I decided to spend this entire school year immersed in 1800s American history. To say that I am excited about this would be an understatement! When I started planning for this upcoming rotation of history last year, I was struggling with how to teach through all of American history in one year…
Last Friday we took the kids to the Medieval Fair in Norman, Oklahoma. We had been studying The Middle Ages earlier this year, so the kids were excited to go. When I was researching which fair we wanted to attend, I quickly discovered the difference between a Medieval Fair and…
Last week we took a few days off for a spring garden prep “field trip” at the home of my in-laws in Kansas. Grandpa and Grandma Gotcher are “firstgen” homeschoolers: They began homeschooling my husband and his two sisters in the early 1980s. They needed help getting their orchard and…
This year our family is planning to attend the Teach Them Diligently Convention in Washington D.C., taking place May 15-17. As residents of Oklahoma, this is a huge thing for our family. My husband and children have never been to the East Coast, and I was only 16 years old…
Our family decided to attend this year’s Oklahoma Homeschool Capitol Day. I took our two daughters to this event seven years ago, when our son Joel was only a year old. Hannah had made homemade apple pies for our Representative and Senator. We hadn’t attended since then because the girls…
Welcome to NextGen Homeschool’s Top Homeschooling Posts of 2013 Series! This week we’ll be sharing the top homeschooling topics — and most viewed posts — of last year based on the number of reader views and pins at NextGen Homeschool. Pin this page so you can refer back to each…
When it comes to Autumn inspiration, the scenic mountains of Colorado and Aspen groves turning into blankets of pure gold never fail to take my breath away. One of my family’s most treasured Autumn traditions is taking fall foliage hikes in the high country. This year, the trees are just…
Anytime we have the opportunity to travel as a family, we are looking for fun and adventure. However, one of my favorite benefits of homeschooling is the chance to take a homeschool travel approach to the trip and seize the opportunity to learn on the road. For example, we took…
In our homeschool this week… we took a last-minute “field trip” to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, tagging along with my husband who had business there. This type of homeschool travel opportunity is one of my favorite homeschooling benefits! If you have never considered homeschooling while traveling, check out my tips for…
It took me a couple of years of adjusting to the homeschooling life to realize that homeschooling is about so much more than cracking open curriculum at the dining room table everyday. It’s an opportunity to develop a lifestyle of learning for your family. To me, a lifestyle of learning…
Today my family attended Living History Days hosted by Vision Heirs in Colorado. They are offered twice a year in our state, and I know that similar opportunities take place all over the country. If you have the chance to attend one, I highly recommend it! I can’t think of…
This week was an exhausting rollercoaster ride for my family, complete with exhilarating highs, unexpected turns, and stomach-dropping lows. I debated whether I was still motivated to write today, but I think it’s important that we share the highs and lows of homeschooling in the face of all sorts of…