Category: Curriculum
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Education in a Time of Uncertainty
Our world is becoming increasingly uncertain. Wars progress and threaten to escalate. Markets are volatile. The upcoming U.S. presidential election looks messy. Even Asheville, N.C., long considered to be one of the very safest places in the country, was just devastated by a hurricane. (So safe was Asheville considered that NOAA put their server building…
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Michaelmas Reflections
A pale, yet warm, light glows in our garage this evening. The stars are coming earlier each night, and the air they bring grows crisper. The crop vines are withering from green to yellow to brittle brown. They’ve made their fruits, given them as gifts to the next generation, and now they’re passing from an…
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Handwriting
Some years back, a colleague informed me, “Learning a new font of handwriting builds more connections in the brain than any other activity.” He claimed to have the studies to back it up. I was intrigued, so I began to experiment with my class back when I taught at Asheville Waldorf School (AWS). The results…
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The Power of Story
Where do you get your news from? I get mine from The Lord of the Rings. I know that sounds silly, but it’s true, and that is because of the power of story to convey truth. Allow me to explain. Every reasonable adult I know agrees that the media is a fray, literally like the…
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Homeschool Music Curriculum
This post is about your homeschool music curriculum. In other words, we will discuss the value of making music everyday in your homeschool life and provide some samples we use in our lessons below to inspire your work at home. What is it about music? This evening after dinner, my family gathered around our toddler.…
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Why Homeschooling is Better
Homeschooling is better than not homeschooling. That’s a bold statement, and it’s not true for everyone. However, I’m going to explain why I think it’s true for many students based on my experience as a teacher. You’ll have to read to the end, though. My intention is to bring hope to parents who continually question…
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Which Homeschool Curriculum Do I Choose?
Which homeschool curriculum do I choose? I see this question come up constantly in social media groups. Most homeschooling parents aren’t trained teachers, and they are looking expert guidance. In my experience, parents fall into one of three categories with education: no experience, some experience, and lots of experience. To each group I will make…
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Homeschooling Supplies to Get Your Started
People often ask me about how to setup their homeschooling environment, particularly what homeschooling supplies to have on hand. In this post, we’re going to shed light on that to help people new to this wonderful craft. Drawing and Writing Supplies For the grades, I would recommend the following supplies for writing and drawing: Grades…
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Mapmaking and Map Reading
Do you remember how to read a map? Do you teach your student(s) map reading fluency? Why would this skill still be necessary in an age of GPS Last year, this question was thrown in our faces when my family drove to Nova Scotia. After crossing the border into Canada, our phone signal stopped working.…
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The Threefold Social Order in Education
Why should we introduce the Threefold Social Order in Education? Observing the current political climate in America, I see there being two main sides (with a third being largely ignored). On either side, there’s very little inspiration. I hardly ever hear people express enthusiasm for their chosen candidate. Instead, I usually hear some version of…