Where I’ll be tonight & how you can join me

by on September 20, 2012
in links · 2 Comments

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

Tonight I will attempt to wear these shoes. (I know! Prayers appreciated.)

This evening, September 20th, I’ll be attending an event in New York City to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Love146, the organization where my husband serves as CEO combatting child trafficking and exploitation.

At tonight’s event Love146 hopes to raise $500,000! This money will be used to kickstart new prevention and aftercare programs for trafficking victims in the United States–because sadly this issue is just as prevalent in our own backyard as it is in the far corners of the globe.
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How to help your child learn to read

by on September 19, 2012
in methods & philosophies · 22 Comments

Written by contributor Jena Borah of Yarns of the Heart

My little guy was six years old and we had been casually talking about letters and their corresponding sounds. I put a phonics page on my refrigerator and used it as a guide to talk about letters and sounds over a box of cereal every morning.

A month or two later, we were at the library and he noticed a banner on the wall that said “Reading is magic!” It must have been Halloween time. He turned to me and said, “Yes, reading is magic,” and continued playing with the toy train.

What? Did you just read that?

Not every child learns to read as easily as Peter. My daughter was 10 before it started to make sense to her, but all children go through that first stage of learning their letters and sounds.

5 Simple Tips for Teaching Reading

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We get to do this…together

by on September 17, 2012
in inspiration · 34 Comments

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

Dear Trishna, Jonathan, and Elijah:

I’ve watched the school bus go by for years now–sometimes with envy, longing for a bit of extra “me” time and a bit less responsibility.

Lately, though, I watch it through the early morning fog–with a deep sense of rejoicing.

You mean, we get to do this…together? The learning, the living, the loving–all of it?

It’s almost too good to be true.
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Weekend links

by on September 16, 2012
in links · 2 Comments

“Education seems to be in America the only commodity of which the customer tries to get as little as he can for his money.” ~ Max Leon Forman

On obesity & overcoming: A homeschooling mom’s story

by on September 14, 2012
in inspiration · 30 Comments

Written by contributor Kris Bales of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Hi, my name is Kris and I used to be obese.

Sometimes I wonder if that’s how I should introduce myself. On the one hand, it’s cool seeing the look on people’s faces when they hear how much weight I’ve lost. (Just being transparent…I’ve never accomplished anything quite so impressive as losing nearly 100 pounds before.)

On the other hand, it’s also nice having people only know me as “skinny me.” (Skinny being a term I use rather loosely considering I’m still “overweight” on most charts.)

Usually, I opt to tell my story, though – not to brag, but to inspire. You see, after 16 or so years of obesity and multiple failed weight-loss attempts, I do believe that if I can lose weight, anyone can. There are no magic pills or special diets. It’s just a lot of hard work and determination. It’s completely changing your lifestyle and your eating habits. It’s not easy, but so worth it.

So how does a busy homeschool mom find time to completely change her life?
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A beginner’s guide to scheduling the homeschool

by on September 12, 2012
in organization · 22 Comments

Contributor Amida blogs at Journey into Unschooling

I have a confession to make — contrary to my inclination towards freestyle homeschooling, I love making schedules. For someone who also tries to keep the line between learning and schooling thin, I can spend hours on the computer, making up tables and lists for a running agenda of what I’d like to get done (or more specifically, what I’d like the kids to get done).

I have a Master List, with a year’s worth of work, broken down into assignments to be done and chapters to be completed within specific weeks, and soon, you can have one, too.

To start off, it helps to do a little brainstorming of exactly what you want accomplished.
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