I’m not sure I would have been a very good homeschooler fifteen years ago. You see, the internet is such a valuable, expansive place for us. I’m amazed nearly every day by the endless variety of resources available, both free and paid.

We love our home-based and in town libraries, but there came a point in my daughter’s development where she craved something more formal. She wanted accountability beyond mom and dad. Lacking the right fit (so far) with a good homeschool co-op, we started looking around online for classes.

At fourteen years old, she is naturally ready for more.

This year we’ve had the opportunity to explore three different online learning tools/courses, each with varying degrees of formality and expense – I’d love to tell you about them today.

1. Family Herbalist Course

This is an eighteen month distance learning class created by Vintage Remedies. I’ll be honest, I campaigned for this one. I thought it would be fun to take a class with my daughter, and the idea of practical real life skills as part of our learning experience is something I’m always a fan of. The cost of this class is considerable, but it is a long program. Homeschoolers often stretch it to two years due to student breaks and vacations. Also, if you order a second set of materials (for a second family member), those are 50% off.

This course was not originally designed for homeschoolers, but word is spreading and it’s becoming popular among those in upper grades. (Vintage Remedies will be at Great Homeschool Conventions this year if you’d like to check them out in person.)

There is a more introductory course offered, but my professional background is in holistic nutrition so I thought we’d be okay with our choice, and it seems we are.

In The Family Herbalist Course,  students take exams, write research and philosophical papers, complete hands on projects, study health scenarios and design treatment plans (that is toward the end of the course), and so much more. This is truly an integrated program filled with chemistry, nature study, holistic nutrition and health, botany, aromatherapy, cooking, history, and of course, herbalism. 

My only criticism would be that the course name doesn’t capture the full scope this program offers; it is so much more than an herbalist course. Until you hold these books in your hands you can’t appreciate the many things you are about to learn.

2. Brave Writer

I learned about Brave Writer through Renee, she talked about one of their books, The Writer’s Jungle. I followed the ever so fun internet trail and found my way to Brave Writer’s online class offerings, and we chose Passion for Fiction.

This was our first attempt at a mom and dad hands off class. Emily loved it. She really needed something that was just hers, another ‘teacher’ she could do right by. She was also looking for a peer experience where she could interact in an academic setting.

There was a bit of a learning curve for me when it came to navigating the classroom and assignments, though Emily seemed to have no trouble at all (kids). After just a few days I was comfortably checking in behind the scenes on how things were going, and I was very pleased.

This class is “expensive.” I mark that with quotations because it’s all relative isn’t it? How do we put a price tag on quality learning? Well, we have budgets to stick to, that’s how.  I think most would understand, at $200, I expected quite a lot from this four week class. I mean, if I were to keep her in Brave Writer classes throughout the school year, this could really add up!

What I found is that it was worth it for us. Assignments were  posted by a certain due date in the virtual classroom to be read by the teacher (Nancy) and fellow students. Nancy gave incredibly detailed and supportive critical feedback on student work. I wondered if this level of feedback (paragraphs, at times) would be possible in a typical school setting.  She was also very prompt with email replies when Emily had a question.

My favorite part about Nancy’s teaching style (and I think it’s an important talent for anyone teaching online to have) is her ability to take the screen away with her conversational tone and genuine interest in these young writers. I think Emily found the student/teacher connection she was looking for.

Students also commented on each other’s work. There were no more than 25 students in the class with a nice age range of 12-18 years – which appeals to my belief in multi-aged learning environments.

Class ended last week, and I’m hoping to see some kind of report or overview from her teacher, but I’m not certain that is part of the deal. It would be nice though, to meet up with parents on the backside of things.

3. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology

A few months ago we moved to the country and have thoroughly enjoyed the abundance of birds in our backyard. Soon after unpacking our boxes we set out to the farm store and bought ourselves a bird feeder. Each and every day we were identifying various birds, sometimes by the dozen.

A blog reader reminded me of The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a wonderful resource we’ve enjoyed for years but hadn’t visited in a while. In particular she told me of their Project FeederWatch program. We didn’t know about that!

$15 in materials later and we felt like semi-professional scientists helping the researchers at Cornell. Highly recommended! We make our reports via a special website.

From their website:

Project FeederWatch is a winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders at backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales in North America. FeederWatchers periodically count the birds they see at their feeders from November through early April and send their counts to Project FeederWatch. FeederWatch data help scientists track broadscale movements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance.

Like any family, we consider our unique circumstances when forging our path in life and in learning.  We try to remain open to the changing interests and needs of our growing-so-quickly daughter, expanding our classroom to the virtual world is an example of that, and it has been a positive experience for us.

Have you tried online classes? What has your experience been?

Written by contributor Heather Bruggeman of beauty that moves

The last few months have been wild and crazy for our family. We’re selling one house and moved to another during the height of the holiday season, my work has picked up almost overnight to a beyond full time pace, my father is in the fight of his life health-wise and he happens to be (sort of stuck) more than 1,800 miles from his home. Oh yeah, and we homeschool.

I nodded all the way through Hillary’s post last week about collaborative homeschooling, as this is the very topic I was hoping to write about this month too. It’s really all I could share with you because without it, I don’t think we’d have a homeschool right now!

Feeling the shock and stress of my father’s illness combined with a wonderful but high volume of work, homeschool, and domestic responsibilities, I wanted to throw in all towels. Things seemed to blow up overnight! Life was nothing like this just a few months ago, but that’s how it goes and we need to roll with it.

On all fronts it was clear that these new time constraints weren’t going away anytime soon, be it the worried heart or the very full work calendar. I  looked at my husband one day about six weeks ago and basically said “I can’t do it anymore!” Without taking a single breath he replied, “Okay, I’m in. I’ll take over everything you don’t want or have time to do. Give me a list.”

And just like that, our mom and dad homeschool team was born.

This is what we do for our kids, right? For our spouses too? We pitch in, pick each other up when needed.  Life hands us hectic seasons and heartache and sometimes more questions than answers. Often these trials and busy moments can be used as life-learning tools (always happy to blur the line between “school” and “life learning”).

But ultimately, a commitment was made by us to take on the responsibility of educating our daughter, which means we always have to be ready with a Plan B when life unexpectedly changes course.

My husband and I are both self-employed so our schedules are ultimately in our own hands. That may sound nice and easy on the surface but it takes incredible discipline to be self-employed and the work can sometimes feel never ending.

Splitting the homeschool responsibilities helps involve the entire family and plays to the strengths of each member of the team. When implemented correctly, everyone benefits. Easily said, but what is the best way to do it?

The solution is planning and teamwork.

1. Communicate schedule needs well in advance.

We both agree the one constant is our daughter’s routine. We commit to this because it best suits her which is one of our reasons for homeschooling in the first place.  She needs to know when the school day begins and ends so she can plan accordingly. We also like to start later so the school day is extended into the afternoon, eliminating the midday boredom we found when starting very early in the day.

Some adult work responsibilities cannot be moved or delegated, and they may fall during the math lesson. If you can, let your partner know in advance and both prepare so the day is seamless for the kid(s). You want to avoid disruption to the school day and maintain that schedule.

There will be moments of no flexibility for either parent and as a last resort our daughter needs to be self-sufficient. This happens about twice a month, ideal it is not, but we make it work.

2. Defined duties and responsibilities.

This means knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Decide who works best with the student.  Don’t be upset if it is not you, and understand this does not exclude you from the process. On the contrary, you have other things to do.

Who is better organized? They should handle the details of record keeping, curriculum ordering, supplies, schedules, etc.  They will also keep the main educator from coming up with too many  “creative” assignments and generally keeps plans on track, if that is how you like it.

3. Effort from all to pick up the slack as necessary.

We each have our strengths, but neither parent can have tunnel vision. One may teach math better than the other, but be prepared to pick up on Shakespeare once in a while. Or track the day’s progress, update the record keeping, etc. Both parents should know how to do everything with some capability, just in case.

Having a system in place that each person can use improves the chances of this working out. Central location of books and supplies reduces confusion and search time for materials.

One thing we do is maintain a private blog that serves as our homeschool journal. I record my thoughts by keystroke more quickly than by pen so this works for me. It’s also a great way to add a daily photo or two, a short video of Emily giving a powerpoint presentation or speech. We can each log in to the journal whenever, and from wherever (via phone) to add to the days log.

Currently we follow a routine where my husband takes the homeschool lead three days a week and I pick up the remaining two. This is so helpful to my work day, and his work follows a somewhat seasonal rhythm in which he can find more down time and flexibility right now. In the summer he will be much busier and I will be more available.

Though if things need to change one way or the other before then, we will make that work too. We’re all in this together and have one common family goal in mind – keeping everyone as happy, supported, thriving, and together as possible.

Do you homeschool with a partner? How do you share the tasks of the day? What are some tools you use to stay in communication with one another?

It’s good to keep a beginner’s mind, yes?

We’ve learned a thing or two over the last year and a half – like the benefits and challenges of homeschool breaks. It’s not always as simple as it looks. Or so we have found.

The holidays are a perfect time to express our homeschool style. Many of us do this in the form of taking an extensive, well-deserved break from routine lessons.

It can be wonderful to embrace long festive days together as a family – filled with baking, crafts and holiday outings. Sometimes we just need time and space to be in our separate corners and regroup. I’m willing to step out on a limb and speak for the group here – I bet we’ve all been on both sides of this fence at one time or another.

Last year we took an extended break and enjoyed ourselves so much, doing all sorts of crafty, festive things together. The break was not a problem.

The problem came when it was time to get back to work, back to routine. Things felt completely out of sync, disorganized, and we were unmotivated. We hoped to feel rejuvenated and ready to go… instead, we had lost our mojo entirely and it took a full month to find our groove again. That’s a long time; especially considering the break was nearly a month long as well.

I guess we can add it to our list of homeschooling mistakes.

I’m approaching this year differently. I’ve come up with a few options for a holiday break, also known as our desire for a mid-year pause.

Part time school, for an extended period of time.

• Take a few days off completely to celebrate and generally relax with friends and family.
• On “school” days, focus on two subjects or lessons per day. That’s it, just two.
• Drop into this. Four to six weeks would be nice.

A typical ‘school’ break, about a week and a half.

• This is something most of us are familiar with.
• It’s a nice break, but is it enough of one?
• Does it allow us to live up to the full potential of homeschooling? To follow the beat of our own drum?

An extended break, perhaps the full month of December.

• A lot of homeschoolers do this, it’s exactly what we tried last year.
• It didn’t work out for us (realized in hindsight).
• The break was fine! It was the coming back to routine that was too a big a transition.

So which approach am I going with this year?

You guessed it! Part Time School, for an extended period of time.

For a good long while, we’ll be dialing it down, just not all the way down. We’ll  take nearly two months for part time school, with a few solid days off for each holiday. We’ll have plenty of time to unwind and live more spontaneously in the day to day, while keeping a small dose of familiar homeschool rhythm. And when it’s time, hopefully easing back into a longer day will happen a little more gracefully.

Disclaimer: As homeschoolers, we know that taking any kind of a break does not mark a stopping point for learning, often times the very opposite can happen! I’m speaking about general routine and planned lessons, a break from that. 

A bit of routine with plenty of interest led living. Sounds like a good fit for us.

How does the idea of part time school as an extended holiday break sound to you?

Written by Heather Bruggeman of Beauty That Moves

This was a challenging topic upon first glance, as Renee already mentioned. So many thoughts came up for me – “I don’t like to focus on the mistakes… every bump in the road is an opportunity to grow… I like to stay focused on the present moment… blah, blah, blah.”

Well, let me just tell you that not only did I eventually come up with one topic for Jamie, I came up with a second topic a few days later and emailed her requesting to switch. And then? I thought of yet a third topic a few days after that! (But figured I should leave Jamie alone to unpack her final boxes.)

It turns out I had no trouble at all coming up with a mistake! Or a few for that matter. I’ll just focus on one today…

Not homeschooling sooner, that would have to be it. Maybe it wouldn’t classify as a mistake exactly, but it is a place of doubt and second-guessing that I’ve been living in lately.

Our family is committed to homeschooling through the middle school years, that means 7th and 8th grade for us. That isn’t much time to really sink into the experience, is it?

But we’ve never said it would be forever. We aren’t homeschooling because of a bad school experience. We are homeschooling because the school that we loved – a progressive Montessori school – came to an end, and there is no affordable school offering quite like it around us.

We took it upon ourselves to create what the system and our tax dollars could not provide, and have not regretted that decision once. 

Now, I would be very pleased if we were all interested in homeschooling forever. That would be wonderful and just fine with me. And who knows, we may wind up doing so – but we’re not quite sure yet. Emily loves her homeschool life, she’s the first to acknowledge that.

Right now I need to believe that having it all together for the new school year is overrated.

Last year I didn’t feel this way. Last year we had freshly sharpened pencils and color coded notebooks. There were fresh dry erase markers and new ink for the printer. By mid-August I had lessons planned for the full month of September. I was a homeschool-prep champion last year.

This September, I am reporting a very different start to the school year.

This year, it’s perfectly fine to do your first lesson of the year in bed… in pajamas. And you know what? Nobody was harmed. Actually, spirits were quite high!

After scoring a 96 on her math assignment, my pupil asked to go outside for a few minutes of fresh air. Even on a very organized, “scheduled” homeschool day, this is something I never say no to  (I take this homeschool freedom very seriously), so off she went.

Yes, on this self-declared not very planned out first day of school, I ushered my daughter outside to play and breathe and run around after only one hour of schoolwork. And you better believe the jammies were still on.

I suppose I should give you the back story.


Like most homeschool moms, I began collecting textbooks, ideas, and supplies last spring. I even went to my first Homeschool Convention!

Then summer came, and all things summery seemed far more interesting than reading through early ancient history lessons or counting the multitude of English/grammar/writing/language books I’d accumulated. Aside from one trip up to Oak Meadow, homeschool was not on my mind this summer.

Experiencing that felt a little surprising seeing as my intention was to homeschool through summer. Part of me wishes we had (summer can be rather long for a family that has one car and a 13 year old that won’t touch summer camp with a ten foot pole…), but Emily couldn’t shake her life experience of following a school year calendar for eight years. A rhythm deep in her bones that she couldn’t seem to move past.

What sounded like a good plan in the spring was not something the worked in reality come July.

So, we settled into summer. In addition to iced tea, lazy afternoons, and swimming hole searches – I decided to follow my heart and use this down time to squeeze in a little of my own work. Are you someone that ‘works’ on top of the work of being homeschool mom extraordinaire? It’s a monumental feat for sure, one that I’ve yet to master. Oh, but I try.

In the slowness of summer I decided there was enough down time to launch a project for my own work. I knew it would take me (and us) to mid-September, I was okay with that. We would simply start school at that point, no big deal. It wasn’t that late after all.

But what about the prep? I had forgotten about the wonderful place of dreaming and scheming that happens (and requires time and attention). I’m a bit of a mono-tasker, doing one thing really well at a time. There I was running an ecourse and keeping up with the daily work required for that, all the while thinking there’s time… my course attendees will settle in and I’ll be able to shift some attention to homeschool prep.

And then Hurricane Irene came to New England.

Eight days later power was restored on our street. The time spent unplugged put us into a very different mode of living – quite frankly, it was ‘school’ in and of itself! There was a certain beauty to that stretch of days. Aside from the priority of figuring out how to keep an ecourse  running without power, there wasn’t much interest in mucking up the experience with lists and tasks and lesson planning.

In those eight days, it was plain to see how life skills and character building, basic/solid math understanding, and stacks of literature are truly the foundation of an educated person.

Now, here we are well into September, my ecourse is winding down. I’ve located the scattered texts that haven’t been touched since the spring, and we even managed to sharpen a few pencils. There is no literature list as of yet, nor highlighter markers and tabbed dividers – yet somehow we filled a day with learning and experience.

Our first day included:

• At least four quality periods of play outdoors.
• Preparing for a science experiment (who doesn’t love to grow crystals?).
• Reading the first ancient history lesson, together.
• Grabbing Catcher in the Rye off the bookshelf, declaring it the first read of the year.
• Viewing a short yet beautiful film.
• A Spanish lesson.
• One math lesson in bed.
• Three meals together.

Imagine that, the day shaped up pretty nicely. Actually, it looked quite similar to the days  I spend hours planning and prepping, now that I stop and think about it. 

Perhaps the greatest lesson  of the day was for mama – slow down, be curious, take it as it comes.

Sure, now that we’re settling into the groove I’ll have time each day to plan and collect needed materials, but knowing we had a full and rich start to the school year regardless of fancy plans offered peace of mind and reassurance about the bigger picture.

I’ve learned that planning can be great, but going with the flow is essential.

Do you plan every detail or do you like to see where the day takes you? Which approach has a more positive influence on your homeschool?

Homeschooling Benefits for Adolescence ~
Written by contributor Heather Bruggeman of Beauty That Moves

In the spring I shared a post with you about Middle School Resources and Materials. In that article I referenced Maria Montessori’s thoughts on the middle school years; how she viewed that fleeting time is best spent.

It generated quite a bit of interest – for many of you there was a very real modern day understanding of Ms. Montessori’s century old words.

For today, I thought we could dig a little deeper in that direction. Let’s bring the spirit of those Montessori ideas home, and think about the benefits and gifts an adolescent might experience when homeschooled.

For the purpose of this article, when referring to “middle school,” I am writing about seventh and eighth grade. There is a particular explosion of development during these years, and some people, like Maria Montessori, feel this age group is better off with an alternative experience to the status quo.

Perhaps a good way to start would be to consider the three areas that form the whole child.

Homeschooling Benefits for Adolescence

1. The Body

Photo by bo.peep.baby

Aside from the years of infancy and early childhood, there is no other point in human development where greater physiological transformation takes place than during adolescence. Pair that with the added pressures from media, social expectations, and just plain trying to figure it all out; and you have a very challenging period to be human.

The body needs peace and breathing room during this time.

It certainly isn’t all bad, goodness no. Being a young teen is fun! With a fairly modest level of obligation in their lives, this age group is still eager and free to play, explore, read for hours, discover new music and interests, try out hobbies, meet new people, so many wonderful things.

But they need time and space. They need the gentle yet firm patience of a good, constant support system to find their way through it all. Who better to provide this than family?

Also, they need to move! Whether it be a fifteen minute dance break, a bike ride after lunch, or shooting hoops between science and math – the desire to engage the physical body does not end at age twelve. At home, there is plenty of time for such activity.

Let’s not forget about sleep. Boy do they need a lot of sleep! With no early school bus to catch, homeschoolers can sleep for a full and proper night’s rest.

It’s easier to keep kids well fed at home too. Growing homeschool teens can eat freely and often more nutritiously throughout the day.

Good rest, good food, physical activity, and breathing room; rather nice foundation to build the day on.

2. The Mind

“How do we discern our children’s gifts, talents, and motivational interests? By presenting opportunities where their innate graces can surface.” – Debra Bell

I have yet to meet a person who’s innate graces surfaced while sitting at a hard desk taking a standardized test, or during three hours of homework following the completion of a six plus hour school day.

The goal should be to foster the mind and its natural love for learning, not extinguish it.

As homeschoolers, we have a 24/7 (so to speak) opportunity to notice the intellectual ques and clues our children give us. We have a heightened awareness of their mind’s direction. Throughout the day we look for and create moments that spark new terrain for them to explore.

Learning at home (or in the wide open world) affords us the freedom to tap into our children’s interests at most any given time of the day. We expose them to new ideas and experiences in order to help cultivate their minds and help them discover their passion.

And we follow their lead, a lot.

A teenager who has identified their passion, and has the opportunity to live out that passion, has far better chance at “succeeding,” or more importantly, feeling successful, than one who does not. It is rare to find a person who cares more about discovering a child’s interest than their own parents. Outside influences may care; parents usually care more.

3. The Spirit

Self-esteem, confidence, behavior, body image, new social territory, fitting in, gossip, peer pressure… the list goes on, doesn’t it? A person’s spirit, their true essence, is affected (perhaps permanently) by these things.

Homeschooling parents have greater awareness  around what their children are exposed to, as well as more time in the day to discuss situations as they come up and reinforce your family’s beliefs and values in a safe, non-judgmental atmosphere.

The middle school years are a particularly vulnerable time for our kids. The adolescent brain is not the same as a fully developed adult brain. Teens make decisions differently, they feel things differently, and they are influenced differently. PBS ran a very interesting program called Inside the Teenage Brain that you can view online.

In many ways, these years are the turning of the tide. Homeschooling can be a wonderful way to keep the family close and our children feeling secure, well-nurtured, and healthy.

What do you feel are some of the other homeschooling benefits for adolescence?

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

Written by contributor Heather Bruggeman of Beauty That Moves

Montessori education is a philosophy and model created by Maria Montessori, the first woman physician in Italy, in the late 1800s. At its core, Montessori education is designed to promote peace and considers the whole child as well as the environment in its approach .

It has been a primary influence in our family’s lifestyle and educational philosophy.

We’ve heard from some readers that you are interested in Montessori philosophy as it might fit into your homeschool. And some of you were looking for a little inspiration or direction to light the way.

If you are like me, you appreciate things broken down into easy to follow steps.

In 2005,  Angeline S. Lillard wrote a book called Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius, in which she discusses whether or not a century old methodology can stand up to modern day scientific research in developmental psychology. Her research led to the understanding that Dr. Montessori’s ideas were, and still are, a very effective holistic approach to educating a child.

It’s an academic way of saying that Maria Montessori knew what she was doing.

In Lillard’s book she covers Eight Principles of Montessori Education.  Today we will look at those and think about how they may fit into your homeschool.

Montessori at Home: The 8 Principles of Montessori Education

1. Movement & Cognition

Movement and cognition are closely entwined, and movement can enhance thinking and learning.

For most of these principles I’ll list a few points to consider as a homeschool family, but this particular one calls for a brief story.

Sir Ken Robinson did a TED Talk on Schools Killing Creativity. He told the story of Gillian Lynne, a school girl whose parents were told she may have a learning disorder because she was fidgety and couldn’t concentrate. They sent her to a specialist. She restlessly sat on her hands while the doctor and her mother spoke of the problems Gillian had at school.

Eventually, the doctor said he needed to speak to the mother privately, he and Gillian’s mother left the room. As he was leaving, he turned on the radio that sat on his desk, when they left the room he said to her mother, “Just stand here and watch her.”

The minute the doctor and mother left the room, Gillian recalls coming to her feet and moving to the music. The adults watched her for a few minutes from outside the room.

The doctor turned to her mother and said, “Mrs. Lynne, Gillian isn’t sick, she’s a dancer.”

Gillian Lynne went on to study dance and eventually become a world famous choreographer, her work included the productions of Cats and Phantom of the Opera. (Thank goodness for that doctor.)

Humans need movement, each in their own way.

2. Choice

Learning and well-being are improved when people have a sense of control over their lives.

• Make a list of work assignments for the day and have them create their own schedule.
• Keep a basket in the refrigerator of healthy snacks for them to choose from.
• Create a basket of pre-selected (high quality) SSR books for them to choose from.

3. Interest

People learn better when they are interested in what they are learning.

• Fill a basket with oversized, ‘coffee table’ books from the library. These tend to be filled with beautiful, inspiring photography that will spark conversation and interest.
• Create a lapbook or unit study around a favorite hobby, period in history, musician, author or animal of your child’s choosing.
• Love letter writing? Create a letter writing station or box for kids to help themselves. Be sure to include everything needed: stationary, pens, stamps, address book, (laminated) copy of a properly written letter.

4. Extrinsic rewards are avoided

Tying extrinsic rewards to an activity, like money for reading or high grades for tests, negatively impacts motivation to engage in that activity when the reward is withdrawn.

• This challenges normal practice for many of us. I don’t feel inclined to hand out money or treats for every job well done – but there is a pass/fail, win/lose mentality in our culture, and the older a child gets, the more they become aware of that. To be honest, I’m working on this one.

5. Learning from & with peers

Collaborative arrangements can be very conducive to learning.

• Host a knitting group in your home
• Meet at a funky cafe for a weekly study group
• Form a young writers or poetry group
• Seek out a homeschool debate team
• Into film making? Gather with friends to make a short film.

6. Learning in context

Learning situated in meaningful contexts is often deeper and richer than learning in abstract contexts.

• Make homemade yogurt rather than talk about how their favorite yogurt is made.
• Learn about flora and fauna with field guides in hand and an afternoon trek through the woods.
• Take a morning trip to the grocery store with a budget and menu plan.
• Play with science by making homemade lip balm, soap, or natural remedies.
• Keep chickens or bees!

7. Teacher ways & child ways

Particular forms of adult interaction are associated with more optimal child outcomes.

• Have Week In Review meetings with your kids, individually if possible .
• Children can partner with you on designing a garden, rearranging furniture (design), or reviewing curriculum choices for the coming year.
• Collaborate on literature list for next year.
• Have them recommend a few titles of books they love for you to read. (Does not matter the age of the child or if you wind up reading Jack & the Beanstalk – they will appreciate you honoring their judgment.)

8. Order in environment & mind

Order in the environment is beneficial to children.

• Maintain an art shelf with easy to access projects that rotate from week to week.
• Keep your learning environment clear of clutter.
• Adopt “10 Minute Tidy” period at the end of the day.
• Some families find workboxes to be helpful.

These principles can provide a helpful map to those in need, or simply a source of inspiration as we each look ahead to our next school year.

Is your current approach to homeschooling similar to these principles? Please share with us how these ideas are relevant in your home.

My Child’s Age: 13
Educational Philosophy Influences: Montessori, Classical, Relaxed

Our family is in its first full year of homeschooling. My girl is an academic who enjoys lessons, grades, and TESTS. As for me? I would call myself a relaxed homeschooler. Somewhere in the middle is where we meet and spend our days.

In the interest of this month’s Curriculum Fair, I’ll focus this post on what we have used this year for our formal curriculum. This includes pre-packaged curriculum as well as various resources that are of high quality and see regular use in our homeschool.

A brief background: My daughter spent her elementary years attending a private Montessori school where learning was celebrated and the idea of school was very positive. Each child felt successful and confident as a contributing member of the classroom community. We did not decide to homeschool because school didn’t work out. We chose it because after graduating from that special school, nothing else could possibly compare.

So, we decided to homeschool.

Funny thing though, Maria Montessori thought children aged 12-15 were better suited for farm work than high intellectual calling. Really!

“The Montessori program for the young adult from age twelve to fifteen is very different from that of traditional school. Dr. Montessori felt that because of the rapid growth, the increased need for sleep, and hormonal changes, it is useless to try to force the adolescent to concentrate on intellectual work. She recommended an Erdkinder, or Earth school, where children would live close to nature, eat fresh farm products, and carry on practical work related to the economics of supplying food, shelter, transportation, and so forth. Intellectual work is still done, following the child’s interests, but without pressure.”

~ The Michael Olaf Montessori

It’s something to think about, isn’t it? This age is so distinct, unlike any other in the human experience – and yet too often, we lump the challenges of adolescence into “being a teenager.” But really, at thirteen you know everything and nothing at the same time.

It’s my job to make sure my daughter has certain academic goals met, but also to provide space and encouragement for her to be her age. There will be days where she needs to sleep a little extra, stare at the wall, explore photography, play basketball for two hours in the middle of the day, or type out another 1,000 words on her novel. Even though none of those things are officially part of “school.”

Homeschooling affords us the opportunity to achieve a desired balance of those goals.

Math

Math Mammoth

This is a practical program and I don’t see it mentioned often so I’ll explain it briefly. Math Mammoth is affordable and downloadable to your computer, so you can print as needed. It is written by a math teacher turned homeschool mom. It is a fine program in many ways, but math is not my strong suit so my husband handles these lessons. We’ve found his schedule to be too unpredictable for consistency, so we are switching to Teaching Textbooks next year.

English

Quite a mix! Oak Meadow grade 8 (included in this are Strunk & White and Writing For 100 Days). I like the literature selections, the use of 100 Days, and something they call Writer’s Rant. Grade 8 focuses pretty heavily on writing so would work best for those with that interest in mind.

Wordly Wise

This is a language arts program designed to develop language fluency in reading, writing and speaking. (It works!)

Rip the Page!

A fun book of creative writing prompts and exercises. We each have our own copy and do this together. We picked up special journals for this hip and cool book; it’s the sort of thing we can take down to the cafe to mix up the day a little.

World History

Like many of Oak Meadow’s offerings, this is an integrated curriculum combining history with literature and fine arts.

Civics

I am so glad we decided to double up and do two Social Studies courses. Civics wound up being our everyday lesson–we do World History a couple times a week. My plan is to use the World History for two years instead of rushing through it. Civics is such an important topic, and middle school is not too young to get acquainted with the subject.

Science

We started out using Oak Meadow grade 8 Physical Science but switched mid-year to Apologia General Science. Very good move for us–science has been a favorite subject ever since.

Foreign Language

We recently attended a homeschool convention (met up with Jamie for a quick hello!), and came home with Rosetta Stone, Spanish I. I was a little nervous about this as the critical reviews I’ve read express not enough grammar and mechanical understanding of the language.

We’ve been using it for a few weeks and it’s amazing how quickly my daughter is picking up on the language. And when we all spoke our first sentences as blossoming toddlers, did we know what a preposition was?

Additional Resources and Activities

Aside from these very measurable areas of study, we are busy with other things as well. Some are child initiated, some are highly encouraged by the parents. But all are in the name of making the most of the wide open opportunity we have each day.

• Weekly Home Ec class with friends.
• Monthly Knitting Group in our home.
• A volunteer job for my daughter.
• Various team sports, type of sport depends on the season.
• New York Times Learning Network – lesson plans and activities tied to current events.
• Shmoop – Resource for literature selections, study guides, writing labs. So much here!
• The Library – a homeschooler’s most affordable best friend.
• Netflix – Many PBS, BBC, and National Geographic movies can be instantly streamed by members.
• Weekly hikes as a family in the woods. Thank you Renee for the inspiration!

On paper it seems rather ambitious, but this is the nature of our daughter, and it has felt really good for us to provide the kind of learning that she enjoys.

We have a deal… if I keep the lessons and quizzes coming, she’ll heed my reminders to slow down, be a kid, and pretend to farm once in awhile. I think Maria Montessori would be pleased.

Do you find as your children get older you are more inclined to add formal curricula to their days? What feels like the right balance for you?

There was a time when I looked at homeschool families and thought they must have it all together at home.  I imagined dreamy, organized living spaces and multi-course meals spread on the farm table three times a day. After all, they were home – they must have plenty of time on their hands for such things.

Then I became a homeschooler.

Very quickly I learned that although I’d be spending more time at home than I ever had in my adult life, my home would become messy and the dinner hour would come fast. Oh, and most importantly, I learned that homeschooling is a very full time job and some days down right exhausting. As it should be for the responsibility that it is.

In addition to homeschooling, I also work from home. I know many of you can relate to the engaging, inspiring, and tiring sort of days I’m talking about.

There was a time when making dinner found me slipping into the kitchen around 5:00, turning on NPR, and pouring a glass of red to be enjoyed while I prepared the planned meal for the evening (I always did work with a menu plan). Nowadays, it is easy to feel done for the day just as soon as we check that final item off our homeschool list.

I actually love to cook, so this lack of dinner hour enthusiasm saddened me. I needed a freshened up approach to making dinner. The kitchen is one area that I have trouble handing over the reins, it is my happy place, my domain… but I knew I needed to enlist some help and shift my own perspective in order to energize the dinner hour.

How to simplify dinner.

1. Menu plan.

This is something I have done with varying degrees of commitment for years. My family is always better fed and I am far more organized when I stick to it. Like many things, it is easy to stray from and requires a certain amount of discipline to stay on task. But it is so very worth it.

If you need a place to start, here’s the Weekly Menu Plan I use in my kitchen.

2. Enlist help.

Long ago, my husband and I divided household tasks not by committee or gender, but rather by natural preference, interest, and time available. For many years I happily picked up a bigger share of the domestic duties, as he was the primary provider.

I don’t feel that way anymore. My work life is busier these days, and homeschooling is always busy. His work has slowed a bit. More than ever before I feel like “we’re all in this together” and if it means I ask my husband to be in charge of dinner a couple nights a week, no problem. This homeschooling thing is a family affair, and that includes chores too.

3. Use the freezer.

I read an article once written by a French chef who said the freezer is the most under-utilized tool in the kitchen. It sits there ready and waiting to hold soups, casseroles, quiche, lasagna, baked beans, chili, and so on – but is it full? Do you have meals ready and waiting for a night that you just don’t have the energy or time?

Once a week plan to double one of your meals, serve one and freeze the other. It takes practice to get into this habit but before you know it you will have extra meals to pull out for your family one or two times a week!

4. Call it school.

With the arrival of warmer weather (and even in the colder months) my daughter would much rather be outside with friends or her basketball than by my side helping with dinner. I understand this. She is still expected to come in and set the table, but aside from that she really needs to burn off some energy.

Because our family eats a whole food diet, there is quite bit of chopping involved with mealtimes. To help with those tasks (and easing my mealtime prep tremendously), we take time during the school day to wash, chop, dice, or otherwise prep anything that can be done ahead of time. Prepped food can be stored in the fridge until mealtime.

This doesn’t happen everyday, but it does make entering the kitchen at dinnertime more inspiring (for a busy mama) when much of the work has already been done.

5. Relax.

Or shall we say lower your standards? Either way, between menu planning, enlisting help, freezing meals and putting the kids to work during the day…dinner will get made.

Maybe this isn’t the time for us to be worried about nine step meals with a dozen ingredients. Perhaps the delicious (5 ingredient, 10 minute) offerings of a blog like Stone Soup fit better for us right now.

Homeschool days are indeed long, but the weeks and months fly by as our children quickly grow and learn. A healthy dinner is possible, but a perfect meal served three times a day around a farm table (I don’t even have a farm table!) is not my reality.

What are your best tips for planning and preparing meals at the end of a full homeschool day?

Written by contributor Heather Bruggeman of Beauty That Moves

Of the many gifts that come with homeschooling, the one I am truly loving right now is the freedom to make changes as needed. Doesn’t it seem rather impossible to sit down over the summer and plan an entire school year, sight unseen, knowing how the whole thing will unfold?

Despite careful research and planning, the science curriculum we chose was all wrong for our daughter.

And it wasn’t for lack of trying. Several approaches, on our part and hers were put forth in an effort to find a workable place with this text. We very carefully considered the idea of switching before doing so. Sure, we invested good money in the book; but more importantly, we value commitment and dedication, and do our best to instill those same values in our daughter. We didn’t want to send the wrong message.

You can’t walk away from everything in life that isn’t super fun.

I don’t expect her to feel warm and fuzzy about every single part of our school day. As humans we need to grow and stretch ourselves in new directions. It’s okay to be bored sometimes, to persevere at other times, be diligent, work hard. As a family, we value all of that.

However, it is also important to know when your child isn’t persevering, they’re enduring. There is a difference.

The writing on the wall says it’s time to make a change.

How did we know it was time to move on?

The subject was not self initiated.

• Yes, I believe a little struggle builds character, but having a bad day or a bad chapter in a subject is not the same as almost never having a good day.

There was no lingering.

• We look for the lingering moments as homeschoolers, don’t we? The lesson provokes an idea that leads to research and ten books checked out of the library. The concept is applied to all sorts of play long after ‘school’ is over.

She used to love this subject.

• Years prior, in school and in play, science was always thought of as cool, fun, interesting! Now the spark was totally gone and there was only one variable in the equation.

It was over the holidays that we made the exciting decision to switch – because we can, we’re homeschoolers! We are free to redirect ourselves as needed, and it felt incredibly good to put that freedom into action.

How are things now?

I am not kidding when I tell you that all is not only good in our science world, things are excellent and there is even talk about it being a “favorite” subject.

• There are twice weekly experiments.
• A “lab journal” that is added to with each experiment.
• The textbook layout aligns with my daughter’s learning style (orderly).
• Assignments are well organized.
• Critical names, dates, definitions are nice and bold, italicized, featured.
• Lessons flow with a familiar sequence.
• A companion DVD contains supplemental videos and demonstrations.

The reason we let go of one curriculum (Oak Meadow – Physical Science) and made a new choice mid-year (Apologia – General Science) has little to do with one being better than the other. They are designed very differently–and that has made all the difference for the style of learner my daughter is.

My daughter likes the systematic flow that Apologia offers. Modules are well organized with key words and phrases clearly emphasized. There are plenty of experiments that work well and are presented in a clear step-by-step approach with a useful list of supplies for each one. There is a pre-test and and a final test with each Module, giving a sense of completion and accomplishment (for kids that seek that type of experience). These are all methods that work for her as opposed to the slightly more organic approach of Oak Meadow. Assignments and experiments are more blended into the lessons, sometimes catching us by surprise from paragraph to paragraph.

For us, it was about finding the correct style with which to deliver the content.

It is so easy as a parent to wonder – am I doing this right, was that the best choice, do I show enough grace and patience? We can be pretty hard on ourselves. So indulge me as I get a little mileage out of this (not so minor) success…

We didn’t love science, and now we do love science. All because we read the writing on the wall and decided not to worry about the financial investment of the first curriculum, but rather focus on the overall investment of the human experience. I think we got this one right.

Have you had a recent highlight in your homeschool? Big or small, tell us about it.