Confession: I'm not a good unschooler. I had intended for this year (or at very least the first few months) to be a break. Aside from Morning Time (A Year in the Hundred Acre Woods), math and reading, our learning was supposed to be entirely delight-directed. We were going to dive into the world of … Continue reading A New Year of Homeschooling
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
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 decorations are down and Christmas is over, but I wanted to take some time to share a little bit about our Victorian Christmas. When I planned out our modern history studies for the year, I was excited to see that our unit on the Victorian era fell near Christmastime. Many of our modern-day Christmas … Continue reading History Adventures: A Victorian Christmas
It's messy. Even on the best days, homeschooling is messy. I'm not just talking about the books strewn across the table, the toys strewn across the living room and the dirt, grass, leaves and shoes strewn across the front entryway. It's the conflict that can arise when four people are together—all day, every day. Yes, … Continue reading Why Did We Choose Home Education?
For a long time, I've dreamed of having a light table. I probably wanted it more for me than the kids, to be honest. Pinterest is full of bright photos of beautiful light table fun. It looks like such a fun way to teach ... well, anything. But then I looked into the cost. … Continue reading Preschool Corner: 10 Budget-Friendly Light Table Ideas (and one Really Budget-Friendly Light Table Substitute)
Last week, we drove to Algonquin Park and spent some time hiking. It was "The Golden Encore"—the red maple leaves have mostly fallen but the golden poplars are at peak colour. Crunching through leaves under a canopy of yellow was glorious. It's only fitting that we're learning about autumn leaves this week. We have a … Continue reading Need an Autumn-Themed Reading Activity? There’s a Printable for That!
Last Tuesday was curriculum share night at our homeschool parent support group. It's basically adult show-and-tell, and it's the best thing ever. I learn more from these nights—from thirty women taking two minutes each to talk about their favourite teaching tools—than from any conference or workshop or talk that I have ever attended. I always … Continue reading A Charlotte Mason Inspired Homeschool Curriculum Switch Up: Math, Grammar, Art and More
Confession: We're only half focusing on school this week. I'd really like to give it my all. Honestly, I would. But the great outdoors has been beckoning... I've been itching for months to get out. Not in the snow. Not in the ice. Not in subarctic temperatures. I've been itching for spring. And it's finally … Continue reading Geography Adventures: East Africa
The Grace-Filled Life 