Our Old House, Our Greatest Classroom and How We are Teaching Real-World Life Skills with home repairs. Home Ec skills aren’t just limited to cleaning and cooking. Repairing items in the house or rental is a huge and important valuable skill that your child will take with them forever. They can learn math, science, safety, reading and more from just one simple repair. Our house is filled with mishaps and repairs because we have an old home. We knew that…
From online to co-ops to unschooling, homeschooling allows for an exponential amount of content flexibility. Before the 2000’s, finding curriculum for homeschooling was a challenge and often many families had to rely on co-ops to purchase the content. Now, with the boom of homeschooling and post-COVID learning, the curriculum options are overwhelming. The beauty of homeschooling is the freedom to choose any content you want and at any pace you want. There’s also the option to switch mid year or…
Why owning a pet can teach responsibility, diligence and patience in your child. I told my husband that we would NEVER own a dog or cat. I was convinced it would never suit our family to have a noisy, smelly, hairy animal in our home messing up our schedule. But if you have ever parented you know that saying NEVER is a sign. You will be proven wrong. Superlatives are a dangerous road. It’ll bite you in the end. So…
The wonderful artistic world of Waldorf teaching. NOTE: Waldorf homeschool style is COMPLEX. As I have researched and learned, I have found there are a vast amount of resources and angles to this education style. Be prepared that this may require a substantial amount of time and prep before choosing to do schooling this way. What is Waldorf Education? Waldorf was founded in the 20th century from the insights and principles of Rudolf Steiner. An Austrian educator who opened his…
What is the eclectic (flexible) homeschool method? What does this mean in the day-to-day? Eclectic homeschooling means it’s going to vary from family to family depending on their life and child needs. Example: You can start school day once children wake up with reading materials like Charlotte Mason texts, classical style in the afternoon such as Latin and Writing, then multiple intelligences or Waldorf style for arts and sciences. There may be online supplemental activities for math or reading and…
What is homeschooling online? It means that the student learns using the internet courses provided on a computer through various resources. The lessons, assignments and even testing are done through the course online. Wherever you may have internet access, you can complete these lessons. Homeschool online may be a good option for you if you are working full time and trying to homeschool or if you have odd work shifts, or if you are traveling or move a lot. If…
What is Unschooling? What is unschooling? Unschooling is an educational approach where learning is guided by a child’s interests, curiosity, and everyday life rather than a fixed curriculum or traditional classroom structure. Instead of formal lessons, tests, or grades, children learn through real-world experiences like reading, playing, exploring hobbies, asking questions, and engaging in conversations. Parents act as facilitators by providing resources, support, and opportunities, trusting that children naturally learn when they are motivated and interested. The goal of unschooling…
Activities and Engaging extensions that go beyond the battles! Learning about the Civil War can sometimes be boring. Let’s face it. Most of us do not have the priority to major or minor in History. Some of us may be history buffs or have a fascination with history but overall, I’d say most of us do not prefer that over another hobby. This curriculum is designed for THREE boys who have very different in learning styles and personalities, I decided…
UNIT 5: Civil War Final Battles Review & Paper Review Units 1-4 regarding the civil war and the major battles to prepare for your final paper. Unit 1 Overview of How it Began Unit 2 Overview of Battles Unit 3 Overview of Continued Fighting Unit 4 Overview of Final Battles Other Content/Info Paper Outline: Civil War Essay Criteria (for grading purposes) Write a 5-7+ paragraph essay about the Civil War from start to finish including: Here’s a rubric template that…
Charlotte Mason was a British educator from the 1800’s-1900’s who challenged and changed the ideas of standard learning through use of living textbooks and life experiences to teach students. She was a dramatic reformer in the ideas of what “learning” and “education” meant. She believed that children naturally learn in their environment through experience. Using discovery methods and creative storytelling, Charlotte Mason is a teaching style that incorporates topics and skills while also learning character and life skills with “living…