Transforming mountains of homeschool information into nuggets of gold
The key is knowing that they want to do what the ‘big kids’ and parents are doing. Allow them to begin practicing (through play) the your future plans for how you want them to approach lessons beyond tracing their name with a colored crayon. Children … Read more
Revised and Updated May, 2023 If you gauge your elementary student against public schooled students you will feel that he/she is behind, but if you teach at home at least through 3rd grade you will find that your child will zoom right ahead of his … Read more
Rest easy. You absolutely cannot academically ruin an elementary level student. These little guys are made to bounce in all ways. Their resiliency and absorption ranks right up there with Elasta-Girl. The most typical mistake we over-excited, eager, fun-loving parents do is to do too … Read more
We always have several gifted children in our family. I consider dyslexia a gift, and am an ever-reaching, ever-growing, ever-succeeding dyslexic myself. At least one of our children has this same gift, another is gifted with a processing disorder, and a third is gifted with … Read more
You have made the biggest decision already which is to homeschool. Doing so ‘from the beginning’ is a lovely way to build your home culture to weave fully with a culture of education, building a library in your home as you collect books, and … Read more
Parent: I feel like I have hit a brick wall with homeschooling 4 of my kids: 7 years old, 8 years, 10, and 12 years old. I have a 1 year old as well. I feel as though I am failing them. It kills me … Read more
What leads to burn out at this time of year? How can we instead be encouraged, or at least enjoy a motivated push toward the finish line? We have had lovely Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, perhaps a Winter Break and a Spring Break, yet April … Read more
MAMA L: I was watching the video about midterm reports and you mentioned something about having a defiant child who needed to unschool possibly. (remember Faithful Scholars’ members, you have accesss to our Video Library- the link was sent with your Welcome or Response … Read more
Reason Number 5024… …Okay, so maybe we should begin with reason one as that is what got each of us to take this leap of faith plunging our families into these inexplicably, unexpectedly beautiful waters of the perfect IEP (Individualized Educational Plan). Define your Why, … Read more
Home School being main stream seems counter intuitive and even counter cultural but it is true. There are more homeschoolers across the nation than private schoolers! There are so many choices in curriculum, co ops, programs, on line classes, dual enrollment, etc that beginning this … Read more
Every homeschool parent is positive she is going to miss something along the way, and she is correct. The teacher across the school hall is also missing something as is the college professor. No one person can cover it all, but one person can know … Read more
–by a brilliant and beautiful friend who wishes to remain nameless Six little letters follow my name—B.A., M.A., J.D.—and two precede it—Ms. So it appears that the feminists have won out. I am my own person. Each night when I come home, I have no … Read more
…Eager and Early Learners I can remember my husband buying a book on our honeymoon entitled, “Teach Your Baby to Read.” We had already planned to homeschool our children, when they came, but this was not what I had in mind. A year later our … Read more
Attachment parenting began to be poo-pooed when women in the workforce began to be celebrated. From the top down the definition of success was redefined and did not include family unity, family time, family health. Instead, it was an economic advance, economic prosperity, and economic … Read more
The thought of teaching a high school aged teenager at home can be daunting if sprung upon you unawares. If it has naturally occurred year by year as a committed (as in we are all a bit crazy who do this— crazy cool and crazy … Read more
The new year is about to begin and we are halfway through our academic year. Thus far it may have been smooth sailing or bumpier than a toads back. Either way the sound of adding more peace to one’s day appeals to each of us. … Read more
Almost 2 years ago few of us would have imagined a world slowed down to the pace of horse and carriage (for a lovely 3 weeks!), however this is where we strangely find ourselves. This pandemic is only abnormal in that it … Read more
Anxiety begins with a thought and can end with a thought taken captive; but, if given free rein to niggle and run around our brains long enough, it creeps into our hearts to squeeze and constrict and proceeds to run rampant through our actions in … Read more
Freedom, true freedom, is grounded in doing as one ‘ought’ to do. However, today’s trends teach that freedom is being able to do what one ‘wants’ to do. The ‘Ought To’s’ are a set of very specific commandments that tell us to love and serve … Read more
We have all felt moments When it Goes Right. Deep in our hearts things click- satisfaction, calm, rest, joy, peace all come together in a satisfying sigh of right-ness. It is attainable. It is what keeps us seeking the ideal by bettering ourselves and our … Read more
Lately I have recognized a bad habit of feeling sorry for myself when my husband or children do not recognize the hard work I put forth 24/7 which results in a lack of gratitude toward and agreement with Poor Little Me. It was my husband … Read more
There is not time each day for more than One Thing. I know, we homeschooling mamas thrive on our super powers of accomplishing above and beyond. That is not what I am talking about. The One Thing is your most important objective for the day. … Read more
This is the time of year where I (try to) back down on office work and bettering and bettering and order those ‘real’ items in my life that are neglected during the wonderfully busy Helping Times that bookend my year with Faithful Scholars– helping families … Read more
“This year we are doing first grade, but the public school would have him starting Kindergarten. He is just too advanced to hold back.” Don’t hold him back academically, but I would encourage you to keep him in the proper grade for his ‘future self’. … Read more
A Note to Parents of Special-Needs Children by Maura Roan McKeegan Earlier this month, in a story called “What I Saw on Respect Life Sunday,” I wrote about witnessing the love between parents and their special-needs children at Mass. This past weekend, by God’s grace, I … Read more
Dear Mom and Dad, As I wrote to a friend this morning, the email touched on so many of my tender spots that many of us face but few of us share. If you are not yet at this point in growing up alongside … Read more
Maybe this wasn’t the case for you, but I always knew my eldest would start college early and from home. However, for the past year and a half I’ve struggled to find the right option for my student. Thinking it would ease my administrative burden … Read more
Each summer Faithful Scholars answers questions as to which/whether days can count toward school– CC practicum/camp, music camp, mechanics camp, car trips, vacations based around historical stops, etc. YES!!! You can, and should, count them. Value and give credit to all learning achieved toward the … Read more
Mom: I have purchased the official high school binder to keep all of M’s records organized. I have your helpful list (from previous support email) printed and highlighted in the front. etc… Last night I reread through all of the info concerning high school on the … Read more
Ponder the last time you spent a day or an hour or a moment purposely going slow. A mom wrote the above title to me the other day after she had watched a box turtle meander along and fireflies dance. These are reasons to homeschool, … Read more
The grass is always greener when seen from a distance. My fellow homeschoolers all have it together while I still flop and flounder. Or am I just looking at things from the wrong angle? My side view shows beautiful lush green. Step into the middle … Read more
As we excitedly plan out our learning and lessons for next year it strikes me how the butterfly-joy welling up from within is based on the journey rather than thoughts of the completion of another year. It feels like running into a dear friend who … Read more
Finding harmony based upon routine is one of a homeschoolers core daily struggles. Even for those of us who are determined to maintain a fluid day, there must be some order. When do the children wake, what lessons are the big slimy toads and need … Read more
by Ashley Brookshire, Regional Director of Admissions for the West Coast It’s a question I hear often – mostly from families at college fairs who are frantically trying to absorb every available nugget of information available to them in the tight time frame of … Read more
Homeschool is about creating a culture of education, daily devotion to curiosity, and practice of diligence toward discipline. It is more about character and less about the completion of, or in some situations, the ‘experience’ of, material. Homeschoolers use books to grow our children in … Read more
As the year went along did your standards go along with it? ….You may be a homeschooling mama if….. you are an idealist who cannot maintain her ideals because there are so many of them! The year begins, you have your curriculum set, your daily … Read more
The MAIN THING is not the main lesson nor the main book although we get caught up in ever progressing while within we innately understand that our books are simply springboards toward faith and character. Homeschooling is a phenomenon of immense beauty which ever teeters … Read more
In answer to the common question, “How will I know I am covering “enough” with my soon-to-be 8th grader to prepare him for high school level courses?” You never will. Makes me grin each time I type this as I can envision the ‘thanks for … Read more
With summer swiftly arriving and calling us out of doors it is a joyful release to know that the required 180 day academic year is (almost) over. But, if you are like us and enjoy the ‘anchorage’ of daily worthwhile accomplishment, it is also a … Read more
So often in emails I can hear the sweet love of homeschooling and all that you get to do in a day. It tickles me to be even a tiny part of that! A common occurrence in the elementary years is well state by this … Read more