Nature Fun for Summertime
Go outside and enjoy nature this summer. You can find enjoyable things to do, whether you’re in the country or the city, so take time to get a bit grubby and share some special fun with your children!
Author: Janice Campbell
New Excellence In Literature Review on TOS!
I’m always happy to get a good review of one or more of my books, and this morning I came across a very nice review on The Old Schoolhouse website. Kathy Gelzer has done a beautiful job of outlining the...
The Perfect Cure for Summer Boredom
It’s summertime, and a few days after you put away the schoolbooks, you may hear the dreaded complaint, “I’m bored.” It’s a complaint I always welcomed, because I had found the perfect answer.
Free is Good for College Textbooks
For many families, the cost of college textbooks comes as a shock. Paying $100 or so for a book your student will use for a mere 18 weeks seems entirely foolish. For families whose high school students are getting a...
Andrew Pudewa’s Video on Excellence In Literature
If you have enjoyed IEW’s materials, or if you have a teen who loves to read or write, I think you’ll find that Excellence in Literature is an ideal next step for your motivated teens. I’ll let Andrew tell you all about it in this brief video!
College Choices – Homeschoolers Have Options!
Visit the convention season sale through July 12! Now that homeschoolers have proven to be high achievers in both academic and social realms, they are being actively courted by many colleges. However, just as many homeschool parents paused before placing...
Charlotte Mason on Teaching With Literature
Stories bring knowledge alive and engage emotional memory in a way that makes abstract principles and arcane facts easy to understand and remember. When learning can be joyous and simple, why make it boring and difficult (and pointless because they are unlikely to remember anything) by using tedious worksheets and canned curriculum? It’s never too late to start teaching well. Resolve now to make literature and stories a major part of your educational adventure!
Convention Coupons, Excellence in Literature, and other Good News
There are several interesting things happening this coming weekend. The CHAP convention will take place Friday and Saturday, May 8-9, in Harrisburg, PA. While I won’t be there personally, due to a very unfortunate conflict, I sent my able assistant...
Requiem for Clue- A Very Old Dog: 1996-2009
Today we said good-bye to dear old friend. It’s never easy, and I’ll miss his ancient tottering steps following me through the house from dawn to dark. Today is the first time I’ve sat in my office chair, without needing...
World Digital Library: A Great Resource
I occasionally come across a resource that keeps me reading or browsing for much longer than I planned, and the new World Digital Library is one of those. Some of the earliest written works known to man have been digitized...
Family Dinner Conversation
Sharing family dinner Is there anything more delightful than sitting down to dinner with family? Even if you’re having something as pedestrian as grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, the company and conversation can be joyous and memorable. And as...
College Admissions: Knowledge Is Power!
Getting in to a college isn’t terribly difficult if you have decent grades, a professional-looking transcript, and a reasonable work ethic (if all else fails, most community colleges admit anyone who is willing to pay for classes). However, if you...
Carnival of Homeschooling- The Spring Fever Edition
Is anyone else ready for spring? The daffodils are up, forsythia is glowing at the edges of the woods, and from my cozy spot by the woodstove, the bright sunlight offers the illusion of warmth. It’s quickly dispelled by the...
Decision-Making: The “Anti-Supposed To” Manifesto
Learning to make good decisions is a lot like learning to walk. Babies do a lot of creeping, crawling, and falling before they are walking well. If you tried to keep them safe by never letting them out of the crib, you’d end up with a disabled adult. If you never allow your children the freedom to make small decisions and fall when necessary, they may be safe, but they’ll be crippled.
Streamline Your Life with Habits
Charlotte Mason believed that a habit is “ten natures,” and she was right. Habits can make life smoother by automating repetitive tasks. By simply thinking through the things you do each day, and figuring out how to do them most...
Words, Words, Words- Celebrating Words Matter Week 2009
In response to the Words Matter Week blog challenge, here are quotes about words. I believe that words matter!
Free Reading Speed and Comprehension Test
Do your students do well on the reading comprehension section of standardized tests? Practicing for these kind of exams and getting accustomed to the format and the type of questions asked can help boost scores. Here’s a website that offers...
Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner: A Review
Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner by Kathy Kuhl Reviewed by Janice Campbell Nothing beats hands-on, in-the-trenches encouragement and advice from families who have worked with struggling learners. Sometimes, just getting a glimpse of the challenges that others face can help you...
American and British Literature are Here!
I opened the door this morning, and there on the front steps was a box from Andrew Pudewa’s IEW. The American and British literature levels of Excellence in Literature have arrived and are ready for you! Yesterday was my grandmother’s...
Newbery Awards- My favorite, Your Favorite, Nobody’s Favorite
The 2009 book award winners were revealed yesterday by the American Library Association. You may read about them at the NAIWE NewsWire blog. As a counterpoint, I’d like to share a thoughtful piece from the School Library Journal, “Has the...
SAT* Score Reporting, FAQ, Essay Workshops, & EIL 1 is HERE!
Beginning with the March 2009 administration of the SAT, the College Board has implemented a new policy that should make a lot of people very happy. According to the website, the new policy “will give students the option to choose...
Drawspace: A Review
The Internet is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be happy as kings (with apologies to Robert Louis Stevenson). My son recently came across a website that offers detailed drawing instruction.
SWOT Analysis for Homeschools
SWOT Analysis is a very useful tool for homeschoolers. By analyzing Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, you can learn to balance balance the elements and make effective decisions about homeschooling.
Wishing you a Joyous New Year!
An old French postcard from my collection. Enjoy! Two Brief Announcements 1- Third Anniversary Celebration for the Carnival of Homeschooling! Henry Cate of “Why Homeschool?” will be hosting the third anniversary celebration edition of the Carnival on January 6. If...
156th Carnival of Homeschooling- Winter in Paris
Welcome to the December 23, 2008 edition of carnival of homeschooling! As you browse through the posts, I thought you might enjoy some of the scenes from a December trip to one of my favorite cities, Paris, appropriately nicknamed “The...
A Microbusiness Can Help With College Expenses
As most of you know, I have enjoyed several microbusinesses throughout my life, and I believe they can be great learning experiences for teens. With the economy in its present disturbed state, I believe that a microbusiness can be helpful...
Questions about using Excellence In Literature in a co-op
I received an e-mail this morning from a co-op leader, inquiring about the Excellence in Literature (EIL) curriculum. When I receive detailed questions like these, I know that others are probably wondering some of the same of the same things,...
Reading for Fun Can Help You Learn
Age appropriate reading is foundational Several years ago I came across a book review of the Truth Seekers Mystery Series by Christine and Felice Gerwitz that clearly articulated the natural progression of learning. The review was much more than a simple review — it...
“Gratefulness”- A Poem of Thanksgiving and a Recipe
This is my favorite Thanksgiving poem, and if you have been with me for many years, you know that you’ll receive it each year as my Thanksgiving “article.” It is a poem of grace and beauty, and I hope you...
Veterans’ Day 2008- The Soldier by Robert Frost
The Soldier by Robert Frost He is that fallen lance that lies as hurled, That lies unlifted now, come dew, come rust, But still lies pointed as it ploughed the dust. If we who sight along it round the world,...
