How to Teach Preschool

My little Louisa rides her scooter!

Teaching preschoolers is great fun! If you’ve got little ones, your are in for a treat when it comes to teaching them “school”. They are curious and love to do things with Mom! 

You can teach your little one all yourself, or you can assign an older child to take charge some of the time. If you are teaching other older siblings, you can just have your preschooler join in for some of the school time for them, while you sing together, read aloud, do art, etc. and other whole family activities. Preschoolers will beg for their own workbooks and assignments. But if you are teaching just preschoolers, here is how I teach preschoolers.

[Read more…]

How Do I Choose Resources for my Homeschool?

homeschooling curriculum

My daughter Louisa

Homeschooling is a big decision that takes much thought and prayer. For most of us, the move into homeschooling is a step into uncharted territory. We haven’t been brought up in this lifestyle and we aren’t quite sure just how to proceed.

[Read more…]

Keep on Schedule or Let ’em Fly?

Question:

I just started homeschooling my 5 year old boy who loves math. I bought the Calvert Kindergarten curriculum because I had no idea what I was doing and thought I needed a lot of structure (which is what I got). It seems to be too slow for him and sometimes boring. He already knows how to do simple addition, subtraction, and multiplication in his head because he is always asking us math questions (especially related to money). He carries around a calculator all day and comes to tell me what 572 plus 12 is. He wants to know about millions and billions and beyond. We have never done addition or beyond on paper but it seems he is ready for that. Should I continue on with these lesson plans as they are outlined or let him go on ahead as he wants to do? [Read more…]

Teaching an Older Child to Write

Photoxpress_4560323-150x150Question:

I have a 9th grade daughter that really struggles in writing. She does not like writing so it has always been a battle and I have not pushed it nearly enough. Now I find she is really behind in writing and I am feeling panicked because writing is so important to every other subject. Do you have any suggestions of how to help an older student learn to be a better writer? I really feel like I have failed her.

[Read more…]

Spelling Clues

 

My daughter Louisa (15)

English is a beautiful language! It is the language of the Kings James Version of the Bible. It is the language of Shakespeare. Then, why—oh, why can’t we spell?

Over the years of teaching my 7 children to write, I wonder if perhaps I have seen nearly every misspelling known to man. Tomorrow, friends, though, a lot . . . these common words can be quite challenging. I don’t claim to any system of success, but I do know that giving kids a memory clue can help a great deal! Here are just a few of the clues I have discovered that help my kids spell better:

[Read more…]

Summer Read-Aloud

Louisa finds a great spot to read in the cherry tree!

Louisa finds a great spot to read in the cherry tree!

Oooh, summer reading! Gives me a thrill to think about it, as those free hours can be so wonderfully applied to all the lovely books we miss during the school year!

Right now, Louisa and I are reading My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. Yes, Louisa is old enough to read it by herself, but then I would miss out, and I don’t want to. Plus, she wouldn’t have a good reason to sit and crochet or draw while she listens. And, most of all, we’d miss those interesting, value-transferring discussions that bind our hearts together!

[Read more…]

Loving American History!

uss-constitution-651125_1280I’d like to write a book. I would entitle it Saturated with History or Dripping with Destiny or Learning about History through Stories or some enticing title that would help children want to experience the wonderful deliciousness of learning history.

[Read more…]

"I" Before "E", But Not After "C"

The word "separate" has "a rat" in it. Remember this spelling tip and you'll always spell it correctly!

The word “separate” has “a rat” in it. Remember this spelling tip and you’ll always spell it correctly!

I am a product of the public schools of the 1960’s. I was taught the spelling ditty: “i” before “e” but not after “c”, and a host of other rules. Spelling rules seem to be made for the logical, perhaps, mathematical minds (not mine), but I am a good speller. How does that work?

[Read more…]

error

Please subscribe and I will email you a copy of my ebook: The Only School Chart that Survived 25 Years of Homeschooling!

Subscribe Now

Subscribe to receive new Posts

Subscribe!