Homeschool Methods | Heart of the Matter

Spice Up the Winter Homeschooling Blahs

Feeling a little blue? A little cooped up? Are the kids stir-crazy? Is anyone (or everyone) complaining about school work? Yep. It’s February in the life of a homeschooler. There’s no need to feel defeated,...

If I Could Only Get Them to Think

Not long ago, we completed a study of Charles Dickens. As a teen, I was not a fan of Dickens; I found his work far too long and even more boring than it was lengthy. Consequently, I wanted to introduce him to the kids...

Creating Boundaries at the Homeschool Table

Like many, we homeschool at the dining table. Every day I’m amazed at the speed with which it is covered—books, papers, folders, colored pencils, and sometimes a bowl or a cup is squeezed in there, too. Worse, I’ve seen a...

Teachable Moments in Spanish

It has been said that play is child’s work. Do you agree? I do. Vygotsky’s famous statement emphasizes this: “Play creates a zone of proximal development of the child. In play a child always behaves beyond his average age,...

Kinesthetic/Tactile Learners

Daughter #2 is a highly tactile learner just like her father. She learns best when there are things to touch and feel, when she can move her body (she is also a musical learner but that is for another post). We first became...

I am a Planner!

This year I took the plunged and “officially” started homeschooling my preschooler and my kindergartener. I planned to start in August but then we ended up having to move at the beginning of the month so that didn’t work...

Ten Homeschooling Helps I Couldn’t Go Without

I always think of January as the school year’s second “back to school.” Having two or three weeks off for Christmas break creates time for me to reflect on what’s working in our schoolroom and routine...

How Homeschooling Ruined Us For Public School

When my husband and I lived abroad, we made the decision to homeschool our daughter. Local schools were out of the question because of their competitive and atheistic underpinnings. The price of international schools was...

ABCs of Homeschool

Amazon, and especially Amazon Mom. Books. Lots of them. Cuddling by the fire on a school day. Dirty–science experiments with earthworms and plants and owl pellets, or Dishes piled up in the kitchen...

Making High School Fun

Homeschooling high school is full of focused, directed study; however, I do try to provide experiences for our kids that are really, truly fun. Each family is different and your idea of fun is going to be totally different than...