Who doesn't love play dough? It's the epitome of learning through play! It feels wonderful in your hands; it awakens your creativity, and allows everyone in the family to experience it at their own level. Is there a better medium for whole-family Core Phase fun? [...]
It’s hard being little. I remember keenly wanting to fit in with all the older people around me. I was the youngest of six kids—and quite a bit younger, at that. The closest in age was four years older, and they went up from there [...]
by Kelli Poll It was the early 1960s. In Grosse Point, Michigan a bold experiment was carried out. Applicants were tested to find those who had intellectual and leadership potential. The parents whose children were turned away became bitter and resentful, while those of accepted [...]
This baffling behavior continued for several weeks. It was the only abnormal quirk he exhibited. He acted much like any typical toddler in every other respect, so we weren’t overly concerned, but we were certainly curious! We often made comments like, “He’s YOUR child” or “He must take after YOUR side of the family”, and would just laugh it off, knowing he would eventually grow out of it. But I’ll be forever grateful that he didn’t grow out of it before I learned the powerful message he was bringing me.
by Shiloah Baker “I cannot live without books,” Thomas Jefferson once said. No one should live without books! Books uplift. Books inspire. Books teach. The teaching done through books encompasses many areas: vocabulary, life experiences, knowledge, learning, and the list goes on and on. There [...]
by Shanalei Anderson For those of you who love and embrace the educational philosophy taught in Oliver DeMille's A Thomas Jefferson Education, here are some ideas for homeschooling children in the "Core Phase" (up to around age 8 or so)--the years in which children [...]
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 [...]
Yesterday I was having a nice little moment with my four-year-old, Abigail. I had a plate of raw vegetables I was noshing on, and she came to join me. I had to chuckle as she went straight for the cucumber. I've written elsewhere about how [...]
