What if you only have time to read one book with your student this year? Should you throw your hands up in despair and enroll him in the local government school? Well, it’s up to you, but you might be missing a great opportunity. You would be surprised at how powerful just one lesson can be. In fact, a well-designed discussion of a single book can dramatically affect the way your student reads all other books for the rest of his life…
Making One Lesson Count Read More »
It was spring of my oldest son’s eighth grade year, and I, like homeschool moms all over the country, was planning for the fall. Except this time, my son would be starting high school. This time, it would “count.” Panic replaced my usual plenary excitement as I wondered what colleges would be looking for on high school transcripts and how I was going to prepare my homeschooler to convince them that he had mastered everything. I flew through reams of paper creating a plethora of booklists, each one longer and more ambitious than the previous, and frankly wore myself out with worry in the process…
Freedom from the Law of the Booklist Read More »
We discussed Great Expectations the other night in our online class. Great stuff! The kids had a million comments – in fact, they waited online for an hour after class to read their favorite parts out loud, just to laugh at Dickens’ crazy characters. I even got a call or two from pleased moms, saying their kids really enjoyed it. Still, this morning I am plagued with doubts. I was teaching without Missy for the first time in a while, and I left the class feeling pretty insecure…
Plagued With Doubts Read More »
Is it possible that even our deficiencies as homeschoolers are part of God’s gift to our children? I don’t know about you, but my kids are turning out a lot like me – not that they’re carbon copies, but there are, say, family resemblances. Realistically speaking, my kids are sinners, and no amount of spit and polish, no quantity of education will change that. Although it’s painful to see my sins reflected in my children, it has historically proven to be a blessing in disguise.
A Homeschooling Mom’s New Year’s Resolution: Part Two Read More »
The New Year is a time for reflection and resolutions the world over, and it’s no different for us homeschooling moms. This week, I’m knee deep in the evaluation stage of things: How’s Charlie doing in Math? Does Molly Kate need to retake that SAT test for college entrance? How about Calvin; is he progressing? Will he ever learn to write? Maybe we need some new curriculum. That old program just doesn’t seem to be working…That’s how it goes around here, and would that it stayed so simple. My next series of evaluations always turns inward…
A Homeschooling Mom’s New Year’s Resolution: Part One Read More »
Post-holiday doldrums can be a drag, especially for homeschoolers. After all, you don’t just send the kids off to school – you have to produce it, starting now, every day. It can make you long for spring break before you even take the tree down. During these dark days of winter, Missy and I try to remind each other of the big picture before we delve into the minutiae of textbooks, lesson plans, and weekly schedules. We try to remember our overall goals for the year and the progress we hope to make – not in our students’ notebooks and report cards, but in their hearts…
The Lesson of Job: Literature’s Luckiest Protagonist Read More »
