The Quick-Start Guide to Clearing Out Unwanted Curriculum

Written by Jessica.

The end of this school year is in sight, but I’m already starting to think about what materials I’ll need for next school year. This is an ideal time to go through books, curricula, and other learning materials to clear out what is no longer needed. If you are willing to do some work, this time of year presents an opportunity to sell or donate any items that you don’t plan to use again.

What We're Reading in May 2018

A couple of weeks ago, at my library's used book sale, I paid a quarter for a vintage hardback copy of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy. I lugged it home to find that the illustrations were very odd; not at all like any other edition I've ever seen. I checked the inside flap to find that the illustrator was not Garth Williams, but Helen Sewall who illustrated the 1933 first edition prints of the book.

I paid $17.25 for 71 different books. But one of them now holds a very special spot in my attic children's library.

Ask me which one it is.

Go ahead, ask me.

But I digress...

Here's what we'll be reading this month.

7 Steps to Take in a Season of Homeschool Burnout

Written by Abby of 4onemore.com.

We’ve all been there. Scrolling through Facebook or Instagram and feeling like a failure.

Look at her house!
Look at that perfect birthday party.
Her kids are perfect.
Her marriage is perfect.
She is an amazing homeschool mom.

What’s wrong with me?

Maybe these are the thoughts that you have. You feel emotionally and physically exhausted. There are more conflicts in your house than normal. You have absolutely no motivation. You dread homeschooling each day. In fact, you might even be ready to quit.

Gospel Mentoring Changes Everything...even Homeschooling

Written by Gretchen of Gretchen Ronnevik

(This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for full details.)

When I started homeschooling 8 years ago, I began researching. Like most newbies, I desperately dug for both information and encouragement. Somewhere along the way, I fell down a giant rabbit hole of teaching philosophies. I read homeschooling classics from cover to cover like The Well-Trained Mind, Educating the Whole-Hearted Child, and Dumbing Us Down. And my mind was opened up to a whole new approach to teaching.

Then, I tried applying all of those fancy ideas to my own homeschool. I learned how the special needs of my struggling ones affected my ideals. I learned to keep the main thing the main thing. I learned that while an authority figure like a mom can make a child do something, she can’t teach a heart without trust. My children had to trust me if I wanted to have access to their hearts.

Making the Most of Museums With Young Kids

Written by Chelsea Gonzales.

As a traveling family, my little tribe can often be found visiting a museum in one city or another. It's one of our favorite ways to expand upon our roadschooling. However, because many museums are geared for teens and adults, we have also come to realize that sometimes the way in which we visit a museum makes a huge difference in the amount of learning and enjoyment our young son gets out of the experience.