Blog

Fire Up Your Thankfulness!! Tell Us Why You’re Thankful for Homeschool and Win a Kindle Fire! Do you count homeschooling among your blessings? We would love to hear about it! Tell us in 200-1000 words why you’re thankful for homeschool. Students are welcome to enter,...

Ever felt rather peckish?  Been hungry for something but you weren’t sure exactly what?  According to the National Home Education Research Institute, many families in America found what they were looking for in homeschool.  In 2010 around 2 million children were...

Teaching Kids about Money My youngest just turned 7 and OH! how their eyes lit up when they received birthday cards with money!  Only 7, but how well they understand the power of the dollar! Or do they?!  To them money means picking out a special toy (as well it...

A Few Things For Your Homeschooling Goodie Bag From Global Student Network ‘Tis the season of kids in cute costumes traipsing up and down the street on the hunt for candy!  I have such fond memories of trick or treating.  Although I don’t don a costume anymore, I...

Making the Most of Autumn for Homeschool Learning A couple of days ago it was beautiful outside!  Sunny, high of 76.  I had things I really needed to do inside, but the “call of the wild” was too much!  The next day was slated for a high of 44 and snow.  I made up...

Isn’t it fun to put on a mask?!  This time of year especially!  At our house you just might run into Captain America, a kitty cat, or Obi Wan Kenobi!  Of course, anyone who knows my kids will have no problem figuring out who is under the mask. But it isn’t always so...

I marvel at those who were the first to explore the globe centuries ago.  Their courage to tackle the unknown and their commitment to stay the course despite great odds inspires me.  In honor of those great explorers, I am going to do some exploring myself!  But...

You start with baking soda. You add vinegar. You say “Cool!” when the bubbly mess oozes its way down the paper mache cone. It’s the vinegar and baking soda volcano – the quintessential childhood experience!  Kids and science seem made for each other!  And here are 4...

There is much to be said (and has been said!) about the big picture of homeschooling - the reasons why people choose to homeschool, the benefits, the successes, etc. etc. etc.  Getting the big picture is great!  Super helpful.  But sometimes it’s good to take a step...

My grandmother taught in a one room schoolhouse in the 1940s.  I love to hear her stories of managing and instructing students of all different grades and levels.  So much has changed in education since then!  Public schools are different and now homeschooling is an...

My grandmother recently passed away.  I’m so thankful for many memories with Grandma.  Some of my favorite memories are times when Grandma and I played together.  She loved games of all kinds and was quite a card shark right to the end. My favorite “game” Grandma and...

I have always loved learning the local history of wherever I happened to be living.  Having moved only last year, I have had fun learning a bit about the history of our new city, Greeley, Colorado.  Greeley began in the late 1800s as the brainchild of a man named...

While visiting my parents last weekend, I learned something new about the little town where they live.  It was a stop on the Pony Express route!  I found that fascinating. The Pony Express system spanned 1900 miles from St. Joseph, MO to Sacramento, CA.  Using 184...

“Why do I have to learn this?” Ever heard this question? Explaining how and when your child will use a quadratic equation in real life might be tricky. But explaining how and when a child will use writing falls into the no-brainer category. Writing skills are helpful...

Unfortunately, hearing about guns in public schools is not unusual.  Just typing that sentence makes my heart break for our country and its children.  But we have other options.  We can homeschool.  Not only is it legal here in the USA, it’s an accepted and growing...

Thank you Brenda Kaye Ruffener for allowing us to post another one of your superb and a very funny article below: Warning: If you don’t agree with homeschooling, hate laughter or take yourself too seriously, please skip this post or at least refrain from sending me...

How Teaching Kids is Like Going on a Bike Ride (and getting a flat and having to walk back . . . ) By J.Hoffman We had a friend visiting last week and when given the choice of activities to do for the day, he chose a bike ride along the river trail.  This paved trail...

Thank you Brenda Kaye Ruffener for allowing us to post your article below: http://www.homeschooldiaries.com/25-homeschooling-truths-i-wish-id-known/ When I first started homeschooling, I was excited, happy, scared and overwhelmed. The year-long research I’d done...

How Arithmetic is Not Mathematics and Why Children Need to Learn Both “What is math?” If you ask this question, you will likely get a response like, “Well, math is adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing numbers.” Guess what?  That’s not math, that’s arithmetic....

by Brenda Kaye Rufener http://www.homeschooldiaries.com/why-you-dont-need-to-be-a-teacher-to-homeschool/ Thank you Brenda Kaye Ruffener for allowing us to post your article below: People love teachers. They are esteemed, loved and adored by all. Part of what makes...

If you’ve ever donated blood, one the perks (besides the free cookies and orange juice!) is the nifty card you can carry stating your blood type.  A helpful piece of information to know! Those personality tests can shed light on why it drives you nuts that your spouse...