Homeschooling: Elementary Math

Reading at the table.  Drawing Crystals and reading about formations.

For those who don't already know, we are a homeschooling family.  It's been a growing process and we've learned a LOT through trial and error.  My philosophy on how a child learns best has changed and developed over the years and through it all we have become unschoolers.  

Lay or Lie? Why is English So Difficult?

Let sleeping babies lie

"Lay" v.s. "lie"... oh me, oh my.  Seriously, this has to be one of the most confusing word mix-ups in the English language for me.  I always hesitate in using these words because I always know that I am likely going to use them incorrectly.  Most people will not notice, but it just bothers me that I don't understand the rule!

Simplifying Life: Is It Always a Good Thing?

To answer the question, no, not always.  I started this blog five years ago and so much has changed in that time.  In many respects, I feel like I am a very different person.  When I started writing on this specific blog, I wanted to share a lot of "life hacks."  Things that are easy, quick, simple, and require little effort.  All of that is fine, except that I've found--at least in my own life-- that quick and easy answers are not always the best answers.

Life-Schooling through Books

Library days are among my favorites. Getting to the library is always a challenge for us, especially right now that Paul is 13 months. I try to schedule library outings around nap-times, but he usually wakes shortly after arrival.

This past week’s outing came with a surprise...

31 Days to Clean - Day 1

The Hospitality of Abraham Icon

As the days progress, I will probably begin tackling two days at a time as I may not have a full 31 to complete this book!  Anywho, today's challenge was particularly difficult for me.

The Zoo

We love getting out as a family.  One of the most amazing things about having flexible work schedules and homeschooling is having the opportunity to get out for family "field trips" in which we learn together about new things.  This post is old, intended for publication over a year ago, but the value remains.  Children learn best from interaction and the opportunity to experience the world.

The See Saw: A Lesson in Weights and Measures

There are so many ways to educate children in practical ways.  I love focusing on real-life lessons, especially in the early years.  As parents, we can turn any event into a lesson that will benefit our children and stimulate their minds.

Simple Composition Book Cover

Easy Composition Book Cover

Composition books are one of my favorite tools.  My kids and I use them for so many of our daily tasks.  I use one as a planner and I use them for my kids homeschooling as copy work and tracing books.  There are so many uses for composition books!  The only thing that keeps me going back to buying commercial planners--that I never end up using past a month--is that commercial planners are SO CUTE! I'm nowhere near the first to admit that I love pretty things.

Easy and Cute Valentine's Day Card

For Valentines Day this year, we worked on some really cute and simple keepsake Valentine's Day cards.   We made one "fancy version" for Baba from Abraham, as well a a bunch of construction paper versions for extended family.

Creating an Educational Philosophy - Free Printables

What is an educational philosophy?
An educational philosophy is used by educators as a guide for how he or she will educate students and gives a functional map of what he or she believe education ought to be.  Some of the things that an educational philosophy statement should touch on are:

• Your educational approach/ method/ style (classical, contemplative, humanistic, Montessori, high/scope, un-schooling, and so on)
• Your role as an educator in the classroom and in the community
• How to intend to reach all of your students
• How you believe students learn best
• Your goals for your students