I creak my eyes open slowly. The profusion of chirping outside my window is as loud as it is beautiful. Early morning sunlight streams through a crack in the curtains. It is mid-May, but our year-end field trip has already come and gone, and it feels like summer. I don't want to go to school … Continue reading Springtime Motivation: Five Things to Do When it’s too Nice Outside to Homeschool
I actually wrote this post back in February. I get antsy in February. Perhaps it's the weather or perhaps it's just a desperate need for a change in routine. Whatever the case, February is the month where magic happens. It's the month where I start thinking about next year. Planning. Ordering. Opening those amazing, … Continue reading Our 2018-2019 Homeschool Picks: Pre-K
God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of the earth.” (Genesis 1:26, The Message) Dominion. What does … Continue reading Join Our Stewardship Challenge!
When I first started homeschooling, I had a clear idea of what I thought it should look like. The kids would do cute little crafts, play games, quietly work on assignments (without complaint), and go outside at scheduled times for recess. They would be fed at designated snack and lunch times. We would start on … Continue reading 10 Major Homeschooling Mistakes I’ve Made (and What I’ve Learned)
The forest is bursting with colour and life. My mother has taken the children for the afternoon and I have several, glorious hours to roam the woods, iced coffee in hand and camera dangling from a strap around my neck. I don't always realise when I'm peopled out, but as I meander down the empty … Continue reading This Week in the Woods: The Importance of Alone Time
"Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage." (C.S. Lewis) When I was a little girl, I spent much of my time buried in books. In the summertime, you could often find me perched in one of the limbs of … Continue reading 25 Favourite Chapter Books to Read Aloud (Independent Reading Level for most of these is 8-12 years old)
"Mom, look what I found!" My daughter holds up a roundish, light-coloured nut. "What is it?" "Hmmm." I take the nut from her and peer closely at it. It's smoothness feels cool against the palm of my hand. "It looks like a hickory nut. We'll look it up when we get home, just to be … Continue reading Cultivating Curiosity: How to Encourage Delight-Directed Learning
