Whether you need strategies for survival or ideas for infusing new life into your learning, check out these great tips from homeschool parents who have walked the walk.
-
What Is Strewing?
Strewing is one of the best ways to add delight and creativity to your homeschool days whether you’re a full-on unschooler or a more traditional homeschool family. Strewing is quite simply laying out items that you think will be of interest to your children and letting them interact with them […]
Read More -
How to Know When It’s Time to Switch Homeschool Curriculum
The 19th-century British fairy tale “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” is a good place to start when considering homeschool curricula. The porridge Goldilocks sampled in the three bears’ home was, first, too hot, then, too cold and, finally, just right. The bears’ chairs and beds followed a similar pattern. The […]
Read More -
Back to School: Let’s Get Organized!
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the Homeschool Compass by shopping through our page! Getting started back to school gives us a chance for fresh inspiration for how to run our homeschools. Keeping things organized will make every part of homeschooling easier, from being able to find what you need when you […]
Read More -
Homeschooling While Working Remotely: Three Life Lessons
Homeschooling families are by and large a creative, talented, and steadfast bunch and have just the right type of parents to both work remotely and oversee their child’s education. If you’ve found yourself in this position, take heart! In my sixteen years of balancing a freelance writing career with homeschooling, […]
Read More -
7 Ways to Improve the Homeschool Math Struggle
Today we are delighted to welcome Jessica Eaton to the Homeschool Compass to share her top tips for taking the stress out of homeschool math. Jessica has a bachelor’s degree in Math and a Masters in Education. She taught middle school and high school for ten years before leaving the […]
Read More -
3 Best Practices for Nature Journaling
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the Homeschool Compass by shopping through our page! When I was 8 years old, my mother decided to homeschool my older brother and me. At the time we were traveling with an evangelistic crusade ministry across the Midwest United States. Every week we were in a […]
Read More -
Three Ways to Simplify the Art of Nature Journaling
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the Homeschool Compass by shopping through our page! “It is infinitely well worth the mother’s while to take some pains every day to secure, in the first place, that her children spend hours daily amongst rural and natural objects; and, in the second place, to infuse […]
Read More -
Homeschool Wherever You Are: Our Favorite Carschooling Resources
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the Homeschool Compass by shopping through our page! Carschooling is a great way to take your learning with you wherever you go, whether that’s on a weeklong summer road trip or a drive across town to the grocery store. One of the great advantages of homeschooling […]
Read More -
Turn Your Family Road Trip into a Family Field Trip!
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 […]
Read More -
10 Options for Homeschooling Through High School: The Many Looks of Homeschool High School
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. […]
Read More -
40+ Horse Books & Gifts Your Young Equestrian Will Love
Whether you’re starting a unit study on horses, or your child is a horse lover or rider, this list is for you. Check out these horse-related homeschooling resources, gift ideas, activities, and more. Fiction Books About Horses Informational Horse Books Coloring & Activity Books Horse DVDs Horse Gifts Horse Toys […]
Read More -
Tips for Working from Home While Homeschooling
My homeschooling journey has changed a lot over the past sixteen years. My favorite memories are of having all four of our children at home, spread out over the kitchen and living room. Now, with only one left studying at home, my days look a lot different. My middle schooler […]
Read More -
Educating With Animals
When people think of careers where they have the opportunity to work with animals, they might think of a zookeeper, veterinarian, marine biologist, or farmer. I had no interest in those careers because I wanted to be a teacher, but I still wanted to work with animals. I was able […]
Read More -
Nifty, Thrifty Summer Fun!
“We do not remember days. We remember moments.” – Cesare Pavese Create some of those memorable moments with your children this summer, without leaving home and without spending much money. Here are some thrifty, old-fashioned, fun ideas to get you started. Even now as an adult, I recall the joy […]
Read More -
How to Work from Home While Educating Multiple Children
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 […]
Read More -
More Than Just a Paycheck: How Jobs Can Help Your High Schooler
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 […]
Read More -
16 Math Games You Can Play with Cards or Dice
Games are a great way to reinforce basic math skills. Your kids probably won’t even realize how much they’re learning. These are some fun math games you can play with just a few dice and some playing cards. Make 100 Players: 1 or more Object: To be the first to […]
Read More -
4 Things You Can Do Right Now to Have a Smoother Homeschool Day
We’re delighted to welcome Emily Copeland to the Homeschool Compass today. Emily is a Christ follower, minister’s wife, church planter, and homeschool mom of two. She offers help and hope for the homeschool journey at Table Life Blog. There you’ll find practical ideas for home education and encouragement to help […]
Read More -
15 Ways to Help Kids Learn and Explore Outside
We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Kristin Moon of Kristin Moon Science back to the Homeschool Compass. If you’ve seen Dr. Moon’s previous article, you know that prioritizing time in the outdoors offers many benefits for us and for our kids. Sometimes we’re just not sure what to do when we get outside. After we’ve gone to all the trouble of getting our kids outdoors, what can we do to keep them excited and learning once they’re there? Dr. Moon has some great advice for us. Enjoying the outdoors as a family doesn’t need […]
Read More -
Teaching Handwork to Young Children
The work of childhood ought to be filled with joyful discovery. – Charlotte Mason As a child I loved creating with my hands, no matter the season. Summer daisy chains and mud pies, autumnal pocket treasures, frosty window drawings, and pressed spring flowers float through my childhood memories, like sparkles […]
Read More -
Creative Ways to Keep Kids Connected to Grandparents During Social Distancing
During this time of COVID-19 quarantine, we are asked to practice social distancing, but I agree with those who suggest that physical distancing may be a better term. It is critical for us to remain socially connected, but also to practice safe physical distancing, especially for the sake of our […]
Read More -
Beyond the Dining Room Table: The Amazing Benefits of Online Learning
Correspondence courses have existed since the 1840s, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that online schools were born. Even then, the homeschool community didn’t embrace the idea of virtual learning immediately. When I began exploring it around 2008, some programs existed but were not yet popular. Ten years later, online […]
Read More -
How to Set Up Your Homeschool Space for Maximum Learning
Having a homeschool space that suits your family goes a long way toward making your homeschool more pleasant. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to create a useful school space. In fact, you might not even need a designated space at all! Here are some ideas to help […]
Read More -
10 Ways to Incorporate Travel Into Your Homeschooling Adventure
Our family loves to travel. We’ve driven almost coast to coast, in Canada, and can’t wait to see what the future holds. Homeschooling offers the flexibility to trek out on our own schedule with our own curriculum goals in mind. If you are thinking about traveling with your gang, spend […]
Read More -
It’s Not All About Money: Pros and Cons of Parents Who Work While Homeschooling
By the time I began homeschooling in 2005, I was already working part-time as a bookseller. In fact, except for postpartum breaks, I had always worked at least a little. Money was tight, so every dollar counted. For all eight homeschool years, I continued to work – first as a […]
Read More -
The College Search Process: One Family’s Experience
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 […]
Read More -
To Test or Not To Test?: Considering the SAT and ACT
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. […]
Read More -
Education for the Real World
A few years ago, I was a 25-year-old homeschool grad without a bachelor’s degree. But I didn’t think I needed one either—after all, I worked in the editorial department of a Christian publishing company and loved it. All of a sudden, though, God gave me a thirst for something different. […]
Read More -
Politeness: The Fine Art of Teaching Manners to Children
“Your children are so polite!” Have you ever heard these words? Many of us who homeschool hear these words from elderly neighbors, church members, and even restaurant cashiers. Ironically, homeschooling critics quickly assume we will fail to “socialize” our children, yet homeschoolers receive these appreciative words that warm the heart: […]
Read More -
Learning Made Easier Through Effective Teaching Strategies
Homeschooling children with learning disabilities presents its own set of challenges. However, these challenges can lead to teachable moments that develop into lifetime solutions. For example, computational accuracy, making connections between mathematical concepts, and applying these math skills to real life situations are all essential. As an educator and parent, […]
Read More -
5 Ways Your Family Can Supplement the Household Income
We can devise a thousand honest ways of making a livelihood. —Agnes Grey, by Anne Bronte The Bronte sisters knew firsthand the value of frugality and infused their fictitious characters with the strength and ingenuity to overcome scarcity. Much like Anne Bronte’s Agnes Grey, our family has enjoyed “practicing the […]
Read More -
Manners and Respect: The Big Four
“Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.” —1 Peter 2:17 Much has been written regarding the importance of teaching children manners and respect. A web search produces a plethora of resources such as books, podcasts, video series, parenting classes, etiquette classes, and blog articles. It can […]
Read More -
Giving Gifts From the Heart
“Are you done with your Christmas shopping yet?” “Ugh. No. I’m still trying to find the perfect gift.” Can you relate to this conversation? I can, too. But all that is changing this year. Let’s redefine the “perfect” gift. (Send it to the recycle bin, along with trying to find […]
Read More -
15 Games to Add to Your Homeschool
Games are the perfect way to infuse some delight and wonder into your homeschool. Did you know some homeschoolers build their entire curriculum around games? Even if you don’t go that far, we all know that learning happens best when kids are engaged and having fun. Adding one of these […]
Read More -
How to End Your Homeschool Day Right
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. – 2 Cor. 5:17-18 Homeschooling offers many benefits — flexibility of schedule, […]
Read More -
Mastering the Grading Process: What Every Parent Should Know
Few challenges have any more ability to erode a home educator’s sense of confidence than the responsibility to assign accurate grades. Most parents feel like they are “standing in spaghetti” when it comes to evaluating their children’s academic work, and many attest to an overwhelming impression that their best efforts […]
Read More -
Preparing for Upper Level Studies: Intellectually Gifted Children
Living with intellectually gifted children and preteens can feel as if some alien creature is sucking the very life out of you! They need more, more, and MORE: discussions, challenges, limits, opportunities, and time. They are brain-draining black holes bursting with questions, bottomless pits needing input, input, INPUT. They are […]
Read More -
Field Trip Hacks: Educational & Recreational Activities on a Budget
Fall is an excellent time to take a field trip as a family or with a homeschool group. The weather is pleasant, and there are plenty of local events and activities available. With a little planning, homeschoolers can take advantage of discounts, making it easier to enjoy these activities on […]
Read More -
Field Trip Discounts: Clever Ways to Save Some Green
An exciting aspect of homeschooling is the opportunity to take your children on field trips to enhance the lessons they are learning. The possibilities of places to visit are nearly endless, yet going to museums, zoos, botanical gardens, aquariums, science centers, planetariums—most anywhere—comes with a price tag. If you’re educating […]
Read More -
Multi-Level Teaching: Tips and Perks
How to teach your kids all together, otherwise known as multi-level teaching, can be boiled down to these few words: use hands-on activities in units … it is that simple! Hands-on activities are the great levelers, because everyone is doing the same activity regardless of age or grade level and […]
Read More -
Homeschooling and Working: How We Do It
One of the myths about homeschooling is that the mother has to be a full-time, stay-at-home mother. I am here to say that is not true. For most of my children’s lives, my husband and I have both worked outside the home. I have also homeschooled. How are the two […]
Read More -
Stocking the Pantry with Self- Serve Snacks for the School Year
Are your homeschool lessons sidelined by kids asking for snacks again? Here is a shopping list of non-perishable items you can stock your cupboards with so your kids can easily make their own (somewhat) healthy snacks during the homeschool day. Peanut Butter or other nut butters Spread on apples, bananas, pretzels, […]
Read More -
10 Back to School Traditions for Homeschoolers
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the Homeschool Compass by shopping through our page! As parents we’re often excited to jump right into a new school year and immerse our kids in all the learning we have planned. But our kids may benefit from a gentle start […]
Read More -
5 Strategies for Back to School Success
We homeschool year round, but September marks the start of a fresh school year for us. That means this time of year is all about getting my brain and my home ready to tackle the challenges of a new season of homeschooling. Here are some of the ways I try […]
Read More -
Build a Reader, Build Her Library
As a kid, I had a lot of books . . . for a kid. We lived on an island, and it was easier for my parents to buy me books than to try to find a library. One of the most calamitous events of my short life occurred when […]
Read More -
Read to Me Forever: The Joys of Family Reading
When our kids are small, it’s a special joy to snuggle up with them on the couch or the bed or the big, comfy chair and read to them. We look at the pictures together, learn the rhymes together, and our hearts say, Yes. This is good. Good for them. Good […]
Read More -
Getting Started with Nature Journaling
Have you wanted to explore nature journaling with your kids, but you’re not sure how to start? Never fear! We’ve got your back. In this article we’ll answer all the nature journaling questions you’ve been dying to ask. What’s the deal with nature journaling anyway? It seems like nature journaling […]
Read More -
How to Create a Simple, Successful Homeschool Portfolio
It’s the time of year when many of us are winding down our homeschool for the season. You may be finishing strong and looking back on a year of exciting successes. Or you may be collapsing in exhaustion, eager to leave this year behind you. No matter how your school […]
Read More -
How To Host Your Own Year-End Homeschool Celebration
I live two minutes away from the local elementary school. We drive by it to go almost anywhere: grocery shopping, library, dance class. Often the latest school event is displayed on the sign. I confess that I often became envious about all the neat things the elementary kids were doing […]
Read More -
6 Tips for a Stress-Free Field Trip
Flexibility and freedom to follow your passions are great perks of homeschooling. There’s no better way to capitalize on that freedom than through field trips and learning adventures. With the stress of planning, prepping and keeping everyone happy over the course of a long day, sometimes it feels easier to […]
Read More -
10 Tips for Including Chores in Your Homeschool Routine
Ah, chores. Sometimes they can seem never-ending, right? Like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get through that to-do list. Not to mention when you add that carefully curated homeschool lesson plan to the agenda. But, have you ever considered chores being a part of the homeschool […]
Read More -
4 Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder In Your Homeschool
Are you working hard every day, but can’t figure out why you never seem to be able accomplish every task? Feeling frazzled and wondering if you’ll ever be able to get on top of all that you manage? Well, you are not alone! At some point all home educators feel […]
Read More -
Team Teaching: Ways to Include Dad (or Grandparents) To Bring Balance and Flexibility to Your Homeschool
Not all homeschoolers have family members who are willing or able to share the responsibilities of homeschooling, but for those of us that do, there are many creative ways to outsource a portion of your teaching responsibilities to another family member. Family Devotions Family devotions are a great place for […]
Read More -
Carschooling for the Homeschool Win
If you’re like me, you’ve found that the term homeschooling can be a bit of a misnomer. Between driving to the grocery store, the park, meet-ups with friends, swimming lessons, dentist appointments, and an occasional long distance trip to Grandma’s house, not to mention summer road trips and vacations, my […]
Read More -
Explore, Discover, & Create . . . with Notebooking!
At the end of each school year, are you finding yourself swimming through mounds of worksheets, quizzes, tests, and half-finished workbooks wondering just what to do with it all? Where does the organization begin? What do you keep? Where will you keep it? How much should you, dare I say, […]
Read More -
College Prep 101: Teaching Responsible Study Habits
For high schoolers, there’s more to planning for college than simply getting accepted. Unless your student has experienced a more rigorous course of study and learned some good study habits, he’ll be overwhelmed to arrive on campus and discover the mountains of reading, writing, and studying that await him. You […]
Read More