The Rainbow Resource Center Homeschool Blog

Ever given your child a simple job like “Clean your room” or “Go get your math done,” and they respond as if you just asked them to climb Mt. Everest? Many kids (and adults!) today struggle with weak executive functioning skills, making it difficult to get organized, stay focused, and even know where to begin a task. The good news is that you can help them develop these skills, starting with one important strategy: teaching them to break big tasks down into manageable steps.

Motherhood can be a thankless job. A homeschooling mom can even feel more unappreciated. It’s been said the hardest things in life bring about the greatest rewards. After homeschooling my three children, I can truly say that even though it was the biggest challenge for me, the biggest rewards and blessings have come from it. If you have felt defeated, tired, and frustrated, hang in there! Remember you are investing in your children’s future and God will continue to give you the wisdom and strength to move forward. Here are some encouraging thoughts to remember.

As homeschooling has exploded, the available educational resources have grown as well. The options are overwhelming, but the real question is which option is better? Do I use the tried and true, that beloved program successfully used for a generation, or will the newer curricula options provide my child with a better education?

At some point, parents commonly recognize that their child is no longer a child. They have grown to the place where, by all reasonable standards, they are ready to spread their wings and fly to the next stage in life. There are a lot of emotions that surface for both the parent and young adult during this time, and these feelings can often be difficult to navigate.

Is it just me, or are homeschooled kids particularly good at exploring their interests? There seems to be a natural curiosity that, when combined with a flexible schedule, leads them on all sorts of rabbit trails. With time and research, practice and development, these interests can become a hobby. These hobbies can become a high school elective and, if we are lucky, these interests can lead to a lifelong profession!

Singapore Math is a program that you might learn about from friends or online blogs. As you start your research on it, you may be surprised to find out that there are multiple Singapore Math programs! Let’s take a quick look at the similarities and differences between the programs and learn what they're all about.

“If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.” How many times have we heard this saying or have said this to our children? When we are learning a new skill, whether baking, a sport, crafting, or math homework, practice does make progress! We have this mentality when it comes to learning new things. What about when we are developing a new habit?

I fear our culture has forgotten the great benefits of kids experiencing a proper amount of risk. It’s a way to strengthen problem-solving skills! When we’ve worked out a problem and succeeded, the result is great satisfaction. Let's talk about risk-taking play as a way to introduce kids to activities that have uncertain outcomes. Dealing with this uncertainty will help them learn to operate outside of their comfort zones!

A lot is said about discovering your child’s learning style. Are they a visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or tactile learner? While this is all great and very helpful while teaching, I would like to look at another aspect that plays into their learning. Are you speaking their language? Their love language. Do they feel loved? Today we will look at the 5 love languages to help you connect with your children.

Some of the most popular board games have younger versions that introduce kids to a lighter version of a game that their parents may already enjoy but that they are not yet old enough to grasp.  What better way is there to introduce them to game mechanics and the rich board game world available with the hundreds of new card and board games being published each year?