Vicki Bentley

71 posts

New high school release: High School 101: Blueprint for Success

For many homeschool parents, the thought of high school brings a whole new set of questions. What courses should we take? How do I assign credits? What about transcripts and recordkeeping? Will colleges accept a homeschool diploma? What if my student isn’t college-bound? And perhaps the biggest question of all: […]

Listen in …. Conversations with Vicki

I’ve been working on the site, updating info since my most recent book was released (High School 101: Blueprint for Success, available in our store here or at Amazon), and rounded up just a handful of past interviews/podcasts as I surfed the internet. Enjoy! (And thanks so much to those […]

How to Create Your Teen’s High School Plan

(This article is adapted/condensed from Vicki’s one-hour workshop, Planning for High School: From Goals to Graduation.) _____________________________ If you’ve ever thought, “Homeschooling through high school sounds scary!” — take a deep breath. You’ve been teaching this student for years already, and you can absolutely do this next step. It’s just […]

Deliberate Devotions

    In a Christian family, God’s Word is the foundation of all other study, so our biblical worldview impacts all learning in subtle ways. But there are also times we want that impact to be more deliberate. How can a busy family incorporate Bible study, everyday-life application of Biblical […]

Kids in the Kitchen

Author Sue Gregg shares my passion for giving kids the chance to learn through everyday, real-life activities. In her cookbook, Lunches & Snacks, with Lessons for Children, Sue says, “Children want to start helping in the kitchen at a very young age. . . . Take the time to teach your […]

Make-Ahead Cinnamon Rolls

A friend who likes my cinnamon rolls asked me if I would make them for a wedding brunch — but they would need to be prepped several days in advance and either baked or reheated the morning of. Although I’ve made dinner roll dough and frozen ahead and figured it […]

Preparing Your Eighth Grader for High School

When Eighth Grade Counts as High School Some eighth grade students are ready to begin tackling high school level work—especially in core academic subjects such as math, science, or foreign language. If that sounds like your student, you might consider using high school-level course materials now and noting these courses […]

Mentoring with Grace

Mentoring with Grace: Dancing through Life Together How to nurture meaningful connections without pressure or perfection. Mentoring is much like a beautiful dance—sometimes slow and gentle, sometimes lively and full of unexpected turns. When done well, it’s a graceful give-and-take that nurtures both hearts. For women, especially mothers navigating the […]

Does Your Elementary Student Struggle with Handwriting?

Got a kiddo who struggles putting pencil to paper? He may just not be quite ready for the handwriting at that level. Children mature at different rates in handwriting readiness, just as in reading readiness. Is he forming his letters from shapes, or is he trying to reconstruct them by […]

Should I “Hold Him Back”?

Occasionally a parent will ask if it makes sense to not move a student forward in their homeschool work, or to repeat past work. From a practical perspective (this is not legal advice!), it really just depends on the reason for retention. I encourage parents to think outside the grade […]