Are You Helpful or Nitpicking?
When evaluating a student’s schoolwork, it can be a challenge to find the right balance between being helpful and nitpicking. Here are a few things to consider.
Category: Home School
How I Chose Great Books for Excellence in Literature
My goal in writing Excellence in Literature is to pass along my love for some of the most beautiful, thought-provoking literature in the world, and to help students learn to think critically and analytically while growing mentally and spiritually. Here’s how I chose which books to include.
Telephone Rules for Homeschools
One of the best things I ever did for our homeschool and learning lifestyle was to create a telephone policy. By setting a few simple boundaries, I eliminated an enormous source of potential distraction and frustration…
Love of Learning and the Gift of Time
I’ve been thinking about learning and what makes it stick, what brings it to life, and why some students enjoy it more than others. Can you remember the last time you or your student was excited about learning? Here are a few thoughts on our school life.
World Literature is Here!
It took longer than I thought, but World Literature— the English 5 level of the Excellence in Literature: Reading and Writing Through the Classics curriculum is finally here! You can see it, read all about it, and order it on...
Thankful Thoughts on Freedom, Homeschool, and Writing in England
Dear Readers, I sometimes come upon a thought so well expressed that I just have to share it! Today’s guest post on freedom, homeschool, and writing was the editor’s letter from a Writing-World.com newsletter, and it’s reprinted here with the kind...
Houseplants, Homeschools and the Mid-Year Blahs
How long does it take to reach that “whose bright idea was this anyway” point in your homeschool year? It’s normal to feel overwhelmed on some days, but here are a few things you can do to get through it all
Carnival of Homeschooling- The NaNoWriMo Edition
Preface Welcome to this hundred-and-umpteenth Carnival of Homeschooling! Because November is National Novel Writing Month (also known as NaNoWriMo or nano), and I’m over 10,000 words into the writing process (and can’t think of anything but writing, writing, and more...
Bayeux Tapestry: An Animated Look at History
One of the highlights of our memorable trip to Europe was seeing the Bayeux Tapestry — the story of the 1066 war. I’d just finished reading 1066: The Year of the Conquest by David Haworth (highly recommended), so it was fresh...
Dynamic Literacy’s WordBuild: A Review
I love the study of words. Words are the building blocks of communication, and the more of them you know, the more likely it is that you will be a good writer and speaker. In addition, words are just plain...
Motivation: What Gets People Moving?
Before you start school this year, you may want to consider motivation. What is the most effective way to encourage your children to study and learn? Some of us (ahem–me, anyway) respond well to doing things I find intrinsically interesting,...
Create A Place of Quietness in your Day
Do you ever feel overwhelmed when there is noise and hubbub all day long? It can be hard to avoid when you have children home all the time. One of the things I did with my boys was to create...
How to Calculate +/- on a High School Transcript
How to calculate quality points for plus and minus grades on the high school transcript- here’s a list.
New Video Review of Excellence In Literature
I just came across another informative review of Excellence in Literature! Kerry Beck of Curriculum Connection has written a great review, and posted a video that walks you through the entire book. At the convention this past weekend, so many...
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!
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!
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...
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...
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...
