Ever wonder why kids have trouble concentrating on rainy days? I mean, when it’s yucky, cold, and gray outside, why should they be distracted from schoolwork? It’s not like they have anything better to do.

Our brains are oxygen hogs. And the more we think, the more neurons are being built, the faster we use up that oxygen. We don’t get enough oxygen for serious brain work just by sitting around in a chair all day. To get enough oxygen to our brain for serious sustained mental work we need to work our bodies. …

Teach your kids Latin because it is good for the brain.

Latin, like any foreign language, is amazing brain food. Learning a foreign language increases both grey and white matter, brain density, and neural connections.

Check the studies yourself, second-language learning is good for the brain.

“Learning another language is one of the most effective and practical ways to increase intelligence, keep your mind sharp, and buffer your brain against aging.”

Luz Palmero

Ok, so this probably is not news to you. But it only answers part of the question. We teach kids foreign language because it is good for the brain. But why Latin? Why not focus on a modern…

Sometimes what we need to live better lives is not a resolution, but simply a shift in focus. Often this shift in focus is an expansion. We become hyper-focused on one part of our lives and this causes us to neglect other areas. We then feel like a failure because so much of our life is in disarray, falling apart, a mess.

Pulling back the zoom feature reveals the big picture. Sometimes we zoom in simply because that big picture is of a messy room. …

When you start homeschooling you are stepping into a whole new world. Knowing what to expect your first year of homeschooling can be the difference between becoming the heroess who slays the villain and the one who runs away from the story.

If you are homeschooling for the first time this year, there are a few things you need to know. Understanding that all of these things are normal, they are part of a process of creating a new culture for yourself and your children, will save you from feeling like a failure. Which brings us to number one.

Here are 13 Things to Expect Your First Year of Homeschooling

1.You will feel like a failure, but you aren’t.

This…

Getting back to homeschool routines is not always smooth sailing.

Getting back to homeschool routines is not always smooth sailing. When you start a new homeschool year there are a lot of new routines to pull into place. Although you may feel like you are going to sink back into a comfortable rhythm, the kids might see your plans and try to run away. How do you get your year off to a smooth start?

Buck-up moms, we don’t need smooth starts

First, smooths starts aren’t everything. If you have a different schedule than last year, if you have changed curriculum in any subjects, if you joined…

The homeschool Facebook groups are all abuzz with temporary homeschool moms who want to know what curriculum to buy in order to reintegrate seamlessly with the public school system when it finally opens again.

They are homeschooling with good reason; the schools are failing to provide a good education. They know that because they have seen what their kids have learned through the shut-down so far.

And they aren’t happy. The education seems subpar. They don’t want their kids falling behind. So they are pulling them out and homeschooling them for the year.

Yet they can’t shut-off the fear that…

Everything parents need to know about BDNF. What it is, the role it plays in learning, and how to boost levels.

What is BDNF?

BDNF is short for brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Basically, BDNF is a protein that is part of the neurotrophin family of growth factor, as the name implies, it is found in the brain. Neurotrophins build and maintain cell circuitry, they are basic material that is needed. Before neurotransmitters can get to work sending signals throughout the brain, the neurotrophic factors (the term factor here refers to a subcategory used to describe the type of protein) need to be in place. …

Homeschool spaces are about giving the hard work of learning a helping hand.

Kids can learn anywhere, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need an organized space dedicated to the hard work of learning. Homeschool spaces look different in every home and family. But there are a few common threads you can see within the beauty of variation..

Book Shelves

Even unschoolers, who may see no need for a dedicated schoolroom, still have shelves full of books. These might show up in one central location, but it is more likely that they are scattered throughout the house. …