Writing Rockstars Blog

Test.

What thoughts or feelings does that word bring out in you?

A clock ticking? Sweaty palms? A mind that goes completely blank as soon as it’s time to start?

Anxiety? That’s the last thing you want to bring into your kids’ lives these days, isn’t it?

Tests can be nerve wracking. But some aren...

What the heck do you do with your kids’ work when there’s no clear right or wrong answer?

How on earth do you evaluate it?

During the homeschool year, you’ll find that some subjects or types of assignments are easy to evaluate. They’re easy to grade.

You know exactly where your kids are. You know...

So, it’s the new year. Not an auspicious beginning, would you say?

I say we move the new year forward to February 1, and pretend that’s the start of 2021.

Who’s with me?

The truth is, we can’t wait until February 1 to start homeschooling again after a winter holiday break. (As much as the kids mi...

This time of year gets pretty hard. It’s almost the end of winter. It’s been a long stretch of homeschooling without interruption.

Everybody’s getting cabin fever because the weather’s been keeping you all inside.

Burnout and frustration have set in.

It’s hard to keep your kids focused on their s...

Last week, on one of the online homeschooling groups I’m in, one mom posted her worries about her 5-year-old’s critical thinking skills.

She was concerned about her 5-year-old’s ability to think to solve problems. A bunch of people replied with advice and encouragement.

I read everything over twic...

You’ve got so much going on.

You’re organizing and overseeing your kids’ homeschool education every year. You’re teaching them. You organize the kids’ activities calendar and drive them there.

You plan the weekly to-do list of household chores and knock out a bunch on your own. You organize meals ...

“But I looked at my notes for an hour!”

That was my son’s complaint when he didn’t do too well on a test some time back.

He gave me his notes, and I asked him a few questions from them. He couldn’t answer any of my questions.

What did he actually do when he “looked at [his] notes” for an hour?

D...

It’s so hard to tell your kids they didn’t do well on a test or assignment. It’s one of the toughest things about teaching.

They put a lot of effort into it, they did their best, but their work missed the mark. Their answers were wrong. The homeschool learning goal wasn’t met.

And you’ve got to si...

You’re at the finish line.

But how do you cross it?

Do you and the kids slam your books shut on a designated day and throw everything into a few drawers? Then forget about homeschooling until it’s time to start again come fall?

Picking up where you left off can be a daunting task, especially if y...

They’re staring out the window. A lot.

When you bend down to pick up a pencil, you glimpse under the table. Their feet are tap, tap, tapping on the floor.

Knees are quietly bouncing up and down while they’re doing their schoolwork.

As the homeschool day progresses, your kids can hardly keep their...

You have a vision in your head of what a perfect homeschool day should look like.

The room or area where you teach is clean. There are tidy cubbies and shelves neatly housing your kids’ crayons, pencils, paper, and other supplies.

You’re calmly presenting curriculum to your kids. They’re enthusias...