Stress-Free Logos Science Lab Kits for Homeschool

Once upon a time, I piecemealed our science projects together, gathering bits of this or scraps of that from around our home to create three-dimensional demonstrations of what would otherwise be two-dimensional concepts. My kids were little, the experiments I had planned were basic, and the lessons could be learned with simple household supplies.

A Case for BJU Press Online Physical Science {a review}

The other day, my 9th-grade son mentioned something about inertia at the lunch table. 

"That's interesting. Tell me more," came my reply. 

He had completed a Physical Science lesson earlier that morning and still had thoughts of centripetal force running through his head. 

Admittedly, I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. But, I put on my best mom-smile, tossed out some open-ended questions like, "Why do you think that is?" and "What is the usual result?", then listened as he recalled nearly every part of that day's science assignment.

A Case for IEW Fix It! Grammar {a curriculum review}

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

Written by Krista Smith.

Recently, I mentioned that my children started using (and loving) Andrew Pudewa’s IEW Structure & Style for formal writing. Structure & Style was not our first exposure to IEW, however. We had previously completed Fix It! Grammar and wanted to continue to hone our writing skills.

My schooling experience was, perhaps, a bit different than most, especially in the area of language arts. I grew up in inner-city Denver and, unfortunately, had almost no grammar instruction at all.

A Case for IEW Structure & Style {curriculum review}

Written by Krista Smith.

Last year during my summer-long quest to find the best curriculums for my family for the 2022-2023 school year, I needed to assess and address something I had (possibly purposefully) ignored. Writing. I had eclectically sewed together what I prayed was a stellar Language Arts experience for them, but I had to admit I hadn’t done my children justice in the writing department.

Learning American History Through Literature: An Open-and-Go Charlotte Mason History Progam

In the past fifteen years of homeschooling, I've used three different phonics/grammar programs and two different spelling programs. I've started a math curriculum, switched to something else for a few years, and then switched back again. I've thrown together a hodge-podge assortment of various books, kits, and even textbooks to create an a la carte science experience. I've cobbled together many different resources for both art and Bible.

Distance Learning That Isn't a Dumpster Fire

When faced with the task of deciding how best to educate her kids next year, a friend sent me a private message asking for advice regarding alternative options. She’s a working mom whose kids had previously been enrolled at the public school.

Our school district’s offerings for the upcoming school year are less than appealing and she’d like to go a different route. Trouble is, she's just not sure she can hold up an entire homeschool and put in a full day of work.

Abeka Phonics K-2nd: What to Buy and What to Skip

We've officially got seven readers in our home. A quick mental calculation will tell you that this means all five of my children have now crossed the great divide between those who can't read and those who can. My youngest still needs my help with certain words, but as of this year, he possesses all the head-knowledge required to decode a word...any word.

In some ways, it feels like it took a lifetime for us to get here. But in other ways, it seems like it only took a blink. In reality, it took eleven years.

To break it down: I've spent the past eleven years teaching the letter names and sounds, the diagraphs, and the syllable rules. Long vowels and short ones. Blends and end rhymes. Regular sounds and special exceptions.

All About Reading for Building Fluency and Confidence

Written by Jessica.


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

Our family has been using one or more levels of All About Reading in our homeschool for the past six years. I’ve changed curriculum in other subjects more times than I’d like to admit. But, AAR has been a constant. There are many reviews out there about the first levels of the All About Reading program but few about Level 4. Whether you’re already an AAR fan or have just heard about it, this might help you to discern whether using AAR Level 4 is a good fit.

What a Homeschooler Really Thinks of Distance Learning from BJU Press

I am a finite woman with limited expertise. I know a lot about some things, but very little about most others. My ignorance doesn't have to limit my homeschool, however.

What's more, even if I could teach every subject at every level, I don't think I should. I think it's vital that my kids, especially my middle and high schoolers, be exposed to the teaching of others from time to time.

My Experience with My Father's World Adventures in U.S. History

Written by Jessica.

I’ve never been a fan of pre-packaged or all-in-one curricula. I’ve always thought that part of the advantage of homeschooling is being able to pick and choose the curriculum for each subject and come up with a personal plan for the school year that’s unique to each family or child within that family. Gathering curriculum and piecing things together always seemed more frugal, more tailored, more…homeschool-y? And then, there was last summer.

Teaching Textbooks 3.0: Learning for the Digital Age

Once upon a time, I hated math and my kids did too. But then I Providentially stumbled upon Teaching Textbooks and like manna from the heavens, it was exactly what we all needed. My kids love math now. In fact, it's not unusual for my oldest son to plunk away at long division and complete an entire assignment even before the rest of us have rolled out of bed in the morning.

Top Resources for Developing a Christian Worldview of Current Events

Written by Abby of 4onemore.com.

As a Christian parent, it can sometimes be difficult to keep my kids informed about current events. So many headlines are frightening, gritty, and brimming with adult themes. And while I want my kids to experience the world, I don't want them to be crushed by it. Rather, I want to give them bite-sized chunks of history-in-the-making and teach them to view current culture through a Christian worldview.

What if Kids Could Read Books Like They Binge Watch Netfix?

Written by Jessica.

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

A few months ago, my kids were really into the Henry Huggins series. I was reading the series aloud to them at bedtime and as soon as one book was finished, they wanted to begin the next. At one point, we completed a book and I realized that I didn’t have the next one ready in the wings. Rather than scramble to get it, my husband suggested that we try a free month of Epic!, a new online children’s library that he’d heard of. He set up an account for us, I was able to get the book that I wanted (along with the rest of the series), and everyone was happy. Once our free month was up, though, we didn’t renew. I had explored the site briefly and wasn’t that impressed.

Two MUST HAVE Typing Programs for Kids

Written by Krista Smith.

Back in the day when I learned to type, I sat at a yellowed keyboard in a room just off the library at Crawford Elementary.

I typed rows of A’s.
I typed rows of G’s.

And if I was lucky, and Mrs. Jenny was in a good mood, I might have had time at the end of class to play Oregon Trail.

Things have come a long, looooong way since then! Thankfully, I don’t have to channel Mrs. Jenny when teaching my own kids, calling out keystrokes for them to practice or change out slides on the overhead projector. After much research into the best software to help children learn to type, our family has settled on two programs that we all love.

Preventing Summer Slide for the Struggling Reader

It's estimated that parents and teachers spend nearly two months at the start of the school year re-teaching previously learned material because so much learning gets lost in the three months of summer idleness. For the struggling learner or the special needs child, that number can double or even triple.

So, as summer approached a few months ago, I began forming my plan of attack. I've never been a we're-going-to-finish-this-curriculum-before-the-next-school-year-starts-or-else kind of homeschooler. (On the contrary, I think that kind of strong arming is a sure fire way to ruin your child's love of learning.) But I knew that my son would need more than just short, daily bouts of reading in order to maintain momentum on his progress.

Raising a Knight in a Decaying Culture

Four weeks ago, my son along with all the other boys in his boys' club at church, was presented with a wooden sword. It had his name and the words of I Timothy 4:12 painted on the blade.

It was given to him as a symbol. It's a call for him to be a modern-day knight -- to show mercy, humility, honor, fear of God, faithfulness, courage, sacrifice, and respect -- all the qualities of the knights of old. It's to remind him of Proverbs 27:17 -- that iron sharpens iron and that by surrounding himself with other Godly young men, he will be drawn towards Godliness. And it's to be a picture of the very Word of God, the sword of the Spirit.

5 Sneaky Tricks for When You Can't Teach All-the-Things In Your Homeschool

In my first few years of homeschooling, I tried to cram all-the-things into every single moment of our days. I was so afraid that I'd miss something, that I'd forget to teach a crucial element, that I'd leave gaping holes in my kids' learning. I felt the full weight of their education and wore it like a burden around my neck.

But, I'm soooooo over that guilt. It's not mine to carry. The truth is, I can't possibly teach them everything there is to know about everything. Learning is a life-long process. I'm thirty-sevenish and I still don't know all-the-things. But, I keep learning. I keep growing. I keep searching for right answers. And if I can inspire a love of learning in my kids, they will keep searching too -- at ten, at twenty, at one hundred twenty.

Learning Language Arts Through Literature: An Open-n-Go Charlotte Mason Education

"Narrating is an art, like poetry-making or painting, because it is there in every child's mind, waiting to be discovered, and is not the result of any process of disciplinary education." ~Charlotte Mason

A few months into the year, when I watched my fifth grader floundering, going through the motions during language arts time with glossed-over eyes, I knew it was time for something else. I knew we needed a change. The program we were using was good. It just wasn't good for him. As a traditional textbook approach to grammar and writing, it was lacking both the spark to keep him interested and the gentle, immersion of language and language skills found only in real books.

Why I Use Teaching Textbooks {and why you should too}

Can I tell you a secret?
Lean in really close so that I can whisper it.

I'm allergic to math. No, really. A math allergy is a THING.

It's bad enough that math gets ALL of the numbers. But then, somewhere around sixth grade it starts stealing the letters too. Bad form, Math. Stick to your side of the playground and let me stick to mine.

When faced with math, I start to sweat. And not your dainty, little perspiration kind of sweat either. No. I'm talkin' REAL sweat; the kind that stains your clothes and makes you think twice about raising your arms above your waist lest you embarrass yourself and all your loved ones.

Pieces of the Promise: a family Easter tradition

I'll have to admit, it's so easy to do Christmas well. With its bright lights, holiday parties, and Advent traditions, Christmas is a month-long celebration. But the truth is, the Savior's birth is only one half of the story. Our hope would not be complete without Easter...without the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. I don't want to amplify one part of Redemption's story and not the other. So, for the past five-or-so years, I've been on a quest to do Easter well... to make it as tradition-filled as Christmas.