“Music is a universal language. It can transport us; help us relive special moments; make us healthier, happier and more connected as family, friends, and as part of a larger community.” – Concord Conservatory of Music The benefits of playing a musical instrument are well-documented and vast. All of our children are piano players. Playing…
Tag: homeschool
Master Your Homeschool Mission
This may be redundant, but with the renewed attention to homeschools everywhere, I don’t mind repeating: Every family is unique, and each homeschool is different. If you are considering a switch to homeschool life, the best way to start is by establishing some ground rules. Think about your family’s core values, goals, and overall vision…
Home Sweet (Home) School
It’s a beautiful thing, sitting here, on the other side of fierce and giant and scary risk. I do like to dip my toes in things that scare me, but right now, I am happy to bask in my comfort zone for awhile. Ten years ago we had an idea to try homeschooling so we…
You Go, Girl!
Is Spring a good time to talk about equal rights for girls? One can argue it is always a good time to talk about equal rights. But spring is hopeful, energetic and fresh in a ‘new beginnings’ sort of way. “The standard of courage and intellect and kindness and heart.” – Gloria Steinem, on Ruth…
Brave, Strong, Smart.
“Motherhood is not meant to be done alone,” she said. As I read this in an Instagram post, it hit me like a punch. Though I do have Tony’s help and support always, the homeschool role in our family is largely my responsibility. Where we live, there is not a real homeschool mom group where I can…
What is ‘Normal’ Anyway?
“Your kids will never be normal,” a friend said to me with a smile, as we snacked on fresh guacamole and homemade chips. It was unusually windy that day. We had to stand in a wide stance so each leg could alternate absorbing our weight as the boat swayed from one side to the other; our…
Favorite Books of 2021
Narrowing my annual reading list to just five or six favorites is an enjoyable self-directed task. Oddly, I love that I do this nerdly thing each year because the time spent in reflection is a gift I give myself. So much of what we read serves a purpose: to entertain, inform, learn or improve ourselves….
Sharing the Love: Curriculum Ideas for High School
‘Education is not the filling of a pot but the lighting of a fire.’ –W.B. Yeats Some traditional schoolers think that a homeschool teacher teaches every upper-class subject from Calculus to Physics to World History. This is not how homeschooling high school works. A homeschool teacher at this stage is more like a counselor/advisor/course coordinator….
Poetry, the Easy Way
“Without poetry, we lose our way.” —Joy Harjo, current U.S. Poet Laureate & Academy of American Poets Chancellor A favorite children’s book with beautiful illustrations by Jean Pierre Siméon; paintings by Oliver Tallec. … Want to add in some easy poetry to your homeschool world? Start by checking out poets.org. Housing the works of over 3,000…
Board Games for the Win!
Did you know that “Game-Schooling” is actually a thing? It is! Our school is Travel and Literature-based, but we are not traveling (at all) right now which means we need to shift our focus to something else. This year, we are incorporating more games than ever to fill the travel void. The presence of games,…
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