accredited school But among the many options, which one should you choose? This article explains the differences between the various types of schools and what accreditations to look for. Homeschooling in Europe isn’t always straightforward. Fortunately, if…
Homeschooling lesson planning, daily schedule and arranging your schoolroom can be very intimidating. Here’s how I do it and still stay flexible enough to cover everything.
The printer, binder, and laminator are the best tools we use for our homeschooling. They help us stay organized and save time and money. 1. Printers First on the list are the printers. They are indispensable which makes them the one of best tools for your homeschooling needs. You will…
Picking the right microscope for your homeschooling depends on what you need. Here’s how we picked ours and what to look for when picking your own microscope.
