This month we're talking about homeschooling. I've shared our homeschooling philosophy, our curriculum plans for next year and how we organize our weekly work. Today, I want to talk a little bit about how I juggle working full-time and homeschooling. The short answer is: not always very well. For that reason, one of the things…
The following post is from Jennifer Burke, a lifelong educator: Summer is a great time for children to explore the world through good books. If one of your goals is to ignite your children’s passion for reading, as it was mine, then finding the right books is important. Choosing appropriate material, though, can be a…
We school year-round -- with a focus on reading, math and science during the summer -- so the timing for finishing one level and beginning another is a bit fluid for us; however, I know I love getting a peek inside other people's curriculum choices, so I wanted to share our plans for the upcoming…
The following guest post is from Mark McKinney, founder of Artsology.com: On a recent vacation with my family, we decided to take the kids to visit the local art museum. For some reason, the boys didn’t want to go (despite enjoying museum visits in the past) and said it would be “boring.” Nevertheless, we went…
While I've talked to many homeschool moms who never imagined themselves as homeschoolers, I've pretty much always wanted to homeschool my kids, from the time I was 16 or 17 years old. My Educational Experiences I actually grew up in what was quite possibly the best school situation ever. I attended Montessori Children's House in…
The following post is from Jennifer Burke, a lifelong educator: The first few days of summer vacation are exciting: sleeping in, playing under the sprinkler, lunch at the park, no homework and catching fireflies! It doesn’t take too long, though, until your ears pick up a whining, “Mom, I’m bored. What can we do?” A…
Over the next few weeks, we're going to be talking about homeschooling. I'll be sharing my thoughts from my weekend visiting Peace Hill Press and Susan Wise Bauer, our 2012-2013 curriculum plan, how I'm balancing homeschooling and working, especially as we're getting ready for our third daughter to start kindergarten in the fall, and more.…
The following post is from Jennifer Burke, a lifelong educator: “Mom, my stomach hurts. Can I stay home today?” “I hate school!” If you hear this frequently, you may have a struggling learner. For these students, school is anything but enjoyable. Don’t wait for things to get better - usually they don’t. Without parental involvement…
When I was a new mother, I was sure I would teach my daughter to use the potty before she was two and to read at three or four years old. Ha. What I've discovered as she's gotten older and we've added more children to our family, though, is that I prefer the lazy approach…
The following post is from Jennifer Burke, a lifelong educator: Although middle school may seem far away when your children are young, it’s actually just over the horizon! Time flies and the teen years will be here before you know it. Navigating the challenges of today’s middle school environment is even harder than when we…