Anyone who says that homeschoolers aren't socialized has not met my children. Or most of the homeschooled children that I know. Even during a pandemic when gathering sizes are limited and social distancing rules are in place, there are plenty of opportunities to interact (safely) with others. Last week: music lessons, hikes with friends, outdoor … Continue reading An (Almost) Unschooling Update
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
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…
Spring is coming. Although it's still cold and damp, it has been raining rather than snowing. Patches of bare ground, barely visible a week ago, have now almost completely taken over. Mud and hope scent the air. It's the promise that new life will come. It has been a few weeks since I've written … Continue reading The Week in Review
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
Happy belated Valentine's Day! I hope your week has been filled with sweetness. In honour of Valentine's Day, the girls and I have been memorizing some verses about love from 1 Corinthians 13. It's so precious to hear them talking about that passage throughout the day, although we all need to work on living it … Continue reading The Week in Review
Here's this week's update from The Grace-Filled Life. Have a wonderful weekend! ~Mary-Ann This Week on TGFL Spreading the Feast: Nourishing Your Homeschooler’s Body and Soul - In this article, I share all about our favourite Monday routine, one that gathers us together, sets the tone for the week, and helps my little ones learn. This … Continue reading The Week in Review
The Grace-Filled Life 