Regardless of a child’s plan for adulthood, the skills of writing, grammar, and spelling will be essential. Along with reading and basic math, these should be the focuses of your homeschool. While these three skills can seem overwhelming, there are teaching strategies that can help you. The beauty of getting to teach these things to our children is that we can find the best way for them to learn, and who knows–we just may learn something along the way as well!

Music and art are two subjects that can cause polarizing feelings. Some homeschool parents love to teach these subjects as they are areas they personally enjoy or are included in their skill set. On the flip side, there are also many homeschool parents that shy away from teaching these creative subjects because they fall outside of their comfort zone. It can feel daunting to teach something you don’t have personal knowledge of or skill in. However, these subjects are often fun and enjoyable for children, and you never know when your child might have an aptitude in the arts. There are ways to make these subjects easier, if you are looking for that!

Summer is here! And with that comes the time and opportunity to explore all those field trip ideas near you (or even not near you!). Whether you break from formal lessons for the summer or school year-round, these are excellent supplemental ideas to add. Field trips are wonderful for the hands-on and visual learners, aid in the strengthening of bonds over shared experiences, and in some cases can increase understanding and empathy for a time in history or people group. Regardless on if you plan to stay home or travel, we’ve got field trip ideas for you!

Summer really lends itself to science. It’s a combination of the free outdoor play, the beautiful weather, and the lifeforms available to explore. It seems like a childhood rite of passage to catch frogs, pick dandelions, climb trees, and visit your local body of water. The eye of a home educating parent sees the learning in all of these activities! The ecosystem of the frog, the health benefits of dandelions, the different types of trees, and living creatures in that local body of water are just a few examples that come to mind. When you let a child free to explore outside, the learning is endless!

Whether you are looking to make a couple dollars for coffee runs, some spending money, enough to cover the costs of homeschool supplies or replace an income, home based business ideas are becoming more and more popular. You don’t have to scroll far through social media to see a friend selling something, and there’s a good chance you’ve checked out Etsy when you’re looking for something specific. Maybe you would like to find a way to turn your skills and hobbies into a profit. Hopefully we can help you!

The genre of historical fiction seems to be gaining in popularity for adults and youth alike. Parents are beginning to realize the benefit that historical fiction books can have in education. These books can help children learn more about historical events that may be otherwise difficult to talk about or understand. Hearing these stories can also make us more empathetic towards others, which is something we all want to instill in our kids. Reading a story can feel more personal, and the information has a tendency to stick more as well, adding to the benefits of learning through reading historical fiction.

Mission work is part of what we are told to do throughout Scripture, whether to “go and make disciples” or to “care for widows and orphans” or to “love your neighbour.” Canadian missionaries, whether they consider what they do to be a job, project, or calling, are doing their part to spread the gospel and show others God’s love. Sometimes we can get caught up thinking that we need to go overseas, to a third world country, or to somewhere dangerous to be a missionary, but there are many missionary jobs both home and abroad.

If you’re a parent educating your children at home (or wherever it works for your family!), you can likely agree that homeschooling is more of a lifestyle than an educational alternative. There are so many ways your kids can learn, and every family has their own way of customizing the learning environment and materials so that it works well for each child and the family as a whole. What also works well is having other homeschoolers share their experience and insight to help other families along in the fabulous homeschooling journey!

A wonderful perk of home education is being able to teach all things with a Christian worldview, and history is an easy subject to do that in. The Bible literally tells us about the beginning of history! We are given the Bible by God for a reason; He wants us to know what is written in there! There is so much to learn in the Bible and to teach our children. The Bible is the number one tool in teaching history from the perspective of a Christian worldview, but there are resources available to help you supplement that if you wish. Seeing world history support the Bible is a powerful tool for your kids as well so they learn to see the Bible as historical fact and not just “stories.”

Even without knowing it, children start learning about social studies in kindergarten, and it carries on throughout their school years. Social studies, in a nutshell, helps children understand their environment and the world around them so they can make informed decisions. That type of learning shouldn’t ever end! Part of learning about our environment here in Canada is learning about our Canadian winters! Canada has such a wide range of winter weather that it makes it fascinating to learn about! From the -40 (or colder) temps in the north to the rainy and mild west to the windy and snow-covered east, there is much to be discovered!

What do you think of when you hear the word technology? For many, the first thought that comes to mind is about cell phones and social media. While this is part of the technological world we live in now, it is not the full description. There are many aspects of technology not requiring those things. There is also much to be learned in the way of technology, and it can be very educational. Regardless, it is here, and we will need to teach our children how to use and interact with technology on some level. Discover why technology is important for your family and ideas for its safe use.

For many of us, one of the reasons we love home education is that it allows us to teach some life skills that are overlooked in public schools. Financial literacy is not just practical; it is also Biblical. There are countless verses in the Bible speaking to money. It is wise of us to teach our children to be good stewards of their money, which in turn will help them be content with what they have. Make financial literacy into a course or utilize real life instruction, but don’t neglect this important life training.