Cross-country trips were a regular part of my growing up, thanks to my mother’s large family scattered from coast to coast. While the trips were primarily to visit relatives, my parents always incorporated outings to local landmarks. Mount Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Pike’s Peak, and the Carlsbad Caverns are […]
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When my firstborn reached eighth grade, I began thinking about his high school transcript. I admit it: my initial emotion was dread. How could I accurately summarize four full years on one little page? And how complicated would it be to figure out a GPA? A homeschool friend with older […]
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The days of sitting around the kitchen table all day to homeschool are long gone—at least for homeschooled high school students. Numerous options are now available to broaden their exposure to new subject matter, provide a group learning environment for specific subjects, or get a jump on their college education. […]
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In the midst of this season’s twinkle lights, Christmas music, shopping, and festivities, the refrain of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” has been echoing in my mind: “Oh tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy. Oh tidings of comfort and joy.” These tidings (or news) refer, of course, to […]
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Fall in New England is a visual feast. Vibrant foliage blankets hills and valleys—swaths of red, orange, and gold lining sparkling bodies of water and wrapping quaint town greens, the changing tapestry punctuated by white steeples. Picturesque farms are surrounded by a patchwork of fields offering apples, sunflowers, and pumpkins […]
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Reading aloud has great value, as any teacher of young children will tell you. Socially, it encourages bonding and a sense of community—picture an adult and children snuggled together on the couch at home, or gathered around a book in a classroom. Academically, reading aloud builds vocabulary and comprehension, stretching […]
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Do you work from home and also have to supervise your children’s school work? Are you a homeschooler who also works part-time from home? Have you experienced the double whammy of switching to remote work at the same time your children have been sent home full- or part-time? Whether formally […]
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The writer of Proverbs had much to say about the importance of work: “Those who work…will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense” (Proverbs 12:11). “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty” (Proverbs 14:23). “Diligent hands will rule, but laziness […]
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My story is not typical. Since my husband is a long-time employee of a Christian liberal arts college, also my alma mater, our older children simply attended that institution. It was close, familiar, and tuition was largely covered due to my husband’s tenure. But when our youngest daughter leaned toward […]
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Testing. The very word can strike fear into the hearts of both children and parents. On a daily basis, we homeschoolers enjoy the luxury of deciding how often we test our children. Once our children reach high school, though, a lot more is at stake—namely college admission and scholarship possibilities. […]
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