The glorious days of summer are here! We’ve all worked so hard homeschooling for so many months, and now it’s time to rest, relax, and enjoy a few months off from work… right? Maybe if we weren’t homeschool parents. The truth is that while we do get a break from the quizzes, the textbooks, and…
The subject you have dreaded to discuss is at hand. It’s time to talk about those uncomfortable middle school topics with your children, isn’t it? I’ll make it a little easier by getting the hard stuff out in the open for you to find the bravery you need to face those sweet children of yours….
Middle schoolers get a bad rap a lot of the time, but the middle school homeschool has such amazing potential! Puberty has wreaked havoc on their awkward bodies and hormones have their moods swinging back and forth. This new rush towards adulthood has them convinced of their own wisdom yet their inexperience reveals them as…
Graphing comes to life with this fun paper airplane math activity! Create, fly, collect data, and use technology for serious learning that will motivate your elementary and middle school children to love learning. Paper Airplane Graphs Grab some colorful paper and let your children have fun designing paper airplanes to test their awesomeness. After collecting…
Nature study has long been a cornerstone of our homeschool. It’s an interactive and exciting mainstay that has come to be as much a part of our lives as our learning. We don’t just notice nature when it’s for science credit, we enjoy and appreciate it in our daily lives! Because nature study is so…
Horses are a lifelong love for my daughter. She has always gasped at the sight of horses grazing in a pasture, cleared the local library’s shelves of all the horse-related books, and covered her walls with posters of wild stallions and prancing ponies. Gift giving occasions have never been great mysteries for anyone who knows…
Do you have a budding chef or a flourishing foodie at home, always at your elbow in the kitchen and wanting to mix, roll, bake, or glaze? Check out these gifts for kids who love to cook and find something for every skill level. You’ll enjoy what they whip up for you almost as much…
Do your children love history or do you hit walls every time you try to teach it? I hated history as a child, mostly because the textbooks were horribly boring, the teachers were dry as a crust of day-old bread, and those long lists of dates were entirely frustrating. Given the opportunity to teach homeschool…
One of my goals in homeschooling creatively has always been to help kids love writing. Whether students believe it or not, writing is an essential skill that finds its way into real life quite often. Teaching writing with real-life methods is a great way to convince kids of its importance. Not to mention, anytime an…
If you’ve been around here much, you know the importance I place on nature study. The real-life science lessons that offer a consistent “lab” experience are unmatched compared to simply studying the same topics from a textbook. But, just as important, nature study reaches so naturally into other academic areas that it’s priceless for gently integrated learning….
We’ve talked a lot about brain training for cognitive skills here at Our Journey Westward. Closely related to cognitive skills are social skills. This article focuses on some easy ways to improve social skills in the homeschool. Don’t get “social skills” confused with “socialization”. One of the biggest thorns in the side of any homeschooler…
It’s so easy to start your homeschool journey as an idealist. Beautifully-lit Instagram photos and Pinterest-worthy homeschool rooms are exciting to look at, and passionate, seasoned speakers have hundreds of podcasts for you to excitedly devour. Before you know it, you’ve ordered vintage chalkboards, antique schoolroom desks, and picked up a natural wood abacus. Visions…
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