Let’s Get Started

Let’s Get Started I’ve established that simply telling children, “English spelling doesn’t make sense, just learn it,” doesn’t work for me.  I have also asserted that teaching phonics is essential.  After my foray into a bit of the history of English, someone commented, “Fine, but I still don’t know how to teach spelling.” All right…

A Severely Abbreviated History of English

Part of our Spelling Series: “The English have no respect for their language, and will not teach their children to speak it. They spell it so abominably that no man can teach himself what it sounds like.” – Pygmalion, Bernard Shaw The other day, my daughter (who is just now beginning to homeschool her first-born) and…

On Teaching Spelling

I have a confession, and I hope you won’t hate me for it . . .  Spelling is easy for me.  I started first grade in 1968.  They weren’t teaching phonics.  It didn’t matter—I already knew how to read.  Everyone else was working their way through Sally, Dick, and Jane.  What I remember about spelling…

Great Courses Company: How To Read and Understand Shakespeare

I was a theater minor at Hillsdale College. When I participated in the Oxford exchange, I travelled to Stratford-Upon-Avon to see several plays. During two of my Hillsdale summer breaks, I travelled with the theater department to the Canadian Stratford Festival.  Shakespeare was central to my liberal arts education. Confession: all that exposure to the…

Exciting and Educational Brain Games

ese f A year or so ago, my family discovered the National Geographic Channel show Brain Games. It isn’t perfectly family-friendly, but there is much about it to love. We are a puzzle family and love Mad Libs, brain games, Ravensburger puzzles, etc. We love to exercise our mental muscles. Several years ago we removed…

Great Courses Company: Everyday Engineering

I always knew that houses were complex systems of systems, but I never fully appreciated all of the aspects of engineering that go into making them snug, safe, and efficient. Thanks to Dr. Ressler and The Great Courses Company’s Everyday Engineering course, this non-science mama is now able to appreciate how rain water does not pool…

Audiobooks They Love

In our post about Audible, I mentioned that my family listens to over 1,000 hours of audiobooks per year. Frankly, that is a conservative number. We listen to audiobooks religiously. It is no wonder then that I am routinely asked to recommend some favorites when friends are looking for books for car trips, quiet time…

Psalm Songs: David’s Worship Today

“And whenever the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand; so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.” 1 Sam 16:23 RSV-CE On this mid-April morning, the sun is hidden behind thick snow clouds. The overcast view from my…

Bad Days Are Part of the Deal

In parenting and homeschooling especially, bad days are part of the deal. In fact, if you aren’t having bad days, I want to talk to you because I want to know how you are conjuring that magic. I could reassure you that bad days are what help us to see the good days for what…

Loving Evening Read Aloud

  When I was eight years old, my parents took our young family to Europe including my six year old sister and four year old brother. It was 1984 and the dollar was worth almost one British Pound. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. My mom packed three canvas army duffle bags…