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Monthly Archives

March 2018

big juicy conversations in our homeschool
Blossom and Root Early Years, Brave Writer Lifestyle, Parenting

The Gift of Listening: Why Big, Juicy Conversations are an Essential Part of Our Homeschool

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Any Charlotte Mason fan worth their salt is familiar with the concept of narration–the oral or written demonstration of knowledge and understanding as an alternative to the “memorize, regurgitate, repeat” model of testing used by the majority of public school systems. Narration is a uniquely profound way to discover what your child has absorbed, retained, and taken a deeper interest in during your work together. However, it can sometimes feel awkward or stilted, especially early in the game when your children are young, or the concept of narration is new to them. Continue Reading

socialization in homeschool
Homeschool, Parenting

Dear Naysayers, Your Socialization Argument Doesn’t Hold Water Anymore (and It Never Did)

Before I begin, I want to be clear about something. I am not “anti-public school.” I went to public school. I had a positive experience in public school. I know that, for many parents, public school is the best choice for their family. I support public school teachers and administrators, and I believe that the decisions we make about educating our children are highly personal and vary greatly from family to family, and even from child to child. But this socialization argument needs to go. Continue Reading

nature study for the suburbs
Nature Study

7 Ideas for Nature Study When You’re Stuck in the Suburbs

Spring is upon us! Soon the weather will be warming up and the inspirational Instragram posts will start flooding in, distracting us from our math lessons and laundry piles. Beautiful photos of wildflowers blanketing a mountainside, nests full of little blue eggs, and children romping through muddy, fresh-green fields will flash past us on our feed, urging us to bring out our inner-Charlotte Mason and dive full-throttle into the glory that is nature study. Continue Reading

intriguing STEM biography series for your morning basket: flashes of genius
History and Geography, S.T.E.A.M.

An Intriguing STEM Biography Series for Your Morning Basket: Flashes of Genius

In our homeschool, our morning and evening baskets are a way to introduce a variety of content–in both fiction and non-fiction format–in a very relaxed and cozy setting. On any given day, both baskets are filled with everything from Roald Dahl and Beatrix Potter to Life of Fred and Robert Frost poems. Atlases, maps, and history encyclopedias wait eagerly beside ABC books, Eric Carle stories, and a book of famous women explorers. Harry Potter rests against a tiny chemistry book and the Burgess animals share space with a guide to Rocky Mountain insects.

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homeschool preschool curriculum
Blossom and Root Early Years, Homeschool

To the Mama Asking About Preschool Curriculum in the Facebook Group

To the mama asking about preschool curriculum in the Facebook group,

I can tell by your post that you’re feeling a little nervous as you take these first steps into the world of homeschooling, whether you intend to homeschool forever or “just for now.” And I know you’ve already spent a lot of time thinking about what you’re looking for, trying to find it, and second-guessing every cart you’ve filled. Before you begin to comb through the two hundred responses you’ve already received on that Facebook post, there are some things you should know. Continue Reading