There’s No Substitute

by on November 19, 2010
in home maintenance & management · 9 Comments

Written by contributor Lora Lynn of Vitafamiliae.

One of the beauties of homeschooling is the flexibility it offers when life throws us curve balls.

We can punt school for a few days in the name of “learning life’s lessons” and then get back on track when we’ve recovered from our interruption.

But there are occasions where we need to plan for school to go on… without the teacher.  New babies, illness, surgeries, or, in my family’s case, an adoption that requires a trip to Africa, all mean an extended absence for the homeschool teacher.

So how do homeschoolers lesson plan for our substitute teachers?
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4 Tips for Talking to Relatives About Homeschooling This Holiday Season

by on November 17, 2010
in a mom's education · 33 Comments

The following is a guest post written by Hillary of Infinitely Learning.

We know it’s well worth taking the time to prepare a holiday budget and plan seasonal activities ahead of time, but have you ever prepared yourself to talk about homeschooling over the holidays?

Chances are you will be visiting family and friends and attending holiday parties, and while you may have loved ones who support your choice to homeschool you might also run into those who have questions or who do not understand your homeschooling lifestyle.

You can help create smoother interactions with friends, family and even strangers by taking a little bit of time to plan ahead. Here’s how.
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Get Your Vote On – 2010 Homeschool Blog Awards

by on November 14, 2010
in links · 2 Comments

Head over to the Homeschool Post to vote for your favorite blogs in the 2010 Homeschool Blog Awards!

Simple Homeschool is nominated for Best Blog Design, Best Encourager, and Best New Blog. (Thanks to those who nominated us!)

Many of our awesome contributors have had their personal blogs nominated as well. So many amazing moms (& dads) write about the homeschooling journey in their corner of the blogosphere–pop on by and vote for your favorites.

Voting remains open through November 18th. Thanks so much for your votes!

Peace Hill Press Giveaway

by on November 13, 2010
in giveaways ·

This giveaway has now ended and the winner has been notified by email. Thanks for entering!

Welcome back to another weekend giveaway, hosted this week by Peace Hill Press.

About Peace Hill Press:

“We are a small, family-run company, working together to produce the best materials for classical education the world has ever seen. Our materials provide parents with a rare combination of academic rigor and ease of use.

Many parents rely on The Well-Trained Mind as their homeschooling authority. The book’s authors, Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise, direct Peace Hill Press. They travel the country, speaking to homeschooling parents about the methodology, philosophy, and the daily nuts and bolts of homeschooling in the 21st century.”

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Anchoring: An Organizational Tool

by on November 12, 2010
in organization · 26 Comments

Written by Simple Homeschool contributor Renee Tougas of FIMBY.

We all have tasks in our days that are important and require diligence. Homeschooling, homemaking, family life, health, creative pursuits, and employment are just a few priorities that you might be juggling daily.

Consistency in some of these areas might come more naturally than in others. My strong suit is homemaking. Maybe that’s because I’ve been at it for well over a decade. Staying on top of meals, laundry and bills is nearly second nature.

But homeschooling is harder for me–especially now that I am making a more disciplined effort to build a foundation of reading, writing and math for our elementary aged children.

This year I am challenging myself, more than ever, to stay on top of our daily homeschool priorities. We are now a couple months into our school year and experiencing success with a particular technique that is helping us meet our goals.

I call this technique anchoring.
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Q&A: Holiday Schooling-What Do You Do?

by on November 10, 2010
in organization · 17 Comments

Written by Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool and founder of Steady Mom

If you went to traditional school growing up, you probably remember the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation. They involved excited restless bodies, counting down the days and minutes until holiday time (& a break from school) arrived.

Teachers recall trying to control the wiggly masses and attempting to keep learning levels high. It seems like yesterday to me–the blessed relief I felt at no more school for two whole weeks!

Homeschooling families don’t deal with this exact situation, but we still struggle with similar issues. When our children begin having trouble paying attention–gazing longingly at the holiday decorations, what should we do?
[Read more...]

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