Curriculum Exploring the World through Story First impressions of Exploring the World through Story, a literature-based curriculum.
Methods Secular homeschooling We're doing "secular homeschooling," which means that we aren't teaching from a religious viewpoint. It's not something I've talked about here, and it's not a phrase I find myself using very often, because it's not something
Social How lucky am I? It was sunny and hot yesterday. In the afternoon, we went to the beach. That alone is extraordinary. I felt so grateful that we were able to be there, my toes in the sand, a just-right breeze on a hot day, watching Wanda jump and play in the sand and
Life skills Balance board Wanda's ADHD means she's gotta moooove! Adding a balance board to our homeschooling has been an effective accommodation.
Geography and cultures Impromptu France How an unplanned "trip" to France took shape—without disrupting our daily routine. Too much.
Language arts The point of language I try to help Wanda keep some perspective about language arts. The point of it all is communication: sharing an idea with an audience. If the idea has gotten from the speaker/writer's brain to the intended audience's brain—intact, with as much nuance and understanding
Tools Free writing skills assessment and practice with Quill Quill's free online tools have quickly become a useful part of our language arts learning.
How to How we told our daughter we were switching to homeschooling I used an analogy about a one-size-fits-all jacket to help our daughter understand this big change.
Media recommendations Homeschooling pedagogy nerdery One of my favorite spots for learning about how to teach is now accepting new members.
Book recommendations Book Day Supreme A very special Book Day: a field trip to Alibi Bookshop in Vallejo!
How to Quick lunch shortcuts These tips and tricks let me whip up a not-entirely-tragic lunch for myself in the few minutes I have before our lunch break.
How to Introduction to homeschooling A quick-start guide to homeschooling, or at least how and why we're homeschooling.
Methods Our winter break Every winter, from the day after Thanksgiving through to the week of Wanda's birthday in early January, we ease way up on our schooling and take a break of sorts. I've written before about how we manage our breaks. [https://homeschool.humuhumu.com/easing-back-into-homeschool-routine-after-a-break/] Wanda and
Life skills In praise of incomplete ideas Not every idea becomes something real to the outside world, and that's just fine.
Book recommendations Books we've loved in 2021 We're sharing some highlights from the reading we've done over the past year.
Fun stuff A day of Swedish Christmas, with Kalle Anka You know Kalle Anka better as Donald Duck, and a Swedish Christmas isn't complete without him.
Writing Writing paragraphs, The Writing Revolution style In some ways, writing is a strength area for Wanda. In other ways, it's the area where she needs the most support.
Geography and cultures Holidays around the world, via Acorn Airlines Wanda and I yust go nuts at Christmas. We spend each December learning about how the world celebrates, with our very own fictional airline.
Media recommendations Taste the Nation, Thanksgiving episode Wanda and I just watched the Thanksgiving episode of the new "holiday edition" of Padma Lakshmi's show Taste the Nation [https://www.hulu.com/series/taste-the-nation-with-padma-lakshmi-53d48a66-d254-4e4f-89a1-277ec6c57368] (available on Hulu), titled "Truth and the Turkey Tale." Each episode of Taste the Nation spotlights a culture
Curriculum Free homeschool curriculum There are outstanding free educational materials available to homeschoolers, including many aligned to common core standards. I've collected a list.
Social Homeschool socializing A look at what homeschool socializing was like in San Francisco, before the pandemic goobered everything.
History If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving A new, outstanding, Native-authored book about what really happened at Plymouth in 1621 is a welcome shift in teaching about Thanksgiving.
Civics Stories for Veterans Day We spent the morning of Veterans Day discussing the meaning of the day, and hearing the stories of five American Veterans.
