Homeschool 101

For homeschooling families, the holidays can be both magical and hectic. In this blog post I share how we balance academics during the holiday season with seasonal curriculum, plus ideas to make the season special and memorable for my family.

In my homeschool, I love to give opportunities for public speaking. We love practicing recitation in front of family, or giving presentations in front of friends. This blog post includes the benefits of public speaking for kids, plus the best tips for learning this skill and practicing it in your homeschool.

Here is a peek at what nature study looks like in my homeschool. With children ages 4, 6, 9, and 11, I believe it is important that children first learn about nature in their world through the plants, animals, and trees where they live. This is a special practice to me, and something we have developed over the years.

In our new home we are so excited to have a fully dedicated homeschool space. In this blog post I am sharing a walkthrough and tour of our homeschool room, including how we set up the space for lessons, storage, and more. I hope this post gives you ideas and inspiration for homeschooling in any space in your home.

In my homeschool, we love participating in co-ops and small groups. Over the years we have enjoyed nature co-ops, learning in small groups, book clubs, and other extracurricular activities. These are my best ideas for adding social groups to your homeschool rhythm, including using homeschool curriculum with a group.

If you’re new to homeschooling or not, along the way you will a homeschool style that resonates with you the most. A homeschool style will impact your daily rhythm, curriculum choices, and what you teach. This blog identifies classical, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, traditional, unschooling, and Waldorf philosophies.

As you prepare to begin a new year of homeschooling, here are ideas for making the new school year extra memorable and special for your children. Along with new school supplies, new curriculum, and decorating your school space, here are some ways to make back-to-school joyful for your family.

The planning side of homeschooling is half of the fun for me! This post includes the best strategies for planning your homeschool year, plus a look inside my planner, my favorite tool for mapping out your school year. The customizable homeschool planner can be adapted to multiple children and styles of homeschooling.

The end of the school year is a special time for both parents and children. Whether you homeschool year-round or take a break during the summer, the end of the school year can bring up a lot of different emotions. This blog discusses how to audit your homeschool year and fun ideas for celebrating accomplishments.

Notebooking is a homeschool concept that incorporates many Charlotte Mason-inspired principles. It serves as a written record of knowing and telling, plus making meaning of learning in different subjects. This blog post is all about notebooking, plus how to incorporate it, best supplies, and examples to get started.