101 Homeschool Ideas

Homeschooling is a challenge. Sometimes, you might overlook your biggest obstacle: YOU! What if you could eliminate your most difficult challenges during the day by tweaking the way you communicate with your children? What if making that change in your communication also prepared your children to be more successful in the future? What if you could help your children improve academically, control their anger (and other emotions), effectively communicate with their peers, and improve their physical health? WHAT IF?

John Gottman is one of the most well-known researchers in the area of family relationships and the author of one of my newest favorite books: Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child. Utilizing this research in your homeschool could make the difference between a local Civil War and success on the home front. In today's episode I focuses on briefly defining an emotionally intelligent child from what I learned in Dr. Gottman's book and then giving an overview of the five practices of an Emotion Coaching parent. Those steps are: 1. Become aware of the child's emotion. 2. Recognize the emotion as an opportunity to teach and get closer to your child. 3. Listen to your child with empathy and validate their feelings. 4. Help your child find words they understand that explain their feelings. 5. Set limits and then help your child come up with alternative, healthy ways to address their emotions.

If you are anything like we were, then your days were crazy when it came to scheduling. We took children to school, then we picked them up from school and the craziness began. We had to get over an hour's worth of homework done. Then they wanted to play with friends. Then it was dinner time. Then it was soccer practice or football game or scouts or WHATEVER!!!! AHHHH! We were fed up. So we started homeschooling, and while we are definitely busy (6 children will do that to you) we feel like we are in more control. I believe that homeschool actually gave us an extra 3 hours every day. My wife is finished with school (INCLUDING HOMEWORK) by 1:00. Then they can spend some time with her or play with friends once they get home from school. Before homework and school would take until 4:00 or 4:15. That is how home school gave my family 3 extra hours a day!

DiSC is a behavior type test that can help you understand typical behaviors in individuals and the strengths and weaknesses of those behaviors in day to day settings. This material has been utilized in the workplace for decades. When I first read about DiSC, I immediately realized the potential for using this type of knowledge in CONTINUE

This podcasts details several ideas that homeschool parents can use to help them build relationships of trust with their children. That relationship is monumentally important if parents are ever going to succeed as homeschool parents. They have to have a common sense of trust between parents and children. It has to be step number one and then you will come back to it over and over again.

Math is one of those subjects that really make homeschool parents nervous. I have heard so many parents express the idea that they would have to send their children back to public school once they got into Jr. High because they would not be able to do the math. WHAT?? Ask most parents what grades they are most nervous about when it comes to public schools and they will say the Jr. High or Middle School grades. That 6th through 9th grade period is horrible. And we are going to send our children back because I cannot remember a few Algebra equations or how to find x? Math U See may be your answer. This curriculum comes with student workbook, instructional DVDs, and instructor manuals for the teacher in your homeschool. What if that is not enough? Well, you can call them and they will walk you through the concept until you are ready to teach it to your children.

Last episode we kind of talked about some “simple” questions that you could ask your children to help you build that relationship and open the doors of communication. Now, we want to talk about some questions that you absolutely, must ask your teens to help keep them safe in a crazy, immoral world. I know CONTINUE

I just want to give you some questions that will help you open the door to conversation with your children. Here are some simple questions that will help you and your child develop the ability to communicate so that when difficult situations arise, you can talk through the ‘stickiness’ of anything. Questions for your younger children: CONTINUE

In this podcast, I will explain 6 ways you can create social experiences for your homeschooled children. This is one of the most commonly asked questions of parents that choose to school their children at home. It is as if public school is the only place a child can get a social experience. Thank goodness CONTINUE

In this podcast I will explain why I think that learning is critical learning (despite what some researchers have been saying over the last 5 years). I will also tell you why I think the researchers are wrong and why I think that we can still use their own research to suggest that games are CONTINUE

Terri Brady shares a series of games that she has used in home educating her children. This is an excellent podcast for you if you are trying to build a quiver full of fun activities that will help you on those slower homeschooling days.

Vision is one of the most important pieces when it comes to successfully tackling a new adventure like Homeschooling your Children. Every homeschool family should have a list of reasons WHY TO HOMESCHOOL and a second list of 25 THINGS YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF HOMESCHOOL.  You may think those are two lists are exactly the CONTINUE

HOW DID IT DO THAT? Make sure you submit your child’s explanation of the science project below. Just leave us a comment at the bottom of the page. Listen to this podcast (and all of our past episodes) here for FREE!!! Just click below:    

This podcast will help you prepare your children for whatever testing experiences that lie ahead of them. If they understand this simple approach to tests, I promise that their scores will improve. Listen to why I have so sure…     Listen to this podcast (and all of our past episodes) here for FREE!!! Just click CONTINUE

In this episode I am going to tell you about the biggest mistakes that teachers make almost every day. With relatively little effort you can drastically improve your learning experiences with your children. They will be excited to learn whatever you are trying to teach them with just a little extra effort on your part. I CONTINUE