Learning to write well formed letters is one of my homeschool priorities. There are four techniques that make a difference in encouraging my children to feel greater intrinsic motivation to write carefully. Give Ample Time to Practice Writing Don’t rush it. Allow more than enough time to practice writing. Decrease the distractions in the room. Simplify the words to be written. We find that it works best to copy type written material rather than producing new sentences, because then there isn’t any worry about spelling or word order.

I know nothing about de-worming, but I sure like this image. I clipped it from a magazine years ago, and it makes me laugh every time I look at it. Perhaps those who aren’t currently homeschooling, but are considering homeschooling feel confused about the complexity of the task. De-worming doesn’t seem any simpler when I see a horse without legs. But, let’s have a closer look at the text below and see if we can apply it to homeschooling:

Is this how the professionals do it? While stumbling through a complex Calculus concept involving parametric equations, I wondered if there was a better way to help my student understand. What tips and tricks do Calculus teachers know that might help me here? Fortunately, searching for something this specific is feasible, and I can quickly learn what to do. But, there are other areas of homeschooling, as in any new endeavor, where we may wonder if we’re doing it the way the experts do it.

“You don’t own a laminator?!?” my friend responded with shock and surprise. “You’re a homeschooler, and I thought all homeschoolers would own one!” Nope. Not this homeschooler, and that doesn’t mean I’m not a “real” homeschooler. At what point can you decide you are authentically available for the label of “homeschooler”? Do you wait until you’ve officially offered notice to your local school board? Do you wait until you’ve taught your first lesson?

Here’s a game we’ve been enjoying lately: Century: Spice Road The game is easy to teach. The mechanics are simple: each turn there are only four possible actions. This is a family-friendly game. No reading is required, the skill level is appropriate for children as young as eight. The game is different every time. There is enough randomness to the cards that the same person doesn’t win each round. The game is only 30 minutes, so it doesn’t require a long attention span.

We may think our envy is innocent, but it has enormous impact. We begin by thinking, “I don’t have what I want.” We look around and notice someone who does have the thing we are lacking. Perhaps the thing we want is obedient children, or academic success, or financial security. We start to think about why they don’t deserve what they have. We pass judgment on them and their worthiness. If we can’t have it, we don’t want them to have it either.

Developing mastery in math may feel like the wobbly balance of standing on one leg. Frequently, while approaching more advanced math, the student may tip and topple, but this teetering is actually necessary. It allows the shortcomings to be reveled and so they may become strengthened. The most beautiful thing (and the most challenging thing!) about learning math is that all previous math that has been learned is reviewed. As your student advances to more challenging topics, they may think, “oh, no!

Homeschooling allows us to honor choice rather than pressuring a child to conform. These thoughtful questions from Marshall Rosenberg cause us to step back and consider motivation: What would we like the child to do? What would we like the child’s reasons to be for doing it? The older our child becomes, the longer the list of “things we would like the child to do.” We want our child to study, to clean, to participate willingly in family time, to have initiative about helping around the house, to demonstrate love.

I recently finished reading Adventuring Together by fellow homeschooler Greta Eskridge. I felt so encouraged by her writing. Since I am focusing on being mindful in the present tense, I especially appreciated Greta’s comment: “One of my favorite things about going on an adventure with my kids is that we’re not walking through the day on autopilot.” I agree with her; being on an adventure helps me step out of the mundane and improves my awareness of myself and my children.

The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionized Science in the Twentieth Century by David Salsburg While Algebra and Calculus can leave students frustrated, Statistics is a different type of mathematics, and can be a refreshing change, especially when it is presented in a creative and compelling format. This book by medical statistician David Salsburg, does just that. The book takes its title from the story of a summer tea party in Cambridge, England, where a woman stated she could tell the difference between tea poured into milk and milk poured into tea.