Piano People

When I was a little girl, I wanted to play the piano more than anything. At around 7 or 8 years old, I often walked into our neighborhood piano teacher’s house and sat on her hallway bench to listen to her play. I signed myself up for lessons one day, and my parents were horrified….

Yes to Homeschool Senior Projects

In many schools, a senior project is required for graduation. When schools (& students!) take it seriously, there is a tremendous opportunity for comprehensive learning and personal growth. Senior projects are a worthwhile graduation requirement and a wonderful tradition. Senior or “Capstone” projects are important because they encourage students to think outside their academic boxes…

Keeping Track: Sports & Activities

Parents of high schoolers, this is for you! Non-sporty teens and student-athletes alike know they have to be highly involved in their community in order to score those coveted college acceptance letters. Keeping a running log of their sports and hobbies will help them exponentially down the road. Competitive colleges look for active students, and…

Create Space for Writing

“What is most important and valuable about the home as a base for children’s growth into the world is not that it is a better school than the schools, but that it isn’t a school at all.” — John Holt When learning is the goal, our environment is everything. Dedicating space for learning is critical…

Favorite Books of 2023

Do I write about reading too often? Probably. But I am deeply passionate about books, and I love this end-of-year reflection ritual. Books are a gift that we give ourselves, and reading allows us to grow and learn in the seclusion of our homes. When we choose what and when we read, we educate, enlighten,…

The Savory Sport of Reading

Reading quality literature expands our minds and hearts. Reading educates and enlightens us and makes us better humans at every age, better able to understand and appreciate life and the world around us. Have you noticed when kids aren’t reading books that resonate with them, they can lose interest in reading altogether? This is unsurprising…

Modern Learning, Healthy Minds

I am grateful for the opportunity to teach our kids. Homeschool is a living, breathing, beautiful learning beast. Our learning path is constantly in motion because our kids’ passions, energies, wants, and needs always change; thankfully, we can change with them. Shouldn’t the river of learning be a fluid, flowing mass with back eddies, calm…

Homeschool, then College?

Is that even possible? Absolutely, it is. While we didn’t have a recipe to follow, we did have a lot of faith in the process. In the end, our journey from homeschooling to college acceptance was two parts roller-coaster, one part smooth-sailing, a little worry, and a dash of excitement — probably the same as…

The Unique and Unlimited Paths of Education

“When we examine our educational options with our own personalities and our children’s uniqueness in mind, we allow the fresh wind of possibilities to waft through the room. The best education we can give our children is the one that says: There are unlimited ways to get to where you want to go; I’m here…

April’s Poet

Is there a better time than Spring to appreciate the beauty of nature, the nature of our souls, the soul of our world, and our world of love and beauty? Definitely not. Spring brings with it a fountain of poetry that drops us wordies to our knees. poetry [ poh-i-tree ] noun the art of rhythmical…