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…
Who is Maria Montessori? Maria Montessori is a fascinating woman born in the 1800’s who defied the odds of gender and psychology. After gaining a degree in physics-mathematics, then a degree as a Doctor of Medicine and then a degree in psychology, she changed the fundamental ideas of education principles. Montessori boils down to one key concept: children explore and learn at their own pace with spontaneous interest. While she learned and gained her degrees, she worked with and observed…
Homeschool Surge: Homeschooling is growing popularity all over the country. It has been rising in popularity over the last decade going from the “socially awkward” to the “cool smarties”. And now a day doesn’t go by without seeing another news article about public schools declining and homeschooling growing. Here are some articles showing just how popular it’s getting and why this change is happening across the country. As public schools lose students, more are going to homeschooling or charter schools….
With the trend of homeschooling rising every year over the past decade, de-schooling is popping up more and more. De-schooling is the process of “pausing” after years of structured traditional school in a public or private school. It’s a process of recovery and transition from traditional classroom or private school setting to homeschooling. Like most families switching from public school to homeschool, it’s a lifestyle change, an emotional, physical and intellectual change. Whether your child is kindergarten age or high…
Over the past decade, homeschooling has increased dramatically. While COVID was an influential and often very challenging time for families, it also made something painfully clear: public schools were failing. Many families chose to homeschool because they had more forced proximity to their children’s education. From that, a beautiful revelation and upheaval was born. A change was initiated. Perhaps you are one of the thousands of families who continued to homeschool long after COVID ended. Watch the “unprecedented surge” of…
Creating a colorful profile collage was an idea I thought of from previous experience in Art Club during my high school years. However, what I envisioned and what occurred were two very different things. But I share this because homeschooling and teaching is a journey, not a one and done. It’s about taking on challenges and working with them. What I envisioned… What actually occurred… So while this is the first stage to my collage art experiment with three boys,…