Seven Tips For Learning At Home This Summer (and during the school year too!)
We are mid-way through our summer. We have splashed in the water. We have played in the waves. We have gotten the mosquito bites. We are now fully in the swing of all of the summer things. I went into...
View ArticleHow To Get Ready For A New Homeschool Year
In just about one week, we will be starting our fifth year learning at home. In some weird way, it makes me feel old just typing that… like when the young mom talks about how her toddler gets into all...
View ArticleHands-On Learning: Oregon Trail Sourdough Activity
When I first started blogging, I gave my boys online nicknames to protect their identities. My youngest was Bacon (for obvious reasons). My oldest? Sourdough, not because he likes to eat it, but...
View ArticleForeign Languages And Children With Learning Differences
When my youngest was in first grade, we participated in a one day a week homeschool hybrid program. He loved playing with the other children, lunch time and science. But every Thursday, when it was...
View ArticleWhy Is My Child With ADHD So Explosive About School?
Over the course of the last few years, I have seen my share of meltdowns. iPads have been broken, replaced, and then broken again. We patched up a giant hole in the wall when we moved last week. I have...
View ArticleGrow Your Own Crystals Summer Activity
My youngest son has been fascinated with gemstones and rocks for as long as I can remember. The interest has intensified and waned and then intensified again over the years. As a result, he has...
View ArticleWhen Your Child Isn’t At Grade Level
“He is reading at a first-grade level now,” I said to the doctor, holding my breath. “What?” she said with a mix of surprise and concern. “He’s ten.” I paused for a moment and decided to ignore the...
View ArticleMy Favorite Facebook, Instagram And Pinterest Pages For Homeschoolers
I remember the feeling like it was yesterday. I was standing alone, at our dining room table, putting away the boys’ school books. It was six months into our homeschooling journey and it was not going...
View ArticlePoolside Learning Activities (for the child who never wants to leave the water!)
My youngest has always been a water baby. He never cried at bath time. (He made a huge mess with all the splashing instead.) He is always the first to jump in the deep-end at a pool party. And now that...
View ArticleWhen Your Doctor Doesn’t Support Homeschooling Children With Special Needs
My child ate kleenex in his therapy session last week. He nonchalantly picked up the box, pulled out a few pieces and started taking bites like it was a turkey sandwich. When he was done, he broke the...
View ArticleMy First Year Homeschooling Children With Learning Differences
My oldest spent the last half of his second grade year miserable. He cried every single morning and physically fought me when it was time to go to school. He lost recess every day because he couldn’t...
View ArticleMath For Children With Learning Differences
My youngest son and I spend a lot of time working on reading skills. At 12, he is profoundly dyslexic and only reading comfortably at about a second grade reading level. His language arts lessons are...
View ArticleThe Best Advice I’ve Ever Heard About Getting Back To School
There’s a lot of back to school stuff happening around the internet right now, especially with homeschoolers. I honestly love this time of year. The posts make me feel motivated, inspired and almost...
View ArticleThe Easiest Way To Create Hands-On Learning Activities
When my youngest was in preschool, he LOVED little figurines. He is a collector and has been since forever, so in his early years, every little tiny plastic creature became a coveted item of glory...
View ArticleWhy An Online Reading Program Is A Must For My Struggling Reader
It’s no secret that my youngest son struggles with reading. Profoundly dyslexic, his learning differences affect every aspect of learning to read proficiently. In order to best help him, we work...
View ArticleSpecial Needs Homeschool Curriculum: Where To Start
When we first began homeschooling, curriculum was sort-of an afterthought. After three years in public school, the mechanics of homeschooling were what concerned me most, not what we were actually...
View ArticleHomeschooling Middle School: Our Sixth Grade Special Needs Curriculum
The last two years have been so difficult for my youngest son. A mix of physical and mental health issues made “Back to School 2016” and “2017” the least of our worries. I am so very grateful to say...
View ArticleHomeschooling High School: Our Interest-Led Curriculum
My oldest son is now 15 and headed into the 10th grade. A sophomore in high school – what in world has happened, y’all? It’s amazing to me how much he has grown, not just in age and physicality, but...
View ArticleHands-On Activities For The Struggling Reader (that really work!)
All week long, I have shared how I plan for a new school year. I shared where to start and also our curriculum choices for sixth and tenth grade. For Friday Fun-Day, I wanted to wrap up the week with...
View ArticleInterest-Led Learning: When Your Kids Have Totally Different Interests
One morning last week, my oldest son yelled and asked me to come into his room. “I’m with your brother. Give me a minute!” I yelled back because I am super serene and classy like that. I turned back to...
View Article