[Originally written to support parents during the 2020 pandemic, this guidance remains valuable for anyone now exploring alternatives to conventional schooling.] Well, you thought life would be back to “normal” by now, but it’s not looking promising. Perhaps you suddenly find yourself considering homeschooling because your local school is not […]
high school
24 posts
Q: What about socialization, and how can I be sure I’m doing a good job at it? Are there any tools to help me? A: It may help to first define terms: Socialization is the lifelong process through which people learn (dare I say internalize?) the values and norms of […]
Do you have an older elementary or early middle school student still struggling with reading comprehension, or maybe even with decoding skills? While many of us think of a child learning to read at about age five, the truth is that the reading readiness age varies widely, as children mature […]
You know that all kids learn at different rates and have different strengths. But it’s still easy to get a bit nervous when your 4th (or 7th) grader seems to still not grasp concepts you’d think she should know — or that you know you’ve gone over. You get a […]
If you homeschooled your child through the primary grades, you may find that you initially experienced moments of self-doubt, but you managed through the first year (or two, or three) and gained confidence to educate your child at home…until now! It is not uncommon for parents to second-guess themselves all […]
We all have probably heard the principle that it is better to give than to receive, but how do we teach our children to treat others kindly, give generously, and serve willingly? What are our kids mirroring? Children are often like little mirrors, reflecting our attitudes and actions. They are […]
In other posts, we’ve discussed testing and assessment options. Depending on the legal requirements for homeschoolers in your state, you may choose to instead have your child evaluated, or have a portfolio evaluation. Evaluations Who might benefit from an evaluation? Young children, students who don’t read well or quickly yet, children with learning […]
Homeschool Records: Souvenirs of Your Homeschool Journey Just like your banking records, there are certain papers that are useful for you to stash away for the future, whether for a school official, or for your children, or for you to reminisce! It is helpful to put together a portfolio each […]
You may wonder, “What should I teach my child this year?” If your child is in, say, kindergarten or third grade or sixth grade, you may wonder what most kids might know at that grade level. If you are using an all-inclusive curriculum package, this may not be a pressing […]
[This post contains affiliate links.] At the elementary and junior high levels, grades are a progress report of sorts, a mechanism for a teacher in a conventional setting to let parents know how a child is doing. The report card qualifies and quantifies how the child is doing in school—in […]