10 homeschool podcasts you might not know about yet

10 homeschool podcasts you might not know about yet ~
Written by Kara S. Anderson

The kids and I were heading out to run errands a few days ago when I went to turn on our audiobook.

“Mom, can we listen to a Stuff You Should Know instead?” they asked.

These are homeschoolers for you – my kids crave information like they crave carbs at the pool.

Prefer to listen instead?

They might get their podcast love from me too, though – I’m also a huge podcast fan. I am currently becoming a genius via podcast, I learn history via podcast and I listen to true crime stuff that would scare my pants off if I had to see it, but just listening? I’m totally hooked.

Now, a lot of us homeschoolers know about Read-Aloud Revival, and all 82 of Pam Barnhill’s awesome podcasts, right? (Just kidding, Pam.)

But today I wanted to share some homeschool podcasts that you might not know about – a bit of podcast matchmaking, if you will.

Try one or two of these out this week – it’s so nice to have a little bit of encouragement in your ears along the homeschool journey!

10 homeschool podcasts you might not know about yet

1. The Crazy Real, Real Crazy Podcast

   Amy from Hmmmschoolingmom, talks about the very real parts of homeschooling, with plenty of humor. She also chats with her kids each week about their thoughts on homeschooling.

Listen if: You need a boost and a reminder that you aren’t the only one who gets overwhelmed sometimes.

Episode to check out: Pride – It’s gonna mess up your homeschool

2. Scholé Sisters

   Pam Barnhill (again woman! ;)) is joined by  Mystie Winkler and Brandy Vencel. They chat about restful learning and the importance of educating ourselves.

Listen if: You’re a Charlotte Mason or Classical homeschooler, or you want to prioritize your own growth as you homeschool.

Episode to check out: This one about pre-reading with the awesome Dawn from Ladydusk.

3. Homeschooling in the North Woods

Alisha and Amanda are “real moms having real conversations.” You might know Amanda from her blog Raising da Vinci and Alisha is a homeschool consultant and founder of Inspired, a secular homeschooling conference in Canada.

Listen if: You’re a secular homeschooler looking for support and sisterhood.

Episode to check out: Is homeschooling your job?

4. The End in Mind

   Homeschool vet Lori shares her perspective and encourages moms currently in the trenches.

Listen if: You’d really love a homeschooling fairy godmother.

Episode to check out: You can have it all (just not all at the same time)

5. Brave Writer Lifestyle Series

   In Season 2 of A Brave Writer’s Life in Brief Podcast, Julie Bogart, founder of Brave Writer, chats with moms living the “Brave Writer Lifestyle” with their kids.

Listen if: You want specific language arts strategies or if you just want to incorporate more enchantment into your homeschool (read: twinkle lights, brownies and cozy movie nights – YASSS).

Episode to check out: Um, this one 😉 (I just happen to be on that episode with fellow Simple Homeschool contributor Cait, but they are ALL good and Julie just started Season 3!)

6. Homeschool Unrefined

   Angela and Maren are delightful. You’ll love their “Friends”-like titles and how they effortlessly combine homeschool chat with all the other parts of homeschool mom life.

Listen if: You could really use some time with your homeschool girls, but everyone is too busy right now, you know, kind of homeschooling their actual kids to sit down for a good, long chat.

Episode to check out: I loved this Enneagram one, but scroll through and grab the first one to catch your eye, or start at the beginning!

7. Keep Calm and Homeschool On

   Rebecca Spooner hosts this podcast which covers parenting, marriage, homeschooling, faith and even the business of blogging.

Listen if: You need a quick shot in the arm (episodes are between 15 minutes and a half hour!)

Episode to check out: My Top 10 Mommy Confessions

8. Exploring Unschooling

Hosted by veteran unschooling mom and writer Pam Laricchia, this podcast features experienced guests and a Q&A format.

Listen if: You’re inspired by unschooling philosophy, and you’d love some reassurance that you’re on the right course.

Episode to check out: Ten Questions with Pam Sorooshian (So reassuring. I’m starting to think Pams were born to podcast.)

9. The Wired Homeschool

   Hosted by homeschool dad John, this podcast is full of tech advice, gadgets and tips for using digital devices and media in your homeschool.

Listen if: You love technology or want to add more to your homeschool.

Episode to check out: 15 STEM and STEAM ideas for homeschoolers

10. A Waldorf Journey

    Although not just a homeschool podcast, host Meredith delivers regular hugs for your Waldorf-loving soul.

Listen if: Lazure walls and the smell of baking bread are your love languages, or you just want some terrific Waldorf-inspired ideas.

Episode to check out: Working with children when you’re emotional

New to podcasts?

Two of the questions I get most from people about podcasts are how to listen and how to make the time to listen so I wanted to address that:

How to listen

OK, this is going to blow your mind … Ready? With all of the homeschool podcasts I linked to above, you can listen right from your computer, tablet or phone! Just go to the link, and you’ll see an arrow or a place to press play.

Awesome, right?

But if you want to get fancy, you’ll need a listening app – this allows you to download podcasts and listen while walking the dog, driving in the car, or cleaning the house.

On your smartphone:

• If you have an iPhone, use the Apple Podcast app. It’s free! It will allow you to search for podcasts, download them and even rate and review them.
• If you have an Android phone, Google’s music streaming app also works for podcasts. And it’s also free.
• If you really love podcasts and want to get ultra-fancy, you can try Pocket Casts ($4) or Overcast (free, but if you want to remove ads, there’s a monthly subscription option.)

On your MP3 player:

• You have to download them through iTunes and then transfer them to your MP3 player. (Don’t worry if you have a Windows-based PC – you can still get iTunes!)

When to listen

I polled some readers on my Facebook page, and they said the most common times they listen to homeschool podcasts are:

• while walking/walking the dog
• while doing other exercise (treadmill, bike, going to the gym, etc.)
• while cleaning
• while driving
• while making dinner
• while doing the dishes or folding laundry
• before the kids get up in the morning

Finally, before I go, I wanted to tell you that a lot of my podcast enthusiasm is because I have a podcast with my friend Cait called The Homeschool Sisters! And we would love it if you would take a listen.

We just came back with the first episode of Season 3 – you can find us right here.

And the best place to stay up to date when a new episode goes live is either to subscribe, or to follow us on Facebook.

I hope one or two of these podcasts turns out to be a great fit for you! Happy listening!

Originally posted on September 21, 2017

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