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I recently picked up a high school textbook called "American Literature" to see what public school kids were reading these days. First of all, it was ...

During Alex's first week at college, he came home and thanked me for a specific skill he learned when we were homeschooling. Believe it or not, he tha...

I thought that all great homeschools had Socratic dialog. After reading the classics together, they enjoy deep and rich conversations about the nuance...

Parents are often nervous about high school subjects, and English is one of the more intimidating courses - at least it was for me. High School Englis...

If you ask 10 homeschoolers, you may get 10 different answers about favorite writing programs. Learning how to write well often starts with reading great writing. Having trouble finding books your middle schooler will love? I've done the work for you! Click to download: The HomeScholar Middle School Reading List Do you have any favorites for teaching composition beginning in 9th grade? Funny thing, I am a writer and editor by trade but haven't a clue...

When she was good,She was very, very good,And when she was bad she was horrid.From the poem "THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL"by Henry Wadsworth LongfellowClassical education is very popular right now.  What are your opinions on this new-again fad? "Hi Lee,Have you ever evaluated or looked at "Classical Conversations".   friend of mine just found out about this and told me this is really taking the home schooling community by storm. Just wondered  if you had any...

Reading Aloud and Fond Family Feelings I read aloud to my boys all through high school. At one point my eldest balked at the thought of a read aloud with his mom so I told him that my Honors English teacher in public school read aloud to my class (true story). About a month ago my kids told me how glad they are that we homeschooled them. They are now 26 and 28 years old. I...

2 Key Writing Skills for College Readiness Spend about 1-2 hours a day on English skills in your homeschool high school. High school English class should include about 30-60 minutes of writing almost every single day. Sometimes this includes research, and sometimes a short essay or even poetry or public speaking could be included. There are two key writing skills that are important for college readiness. Writing a short, handwritten essay.Give your child a writing prompt and...

Right now, I'm guessing that your focus is essential writing skills for high school. Once your child can write reasonably well, your next worry is a simple one. Make sure they have the essential writing skills for college and career. This post contains affiliate links. If you click and buy I may make a few pennies, but not enough for a latte. Essential Writing Skills for College and Beyond I have a book recommendation for you!...

Three Reasons Why Every Homeschool Student Should Publish An Ebook Before They Graduate High School Today, not many teenagers have written books. This need not be true. After writing and publishing a book on American history, I think that writing a book is something every homeschool high-school student should do before they graduate.Here are three reasons why:Reason #1- It looks good on your college application. Colleges are looking for something that stands out on applications. Writing...

Are you creating a library of wonderful books at home? When you are making purchases for the coming school year, remember that these are books that can stay in your house forever. Make sure they are good, worthy books!I love this infographic - a classification chart for book readers, as if we are some new species of animal!  HahaVisit Laura-e-Kelly.com for more about books, reading, and authors.If you would like some help finding great books for high school...

Just say "NO" to "random" quotation marks! I keep finding "random quotation marks" in things I have "written myself." I find it "frustrating" and think I should read the book "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" by Lynne Truss again. It's a hilarious book.  I do remember that there were some "questionable" words, and I hesitated before showing it to my older teenagers.  Don't use it with "younger" children, and you may want to pre-read it before giving...

When children have reached the point of reading and writing well, working on vocabulary development can change from previous years. I have a variety o...

An effective homeschool writing program for middle school and high school can be as unique as your student. There is no one-size-fits-all writing prog...

Leadership is something you learn by doing. Become good at something, do it often for fun, and pretty soon you'll be leading others as they do it, too. The next thing you know, you're leading! Leadership is also something you can learn by reading about. Read about leadership and about examples of good leaders, to become knowledgeable and skillful; then act on that wisdom as you lead others. This post contains affiliate links. If you click and...