Shoo Rayner has no idea who I am. This is not a promotional post. I'm just sharing one way we do homeschool art lessons for free. Mr. Rayner, if you happen upon this post, well....hello and thank you for your wonderful videos! When I give my kids free-school time, they have the opportunity to choose something creative, productive, and educational to pass the time. They can choose between a documentary on Netflix, a book of (just about) any type, or some crafting/creating time. More and … [Read more...]
Homeschool: Why We Do Just One Subject Per Day
We've started doing things a little differently here at Sanderson Homeschool. We pick one subject for all kids and do 3-5 days' worth of work in just one day. The next day, we do several days' worth of another subject. Next day, next subject. You get it. The kids have really taken to this method of schooling and while I realize it will be difficult to do this full time between ballet, homeschool group, library time, etc., I think that we work to make it happen as often as possible. Why we … [Read more...]
Homeschool: Using Your Local University Library
When it's time to order curriculum and reference books, every homeschooling parent on the planet cringes. It can cost a small fortune for just one child. When you have several children, well...you'd better make the most of all resources available to you. Every homeschooling family I've encountered knows to make good use of public libraries. When you depend heavily on that, you start to find your library's limits. You start to wish you had a Hogwarts-style library at your disposal. Since we … [Read more...]
“Can I Use a Calculator?” — Homeschool Math
He sits with his pencil in one hand and his furrowed brow in the other. There's no glimmer in his eye; I see only desperation. In front of him, there's a math problem that he could have solved last year but today looks foreign to him. He looks up at me. "Can I use a calculator?" I hesitate. This time it's my brow furrowing as I internally wrestle with myself. He's clearly not retaining what he studied last year. Where have I gone wrong? If I let him use a calculator, is he really going … [Read more...]
Homeschool Wish List Ideas
They're out there. The school supplies. The sales. The back-to-school frenzy that excites and/or overwhelms every parent. For me, it's 99% excitement. I have mad, mad love for school supplies of all kinds. When stores start stocking their back-to-school section, I become flat-out giddy. It started with kindergarten 30-something years ago and that love has only grown. Each year, I waited with great anticipation for the day my mom would take me on that special school-shopping trip. It … [Read more...]