Home School Posts

But What About Socialization?

But What About Socialization?

For part of 2025, I have decided to do blog posts centering around frequently asked homeschool questions. I have been asked these questions or seen them in various online spaces. In many homeschool groups in the online space, parents are concerned about Socialization. UH! This is like nails to the chalkboard, adding nauseum, etc. Socialization is just a horrible, nasty, and vial term amongst the homeschool community. I have addressed it before in a blog post titled We are Planty Socialized (I Promise)!

How Long Does it Actually Take?

How Long Does it Actually Take?

For part of 2025, I have decided to do blog posts centering around frequently asked homeschool questions. I have been asked these questions or seen them in various online spaces. In many homeschool groups in the online space, parents are asking how long homeschooling actually takes. Just like anything, it can vary from one family to the next. Still, generally, it doesn’t and shouldn’t take all day as traditional public school does. I have seen information like this graphic in several places. It is a good rule of thumb and guideline to try to follow (loosely) if you take less time or more time. As long as you are not being overly rigorous or skipping out on everything, you should be fine somewhere within these guidelines.

How Do I Choose Curriculum, and What About the Cost?

How Do I Choose Curriculum, and What About the Cost?

In many homeschool groups on the online space, parents are asking for the best curriculums out there. Very rarely will a whole collective group of homeschooling parents agree on what the best curriculum of all time is. Because really, there isn’t the best curriculum for everyone, but there is the best curriculum for your particular family unit. No homeschooling family is alike.

There are literally thousands of curriculum choices out there. From all-in-ones, piecing together, hodge-podge, you name it, and it is out there, with technology, homeschooling curriculum, and choices have become a lot more readily available than they once were.

But What About Graduation?

But What About Graduation?

When have you ever been asked to show your high school diploma? Do you carry it around in your back pocket with your driver’s license? Probably not. I am not trying to provoke anyone in that statement, but it is what it is. If you are the parent, then that qualifies you to homeschool your children. Under your state’s laws, you are also qualified to issue a homeschooling diploma on your student’s behalf.

Who Holds You Accountable?

Who Holds You Accountable?

For part of 2025, I have decided to do blog posts centering around frequently asked homeschool questions. I have been asked these questions or seen them in various online spaces. I have been asked when people find out we homeschool, "Well, who do you report to, or how are you held accountable to make sure they are learning what they are supposed to be lea

What Exactly is Homeschooling?

What Exactly is Homeschooling?

For part of 2025, I have decided to do blog posts centering around frequently asked homeschool questions. I have been asked these questions or seen them in various online spaces. In this post, we will discuss what exactly homeschooling is.

 

A quick Google search tells us that homeschooling is defined as educating (one's child) at home instead of sending them to school. A simple enough definition, right? Ask any homeschooling parent, though, and it is much more than that. To most, homeschooling is more than an academic education.

Alternative Book Reports

Alternative Book Reports

Book reports make some students, even my oldest girls, cringe in fear.

A few years ago, I created book lists and alternative book reports to encourage reading books outside our curriculum and introduce some literary analysis-type things they hadn't had before. Reading definitely took off for both of them, and the girls seemed to enjoy the alternative book reports.

We didn't do book reports this year and switched to summary pages instead. These took less time and went over a bit better. I have been using the summary pages to check in on their reading comprehension of their readers this year.

So, within the Simply Language Arts umbrella of things, you will begin seeing these alternative book reports and summaries available for purchase.

Simply Language Arts Lessons

Simply Language Arts Lessons

With this year's Christmas School up and ready for purchase, I have shifted my focus back to creating things for language arts lessons. Formally known here as Beyond Literature, I am rebranding it Simply Language Arts so as not to be confused with another curriculum by that name and also to be able to expand into things besides literature.