The Blessing of a Lesson Planning Retreat

One spring a number of years ago, a friend invited me to participate in a lesson planning retreat that she and a few other homeschooling moms enjoyed each summer. I was blessed to be able to go on this retreat four years in a row. It was an incredibly valuable time set apart—free from the distractions of daily life and responsibilities at home—to focus on preparing for the coming school year.

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The Homeschool Days Are Long, but the Years Go by Fast

When James and I brought our first little bundle of joy home from the hospital in 1992, I remember feeling like a jumbled ball of widely varying and often conflicting emotions, ranging from sheer happiness and inexpressible love—for both my husband and our new daughter—to being overwhelmed and utterly exhausted.

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Back-to-School Treasure Hunt

After a few years of homeschooling, we found ourselves in a bit of a rut that created an undesirable sense of monotony. This went against the grain of the joyful learning experience I desired and worked so hard to cultivate for our daughters.

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Should You Attend the Homeschool Convention?

The majority of those who attend the annual homeschool convention tend to be “die hard” fans who would be very disappointed if circumstance caused them to miss even one year—even if they’ve been homeschooling a long time and don’t need a lot of resources or workshops to attend. So, what’s all the excitement about anyway? Why do homeschooling families around the country put such a high value on attending their state’s convention year after year?

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Using Ring Binders to Tame the Paper Monster

If you’re like me, managing the piles of papers that accumulate can be a challenge. I find that having order in my home helps me accomplish a lot more and stay sane! One solution I really like is using 3-ring binders.

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Vocabulary Fun: Words of the Week

During our homeschooling years, one of the many goals I had for our daughters was for them to expand their vocabularies and develop good communication skills. I came up with a fun way to help them learn new vocabulary words that we called Words of the Week. We recognized the benefit of this activity one afternoon over lunch out at a restaurant when the girls were about 9 and 11.

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Starting a Small Homeschool Co-op

Would you like to add a little extra “spice” to your homeschool? Do you find that you don’t get around to those interesting hands-on projects you envision? Have you found yourself wanting to develop friendships with other homeschoolers and just don’t know where to begin? Consider starting a small co-op. It can be an enriching, rewarding experience in the home education journey!

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