Do you remember what it’s like to be a child? Do you remember struggling with something and being told, “Come on, it’s easy! You’re just not trying.” Or worse, “You could do better if you weren’t so lazy/careless.” Do you...
The Monday question for the Words Matter Week blog challenge is: What is the most important word or words in your life? Why? When I create writing assignments for students, I try to craft questions that narrow the topic to...
When evaluating a student’s schoolwork, it can be a challenge to find the right balance between being helpful and nitpicking. Here are a few things to consider.
My goal in writing Excellence in Literature is to pass along my love for some of the most beautiful, thought-provoking literature in the world, and to help students learn to think critically and analytically while growing mentally and spiritually. Here’s how I chose which books to include.
One of the best things I ever did for our homeschool and learning lifestyle was to create a telephone policy. By setting a few simple boundaries, I eliminated an enormous source of potential distraction and frustration…
I’ve been thinking about learning and what makes it stick, what brings it to life, and why some students enjoy it more than others. Can you remember the last time you or your student was excited about learning? Here are a few thoughts on our school life.
It took longer than I thought, but World Literature— the English 5 level of the Excellence in Literature: Reading and Writing Through the Classics curriculum is finally here! You can see it, read all about it, and order it on...
Dear Readers, I sometimes come upon a thought so well expressed that I just have to share it! Today’s guest post on freedom, homeschool, and writing was the editor’s letter from a Writing-World.com newsletter, and it’s reprinted here with the kind...
How long does it take to reach that “whose bright idea was this anyway” point in your homeschool year? It’s normal to feel overwhelmed on some days, but here are a few things you can do to get through it all
I sent out the relish recipe in the newsletter and thought I’d post it here as well. One of our readers in Malaysia reminded me that they have no cranberries there. I sometimes forget that even small things such as...
On this Veteran’s Day, I’m thankful for those who have borne the burden of preserving the freedoms we enjoy. We have an amazing heritage! Here are a few of my favorite quotes on the subject. Benjamin Franklin “They that can...
Preface Welcome to this hundred-and-umpteenth Carnival of Homeschooling! Because November is National Novel Writing Month (also known as NaNoWriMo or nano), and I’m over 10,000 words into the writing process (and can’t think of anything but writing, writing, and more...
Update: The website is back up, and as far as I can tell, all the main nav links are functioning. If you find something odd, please leave a comment below, and we’ll fix it as quickly as possible. Enjoy! If...
One of the highlights of our memorable trip to Europe was seeing the Bayeux Tapestry — the story of the 1066 war. I’d just finished reading 1066: The Year of the Conquest by David Haworth (highly recommended), so it was fresh...
The internet has changed a lot of things. Some for the better, and some not. One good thing is the proliferation of ways to learn online for free or nearly free. College has become insanely expensive, so getting a head...
Join Excellence in Literature as we celebrate the beauty of great books with a blog tour! If you’d like to participate, write a post on your own blog on the appropriate topic each day, then visit the appropriate post on...
I love the study of words. Words are the building blocks of communication, and the more of them you know, the more likely it is that you will be a good writer and speaker. In addition, words are just plain...
Okay, students, put on your party hats! It’s time to celebrate the not-so-lowly punctuation mark. We’re a little late to join the baking contest planned as part of the celebration, but there nothing stopping us from using commas, periods, apostrophes,...
Before you start school this year, you may want to consider motivation. What is the most effective way to encourage your children to study and learn? Some of us (ahem–me, anyway) respond well to doing things I find intrinsically interesting,...
I recently met someone who had been raised without fiction. No Little Golden Books, no Dr. Seuss, no Little House on the Prairie, no Chronicles of Narnia…nothing. I can’t begin to imagine, but the thought makes me feel a bit...
Do you ever feel overwhelmed when there is noise and hubbub all day long? It can be hard to avoid when you have children home all the time. One of the things I did with my boys was to create...
Cindy from Curriculum Choice (a delightful blog) has posted a very nice review of Transcripts Made Easy. I’m grateful for it, and happy to know that it’s still helping to calm those homeschool-through-high-school fears. High school transcripts and records really...
Classic literature sticks in my mind because the questions it raises are about some of the most important issues we face.
How to calculate quality points for plus and minus grades on the high school transcript- here’s a list.
It’s been awhile since I posted a poem, but when I heard someone talking about doing school through summer, I just had to post this one! Enjoy! I love to rise in a summer morn, When the birds sing on...
I just came across another informative review of Excellence in Literature! Kerry Beck of Curriculum Connection has written a great review, and posted a video that walks you through the entire book. At the convention this past weekend, so many...
Go outside and enjoy nature this summer. You can find enjoyable things to do, whether you’re in the country or the city, so take time to get a bit grubby and share some special fun with your children!
I’m always happy to get a good review of one or more of my books, and this morning I came across a very nice review on The Old Schoolhouse website. Kathy Gelzer has done a beautiful job of outlining the...
It’s summertime, and a few days after you put away the schoolbooks, you may hear the dreaded complaint, “I’m bored.” It’s a complaint I always welcomed, because I had found the perfect answer.
For many families, the cost of college textbooks comes as a shock. Paying $100 or so for a book your student will use for a mere 18 weeks seems entirely foolish. For families whose high school students are getting a...
