Blog — Highschool

It can be frustrating as all get-out to edit a paper that’s riddled with errors.

So how can we put a positive spin on editing and grading when we’re feeling peevish?

Here are three heartfelt tips for how to love your kids’ writing, especially when you’d rather wad it into a ball and toss it across the room..... continue reading

We've heard all the obstacles. And we know they are real! 

• I'm a math and science person. Writing doesn't come easily to me. So we skip it.
• My kids hate writing. It's like pulling teeth! I avoid the battle altogether.
• I have no idea how to grade my children's writing. So I don't.
• We do a little creative writing and report writing here and there. I know it's not enough, but I don't really know how to teach writing in a comprehensive way.
• I have great plans, but they never seem to come to fruition. I'm not good at spontaneously adding writing to our other lessons like history and science.

We've heard all of your guilt-filled shoulds:

• I know I should teach more writing. My kids are now in middle school, and they still can't write a decent essay!
• We should spend more time on writing. I just don't know where to start. I get overwhelmed.

Now, here's the solution: continue reading

Homeschooling can be tough, but homeschooling the teen rebel is even tougher. I wish I had read the Homeschooling the Teen Rebel a couple of years ago. The homeschool mom failure award was mine, I was sure of it. I felt all alone. But I was not alone. I had believed the lie that if I homeschooled 

We love Sonlight, Mystery of History and No grass for our history curriculum because each one has been the best for our four children, depending on their ages, learning abilities or challenges. Each of these excellent history courses has been taught throughout different times of our homeschool journey, depending on the needs of my children. Let me explain......

 Guest post from Martha Reineke of FreeSchoolLinks. at Musicinourhomeschools.com

MUSIC IS POWERFUL: WAYS TO HARNESS THE POWER IN YOUR HOMESCHOOL

Have you ever laid in a hammock, or on a towel next to the ocean, listening to the sound of the waves lapping at the shore? There is just something about the rhythmic crash of the waves that lulls you into a state of relaxation. You cannot long rest near the shoreline without feeling the effects of the waves.

What if there were a way to have the effects of such a location, without having to travel long distances to the ocean? Similar to the lapping waves, is the beat of a drum, or the sway of a soothing melody. Music is powerful.

Music isn’t just a tool for physical and emotional therapy, however. Music, and learning to play an instrument have been directly linked to higher grades, improved cognitive function and increased concentration levels. Scientists at John’s Hopkins College have experimented with music and shown that educators who employ music in their classrooms have seen an improvement in their students’.... read more