Homeschooling Education Articles for Teachers

Even as a teacher in a Title I school, my educational background was molded by being homeschooled in grades K-12. There are several aspects of homeschooling that I wish translated into public education, particularly around the holidays. While in schools we are scrambling with midterms, half ...

In my experience being a homeschooler, interacting with other homeschoolers, and leading homeschool groups, the ability to talk has rarely been an issue. In fact, compared to my experience teaching in public school, homeschooled students are on average more opinionated, more willing to converse, ...

In a time when written communication has been reduced to the 140 characters in a tweet, or the truncated jargon of textspeak, good writing is what sets apart mature and thoughtful learners from the average student. More than any other academic skill, writing can benefit most from the tu...

As I have mentioned in a previous article, I teach English at a Title I school after having been homeschooled K-12, and attending small liberal arts colleges for my undergrad and M.Ed. My passion for literature was fostered by my homeschooling environment; an environment that cannot be duplicated...

As far as stressful jobs go, teaching earned a place on more than one rankings list that I checked. Of course, this comes as no surprise to those of us in the profession. Job stress contributes to teacher attrition rates, which averaged 17% nationally in 2011. For teachers with less than five yea...

While debating an acceptable amount of time to play video games, an eighth grader told me that books were old fashioned and that his generation was more focused on technology. The rest of the class hurried to agree with him. Having grown up in the dark ages of technology, it is easy for me to imp...

There is nothing like a new read aloud to kick off the school year. All three of these recent releases will spark imagination and leave children giggling. Wiener Wolf by Jeff Crosby Grade Level: Preschool-Second Grade Genre: Fiction We all dream of more exciting lives at one time or another....

Banned Books Week is celebrating thirty years of highlighting “the benefits of intellectual freedom and drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted banning of books across the United States, including books commonly taught in secondary schools.” 1 This year, B...

School supplies are becoming increasingly high-tech. In addition to pencils and paper, tablet computers, such as the iPad, are showing up more frequently on back-to-school shopping lists. As more schools consider investing in these devices, I investigated the potential pitfalls and benefits&...

On a recent trip to the bookstore, I was drawn to a jaunty display of books featuring cowboys and pirates. While we usually consider such characters as more suitable for younger grades, slightly older audiences would also enjoy the following selections. Cowboy Ned and Andy by David Ezra Stein Rea...

“Rain, rain, go away... Little Johnny wants to play.” This sentiment dates back as far as the 17th century. Even then, children wanted to expend their energy outdoors. In the eyes of a child, a day spent playing outside is a day well spent. Sadly, it follows that when that same child feels coope...

February is the shortest month of the year, but with regard to homeschooling, it often feels as though it drags on forever. Dark, dreary days require that everyone stay inside, despite the fact that home is starting to feel claustrophobic. Schoolwork is moving along, but the excitement of a new s...

For teachers or families looking to get out of the classroom and see history up close, there is no better stop than Colonial Williamsburg. The historic site provides an authentic depiction of 18th century life in Virginia, allowing visitors to step inside the minds of colonists who helped spark ...

Just as Shakespeare’s dramas are about triumph and tragedy, a hero and a villain can be found in every story in literature and history. It is these opposing forces that can often be the most maddening or fascinating. In theory, a homeschooling parent should always embrace each subject, but even w...

It's fall, and the weather is quickly starting to have that wintery feel. The holidays are upon us, which brings with it a distraction that is both good and bad. It can be a welcome distraction if the curriculum your family has purchased is not working. However, this can be frustrating for both t...