The Homeschool Solutions Show

I always feel pulled in two different directions in February. One on hand, the Fun Mom in me wants to live large. She wants to shake up the daily routine, toss out the boring old schoolbooks, and spend February setting the kids' enthusiasm afire with fascinating hands-on projects from Pinterest. But on the other hand, the Responsible Mom in me would really like to get the math book done by the end of May. (And she's not so sure she can pull off that watermelon clipper ship.) Fortunately, you can be the Fun Mom and still make progress in the math book with these eight ways to shake up your math routine. Listen or read more at https://pambarnhill.com/8-ways-make-math-fun/

Ask any veteran homeschool mom whose kids have already graduated from high school, and she will reassure you: She had the same fears you have now. She realizes now how pointless most of those fears were. What a difference 10-15 years of hindsight makes! But you don't have to wait that long. Let's look right now at ten of the biggest and most common homeschool fears so you can face—and more importantly, conquer—them. Listen or read more at https://www.bookshark.com/blog/homeschool-fears/

I hear it all the time. We're having self-editing issues. For some reason, my children believe they are perfect writers! They can never find any spelling or grammar mistakes. Surprise, surprise! Most children simply don't get the whole editing thing. They like what they wrote and can't understand why you want them to—gasp!—look for ways to improve it. Listen or read more at https://writeshop.com/why-self-editing-is-hard-make-it-easier/

Do you ever have bad attitudes in your homeschool? I love homeschooling and my children usually do, too. But, sometimes the homeschooling attitudes in our house just stink. Have you ever wanted to wring the necks of grumpy kids who whine about every single task set before them. Or dole out about a hundred chores every time you run up against obstinate behavior? Me, too. Listen or read more at https://ourjourneywestward.com/bad-attitudes-in-your-homeschool/

In my earliest days of homeschooling, I had ideas about what our homeschool would actually look like. You know what I mean… right? And then we actually started homeschooling. And it just never looked quite like that initial vision. Listen or read more at https://readaloudrevival.com/jbwc/

About five years ago the days in our homeschool were simply learning math facts, phonics, and letter formation. Yawn. Sure we read a picture book or two, but I had a two-year-old who sapped all the energy I used to have for putting together elaborate unit studies. In addition my kids had informed me in no uncertain terms that they wanted nothing to do with making another lapbook thank.you.very.much. Listen or read more at https://ihomeschoolnetwork.com/homeschool-morning-time-2/

I am not a morning person. My kids are not morning people. Unfortunately, my husband IS a morning person. This became very apparent when we all went on a week-long homeschool field trip. My husband would wake early, run to the gym, and return to the hotel very chipper — and talkative (ugg!). Listen or read more at https://www.hidethechocolate.com/homeschool-morning-meeting/

Long before I was asked to speak at the Great Homeschool Conventions I was an attendee. In fact, convention time each year made me rather giddy. I almost always went with friends. We would make a road trip and a weekend of it. I would plot my speaker schedule like a general manages an attack, walk every single aisle of the vendor hall just to make sure I didn't miss anything, and I still have my rolling cart which held everything from water bottles to emergency snacks. And I just learned so much and felt renewed and refreshed every single year. This year I imagine my experience at the convention will be much more, um, nerve-wracking to say the least, but I cannot wait to meet all of you there. In order to make the most of your convention experience I have made a little Plan Your Year Convention Planning Pack that you can get here for FREE. It contains the forms you need to plan your best convention experience. Read more and find the free handouts at https://pambarnhill.com/homeschool-convention-planning/

When my daughter was two years old she had the cutest habit of picking up her toy cell phone, holding it to her ear, and making a noise somewhere between a growl and disgusted sigh. "Look," we would laugh. "Where did she learn that?" Until one day I was driving down a stretch of rural highway we often traveled and my phone dropped a call yet again. The noise of disgust was barely out of my mouth when I realized exactly where Olivia picked up that little habit. Whoops. Listen or read more at https://pambarnhill.com/homeschool-mistake/

"Everyone was up late and needs just a quiet day." "We've been working so hard, a day off is just what we need. " "We missed lessons yesterday, I'm not motivated today." Do any of these sound familiar to you? They used to be all-too-familiar to me. Not only that, some of them are still tempting from time to time. But now I know a truth: schooling consistency breeds consistency. Listen or read more at https://pambarnhill.com/benefits-homeschool-consistency/

The morning light was thin, blue, and cold. It was cozy under my blanket though as I sipped my coffee. I had an edifying book in my lap — who am I kidding — I was scrolling Facebook on my phone. One kid was asleep, two were upstairs watching "educational" cartoons, and frankly, I was in no hurry to start my school day. Listen or read more at https://pambarnhill.com/sabotage-your-homeschool/

I have been a somewhat lonely homeschooler for the past several years. It began when we chose to homeschool high school — and most of our homeschooling friends did not. True story: out of the 20-30 families we knew who homeschooled back when our children were in the early elementary grades, I can think of only a handful of them that continued homeschooling through the high school years. I confess that this bothers me.

There's a common adage that says if you lose your why, you lose your way. In other words, if you forget why you're doing what you're doing, you're not going to get very far. You'll be easily sidetracked by distractions, discouragement, and disappointments. If you don't have a firm grasp on your reason for following your chosen path, you can get derailed. This is part of why I believe in purposeful living, which includes purposeful homeschooling. Listen or read more at https://embracingdestinyblog.com/2017/05/our-purposeful-homeschool.html

Being a mom is tough work. Being a homeschool mom is crazy tough work! Whether you are a newbie or a seasoned homeschool mom, these 25 practical tips and words of encouragement will keep you trekking along in your homeschooling journey with your chin up! Listen or read more at http://rulethisroost.com/25-ways-to-rule-your-homeschool/

Did you recently meet a homeschooler for the first time? Did a friend or family member just shock you by announcing they will be homeschooling their children? Are you concerned but don't know just what to say? Look, I get it. When we decided to homeschool I knew exactly one homeschool family. It's different. It's weird. You don't quite understand it. I mean, why would anyone want to do this? It seems so… hard. But what do you say? Listen or read more at https://thehomeschoolresourceroom.com/2017/08/13/what-to-say-and-what-not-to-say-when-you-meet-a-homeschool-mom/

I think my family has entered the golden age of Morning Time. My three kids range in age from 6 to 10. We have no toddlers to disrupt us (though don't be fooled in thinking things are too quiet) and we have no teens who need to rush away to complete a list of requirements to earn credits. It is just us, together, learning to love beauty. Listen or read more at https://pambarnhill.com/morning-time-all-ages/

Somehow over the years I have become the pie cook for our family holiday gatherings. I would like to think it is because I make the best pies. More likely it is because my mom thinks there are always other deserts around if I happen to ruin the pies. If I ruined the cornbread dressing? Well that's another story, isn't it? My secret to perfect pie crust? I buy it from the little doughboy in the freezer section -- two frozen 9" deep dish at a time. What I have come to learn from years of making pies is that scratch is not always better. Listen or read more at https://pambarnhill.com/when-making-it-from-scratch-isnt-good-enough

Repetitio mater memoriae. This Latin motto, which apparently is used within the Latin classroom primarily and not embraced as a defining motto like the others so far, means Repetition is the mother of memory. This is supposed to spur you on to chant those declensions, but I think the truth contained therein should spur us on in much more than language acquisition. Listen or read more at https://www.simplyconvivial.com/2014/education-is-for-life-repetitio-mater-memoriae-or-repetition/

Out of control. Disorganized. Fly by the seat of my pants. Does the start of the school year always feel this way? I don't think it does. I am pretty sure that our past school years have followed the plan a bit more closely. But I can't be sure. What I am sure of is that the kick-off for this 2016 school year was far from a touchdown. It feels more like life intercepted the ball and ran the other way with it and I am watching the ball leave my side of the field without a plan to get it back. Read or listen to the rest at http://www.notbefore7.com/2016/10/19/love-year-youre-with/

As the holidays descend upon us, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by all the tasks that fill your to-do lists each day. You might question whether it's all worth it in the end, but rest assured that the extra work surrounding this time of year really does pay off, since these traditions have an extremely positive impact on a preschooler's life. Listen or read more at https://pambarnhill.com/blessings-holiday-traditions-preschoolers/

Recently we had a great time by having friends over for our very first picture book Christmas cookie exchange. We had a few good friends over on a balmy December afternoon to share some of our favorite picture books and picture-book inspired cookies. This party was so easy to plan and hold. All we did was invite a few friends over and ask them to bring their favorite Christmas picture book, plus a treat inspired by that book. That was it. We didn't need any other food, drink, and with it being Christmas the decorations took care of themselves. Read or listen to the rest here: https://pambarnhill.com/christmas-picture-book-cookie-exchange/

If you've been around the Homeschooling With Dyslexia web site or Facebook page for long, you know how I love to learn about learning. Since I learn completely differently than 7 of the 8 kids that I homeschool, you could say it is a bit of a necessity. Good thing I have learned to enjoy it! Listen or read more at https://homeschoolingwithdyslexia.com/motivate-kids-growth-mindset/

With each new school year that rolls around, I always seem find a renewed energy and vision for homeschooling. Rather than wait until Thanksgiving or when the blahs of winter kick in (when it seems to make sense to write a post about why I'm thankful for homeschooling), I thought I'd harness this joyful beginning-of-the-school-year energy to list all those reasons now. Listen or read more at https://ourjourneywestward.com/10-reasons-im-thankful-for-homeschooling/

Homeschooling preschool doesn't have to be complicated. It took me at least one child to figure that out, but once I did we enjoyed our preschool days so much more. Have a listen!

I will freely admit that our children have missed out on some things because we homeschool high school. There is no doubt that there are experiences that the public school provides that we just cannot replicate in our home. Some people even quit homeschooling at this level, because they don't want their children to miss out on anything. Listen or read more at https://www.annieandeverything.com/homeschool-high-school-missed-opportunities/

Let's say you are convinced that reading aloud to your children is the best thing you can do for them. You line up your reading selections, you plan your morning time, you are prepared to overcome the obstacles of wiggly bodies and wandering minds. You say that this is exactly the boost your homeschool needs. The first day comes, and you eagerly dive in. But then you find yourself stumbling over the words. You run into words you can't even pronounce, let alone understand. After a short time, your voice becomes strained and tired. Hmm… this isn't as much fun as you thought it would be. Maybe it just won't work for you. Read the rest or listen at https://pambarnhill.com/how-moms-benefit-from-read-alouds/

When my family started doing Morning Time my kids were little and it wasn't quite the homeschool buzz word it is now. There was very little Morning Time pressure in those days — we just liked learning together. Now, it seems that everywhere you turn people are talking about all the riches they are doing in Morning Time. Which is great — except when it starts to stress people out. Listen or read more at https://pambarnhill.com/successful-morning-time/

I'm about to tell you my dirty secret. I've kept swallowing this one back down for the past year. Sometimes (more often than not?) I don't enjoy homeschooling. There. It's out. Listen or read more at http://smarttereachday.com/find-homeschooling-joy/

As a teacher, I've noticed one factor that consistently holds students back in the classroom: fear of failure. When my students are afraid to fail, they typically respond to challenges in one of two ways. Listen or read more at https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog/help-your-child-overcome-fear-of-failure

It almost seems incongruous. Morning Time, the bastion of great literature, beautiful music, truth, goodness, beauty… and high-tech gadgets? But, oh mama, it is true. There are ways moving into the 21st century can enhance the Morning Time habit you are building in your family. Here are three ways some easy Amazon purchases can make your Morning Time better. Listen or read more at https://edsnapshots.com/technology-morning-time/

As homeschoolers, we all know the value of teaching our kids how to become independent learners. We work hard to pass the mantle of teacher from ourselves to our students. And we thrill as we see them picking up this mantle and running with it. They are checking items off their lists, reading books, doing research, and filling their minds with lots of amazing information about science, history, geography, and more. Or are they? What if your independent learners aren't learning at all? What if they're breezing through their work in order to get to free time? What if they're skimming through the books? What if they're killing time and not really learning what they say they are? Listen or read the rest at https://www.homeschool-your-boys.com/independent-learners-accountable/

Does the word schedule make you break out in hives? Do you picture yourself harried and deflated at the end of a day on a schedule? Maybe for you, like me, that's a vivid memory, not a theoretical picture. There's a lot of visceral reaction against schedules in the homeschool world, and I totally get why. I mean, can I schedule diaper blowouts and my doorbell ringing and the toddler pulling an open bag of powdered sugar onto herself? Where does that go in the schedule? Listen or read more at https://www.simplyconvivial.com/2017/sc034

When she was six, my daughter told me she didn't want to learn to read because then I might stop reading to her. Nothing could be further from the truth, but then six-year-olds aren't known for their logic, are they? Lucky for her it wasn't too long after that I stumbled upon Andrew Pudewa's talk, Nurturing Competent Communicators. Listen or read more at https://edsnapshots.com/read-aloud-mistake/

Homeschooling parents love literature lists. love. love. love. Quality literature is an important part of our homeschools. Historical fiction. Classics. Biographies. Non-fiction. The list goes on. and on. and on. Till we finally narrow down the titles we will attack for the school year. Listen or read more at http://www.notbefore7.com/2016/08/23/innovative-homeschooling-lets-talk-literature/

Homeschooling a middle school kid? We are and, I'll be honest, it's been a bit of a roller coaster. This letter I'm writing is really to myself - reminding me that these years are just as precious and probably even more important than our early homeschooling years. Listen or read more at https://happyhomeschoolnest.com/blog/mom-with-the-middle-schooler

Dear Self, I am here today with some tough love. Because I do love you, and I know this homeschooling your kids thing is important to you. And yet, you struggle with homeschooling consistently. Often. Listen or read more at https://edsnapshots.com/homeschool-consistency/

There's this false dichotomy that pops up in the homeschool world. "You shouldn't have a schedule, you should have a routine." It sounds all well and good, a wonderful idea for folks who have an established routine or are not easily distracted. Not so for many of us. Not so for me. Listen or read more at https://edsnapshots.com/why-i-need-a-scheduled-routine/

* Contains Christian content "My child will never have a job where he needs to know algebra. We're just teaching consumer math and being done with it." "I know God isn't preparing my child for college, so I don't plan to worry too much about high school requirements." "As long as my kids know the Lord, the rest of it doesn't really matter." "Neither my high school children or I are interested in history. I think we're just going to do a quick lapbook (*written for elementary students) and count it as a credit." "My kids give me so much grief about science that I've decided to stop teaching it for now. It's just too hard to fight them." "I know I need to get more serious about school, but ball practice two mornings a week, ball games at least one or two nights a week and co-op classes on Monday afternoons are really messing up my schedule. We're trying to fit school in, but we're so behind." "God will fill in the gaps." Above are actual comments I have heard within the last four months. They concern me. Read the rest here: https://ourjourneywestward.com/homeschooling-seriously/

I know there are some moms out there whose character voices during read-aloud time rival the work of Oscar-winning actors. I am not one of those moms. Listen or read more at https://edsnapshots.com/better-read-aloud/

It seems like everyone you meet is obsessed with STEM or STEAM-focused activities nowadays. Should you worry about this with your preschooler? There is certainly no need to jump right into formal schooling with a little one, but it never hurts to start incorporating mathematical learning into your everyday fun. Listen or read more at https://edsnapshots.com/everyday-preschool-math/

If you are like I was when we had our first struggling reader some 17 years ago, and know nothing about the phenomenon called dyslexia, you may be wondering, as I did, how to know if someone you know is dyslexic or not. It is no great mystery. There are quite a few signs of dyslexia that are easy to observe. Listen or read more at https://homeschoolingwithdyslexia.com/dyslexia-signs-dyslexia/

I have never been very flexible — physically or otherwise. I have always envied those people able to do splits (never done one) or be laissez faire about missing deadlines (never missed one in my yearbook adviser days). Then I became a homeschool mom. Listen or read more at https://edsnapshots.com/flexible-homeschool-plan/

Homeschooling is hard work. Juggling the daily homeschool schedule with managing the kids, the daily chores, the meal planning, and a few minutes for yourself (most likely hiding in the bathroom with a piece of chocolate) doesn't leave much time for other pursuits. Part of the problem? Your homeschool schedule. Listen or read more at https://happyhomeschoolnest.com/blog/homeschool-schedule-mistakes

I recently heard from a mom who was concerned that if she homeschooled her son, she would be judged by other parents for it and that her son would likely be labeled as quirky. I hated to break it to her… but she was right. Even though homeschooling is on the rise across the country, it is still not the cultural norm. If we homeschool our sons they WILL be different than if we send them to school. Listen or read more at https://www.homeschool-your-boys.com/different-if-we-homeschool/

Chaos is not my thing. Not that anyone really likes it, but some most folks roll with the punches better than I do. The kids are yelling. The dog is tracking mud through the kitchen while he yips incessantly at said children. A pot is boiling over on the stove. And in the midst of this I am supposed to be teaching reading, or math, or the kings and queens of England. I struggle. Oh, I really do. You too? Listen or read more at https://edsnapshots.com/homeschool-procedures/

"I don't know how you do it. I know I never could." The common response when people ask where my kids go to school and I respond with "home." To which I mutter something back about how it's not as hard as you might think and we've never really known anything different…it's just what we do. But I get what they mean. When you're peeking into somebody else's life that is so very different than your own, our common response is, I have no idea how they do it. Listen or read more at http://www.aliciahutchinson.com/2016/03/balance-homeschooling-how-we-try-to-do/

Often the question comes up. Do you school year round or do you take a summer break? It's a legitimate question that has different answers and reasons depending on who you ask. We school year round, but we don't keep a regular schedule during the summer. We have a more relaxed Year Round Homeschool Summer Schedule. Listen or read more at http://hidethechocolate.com/year-round-homeschool-summer-schedule/

The other day, a friend asked me for help with a problem she'd been having in getting her toddler to sit still whenever she read to him. She knows my daughter loves books as much as my husband and I do, and since I taught first and second graders to read during my years as an elementary school teacher, she figured I'd have a few helpful tips to pass along. Listen or read more at https://edsnapshots.com/reading-with-toddlers-and-preschoolers/

When I found out about homeschooling, I was shocked. Then I watched and thought and was intrigued. Then I decided that it was what I wanted to do. Then I fell in love with and married a man who was all for homeschooling our future family. Then we had a baby (and two more). I started to study. I read all kinds of books on homeschooling and educational philosophy. I spent hours and hours reading and participating on the Well-Trained Mind Forums. I read lots of blogs - well that wasn't new. Listen or read more at http://ladydusk.blogspot.com/2016/05/so-you-think-you-want-to-homeschool.html

Let's talk about independence. Some homeschoolers want more of it like it's the Holy Grail of home education. Others counter with the criticism that homeschooling is not meant to be a solitary activity. So, which is it? Let's explore some ideas in The Myth of Independence. Listen or read more at http://blogshewrote.org/2015/10/08/the-myth-of-independence/