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No matter if it’s a classroom, a shelf in the living room, or a bin in the kitchen, creating a space to learn and play helps encourage both! When I originally wrote this post, it was bittersweet for me to write. We were about to move from our home of eleven years. This was the […]
The kitchen table is covered with art supplies and books. My eight-year-old is sort of patiently waiting for me to pour another cup of coffee so we can get started. “I know what I want to do today,” she tells me, grabbing the whiteboard where we write down our daily schedule. “Will you write,” she […]
At the top of our stairs, a little double-sided easel, half chalkboard, half whiteboard, is balanced on the banister. It appeared there a few days ago. On one side, my daughter’s eight-year-old handwriting scribed, Good Morning Mom. On the other side, she wrote, Good Morning Sophie. Next to the easel is a piece of chalk for me […]
The materials we use are an important piece of each homeschooling year. When it comes to a homeschool curriculum for upper elementary students, I look for resources that invite critical thinking, independence, focus on process and sequence, and speak to my children’s interests. With a little guidance, my kids choose the curriculum they use. Below […]
When I started homeschooling my son in the middle of second grade, I realized I wasn’t exactly sure what the early elementary years were supposed to look like. I knew they included things like reading, writing, and math, and I, of course, had my own experiences to look back on, but I remember feeling overwhelmed […]
Let me begin by saying it was REALLY hard to leave the magical island of Assateague. Only the promise that we’d return next year, for a much longer stay, allowed us to somewhat reluctantly head home. Having never been to Assateague Island, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew we’d be staying at a […]
The car’s packed; no one but the driver has leg room. Snacks, books, vacation essentials- check, check, check. The GPS shows twelve hours remaining. It will be more like fourteen. We pull out of the driveway, “Goodbye house,” a little voice says from the backseat. My mind races: chargers, Dramamine, boogie boards, goggles, glasses. […]
The first time we took our oldest camping he’d just turned three. We traveled and camped our way from Bloomington, Indiana to Rapid City, South Dakota. He was potty training, I was newly pregnant, and when I think about how many times we stopped to use (or try to use) the bathroom, it’s pretty remarkable […]
Today, on a walk with our dog, a flock of Canadian Geese flew overhead. As I paused and watched them go by, I wondered about the lead goose- was it always in front. Turns out geese take turns leading the way. When the lead goose needs a break, it moves to the back where […]
A couple of months ago, my eight-year-old asked if I’d give her art lessons. She’s been in love with drawing for years but was resistant to any formal instruction. Every couple days, upon her request, we sat down together. She wanted to learn how to shade and how to make a human look human. […]
Our favorite part of our home is our backyard. Playing backyard games makes it even better! As soon as it gets warm enough, the hammock is strung between the cedar trees, the fairy garden gets a makeover, and we start recreating where we’ll pretty much be living for the next several months. This year we’re […]
How do frogs breathe underwater? How much water does a tree drink in a day? Why do hedgehogs curl up in a ball? What would happen if we cut down all the trees? Children ask great questions! They are explorers. They smell the flowers, spot teeny tiny bugs, stop to watch bunnies, butterflies, and deer, […]
Our family takes a vacation twice a year. Sometimes we visit family. Sometimes our vacation is a long weekend just a couple hours away. Camping, long road trips, overseas travel, I love our time together and a break from our routine. Travel is one of our family’s top priorities. I didn’t always love our […]
Enjoy and Algebra were oxymorons when I was in school. A good math tutor, a handful of somewhat patient math teachers, and luck got me through those years. Thankfully, my sixth grader and math have a different relationship. He doesn’t love math, but he understands it, and most days he’s motivated to learn. With Algebra […]
5th grade was the year I started hating school. While there were a few moments of joy (my high school art classes, AP English, summer break) college and time outside of school to delve into my interests gave me my love of learning. School mostly took it away. I became a teacher because I know […]
