The Education of the Founding Fathers
Consider the education of America’s founding fathers: What kind of study produced a group of men capable of conceiving a constitutional republic, bringing it to life, and guiding it through its formative years?
Cultivating creativity, wisdom, and joy in an ordinary life:
Homeschooling, Home Business, and Soul Care.
Summer Reading: It’s Time to Break Out the Good Books!
Summer reading is essential. Here’s why, and a partial list of what I’m reading.
Homeschooling by the Numbers: An Infographic
Have you been looking for a quick way to communicate the fact that homeschooling works? This well-designed infographic provides the statistical evidence you need to scare your neighbors support your decision to homeschool.
How Small Businesses are Using Blogs, Websites, and Social Media (or Not)
How does your small business compare with these businesses in the use of the Internet? Are you happy with the return from your online investment of time, money, or energy? For most successful one-person micro-businesses, the ability to use free...
History of Homeschooling: An Infographic
Long before anyone thought of warehousing children for the bulk of their young lives, parents were teaching their children. Somehow, despite a lack of official certification, the world muddled along. Here is an infographic on the history of homeschooling, plus a recommendation for three great books.
What Matters in Entrepreneurship is Whether You Can Get a “Message to Garcia”
Owning a business, even a microbusiness, is not a task for the faint-hearted or the spoon-fed. In order to succeed, an entrepreneur must be willing to focus, learn something new every day, and take the initiative to act when something needs...
Entrepreneurship vs. an MBA: Which Would You Choose?
For many years, an MBA was seen as a ticket to success. Non-traditional degree programs sprouted like toadstools after a warm rain, and billboards, ads, and postcards extolled the benefits of the executive MBA, the online MBA, and other alternative...
Poems for Spring by Gerard Manley Hopkins and Amy Lowell
Here are two spring poems by two of my favorite poets: Spring by Gerard Manley Hopkins and Lilacs by Amy Lowell. Both are suitable for copywork and recitation. Enjoy!
Homeschool Conventions Made Easy
A veteran homeschooler, conference speaker, and vendor shares tips and strategies to make the home-school convention a highlight of your homeschool year.
Words Matter: How to Use Good Essay Models to Become a Better Writer
One of the best ways you can teach writing is to share good models. I especially like working with excellent essays, as they tend to expand not only vocabulary and usage skills, but also because they expand thought. Here’s an example.
How to “Make it Pay”: The 5-Stage Business Model
There are many ways to structure a one-person business (sometimes called a micro-business), but I’d like to share a profitable business model that can be started debt-free. I discovered this path while developing my own business, and have further refined...
How to Get it All Done in a One-Person Business
At a recent conference, I met a fellow entrepreneurial writer I’ve known online for many years. She and her husband attended the microbusiness workshop I did, then stopped by the booth to talk about current projects, managing a business, and...
Education Under Fire in Iran
We enjoy many educational freedoms in the United States, but others aren’t as fortunate. A fellow writer has shared news of the actions of the government in Iran to dismantle the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education in Iran and asked that I pass it on.
“Education Under Fire” is a 30 minute documentary about
Just Say No to Desktop Notifications & Other Dings and Beeps
I receive e-mail through a Google apps interface that provides a calendar and docs, and handles mail in Gmail style. Every time I’ve logged in recently, a banner over my inbox has invited me to receive desktop notifications of new e-mail as...
Wintery Mix: The Carnival of Homeschooling
Here is the Wintery Mix Carnival of Homeschooling, with a healthy variety of posts on topics as varied as reading aloud, being on the bottom of the gymnastics stack, and visiting the optometrist. Enjoy!
Stopping SOPA and PIPA: Why Does it Matter?
You might think that as a creator of intellectual property, I’d be cheering on the SOPA/PIPA bills, but I’m not. Handing unfettered power to government or to any big business to shut off access to another business’s website on the...
Three New Contests: Poetry, Art, and Essays
Contests can be a great motivator and learning tool because they provide homeschool students with an outside-the-routine assignment, a firm deadline, an audience that’s bigger than mom, sometimes objective feedback or a prize. Plus, contests are often fun!
Can Changing Your Thoughts Change Your Life?
Remember the schoolyard taunt, “What you say is what you are!”? It usually followed a mature exchange of insults, often beginning with “cooties,” and progressing through booger-possession to “You’re just dumb!” Thankfully, the recess bell usually intervened in time to...
The Map that Inspired Treasure Island by Celia Blue Johnson
Today’s guest post is from Celia Blue Johnson, the author of Dancing with Mrs. Dalloway: Stories of the Inspiration Behind Great Works of Literature. It’s a book I thoroughly enjoyed.
Homeschooling Homesteaders: Teaching Self-Reliance Skills
Self-reliance means looking ahead, anticipating potential dangers, and setting aside resources to care for your family in the event of an emergency. Come to the Self-Reliance Expo to find resources and learn how.
My Top Three Tips for Online Marketing that’s Not Obnoxious
Many writers and entrepreneurs feel awkward about marketing. But what if you have something good to offer? How will people find it if you don’t let them know about it? If you think of marketing as communication– sharing something special...
Winter Poems by Stevenson, Emerson, and Hardy
Sometimes a poem evokes the mood of a season more than anything else could. “Picture-books in Winter” by Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Snow Storm” by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and “The Darkling Thrush” by Thomas Hardy are three of my favorites.
Multi-tasking is Highly Overrated
So . . . exactly how many things are you doing at this very moment? How many programs are open on your computer, and how many windows in your browser? If you’re anything like me, I’m guessing there are too...
The Ant or the Grasshopper? A Reason to Give Thanks
The fourth Thursday of November is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. While I believe in the power of giving thanks daily, if not hourly, this day offers an additional opportunity to reflect on things I’m grateful for. After family,...
Why Study Literature in Context?
Why study literature in the context of art, music, history, and worldview? Context — the history, art, and music related to a particular piece of literature — helps to bring a book to life and make it more understandable, especially...
Veterans Day: What It Is, How to Celebrate
Here’s a tribute to veterans everywhere, with links to teaching resources, quotes, and patriotic music. Thanks to those who have served, and to their families who wait.
Why You Need Your Own Business Domain (And How to Get It)
How will your clients find you? Where will they go to get more information about your business? Hint: It’s not likely to be the phone book or the phone. Chances are that many of your customers will find your business...
Biographical Approach Paper Format
Here is a biographical approach paper format you may use to write about authors or other significant people. Approach papers help students think through the things they study in a deeper way, so this can be useful not only for Excellence in Literature, but also for any subject.
Organize Essays with the Keyhole Essay Organizer
The Keyhole Essay Organizer appears in many forms across the Web. It can be a very helpful visual reminder of what goes into a basic essay–introduction, body, conclusion, plus some helpful tips.
Avoiding The Road to Serfdom
One reason to create multiple streams of income is to slow personal movement down the “road to serfdom.” When you diversify your streams of income, creating streams that aren’t dependent on traditional employment, you are taking a quiet step toward...
