Bad Habits vs. Thankful Habits - Lately I have recognized a bad habit of feeling sorry for myself when my husband or children do not recognize the hard work I put forth 24/7 which results in a lack of gratitude toward and agreement with Poor Little Me. It was my husband who was brave enough to say, in the heat of […]
Summer Days that Count as School - Each summer Faithful Scholars answers questions as to which/whether days can count toward school– CC practicum/camp, music camp, mechanics camp, car trips, vacations based around historical stops, etc. YES!!! You can, and should, count them. Value and give credit to all learning achieved toward the goal of raising lifelong learners. To learn and have it […]
9th Grade Q and A (CC Related) - Mom: I have purchased the official high school binder to keep all of M’s records organized. I have your helpful list (from previous support email) printed and highlighted in the front. etc… Last night I reread through all of the info concerning high school on the Faithful Scholars website. Thank you so much for being so […]
Going Slow is Sometimes Like Medicine - Ponder the last time you spent a day or an hour or a moment purposely going slow. A mom wrote the above title to me the other day after she had watched a box turtle meander along and fireflies dance. These are reasons to homeschool, right? How is it that we get caught up in […]
Grass is Greener - The grass is always greener when seen from a distance. My fellow homeschoolers all have it together while I still flop and flounder. Or am I just looking at things from the wrong angle? My side view shows beautiful lush green. Step into the middle of that ‘grass’ and suddenly, as you look directly down […]
High School???!!! - The thought of teaching a high schooler at home can be daunting unless it has naturally occurred year by year as a committed K-12 homeschooling family or it is a situation of getting your high schooler out of a bad situation in traditional school. Even then it jangles ones nerves all over. That being said, […]
Curriculum is a Tool, Not a Goal - As we excitedly plan out our learning and lessons for next year it strikes me how the butterfly-joy welling up from within is based on the journey rather than thoughts of the completion of another year. It feels like running into a dear friend who has been out of town for a while. In the […]
Harmony- She is Illusive - Finding harmony based upon routine is one of a homeschoolers core daily struggles. Even for those of us who are determined to maintain a fluid day, there must be some order. When do the children wake, what lessons are the big slimy toads and need swallowing first, who needs what nutrition at what time in […]
But…What do Colleges Prefer - by Ashley Brookshire, Regional Director of Admissions for the West Coast It’s a question I hear often – mostly from families at college fairs who are frantically trying to absorb every available nugget of information available to them in the tight time frame of the event: “But… what do colleges prefer?” “My daughter has […]
Considering Homeschooling- education vs. being educated - Homeschool is about creating a culture of education, daily devotion to curiosity, and practice of diligence toward discipline. It is more about character and less about the completion of, or in some situations, the ‘experience’ of, material. Homeschoolers use books to grow our children in the areas of faith and diligence. An incredible academic education […]
Have Your Standards Dropped? - As the year went along did your standards go along with it? ….You may be a homeschooling mama if….. you are an idealist who cannot maintain her ideals because there are so many of them! The year begins, you have your curriculum set, your daily master plan laid out, and your energy reserves on high. […]
End of Year Fizzles - What leads to burn out at this time of year? How can we instead be encouraged, or at least enjoy a motivated push toward the finish line? We have had lovely Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, perhaps a Winter Break and a Spring Break, yet April and May are the times that, while life renews within […]
Academic Worship vs. Child Centered Learning - The MAIN THING is not the main lesson nor the main book although we get caught up in ever progressing while within we innately understand that our books are simply springboards toward faith and character. Homeschooling is a phenomenon of immense beauty which ever teeters on the brink of going awry through one of two […]
High School Readiness & Gaps - In answer to the common question, “How will I know I am covering “enough” with my soon-to-be 8th grader to prepare him for high school level courses?” You never will. Makes me grin each time I type this as I can envision the ‘thanks for nothing’ expression it must elicit. If your student will return […]
Dylexia, a Gift - We always have several gifted children in our family. I consider dyslexia a gift, and am a recovering dyslexic myself. At lease one of our children has this same gift, another is gifted with a processing disorder, and a third is gifted with developmental delays. The rest are Run of the Mill Every Day Children. […]
Summer School aka Year ‘Round Schooling aka Relaxing - With summer swiftly arriving and calling us out of doors it is a joyful release to know that the required 180 day academic year is (almost) over. But, if you are like us and enjoy the ‘anchorage’ of daily worthwhile accomplishment, it is also a time of continuation and exploration. We will continue our math […]
Don’t Label Your Student ‘Smart’ - So often in emails I can hear the sweet love of homeschooling and all that you get to do in a day. It tickles me to be even a tiny part of that! A common occurrence in the elementary years is well state by this mom- in the positive and well intention-ed manner of all […]
YOU Are Your Special Needs Specialist - Special needs students require the same credits as above but with a longer time limit and lower rate of achievement expectation. We set goals for our daughter, focus on her self organizing, self starting, self pacing for her academics. Her electives are predominantly focused on life skills, character development, nutrition, and health. Her math is […]
Less is More - Rest easy. You cannot academically ruin an elementary level student. I promise! The most typical mistake is in doing too much academically rather than too little. These little sponges will soak and soak and soak in the information as they see how pleased it makes you (with them). And then at some point around 2nd-4th […]
Eager and Early Learners - …Eager and Early Learners I can remember my husband buying a book on our honeymoon entitled, “Teach Your Baby to Read.” We had already planned to homeschool our children, when they came, but this was not what I had in mind. A year later our first child was born and that book sat on the […]
A day in the life of …. homeschooling with preschoolers! - …a Homeschool Family with Pre-schoolers No two school days are exactly alike in our house. With a 7 year old in first grade, a 5 year old in K4 and 3 and 18 month olds underfoot, we adapt each day as needed to get in what we need to while having ample fun and play […]
