Today’s post is by Katie. I  just love this idea and I know you will too! What would happen if we dressed backwards, walked backwards, ate in reverse order, stood on the tables, and ate on the floor? Sounds like a scene from Pippi Longstocking, doesn’t it. Here is how an English discussion resulted in great memories made and delightful fun on our self-proclaimed Backwards Day. What do you Know? It all started with a K-W-L chart. We were brainstorming {Read More}

The 2:1 Conference held in VA is a unique weekend event bringing together creative women who desire to belong to a tribe. This tribe is dedicated to coming alongside each other to build up the Christian homeschooling blogger. Do you need a dose of homeschool encouragement? Are you looking to make connections with your blogging friends? Are you looking for help navigating your online space? If so, the 2:1 Conference is perfect for you! 5 reasons to attend the 2:1 {Read More}

They call it the horse bug and she’s got it bad. My 8 year old daughter simply can not get enough! She owns dozens of horse books and checks out new ones from the library each week. To say that she loves horses is really a major understatement. Naturally, I wanted to capitalize on this interest in our homeschool. Knowing how many little ones have the horse bug, I figured we might share our resources. So, check out what we {Read More}

Probably the most frequent question I get as a homeschool mom and former classroom educator has to do with writing. Namely, parents are generally confused about the difference between writing and handwriting and when to use each one. So I thought I’d try to answer that question today. When to start teaching writing? Writing is sort of like baseball: every parent has a different idea of when a child should start. Many think that you should buy that first ball {Read More}

Because I have a masters degree in early childhood {reading/curriculum development} people often assume that I have all the answers to homeschooling. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I struggle just like you do to make excellent selections for my kids. There are so many great options out there and the best choice for a family isn’t always black-and-white. Homeschool curriculum is not one-size-fits-all. We need to be careful about making assumptions when we listen to the {Read More}

I sat at the picnic table flipping through my Bible study when the two ladies walked up. My kids were playing on the playground happily and I was enjoying a little time in the Word. I smiled a hello and went back to my reading. But the moms couldn’t get over it. Convinced that I was a bad mom they gawked at my behavior. I watched as they stood closely to their tots and helped them navigate the playground, occasionally {Read More}

Leaves are falling and the air is getting cooler. I know, it hardly seems like the time to be thinking about what homeschool convention you will go to this spring. But, actually, now is the BEST time to think about this very important decision. Making the decision now will save you $20. Um…yeah.  That’s right. It’s almost half of the EARLY BIRD price! I don’t know about you, but it’s hard to pass up a deal like that! Why Teach them {Read More}

I don’t know about you, but there is nothing more annoying that sitting down for a great math lesson only to find that your child didn’t bother to get a pencil out. Or perhaps you are more bothered by the world’s greatest homeschool mystery- “where are all of the scissors?” Well, we have solved this problem in our home. Several months ago, I bought the Bygel rack from Ikea.  Throw in 4 cups and the project was a whopping $7. {Read More}

    Today is the big day! I absolutely can not wait to find out who is speaking at the Teach them Diligently Convention 2013. How about you? Trust me, I am not kidding when I say that you don’t want to miss this. Teach them Diligently is amazing. It’s creators are amazing. The speakers are amazing. The community is amazing. I can not say enough good things about the convention, you are simply going to have to come and {Read More}

I have a confession. I actually like schedules. I like organization and routine. I like to know what is going to happen next. When I had my first baby, schedule was a very popular word. Of course, I was all over that. For years I ran a pretty tight ship, especially when it came to sleeping. I had nearly every moment of our day scheduled meticulously. And then things changed. Our family got turned upside down and the schedule went {Read More}

Welcome, friend. This is Day 5 of a 5 part series on organizing Classical Conversations. Click below to read the other posts: At Home Set-up, The Memory Work , Materials and A Classical Notebook. Whether you are a CC tutor or a teacher in your own homeschool, there are many fun ways to organize the teaching process. Before we begin, I want to share my favorite bag. Since CC groups meet in a borrowed space, we often have to cart materials back and forth between home and class. {Read More}

Welcome, friend. This is Day 4 of a 5 part series on organizing Classical Conversations. Click below to see the other posts and read more about what we have planned! I LOVE notebooks! I have a true fascination for the craft. It intrigues me, excites me and just plain makes me happy. I can’t imagine homeschooling without one. Each year, my children make a notebook that will collect, document, and showcase their academic journey for that year. It’s something that a {Read More}

Welcome, friend. This is Day 3 of a 5 part series on organizing Classical Conversations. Click below to see the other posts and read more about what we have planned!   I love to find practical and applicable ways to organize materials. Organization leads to a much more efficient school day. Classical Conversation (CC) materials, are no exception. However, they do present a challenge. The timeline cards are big and numerous. The review cards are small and easy to get {Read More}