A Summer of Learning

For many kids, summer is filled with swimming, swinging, sunning and very little studying. However, if you are homeschooling year-round this is not the case. Of course, just because you decide to keep the lessons going throughout the summer, doesn’t mean your kids will suffer from academic burnout. Some families decide to homeschool year-round for the sake of consistency. By keeping with a set school schedule without a break during the summer months you avoid the “learning gap.” In other words, your kids are far less apt to forget the material they’ve learned during the first half of the year … Continue reading →

Homework is Ineffective

After dropping off my oldest at school, (I have one child in school.) I heard an interesting bit of news on the radio. The news report was about a study that determined homework was ineffective. Since, that study came out, it is said that many teachers and schools are trying to cut back on homework. This is relieving for many students and parents who claim the kids have hours of homework a night. Homeschooling parents do not assign homework. Students may have assignments to work on outside of school hours but in reality there is no end to learning … Continue reading →

Homeschool News: Michigan may be in store for a change.

Laying down the law on homeschool truancy is Michigan State Rep. Woodrow Stanley’s new pet project. An odd soapbox since it is impossible to have truancy when the law does not require homeschoolers in Michigan to register. Michigan has long been known as one of the easiest states to homeschool from a legal standpoint. Rep. Stanley seeks to trample on parental rights using the back door approach filed under “what is best for the child.” Rep. Stanley’s insight shines in his statement, “Kids must be in school in order to learn,”. Is that so? He continues to show off his wit … Continue reading →

Time Management Tips for the Homeschool Mom

Let me start off by saying I am the worst time manager in the land. I love organization yet I can never keep up with it. I have a mountain of laundry that is currently being ignored but refuses to go away. If I walked over and told my husband I would be writing this article, he would laugh. So, what do I know? I know what doesn’t work. I also know what does work. I go through phases of a solid routine that runs a tight ship to no routine at all that sinks a ship. You know what? … Continue reading →

What if she wants to go to school?

It is assumed that a child who is not interested in homeschooling should be heard yet a child who is not interested in going to school should accept attending. If it is a parents choice to send a child to school regardless of the child’s wishes then shouldn’t the parent also have the authority to make the same decision about homeschooling? Seems logical to me. Yet, I hear of parents not homeschooling because the child does not want to be homeschooled. I hear of well meaning family and friends who tell a homeschool parent that perhaps the choice needs to … Continue reading →

Living on a Day Old Bread Budget

I play Wackamole with betraying thoughts telling me my life would be so much easier if I worked full time and put my children in school. Homeschooling is more about living without than about expense. Living on one income is not for the faint of heart in today’s economy. It is downright hard. Homeschooling can be done frugally without compromising the quality of education. It is the lack of income that causes feelings that you are living without and maybe it is not worth it. I have a list of what we live without, and like the couple in the … Continue reading →

Yes, but would your kid last in a classroom?

Homeschoolers fall into the trap of comparing their teaching style and their child’s level to teachers and children in a traditional school. It isn’t all their fault. Well meaning family and friends often voice concerns about the ability of a homeschooled child to hack in a real classroom. The traditional school isn’t called traditional for nothing. It is our default idea of education and thus we tend compare our homeschools to it. Permission is granted to stop doing that today. No, don’t look back, just keep on going. It is human nature to desire a measure of success. In and … Continue reading →

Why would parents torture their kid with homeschooling?

That was a question asked online by a young man who could not understand the choice to homeschool. He went on to say that parents who homeschool are overprotective and selfish. While he understood that high school was “viscous” it was no reason to keep your child at home. Two young people responded supporting his statements and one was homeschooled for a short time. Another response was this: I agree with you, being home-schooled will make kids become more dependent and less social. School better prepares kids for the real world, and shows the bright and bad sides of life. … Continue reading →

Frugal Homeschooling: Field Trips

Field trips are a chance to see things firsthand. Everyone needs a change of scenery and a way to connect lessons in a book to real life. Field trips provide an educational vacation time for you and your kids. I love going on field trips but I have to keep the budget in mind. Here are some fun and frugal field trips for your family. Fun and Frugal Filed Trips Community jobs. Taking a tour of your local fire department, police department, or post office is free. Set a up a time with a group or on your own by … Continue reading →

My Husband is on Vacation

My husband recently reminded me he was on vacation next week. As the words left his mouth my face could not hide my feelings. My teenager caught my look and chuckled to herself. She knew this was not exactly good news. I tried to feign excitement but my husband already knew none was to be had. Now, don’t misunderstand it isn’t because I do not adore him. It is because as my daughter said, “it is an abnormality”. Having him home completely throws me off balance. As if having my oldest home for two weeks was not throwing me off … Continue reading →