Blog

Science can be super fun. There is so much we can learn about our planet, our bodies, and the forces around us in creation. Even if you never personal...

Some parents work hard to homeschool for free. Free homeschooling is possible, and parents can pull together a hodge-podge of resources for homeschool...

Some homeschoolers feel The Great Courses classes are college level, so when you complete a big series (48 lectures) they give a full credit...

Before I became The HomeScholar (and before I began homeschooling) I was a nurse. I loved being a nurse. I loved biology and chemistry. I'm a homescho...

Parenting has always been challenging, but these days, one of the hardest parts of parenting involves navigating around ever-changing gadgets and tech...

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding children ages 13-18 years, teenagers should have no more than two hours per day of personal ...

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...

I'll admit it.  Sometimes parents ask BIG questions on Facebook, and it's hard to answer in a short paragraph.  If you only had a few sentences, how would you answer this new homeschool mom?Posted on The HomeScholar Fan Page: My daughter has been in a Classical Christian school since Kindergarten. She is now going into 7th grade and we want to home school her. She is so sick and tired of filling in work sheets, and...

This post contains affiliate links. If you click and buy I may make a few pennies, but not enough for a latte.  Our Charlotte Mason Pond Charlotte Mason would have loved my pond. It's only two blocks from my house. The pond has salmon, river otters, blue herons, bald eagles, and a huge variety of ducks and geese. The park will sometimes even see visiting wildlife: coyotes, rabbits, racoons, and more. When we moved here, I thought I...

Invest in Your Weaknesses One key to high school curriculum is to invest in your weaknesses. This means that you put your curriculum budget money towards your area of weakness. Identify your weaknesses, perhaps math, foreign language, or art, for example, and spend your money on strong curriculum in that area.  Your weakness should also be the area where you’re most willing to make mistakes in curriculum. If you make a poor choice in math curriculum...

Economics is usually a 1/2 credit, semester-long class taught during senior year in high school. Sometimes homeschoolers want to provide a full 1 credit class on economics, which can be done. There are a lot of different ways to cover economics as a homeschooler. Here are some options you might consider.This post contains affiliate links. If you click and buy I may make a few pennies, but not enough for a latte. Fast and Easy EconomicsNot everything in high school has to be...

Homeschoolers use lots of different resources, and one of the ones I’ve recommended in the past are The Great Courses.  With choices in science, mathematics, business and economics (just to name a few), many homeschoolers are utilizing these classes.  Parents have asked me whether the Great Courses should be considered AP Honor’s classes or high school level, but it really depends on how you utilize them. Obviously, the high school courses they offer are high school...

Kids love amazing things.  Unreal, incredible things.  Especially in movies, they LOVE superheros.  Spiderman.  The Incredibles. Batman.  And now Thor.The big news:  Kids love these things.The bad news: Hollywood.The good news:  It can encourage reading.If your child is old enough to see Thor, or if they aren't allowed but are interested, I have a suggestion.  Read books about mythology!My children enjoyed reading about mythology.  Of course, it's important to compare mythology to the truth!  But you...

As homeschool parents, our goal is NOT to teach something. Our goal is for the kids to LEARN. I could have taught my kids “at grade level” and they would have not learned a thing. Instead, I gave them curriculum at their ability level, and then they had to learn something that they didn’t already know. I believe that older teens MUST learn how to teach themselves. If they go to college, they will be expected...

Apologia Science is Great College Preparation This post contains affiliate links. If you click and buy I may make a few pennies, but not enough for a latte.img class="aligncenter wp-image-14863" alt="Apologia Science" src="https://hhhblogs.s3.amazonaws.com/2012/08/apologia.png" width="553" height="414" Apologia Science is a very rigorous college preparation series. I don't usually recommend specific curriculum because I know it's more about how it fits your child than the textbook or curriculum itself. When it comes to science, though, we had such...