If you asked me to name a few things that have made THE most impact in our homeschool over the years, one of the answers I would give without hesitation is living literature. Many precious hours have been spent together around books. Those moments have built strong bonds between us, created warm memories, and sparked…
Update: All curriculum has been sold. I will offer a new list of items for sale in April or May of 2018. Check out this new list of used homeschool curriculum for sale. There are more than 60 items priced to sell that won’t last long! You may email me directly if you’re interested in…
We veered off the “typical homeschool path” this year to teach out-of-the-box homeschool high school chemistry instead. This isn’t the first time we’ve chosen a different path for our son, who is a smart kid but doesn’t thrive in the textbook world of science. Do you remember how we chose an out-of-the-box biology course last year? Because…
One of my favorite things to do in the whole wide world is teaching homeschool workshops. Unfortunately, I don’t get to do that as often as I’d like. Fortunately, there’s a “next best thing” option…podcast interviews. I love talking with popular podcasters about homeschooling – and it makes me feel almost as happy as if…
This momma has a huge affinity for picture books. Over the years, we’ve read more than I would want to count. I promise you that I don’t regret a moment spent inside these books with my children! While we certainly have a long list of favorites from many, many different authors, there are just some…
As I sat down to plan what to write about this coming year here at Our Journey Westward, I took a peek to see what your favorite posts of 2016 were. As you’ll see below, it’s pretty clear you like living literature and creative teaching ideas. And, since I love those things, too, I’m happy…
Do you ever have bad attitudes in your homeschool? I love homeschooling and my children usually do, too. But, sometimes the homeschooling attitudes in our house just stink. Have you ever wanted to wring the necks of grumpy kids who whine about every single task set before them. Or dole out about a hundred chores…
Do you have a rough and tumble son? Me, too. Two of them, in fact. It’s always been hard on this momma to watch them “do what boys do” without cringing. While I certainly would rather keep them perfectly safe, my husband has convinced me that boys really do need to “be boys” so they…
When my husband and I first set out to homeschool, many eyebrows were raised within our extended family. My mom and dad were horrified that my children would miss out on their entire childhood – you know public school is the only place to find friends and do fun things, right? My mother-in-law and father-in-law…
It’s time for another post in my series about using picture books to teach writing to middle and high school students! Today’s topic is using picture books to teach text structure. What is text structure? It’s how the information written in a text is organized. Learning to identify text structure as a reader can significantly improve…
You don’t normally hear the word legalism in homeschooling circles unless the discussion is about religion. I’m not talking about religion today…or maybe I am. Legalism in Homeschooling Methods Do you remember me telling you about my much-needed summer of rest? Some of that rest involved time spent listening to homeschooling podcasts for encouragement and…
Well, these children of mine keep getting older and I find myself with a sophomore in college, a high school junior and a 4th grader. My homeschool became a boy school last year – and I’ve come to enjoy planning with active boys in mind! Take a peek at our homeschool curriculum and slightly improved schedule……