A few of our recent posts….

Mentoring with Grace

Mentoring with Grace: Dancing through Life Together How to nurture meaningful connections without pressure or perfection. Mentoring is much like […]

Teaching Multiple Ages

Homeschooling one child can feel challenging. Adding more children at different levels can feel like launching a plate-spinning act, rushing […]

More Encouragement from Vicki

A few recordings – video, audio, FB Live, podcasts, and more Some of the recordings and interviews I’ve done in the past to equip and encourage families — I’ll add more as I find them. (Keep in mind that HSLDA’s Homeschool Heartbeat episodes were written and recorded as quickie one-minute […]

Learning through Play

Children naturally learn through play, engaging in activities that develop a wide range of skills across various domains. According to research by Dr. Karyn Purvis, scientists have discovered that it takes about 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain — unless it is done in play, in […]

Homeschooling after the Storm

Maybe you were already homeschooling and now find yourself shaken from your normal routine, or even displaced from your home. Or perhaps you were fine and dandy with the local school, but now you find yourself faced with the need to start to homeschool because your local school is not […]

Exploring the World with Your Young Scientist

I just love Dr. Rebecca Woodbury’s passion for teaching science. Some of you in the homeschool world may know her as Dr. Rebecca Keller, founder of Real Science 4 Kids,  and she’s given us permission to share some great tips and insights for young scientists — her guest article follows […]

Early Learning: The Toddler Years

Many parents of young children are eager to start their educational journey but often feel overwhelmed by where to begin. Traditional preschool tips usually cater to kids aged 3 to 5, leaving parents of toddlers (and maybe into preschool) wondering how to best support their little ones’ development.  By focusing […]

Do I Need a “Curriculum” for Kindergarten?

If nobody told you that when your child turned five years old, he had to go to school, what would you do with him? You’ve actually been his first teacher these past several years, so what have you been doing with him? What works well in the rhythm of your […]

Do I Have to Use an Accredited Program to Homeschool?

Short answer: Generally speaking, accreditation is neither required nor necessary. Longer answer: While accreditation is generally neither required nor necessary, each parent should determine what sort of program best meets the needs of their student for their future plans and complies with their state’s homeschooling statute, if applicable. What is […]

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes = Comfort Food At least, to me! My grandma made an amazing roast and gravy and of course you HAD to have creamy mashed potatoes to go with all that goodness! Whether I eat them with pot roast and gravy, creamy chicken gravy, or just plain, I want […]

Stainless Steel Waterless Cookware

Why I love my waterless cookware I recommend stainless steel cookware – the best quality you can possibly afford. I started out with “budget” cookware and have gone through many sets in my almost-40 years of cooking. I now have a great set of 5-ply stainless cookware, supplemented with several […]

Family Favorite Chocolate Cake

This is the cake recipe (jump to bottom to skip all the photos) that serves as the foundation for many other cakes we have at our family gatherings. I am not a great cake decorator but when a kiddo needs a birthday cake, at least it tastes good! Cupcakes? Family […]