Gifted Child

3kidsonarockQuestion:

I homeschooled my son in kindergarten and then had to put him in public school for 1st grade. They of course tested him and he is “gifted”. I am blessed to be able to homeschool him again next year. Do you have any thoughts or suggestions on what I can try with him? The school’s idea was more work—which would totally backfire with him. I know we can probably go at a faster pace but any other thoughts? Also what do you think about sticking to the 2nd grade curriculum (of what’s he’s suppose to know vs. what he’s interested in?)  For example, he wants to learn about the United States geography. Is it wrong to just focus on U.S. geography and not on cultures, government, world history etc.? [Read more…]

Eating All the Time

family2Question:

I have four little ones, ages 6, 4, 2, and 9 months. The older ones want to eat all the time! I’m sympathetic because, with pregnancy and nursing, I’m hungry often, too. But it’s too much to clean up 5-6 times a day after so many snacks. Being home all day makes easy access to the refrigerator…how should I discipline ourselves regarding meals and snack times to make life easier?! [Read more…]

A Small Price

Soccer player Louisa (8)

Soccer player Louisa (8)

It’s that time of year again! Local stores are advertising 10 cent notebooks, 59 cent pencil boxes, and extra low prices on school supplies. It’s time to take my homeschooled children school shopping and buy them everything they want.

[Read more…]

Burnout

all_girls_on_logQuestion:

I have 8 children (ages 1-13) and have been homeschooling all along. I have really enjoyed homeschooling through the good and bad, but I am now struggling with terrible burnout! I just don’t feel like getting re-organized, preparing meaningful lessons, and supervising. We recently moved, and I don’t have the energy to make all new homeschooling friend contacts and activities. I have valiantly involved my children in the planning, work, and cleanup and so on, so my problem is not an imbalanced workload. I am tired! Any ideas? [Read more…]

It’s Gotta be Fun!

Question:

This is our second year of homeschooling. Our first year we homeschooled our kindergarten son and were very actively involved and had learning experiences outside of the house. This year, we enrolled him in an online academy. We have not yet finished our first week of lessons and I already hate it! The lessons are long and tedious. Much too academic for our style from last year. Also, we have no more time for our beloved outings to the park or the zoo. I feel like a slave to this program because of the load of work and no real learning going on. My son is starting to hate anything to do with the word “school” or “lesson”! Any advice on this would be really appreciated! [Read more…]

Keeping on Grade Level

Louisa and Ammon

Louisa and Ammon

There is a sickness that seems to plague moms. Seems all parents are prone to this infection sooner or later and sometimes it can keep us down for years. Having my child in public school for a short stint heavily exposed me to this disease, but it was a blessing in disguise because it immunized me for life. I have no more desire to keep anyone “on grade level”!

[Read more…]

Home is the School

ammon_louisa_kitchenHomeschooling. Just the word conjures up images of books and desks and computer programs and work, work, work for Mom, doesn’t it, though?

But it has come to my awareness lately that “mothering” and “homeschooling” are synonyms. From the moment that tiny babe is laid in your arms, you have become the “responsible party.” And that responsibility is grave. You have the job, the creative work, the task of raising this child into an upright person before the Lord. You suddenly start a new thought process: worrying for/and about your child. You want them to be happy, healthy, cared for, loved, treated well, comfortable, intelligent . . . and the concerns go on.

[Read more…]

To Test or Not To Test? That is the Question

teepee2

Ammon is his bean teepee, trying to look like an Indian chief

TEST!

That one word can strike terror in the hearts of kids and moms alike.

What is a test for? Should testing be a part of homeschooling? Are the scores accurate? Do my children need outside testing by the school district to determine their grade level and their weaknesses and strengths?

[Read more…]

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