Did you know that the first compulsory education law, passed in 1852 in Massachusetts, only required children from the ages of eight to fourteen to be in school for 12 weeks in the year, with only six of these being sequential?
Did you also know that students of that time enjoyed a literacy rate far above that of our modern day?
Why is this? Why don’t you know that schooling doesn’t have to take that much time or be that complicated?
Are you like me? Is your mind full of a million different ideas and directions so that you find yourself mindlessly putting your box of cereal in the fridge and your carton of milk in the cupboard? If so, you will find today’s post quite helpful. Today we are continuing … Read More…
This is post no. 2 in our series on being “seriously” organized as the mom of 15. We have 11 daughters, and all of them love thrifting, and they love doing it together. It’s like a safari for treasure, and they come away feeling giddy. Once, when the older ones were still young … Read More…
People are constantly accusing me of being “organized,” but I don’t think of myself in that way. However, the other day I started to ponder the idea, and I realized the reason I don’t connect myself with being organized is because the idea is linked with a specific definition in my mind. To me, an organized person is one who keeps … Read More…
There are so many theories about education out there, and almost all of them are as dumb as rocks. Why? Because they take something that is already included in basic human understanding and turn a profit with it by some clever ad copy and redesigned packaging. You know, when you … Read More…
In these last months we have been delving deeply into the roots of American education and homeschooling to recover the wisdom that has been lost. My goal has been to educate and equip you so that you can homeschool in confidence. Today we need to explore just why we feel … Read More…
Learning is not complicated; it is simple and obvious. Anyone can teach. All it takes is love, understanding, patience, and enthusiasm. It also includes self-discipline and hard work on the part of the learner, which makes the entire exercise an intimate experience dependent on the student. Knowing … Read More…
We have been covering so much in this series! We have discussed the ideas of some of the founders and shapers of the modern homeschooling movement, such as Charlotte Mason, Ruth Beechick, and Dr. Raymond Moore. We have also discussed the ideas of John Taylor Gatto and John … Read More…
At the time of this post our country is recovering from two historically destructive hurricanes. Our own children are involved in some of the recovery operations, so we feel especially close to the situation. One dear listener told me her area will not have any regular services available. … Read More…
So much of my life has been trusting God for each step directly in front of me. I have always had this sense that the life of our family was like the journey of Abraham on his way to Canaan. God called him out, but didn’t give him … Read More…