I don’t know about you, but I love watching documentaries. I wasn’t always that way. Growing up it was all about dramas and TV shows. But as I became an older teen and then went to film school, I discovered how wonderful documentaries can be. I began to watch all types of documentaries –…
Category: Connections
A Short Guide to Effortless Learning
I’ve recently finished reading Leo Babauta’s The Effortless Life (not an affiliate link). For those of you who haven’t heard of Leo, he writes on his blog Zen Habits about living a simple, mindful life and by creating positive habits by taking small steps one at a time. The Effortless Life speaks about having a…
How Children Can Invite Opportunities into Their Lives
In my last post, The Secrets of Expertise, I discussed Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers: The Story of Success. In that book, he points to two main reasons why many people have become super successful – putting in an enormous amount of practice in their area of expertise- 10,000 hours- and being born into extraordinary circumstance….
The Secrets of Expertise
I’m really excited to watch the Olympics on TV this summer. I’m always so amazed at how incredibly talented the athletes are, especially the athletes that are still so young. It’s impressive the amount of time and dedication they put into becoming an expert at something. To be an expert at something requires an amazing…
10 Non-Traditional Christmas Movies for Homeschoolers
What’s your favorite Christmas movie? Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? It’s a Wonderful Life? A Christmas Carol? When it starts to get cold outside (at least where I live!), I love to snuggle up in a blanket on the couch with the kids on a Friday afternoon and watch a great movie. We love watching all…
10 Out-of-the-Ordinary Christmas Activities
This is it – the last day in November. We’re getting deep into the holiday season now, and for my family that means lots and lots of baking cookies, watching Christmas movies and reading many Christmas stories. The day after Thanksgiving we always put up our Christmas tree, decorate it and watch our first Christmas…
Nov 2011 Monthly Interest-Led Learning Resource Guide
I love reading homeschooling sites and blogs. It’s fun getting a peek into other families’ lives, but the main reason I love to read them is to steal their idea. We’ve never before lived in a time when we have access to so many great ideas and resources at our fingertips at any time of…
An Inteview with an Interest-Led Learning Dad
I knew before my kids were born that I didn’t want them to attend school. While I was pregnant I worked in a public school, and I had been reading books by John Holt and John Taylor Gatto. I could see with the 12 and 13 year-olds I worked with that when their interest was…
Why It’s Important to Bring Your Child to Someone Else’s Job
In a few weeks my kids and I will be going to the hospital. Thankfully, it’s not because anyone is sick. My sister is an RN and we’ll be following her around at work for a few hours. My son and daughter will be able to check out the stethoscope and other equipment, watch her…
The Gift Schoolchildren Will Never Receive
Christmas is only 39 days away. I don’t know why it always seems to sneak up on me so fast, but it does. There’s always a hundred different things I want to do each year; I always have grand plans, but most of them never take place. The one thing I always find time for…