Being in the homeschooling world, I get questions all the time asking about the pros and cons of teaching your children at home. There are some pretty common myths out there, including the idea that by taking your child out of school they will become more socially awkward and lack self-esteem and leadership skills. If you’ve ever met a modern homeschooling family or student you know that this could not be further from the truth.

Scheduling, or the lack thereof, is one of the top ten issues many moms struggle with when organizing curriculums and classroom activities for their homeschoolers. When should the school day begin? How do I keep kids of varying ages and levels on task? Should I be more rigid? Should I be more flexible? Does it really matter in the end? I have some answers.

Living and homeschooling in Costa Rica may be quite different from what you would envision. This month, we would like to highlight an international family who made the homeschool transition in 2012 in response to their youngest daughter’s burgeoning music career. So continue onward for a fascinating interview and an international learning lesson!

How to Utilize Learning Style Assessments to Increase Every Child’s Potential

The phrase “learning style” has been a hot-button topic in recent years, and has many parents scratching their heads as to its usefulness, validity, and benefit to their family’s homeschool classroom. Questions abound: Do my children have distinct learning styles – and do they vary widely? Am I teaching the right way? If I realize my child favors one style over another, should that be the ONLY way that I disseminate information?

How to Tell When it’s Time for Change, and How to Manage it Successfully

When your homeschool curriculum is not working for you and your child, where (and when) do you make a change? Should you stick it out to save your family money? As a parent – do you wonder – am I really doing this right to begin with? Do I show enough grace and patience in my teaching ability? Is this my fault?

So what’s the one major thing you’re going to change in the upcoming year?

New Year’s Resolutions are not just for adults. They are a healthy way for all ages – tweens through teens – to identify some positive life or character changes, and then formulate a plan for a solid execution. We all have big ideas, and huge expectations for change and success in a new year. It’s simply human nature. And it’s a good thing! However, it is also human nature to just give up when the going gets tough. Here are some tips to help you stick to your resolutions.

If school bells ring, we’re not listening

Cause in our home, cheer is lifting.

We make our own days, the homeschooling way;

Christmas in a homeschool wonderland.

Bridgeway Homeschool Academy Pays it Forward by Teaching Kids to Serve, Not Consume

In a world where children are increasingly taught the mantra, It’s all about Me, it is time to move forward into change. Bridgeway Academy’s goal is for its students to discover why God wishes for us to serve others, and how helping others in need is a fundamental way to serve our faith. Community service initiatives can inspire compassion and empathy for the plight of others, all while building a child’s self-esteem and pride in their efforts. Giving back to communities through service is the best way to instill a positive work ethic and a sense of responsibility in our children.

A Bridgeway Academy Student Showcase with Gymnast Alexandra Lacey

Although most of us would love to hold onto the ideal that the holidays are always full of cheer, the truth is this: Things can get a little crazy in the countdown. Mom is over-stressed, Dad has disappeared, your younger sister is bouncing off the walls, and Aunt Tess is saying that she wants a cup-of-tea…again. No one really gets how rough teenagers have it over the holidays. (Most likely because adults have blocked it out from conscious memory). So we’ve put together a little manual to help ease you through the holidays – with cheer – and right into a promising new year ahead.