Gentle Schooling for Summer 2020

We'll be pulling the plug on the 2019-2020 school year very soon. We'll pack the books away, take the annual last-day photo on the front stoop, and fill out the end-of-school interviews.

Typically, we celebrate summer break by taking a day trip to someplace fun and educational like a logging encampment or a science center. But with everything closed due to the global pandemic, I've formulated Plan B: a first-day-of-summer basket.

What We're Reading in May 2020

What does a bucket of mud have to do with a reading list? Well, I'm glad you asked.

It's just one example of how interests steer learning.
Let me explain...
We live in an area with a high clay count. You can dig a shallow hole in our backyard and scoop out truckloads of it. Since moving to this area last spring, my middle son has been slowly teaching himself how to extract, purify, and mold this natural clay to make pots, bowls, cups, and plates of all kinds.

The Power of Life-Giving Words in Your Homeschool

Written by Talvi McCuskey.

It has been said that in every man there is a king and a fool. A wise person will appeal to the king in someone, and not the fool. This idea can probably be applied to every man, woman, and child, as we are all born sinners, with the ability to respond from a higher or lower nature. But I think it's especially applicable to kids and how we as moms speak to them.

From Public School to Homeschool: 5 Tips for the Transition

“This forced entry has convinced me that being with my kids all day every day is actually pretty great. I think when all of this is over, I’m just gonna keep on homeschooling them. But if truth be told, I’m not sure what I’m doing. It all seems hard. Is it hard for everyone else?”

I’ve received several iterations of this message in the last two weeks—musings from moms whose kids are currently enrolled in the public school, but who are planning to homeschool next year instead. These past few weeks of schooling-at-home has given them renewed hope and passion for their kids' education. They are excited to make homeschooling official but are also nervous about this new adventure.

What We're Reading in April 2020

This quarantine has left me with plenty of extra time. It stands to reason that with a surplus of moments I should be able to plow through quite a bit of my TBR stack. But for whatever reason, I'm having a hard time concentrating. This in-between season of waiting has left me in a zombie-like state.

I don't have the energy to do many extras. I don't have the brain space to take in more information. I'm just sort of going through the motions.