Starting to Homeschool: Academics

I was recently asked by a reader (Johnny) where he should curriculum wise with his 7th grader that he is going to start homeschooling. I don't have a ton of experience homeschooling older kids but I do have some recommendations.

My number 1 recommendation is to involve the kid!!! By junior high they want and need some ownership in order to learn responsibility and to get excited about it!

Make a list of what subjects you want to cover as far as interest and as far as high school goals. One example: if you want to hit calculus you need to start algebra by 8th grade. I have a friend whose kid wants to be a missionary so I would recommend Biblical Hebrew. Or art maybe something they have a passion for so encourage that.

I would prepare for the fact that no matter how well you research curriculum that it may not work for your kid. It is ok to sell or trash something just because they don't like it or it doesn't work well for your student. That is why I recommend looking at a friend's copy, download sample pages (CBD shows many inside pages for books), or buying it used!

I also recommend that you be real with yourself. Don't start looking at curriculum based on where your kids "should" be but where they are. If you buy something to advanced remember that you can hold onto it for when they get there. Don't freak and don't pressure them. Learning is a journey not a destination (how corny is that;).

I would also use the junior high years as a time to start looking forward to high school. There will need to be more record keeping to get your kid into college so now is a good time to start thinking about it.

So now to the real question... curriculum. Since this reader told me they are in California and I can specifically recommend that they attend the CHEA conference, which is coming up quickly. CHEA gives a free day to all first time homeschoolers so use it! But I recommend conferences no matter where you are. They all have many curriculum booths so you can touch and look at everything.

I personally am a big Singapore math fan but I don't know anyone who has used them with older kids. But I have heard great things about Teaching Textbook for older kids. One of the nice things is that you don't have to actually do the teaching. They also have their own placement tests. I have also heard great things about Bob Jones satellite classes for older kids.

As far as history and social sciences go I recommend the real book mentality. Find a point, event or arena in history that interests you or your student and get books on it. You could go with something as broad as California history or specific things like Thomas Edison (that covers real science too;) or World Ward II. Then just have them do a project, paper, presentation or something on it. Depending on your kid they may want to do an art piece. I personally loved writing research papers (yes, I am a dork;). But something that shows they are getting it. You may just get them 1 book from the library and it may spark a year of study to find out more about it.

I also have the same mentality on reading. Pull up any reading list (from people you agree with versus nuts;) and start working through the books. You can also pair your literature with your history. Study Elizabeth I for history then read Shakespeare. Greek history and the Odessy.

The most important this is to enjoy the ride!!! So for those of you with experience in this age range: what specific curriculum do recommend for a junior high student?

My Guilt, My Fear

I knew that I would probably have some pretty bright kids. I am blessed with a husband who is absolutely brilliant so the chances of smart kids were good. But what I didn't expect was the guilt in the face of their brilliance.

NerdBug (8) and NerdPie (6) were pretty bright. NerdBug didn't really read early but once he did the kid started eating books. He is a year ahead in math and overall pretty bright. NerdPie started doing 25 piece puzzles at like 14 months old, she read in kindergarten, and is ahead at math too. So, while I know my kids are above grade level, I have been afraid that I am not educating them up to their total potential. I should be doing more with them but life always seems to get in the way. I have Latin to do with the oldest that I can't make time for. I am not diligent on the history. They could be speaking foreign languages, doing physics, who knows what. So if I was guilty and afraid before.....

NerdDad started going through a great book series with Nerdling in the this last month. Here is what my 4 year old (he won't be 4 1/2 until the end of January) read last night all by himself:

Mike has a hen. The hen is black. It is a fine hen. The hen is lost. Mike is sad. Is the hen in the nest? It is not in the nest.

The word egg is what stumped him. I am in so much trouble.....

What if I don't equip them well enough? Their intellect and brilliance is a gift, what if I am squandering it? What could they do if they had a better mom? In all seriousness, I am not wondering about sending them to public school. I know that a teacher in a class of 30 couldn't take as far as I am now. But, there is always a but, is it as far as I could take them?

Uh, Mommy Guilt exponentiated.

A Little Science Fun!

This was cool and easily do able! I think we will have to do this experiment soon with the kids. Ahhh, the fun of homeschooling. Get to play with toys and call it school!

Carnival of Homeschooling: Welcome to the NerdFamily House!

Hi everyone! Welcome to the NerdFamily House! We are having our first rain of the season out here so I hope you didn't get to wet. Come on in, let me take your jackets and bags. Make yourself at home!

Before we get into anything just a quick a reminder for all those in California. It is once again time for affidavits!! If you file a PSA you only have until October 15th to get over and fill that out online!!

You can grab a cup of coffee or a soda and go join in on the education conversations around the kitchen table. Beverly at Beverly’s Homeschooling Blog (About.com) is talking about Why we love the Charlotte Mason Method. Successful Homeschooling talks about The Hidden Joy of Rote Memorization that is found in classical homeschooling. Special Needs Homeschooling talks about Sexual Education for the Mentally Disabled. They look at both how to educate and how to protect the mentally disabled in the arena of sex. Bur Bur & Friends:Community Park has Resources for Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Minds in Bloom offers questions that parents can ask children to encourage them to think creatively and critically about their work in 8 Questions to Ask Children about their Art Work. The Curriculum Choice looks at Latin for Children vs Latina Christina.

There are some great people over by the piano talking music education. Diamonds in the Rough shares with us a source for Free Sheet Music. Texas Homeschooler asks us about thePurpose for Music.

At the white board there is a little math talk going on. The Homeschooling Physicist has given us Math Interlude: Homeschool Math by Rotating Wheat Thins Boxes. You gotta check it out!Lesson Pathways Blog talks to us about Using On-Line Math Resources.

Over at the writing desk we have some interesting lessons. SmallWorld gives us a creative writing lesson with SmallWorld's WordSmithery Week 7: Writing About the Weather. Then Across the Page gives us Curriculum spotlight: Writing with Ease. Under the Golden Apple Tree offers Spelling Helps for the Spelling Challenged Student.

The kids can go over to the kitchen island where the kids can go their hands dirty for education! Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers goes through step-by-step: Making a Paper Mache Map. The Informed Parent has some great ideas for Costumes for all the upcoming festivities. Quiverfull Family is sharing their Creative Cooking that got them their Jello cell. It is an awfully cool idea!

Check out over by the bookshelves. The Mommy Earth has a book review: The Walrus Warning and the Smithsonian Oceanic Collection. Over at NerdFamily Things I have a litst of books that seemed to help Reading and Learning While Little.

Over on the couches we are having some interesting conversations on the politic of schooling and other profundities. Barbara Frank Online has One Dirty Little Secret about College, I am sure there are more but this one really causes you to think. Home Education Today asks us, "Is my child missing out on the high school experience?" The Thinking Mother tell us about how She Worked Outside the Home for 1 Week and what spoke to her about it. Corn and Oil gives us “Taking Away the Youth”- Perspective of an Illini Graduate Student (homeschooler). It is a poignant piece that talks about the political pushing towards more institutional school time. They wonder what we're doing to our children and how this will affect homeschoolers. Save Money Homeschooling wants to know if (Is) the Recession Increasing Or Decreasing the Number of Homeschoolers? No Fighting No Biting wants to know is More School Better? Mommy's Life reminds us that You CAN Teach Your Kids! She shares her response to 3 common things that are said to her about homeschooling.

Make sure you stop by the tv for a little entertainment. It is hooked up to the laptop (yes, this is the NerdFamily House) for a little entertainment. Why Homeschool asks, "Are you a homeschooler or homeschooled?" It is a hilarious video that Janine found. You have to see it! Speaking of entertainment, Notes From a Homeschooling Mom shares with us a Homeschool must see: Little House on the Prarie, the Musical. Unfortunately it isn't coming to California but I would love to see it!

Looking out the back window and out into the world are some great field trip posts. Percival Blakeney Academy talks about Rice Harvesting they got to go participate in. Practical Homeschooling gives us 40 Free Field Trip Ideas.

Just for fun....Chocolate Kids claims Healthy Chocolate Turns My Son Into 10 Year Old Maths Genius!

I love having you all over and look forward to doing it again. Make sure you get all your coats and bags and try to stay dry out there!

So this was fun, right?!?! So show your love by tweet, digging, blogging and anything else you can do to promote out carnival! Go check out all the awesome articles and comment so the authors know that they are valued! Make sure that you send in your articles for next week's carnival at BlogCarnival. Next week it will be held at No Fighting No Biting.

Charter Schooling: A Better Homeschool?

Since it is summer, everyone starts thinking about what kind of schooling they want to do. This is the time to decide between public, private and homeschooling. Well, I have recently been asked what I think about charter schooling as a form of/alternative to homeschooling.

First, lets talk a little about what a charter school is. A charter school simply refers to the funding and oversite issues that apply to theses special public schools. Some are traditional schools and some are offsite schools. Not all charter schools are offsite schools. What I mean by offsite schools is that kids don't attend every day (some once a week, some once a month, etc) but they still have a teacher. Sometimes they will still have sports and clubs. Sometimes not. They have homework assigned and every so often check in to make sure it is getting done, to get tested and (I assume) help if they need it.

So the pluses are that you don't have to keep all the records and all the books are free. Some off extracuricular activities that don't cost anything. You have a trained teacher to assist you as you go. Typically you can move along at your own pace be that faster or slower. You can minimize anything in the curriculum that you don't agree with. If you are homeschooling for social reasons it pulls your children out of the typical school society and you can protect them a little more.

The cons (and this is the side I sit on) start with the fact this isn't homeschooling but public schooling at home. You answer to the public schools, as you should because they are paying for it. While you can minimize certain subjects/issues that you don't agree with, you can't just choose to not teach them at all. Now some allow you a little latitude in what you teach but not complete control. So you also have to fit within the traditional education theory and are not going to be allowed to do a classical education, unschooling or even eclectic. Your kids will still need to take the standardized testing that the public schools have. Personally, I find the tests a gigantic waste of time and effort so I don't want to have to do that. You do have a teacher that you answer to. And you have attendance rules of how many days and how many hours you kid has to do school.

I think it really boils down to the fact that it is public school and that comes with strings. The leash may be looser but it is still there. It is a good option for someone who has no qualms with the public school other than social and religious issues. I think there are better options but that is my humble opinion;).

Real Life

One of the arguements that I hear often is that homeschooling doesn't prepare your kids for "real life" because they are isolated. I always disagree. I think that being around real people, volunteering and apprenticing lead to a good picture of real life. We now have proof that the education system doesn't care about real life.

There is a person who has been given advanced medical training in the military. But now that she wants her degree, the school won't recognize the training or the experience. So maybe it is the ivory tower that shields your kids from "real life"?

So Who Do the Unions Work For?

We know that the teacher's unions don't work for the parents. We also know they don't work for the students. That is perfectly illustrated by the teacher who got her job back after getting her class to vote a boy out who has Asperger's.

But now it appears that they don't work for the teachers either. The teacher's union in Detroit is trying to get 70 teacher's fired because they didn't pay their dues. I just it just confirms what some of us already knew. The teachers unions are entities that only work to dupport the union itself. It is evidenced by their politics and now this.

Homeschool Posts

Here is a collection of my posts that I thought would be helpful for those who are interested in homeschooling. You can also go over to my NerdFamily Things blog and click on any of the keywords that seem relevant (such as math, literature, etc).

How to Start Homeschooling in California

Education Styles

Curriculum Choices

First Grade WTM Materials

See I Teach My Kids History!

Thomas Edison-the first extreme athlete!!!

It's All About the Info

Awesome isn't it? CraftyHedgeHog over at Etsy made this (sold out right now) and they also have a fetal pig. It gives me a great idea. As a homeschooler I am always looking for new ways of learning. Who says you have to actually dissect an animal? I know of many moms who don't want to do it for a variety of reasons but worry. This is a rite of passage. Can you have a good grasp on biology without doing a dissection? Well, I don't know. Couldn't you do an awesome 3-D model like this? Since it is all about learning the information, you imagination would be the limit.

I really think this translates to all areas of learning. There is no end all thing you have to do. It's all about the info!

Musings at the Gym

So I was walking on the treadmill and they have different tvs going. A news story came on about the economy really hurting people who have kids who are in private schools. Apparently many people are taking out 2nd mortgages in order keep their kids (elementary aged kids were the ones shown here) in private school. You have to be kidding?!?!?

Tell me why homeschooling isn't a better option than this? Is it really better to have to have both parents out of the home working (possibly 2 jobs)? Wouldn't your kids be better served to have a parent around every once in a while? I have known a few families where mom has worked just for the private school tuition and that was before the economy issues. They are sure that this is the better education and experience for their kids. This is the thing that angers me about anti-homeschooling parents. It is the mentality that the personal financial sacrifice is the nobler one. I wonder if it is that they don't actually value the personal position of parent. The impact you have on your child's life simply by being present. And that doesn't even account for the clear academic benifits to having the small group learning environment (which has been proven repeatedly) and the over all desirability of homeschoolers to colleges.

Ugh! This is what happens when I go to the gym at 6am;).

Technology, Education and Life

All I could think as I watched this video is about if our educational system is prepared to equip our kids for the next new things. The current public school system seems to be built upon a system that wasn't working before so why would it work better in the future? The current system teaches kids (by design) how to be great followers and workers, not entrepreneurs and inventors. Learning how to learn, logic and a love for knowledge is what kids need to be taught today to be competitive tomorrow. Are we teaching them that? I hope that I am.

Carnival of Homeschooling: NerdHouse

Welcome to the NerdHouse. Why don't you come on in and see the Carnival of Homeschooling we have set up? Lot's of people are already here with all kinds of great entries.

As we go in take a look at the family bulletin board. Kim at Kim's Play Place has is announcing Science and Technology Education Blog Carnival. I also have Home Spun Strip (#325) from Home Spun Homeschooling. They are always so cute and refreshing.

Let's take a seat in the living room for a moment to talk about the challenges and joys we face as homeschoolers. There isn't anything like a little community support. Erin at Delighting in His Richness shares I thought I could, I thought I could! She shares how to overcome the afternoon slump with kids. Summer over at Wired For Noise shares the 5 Books That Influenced Me to Homeschool. Susan over at The Expanding Life talks about our ever changing roles as parents and teachers in Serving Punch. Renae at Life Nurturing Education shares a glimpse in Like Mother, Like Daughter. The Crazy Mom over at The Crazy House share a humorous and encouraging look with Testing, Testing, 1-2-3. Timothy at Sometimes I'm Actually Coherent gives us How Times Have Changed. While reading one of the lessons from a McGuffey Reader prompts some thought on the question: What is childhood for? Why Homeschool talks about One of the great things about homeschooling - vacations. Beverly’s Homeschooling Blog (About.com)
has a forum member who wants to know How do you keep your sanity?

Let's go join that group over by the bookshelf. They are sharing some of their learning experiences. Tammy over at Adventures on Beck's Bounty share about her nature study with A Bird Highway? Christine over at Our Curious Home tells us about the First Day of this Late Winter Co-op. Dolfin at Lionden Landing shares her groups initial plans in building their Sunflower House. Dana at Principled Discovery tells us about What My Daughter Learned Through Blogging. Sue over at Homeschooling High School tells us why we should Teach Your Teens Real Life Money Skills. Two Kid Schoolhouse tells us why she reads aloud to her reading children in Reading Up. ChristineMM of The Thinking Mother talks about homeschool lesson task lists in Assignment List Time I Guess. Learned Genius tells us Why You Should Read the Classics: A Bibliophile's Diatribe. Jenny at Home is Where You Start From shares Our First Week with Sonlight's Language Arts.

They group over by the desks are giving each other some resources. Lynn over at Eclectic Education shared Our Lapbooks. We here at the NerdFamily need to get started lapbooking too. HEM Takes A Closer Look gives us a great piece on Hands On Learning. Tracey at Glue on her fingers, dirt on her toes, she makes laughter wherever she goes has a great unit study with Spring Forward, Fall Back. Living By Learning shares some great online resources and tips on Looking at Chinese Paintings with Kids. Shannon at Song of My Heart has a great Colonial Days and The American Revolution unit. HomeschoolBuzz.com Reviews shares their review of Artistic Pursuits Jr. High book one: The Elements of Art and composition. Let's Play Math shares a great Math Warm-Up: Today is February 4 x 3 x 2 x 1. Petticoat Government has a Cuisenaire Rod Suggestion.

Not all lessons have a spot on a report card. Both the joy and burden of being a homeschooling parent is that we are also tasked with the subjects in life. Jennifer at Cage Free Monkeys dealing with a lesson on sorrowing due to pet loss in Breaking Hearts. The Reluctant Homeschooler helps her daughter through friendship issues in I'm Busy Right Now. Becca at Inspiration for Mothers tells us What to tell your kids about suffering and injustice in the world. Dana at A Very Nearly Tea gives us a glimpse at Teaching Understanding.

Over at the kitchen table they are talking a little politics. Brian over at New Hampshire Rocks! tell us about an Attempt to Undermine Home Education in New Hampshire. Alasandra over at Alasandra's Homeschool Blog gives us Why Carol Moore Chose Not to Homeschool that invalidates her argument. Barbara Frank Online asks if Our Parental Rights in Jeopardy? Life Without School Community Blog talks about The Myth of Credentialism.

That brings us to the end of this week's Carnival of Homeschooling. Please submit your entries for next week's carnival that will be hosted over at Life Nuturing Education. Thanks again for joining me! So go read and comment!

Continuing Ed Anyone?

Apparently there are some free online courses in nanotech. Who says I need to put my kids in school to have them taught by some of the best and the brightest? With today's internet there are more and more free courses being made available. So I can teach my kids all I know and then go to those bigger and brighter to teach them more. Stanford and MIT also have all kinds of courses for free. That more is more than they can get in any public school! Heck, when I can find the time I want to take the many courses offered. Maybe even a paid college degree will soon be outdated? What do you all think?

A Great Homeschooling Benefit: A More Creative Halloween!

I made a discovery about a month ago. I realized that my kids were already making cool projects for history that could be used to go with Halloween costumes. I gently suggested that we not buy costumes this year but make ones from our history readings. The boys have decided to become Roman Soldiers and NerdPie is going to be a Celtic Queen with NerdPud as one of her daughters. The kids got all excited but then I started feeling guilty. These costumes will look so hand made, because they are. You are looking at some of the pieces to one of my kids' Roman Standard project for history so obviously this won't be professional craftmenship. But since my kids are in this exclusive school no on else will have their costume at the church event. Not only that but I get to save major money and I get to have my kids involved in creating something and isn't that more value than just walking around and getting candy. I think so.

Now a disclaimer, these are going to look so made by kids and that really includes all the parts I am doing and came up with. I sewed a dress for my oldest daughter to wear under her cloak she is helping make and it is obvious that it is my first dress I have ever made. But oh well, it is one night and the kids won't know any better as long as all of you don't tell them;).

Homeschool Myth: Manipulatives

An argument I have heard against homeschooling is lack of materials/manipulatives. I was told that it would cost an arm and a leg to get all the hands on teaching tools I would need to teach preschool and the first few years of elementary school and that is why they needed to go to a school enviroment. I say, "Bologna!". Yes, you might need a few things but many of the big things will be just cheap things you have around the house. For counters you can use beans or M&M's(great reward system too;). For those nifty little fraction models...An apple or orange and a knife. You can even get a kid safe knife (or a pumpkin knife) and have the kiddo cut it themselves. Be creative and cheap!

Now there will be times when, depending on the kid, you might need a real mainpulative. Take for example those lovely unit blocks in my picture. All kids may not need those but the NerdBug's math progress came to a screeching halt when we got to borrowing and carrying so we went and got a little help. Something you need to keep in mind is the local teacher store isn't your only option, and sometime that is a costly option. I went into our local teacher store (GW Supply) and found some unit blocks but not all that I wanted. They had the tens and the ones but not the hundreds and they were about $9 a bag. So I went on line and found these interlocking ones at a fraction of the price and they lock together (the ones at GW didn't). All I did was go to the website on the bag. After shipping and handling I still paid less (less than $18 for all 3 sets plus a couple of clearance items;). So remember to look around. The Internet is your oyster!

One last thing, if you are going to invest in something try to make it do double duty. It can teach basic addition and subtraction, carrying, borrowing and fractions.

This is the first manipulative I needed to buy so that myth is officially debunked!

Things I Learned Homeschooling

No one will deny that homeschooling is a learning experience. What I think that many people don't realize is that no one really learns more that the homeschooling parent. Now I was very prepared to what homeschooling was and some of the lessons I would learn. I would gain knowledge that was left out of my conventional education. I would learn to have patience and how to schedule better. Already I see those lesson taking form in me. But there are some lessons I didn't foresee and I am sure that there are more to come.

The big lesson I didn't foresee was sometimes you need to leave them the heck alone. It started when I was trying to teach my oldest how to use scissors. I couldn't figure out how to communicate to him on how to make the scissors work and cut on the line. So I went to a woman at church who works in our children's department and asked for advice. She said hand him the scissors and paper, then leave him alone. Well, she was right.

Same child a couple of years later we are working on first grade math. Now I tutored math for years so I felt like I had a handle on this situation. Well, I may have been wrong;). The fact that I was making sure that he had a handle on the concepts before I gave him the work to do was really exasperating him. I found that he worked so much better if I gave him his workbook and when he stumbled (more than once or twice) then I would pull out the textbook and go over the lesson.

Now this isn't always the approach for all my children but it was something I wasn't prepared for. I just wonder what unexpected lesson I will be learning next;).

Yet Another Reason We Homeschool

Recently my inbox has been flooded with pieces talking about how something needs to be done about the proposed Harvey Milk Day in California public schools.

I have to say that I am a bit ambivalent because it seems to fall in line with the purpose of socialized education. Which is to inhibit the development of Judeo-Christian values. This is what is called a "Dog Bites Man Story". If a man bites a dog, that is news. But is a dog bites a man, not so much because that is what dogs do. Homosexuality has become mainstream within the school system. So what makes you think that they wouldn't be looking for pioneers to celebrate? Just like when school became integrated we then began celebrating heroes of the integration (such as Martin Luther King Jr.). I am not saying that these people are equal in achievement. Harvey Milk is famous for being an openly gay politician who was killed for it. So he is the perfect martyr.

What worries me more is the situation that arose recently in Dos Palos where a kid was punished for wearing a shirt that depicted the US flag. And why?

The assistant principal initially thought Shelly's T-shirt violated a clause of the school dress code that does not allow "shirts/blouses that promote specific races, cultures, or ethnicities."

As NerdDad said when he heard about it, we have to be careful to not offend anyone who doesn't like America like the teachers. While I understand that the schools don't support my values but now they are blatant about their dislike for America. I think at this point, these type of situations are more dangerous than Harvey Milk Day.

But the overriding issue? I don't know what to say to parents who have their kids in school who are angry about Harvey Milk and say,"Call the Governor". My gut says, "You already handed you kids over to the school system. What did you expect? And do you really think a phone call will fix it all?" I know it is harsh but unfortunately true. If you don't like the influence of the system on your child (Harvey Milk Day, etc) the only thing you can really do to stop it is to remove the child from the situation.

Now do I just abandon the school system? No, I vote for change (and not Obama;) and do try to change things but not at the cost of my kids.

There is my rant for the day.

Carnival of Homeschooling

Welcome to the Nerd Family House, why don't you come on in to see the great carnival we have going on inside.


Why don't we stop by the playroom so the kids who are done with their work can play. While we are here, let's check out Guilt Free Homeschooling and their post, Preschoolers' Educational School-Time Activities. If you are frustrated with keeping a preschooler occupied while you work with your older students, this list of activities is just what you need! These are simple activities that will teach valuable skills to your preschoolers, while keeping them engaged in their own FUN school-time projects using many materials you may already have available.


Here is the table where the kids are doing their seat work. Speaking of seat work and classes. The Daily Planet talks about Miss Amanda's new Spanish class in Homeschool Memoirs: Something New! Learning at His feet has a great post on Instructions in Teaching Drawing. I know here at the Nerdfamily I can totally use this because I can't draw a straight line much less anything else;). Laura Frantz gives us The Two Shall Meet: An Unschooler Charlotte Mason Narration.

No Fighting, No Biting! shows us how homeschoolers can learn science in the country in Real Life Biology 101. A Ten O'Clock shares lesson plans to accompany Classical Conversations Science memory work for Cycle 3.

Countdown to College shares about the National History Day projects in Making History (and BTW colleges and scholarship committees love these kind of things). Then over at Ms. Julie's Place, she has 2 posts that outline a simple science experiment/demonstration that can become the center of a unit study encompassing science concepts with biology, physics, and ecology, literature, math, theology, and more in An Eggs-traordinary Experiement Part I and Part II.

Greg Laden's Blog talks about a pre-algebra book in X+Y= WHAT??? SmallWorld offer us On the Trail with Lewis and Clark. She offers a review of the resources they used during their study of Lewis and Clark. Successful Homeschooling gives us Homeschool Physical Education. Mrs. Happy Housewife writes Carolus Linnaeus and Taxonomy in which she shares her taxonomy puzzle. Happy to be at Home offers us help in Teaching "d" and "b" differentiation including downloads!



Come sit down for a moment and have a cup of coffee. We can talk about the joys and challenges of our journey (and that includes the political side) and get a little support. Delighting in His Richness has a great post of encouragement, The Wheat Seed. It really can put life in perspective.

The Thinking Mother struggles with different ways to make a 'to do' list of homeschooling assignments for her children in Torn About Homeschool Scheduling. Welcome to My Brain offers what they do in Our School Day. Then Ordinary Time offers us The Art of the Schedule.

Tomorrow is Another Day offers her initial thoughts of homeschooling high school as she starts week 3 in her son's high school career in High School- So Far, So Good. The Family Revised has a great piece on The Expanse of Goals. She reminds us of the fact we are looking at the whole child and what all that entails. Simple Pleasures share her First Day of School. Cage Free Monkeys tells us about their Rainy Days.

Missy ponders the reasons of her decision to homeschool in Life Without School's offering that Sometimes It's Just a Shirt. Save Money Homeschooling reminds us that Homeschooling Has So Many Options. Practical Homeschooling offers us another installment of 101 Reasons to Homeschool Series with #5 Youthful Optomism. Barbara Frank Online talks about homeschooling freedom in The School Buses are Out Again.


A Family Runs Through It offers on man's Unfinished Opinion on homeschooling. Beverly's Homeschooling Blog asks, "Does your family support homeschooling?". She talks about how well meaning family members often share their concerns with us when they hear about our homeschooling and sometimes it's hard to know what to say. Bending the Twigs tells us to submit your comments in the debate about the merits of homeschooling between the Homeschool Association of California and the California Teachers' Association in And In This Corner. Alasandra's Homeschool Blog Awards is discussing how Scholastic Blames Homeschoolers for Measles Outbreak.

Principled Discovery has a hilarious piece with What's the matter with kids today? Learning at Home will give you a chuckle with her New Get Rich Quick Scheme. We have the kids at home all day, we might as well make a buck or two;). Life Nurturing Education gives us a quirky look at You Know You're a Homeschooler When....


Did you see my new piano (well new to me;)? Well, that is another story. But music is a great thing! But alas, I have no talent. Or do I? Thomas West Music has a great piece called Pitch Development: Exercising Your "Inner Ear". West says, ""I can't carry a tune in a bucket" is a common expression of those who consider themselves unmusical. Having a "tin ear" is another common description. It is certainly true that individuals possess varying levels of aptitude in regards to their musical intelligence, however, just like mathematic or linguistic intelligence, every person can take their aptitude level as a starting point and work to build stronger skills in that area." So maybe there is hope for me yet!

Let us go check out the group on the couches. They are handing out much needed advice on children and teaching. Henry, at Why Homeschool, reminds us that it is important to teach our children correct principles from the start in "Why is it so important to teach, correctly, the first time". Because if they accept a wrong idea, it can be very hard to unlearn it. Then Concerning Kids has an enlightening piece on Child Obesity.

Chrysalis offers up an insightful Family Life: Secrets of Raising Girls. I have 2 girls and I need this kind of information! Sharp Brain offers a piece on brain health and cognitive fitness in Your Brain at Work. OLIN e-Book e-Publishing Blog offers us the first chapter of an e-book that asks the question, "Just What Does 'Christ First' Mean with Homeschooling?".

Janice Campbell offers an academically-oriented four-year high school plan, with an emphasis on looking forward and preparing for life after high school. The plan is suitable for use whether or not your student plans to go to college.

Stop the Ride! is offering some great Free Educational Downloads. While The Sojourner offers her Favorite Homeschooling Curriculum for Free by download.

I am closing out with a contest from Mom is Teaching, but enter quickly because the deadline is Wednesday.

Thank you for coming by our "home". I hope you have enjoyed yourself, maybe even enough to participate next time. To find out all about that you can go to Why Homeschool to get all the details on how to participate. Next week we will all get together for move carnival fun at A Pondering Heart on Tuesday September 23rd.

Now go and read all these wonderful posts. Also be gracious to all the many article writers and let them know how much they are appreciated by commenting!

Call for Submissions!

For those of you who are afraid I will never blog about anything other than politics again, I am here to give you hope. Tuesday I will be hosting the Carnival of Homeschooling but I need something from all of you. I need your entries. Have an interesting piece on homeschooling? Then pop over to BlogCarnival and fill out a simple form. Then come back and read all the awesome entries we have!