The Homeschool Solutions Show

The fourth interview in the Ultimate Guide to Homeschool Methods I got to chat with one of my very favorite people, Jennifer Dow from Expanding Wisdom. Jennifer is a joy, because she makes me think about life, education, and being a more virtuous person every single time we talk. In this episode we talk about the day-in-the-life of a classical homeschool and about a version of classical homeschooling that is outside the norm of what most people assume about classical homeschooling. Different than neo-classicism and tons of memory work, the classical homeschool Jennifer describes focuses on virture. The shownotes for this episode can be found here: https://pambarnhill.com/are-you-a-classical-homeschooler-the-ultimate-guide-to-homeschooling-methods

The third interview in the Ultimate Guide to Homeschool Methods series was a delight to record. I loved chatting with a friend, Margaret in Minnesota. blogs about her beautiful life with seven kids at her blog -- Minnesota Mom where she focuses on family, faith, and lots of love. Margaret uses a school-at-home method of homeschooling. In this interview, we talk about what a typical day looks like in her home, why she chose a box of books for her homeschool, and how she adapts that to meet the needs of her family. Listen or read more at https://pambarnhill.com/school-at-home/

As part of our interview series on the Ultimate Guide to Homeschool Methods, I recently had the opportunity to speak to Heather Woodie of Blog She Wrote. Heather homeschooled her children using the unit study method for ten years. Sometimes she usel purchased unit studies, while at other times she (or her children!) wrote their own studies. She mentors other homeschool moms with her participation in the Five in a Row forums and through her blog, where she is a helpful voice with resources and techniques for homeschooling high school. I think you are going to enjoy Heather's interview, so relax and have a listen. For the show notes visit https://pambarnhill.com/hs172

This episode from the archives is from our Ultimate Guide to Homeschool Methods and it was a delight to record three years ago. I loved chatting with my old friend, Sue Elvis who blogs at https://www.storiesofanunschoolingfamily.com/ and has a new book out called Curious Unschoolers. Sue unschools her large family where they focus on doing their own projects, relationships, and trusting the child. For more information and the show notes visit https://pambarnhill.com/unschooling.

There is nothing more fun than a road trip full of adventure and learning. And no group knows how to make the most of a learning adventure better than homeschoolers. Today I am joined by Trish Corlew of Homeschool Road Trips and Hip Homeschool Moms to chat about Trish's best tips for learning on the go as well as more information about the Homeschool Road Trips opportunities. We chat about how travel can be an important part of your curriculum, the biggest benefits of traveling with family, and some of Trish's favorite tales from the trips her family has taken. Enjoy!

Homeschooling through high school can feel intimidating. I am a teacher by trade, and I am constantly second guessing myself and checking to be sure that I have not left my children with a gaping hole in their education. We tell our kids that they can do anything they want, but am I stealing part of that future from them if I don't aptly prepare them to meet it? Listen or read more at https://thesparrowshome.com/homeschooling-high-school-2-things-you-might-be-missing/

What happens to your morning time as your kids get older? Does it change or do we stop requiring them to attend? Can your teen outgrow Morning Time? These are the questions that Cindy West from Our Journey Westward joins me to answer today. In this episode of the podcast we talk about how the tone of Morning Time changes as your kids get older, how to get their buy in with what you are doing, and what a Morning Time with older kids can look like. Enjoy! Find out more at pambarnhill.com/hs168

The giddiness of families making educational choices for next year has begun! It is exciting to head to the NC Thrive! Conference and see all the bright shiny new choices. It's like Christmas to flip through a catalog or browse an online market full of books and perfect curriculum choices. But with so many good options out there, how do we know what is best for our family? Do you ever get stymied by indecision? Do you come in like Franck in Father of the Bride and say, "Let's change everything"? Do you blow your budget buying all the things that only sit collecting dust on your shelf the following year? Here are four questions I suggest you ask yourself before you begin buying all the books at the conference center! Listen or read more at https://humilityanddoxology.com/2018/03/08/4-questions-before-planning-shopping-for-curriculum/

There is nothing that can more joyfully throw a homeschool year off balance than pregnancy and a new baby. Moms have so much to do already and now throw morning sickness, extreme fatigue, and a new born into the mix and homeschooling gets even harder. Joining me today is mom of many Amy Roberts who knows a thing or two about homeschooling while pregnant and with a newborn. Amy gives us her best tips for planning a year that you know will be challenged by all these big changes. She is pulling out her best big family tips. Enjoy!

Let's start with a misconception about year-round homeschooling. It is typically NOT homeschooling all the time. Just because we are year-round homeschoolers that doesn't mean we are doing more school than your average students. Traditional American school schedules begin in late August, take a couple of weeks off in December, and continue through the end of May with about twelve weeks off in the summer. Homeschoolers who school year round simply shorten that summer break; often cutting it in half or making it shorter so we can take more frequent breaks during the school year. This is all about flexibility y'all. Listen or read more at https://pambarnhill.com/year-round-homeschooling/