Weekend links

by on March 31, 2013
in links · 3 Comments

weekend links
Happy Easter, friends!

“There is not room for Death,
Nor atom that his might could render void:
Thou – Thou art Being and Breath,
And what Thou art may never be destroyed.”
~ Emily Bronte

Q&A Friday: Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

by on March 29, 2013
in a mom's education · 26 Comments

qa
Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool, also blogs about motherhood at Steady Mom

For the past month or two we’ve been chatting about personality. The blend of temperaments within our four walls profoundly impacts our homeschool and family life.

Combine introverts and extroverts in the same house, tell them to live and learn and love together, and you’re pretty much guaranteed never a dull moment!

personalities at home

If you’ve missed any of the personality posts so far, here’s your chance to catch up:
[Read more...]

5 educational board games you probably already own

by on March 27, 2013
in family time · 25 Comments

Educational Board Games

Written by contributor Kris Bales, of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

My family and I enjoy playing lots of board and card games.

Usually when we’re playing, it’s just for fun and I’m not even considering the educational value. However, a lot of games that we play actually put many practical learning skills to use.

What hidden learning is lurking in your game closet? [Read more...]

The myth of the uninvolved unschooler

by on March 25, 2013
in methods & philosophies · 71 Comments


Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool also writes about motherhood at Steady Mom

I remember the first time I heard the term unschooling. I was standing on a street corner chatting with a homeschooling neighbor, who used the term.

“What’s that?” I asked.

While I can’t remember her exact definition, I remember my reaction–far from positive. It sounded to me as though unschooling parents ignored their children, not getting really involved in their education.

I knew it wasn’t for me since the idea of traditional homeschooling already freaked me out. But then an evolution occurred. And I now find myself parked most resolutely on the informal side of the homeschooling spectrum.

I’m not the type who likes being put into a box, so I don’t label myself or my family. We pull from a variety of influences in our homeschool–unschooling/interest-led learning, Waldorf, and leadership education predominantly. But basically, we just do what works and what best fits our needs.

Last year Jena wrote a post about the two foundational principles of unschooling–that children are born to learn, and that forced learning kills the desire to learn.

But what exactly do unschoolers do all day? That varies as much as individual families vary–in other words, a lot! But as I’ve come to know more unschoolers, it seems to me that we often have in common the following six focuses.
[Read more...]

Weekend links

by on March 24, 2013
in links · 1 Comment

weekendlinks

ghc2Less than two weeks remains until the Great Homeschool Convention where I’ll be speaking in Cincinnati, Ohio–April 4-6.

It’s not too late to register–I’d love to see you there!

“Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.” ~ Walter Cronkite

How to deal with (your own) anger

by on March 22, 2013
in a mom's education · 88 Comments

how-to-deal-with-anger-SimpleHomeschool.net_
The following is a guest post written by Charity Hawkins, author of The Homeschool Experiment.

It was a late Wednesday night after church. I had planned to give my three kids a snack then send them immediately to brush their teeth and get ready for bed. My husband was working late, and I was ready to be done with the day.

Then my eight-year-old son asked if he could play “Jingle Bells,” for me on the piano, and I was so thrilled that he was finally excited about piano that I said yes. Then my six-year-old daughter begged to play. Of course, my three-year-old son wanted a turn next.

The minutes were ticking by and I thought, why did I ever agree to this anyway? We were an hour past bedtime already. I could feel my blood pressure rising. Then my son and daughter started bickering—one being bossy, the other whining. Nobody was listening to me.

“Stop it!” I snapped. Like a whip.  “Go. Brush. Your. Teeth. You’re done.”

Eyes wide, the kids stared at me, frightened, then hurried to obey.

I won. But at what cost?
[Read more...]

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