There are two key relationships that can sabotage homeschool success. Your relationship with the child and the child’s relationship with learning. If either of these is in need of repair, the learning process is stunted.
So many questions brought by struggling homeschool parents to FB groups or support meetings come down to a problem with one or both of these relationships. The problem hides because we don’t think about these relationships when it comes to our kids’ learning routines. But without addressing these underlying problems it becomes impossible to move forward.
“The emotional bond between students and teacher — for…
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. …
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.”
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.
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?
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…
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. …
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..
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. …
Do you dream of the day when your youngest will behave like the child in the picture above? Enjoying this part of your life requires a combination of mindset shifts and practical help to get through your days without feeling like you are being torn apart at the seams from being pulled in three different directions all day.
If you have a toddler: Look at the big picture, create realistic routines, and make peace with chaos.
Marla Szwast
Write down your life/homeschooling priorities. Don’t forget to include all the things that may be even more important than academics. It helped…
A mom who writes, in the cracks of time, between educating, chauffeuring and feeding half a dozen kids. Top writer in Parenting. https://www.jumpintogenius.com