Teaching reading without curriculum (aka: lap-teaching...) is simple.  Uncomplicated.  Relational.  At some point (with lots of overlap), a child can move from tracing, drawing, sounding out and pointing at letters from the safety and loving comfort of your lap.   From the … [Read more...]

We can come to a place of comfort when we teach our child to read without curriculum.  It might seem like we're about to jump off a cliff, but in real life, you have taught your child most of what they know up until now, and teaching them to read is just as natural and beautiful … [Read more...]

Not using "direct instruction" or "getting out of a child's way" when it comes to teaching a child to read needs to be clearly understood.  Not using "direct instruction" should not be confused with "no instruction."  When we teach children to read, getting out of the child's way … [Read more...]

I turned 55 last weekend.  That was cool.  An age doesn't mean much to me, but what is remarkable is that my youngest child is 12 and my eldest is 31. What the.  So far, I'm super-liking being 55.  It's fun to look on your life, still feel like you've got a lot of good life … [Read more...]

Spring of 2017 I went with my brother to visit his daughter, my niece, in New York City where she is presently living.  Of the gazillion places he took me as my own personal tour guide, there was only one that made me cry. I prefer not to cry on holiday because makeup.  I was … [Read more...]

Some months give you more perspective than others.   I was at Mass this week, and in Father's homily, which I remember too little of, I DO remember that he reminded us that woe is worship.  Unfortunately, with the language barrier I mis-heard the maxim.  What he actually said … [Read more...]

Last Friday, the delightful Mary Ellen Barrett interviewed a few guests for the Homeschool Connections INSPIRE conference.  So just before surgery (literally, a couple hours before) I was blessed to participate in this conference...speaker recordings RIGHT HERE. Enjoy! … [Read more...]

I often wake up early.  This morning I fed the ponies at 6:00.  The grass was dewey and there were flat spider webs strung across the field in several places, sparkling.   It was stunning. I was on the road by 6:30, as Sparky was being shipped out for an angiogram at … [Read more...]

GET IT RIGHT HERE Once again, the Canadian Homeschooler pulls together an outrageously good learning bundle including (ahem) my own resource, Homeschooling simplified:  Great Books to Study Canadian History (CHECK THAT BOOK OUT HERE on AMAZON) And so many other awesome … [Read more...]

Case in point:  this summer. I've been quite busy with weddings and trips and new babies and anniversary parties and Shakespeare plays. I know that next summer will be different.  Because of the way it is. At any rate, everybody's advertising their back to school stuff … [Read more...]