Laws about homeschooling vary from state to state. Be sure to learn about and follow all state laws and guidelines before beginning any program. If you’re thinking about homeschooling, or you’ve already made the leap and are now making plans for the fall, then you’re not alone. Homeschooling has seen a steady increase in popularity across the United States over the past decade. After the dust of back-to-school 2020 settles and the numbers are in, it’s likely that these numbers will be higher than ever. However, just because homeschooling is more popular does not mean it gets easier for each ..read more

Anyone who has homeschooled for any length of time has no doubt heard this reaction to the news that they educate their kids at home: “You homeschool?? I could never do that”. I know there are many parents who would like to, but feel ill-equipped. Whether it’s a perceived lack of patience or a lack of confidence in their qualifications, some parents feel that they could never do it, and that is why I say that “If You Can Help Your Kids With Homework or Remote Learning, You Can Homeschool”. Here’s Why. 1. WHEN YOU ARE THE FACILITATOR, YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT’S BEING LEA ..read more

Are you experiencing the homeschool winter blues in your home education program? Are you noticing the atmosphere is not as fun as it was during the beginning of the year? Don’t worry, it can happen to the best of us!  This is normal and each homeschool family runs into a rut sooner or later.  7 ways that can help to get the excitement back into your homeschool Plan extra field trips – get out and explore the area you live in. Enjoy a trip to a Maple Sugar farm, museum, or library.  There are many options for homeschoolers as we seem to be creative to make things fit into our learning ..read more

We all need friendships, especially supportive ones for our homeschooling lifestyle.  Let’s face it, we all have different wants and needs when it comes to friends. Not everyone you meet will become your friend or your child’s friend. However, the more homeschooling families you meet the more opportunity you will have to create friendships.    Get Involved Become involved with different homeschooling classes, workshops and activities in your area. Try attending a bigger homeschool event in your area that the museum, library, zoo or other organization is hosting. You will be surprised h ..read more

Federal Report shows that homeschooling is growing in the United States.  The number of homeschooled students nearly doubled since 1999, according to the newly-released School Choice Report. This report, conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), indicated that the number of homeschooled students has increased from 0.9 million to 1.7 million. These statistics confirm what most of us already knew: homeschooling is growing and is a valid alternative form of education. The NCES is the organization of the U. S. Department of Education, which collects and analyzes school-rel ..read more

Mark your calendars and stop by your local JCPenney between 11am-noon for the next free Kids Zone event. These free events are held by JCPenney on the second Saturday of each month. Your child will be able to make a free craft to take home. They’ll also get a free ID badge, lanyard, and collector’s pin. All necessary materials will be provided and you don’t need to signup ahead of time. As a thank you for coming, parents also receive a 10% off coupon valid for the event day only. The post JCPenney Kids Zone appeared first on ..read more

While every home educator plans the school year in their own unique way that fits their family’s style. I’d like to share how I quickly map out our school year with a little structure and opened ended time for learning opportunities that come up through-out the year. I’m not sure how your school year goes, but we always end up studying and exploring a subject in depth that was not planned out in the beginning of the year. Since I know this is how it goes for my family, I plan to allow these learning opportunities time to flourish in their natural way. Before you stress about the many layers of ..read more

About the Park Point State Park is locally known as The Point at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, forming the Ohio River. There are 36 acres to this beautiful park and it is operated by the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks. Uses for the Park The park acts as the site for major cultural events in the city, including the Venture Outdoors Festival, Three Rivers Arts Festival, The Great Race and Marathon and Three Rivers Regatta. We like to spend time at the point and enjoy the iconic fountain which sprays water 150 feet up into the air.  The views are gor ..read more

If you’re like me you have come across beautiful plants and wildlife to only realize that you have no idea what you’re looking at one too many times. As much as I would like to think that I would remember to look it up when I get up and try to actively describe it while typing it into google… Let’s face it after getting home from spending time in nature we are all either tired, hungry or both! Then that idea of wanting to look it up in my free time gets lost and sadly forgotten. So when I discovered the Seek App by iNaturalist I couldn’t have been more excited! It has completely changed how we ..read more

THE DETAILS School is almost over and your teen might be looking for something to keep them busy this summer. Planet Fitness is running their teen summer challenge through May 15th – September 1st 2019. While you might be thinking of the expense a gym membership brings, have no fear it is completely free! To take advantage of this fantastic offer, teenagers must first come to any Planet Fitness location during regular business hours with their parent/legal guardian to sign a Planet Fitness Gym Waiver. The “Teen Summer Challenge” program will be offered in all 1,700+ Planet Fitness l ..read more