It happens, often catching us off guard. Typically, it arises in the middle grades: high school looms in the distance and we still can’t get past fractions, decimals, and percents. Or perhaps our student is struggling to read a novel and write an essay. It’s that “Oh no!” moment that sneaks up on us while we are busy with other children and life in general. Every situation is different, but the situation is not abnormal, and it’s okay to ask for help!
How does a parent go from hands-on, exploratory, interest-driven learning in the early grades to the super-structured, credit-driven, academic standards content of high school? The middle grades (about 5-8) are a time to prepare students for the expectation of high school. It might not be around the corner, but it is down the street!
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?
Gaps, holes, chasms — call them what you will, but they are a real fear for some parents and something they will avoid if possible. Gaps typically happen when you make a big change. It can be from one math program to another, or it could be from attending school to homeschooling. How do you fill these gaps in understanding?
If you are following a traditional school year or have a schedule unique to your family, the half-way mark is a fair time to look at your curriculum choices. What do we like? What is not working for us? If you feel that you are missing something, supplemental materials might be helpful to plug those gaps!
Are you noticing the mountain top areas where your homeschooler is excelling in certain topics and contrasting those with valley areas of struggle? Now is a great time to observe and address these little struggle moments that could grow into bigger tensions in your academic year. What do you do when you start pinpointing these areas of pain within your student’s day-to-day work?
If you’re familiar with our “FAMILY Factors” for choosing curriculum and have thought through your family’s goals and unique characteristics, then the Flex Factors chart will help you put curriculum options in perspective. Think specifically about your available time to homeschool.
It’s November and we are soon approaching Thanksgiving and Christmas. I know life seems to always be busy, but this time of year it becomes even busier. This is exactly why I thought it would be timely to talk about being thankful, thinking positive, and showing gratitude. Thankfulness. Positivity....
Besides being home educators, many parents also join homeschool co-ops and have to teach in a classroom. And if you haven’t had much experience as a teacher, it can be overwhelming to suddenly be in charge of a roomful of students! So how do you begin when you’ve been assigned to teach a co-op...
Remember that beautiful homeschool plan you made in August? The carefully chosen curriculum, the schedule that looked completely doable, and the vision of everyone happily getting their work done each day? And then the school year started. In August, we make plans based on what we think our...
You made an important decision to homeschool your children, and with it comes a lot of changes. Walking away from the rhythm and structure of the school day might leave you a little overwhelmed. But take heart, even though there are big changes, the blessings will be plentiful! Many years ago, my...
Reading aloud equips your children with a personal toolbox they’ll use throughout their lives as readers, learners and communicators. In our busy and demanding home school lives, though, making time for this activity can be a challenge. In Part 1, we discussed the Why of reading aloud to all ages....
