Articles by Deanne Crawford

Enjoyed by families for generations, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade made its debut in 1924 to celebrate and show off the opening of their World’s Largest Store in New York City. Offering a whopping 1 million square feet of clothing, household goods, and children’s toys, the newly expanded store stretched across an entire city block and loomed 11 stories tall to accommodate the brisk business experienced in the early 1920s. Over a century later, the parade has only grown in notoriety and popularity. In this unit study, take some time to learn about America's favorite parade as it enters its 99th running!

Think back to the last time you attempted something and failed. Maybe it was a new recipe, or perhaps the latest Pinterest creation. Failure is a part of life. Intuitively we know this to be true. But how often, do we, in our roles as parents, try to shield our children from failure? Then on the flip side, how often does our encouragement to perform set them up to fail?

Welcome to our June unit study in celebration of National Bald Eagle Day celebrated annually on June 20th. This short unit study is designed to take an hour and serve as a springboard for your children to go deeper into topics they would like to learn more about this Summer. As we work through the study, you will notice some words in blue–these are hyperlinked to child-friendly sites to provide more information. As always, supervised online time is recommended although at the time this unit was written, we have verified the content in the included links. Gather your children and let’s begin!

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?

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.

In my previous artilcle, we considered the benefits—both practical and experiential—that cooking together as a family offers. Let’s take this a step further and consider how we, as parents, can breathe life into our history and science lessons using the power of food!

Cooking together promotes family relationships, self-confidence, and healthy eating habits. Not to mention the practical application of mathematics, vocabulary development, and social skills. I might also add that it is fun! In this two-part series, let’s look at mom and child-friendly ways to incorporate cooking into the homeschool day. 

Generations have regaled in the whimsical writings of Theodor Seuss Geisel. On March 2nd, we celebrate beloved children’s author, Dr. Seuss, in honor of his birthday. Without further ado, grab your favorite Dr. Seuss book and join our March unit study to learn about the man, the manuscripts and the message of Theodor Geisel. You’ll find links throughout to family friendly sites for further study!

Officially opening on March 1, 1936, the Hoover Dam is a marvel of engineering and architecture. From the beginning, engineers, and designers sought to improve American lives in the Southwest, but it came at a cost. Whether the story of Hoover Dam is familiar or unknown, rally your children and let’s explore the good, the bad, and the beautiful of this stunning structure.

Considered one of nature’s most huggable mammals, the polar bear is a marvelous creation. At birth polar bear cubs weigh about 16 oz and measure 12” in length. Reaching adulthood, they will stand nearly 10 feet high and weigh around 1,000 lbs., becoming one of the largest known mammals. Together let’s discover more about this magnificent marine mammal!