Subject Helps | Heart of the Matter

22 Living Books For Math Addition

As a former high school math teacher, I am a big proponent of using living math. With that said, I believe that a “living” math book is a book that presents mathematical concepts in real life context, which is...

End of Winter Science

That is an optomistic title, because, really, winter is still usually roaring around here into March. January and February seem to be the most difficult months for me as a homeschool mother, partially because of the constant...

Online Places to Enjoy

We are so fortunate to have so much immediately available to us in our homeschool day. The internet is full of wonderful websites and opportunities for our children to learn and practice their skills. But it can be so...

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...

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...

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...

Reimagining Movie Night

What does acquisition of a rich vocabulary have to do with science? Sometimes I just can’t resist the cross-curricular. The truth is, when science vocabulary moves beyond the rote realm, our children not only attain long-term...

15 {Free} Online Science Resources

With the increasing amount of free resources found online, the ability to homeschool has become more affordable for many. Below is a list of 15 websites featuring free science resources. The list includes games, printables,...

Is it Useful and Beautiful?

Over our Christmas break, I began a mass war-on-clutter/organize-my-life project. I’m not one to make “new year’s” resolutions, but it seems like the holidays are a time of year I end up pondering what...