Written by Jamie Martin of Simple Homeschool and Steady Mom
As we prepare to close out 2015, I visited the archives of Simple Homeschool and chose one of the most popular posts for each month of the year to share today.
I want to send a sincere thanks to the amazing contributors and guest posters who have helped me fill this virtual space with so much quality content over the past twelve months.
I’ll be bookmarking this post to come back to in the future and I hope you’ll do the same!
The Best of Simple Homeschool 2015
January
Melissa’s homeschool day in the life (with a 1, 4, 7, 8, 11, and 14-year-old)
“I think of myself as the curator of our home and our schedule — I bring in inspiring materials, I make sure our home is set up to encourage kids’ learning, and I leave plenty of free time for them to pursue their interests.”
~ Melissa
(Note: You can revisit FIVE YEARS worth of day in the life posts packed with inspiration and ideas here, and look for our new series starting soon!)
February
Are you a weird enough homeschooler?
“Homeschooling had become so darn ‘normal’ around here, that I figured it might be time to weird it up again. Are you ready to embrace being a weird (enough) homeschooler too?”
~ Kara
March
Read your way to a love of math: 50 titles for ages 4-12
“An alternative to workbook pages in the early years is the simple sharing of a book spread open across your lap. It’s one of the easiest ways to create a blossoming love of numbers and patterns in a child’s heart and mind.”
~ Jamie
April
5 ways to increase your child’s of of learning by the end of the day
“It’s simple for us to increase our kids’ love of learning by the end of the day, and here’s why: It all goes back to relationships–just living life side by side.”
~ Jamie
May
Why I don’t worry about my homeschoolers’ socialization
“Kids benefit from regularly interacting with a wide variety of ages, from younger kids to elderly adults. Sitting in a room with 30 other people your own age for most of the day is not reflective of ‘real world’ living.“
~ Annie
June
5 things your kids need to hear you say
“We talk a lot as homeschool moms. We find ourselves explaining, questioning, making requests, giving commands, admonishing. In the midst of all that chatter, though, there are five things that our kids really need to hear us say.“
~ Pam
July
Homeschooling an angry child: The hardest part of Jamie’s homeschool year
“You’ve heard, of course, about the “terrible twos.” But what about the terrible threes, fours, fives, sixes, sevens, eights, and nines?”
~ Jamie
(Note: In 2015, my contributors and I shared the hardest parts of our homeschool years as part of a new series. Find all of those posts here.)
August
15 school supplies that just might change your life this year
“While school supplies may never have actually changed someone’s life, I know I’m not the only one to feel a kind of thrill when stumbling upon the perfect tool that I know our family will use regularly in our pursuit of knowledge.”
~ Jamie
September
8 elements that come together in a healthy homeschool
“In this post I’ve outlined eight elements Professor Bhaer and Mrs. Jo blended together in their home/school to create a place where children could live, learn, and heal. I’ve also included how my own family attempts to incorporate these same elements into our homeschool life.”
~ Jamie
October
10 things I’ve learned in 10 years of homeschooling
“The time goes fast. And super slow. But mostly fast. There have been many days I wanted to teleport to the future because, math!“
~ Hannah
November
10 things every new homeschooler should know
“Newbie homeschooler, you are concerned and worried about many things, but only one thing is needed: YOU. You, putting your imperfect self on the line day after day on behalf of your little people. You, setting your values and priorities, moving toward them with baby steps each day.”
~ Jamie
December
The top educational goal for my 8- to 12-year-olds
“Following a new philosophy took tremendous faith and courage in the younger years, but now our family has started to see it working. Having kids who love learning makes a homeschooling parent’s job much easier…because they begin to educate themselves.“
~ Jamie
“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something.”
~ Neil Gaiman
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