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In 2008 our little family of three packed up and moved from the mountains of Virginia to the mid-west. Heading in the opposite direction of family and friends, we moved to Bloomington, Indiana so my husband could study Lakota and earn his masters and Ph.D. We figured we’d call Bloomington home for seven years, max. […]
My daughter’s goal is to read the Wings of Fire AND the Harry Potter series. She’s eight and started reading fluently about six months ago. It’s a big goal. She wants to read them out loud together and to be perfectly honest, I have no clue how we’ll find time to read that much. (Keep […]
Shopping for the holidays used to stress me out! Over the years I’ve found ways to keep holiday giving simple, and it’s actually become a lot of fun. I love making many of our gifts and focusing on a few things makes the season a lot less stressful. I try to keep these things in […]
Every year I wrap up books and journals and fill stockings with fun pens and pencils. This year will be no exception. I’m on the lookout for fun ways to encourage reading and writing. Below are some of the best writing-related gifts I’ve found to help grow young writers. Gifts to Encourage Writing “If you […]
One day I’d love to travel around the world with my girl. We have big one-day plans. Alaska, Austrailia, Germany, France, so many adventures make up our bucket list. Until that one day comes, we are content to travel together in story. Candlewick Press books never fail to provide stories we want to adventure into […]
There are a number of reasons why reading is big deal in our family. Simply stated, Dr. Seus says it best. We read because, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Reading opens doors and passageways towards our passions and goals. Reading […]
A day in the life of my interest-led learners is simply that- a glimpse at one day. We don’t follow a schedule, so no two days look alike. Does that mean we wake up and wing it, with no clue what we’ll do until we’re doing it? No, I’m way too OCD for that. Does […]
I’m Sophia. I’m eight. I’ve never been to school because it doesn’t sound fun. My brother is going to school this year and I like that. I didn’t think I would. It’s fun being the only one at home because I can learn whatever I want, and I got to take over his dog walking […]
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 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 […]
