Saturday, December 27, 2014

This week's Carnival of Homeschooling is up - The Christmas Week Edition

Sarah is hosting this week's Carnival of Homeschooling at Smallworld.

She starts the carnival with:

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Welcome to the Carnival of Homeschooling! It's a quiet week around here. Our Carnival is small but really, really packed with great articles and plenty of good reading material. Marie-Claire's post alone, the first one below, has links to 31 other articles!

I hope you have plenty of down time in the next week to read a few articles in between baking batches of sugar cookies and wrapping gifts.
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I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you the very best in the new year.

Keep on homeschooling!

Carnival of Homeschooling

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Reminder for the last carnival of 2014

Please remember to send in a post about homeschooling for the next Carnival of Homeschooling.  The next carnival will be held at SmallWlorld.  This will be the last carnival in 2014.  We'll take a one week break and then start up again in January.


This will be the 467th edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling.

Go here for the instructions on sending in a submission.

As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.

I have a reminder mailing list. If you would like email reminders, please tell me. 

Carnival of Homeschooling

Friday, December 19, 2014

This week's Carnival of Homeschooling is up - Encouragement and Inspiration

Sarah is hosting this week's Carnival of Homeschooling at Embracing Destiny.

She starts the carnival with:

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Right now I’m watching the snow fall, sitting by a warm fire, and listening to my daughters play and learn together. We have been making Christmas ornaments and listening to Christmas music. This is our favorite time of year. Though our schedule doesn’t look like the “usual” routine of homeschooling, we are still learning all the time. I wouldn’t trade these moments for anything in the world, which is another reason I love homeschooling.

This week’s Carnival of Homeschooling features some great encouraging and informative articles from families in all stages of homeschooling. Grab your favorite hot beverage and enjoy!
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Enjoy!

Carnival of Homeschooling

Monday, December 15, 2014

A little bragging

Sometimes as a homeschooler I’ve worried a bit that maybe our children aren’t learning enough. Maybe they won’t measure up to their peers. Not often, but once in a while.

This week I’ve been reassured a bit.

Our second daughter went off to a university this fall. She has been doing well with the quizzes and midterms. This week is finals weeks. She is completely done with two of her five classes and so far she has been getting A’s. She thinks she has a very good chance at getting straight A’s, though one class might end up being an A-.

As parents we want our children to do well. We want them to be happy and successful.

It is nice to see that as our children leave home that they are off to a good start.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Please remember to send in a post for the next Carnival of Homeschooling

Please remember to send in a post about homeschooling for the next Carnival of Homeschooling.  The next carnival will be held at Embracing Destiny.


This will be the 466th edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling.

Go here for the instructions on sending in a submission.

As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.

I have a reminder mailing list. If you would like email reminders, please tell me. 

Carnival of Homeschooling

Friday, December 12, 2014

This week's Carnival of Homeschooling is up - This Christmas Edition

Lisa is hosting this week's Carnival of Homeschooling at Golden Grasses.

She starts the carnival with:

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My sincere apologies for being a day late with the Carnival of Homeschooling- it's been one of those weeks that has tried my patience, tested my tenacity and caused me to cry, pray and laugh (albiet, at times, hysterically!). Oh, the joys of multi-tasking, working from home, technology and homeschooling. Christmas on line - Christmas baubles

At the end of the day, though, despite the frustrations and the many, never ending tasks, I hope you can say, even if your day or week has gone like mine, that homeschooling is worth it. I hope that you are finding joy and fulfillment in these years of investing in a person. 
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Enjoy!

Carnival of Homeschooling

Monday, December 08, 2014

Advice to a new homeschooler

I started a new job this year.  I now ride the train about 40 minutes each way, every day.  So I now have a little more time for reflection.  My wife and I are in our 15th year of homeschooling.  Recently I got to thinking about what advice would I give to a new homeschooler.  Below are some of the general suggestions:


Think about your long term goal(s)

Our primary motivation for homeschooling wasn’t a better SAT score.  We wanted to raise competent adults who were caring and hard working.  We wanted to nurture in them a love for learning.  We wanted them to stay close to each other.

As you homeschool, step back and take the long view.  Think about what do you really want for your children, and don’t worry so much about little details which don’t work out exactly as you would like.


Educate yourself

Reach out to others and learn from them.  Find your local park day and co-ops.  Attend.  Ask questions.  Find some good books.  Read them.  Go to conferences.  Ask lots of questions.  And trust yourself.


Relax and enjoy the process

You are going to make mistakes.  It is OK.  Teachers in public schools make mistakes all the time.  One of the nice things about homeschooling is you can change, as soon as the next second.

Enjoy the time with your children.  Enjoy who they are.  There is a famous line about “No one ever died saying I wish I spent more time at the office.”  The few years you have now are more precious than gold.  Build bonds of love within the family.  Build memories.

Look for the blessings.  It is easy to get so focused that small and large blessings can slip right by.  Pause frequently and ponder how your children are doing.  I think you’ll be surprised.


Be flexible and open

What works for one child one day may never work again for that child, or any other child.  Try lots of different approaches.  And when a child gets engaged, go with the flow.  In one hour a excited child passionate about a particular topic will often learn more than ten hours.


We've found homeschooling to be wonderful in so many ways.  It really is a blessing.

Friday, December 05, 2014

Please remember to send in a post for the next Carnival of Homeschooling

Please remember to send in a post about homeschooling for the next Carnival of Homeschooling.  The next carnival will be held at Golden Grasses.


This will be the 465th edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling.

Go here for the instructions on sending in a submission.

As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.

I have a reminder mailing list. If you would like email reminders, please tell me. 

Carnival of Homeschooling