learning ideas/activities

A Slithering Visitor in Our Porch

Yesterday, as Molly was getting ready to go to the backyard, she stopped at the door to our screened in porch. “Uh….Mom.” “Yes?” I answered, while doing dishes. “What’s that slithering thing on the porch?” Let me tell you that while my next step was to casually say, “I’ll be there in a second,” as [...]

7 Quick Takes: September 29, 2011 (Vol. 98)

~ 1 ~ After several years of a closed photography business, I actually did a session (well, a two-in-one session) this past weekend.  While it was weird to be doing it again, it was for a very special reason.  I got to take senior pictures of one of my nieces and one of my nephews.  [...]

A Project Filled Spring and Summer

This spring and summer have been full of great learning opportunities for our boys, as well as the benefit of some wonderful family time. We’ve been able to work on things that I normally feel like we just don’t have time to work on during the school year (which is probably ridiculous to say, since [...]

Our 2011 – 2012 Homeschool Curriculum

With our third year of homeschooling under our belts, and some new found confidence in what we are doing, I’ve been busy planning what we’ll be doing during our fourth year of home educating.   During the 2011 – 2012 school year, the kids will be in the following grades: 6th, 5th, and 1st. (Special needs [...]

Helpful Homeschool Hints: Four Learning Activities Without Workbooks

I am always impressed with people that naturally gravitate toward learning activities for their children that don’t involve workbooks and textbooks.  I think because of not only my extensive time in school, but also because of my seven years in college getting two degrees in education, I just always find myself working on school in [...]

Helpful Homeschool Hints: Inexpensive Music Curriculum

I recently received an email about a post I wrote about using The Story of the Orchestra by Robert Levine as our music curriculum one year. I thought, rather than talking about it privately, I would talk about it here.  Because, really — who couldn’t use a general music curriculum for under $14 for the [...]

Saying Yes to Cooking Help (Even When I Don’t Want To)

I have mentioned many times before about my lack of cooking experience growing up. I did do some baking (even pretty young), but always things like cookies.  (And even then, it was only peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip cookies.)  As a parent, I have a better understanding of one of the reasons I probably [...]

10 Great iPad Apps My Kids Enjoy

My kids love to have the chance to play around on my iPad.  And, even better – some of their favorite things to do on the iPad are also educational (though not all of them, as you’ll see). 10 apps that my kids just love for the iPad: 1. MeeGenius! Children’s Books (free) – This [...]

JumpStart Online: A Huge Hit in Our House (Plus a Giveaway!)

A few months ago, I was approached by JumpStart (the fabulous company with all kinds of software and products with children in mind) about trying out their JumpStart.com online program with my kids. I thought it sounded like fun, knowing how much we’ve enjoyed JumpStart products in the past, but when I mentioned it to [...]

Assessing Your Child’s Knowledge, Not Their Writing Skills

As a blogger, I’m obviously a big fan of writing.  It is something that I have enjoyed my whole life.  When I was a kid, I enjoyed writing stories, I always had lots of pen pals, and as I got older, I was always one of those students that had a hard time staying within [...]

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