Homeschool Humuhumu (Page 2)

Sign in Subscribe

A child faces away from the camera, arms outspread, wearing a bright pink hooded jacket.

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.

A sign saying "ANY SALAD CAN BE A CAESAR SALAD IF YOU STAB IT ENOUGH"

Media recommendations

Homeschooling pedagogy nerdery

One of my favorite spots for learning about how to teach is now accepting new members.

An assortment of new books

Book recommendations

Book Day Supreme

A very special Book Day: a field trip to Alibi Bookshop in Vallejo!

A slice of quiche is topped with bright pink onions and small purple blossoms, with the words FAST LUNCH IDEAS.

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.

A young girl in a yellow dress is hovering in midair over a bed, her hair flying. Overlaid text in white: JUMP ON IN!

Introduction to homeschooling

A quick-start guide to homeschooling, or at least how and why we're homeschooling.

Illustration of cats playing musical instruments in the snow, by Louis Wain

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 I decide together how

A young woman leaps over a chasm

Deciding to homeschool

How did we know when it was time to make the leap to homeschooling?

An open cardboard box atop a stack of flattened cardboard boxes.

In praise of incomplete ideas

Not every idea becomes something real to the outside world, and that's just fine.

Three images of Wanda, age 8, reading chapter books.

Book recommendations

Books we've loved in 2021

We're sharing some highlights from the reading we've done over the past year.

Tinkerbell hovers next to the front of a pink and red Christmas card with the words "From All of Us" in white.

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 paragraphs, The Writing Revolution style

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.

Wanda, wearing a Santa Lucia crown, with our Christmas tree.

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.

Wampanoag chef Sherry Pocknett, sharing a meal with Padma Lakshmi

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 in America—mostly immigrant cultures and

Vintage drawing of a stack of books, with the words FREE 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.

If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving

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.

Title card for American Veteran: Keep It Close

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.

A lit diya (a small ceremonial oil lamp), with the words "Happy Diwali!"

Geography and cultures

Happy Diwali!

We celebrated Diwali [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali] today, the Indian festival of lights. I'm a sucker for a light festival. We took a trip to India on Acorn Airlines (our fictional school airline, it's totally Pinterest-barfy, I'll post about it someday in case you need some text-based ipecac)

Two hardcover books: Vincent's Starry Night, and 30,000 Years of Art

Art and history for kids: Vincent's Starry Night & 30,000 Years of Art

When we have an open squishy slot [https://homeschool.humuhumu.com/our-daily-routine/] in an afternoon, and I want a little something to fill it, one of the things I'll reach for is the book Vincent's Starry Night and Other Stories: a Children's History of Art, by Michael Bird. This full-color,

Beast Academy guides arranged in a tightly packed grid, with Beast Academy 1A on top.

Beast Academy level 1 is here!

If you've wondered what to use before Beast Academy for math, the answer is: Beast Academy!

A paperback book titled Nitty Gritty Grammar is balanced on a small container of spackling paste, along with a putty knife.

My language arts spackle: Nitty-Gritty Grammar

I like to reach for this handy grammar reference, whether it's to fill a gap in our day, or one in my daughter's understanding.

A white dial timer, with increments up to 60 minutes, and a timer set for 12 minutes shown in a blue translucent overlay.

Visual timers for ADHD

These homeschool years are giving us a wonderful opportunity to develop ADHD-related skills, like time management. Tools like visual timers are an ideal way to build time awareness.

Front of a Trader Joe’s grocery store

What I like best about homeschooling...

... is going to Trader Joe's on a Tuesday morning. There are so many things to love about homeschooling, but never having to deal with a crowded Trader Joe's is pretty darned high on the list. But it's not a perk I've been able to enjoy since the pandemic started. Rich

Forest field trip

Forest field trip

Yesterday we went foraging for chanterelle mushrooms in the Willamette National Forest in Oregon. I grew up in Seattle, and while I love California—deeply—most of its forests don't quite meet my lofty, spoiled standards. I've long wanted Wanda to get to experience my idea of a forest. We're

Man standing and smiling alongside a satellite view of New Zealand and the New Zealand flag.

Geography and cultures

Boosting our world learning with Geography Now!

We use the popular YouTube channel Geography Now! in our homeschooling as an introduction to the countries of the world.