What's so great about a vernal pool? A lot, it turns out. For us, it all started with a picture book. A beautifully illustrated picture book by Kimberly Ridley called The Secret Pool. It's a book that is absolutely packed with information about vernal pools, seasonal ponds that provide a habitat for a variety of … Continue reading Homeschool Nature Study: What’s so Great about a Vernal Pool?
There's something so beautiful about the wide open space of a new calendar year, isn't there? It's a chance to start fresh. The first few months of school have centered around creating routine and a sense of normalcy for my girls in the midst of challenging circumstances. Although we start our school day a little … Continue reading Starting the New Year with A Year of Tales
Charlotte Mason Style Watercolor LessonIf I'm honest, I have to admit that art is the first thing to fall by the wayside when homeschooling gets busy. It's not just because I find drawing stick people a challenge, it's also the mess that bothers me. Paint splatters, pastel dust, spilled watercolours ... and don't get me … Continue reading Bringing Art Into The Homeschool When You’re Not Artistically Inclined
"Are these my books for homeschool?" My five-year old eagerly eyes the stack of books beside me on the table. I'm inputting lesson schedules into a newly-discovered online planning program and she's right at my elbow. We're almost buried in the stacks of books around us. "Some of these are yours." I pull her few books … Continue reading Our 2019-2020 Homeschool Curriculum Choices for Kindergarten
Every morning, we gather in the living room/dining room. These conjoined rooms are the hub of our home, the place where we spend the bulk of our time. We eat here, read here, talk here and homeschool here. Our house is small, so this is also the place where we entertain guests. It's a space … Continue reading Homeschooling in a Multifunctional Space (A Homeschool Room Tour)
When we first started homeschooling, I purchased a math curriculum for my oldest daughter that was far too advanced for her and didn't suit her learning style. At all. Every day, she would cry. And every day, I would force her to do that particular math program anyway. (I still cringe when I think about … Continue reading Our Favorite Homeschool Math Curriculum (A Teaching Textbooks 3.0 Review)
It's officially summer break (with the exception of some leftover math and spelling lessons), and I'll soon be sitting down to schedule and plan curriculum for the fall. I already have most of what we'll need for next year, which is a wonderful feeling. Since I love reading about other people's curriculum choices, I thought … Continue reading Our 2019-2020 Homeschool Curriculum Choices for Grades 3 and 4
Last week, one of my daughters wrote in cursive. We had worked on it last year but then set it aside and focused on fine-tuning their printing instead. Cursive just wasn't sticking. A few weeks ago, I re-taught the letter "a" in cursive, but the days have been busy and I never did get around … Continue reading What to do when your homeschooler just isn’t getting it…
Slips of white paper curled and blackened as flames licked the edges. We gathered round, my three daughters and I, and watched our handwritten words fade into fire. And then they were gone, and all that was left were a few glowing embers and a bowl full of ash. I added a little bit of … Continue reading The Grace-Filled Homeschool: Rituals that Touch the Heart
Just a few weeks before my daughter started kindergarten, we made the decision to homeschool. We notified the private school in which she was enrolled, and I excitedly ordered her curriculum for the year. The only problem? I had no idea what I was doing. (None of us really do when we first start homeschooling, … Continue reading Five Fun Ways to Practice Math Facts
The Grace-Filled Life 