10 Aug 2018

Homeschool High School, 10th Grade Plans | 2018-2019 School Year

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Here we go: Homeschool High School, year 2! First, let me say: If you have a seventh grader (i.e. a 12-year-old) and you’re despairing that he (usually he) will ever be independent or motivated or trustworthy, let me tell you: hang in there, stick it out, hold the line – it will happen. Don’t give up. It will pay off. Usually I post these plans for the year before we begin, but this year that didn’t happen. Instead, we’re in … Read More

21 Jul 2018

2018-2019 School Year Plans: 8th Grade Plans for the 13-year-old

by | posted in: homeschooler | 4

My second son is entering 8th grade. Technically, he has entered it because we began last week. Usually I have all my decisions made by June and all I need to do in the summer is pull the materials and plans together for execution. That was not true this year. We had one piece still under discussion and only received the information we needed to make a decision last week: Our older two boys, 13 & 15, will join NCFCA. … Read More

10 Apr 2018

High School Hits & Misses: 9th Grade

by | posted in: homeschooler | 34

Well, we have only 5 weeks left of our first year homeschooling high school. So far, so good. Honestly, I believe the tears sown in the middle school years are reaped as fruit in the high school years. The self-management and independence and work ethic issues we worked out when he was 11-13, and he set his hand to the plow for this year and has done so well. One thing that helps, I believe, is that I did not … Read More

23 Jan 2018

Macbeth Lesson Plans

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Yes, Macbeth is dark and gruesome and not the easiest Shakespeare story to relate to. The Scottish thane Macbeth listens to witches who clearly should not be trusted and nothing good comes of it – listening to them, in fact, poisons his mind and damns him on earth to a life without sleep and without remorse. Blood will have blood, and by the time the end of the play rolls around, everyone cheers for Macduff’s final blow that strikes the … Read More

7 Sep 2017

Elementary Lessons Plans 2017-2018 – in Evernote

by | posted in: homeschooler | 30

Elementary Lessons is the name of our mini co-op that I teach twice weekly at my house with 2 of my kids, 2 of my friend’s kids, and 1 child of another friend. My younger-than-elementary (now only 1 of those!) kids go down the street to my friend Kirsti’s while hers walk over to mine. It’s an ideal set-up, and not entirely unintentional or accidental. During our twice-weekly 2-hour lesson chunk, we do writing (with only the 9-11 crowd), history … Read More

1 May 2017

Merchant of Venice Lesson Plans

by | posted in: homeschooler | 4

Merchant of Venice might be a politically incorrect play, but it is too good for us to ignore. While it makes moderns uncomfortable because the Jew is made to forcibly convert in the end, it is – particularly for its time – an anti-anti-Semitic play. The plot, the speeches, and the themes all deserve attention and affection – and this simple set of homeschool lesson plans will help you build just that. Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice for Kids Merchant of … Read More

12 Dec 2016

Why I Love Math-U-See

by | posted in: homeschooler | 20

I am not a math person. Math has been the subject that daunts me most when I think about the big picture of homeschooling. Or, at least, it did. Now that I’m 9 years into this gig (if you start counting with Kindergarten) and I have an 8th grader who is about to finish Algebra, I’m neither daunted nor worried. I am so glad that when my oldest was 4 or 5, I had two real-life friends rave about Math-U-See. Not … Read More

5 Dec 2016

5 Tips for Tutoring Writing

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Fourteen years ago, a fresh English major graduate, I was hired by a group of homeschool moms to teach their middle schoolers how to write and tutor writing with them one-on-one. They gave me the original IEW teacher-training VHS tapes and 3-ring binder, and I gave it a shot. A couple weeks later I had a stack of student paragraphs, which I stared at blankly. Sure, they had their adverb openers and they had retold the fable, but was that … Read More

14 Nov 2016

Lesson Plans for Much Ado About Nothing

by | posted in: homeschooler | 3

Shakespeare doesn’t have to be scary or intense to incorporate into your homeschool. The stories are timeless, the language is beautiful, and they are chock full of ridiculous characters and jokes that are sure to make everyone laugh. Yet, they also demonstrate an understanding of the human condition and human relationships that make them a keystone in the English literary tradition. We do Shakespeare in about 10-15 minutes a chunk, twice a week, and in this way we read and … Read More

1 Aug 2016

Lesson Plans for Shakespeare’s The Tempest

by | posted in: homeschooler | 0

The Tempest is a story with betrayal, revenge, reconciliation, and devotion. It has something for everyone: slap-stick humor, violent men & monsters, friendly sprites, and a fairy-tale island setting where forgiveness and keeping one’s word wins out in the end despite long odds. Whether you introduce this story by picture book, movie, or reading the real deal – or all three – it is a story worth enjoying together with your children. Shakespeare’s The Tempest for Kids 1. Introduce The … Read More

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