Blog
Summer Fun and Education: Can You Have Both?
As the books and computers are put away and the grades have all been handed out, I am often left with a feeling of worry. What will we do this summer? Will it be a summer filled with TV, computer games, and Xbox? That is the last thing I want; however, sometimes I...
Step Up Your Literature Game: Marking Up and Annotating Books
Do you want to improve your ability to comprehend and think deeply about the literature you read? Mark up your book! Many students are encouraged to annotate their texts, but few know how to do this effectively. Commonly, students underline or highlight long sections...
Food and Friendships Found Online
The cuisines of the world bring joy to our taste buds and nourishment to our stomachs. This post is dedicated to the friendships developed through online cuisine and pastry classes. I refer to these relationships as “soul food,” because I am a foodie. Soul food is...
Have You Made Your Summer Bucket List?
A summer bucket list is something that I’ve never written before, but I have seen it on social media the last few weeks as summer vacation has started for most students. So, as a science teacher, you might be able to guess that my summer bucket list would have several...
One Awesome Education Hack for a Fabulous Summer
One Awesome Educational Hack for a Fabulous Summer Easy plan. Children, avert your eyes. "FREE AT LAST!" … The joyful proclamation as the school year ends. But is that it? No more learning? Time for total educational depravity? What's the deal? Why is summertime so...
Architectural Drafting & Design I: An Online Architecture Class
Whether you are homeschooling or your public or private school just doesn’t offer this opportunity, your high schooler can take architecture classes online with Excelsior Classes. In Architectural Drafting & Design I & II, students learn to see, think, and...
Press On! Simple Homeschooling Advice and Encouragement
Learning As We Go In our family, we have two older boys, and then an eight-year gap between our younger son and our daughter. While spending time with my daughter’s friends and their moms, as the “veteran” homeschool mom, I sometimes get questions about...
How to Prepare Your Child to Take a Foreign Language
Americans who travel abroad for the first time are often shocked to discover that, despite all the progress that has been made in the last 30 years, many foreign people still speak in foreign languages. ‒ Dave Barry For many years now, homeschooling families have...
A Biology Lesson from my Four-Year-Old Son
I had a powerful exchange with my son when he was four years old, and his words made such an impact on me that I wrote them down after the conversation happened. Son: (looking quite pensive) Mom, when was I born? Me: May third. Son: (with much astonishment and...
Do You Qualify for the “Homeschooling Parent Genius Award”?
Are you the smartest homeschooling parent? Follow me for a moment to find out. Origins Shorthand is where this all began. It was Caleb Phillips, and later Sir Isaac Pitman, who both offered the early correspondence schools for the purpose of instructing in the art of...
5 Signs a Medical Career Might Be a Good Fit for You
Have you ever considered a job working in the medical field? Such a career is a great option for many. Because there is a growing population in need of medical care, there are many jobs available. The education and training programs needed to qualify you for a career...
Ignite a Passion for Reading with Science Fiction
Is your student a reluctant reader but an avid consumer of movies and games with science fiction themes? Many find the themes frequently explored in science fiction — a passion for traveling through time to the distant reaches of the universe, the creation of...