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Dear Online Teacher, I’m writing to you because I’ve been right where I’m guessing you are. I’m guessing you are either a teacher who has suddenly found yourself forced to teach online or a teacher looking for a different way to teach. I’m guessing you might be feeling trepidation, curiosity, and maybe even a little […]
Lately, I’m being asked a lot of questions about homeschooling. I’m also hearing a lot of concerns. What do I do if my kids don’t want to learn from me? Where do I start? How do I work at home AND educate my kids? All good questions and not easy to answer. How do I […]
The older my daughter gets the more I appreciate a little help with homeschooling subjects like science. By help, I mean the collection of materials. There are so many resources to choose from. It can be daunting and finding high-quality books and materials is SO time-consuming. I know what we want: literature-based, secular, hands-on, fun. […]
The summer before I went to high school, I learned how to type. My father told me at the end of the summer, he’d give me as many dollars as I could type a minute. The typing program we used was on CD-ROM. No internet back in those days. It was tedious and without a […]
I am appreciating social media posts and articles reminding us we don’t have to “do something” while we’re sheltering in place. Now does not have to be the time to learn how to play the guitar or read every book on our shelf. Getting up, working, caring for our families, it is enough. I am […]
Have you suddenly found yourself teaching online? Are you thinking about ways to connect online with your students, individually, in groups, or as a class? Zoom is a wonderful resource for teaching and learning online. While it’s not the same as an in-person class, Zoom has many of the same features as a tech-filled classroom. […]
A few nights ago the Iowa Caucus was on tv. My ten year old came in, sat down, asked what a caucus was and then seconds later answered her own question. The 2020 U.S. elections are in full swing and BookShark’s U.S. Elections Lap Book couldn’t have come into our lives at a better time! […]
Let’s talk flexibility. Imagine if you will your perfect homeschool day. Everyone’s will look different, but maybe for you, it looks like having found a new curriculum you’re excited about or having all the materials laid out on the kitchen table or maybe you’ve planned a field trip to meet friends, hike and learn about […]
Do your homeschool days feel like a race that’s never-ending? Do you worry you’re not doing enough? I’ve felt both the rat race and worry I’m dropping a ball. What I’ve found is the need to simplify my homeschool day. Simplifying your homeschool day doesn’t mean cutting out all the fun or letting go of […]
Hello, summer or a break from school. Hello, unstructured free time. Are your kids a friend or a foe regarding less structure? For some of us, schedule-free days are the best. For others, a feeling of unease quickly sets in when we don’t know what to do with ourselves, and we feel the B-word: BORED! […]
Habits, the things we do on autopilot, can lead people to success, productivity, and better health. There are countless books on how to create good habits. From spending to studying, eating to time management, researchers have found the things we do over and over make a difference in the way we live. As homeschoolers, this […]
Every January my kids and I spend time reflecting on the past year and setting goals. We think about what we want to learn, create, and my favorite, what we want to read. Reading goals help us make sure reading and reading for pleasure is a priority. Our best reads of 2019 speak volumes to […]
Research on naps, meditation, nature walks and the habits of exceptional artists and athletes reveals how mental breaks increase productivity, replenish attention, solidify memories and encourage creativity. Why Your Brain Needs More Downtime, Scientific American When I had my first child, I ignored the advice to rest when he napped or played quietly. I believed […]
Is there anything better than the smell of a campfire, a hike in the woods, creek stomping or star gazing? My answer- Nothing better! I love the smell of burning wood, the crunch of acorns under our shoes, the hundreds of times my children have yelled out, “Mom, you have to see this!” Much of […]
Play is one of the best ways to teach and encourage writing. It takes away the pressure and fear writing can sometimes offer. Games and creative writing activities encourage kids to experiment with language, storytelling, organization, and ideas. Through play, writers learn spelling, vocabulary, how to create imagery, develop a plot, and even revise. Play […]
