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
A friend suggested that I keep a record of our year of relaxed homeschooling, either online or on paper. I've chosen to do both. Let me begin by saying that we started school today with a discussion on hopefulness, the character trait of the week in A Year in the Hundred Acre Wood. Hopefulness. It's … Continue reading Knotty Wood, Ukulele Lessons and Hopefulness
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
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
Up until last week, my daughter disliked writing. Perhaps dislike is not a strong enough word. Writing was right up there with skinned knees and red sauce on her spaghetti. It pained me because writing is what I love the most, next to Jesus, my family, coffee and my hidden stash of chocolate (the one … Continue reading One Simple Thing That Ignited a Love of Writing in Our Homeschool
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 