By Angela Baker Recently I was meeting with my children and outlining the structure of our summer schedule. My 12 year old daughter, our second child, was visibly disgruntled about something during our meeting. I met with her afterward and we had an enlightening heart-to-heart [...]
Rachel, I do have one little question, if you don't mind: which age of children do you spend the most time on/with (I know the balance thing—and I know what I do—but I want to hear from another mother with very special demands and a [...]
What American Homeschoolers Say They Want The biggest educational trend in the United States is the growth of alternative schools. The Supreme Court decision on vouchers, along with numerous state-level efforts to empower non-traditional education, is indicative of this trend. But the big changes are [...]
By Ana Veciana-Suarez Last fall was a first-of-its-kind season. For better or worse—I did not register my children in after-school activities. No swimming. No music lessons. No play dates. Nada. Once they finished their homework, they were free to do what they pleased, with a [...]
Do you have any thoughts on a structuring a Core Phase playgroup for homeschoolers? ~AH Hi, A----. This is such a great question! The families most inclined to be attracted to a playgroup are often particularly vulnerable to “conveyor belt hangover”; and while informal "play [...]
I'm just sitting here at my computer thinking how simple it is, sometimes, to get it right. As I sit here, my frothy little bubble of a three-year-old named Abi sits at a desk a few feet from me and sings to herself with her [...]
From the Desk of Rachel DeMille... The times, they are a-changin'. Ten years ago, most of our effort was spent helping parents to recapture their own Core and Love of Learning. Back then the Big Prize was Adult Scholar Phase, and everyone was talking about [...]
New Science on What Makes Quality Education Harvard Business School recently emphasized that the major changes in the world tend to come from what they called “disruptive innovators.” Disruptive innovators are disruptive precisely because they are totally unexpected by the mainstream.These are surprising innovations that [...]
Q: A new friend asked me one day how he could be sure that his little kids would grow up to be scholars. His question got me thinking, and I crafted this response... A: We have four youth between the ages of 12 and [...]
Body sculpting, surgical/chemical alterations, therapy . . . our culture is obsessed with hiding, cutting out or otherwise purging its flaws. We want to be persons with no weaknesses. Even our college entrance exams, job interviews, courtships and business dealings all seem to hinge on [...]
