Blog Carnival: Summer Isn’t Over Yet
The Blog Carnival offers inspiration and encouragement as summer winds down and school begins. Enjoy!
Category: Home School
Charlotte Mason on Copywork
Charlotte Mason recommended copywork, which she called “transcription,” as an early step in teaching language arts. In Home Education, she wrote about the value of copywork, as well as what and how to copy. I have provided her instructions and added a few notes of my own.
How to Fit Art and Music into Your Homeschool
Instead of despairing when you run out of classroom time for art and music, just have things available so that you can allow both subjects to flow into the leftover spaces in your day.
Imogen Violet Meets GarageBand
Imogen Violet tests the effectiveness of GarageBand and the iPad2 as a teething aid.
What Does Education Look Like? Part III: Immune to Elephants
The contrast between a true, living education and the stale, dead imitation that often replaces it continues to niggle at my thoughts. Here’s another scene that illustrates the contrast, plus a thought for the day.
Without Focus, You’ll Get Nowhere
Or maybe you’ll get somewhere, but it won’t be anywhere you were hoping to be. It takes focus to keep your eye on a distant goal while juggling present responsibilities. It also takes a bit of pruning– cutting out all...
Of Daffodils and Diesels, Revisited
Do you have a child who doesn’t seem to be college material? Don’t let fear keep you from encouraging him to explore the trades and other college alternatives. The “Daffodils and Diesels” essay will show you why.
Learn to Write While Using Excellence in Literature
By using classics and models and learning by doing, it’s natural and possible to learn to write well while using Excellence in Literature.
![Adams' Illustrated Panorama of History. By Sebastian C. Adams [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i0.wp.com/doingwhatmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/1878_Adams_Monumental_Illustrated_Panorama_of_History_-_Geographicus_-_WorldHistory-adams-1871-sm-pd.jpeg?fit=520%2C220&ssl=1)
Should You Teach Literature and History in Chronological Order?
How important it is to study history and literature in chronological order? Here’s what we did, and why a timeline makes whatever you do work better.
What is Cultural Literacy?
Cultural literacy can help you decide what to teach and how to teach it. Here’s what cultural literacy is, and how it can help you focus.
Homeschoolers: What Must You Teach?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed at homeschooling your students through high school, remember that you don’t have to teach them everything they’ll ever need to know.
Set Priorities for the New Year
Here’s how you can make your personal New Year a time of renewal and refreshment. Think through goals and routines, and create priorities that help you, like Mary, focus on “the better part.”
Carnival of Homeschooling: Making Time for Things That Matter- 2011 Planning
Are you ready for 2011? For the last Carnival of Homeschooling for 2010, we have a loose collection of posts under the general topic of Making Time for Things that Matter. I find that the beginning of a new year...
How Do You Socialize a Homeschooled Child?
How do you socialize a homeschooler? It’s a common question, and one with a very simple answer.
Plan to Live Life on Purpose
Create a mission statement, goals, and a plan to help you make time for things that matter.
Review: The Struggling Reader Assessments and Teaching Materials
Reading is the most important academic skill we teach our students. Students must learn to read well before they can read to learn, so it’s important to create a nourishing home environment where books are read and enjoyed, ideas are discussed, and written and spoken communication is a natural part of everyday life. If you’ve created that strong foundation and your child still struggles with learning to read, there’s usually a discoverable cause. In The Struggling Reader system, the Eckenwilers have provided the tools for diagnosis, and the means for teaching what is needed.
Make Time for Things that Matter: Impact and Significance
Making time for significance I had the opportunity to speak on “Making Time for Things that Matter” at the Ultimate Homeschool Expo last week, and I’ve also been reading a book called Eternal Impact: Investing in the Lives of Others...
On Charley and Being Different
We live in a society that worships “average” and fears anything different, but we can teach our children to appreciate the infinite variety in creation, and to be compassionate to those who have difficulties. Here’s one small place to start.
Can Learning Go On While Caregiving? Crisis Schooling for Homeschoolers
If you can align your expectations with reality, make adjustments that keep you sane, and focus on priorities and essentials, you’ll be able to homeschool while you’re a caregiver.
Advice for Friends of Caregivers
Caregivers face daily challenges, but friends who are understanding and kind can make the path easier.
Carnival of Homeschooling: The Beach Reading Edition
The Beach Reading Edition of Carnival of Homeschooling is up, and there are great posts on why to homeschool through high school, how to motivate your children, how to teach boys, and much, much more. Enjoy!
Three Things to Consider When Making Curriculum Decisions
Choosing curriculum can be a challenge. Here are three things to think about to make it easier!
Caregiving for Homeschool Families: Some Questions to Consider
Homeschool families are notoriously family-centered, but I’ve recently been hearing questions and concerns about caregiving while homeschooling, so I thought I’d share a few thoughts here. Most of the people who have asked questions have been thinking about their parents...
The Power of Copying a Text
The power of a text is different when it is read from when it is copied out. Only the copied text thus commands the soul of him who is occupied with it, whereas the mere reader never discovers the new...
Learning Styles: Do They Make a Difference?
In the How to Homeschool a Boy series (the three previous posts), I talked about some of the things I learned through the homeschooling years. One of the first things I learned about was learning styles, or preferred ways of...
Hey Mom, Listen to this Great Performance: How to Homeschool a Boy, Part 3
Remember to let your sons be who they are so that they will become the people they were meant to be. This takes time, space, and the freedom to explore varied interests. As a bonus, it’s fun!
Hey Mom, Want to See My Jungle Gym? How to Homeschool a Boy, Part 2
Your sons will teach themselves amazing things if you give the time and space to learn what they can do. It takes a boy with a boy’s interests to find the thread of an idea and follow it through to the creation of a project he really enjoys. The key ingredient is free time and the liberty to explore, try new things, and yes– get hurt occasionally. It takes trusting that if you provide time, tools, and skills, they will use them. It also takes understanding that education is about a whole lot more than doing school.
Momma, Want to See a Snake? How to Homeschool a Boy, Part 1
It was a beautiful spring day, and we spent most of it with doors open, happily going in and out with various tasks and projects. It was mid-afternoon when my youngest son came in. “Momma, do you want to see...
Give Your Child the Benefit of the Doubt
Do you remember what it’s like to be a child? Do you remember struggling with something and being told, “Come on, it’s easy! You’re just not trying.” Or worse, “You could do better if you weren’t so lazy/careless.” Do you...
Most Important Word: Words Matter Week Blog Challenge-Day 1
The Monday question for the Words Matter Week blog challenge is: What is the most important word or words in your life? Why? When I create writing assignments for students, I try to craft questions that narrow the topic to...
