New to Homeschooling - Homeschool Compass
When considering whether to homeschool for the first time, many parents experience a whirlwind of questions. Do I need special permission to pull my child out of public school? Do I need specific qualifications to teach my child? Isn’t it expensive to homeschool? What about sports and extracurricular activities? The […]
﻿This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the Homeschool Compass by shopping through our page! Never in a million years did I think I would homeschool my children. Growing up, we had neighbors that homeschooled. They were considered a little strange by my family. Didn’t they know their kids would never get the […]
Creating Your Homeschool Haven
There is no right or wrong way to teach your children at home. You choose your curriculum, your schedule, and the area where you teach. Having a homeschool haven creates a safe, enjoyable learning atmosphere for your family. Discovering my family’s homeschool haven has been a method of trial and […]
If you find yourself unexpectedly educating your children from home due to the coronavirus, welcome. We know this is not the way you had anticipated spending these weeks and months, but we are here to support you in any way we can. We’d like to share with you a few […]
10 Ways to Use Homeschool Curriculum Even If You’re Not Homeschooling Long Term
You don’t have to be a full-time, homeschooling family to take advantage of the various homeschool products available to all parents who are trying to provide a great education for their kids. Here are 10 easy ways to incorporate homeschool curriculum into your child’s learning even if they are enrolled […]
Homeschooling Without Fear: How to Begin When You Don’t Know Where to Start
As a Homeschool Specialist at Christianbook.com I receive many calls from homeschool parents this time of year. They often tell the same story. It’s midyear, possibly mid-semester, and they just pulled their children from school. For whatever reason, it wasn’t the best fit for their family, and they’ve decided to […]
Not all homeschoolers start off planning to educate their children at home. Many parents graduated from public school and expected that their children would thrive in classes led by certified teachers like they did. So their kids ride the school bus with other kids from the neighborhood and play with […]
Starting at Seventh
Are you crazy? I might be. At least, if you believe what people said about our decision to start homeschooling in the seventh grade. But if results mean anything, I’ll take crazy any day. By the time my son Christopher reached sixth grade he had attended four different schools, one […]
A few years ago, dressed in tennis shoes, shorts, and a T-shirt, I was happily riding along the bike trail on my son’s mountain bike. A woman rode alongside me just long enough to warn, “I wouldn’t ride out here without a helmet.” As she sped away in her full […]
There are several different strategies that can be used when homeschooling a large family with many grade levels. Just as every family is unique and each has different needs which are always in a state of flux, there is peace in accepting that we will never have all the answers […]
In our family, teaching at home is not a choice but a calling. During our twenties, my husband and I began to know and love God. We were compelled to live our life surrendered to Him. While teaching at an inner-city public school, God impressed upon my heart that He […]
An Insider’s Guide to Conventions
You can tell by the look in their eyes. It’s that “deer in the headlights” look coupled with the “my baby kept me up all night” look, with a touch of the “worried my kid will never learn” look for good measure. They come to our booth year after year, […]
If you have a child with special learning needs, you have probably heard at some point, “Put him in school. They are better equipped to teach him.” On days when you are repeating the same concept for what seems like the thirtieth time, you may even have those thoughts yourself. […]
You’ve made the decision to homeschool. You’ve pulled your child out of traditional school. Now what? Changing from a classroom mindset to a homeschooling mindset doesn’t happen overnight (for parents or children). That’s why veteran homeschoolers recommend a period of deschooling. Deschooling simply means setting aside a period of time […]
Have you ever noticed that the first few moments of your morning can make or break the rest of your homeschool day? Establishing an intentional morning routine provides the consistency kids crave while setting you up for success moving forward. Breakfast and Chore Time Some kids (and mamas) don’t function […]
Deciding to homeschool was one of the most exciting times in my life as a parent. I had always loved the idea of homeschooling, but never thought I would be able or willing to take the plunge. When my husband and I finally determined that I should give it a […]
We can probably all agree that having a vision for your homeschooling family is imperative. It sets the foundation on which to build upon, as well as something to fall back on when the road gets a little rocky. A new year is perhaps the most perfect time to write […]
Honesty in Homeschooling
What is the first word that comes to mind when you hear someone say homeschool? How about the word honesty? It’s probably not the first word that comes to mind, right? Let me tell you how this one little word will make a huge impact in your success as a […]
The bus pulled up to the end of the driveway, and my little boy (then six years old) climbed aboard. Turning toward me with a smile and wave, he was off. He seemed happy enough and excited to go to school, so why did I have a sick feeling in […]
“Without counsel, plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” Proverbs 15:22 Choosing to homeschool your children is a worthy and important undertaking. It’s exciting to think about custom making an education for your children. Along with your hopeful plans will also come questions, concerns, and at times anxiety. You […]
6 Strategies for Working While Homeschooling
If you’ve been blessed to be able to homeschool your children without having to find additional work for pay, I’m sure you’re thankful, since homeschooling is a lot of work already! If, however, you find that you need to generate income in addition to homeschooling, know you are not alone. […]
Nature studies are an important part of our homeschool and our life. On the ranch, life fits well with the Charlotte Mason philosophy for nature studies. We are outside every day; so we can easily incorporate our science lessons into what we see and do. When we are outside, I […]
Studying Nature, The Charlotte Mason Way
As an eclectic Charlotte Mason homeschooler, nature study is near and dear to my heart—and the hearts of my children. We have learned so much about our Creator and the sciences through our weekly nature walks, all while touching on bits and pieces of almost every other subject under the […]
The preschool years are a special time, full of wonder and innocence as children try to make sense of their world. I don’t know about you, but when I think about what I want for my preschoolers, I want these years to be abundantly full of excitement, discovery, and learning. […]
The aim of a classical education is to form children into adults who pursue truth, prefer goodness, and proliferate beauty. The art of grammar provides practice in gathering truth naturally through hearing, seeing, touching, tasting, and smelling. The art of dialectic provides practice in wisely analyzing the goodness of the things we see, hear, […]
The word classical is derived from the Latin word classis, which means “a fleet of ships.” Let me, therefore, touch on some of the ways in which classical Christian education can be likened to a ship. Like an old three-masted ship built of wood and powered by the wind, classical education sailed around […]
When I began homeschooling eight years ago, like many new homeschoolers, I thought homeschooling was the same as (public) schooling at home. Boy, was I wrong! Over the years, with much trial and error, we have finally come to rest in our gentle daily rhythm. This rhythm allows for the […]
Inside a Charlotte Mason Homeschool
Pull up a chair. We’re just getting started with our homeschooling for the day. Amy is eight this year, and we’re using the Charlotte Mason method. If you’re curious about what a typical day looks like, you’re welcome to take a peek inside this Charlotte Mason homeschool. 8:30—Scripture Memory I […]
Do you ever feel like all you do is cover the basics? Jumping from math to English, to history and science, then off to the kids’ activities or church and all those other good things you do. Before you know it, the week is over and you didn’t do nearly […]
We were two weeks into my second son’s first grade year. It was our second year of homeschooling. He was seated at his desk, and I was stationed at the whiteboard, emulating my public school teachers. This was our routine: Me: “Sit still, Honey.” I would teach. Me: “Pay attention.” […]
No one needs research evidence to convince him that murder is bad for people. And why does anyone need research to show her that loving parental involvement in a child’s life is good for his education? Most Christian parents homeschool because they know that parent-led home-based discipleship is biblically normative. […]
In early 2016 there were an estimated 2.3 million homeschooled students in the United States, and this amount appears to be growing. The reason why more and more families choose this educational option are many, but one of the primary reasons is the failure of our modern educational system. Not […]