I recently received a question from a longtime member asking if you can use No Sweat Nature Study in high school for science credit. That’s a great question, and I have good news! Take a peek at the original question. My daughters do not want to stop studying with you! We have decided that one…
I love using living books in our homeschool. If you’ve been around here any time at all, you know that living literature is a key tool that I use across all ages and all subjects. Using literature to teach high school history works especially well. So many nuances of an event or era can be…
Homeschoolers who want to enjoy serious nature study often ask, “Which are the best field guides?” I have favorites, and I’ll be sure to tell you in just a minute, but first, you should know that you have many wonderful options. You won’t go wrong if you choose field guides that appeal to you for…
For years, we’ve taken at least one homeschool field trip each month of the school year. These trips have created some of our best memories and have always provided us with wonderful learning opportunities. It may sound overwhelming to plan monthly field trips, but it’s really not that hard when you’re organized—and I’ll help you…
What do you do with a high school student who has been through two cycles of American history and thinks a third cycle would just be boring and unfruitful? Spice it up and make sure he dives deep! Over the years, our family has followed a four-year history cycle. By the time high school rolls around,…
If there’s one subject that seems to befuddle homeschoolers more than any other, it’s writing. I hear it during homeschool consultations and casually talking among homeschool friends. Plus, I see questions about it all over the internet. People are often surprised when I tell them I don’t formally teach writing until middle school. Really, I don’t. And here’s…
Brain training activities are good for everyone because they build neuron connections. Who couldn’t use a few extra neuron connections, right? A previous article shares the what, why, and how of brain training. You can read it to understand the concept of brain training and learn how it improves cognitive skills for ALL learners. This…
Yes, logic and critical thinking really do matter. A lot, in fact. We all want children who can stop and think before they act, right? That takes logic and critical thinking. And, I bet at least one of your homeschooling goals is to raise a well-rounded child who can transition into successful adulthood. Well, that…
Book smarts are important, but they aren’t the only things that matter for gifted learners. It’s essential to make common sense connections through real-world gifted homeschooling, too. One of the often-mentioned challenges about gifted children is that sometimes brilliant-minded kids don’t always make those common-sense connections. It can be infuriating for the parent and embarrassing…
These group games for families are perfect for any special gathering! Games have always been the go-to activity when family or friends get together because they are so much fun and keep everyone actively involved in the party. We don’t have a giant extended family, but every holiday or birthday celebration will find the 10…
It’s long been a saying that we have to crawl before we can walk, walk before we can run, and run before we can race. Development is typically easy to track and anticipate as a child builds upon previous skills, a steady line sloping up. Gifted kids, though, develop much differently. Instead of a straight…
Logic and critical thinking easily meet science in this bean classification activity. Using a simple 16-bean soup mix, middle and high school students can develop their own systems of classification. It’s such a great way to practice classification and re-classification strategies based on debatable characteristics. Speaking of debate, the activity provides a great opportunity for…