What Homeschooling Gifted Kids Entails
Homeschooling gifted and twice-exceptional (gifted with special needs) learners is a wonderful way to allow your child to soar, but it is not all sunshine and roses, as some people believe. Being prepared for what you may encounter is the best way to begin homeschooling your gifted child.
Homeschooling at Universal Studios Florida
Are you planning a family vacation to Universal Studios in Orlando this summer? There are lots of opportunities around the park to sneak in some homeschooling with all the fun you’ll be having!! Take a look at these fun ways to homeschool while you’re there!
3 Keys to Homeschooling a Gifted Child: Welcome to Wonderland
The gifted label is kind of a misnomer. It’s not so much a gift as it is wiring – the neurological construct of a person’s brain, primed for the reception, processing, and evaluation of information at a highly efficient rate. In gifted children, the brain tends to devote an enormous amount of attention toward the development of these skills, leaving other aspects of development to the side.
10 Activities that Are Never a Waste of Time
With digital fog so prevalent in our society, sometimes you have to wonder where the time goes. It seems to just vanish. But, there are some activities that are never a waste of time. Maybe it’s setting aside time for reading aloud as a family. Or, maybe...
How to Choose the Perfect Jean Fritz History Book
“In my father’s study there was a large globe with all the countries of the world running around it”, beloved children’s author Jean Fritz writes in the opening lines of Homesick: My Own Story. “I was in China in city named Hankow, a dot on a crooked line that seemed to break the country right in two. The line was really the Yangtze river, but who would know by looking at a map what the Yangtze River really was?”
Homeschool Unit Studies for Notable People Born in July
The bloggers of the iHomeschool Network have teamed up to create fun and original unit studies on fascinating people who were born in July. This project has been going on for several years, so you can see both new studies and ones created in previous years!
12 Things Every Homeschooling Mom Should Do Now
The days are literally flying by. As a homeschooling mom of five, I sometimes wish time could just stop for a little bit. I just want to enjoy this stage, this age, this moment, this lesson. Since we do not have this option of stopping time, we can instead choose to live in the moment. If you are like me, a busy mom managing way too many things at once, this is for you. Here are the 12 things every homeschooling mom should do NOW (like today!)
5 Tips For a Sensory Friendly Independence Day
Independence Day is synonymous with fireworks, back yard cookouts, pool parties and beach trips. Fun in the sun! However, for children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) or even a sensory sensitivity, this can be an overwhelming season. Noise, sun, sweat, or scratchy sand between the toes can cause sensory overload. The next thing you know your sweet child is melting down faster than a popsicle in the sunshine.
Life Skills Every Kid Should Learn before Leaving Home
We say it often, homeschooling is life schooling. Yet, we sometimes get so caught up in the schooling part that we miss the life part. Our children are growing up fast, and before we know it, they’ll be graduating and heading out into the big world as adults. We...
Nature Study and Bird Watching
Do you have a teen who loves to do nature study? Are they interested in birds and bird watching? Did you know that you could make that into a high school elective? Nature study is not only important for our little ones. It can add a lot to your teen’s high school science studies, while engendering a love of nature. It can also easily lead to credit as a high school elective.
6 Family Activities for Summer Nature Study
There’s no doubt about it. Summer is a great time to get out and play. And explore. And do some nature study when nature is in its prime. If you are new to nature studies or just want some new life in your existing studies, try these 6 tried and true methods.
Harry Potter and the Homeschooling Ideas Hopscotch
It might seem impossible but did you know it’s the 20th Anniversary since the 1st Harry Potter book was released in 1997? Yes! It’s true. Because we understand that so many homeschool boys and girls absolutely adore Harry and his companions, we have pulled together a cauldron full of fun lessons, crafts, unit studies and homeschool ideas for all your little wizards. Join us as we say “Gulping gargoyles” we hope you have fun with your kids as you dive into a fun summer learning with Harry Potter.
Summer Reading for Homeschool Teens
Summer is just around the corner, and if you’re like many moms, you may be wondering how to get the kids off of technology and into a book once in a while, right? This is my “how-to guide” for summer reading for teens.
101 Reasons – 2017 Edition
You never quite know why starting a new tradition, reading a certain author, or being a fan of a certain geek show is important until you join in the fun yourself. Once you’re given a reason, it can seem as if it’s the best, the right choice. For instance,...
Homeschool Mother’s Journal – June Edition
You did it! Well, most of you did. For many homeschooling families, the coming of June marks the end of the academic year and beginning of summer break. Doesn’t it feel good to know that you’ve successfully made it through another school year? Of course,...
Six Tips for Screen-Free Summer Days
When I was a little girl, I was fascinated by my friend’s family. Nell’s parents decided that a television would not be the star of the show in their living room. In fact, the entire house was void of a black box. I can still picture how often someone in her home would be relaxing in a recliner—reading. And after reading a few books of my own, I encountered Roald Dahl’s wisdom in Charlie in the Chocolate Factory: “The most important thing we’ve learned, so far as children are concerned, is never, NEVER, NEVER let them near your television set”
SAT vs ACT: The Real Truth
Which one would you take? The SAT or ACT? Well, twenty years ago, making the choice was easy as pie. Back then, it all boiled down to where you wanted to go to college: You took the ACT for colleges in the north and mid-west; and the SAT for the rest of them (colleges in the South, and on both the east and west coast). Nowadays, basically every university in the United States widely accepts both SAT and ACT results. Even if a school prefers one over the other, admissions officers usually convert the scores interchangeably.
Audiobooks for Homeschool Moms
I imagine you’ve heard the numerous reasons why audiobooks are fantastic for your homeschool. We know that we can listen to the classics on a road trip, enjoy entertaining stories without Mom having to read everything, and kids can independently listen to books beyond their reading level. But, do you ever wish you read more books? When’s the last time you read a book that supported your personal goals?
Book and a Big Idea Summer Edition
We’re bringing you our Summer edition of Book and a Big Idea. Whether you love hanging out at the beach or pool, or you like to spend the summer watching the kids in the backyard summer is a time of family-friendly fun! But, that doesn’t mean that the...
Homeschooling Special Needs Students Without a Curriculum
Homeschooling special needs students can feel intimidating, even when you’ve found the perfect curriculum that suits your child’s learning style. It’s even more intimidating when you either can’t find a good fit or you’re so bombarded with therapy schedules and doctor visits, that you wonder how to make one work. Not that long ago, I found myself in a unique situation that I never expected. Based on necessity, we had to make some changes.
The Very Best Apps for Homeschooling
Needless to say, I am a big fan of using tools like tablets in our homeschooling. I come from the unique perspective of having a child in every major age group so I thought I would share some of our very favorite apps used in homeschooling, to both educate and keep our children safe online. While this is by no means an exhaustive list (because that would take hours to write and read!), it will get you started on the path to safe educational entertainment! Please note that not every app mentioned will be available on every platform, however many are.