Blog

If your child tends to be a little bit on the "smart" side, start researching the National Merit Scholarship early in high school.  With just a little practice, smart kids can do stunningly well in the National Merit Scholarship Competition.  And homeschooler can win!  Renee wrote to share about her daughter's successes.I had to share the news about my daughter Abigail. This go-around (as opposed to the first two children), we listed her as private school...

Looking for a game that both challenges and engages the multiple ages in your family?!  Wondering what you can do on Family Game Night that won’t make the older kids yawn?!  Search no more; Syl-la-bles is the solution! The object of Syl-la-bles is to come up with the longest and most difficult (correctly spelled) word that begins with the letter on the space you land. The longer the word, the more points you score. All ages and abilities...

For homeschoolers during the elementary years, it can be difficult to answer the question "What grade are your children in?"  They may be doing 5th grade level in math, 3rd grade level in reading, and 2nd grade level in writing.  What grade are you supposed to choose, anyway?  Well, the problem is the same in high school. It's really difficult to decide what grade they should be!  In this question from Eileen, you can see how...

Not everyone feels confident about homeschooling.  Shannon was nervous when she started, but I'd say it ended up pretty well for her and her son, Aaron.  Read Shannon's story - I know it will encourage you! Hi Lee, I'm responding to your request for high school graduate postings.When I began homeschooling Aaron in kindergarten, I wasn't sure I could teach the basics, let alone all the way through high school.I was nervous about teaching in general....

I saw an article in the newspaper about a spectacular summer camp for computer-loving techie kids. Summer camps have long been part of the American experience for children and teenagers, and for the last 30 years or so, computers and technology have added to the equation. "What we're trying to do is to take a child's hobby and show how to turn it into a potential career," Safran said. "This summer, Karen Katzenberger, 13, of Fall...

My husband and I were creating some games for my Father's 85th birthday and we found a fantastic website!  This school district has compiled links to different game shows that can be used for education.  We used the Jeopardy show for our party game, and created questions about my dad for people to answer.  VERY fun, and it was just a PowerPoint presentation. Game Show Templates They have 3 templates for Family Feud, Survivor, and many...

It's hard to mix oil and water.  Sure they are both liquids, but they really are two completely different substances.   When I hear "What she really wants is the peer interaction she'd get at a school," I think about oil and water. Mixing peer interaction and school academics is similar to mixing oil and water.   They may seem similar.  They both involve teenagers who like to talk, right?  But they are two completely different things.  In...

Many parents hold firmly to Proverbs 22:6 as they raise their children. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." That's a wonderful promise.  It's great motivation to work hard as we train up our children to know right from wrong, and to make good choices.But it says "When he is old..."  What happens before he gets old?  What happens when the child...

My husband was looking through his old homeschool file and found a poem he had written long time ago.  Guess which child this was about? The Boy Who Had No Need of EarsI know a boy of eleven yearsWho has no need of his two ears.He speaks all morning, noon and night,When he plays and when he fights,And when he speaks all stop to hearThis wise old boy of eleven years.But never once during his dayWill...

Sometimes homeschooling begins wonderfully, but other times it can seem an overwhelming challenge.  What can you do if you don't WANT to homeschool but you feel guilty about it?I tried homeschooling my 4 & 5 year olds. My daughter is a strong-willed little girl who stands up against authority figures. I don't feel called to home school this year mostly because last year went so badly and in the middle of the year I just stopped...