When it comes to due dates, apparently dogs and humans have something in common: they are rarely correct. We already had an inkling about that, since our dog, Honeybee, had delivered neither of her previous two litters when she was “supposed” to. But that had hardly mattered to us, since we’d already delivered her to […]
Unschooling Academics
Outschooling
One thing I love about unschooling is that it’s never boring! Just when I think we’ve got our groove on, my kiddos get older and interested in new and different things. It certainly keeps me on my toes…and I wouldn’t have it any other way! This year has been a turning point for my three […]
Our Favorite Nursery Rhymes & Fairy Tales
I’m a big believer in sharing fairy tales with my children. These stories are woven throughout our culture, and I want my kiddos to be familiar with them. BUT, I’m also a big fan of exploring fairy tales with a twist. In this list, you’ll find some of our favorite traditional fairy tales, but also […]
Picture Book Picks…Our 50 Faves
I’ll let you in on a little secret…one great thing about having four kiddos is that I have a really, really good excuse for my enormous collection of picture books. It’ll be a lot harder to explain when the kids are grown and gone and the books remain – at least until the grandchildren come along! […]
25 Favorite Board Books
I have a weakness for children’s books. Anyone who knows me well will tell you I can rarely pass by a bookstore – and once in, I never leave without at least one must-have gem. Unlike my weakness for chocolate, this vice has served me well over the years, first as a teacher, then as […]
On Unschooling and Math
My oldest, Thomas, has just entered sixth grade – at least, according to the public school that oversees our unschooling adventure. The last time he had anything remotely resembling a formal math lesson was when he was five years old, and I was still in my “we’re doing things exactly like school, but in a […]
Pumpkin Pie Slime
Never underestimate the power of a good sensory activity to attract children of all ages. This one, from Growing a Jeweled Rose, was a hit with kids ranging in age from four years to nearly eleven! Here’s what we used: A little tip: clean up is so much easier if you cover your table with […]
A New Twist on Reporting
I don’t know about you, but every year I find myself getting increasingly stressed as end-of-year reporting draws near. Although I keep a journal of our activities throughout the year, it’s cumbersome to compile it all into a report. Worse, I’m never happy with the end product. Being a former teacher, I have no trouble […]
Making a Soap Souffle
A good experiment can entice all four of my kids, regardless of their age range. This one was super simple, but gave us lots of bang for our buck! We found Soap Souffle on Steve Spangler Science…but of course, we added a few twists of our own! Here’s what we did: First, we compared Ivory […]
School Days: the Sequel
This fall, Thomas decided to take on fifth grade academics. He was eager to know “everything a fifth grader knows”. It was the first time we’d be using formal curriculum in four years, but he and I were both up for it. Bright and early one September morning we officially launched fifth grade (okay, it […]