Find Information about Homeschooling K-8 Here!

Yes, this website is primarily about homeschooling high school, but we do have helpful K-8 information also, and we’re adding more all the time. Browse these great articles about all sorts of topics — you might find exactly what you need!

150+ Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas for K-8

Overview: Guest writer Candice McDaniel from A Touch of Homeschooling has 150+ great homeschool unit study ideas to make your ...
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How to Find the Perfect Homeschool Music Curriculum

Overview: Guest contributor Gena Mayo shares what to look for in a homeschool music curriculum so that your kid learns ...
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How to Make Homeschool Lesson Plans from Any Curriculum

Overview: Guest contributor Sara Dennis shares how to take any curriculum and create your homeschool lesson plans from it, so ...
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Episode 21: High School Credit before High School?

Is your eighth-grader ready to earn high school credit for their transcript? Many moms want to take advantage of their ...
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Homeschool paperwork, especially grading, is a chore that can easily become overwhelming. This post gives great tips for keeping it under control, and it also tells you how to recover when you've gotten behind. Your student will still have an accurate record of their learning, even in high school!

Homeschool Paperwork: How to Keep Up — and what to do when you haven’t!

Overview: Homeschool paperwork, especially grading, can easily become overwhelming. Read tips for keeping it under control and recovering when you're ...
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Dear Homeschool Mom who Feels Like a Failure — maybe you’re looking at it wrong.

I asked a question in my It's Not that Hard to Homeschool K-8 Facebook group recently: "Do you feel like ...
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Are you in Classical Conversations Challenge A and feeling overwhelmed? Read this for encouragement and tips to make it GREAT from a mom who has been there!

When You Are Struggling with Classical Conversations Challenge A

Overview: Classical Conversations Challenge A can be scary and overwhelming. These tips will make it much more doable! Let me ...
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This article tells how to teach independent learning to your kids of almost any age and gives ideas and strategies for this very important life skill.

How to Teach the Most Valuable Skill Your Child Will Ever Need

Overview: This article tells how to teach independent learning to your kids of almost any age and gives ideas and ...
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Independent learning has got to be one of the most valuable life skills there is. Teaching it to your kids will bring lotsa benefits to them AND YOU!

This is what happens when you use Independent Learning in your homeschool

Are you getting frazzled trying to teach all of your children every homeschool day? I've been there. Early on in ...
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Are you a homeschool mom who is unsure if you are doing enough to keep your child from falling behind? NO WORRIES! I have some encouragement for you!

Dear Homeschool Mom Who Worries About Her Child Being Behind

Dear homeschool mom, are you afraid your homeschooled child is academically behind his/her peers? Or maybe you already "know" he ...
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We all want our kids to love reading. Teaching them to read is not enough; we must provide an environment that encourages them to enjoy books. Here's how!

How to Encourage Your Child to Love Reading

Overview: We all want our kids to love reading. Teaching them to read is not enough; we must provide an ...
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The Number One Reason Your Kid HATES Math (no matter which age or grade)

Overview: You don't want your kid to hate math for the rest of their life. Here's what to do about ...
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This is way more exciting than boring flashcards! Help your kids expand their learning of homeschool Latin during the Challenge years of Classical Conversations!

Homeschool Latin Practice for the Classical Conversations Challenge Years

Overview: Homeschool Latin instruction moves fast during the Challenge years. Some supplemental practice can sure help! Note: This post was ...
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Searching for a homeschool science curriculum for your elementary students? Here are some ideas -- you might be surprised by what you find out!

The Best Elementary Homeschool Science Curriculum — you might be surprised!

Note: I received a free copy of Air is Not Oxygen: Essential Science You Should Have Learned -- But Probably ...
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Have a struggling student?  Learning how to memorize the periodic table will quickly teach them new memorization techniques so they can have greater success in all of school -- and life!  Check it out!

How to Memorize the Periodic Table and Learn Memorization Techniques

Overview: Your child can learn helpful memorization techniques as they memorize the periodic table! Note: I was given free access ...
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Are you thinking about starting homeschool for your family? Read this advice from an experienced homeschool mom so you don't make the same mistakes she did.

Advice for The Young Mom Starting Homeschool: What I Should Have Listened To

We've been at this homeschooling thing for quite awhile now. If you count the pre-school years, when I started teaching ...
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A Classical Conversations homeschool student gives an inside look at her Challenge A notebook!

How I Organize My Classical Conversations Homeschool Notebook

In the world of Classical Conversations homeschool, organizing the student notebook for Challenge A is a hot topic.  It's the ...
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Find yourself being the type of homeschool mom you DON'T want to be? I've got some ideas to help with several specific situations!

Favorite Homeschool Mom? NOT!

Who is your favorite homeschool mom? Is there one that you wish you could be like? Maybe she is extremely ...
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Trying to teach the five-paragraph essay in your homeschool? Here's what we do! Your teen will need to know this skill for the ACT and SAT writing tests.

The Five-Paragraph Essay: What, Why, and How for Homeschoolers

Overview: The five-paragraph essay is a helpful tool -- here are ideas for teaching it! Note: Contains referral links. In ...
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Wondering if doing science reports is worth it for your homeschool? We love 'em! Read to find out why!

5 Benefits of Science Reports Beyond Just Science

Overview: Science reports teach many skills beyond just science. Find out here why there are worth the effort! Note:This post ...
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Warning: Avoid These Disappointing Homeschooling Regrets

Overview: It's impossible to have NO homeschooling regrets, but maybe you can lessen the list by avoiding the ones this ...
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What are Your Expectations for Homeschooling?

Overview: Our homeschooling expectations can make or break our joy and our success. Get a reality check from a veteran ...
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Are you needing some ideas for choosing your core curriculum? We're doing Classical Conversations this year and adding some extras of our own!

Our Fall 2015 Core Curriculum: Classical Conversations for grades 7 & 11

Overview: Our core curriculum for 2015 was chosen by the Classical Conversations people. Here's what my 7th- and 11th-graders will ...
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Do you get frustrated looking for the perfect weekly calendar planner? Try mine -- it's colorful and functional and FREE!

Free Printable Weekly Calendar Planner

I am SO excited about the free printable weekly calendar planner I have to offer you today! I don't know ...
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Why homeschool? For us it was NOT about academics but about character development -- even through high school. Read this to understand why.

Our Main Reason for Homeschooling: Character Development

I'm going to start out by saying something that may come as a shock.  It's not the sort of thing ...
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Not sure if the homeschool lifestyle is right for you? I've got some likes and dislikes to share with you about our own experience!

My Likes and Dislikes about the Homeschool Lifestyle

Note: This article was originally published in 2015. Can we be real, here, people?  As much as I love homeschooling, ...
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The Many Lives of a Homeschool Schedule

There is a dream on the horizon that many homeschoolers share.  It's like a mirage, and once you think you've ...
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Are math manipulatives REALLY helping your child learn math? Read why I think they are not.

Why NOT to use Math Manipulatives

Math manipulatives are a BIG DEAL these days. Many math curriculums are built entirely around the idea that in order ...
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Read this homeschool encouragement for when you feel like you'll never arrive at the destination of your journey.

Homeschool Encouragement: When the Reward Seems Distant

Feeling like the road is long? Here is some homeschool encouragement to help you regain perspective. These days we live ...
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A review of our favorite resource used to teach reading, and how we utilized it in our own homeschool.

Teach Reading the Easy Way

Overview: It doesn't have to be difficult to teach reading to your child. This article tells about our favorite resource ...
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Are the winter blahs tempting you to wander from your homeschool schedule? Here are tips for staying on track from a veteran homeschool mom.

Staying on Track With Your Homeschool Schedule

Here we are, in the middle of the homeschool year. It's after the holidays, and there's a long way to ...
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The story of our homeschool journey from kindergarten through high school, and one of the most important lessons we learned along the way.

Our Homeschool Journey: True Confessions of an Ordinary Family

NOTE: This article was originally published in 2015. We have been a homeschooling family for over 15 years, since our ...
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A list of good books for boys ages 8-14 or so. All of them are boy-certified! And I frankly think they're pretty good, too! (And so do the sisters!)

Give the Gift of Reading: Good Books for Boys (Later Elementary – Junior High)

The countdown to Christmas is getting shorter! Just a limited time left to find that perfect something for that special ...
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The third part in a series about giving books for gifts. My picks of good books for girls in the later elementary through middle school years.

Give the Gift of Reading: Good Books for Girls (Later Elementary – Junior High)

Well, it's getting close to Christmas! I'm going to have to hustle if I'm going to get this series finished ...
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Give the Gift of Reading: Good Books for Toddlers – Early Elementary

Today is the second part in a series about book recommendations to give as gifts for Chritmas – or any ...
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Give the Gift of Reading: A Series about Children’s Books

My name is Ann, and I am a reader. I LOVE to read. If given a choice between a chocolate ...
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Sixth Grade Curriculum Homeschool Reviews

Fall 2014 Homeschool Reviews — 6th Grade

This is the third part in a series of our homeschool reviews on our curriculum choices for this year. Part ...
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