Homeschooling with Trauma: My Story ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool

Five years ago my inner world began to collapse, and it felt like my outer world might too. It started so innocently. During COVID, when all of our worlds were toppling, my husband decided to start therapy.

When he told me this, it was as much of a surprise as if he had said, “I’ve decided to get plastic surgery.”

In other words, a wildly out-of-the-blue move for my British “Keep calm and carry on” husband. I had never done therapy either, but after six months of observing his process, I decided to try it too.

“Maybe therapy will help me navigate the stress of homeschooling and raising three teens?” I thought.

I had no idea it would first shatter, then painfully rebuild, my entire life and worldview.

Looking back, I can almost laugh at my naivety. Almost, but not quite.

Early on my therapist asked me to share one of my earliest memories. I shared what, to me, had always been a typical and slightly humorous story.

After listening she said, “This is curious and unusual. It’s not the way a typical preschooler would think or behave. It points to something deeper that you may want to explore with a trauma specialist.”

Homeschooling with Trauma: My Story

During the same season in my Introverted Moms book club community, I’d chosen The Powerful Purpose of Introverts by Holley Gerth for us to read and discuss. She had a section in one chapter about “high functioning depression,” a term I’d never heard before.

When I read the characteristics, it floored me to resonate with the majority.

But I couldn’t be depressed! I got out of bed every morning, I homeschooled three kids (two with special needs), I wrote books and blogs and led an online community of women! Sure, sometimes I experienced deep lows in which my entire body ached, I couldn’t sleep, I felt unworthy of existence and like death on the inside, but I held my sh** together!

God, in grace and kindness, brought a truth to the surface that refused to remain buried any longer.

The past five years have been a grief-filled arc of death and resurrection. Of course when you’re in the midst of death, you never know if resurrection awaits.

All the inner parts of myself that had protected me for so long deserved to have their voices and pain finally heard. I thought this phase would never end. It’s impossible to honor those years in a few sentences.

And through it all, I continued my final years of homeschooling, continued writing and leading a team of contributors here at Simple Homeschool and sharing heartfelt content with my online community of introverted moms. But it came at a cost.

At the end of one year I told a friend, “It feels like everything I’ve created this year has wounded me.”

One of my most painful steps of obedience included pausing a book idea. I sobbed through the Zoom call with my agent (ugly cry, ya’ll.) It felt like everything important to me, all I thought I knew, was falling to pieces. Because it was.

I’ve built my online platform around emotional authenticity, so a part of me deeply wanted to share in more detail. But I had no idea how to start.

“Hi I’m Jamie. I may be having a nervous breakdown?”

I had plenty of words; I never would have survived if it hadn’t been for my journals. Yet for the first time in a long time those words were just for me.

I had to rewrite my life story – the most important story I’ve ever written, even if only I ever read it.

When I thought I couldn’t take any more, I glimpsed the tiniest sliver of light underneath a closed and locked door. Very, very slowly, the door began to open.

As I finally processed and cleared away repressed negative emotions, I began to know myself anew. My transformation started on the inside and spread all the way out; I often hear how different I look from those who have known me a long time.

I shine and sparkle with an inner confidence that I thought only others could feel.

To be clear, my pain hasn’t completely vanished. But now I know what it is and why I carry it. I know it isn’t my fault, isn’t anyone’s fault. I know that I am finally safe.

I can feel sad without being swallowed by sadness – can teach my kids how to deal with big emotions because I’ve learned how myself. They aren’t a terrifying threat anymore.

Five years after resonating with Holley Gerth’s characteristics of high functioning depression, I returned to her checklist to discover that I now resonate with zero of them. Zero!

On the eve of my 50th birthday, I wanted to mark my transformation in a concrete way. So I did:

It’s still a challenge to put all this into words. But I had to start somewhere, and it couldn’t be with a post called “5 ways to survive homeschooling with trauma.” No bite-sized bullet points can sum up this process!

This is my story to tell, and I’ve waited to tell it. I want to honor it, and it’s finally time to share.

May it offer a glimmer of hope to those of you in the midst of dark inner or outer circumstances that also feel impossible for words.

Those in the grief and death phase, without any promise of life or resurrection yet.

You’re out there, showing up, attempting to make it through another day. Homeschooling with trauma in the midst of it all.

The only thing you feel sure of is that you’re constantly coming up short.

But when treading water is all you can do, it isn’t failure. It’s courage. It’s survival.

I see you, and I know how much strength it takes just to stay afloat. xo

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!

A few weeks ago an issue with one of my children kept me up late into the night. You know, one of those little things that you can’t quite figure out.

After pondering, praying, and a bit of crying, I eventually reached out to a friend and homeschooling mentor.

In just a sentence or two I outlined the problem and asked if she had any advice. And in one sentence she solved it for me:

“What’s your child’s love language?” 

Hmmmm. Love languages? I had that filed back in my brain somewhere as it relates to marriage, but I had never paid it much attention when it comes to my children.

Would you rather listen to this post?

And after some research into my child’s love language and a little attention in that area, this so-called “issue” pretty much vanished. Vanished, I tell you!

So what is a love language and how can I determine my child’s?

Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell articulated the five love languages years ago. They write: “Every child (like every adult) expresses and receives love best through one of five communication styles.”

We want to express unconditional love in each of these ways, of course.

But just like each child has a different personality, they also have a unique love language. Figuring it out can make a huge difference in the health of your homeschool.

I found this online quiz (recommended for ages 9+) invaluable to figuring out my kids’ love language preference–Trishna, Jonathan, and Elijah enjoyed it, too!

Here is an overview of the 5 love languages of children and ways we can apply them to our homeschool lives.

The 5 love languages of homeschooling

Physical Touch

A child who best receives love through physical touch desperately needs hugs, kisses, and pats on the shoulder. Not having enough can leave them feeling that they’ve done something wrong and that you are not pleased with them.

Ideas for homeschooling and teaching this child:

• let them sit on your lap for lessons or stories
• give them a back massage break for five minutes if they reach a challenge in their work
• for older kids or teens, give high fives and pats on the shoulder
• make sure to reconnect with physical touch after disciplining or difficult moments
• sit close while watching television or a movie
• roughhouse (tickles, wrestling, chasing) with littles who enjoy it

Words of Affirmation

Our culture has lost the art of giving affirmation. Words spoken well do not damage our kids, but fill them with confidence.

They powerfully communicate love, and even more so to a child (or adult) whose main love language is words of affirmation. (Hand raised here–it’s mine!) 

Ideas for homeschooling and teaching this child:

• take many opportunities throughout the day to encourage. “I love watching you work hard on your ….” or “I could see you being a great doctor” (or whatever career aspiration they’re into)
• leave a surprise note for a child to find under their pillow or in unexpected places (like when they open their math book)
• create a special loving phrase that is unique to you and this child
• in (or after) a difficult moment, share what you love about him or her
• speak out something positive about this child in front of others (spouse, neighbors, etc)

Receiving Gifts

Reading the chapter on gifts in The Five Love Languages for Children book gave me a broader concept behind the definition of a “gift.” It doesn’t mean shopping at the mall or spending tons of money. Instead, it suggested framing even the “essentials” I provide in a more special way.

For example, I usually buy new clothes for the kids in the fall. Instead of just bringing them out of the shopping bag when I got home, this year I placed each child’s new clothes inside a pillowcase and stuck a bow on the top with a quick note. Then I put the pillowcases in their rooms after they were asleep, so they woke in the morning to new clothes.

Ideas for homeschooling and teaching this child:

• pick up a rock, shell, or cool object from a nature walk–then place it in a surprising location for them to find with a note from you
• don’t just buy “homeschool supplies” – take a minute to wrap them up and present the gift in a fun way
• bring home a small treat once in a while when you’re out grocery shopping–something that shows you were thinking of your child
• make their favorite meal and let them know you did it to bless them
• involve your child in the purchases you need to make for them: “We need to buy you a pair of winter boots – let’s pick them out together!”

Quality Time

Two of my three children’s primary love language is quality time, meaning I have my work cut out for me in spreading myself around! I feel like I’m with my kids all the time as a homeschooling mother, but that doesn’t mean it comes across to my quality time needing kids.

If I’m busy or distracted, it doesn’t register in their emotional bank accounts. We don’t need to do anything special, but even making dinner together while chatting goes a long way to keeping those love tanks filled.

Ideas for homeschooling and teaching this child:

• make eye contact
• put away screens and other distractions when with them
• include them in your errands – this child will enjoy what other kids might find boring
• sit together and look at family photo albums
• don’t send them to work on all their assignments independently, even as they get older
• hang out without any agenda

Acts of Service

Acts of service doesn’t mean doing everything for a child and never having him take responsibility.

Instead it means recognizing that through your service this child receives your love. When you know this is a child’s main love language, you can put more effort in blessing them with the duties they struggle with most.

Ideas for homeschooling and teaching this child:

• don’t send your child off to work alone on their most difficult subject. Tackle it together.
• surprise your kid with a special breakfast on a regular weekday
• when your child is sick, show your love to them by the extra attention you offer
• try to respond quickly when this child asks for help
• every once in a while take over a child’s normal responsibilities (folding the laundry, cleaning his room, etc.)

Want to speak your child’s language?

This post barely scratches the surface on this topic, and if you’d like to go deeper make sure you check out The Five Love Languages of Children.

Reading this book showed me yet another reason why I’m thankful to be a homeschooling parent–the extra hours we spend together each day give me even more time to get to know my children deeply, and be able to demonstrate my unconditional love in the ways that speak volumes to them.

And an unexpected upside? By loving our children well, we also teach them how to love – a gift that keeps giving for generations.

“Accept the children the way we accept trees—with gratitude, because they are a blessing—but do not have expectations or desires. You don’t expect trees to change, you love them as they are.”
~ Isabel Allende

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page.

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 you need most!

Instead of focusing on giving our children a complete education, or a perfect education (neither of which are necessary or possible), let us strive to awaken in them a love of learning. If we can help them to develop an attitude of lifelong learning, we will have done enough.” ~ Suzie Andres, Homeschooling with Gentleness

There’s a homeschooling mom who lives in my head, and she is simply THE best.

She does all the things and does them well. As a result, her kids progress in a straight, forward-moving line. She is organized, unfazed by emotion, doubt, outward circumstance, or moody children.

She is my hero, though I also despise her.

I am not that woman. Oh every once in a while, I come close. The stars align and the inspiration flows…for a few hours, maybe a day or two. But inevitably real life signals to me from the sidelines: “Remember me?!”, and here we go again…back into the realm of imperfections and inadequacies.

Yet incredibly, even then I’m still on track.

When real life comes along with tough times, it’s not THE best I give to my children, but it’s MY best all the same.

Are you crossing a field or climbing a wall?

Photo by Nicholas_T

My friend Lisa Grace Byrne once described this distinction in a way I could beautifully visualize. She explained that in certain seasons of life it’s like we’re walking through a flat, grassy field. We cover a lot of ground that way, making measurable progress one step at a time.

In other seasons, we reach the borders of the field to find a steep, rock wall towering before us. Turning back isn’t an option, and the only way to continue moving forward is to climb–one slow, shaky grip and foothold after another.

It’s still progress, of course, but it looks nothing like the grassy field.

The best we can offer our families in the meadows of life varies drastically to the best we bring when we’re scaling walls.

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been climbing, and I know I’m not the only one.

Your personal best

Photo by Adam Kubalica

God hasn’t called us to be successful, just faithful.” ~ Mother Teresa

Your personal best looks different every day, every hour.

It looks different if you’re facing a chronic health condition or recently had a newborn, if you just started homeschooling and you’re still finding your way, if you have a child with special needs or a teen with an attitude, or if you’re dealing with the loss of someone you love.

We’re not called to give up when things get hard, but we do have to play the cards we’ve been dealt – whatever that looks like in our unique circumstances.

You know inside that what you’re offering really is the best you have to give, however inadequate it may seem. If it is, what else can you do? Why not fall into the arms of grace and rest?

What’s your other choice?

What to remember

When you worry about tomorrow, you are, in effect, saying that today is not worth enjoying. That is not a message I want to send to my children.”
~ Sally Clarkson, Seasons of a Mother’s Heart

In rock wall-climbing seasons, I return to my favorite homeschooling books. I look through where I’ve underlined or written “Wow” in the margins. I feast on truth instead of self-doubt. I’ve scattered a few of those quotes throughout this post, to pay the inspiration forward.

It also helps me to remember, in times like these, that all conscientious parents feel a weight of insecurity and responsibility – no matter where their kids go to school.

One time I wrote out my deepest fears for each of my kid’s educations. Then I wrote out what my fears would likely be if my children were in traditional school. I found it incredibly freeing to realize that doubts and fears would still exist, though the specifics might differ.

Take a moment to remind yourself of all that your personal best, as limited as it is, has already offered to your kids. What are you giving them by homeschooling or by being their parent, that they wouldn’t have without you? 

Perhaps you began homeschooling because of bullying, and now your son is safe from daily torments. Perhaps the classroom was overstimulating for your sensitive daughter, now she’s slowly returning to the happy child you remember.

It doesn’t have to be that dramatic, though. Your personal best also includes your natural strengths, the things you’re so good at you no longer count because they seem “normal.”

But normal for you isn’t normal for everyone – don’t disregard those gifts. Instead build your homeschool around them when you can, letting your best stamp personality across your home:

To become peaceful and happy, you’ve got to figure out what’s true about you. What creates an environment in which you can thrive? How can you work with your own innate strengths and weaknesses so that your homeschool will be happy and humming, even if you never construct a sugar cube pyramid or help your kids put together a single diorama?”
~ Sarah Mackenzie, Teaching from Rest

THE best homeschooling writer (who also lives in my head – it’s so crowded in there at times!!) would offer you these words in a few well-organized bullet points, complete with a lovely, colorful printable that she designed herself.

But MY personal best, today, is to send out these scribbles with a prayer for each person who reads them.

When we really consider it, isn’t that what we need most? Not an expert who knows it all, but someone to walk alongside us, to say “it is hard sometimes, you’re right.”

Someone to encourage us to keep right on climbing.

Come to think of it, isn’t that the type of teacher our kids need, too?

And if that’s the case, miraculously our broken best might just be THE best after all.

Then it dawned on me. It wasn’t the meager five loaves and two fish that fed the crowds, but their offering combined with the blessing of Jesus. And Jesus was telling me to give him my five loaves and two fish, my insignificant efforts, and he would bless them, and the needs of my family would be met.”
~ Holly Pierlot, A Mother’s Rule of Life

A Little House Virtual Field Trip ~

As I’ve written before, the Little House books have influenced my life since I first read them as a little girl. I’ve read the entire series several times and have always had a dream – a dream that this year is going to come true!

I’ve always wanted to walk where Laura walked, see where she lived, and be inspired as a family along the way. Well, this summer it’s happening!

In June we’ll be heading west as a family – not in a covered wagon, but a minivan – to the Little House sites in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota on a massive road trip.

I’m beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to do this as a family, but then I thought – why not take you guys along with me?

Of course, you won’t all fit in the minivan, but why not put together a virtual field trip so you can take your kids to Laura’s homes from your dining room or coffee table?

Ready? Let’s go!

A Little House virtual field trip

Stop 1. Pepin, Wisconsin

Books written about this site: Little House in the Big Woods

Head to Little House in the Big Woods on Google Earth

Laura was born in the Big Woods in 1867, and she describes this first childhood home in Little House in the Big Woods. The Ingalls lived here twice, and the memories Laura shares in the book actually take place after they returned from the Kansas prairie.

If you look at the satellite view, you’ll see that only a few trees remain, but there’s a replica cabin located at the site and a picnic area to hang out in.

Take a tour of Little House, Pepin:

(Click here for the video if you can’t see it below.)

Learn more about Pepin:

• About the site – Wikipedia
• Read the highway marker at the site.
• More photos of Laura’s birthplace
• Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, Pepin

Stop 2. Independence, Kansas

Books written about this site: Little House on the Prairie

Head to Little House on the Prairie on Google Earth

Laura’s family moved here in 1869 and settled on land belonging to the Osage Indians, having received word that the land would soon be available for settlers. After a year of persevering through hardships and dealing with tensions between the Native Americans and settlers, the Ingalls were forced to leave Kansas.

Today a replica cabin sits on the site, furnished the way Laura described in the book. Pa’s hand dug well stands nearby as well.

Take a tour of the Laura’s little house as it looks today:

(Click here for the video if you can’t see it below.)

Learn more about the Kansas site:

• Read the marker at this site.
• More photos of the site near Independence.
• Kansas travel – Little House

Stop 3. Walnut Grove, Minnesota

Books written about this site: On the Banks of Plum Creek

Head to Walnut Grove on Google Earth (scroll up a little to see the original dugout site)

After leaving Kansas and spending a few years back in Wisconsin, the Ingalls moved to Minnesota in 1874 and lived in a sod house for the winter. Pa eventually built a house on the property (which Laura called “the wonderful house,” as it was the largest she had lived in at that point).

Both houses are gone, but Plum Creek–ah, that’s still there! I’m looking forward to taking off my shoes and wading in it, just like Laura did.

The site of the dugout has been marked, and Walnut Grove has a museum dedicated to Laura and the time period. The church bell that Pa donated his shoe money for hangs at a church in town as well.

Tour the site of plum creek and Laura’s home:

(Click here for the video if you can’t see it below.)

And take a walk on the banks of plum creek:

(Click here for the video if you can’t see it below.)

Learn more about the Minnesota site:

• Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, Walnut Grove

Stop 4. De Smet, South Dakota

Books written about this site: By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, The First Four Years

Head to Little House in De Smet on Google Earth

After suffering disappointments in both Minnesota and Iowa, where the Ingalls lived for a short time, the family decided to move further west so Pa could work for the railroad as it expanded through South Dakota. This ended up being their final move until Laura, Mary, Carrie, and Grace left home as adults.

De Smet is the site of the Long Winter, the site of Laura’s courtship with Almanzo Wilder, and the start of their married life together.

Tour the Little Town on the Prairie:

( Click here for the video if you can’t see it below.)

Stop 5. Malone, New York

Books written about this site: Farmer Boy

Head to Almanzo’s childhood home on Google Earth

Almanzo was born on this farm in 1857, and Laura shares his childhood story beautifully in her book Farmer Boy. His family lived here for nearly two decades, until crop failures forced them to move west to Minnesota.

Almanzo’s original home still stands, and has been restored as much as possible to the time period in which the book was written.

Tour Almanzo’s farm:

(Click here for the video if you can’t see it below.)

Stop 6. Mansfield, Missouri

Head to Rocky Ridge Farm on Google Earth

All the Little House books were written from this location!

Laura, Almanzo, and Rose moved here in 1894 looking for a fresh start in farming. They transformed the rocky land they purchased bit by bit and spent nearly 20 years building the white farmhouse that is now a museum honoring the family’s legacy.

Years ago Steve and I had the chance to visit Rocky Ridge Farm on a road trip before having children, and I loved seeing Pa’s fiddle and Laura’s kitchen and parlor.

I’m standing at the site of the “Rock House,” which Rose (Laura/Almanzo’s daughter) built as a gift to her parents down the street from Rocky Ridge Farm. After living there a few years, they said it was “too fancy” for them and that they were homesick for the farm – so they moved back down the street!

Tour the Little House on Rocky Ridge Farm:

(Click here for the video if you can’t see it below.)

Learn more about Rocky Ridge farm:

• Laura Ingalls Wilder home and museum
• Laura Ingalls Wilder house
• Rocky Ridge Farm – Tripadvisor

I hope you enjoyed this Little House virtual field trip out west with Laura and me – a special thanks to Laura Ingalls Wilder, Frontier Girl for all of the wonderful video clips!

Head here to read all Jamie’s posts re: Little House – including the one after we returned from our trip!

“It has been years since I beat eggs with a fork or cleaned a kerosene lamp. Many things have changed since then, but the truths we learned from our parents and the principles they taught us are always true. They can never change.”~ Laura Ingalls Wilder, reflecting on her famous series

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 you need most!

Create Your Own Math Playground (UPDATED!) ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool

I’ve been revisiting a series I first wrote more than ten years ago (how is that possible?!) all about math—sharing the non-traditional path our family chose, particularly in our early homeschooling years.

This time, though, you’ll also hear the reflections of my older, wiser homeschool self, looking back to see how my early ideals have held up (or not) over time.

Together we’ve been exploring math through a fresh lens, pausing to ask: Why do we approach this subject the way we do? Could there be other meaningful options worth considering?

For this post, you’ll find my updated thoughts in navy blue, and I’ve fully updated both lists of games & toys. This is the final update in this math series, now complete!

If you’ve missed any of the others, you can find them here: 

Other UPDATES in this math series:
* A different way to look at math
* Out of the box math inspiration
* Read your way to a love of math:
75 titles for ages 4-12

Much of the research we’ve peeked at suggests it’s possible to wait until around age 10, give or take, to introduce formal math. (I’m not saying this is the only way to approach it, by the way! It’s one of many options.)

If you decide to follow this advice, however, what should you do up until that age?

I’m glad you asked. Why not create your own math playground?

Create Your Own Math Playground

Here are a couple of ways to approach it:

Option 1: Less Structure

In the early elementary years of homeschooling, look for ways to bring math into your lives when the opportunity naturally arises (and it will!). Point out patterns in nature and the beauty of God’s creation. Discuss it with a sense of wonder and possibility.

If your child enjoys games, follow her lead in playing some of the ones listed below – and read aloud some of the books I’ve mentioned in this post. As your child gets older, you may transition to option two below (or not, depending on you and your kids).

Option 2: More Structure

Let’s say you must document your child’s math for your state or country’s home education laws. Does that mean you can’t approach math this way? (I get this question a lot!)

I don’t think it means that at all. Simply apply these ideas with a bit more structure and document what you’ve done as needed.

Maybe you decide to set aside 15-30 minutes each weekday, three times a week, or whatever suits you – making it your “math time.”

Create a routine if that works best for you: read one math book or one chapter of Life of Fred (answering the questions aloud is fine, unless you need them written for proof of study), play a math game, and end with a Bedtime Math problem.

Switch it up when you or your child need a break or get bored with the routine. Now that you have an idea of how to play with math, let’s get an idea of what to play with!

Below you’ll find an updated list of popular math games and toys that I’ve spent hours putting together!

Feel free to bookmark this post so you can come back to it as needed. If you add 1-2 items each year, over time you’ll create your own math playground with ease.

Math Games

Let’s be straight up about games for a second: They’re great for learning, but young kids can seriously stink at losing. This seems to get better with age and depends on their personality, but don’t force something that makes you all miserable!

In our home I’ve found it works a bit better if I play one-on-one with a child (as opposed to siblings squaring off against each other).

^ Okay, an updated confessional: I did not have a love-hate relationship with board games in our homeschool. I had a like-hate. I liked them sometimes, and other times they made me hate my life. #honest

This meant that all the excited talk about gameschooling (and how fun it could make learning) inadvertently made me feel guilty.

What was I doing wrong? How come this wasn’t fun? And what was wrong with my kids that they couldn’t handle losing, and that one game gone wrong could destroy our entire day?

Doing games one-on-one helped some, which is why I recommended it here in the original post…but it wasn’t a guarantee. I have one twenty-something who I still can’t play games with!

Like anything else, explore the options to see what’s out there and then, as the expert on your homeschool, choose (or don’t choose) what works (or doesn’t work) for you!

And the upside, now I have one young adult who loves playing games…and occasionally we’ll have other siblings join in too with more success.

So keep in mind it isn’t now or never. Maybe games aren’t your family’s thing right now, but maybe in a decade and a half they might be!

Also on a practical note: Check your public library for math games! Ours started having these available for checkout over the past few years.

10 Top Math Games for Ages 4-9 (Updated!)

Those marked with an asterix * at the beginning are Martin family favorites.

1 – * Sum Swamp: Ages 4+, addition/subtraction (Just the sight of this gameboard hits me with such a wave of nostalgia that it makes my stomach hurt! True story: I gave this away to a dear homeschool friend of mine and then asked for it back.)

2 – Tiny Polka Dot: Ages 4+, counting, basic arithmetic

3 – Zingo 1-2-3: Ages 4+, number recognition, basic arithmetic

4 – * 4 Way Countdown: Ages 5+, basic math facts (Just the fact it’s wooden made me feel all Waldorf-y and like I must be doing something right. lol)

5 – Monopoly Junior: Ages 5+, money value

6 – * Money Bags: Ages 6+, coin identification/money awareness (Another game board that still gives me funny feelings, even though we passed it on to another family – and let them keep it this time!)

7 – Math Dice Jr: Ages 6+, basic math facts

8 – Quirkle: Ages 6+; pattern recognition

9 – Rat a Tat Cat: Ages 6+; strategy, memory, addition

10 – No Stress Chess: Ages 7+; (I am putting this on my wish list now because I never learned how to play and have always wanted to! I guess we’re never too old for games.)

10 Top Math Games for Tweens/Teens (Updated!)

1 – 7 Wonders: Players calculate how combinations of cards and resources multiply point values

2 – 24 Game: Use the cards to make the number 24 (Great for reviewing math facts; 2 versions available – single or double digits)

3 – Gravity Maze: logic/problem solving; can be played solo (I’m a sucker for any games with marbles!)

4 – Karma Card Game: forming/recognizing patterns (Recommended by a college math professor)

5 – Monopoly Deal: The fun of monopoly without taking hours!

6 – Prime Climb: multiplication/division/factors

7 – Rummikub: constantly add and manipulate number tiles to create or extend sets and runs

8 – Splendor: Arithmetic, sequencing, and cost-benefit calculation

9 – Who Knows Math and Finance Better? – a quiz style card game

10 – * Yahtzee: great for mental calculations (We still use the same one I had in childhood!)

10 Top Math Toys

Those marked with an asterix * at the beginning are Martin family favorites.

You have a ton of math toys in your home already. Don’t overlook the obvious: a ruler, measuring tape, compass, dominoes, beans for counting, and your kitchen measuring cups.

And it goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: You don’t need any of the below or the above to homeschool “right.” You’re already enough as you are.

These are just options for fun or for holiday/birthday wish lists! I hope you enjoy getting to create your own math playground that’s unique to you and yours.

1 – Base Ten Starter Blocks

2 – * Calendar/Weather Chart – Okay, I’m trying to stop getting all the feels over these family favorites, but it’s just not happening. We used our calendar chart all 15 of our homeschool years, and my family can let you know that I have heavily resisted taking it off the wall. Heavily.

3 – Fraction Tower Equivalency Cubes

4 – * Learning Resources Cash Register – I just looked it up…we bought this on August 12, 2010 for my Jonathan’s 6th birthday. Oh my heart – it’s still in the attic.

5 – Melissa and Doug Wooden Abacus

6 – *Melissa and Doug Money Set – buying Melissa & Doug stuff always made me feel like a good homeschool mom

7 – Pattern Blocks

8 – Self-Correcting Multiplication Keys

9 – Silent Learning Clock

10 – Talking Learning Clock

“Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.” ~ Albert Einstein

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!

This post contains affiliate links. 

Read your way to a love of math (UPDATED!) ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool

I’m currently updating a series I published over ten(!) years ago about math, explaining how our family decided to approach the subject in a non-traditional way, particularly in the early years.

Now you’ll get to hear my perspective looking back as a veteran homeschool mom to see if it matches what my young, naive homeschool self thought!

In these posts, we’ve explored math study from a different perspective, asking two important questions: Why do we do what we do when it comes to this subject? Are there any other valid approaches to consider?

Other updates in this math series:
* A different way to look at math
* Out of the box math inspiration

An alternative to workbook pages in the early years is the simple sharing of a book spread open across your lap. It’s one of the easiest ways to create a blossoming love of numbers and patterns in a child’s heart and mind.

Back in the day when I was an insecure homeschool mom, I would have loved a list of well-chosen math titles, recommended by someone I trusted.

I’ve tried to provide that for you here, highlighting the resources we found most enjoyable in our own family – as well as including an updated list of other popular books you may want to check out.

Enjoy the journey as you read your way to a love of math!

Read your way to a love of math: 75+ titles for ages 4-12

Bedtime Math

Who is it for? Ages 4-12

What a fun addition (get it?!) this resource is for your math-learning littles.

Check out their website or app for easy access to a daily math question, or check out one of their three published Bedtime Math books(afflinks) for an offline option.

The beauty of bedtime math is that there are questions geared to a variety of learning-levels, making it something you can use for your preschoolers all the way to your pre-teens!

Life of Fred

Who is it for? Ages 6 – High School

Since I first wrote this series, I’ve been asked the same question several times: “I’d like to approach math differently, but what can I do if I have to provide documentation for my state and/or my kids have to take a standardized test?”

My top recommendation for those in the above situation would be to explore Life of Fred Math, a curriculum that goes from early elementary all the way through high school – but in a very different way to the norm!

Used in a structured or formal way, you’d be able to approach math creatively but still be able to provide the documentation you need to meet your local requirements.

Like any resource, Life of Fred isn’t for everyone. But my kids loved it, and I loved that I could read math aloud at the lunch table!

Mathemagic

Who is it for? Ages 4-12

Mathemagic is Volume 13 of a kids’ encyclopedia series that used to be produced by Childcraft and is now out of print.

It is full of inspiring math stories, clever puzzles, riddles, and games – perfect for reading aloud or putting on the shelf for your kiddos to flip through.

Math study aside, we have always had a used set of several Childcraft volumes  on our shelves, and still do!

I can’t get of rid them, because hardly a homeschool day went by in our house that I didn’t see a child with one of these tucked under their arm. Keeping them for the grandchildren, perhaps one day?!

No longer in print, check for them on Amazon or Ebay.

Mathematicians Are People, Too

Who is it for? Ages 8-12

This is a fascinating collection of short stories about the lives of the great mathematicians throughout history – often including the details about how they developed their groundbreaking theories and discoveries.

A perfect way to show our kids what passion for math looks like, this series contains two volumes.

Sir Cumference Series

Who is it for? Ages 7-11 (give or take)

The Sir Cumference books introduce foundational geometry concepts through adventurous stories – radius and diameter, data collection, perimeter, area, and pi all make an appearance in this series of 12 titles.

*****

Other titles to explore for ages 4-8 (Updated!)

• 12 Ways to Get to 11
• Amanda Bean’s Amazing Dream (multiplication)
• Anno’s Counting Book
• Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar
• The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos
• Captain Invincible and the Space Shapes  (3D shapes)
• Count on Me
• Do Not Open This Math Book  (addition/subtraction)
• The Doorbell Rang (division)
• Double Puppy Trouble  (doubling)
• Each Orange Had 8 Slices
• Even Steven and Odd Todd
• Fannie in the Kitchen (measurements)
• Full House: An Invitation to Fractions
• Give Me Half!  (fractions)
• The Greedy Triangle
• How Much is a Million?
• I Love You 100  (counting to 100)
• Inchworm and a Half  (fractions)
• Just Enough Carrots  (comparison)
• Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money
• Math Fables: Lessons That Count
• Math For All Seasons: Mind-Stretching Math Riddles
• Measuring Penny
• Missing Math: A Number Mystery
• Missing Mittens  (odd/even)
• More or Less  (comparison)
• Multiplying Menace: The Revenge of Rumpelstiltskin
• Mummy Math: An Adventure in Geometry
• One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale  (doubling)
• One Hundred Hungry Ants
• Pebbles and the Biggest Number
• Pigs Will Be Pigs (money)
• A Place for Zero
• The Rabbit Problem
• The Reindeer Remainders  (division)
• Spaghetti and Meatballs for All!
• Tally O’Malley  (tallying)
• Ten Black Dots
• What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras?  (geometry)
• Where is Sheep 100?  (skip counting)
• Zero the Hero

Other titles to explore for ages 8-12 (Updated!)

• 5 Minute Math Problem of the Day
• The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat
• Annika Riz, Math Whiz
• The Best of Times (multiplication)
• Betcha! (estimating)
• Counting on Frank
• CSI Math Mystery for Kids
• Danica McKeller’s Math Series (Ages 12+; Perfect for adults looking to freshen up, too!)
• Daphne Draws Data: A Storytelling with Data Adventure
• Divide and Ride  (division)
• Earth Day – Hooray!  (place value)
• Eat Your Math Homework
• Fractions in Disguise (fractions)
• Game Time  (time)
• G is for Googol: A Math Alphabet Book
• The Grapes of Math
• The Librarian Who Measured the Earth
• The Man Who Counted: A Collection of Mathematical Adventures
• Math Curse
• The Math Inspectors (Chapter book series – 6 titles)
• Math Mysteries: The Triple Threat
• Math Potatoes: Mind-Stretching Brain Food
• Math-terpieces: The Art of Problem Solving
• The Multiplying Menace Divides  (division)
• The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure
• The Penny Pot  (coins)
• The Phantom Tollbooth
• Pythagoras and the Ratios  (ratios)
• Shark Swimathon  (subtraction)
• The Times Machine!  (multiplication/division)
• Too Many Kangaroo Things to Do!  (multiplication)

“Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty.”
~ Bertrand Russell

Do you know of any more inspiring titles to help read your way to a love of math?

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!

This post contains affiliate links. 

Out of the Box Math Inspiration ~
Written and updated by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool

I’m currently updating a series I published several years ago about math, explaining how our family decided to approach the subject in a non-traditional way.

Now you’ll get to hear my perspective looking back as a veteran homeschool mom to see if it matches what my young, naive homeschool self thought!

If you missed the first update in this series, I’d recommend reading it here before continuing this one!

Let me continue by serving up more math inspiration for you to consider.

Several “out of the box” math inspiration examples follow, which I hope will help you develop your own thoughts and discern what may be best given your family’s current situation.

Many of these examples fueled my personal decision on when and how to teach math in our homeschool.

Out of the Box Math Inspiration

1. Just Do the Math by David Albert

David Albert shares the story of 9-12 year-olds who learned all K-6 math in just 20 hours of study. He also shares his belief that an average teen who is actually motivated to learn math, and wasn’t held back by math anxiety, could learn all the K-12 math that he hasn’t naturally picked up in life in approximately eight weeks of study. 

 “So, do the math. If you figure the actual math time at 30 hours a year for 8 years (accounting for the wasted time in the early years), it totals 240 hours. Lo and behold – if, at age 15 or so, you wanted to learn all the math K-12, weren’t inhibited by math anxiety, and were willing to spend 30 hours a week at it, it would take you…8 weeks!”

2. A Mathematician’s Lament by Paul Lockhart

In his book, research mathematician Paul Lockhart (afflinks) makes the case that math is an art form, and that the way we currently study it prevents kids from falling in love with and seeing it through the lens of imagination that other arts inspire. 

“If I had to design a mechanism for the express purpose of destroying a child’s natural curiosity and love of pattern-making, I couldn’t possibly do as good a job as is currently being done – I simply wouldn’t have the imagination to come up with the kind of senseless, soul-crushing ideas that constitute contemporary mathematics education.

“You want to train them to calculate 427 plus 389? It’s just not a question that many eight-year-olds are asking. For that matter, most adults don’t fully understand decimal place-value arithmetic, and you expect third graders to have a clear conception? Or do you not care if they understand it? It is simply too early for that kind of technical training. Of course it can be done, but I think it ultimately does more harm than good. Much better to wait until their own natural curiosity about numbers kicks in.”

3. Research on the Teaching of Math at Trivium Pursuit

This article shares (in thorough detail) how math has been taught historically through the ages – a fascinating study! The author then suggests waiting until around age ten to begin formal math lessons.

“So to wait until age ten to teach arithmetic is actually, from an historical perspective, to advocate an early start. It is only from a decidedly modern perspective that waiting until age ten would appear to be a late start.

“Depending upon the child, upon the method, and upon the subject matter covered, there exists the potential for developmental harm from the formal teaching of arithmetic before age ten.

“Small children cannot understand many arithmetic concepts at an early age. We can teach them to perform the process, but we cannot make them understand the concepts. The child learns to hate learning. The child’s understanding develops along the wrong lines. He may actually develop mental blocks to arithmetic – actual physiological blocks in the brain.”

But how can someone actually begin the formal teaching of math at age ten? Laurie Bluedorn suggested one possibility in a follow up to the above:

“At age ten we start the child in formal math with a 6th grade math textbook. I give the child two math grids, and they are allowed to use them when doing their math lessons.

At age eleven I take away the addition/subtraction grid. The child should have the addition/subtraction facts memorized by then. If I think that he doesn’t have them memorized then we would drill on them till he does have them memorized. At age twelve I take away the multiplication/division grid.”

4. Louis P. Benezet’s Study…as told in Free-Range Learning

In 1929 Louis P. Benezet, the Superintendent of Manchester, New Hampshire schools, tried an experiment within his system. He trialed having some of his classes wait until seventh grade to introduce formal math study. Before then he encouraged naturally occurring math learning, but had teachers make reading, writing, and reasoning the focus in the early years.  

“I feel that it is all nonsense to take eight years to get children through the ordinary arithmetic assignment of the elementary schools. What possible need has a ten-year-old child for knowledge of long division? The whole subject of arithmetic could be postponed until the seventh year of school, and it could be mastered in two years’ study by any typical child.

“Due to pressure from some school principals, children were started on a math book in the second half of sixth grade. All sixth-grade children were tested. By spring of that year, all the classes tested equally. In other words, those children exposed to traditional math curricula for part of the sixth-grade year had mastered the same skills as those who had spent years on drills, times tables, and exams.”

5. What I thought (and wrote) then – 10 years ago:

In some ways it’s difficult to explain exactly what we do in our family – because it is, has been, and no doubt will continue to be completely different for each child. There’s no formula, but we have followed the advice mentioned above about waiting to introduce formal math.

This decision comes from our deep belief in the importance of our young children having a full and thorough Core Phase, which does not include a focus on early academics.

Two of my three children are now in the second phase of learning, Love of Learning, and recently math emphasis has crept into our lives more regularly. But it is still highly individualized and based on each child’s needs and strengths.

I have one who is naturally gifted with numbers, who has played with them over the years and by doing so has picked up quite a lot. I have two children who learn very differently to the traditional classroom style and who appear to have their geniuses (at this stage) in other areas.

Of course this doesn’t mean that math won’t be a part of their lives, but it means that I introduce concepts when I believe maturity and readiness are present so I can set them up for success.

6. What I think now – 10 years later:

When I look back on teaching math, I marvel at how God in his wisdom directed our paths to what our children would need for their future. At the time I first wrote this, I didn’t have full clarity of my daughter Trishna’s and my son Elijah’s special-needs (both on the autism spectrum, with several other diagnoses).

Yet this individualized approach ended up suiting all three of my kids and what mattered most for each of them.

I would have experienced so much wasted time and frustration if I had tried to push structured math onto my special needs children earlier. It would have negatively affected their self-concepts, and my self-confidence as a teacher.

One of them reached about eighth grade level of math before graduating, and that fits perfectly with their needs. The other struggles greatly with math concepts, and is around first grade level, even after several years of diligent focus and lessons in their teens. This child is learning workarounds to help them function in this area for what they’ll need in life.

My son Jonathan used Teaching Textbooks for math and finished through Algebra II, enough for him to get into the colleges of his choice. His job as a Lighting Director and Designer uses a lot of math and it’s been interesting to see how proficient he’s become in that on-the-job setting.

So see? It all worked out!

I do want to honestly mention that at times it was challenging for our younger kids in certain social situations when math tasks came up that they had not mastered yet. This could be mitigated by mastering addition/subtraction earlier but waiting for the rest.

I also want to say that it is possible to teach math as a structured homeschool subject if that’s best for your family’s needs. This out of the box math inspiration and approach is not the only “right” option!

If you approach it with flexibility and the understanding that there is more than one way, you can make regular curricula work for you as opposed to you working for it.

Keep in mind the long-term perspective: Not every child needs to love math, but it would be nice if so many didn’t hate it!

So if you decide to get out of the box when it comes to math, what can you do in the early years to prepare and play with numbers instead? I’m glad you asked!

Come back soon for the next update in this series. I’ll have a list of specific resources so you can create your own math playground.

“Mathematics should be taught as art for art’s sake. These mundane “useful” aspects would follow naturally as a trivial by product. Beethoven could easily write an advertising jingle, but his motivation for learning music was to create something beautiful.” ~ Paul Lockhart

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!

Simple Homeschool writers have shared a look at an average day inside their homes — whether they have one child or many; whether they love a certain curriculum or method or prefer to come up with their own way of doing things. If you’re looking for inspiration, you’re in the right place!

Read on and gather plenty of practical ideas you can apply in your own homeschool:

2025 Homeschool Day in the Life Series – (15th & final year!)

• Amber’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 9-, 11-, 13- and 15-year-old)
• A Day in the Life of a Waldorf Kindergarten
• Kari’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 4-, 6-, 16-, & 18-year-old)
• Jamie’s FINAL Homeschool Day (with a 17-, 18-, & 19-year-old)
• Debbie’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 14- and 15-year-old)
• Sarah’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with twin toddlers & a 3-, 10-, 12-, & 14-year-old)
• Lusi’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 13- and 15- year old)

2024 Homeschool Day in the Life Series – (14th year)

• Jamie’s Then and Now: Lessons from a Veteran Homeschool Mom
• Debbie’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 13- and 14-year-old)
• Jessica’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with an 11-year-old only child)
• Lusi’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 12- and 14- year old)
• Then and Now: Jamie’s Homeschool Day (with a 5-, 6-, & 7-year-old) UPDATED!
• Amber’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 8-, 10-, 12- and 14-year-old)
• Colleen’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with an 11-, 14-, 16-, & 21-year-old)
• Kari’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 3-, 5-, 15-, & 17-year-old)
• Then and Now: Jamie’s Homeschool Day (with a 6-, 7-, & 8-year-old) UPDATED!
• Jamie’s Homeschool Day (with a 7-, 8-, & 9-year-old) UPDATED!

2023 Homeschool Day in the Life Series – (13th year)

• Jamie’s Homeschool Day in the Life Podcast, Episode #103 (Reflections with my 18-year-old son)
• Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a 2-, 4-, 13-, & 16-year-old)
• Erin’s homeschool day in the life (with a 10- and 15-year-old)
• Melissa’s homeschool day in the life (with a 9-, 12-, 15-, & 16-year-old)
• Jessica’s homeschool day in the life (with a 10-year-old)
• Lusi’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with an 11- & 13-year-old)
• Amber’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 7, 9, 11, & 13-year-old)
• Colleen’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 10-, 13-, 15-, & 20-year-old)
• Come share YOUR homeschool day in the life!

2022 Homeschool Day in the Life Series – (12th year)

• Melissa’s homeschool day in the life (with an 8-, 11- 14-, & 15-year-old)
• Jessica’s homeschool day in the life (with a 9-year-old only child)
• Lusi’s homeschool day in the life (with a 10-, 12-, 17-, 18-, and 19-year old)
• Cait’s quarantine day in the life (with a 10-, 12-, and 13-year-old)
• Colleen’s homeschool day in the life (with a 9-, 12-, 14-, and 19-year-old)
• Jamie’s homeschool day in the life (with a 16-, 17-, & 18-year-old)
• Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a 1-, 3-, 13-, and 15-year-old)
• Erin’s homeschool day in the life (with a 9- and 14-year-old)
• Share your homeschool day in the life!

2021 Homeschool Day in the Life Series – (11th year)

• Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a newborn, 2-, 11- and 14-year-old)
• Shawna’s homeschool day in the life (with a 15- and 18-year-old)
• Melissa’s homeschool day in the life (with a 7-, 10-, 13-, 14-, 17-, and 20-year-old)
• Purva’s day (with an 8-, 11-, and 12-year-old)
• Cait’s gameschool day (with a 9-, 11-, and 12-year-old)
• Colleen’s homeschool day (with an 8-, 11-, 13-, and 18-year-old)
• Jamie’s homeschool day (with a 15-, 16-, and 17-year-old)
• Your turn to share your own homeschool day

2020 Homeschool Day in the Life Series – (10th year of this series!!!)

• Kara’s homeschool day in the life (with a 12-year-old and 15-year-old)
• Purva’s homeschool day in the life (with a 7-, 10-, and 11-year old)
• Cait’s gameschool day in the life (with an 8-, 10-, and 11-year-old)
• Colleen’s homeschool day in the life (with a 7-, 10-, 12-, and 17- year-old )
• Jamie’s homeschool day in the life (with a 14-, 15-, and 16-year-old)
• Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a 1-, 10-, and 13-year-old)
• Shawna’s homeschool day in the life (with a 14-and 17-year-old)
• Melissa’s homeschool day in the life (with a 16-, 13-, 12-, 9-, and 6-year-old)
• Share your own homeschool day in the life

2019 Homeschool Day in the Life Series – (9th year of this series)

• Kara’s homeschool day (with a 12- and 15-year-old)
• Kris’s homeschool day in the life (with a 17-, 19- and 23-year-old )
• Purva’s homeschool day in the life (with a 6-, 9-, & 10-year-old)
• Cait’s homeschool day in the life (with an 8-, 10-, and 11-year-old)
• Jamie “introverted mom” homeschool day in the life (with a 13-, 14-, & 15-year-old)
• Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a 5-month, 9- and 12-year old)
• Shawna’s homeschool day in the life (with a 13- and 16-year-old)
• Melissa’s unschool day in the life (with a 5-, 8-, 11-, 12- and 15-year old)
• Kara’s “essentials only” day in the life (with a 7-, 10-, 12-, and 17-year-old)
• Share your homeschool day in the life

2018 Homeschool Day in the Life Series – (8th year of this series)

• Melissa’s homeschool day in the life (with a 4-, 7-, 10-, 11-, 14-, and 17-year-old)
• Kara’s homeschool day in the life with a 10- and 13-year-old
• Jamie’s homeschool day in the life (with a 12-, 13-, & 14-year-old)
• Purva’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 5-, 8-, and 9-year-old)
• Cait’s homeschool day in the life (with a 6-, 8-, and 9-year-old)
• Colleen’s homeschool day in the life (with a 5-, 8-, 10-, and 15- year-old)
• Kara’s day in the life (with a 6-, 9-, 11-, and 16-year old)
• Kris’s homeschool day in the life (with a 16-, 18- and 22-year-old)
• Pam’s homeschool day in the life (with an 8-, 10- and 12-year-old)
• Kari’s day in the life (with a 9- and 11-year-old)
• Shawna’s homeschool day in the life (with a 12- and 15-year-old)
• Your turn to share a homeschool day in the life!

2017 Homeschool Day in the Life Series – (7th year of this series)

• Kris’s homeschool day in the life (with 15-, 17- & 21-year-old)
• Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a 7- & 10-year-old)
• Mystie’s homeschool day in the life (with 4-, 7-, 9, 11- & 13-year-old)
• Shawna’s homeschool day in the life (with a 11- & 14-year-old)
• Melissa’s homeschool day in the life (with a 3-, 6-, 9-, 10-, 13 & 16-year-old)
• Purva’s homeschool day in the life (with a 4-, 7- & 8-year-old)
• Alicia’s homeschool day in the life (with a 3-, 8-, 11- & 14-year-old)
• Kara A’s homeschool day in the life (with an 10- & 13-year-old)
• Jamie’s homeschool day in the life (with a 11-, 12-, & 13-year-old)
• Cait’s homeschool day in the life (with a 5-, 7- & 8-year-old)
• Heather’s homeschool day in the life (with a 4-, 6- and 8-year-old)
• Kara F’s homeschool day in the life (with a 5-, 8-, 10- & 15-year-old)
• Come share YOUR homeschool day in the life!

Photo by Gillian King

2016 Homeschool Day in the Life Series – (6th year of this series)

• Melissa’s homeschool day in the life (with a 2-, 5-, 8-, 9-, 12 & 15-year-old)
• Kara A’s homeschool day in the life (with an 8- & 11-year-old)
• Jamie’s homeschool day in the life (with a 10-, 11-, & 12-year-old)
• Sarah’s homeschool day in the life (with twin 2-year-olds, a 3-, 10-, 12- & 14-year-old )
• Cait’s homeschool day in the life (with a 4-, 6- & 7-year-old)
• Kara F’s homeschool day in the life (with a 4-, 7-, 9- & 14-year-old)
• Kris’s homeschool day in the life (with 14-, 16- & 20-year-old)
• Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a 6- & 9-year-old)
• Lora’s homeschool day in the life (with a 3-, 6-, 7-, 9-, 10-, & twin 11-year-olds)
• Shawna’s homeschool day in the life (with a 10- & 13-year-old)
• Readers link up with your own homeschool day in the life!

Photo by Rick Harris

2015 Homeschool Day in the Life Series – (5th year of this series)

• Sarah’s homeschool day in the life (with twin 1-year-olds, and a 2, 9, 11, & 13-year-old)
• Dave’s homeschool day in the life (with a 4- & 6-year-old)
• Kara’s homeschool day in the life (with a 7- & 10-year-old)
• Jamie’s homeschool day in the life (with a 9, 10, & 11-year-old)
• Amida’s homeschool day in the life (with a 4, 8, 13, & 16-year-old)
• Kris’s homeschool day in the life (with a 13, 15, & 19-year-old)
• Shawna’s homeschool day in the life (with an 8- & 11-year-old)
• Melissa’s homeschool day in the life (with a 1-, 4-, 7-, 8-, 11- & 14-year-old)
• Angie’s homeschool day in the life (with a 10, 13, & 15-year-old)
• Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a 5 & 8-year-old)
• Tsh’s homeschool day in the life (with a 4, 7, & 9-year-old)
• Anne’s homeschool day in the life (with a 4, 7, 9 & 11-year-old)
• Diana’s homeschool day in the life (with a 5-year-old)
• Readers link up with your own homeschool day in the life!

Photo by Yann Gar

2014 Homeschool Day in the Life Series – (4th year of this series)

• Anne’s homeschool day in the life (with a 3, 6, 8, & 10-year-old)
• Jamie’s homeschool day in the life (with an 8, 9, & 10-year-old)
• Cheryl’s homeschool day in the life (with an 18-month-old & 5, 16, 17, & 18-year-olds)
• Kara’s homeschool day in the life (with a 6 & 9-year-old)
• Donna’s homeschool day in the life (with 11-year-old twins)
• Diana’s homeschool day in the life (with a 4-year-old)
• Amida’s homeschool day in the life (with a 3, 7, 12, & 15-year-old)
• Kris’s homeschool day in the life (with a 12, 14, & 18-year-old)
• Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a 4 and 7-year-old)
• Readers link up to share their homeschool days

Photo by St0rmz

2013 Homeschool Day in the Life Series – (3rd year of this series)

• Amida’s homeschool day in the life (with a 2-, 6-, 11-, and 14-year-old)
• Kris’s homeschool day in the life (with an 11-, 13-, & 17-year-old)
• Jamie’s homeschool day in the life (with a 7-, 8-, & 9-year-old)
• Hillary’s homeschool day in the life (with a 2-, 5-, & 8-year-old)
• Lora’s homeschool day in the life (with a 10 months, 2-, 4-, 5-, 7-, 8-. & 8- year old)
• Sarah’s homeschool day in the life (with a 12- and 15-year-old)
• Jessica’s homeschool day in the life (with a 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-, and 15-year old)
• Kara’s day in the life (with an 18 month, 4, 6, and 11 year old)
• Rachel’s homeschool day in the life (with a 6- & 10-year-old)

Photo by Phani Kumar

2012 Homeschool Day in the Life Series – (2nd year of this series)

• Amida’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 1, 5, 10, and 13-year-old)
• Kris’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 16-, 12-, and 10-year-old)
• Jamie’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 6, 7, & 8-year-old)
• Renee’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 9, 10 & 12-year-old)
• Hillary’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 7, 4 and 1-year-old)
• Sarah’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with an 11-year-old and 14-year-old)
• Rachel’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 6, 8, 12, & 15-year-old)

Photo by Luca Diggelmann

2011 Homeschool Day in the Life Series – (1st year of this series)

• Heather’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 13-year-old)
• Sarah’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 10-,13-year-old, & a Graduate)
• Jamie’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 5-, 6-, & 7-year-old)
• Donna’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with 8-year-old twins)
• Amida’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a newborn, 4-, 9-, & 12-year-old)
• Heidi’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 4-, 6-, 9-year-old, & baby, too!)
• Renee’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 8-, 9-, & 11-year-old)
• Lora Lynn’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 2-, 3-, 5-, & two 6-year-olds)

A Different Way to Look at Math ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool

Like many of us, I have a complicated relationship with math.

I like math.

But I don’t always like how it’s taught.

I naturally excelled at math in school. The subject made me feel powerful, and eventually I was offered the chance to skip 7th grade math (which I ended up declining – those 8th graders looked so scary!).

You’d think since I had a “positive” experience with math in school, I would have been eager to replicate that in our home.

But my heart (and my children) steered me in a different direction.

I see now that the main skill that led to my math success wasn’t understanding math; it was the ability to memorize. From an early age I used that skill to people-please my way into my teachers’ hearts, to form an identity for myself, and to cover up deep-rooted feelings of insecurity.

(See?! I told you it was complicated!)

And as the years passed, I had that familiar sense so many of us identify with when it comes to this subject: Boredom.

Nagging questions rang through my head: “What’s the point of all this?” and “When am I ever going to use it?”

I wanted something different for my kids.

I saw the value of studying numbers, patterns, and shapes – because God built those into our world. Therefore they must be interesting, useful, and worth learning about!

Yet I dared to imagine a different timeline for this subject. Because when I looked at the math scope and sequence, especially for elementary school kids, one thing appeared drastically lacking:

The principle of relevancy.

A Different Way to Look at Math

Children naturally want to learn and conquer things that are relevant to their lives.

I saw this with my own as littles when it came to a love of and interest in words. In our home my children were surrounded by reading and writing–therefore they showed interest in both (still on their own unique timeline, mind you.)

With math, the process felt different.

Some parts were relevant – the ones that appeared in our daily lives.

This included writing numbers, counting, basic adding and subtracting, temperature, fractions as related to cooking, telling time, measuring, the concepts of multiplication and division (but not complicated calculations with them early on), decimals as related to money, etc.

But math that didn’t naturally arise in our daily lives didn’t get our focus early on because it requires a different process: Abstract thought.

The ability to reason and think abstractly doesn’t come in the early elementary years–it develops closer to the age of puberty.

“Piagetian experiments have shown repeatedly that cognitive maturity may not come until close to age 12. Interestingly, the ancient Orthodox Jews, known over the world for their brilliance, provided little or no formal schooling until after age twelve for girls and thirteen for boys when children were considered able to accept full responsibility for their actions.”
~ Dr. Raymond Moore, The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook, pg. 44

The traditional approach to math study, whether done at school or at home, creates a hate of math in many kids. It makes plenty feel stupid at a young age – an internal lesson hard to unlearn later. Others (like I did) begin to measure themselves by their positive performance instead of their inner value.

All of the above is the opposite of what I wanted for my own children. Instead of making my kids fit the system, I created a new system to fit my kids.

It included a different way to look at math.

I will not for a second suggest that this was always simple to do. But in some ways, it was easy. I lightened my load considerably by allowing the principle of relevancy to guide our math learning.

My own mental battles ended up being the hard part when it came to choosing something so counter-cultural – and sticking with that decision in the face of opposition. When I started to panic (and you should know I did many times), those mental battles were usually the reason why.

We had to step way outside the grade level box to follow our family’s personal convictions in this area, and that took courage. But believing we were doing what was right for our children made the choice worth it.

If you feel at peace in your homeschool choices when it comes to math, please keep on keeping on! As always, there are a million ways of creating a successful homeschool, and zero ways to create a perfect one.

My method here isn’t “right” and others “wrong,” it’s all about discovering what works for your family and your kids.

But if you’ve hit a wall in your study of numbers, if you or your students have or are experiencing math burnout, or if you’ve ever wondered “Is this the only way?” – then know that you’re not alone.

Perhaps you just need a different way to look at math.

Over the next month or so I hope to bring a little thought-provoking inspiration across your path in this series on looking at math differently from my perspective as a now retired homeschool mom of three. Stay tuned!

“The tantalizing and compelling pursuit of mathematical problems offers mental absorption, peace of mind amid endless challenges, repose in activity, battle without conflict, “refuge from the goading urgency of contingent happenings,” and the sort of beauty changeless mountains present to sense tried by the present-day kaleidoscope of events.”
~Morris Kline, Mathematics in Western Culture

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!

Simple Homeschooling 101: What to Teach and When to Teach It ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool

More than once during my 15 years of homeschooling, I wished I could find a resource that would simply list the basic subjects we needed to cover as well as give me ideas for how and when to prioritize them.

I found plenty of conflicting and over-complicated descriptions, but here, in the name of “Simple” Homeschool and as a veteran/retired homeschooler, I have created for all of you what I once wanted and needed.

Prefer to listen instead? Look for episode 62 of the SH podcast!

To begin Simple Homeschooling 101, here is a list of the four basic subjects:

• Language Arts: Includes reading, writing (handwriting/spelling/grammar/composition), and literature
• Math
• Science
• History

Then depending on your child’s age/grade, you might add in things like:

• PE/Health, Foreign Language, and electives, centered around your kids’ interests, future goals, and your family’s priorities

Below, I’ll share how our family covered these subjects in an outside-the-box way through the years.

Remember: Personalization is the goal, and your homeschool doesn’t have to look like “school” to inspire real learning.

This is not at all a “Homeschooling 101” formula to follow, as you don’t need that! There are a million ways to run a “successful” homeschool, and zero ways to run a perfect one.

Don’t seek to follow my plan or anyone else’s – adapt everything (yes, even that official looking curriculum!) to suit your family’s needs.

I originally divided this article into the traditional categories of elementary, middle, and high school, only to realize that most of my recommendations for middle and high were the same, so I’ve switched to two categories instead: one covering ages 5-12, and one for teens.

Simple Homeschooling 101: What to Teach and When to Teach It (Updated!)

Early Schooling (ages 5-12)

Our family’s main goal during this time was to have our children make tiny, incremental progress in core subjects, while maintaining their love of learning. The traditional system tends to overemphasize a child’s progress while often doing away with the love.

A child’s brain is wired to learn best through play during this time, so keep that in mind as you think about the subjects that you hope to cover. This is especially true for ages 5-9, with slowly increasing maturity as they hit double digits.

Learning to Read – We only did this officially when we felt like each child was interested and ready, and not all children need formal reading instruction – some teach themselves!

If you do need or want to introduce this, I would recommend All About Reading, Reading Eggs, or simply a BrainQuest workbook (afflinks), and start out small – five minute lessons with lots of praise (and/or bribery) as needed.

Learning to Write – When you feel they’re ready, teach your child to form capital and lowercase letters (any basic workbook can help with this, or you may not even need one).

Once they have mastered them, begin doing copywork – copying a few words or a sentence each day. Use their name, inspiring quotes, or passages from their favorite book!

This sets the foundation for spelling and grammar later on.

If you want to add in formal spelling, I recommend All About Spelling – but remember those super-short, high-motivation lessons are key! 5-15 minutes is plenty, and only as a formal practice after your child has a beginner’s grasp on reading.

For grammar, we used Mad Libs, not diving into anything more formal until the tween/teen years.

Literature – We read, read, and read aloud some more during this range, enjoying the natural conversations that would arise through that time together, not trying to force “narration” or anything too schooly. Substitute audiobooks if reading aloud isn’t enjoyable for you.

What should you read? Use a guide to help you discover classics, like my own book (for a global lens) Give Your Child the World, Honey for A Child’s Heart, or The Read-Aloud Family, as well as adding in books that interest you and yours!

We also used audio stories from Sparkle Stories a lot at this age as a “slow media” alternative to excess screentime – they gave us a break and occupied many car rides, too!

Math – We read math books in the early years and enjoyed Bedtime Math, mixed with a little gameschooling for good measure. Later we introduced an online curriculum when it seemed like the kids were ready for more, allowing them to dip in and out as they wanted.

Science – We enjoyed informal nature study, read-alouds, and an outdoor wilderness program for science, not doing any formal curriculum until the teen years, but just what interested each child when it came to this subject. (Long-time readers will remember my son’s intense meteorology phase.)

History – Likewise we covered this mainly through read-alouds and videos during this age range, and it worked so well that my kids fell in love with history and wanted to study it more deeply as teens.

If you want to take it further, begin a history timeline. And if you feel memory work is important in this subject or any other, look for play-based resources (songs, etc) to help you accomplish that.

Interests – Everything Else! This is where we dove into my own interests, family priorities like Bible, and the interests of the children. This is what we emphasized the most during this age range.

Teen Schooling (ages 13+)

Don’t be afraid of homeschooling middle or high school! Generally speaking, 120 hours spent on a subject (including a student’s personal reading, documentaries, online courses, and formal work) or 75% of a textbook completed equals one credit.

Once you get familiar with the process, it’s not scary, and sites like FastTranscripts.com make it a breeze to quantify your teen’s learning in a way that colleges can understand.

Our family’s homeschooling goal during the teen years has always been to meet the minimum requirements for graduation, and then allow tons of extra time to pursue areas of interest and passion!

Language Arts – Here are some of the resources that worked well for us, which we adapted to each child’s interest level and ability:

• Sonlight (literature/history/Bible)
• TJEd High (online mentoring in literature and leadership)
• Wordsmith Craftsman (after searching for AGES, this thin guide contains everything your high schooler needs in order to write well!)
• All About Spelling – We only taught spelling after age 10+, when I could tell whether or not my children were natural spellers. At older ages they progressed quickly and were motivated, too.
• Grammar: Both Fix It Grammar and Life of Fred Language Arts worked well for us!

Math – Using online resources for math allowed me to outsource this subject, which I loved! We mainly used Teaching Textbooks as a key component in our homeschooling 101.

Science – We tried a variety of higher level science options, but the best fit for us ended up being the courses from All in One High School. (Bonus: They’re FREE!!!) We loved it because it was self-sufficient for my child to complete on his own, and was just right for a student who needs a solid overview of the subject but isn’t planning to go into a science-related field.

If your student might want to explore a STEM-related field in their future, the online classes from My Fun Science are highly reputable and recommended!

PE/Health – Our outdoor wilderness school, C25K and Calm apps, and a basic health textbook

Foreign Language – A combination of Duolingo, All in One Spanish, and private tutoring worked perfectly for us!

History – Sonlight, lots of reading (both fiction and non-fiction), Big Fat Notebooks, and the occasional workbook

Current Events – Watching and discussing CNN10 and The World from A to Z led to incredible discussions over the years (sometimes we still watch and discuss these together!)

Electives: This is where teens can focus on areas of interest – it’s where homeschoolers can thrive in ways that teens in traditional school just don’t have the hours for!

Also use electives to focus on your family priorities, like Bible Study, Life Skills, etc. Some of the specialized courses we created for my high schoolers included Drawing, Music Theory, Film Studies, Animation, Lighting Design Technology, and more.

We have seen this interest-led approach go on to serve the children well as they continue to slowly enter their post-homeschooling phase of life. When Jonathan applied to colleges for Lighting Design, he was told that his current level of skill was already similar to that of a college graduate in the field, so they weren’t sure he would “fit in.”

He appreciated their candor and opted out! (Though he did get in to both places he applied.)

Instead of college, he ended up getting hired by a variety of A-list celebrities within a year of high school graduation, and is currently touring worldwide with various artists.

This was never our intention, plan, or goal when we let him pursue his interest through high school, but it is remarkable to see that what one does for love and interest can go on to translate into a satisfying work life!

I hope this list has served as a helpful Simple Homeschooling 101 for you – simplifying your thinking about what to teach and when to teach it!

When we lean into the freedom and flexibility homeschooling has to offer, we can craft a beautiful and highly individualized education that suits each child best, and sets them up well for wherever life may take them.

* Read more of Jamie’s popular posts on Simple Homeschool here.

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!

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