I went to college in Minnesota at a little liberal arts campus on a hill. If you’ve ever heard of St. Olaf College, it’s because you’re a huge fan of choral music, The Golden Girls, or Scandinavia. I heartily recommend St. Olaf for many reasons, including the atmosphere, collegiality, approach to academics, music, and travel […]
School at Home (Traditional) This is what most people think of when they think of homeschoolers, and in fact is probably used more than any other type. Parents take the schedule and curriculum that traditional schools use and just downsize it for their family, with personal adjustments. There are text books and workbooks and subjects. […]
While we don’t call ourselves unschoolers, we have a very unusual homeschool schedule. Or lack of schedule and minimal ‘requirements.’ After a certain age, my kids make their own plans for how to spend their day. When they’re young, we do more one-on-one. Sometimes, a youngster isn’t into what I’m offering. Sometimes I’m busy and […]
Project-based learning is excellent fun and an effective way to learn almost anything. Being able to read well opens more project opportunities and makes projects easier and more fulfilling. You don’t need a course or program to teach children to read. In the right environment, they will get it on their own! Part of the […]
Project-based learning is excellent fun and an effective way to learn most anything. Being able to read well opens more project opportunities and makes projects easier and more fulfilling. You don’t need a course or program to teach children to read. In the right environment, they will get it on their own! Part of the […]
This month I’d like to share ideas about using maps with kids in your home. Going to the map to find a place that you are talking about or that you heard mentioned is very satisfying! Lots of kids enjoy knowing the names of countries, being able to find them, or quiz you on your […]
Five-Minute Mind Sparks are ways to broaden the range of things that we think about on a day-to-day basis and offer the OPPORTUNITY for new EXPERIENCE. The calendar provides some mild STRUCTURE. Offer the calendar to your reading learners or read it together for a daily dose of fun and inspiration. Young teens will find […]
This series of posts is about my favorite homeschool things families who use some form of self-directed learning. I could not homeschool without the library. I would not want to live without the library, either. I do all my “retail therapy” at the library, and nothing makes us as reliably excited as dragging home a […]
Five-Minute Mind Sparks are calendar-based ideas for opening learning doors. Our job is to provide experience, opportunity, and structure. This framework helps kids identify passions and interests to drive their own learning. Five-Minute Mind Sparks are ways to broaden the range of things that we think about on a day-to-day basis and offer the OPPORTUNITY […]
Nothing beats a field trip for real life EXPERIENCE and OPPORTUNITY! So many passions start on field trips–whether they’re intentional or just part of living your life. For learner-led homeschoolers, a field trip is any excursion outside your home. A grocery store visit can be a field trip even if you do nothing, but with […]