Read posts written by Stefani

Stefani believes that beyond "I love you," one of the most valuable things she can tell her three young sons (and herself) is "take your time." Homeschooling has afforded her the awesome privilege to say it often and with conviction. Stefani writes about her journey to mindful parenting and her learning adventures alongside her boys at her blog, Blue Yonder Ranch.

family time

Learning Is Better Together: Fostering Strong Sibling Relationships

by Stefani
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A note from Jamie: I’ve been thinking about this post lately while riding the waves of sibling rivalry. Can you relate? For many of us, the hope of close sibling relationships is one of our reasons for homeschooling. These words from Stefani remind us why. This post originally published on May 5, 2010. One for [...]

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methods & philosophies

The Case for Memorization

by Stefani
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As a young girl I was a devoted fan of Anne of Green Gables. I found Anne’s imagination enchanting, of course, but I also admired how she could recite poetry and quote stories at her whim. It seemed that whatever she played at – fairies in the woods or the Lady of Shallot upon the [...]

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inspiration

Remodeling: When Homeschooling Plans Go Awry

by Stefani
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Written by Simple Homeschool contributor Stefani Austin of Blue Yonder Ranch It was a good plan. It was a simple, doable, good plan. Step 1:  Clean, organize and paint the boys’ bedrooms while they were away at camp. Step 2: Finish outlining our homeschooling plans for the year. Step 3: On July 5th, walk together, [...]

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curriculum

Simple Tools For Scientific Discovery

by Stefani
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Written by Simple Homeschool contributor Stefani Austin of Blue Yonder Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Men love to wonder, and that is the seed of science.” I would argue that the seed of science got its start not in men, but rather in curious little boys and girls. Children are the purest, truest form of scientist. [...]

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field trips

A Beach Blanket Education

by Stefani
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Maybe it’s because the beach is such a completely different landscape from the one we call home. Maybe it’s the legendary lure of the sea. Whatever the reason, some of our greatest learning adventures have happened with sand in between our toes and salty wind in our hair. For those of you looking forward to [...]

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family time

Creating and Preserving Life Margins

by Stefani
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In my closet, I have a box of old letters from my middle and high school years. They are intricately folded and full of the silly ramblings of girlfriends and the awkward advances of a boy or two. Every square inch of these letters is filled, making them difficult to read. Sentences twist, curl and [...]

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