Curriculum

Homeschool Recommendations for Consumer Math

Jul 15th, 2009 | By | Category: Featured Articles, General Homeschool Posts, Math and Science

A reader asked if I had any recommendations for a good consumer math program for homeschoolers. 

There are a number of good Consumer Math programs out there.  Let me just outline my favorites and give you a brief overview of each.  Hopefully that will give you a good starting point.



Homeschool Math-Don’t Miss Consumer Math

Mar 5th, 2009 | By | Category: Curriculum, Lead Article, Math and Science

Do you remember bank books?  How exciting it was to head to the bank with your deposit and get a stamp in your book that not only tracked your deposit but also the interest you had earned?

Do you remember life before the check card?  When you kept a careful tab of your spending in your checkbook as well as a running balance?



History and Homeschooling-Teach the Truth

Jan 18th, 2009 | By | Category: History and Social Studies, Issues in Homeschooling

My eyes are opened more and more every day to the fact that the History our children study through secular publishers is inaccurate.

A recent US History textbook I examined dedicated three full pages to the settlers who came to Williamsburg in the search for gold.  It never mentioned those who came for religious freedom.



Celebrating Thanksgiving-A Homeschool Study

Nov 24th, 2008 | By | Category: Curriculum, General Homeschool Posts, History and Social Studies

Thanksgiving is a perfect time to teach about gratefulness.  And as homeschoolers, it is easy to go beyond the “Pilgrims and Native Americans” and teach the truth behind this inherently religious holiday.

Where many schools make Thanksgiving a time to discuss the Pilgrim feast with the Native Americans, that feast actually has nothing to do with Thanksgiving.



Teaching Homeschoolers About Thanksgiving

Nov 24th, 2008 | By | Category: Curriculum, General Homeschool Posts, History and Social Studies

Some more great ideas for teaching your children about Thanksgiving:

1.  Show a picture of The President and talk about what a President does.



Starting Homeschooling-Step Six-Explore your Child’s Interests

Jul 17th, 2008 | By | Category: General Homeschool Posts, Lead Article, Math and Science, New to Homeschooling

One of the greatest freedoms in homeschooling is the freedom to explore your child’s interests.

  • If your curriculum provides an introduction to medieval history and your child is enthralled, take the time to pursue it further.
  • If you know your child has a passion for the study of electricity, give him the tools to dig deeper.


101 Reasons to Homeschool

Mar 29th, 2008 | By | Category: General Homeschool Posts, History and Social Studies

Because of my role as a homeschool consultant and evaluator, I receive many calls for information about homeschooling.  

One common struggle that parents have is determining their reasons for homeschooling.  

For some, their reasons for homeschooling are a toss-up between academics and school aggression; for others, it is a desire to raise their children in an environment that does not undermine their belief system; for still others, their reasons for homeschooling include a need to help a struggling student as well as a desire to avoid labels. 



Six Easy Steps to Extraordinary Writing for Your Homeschooler

Mar 25th, 2008 | By | Category: Curriculum Reviews, General Homeschool Posts, Homeschooling Tips, Language Arts, Writing Ideas and Activities

Diagramming, identifying sentence patterns, finding parts of speech . . . every student’s favorite element of grammar, right?  How many times have you heard your child ask, “Why do I have to learn this?” As a writing teacher, I loved that question because it was always the perfect lead in to a unit on the value of sentence patterns in writing.



Saxon vs. Singapore Math

Mar 12th, 2008 | By | Category: Curriculum Reviews, Math and Science

Someone asked me today what the difference was between Saxon Math and Singapore Math.

The difference is fairly simple.  Saxon’s instruction is cyclical.  It provides instruction, gives clear examples, then gives plenty of practice.  It will then cycle back to review the concepts again later in the course (often with practice).  Saxon does include some critical thinking skills, but its primary goal is to help students learn the skills involved in math. Therefore, you will find a lot of repetition in Saxon Math.

I usually recommend Singapore for students who have strong math skills. Singapore approaches math with the goal of developing mental math skills.  It begins by teaching a concept, providing some practice, then taking the concept further with mental math activities.  With Singapore, you will see a lot of  word problems as well as graphs for analysis, etc.  



Make Spelling Fun!

Feb 13th, 2008 | By | Category: General Homeschool Posts, Homeschooling Tips, Language Arts

Sometimes the task of spelling lists, writing spelling words, learning definitions, and preparing for spelling tests can become mundane. Students who are excellent spellers often rush through the activities while those who struggle see it as another unwanted chore.