May 29, 2019

Homeschool Scheduling with Teens to Toddlers (Mom of 4)

May 29, 2019/ Erin Cox

I do really love to chat about homeschool scheduling! I believe our schedules are and should be just as unique as our families and our homeschools are. But also, we are always looking for ways to improve—maybe to streamline, reduce overwhelm, or just enjoy our day better. So, I’m happy to share our general flow, both as it kind of went this year, and also as I plan for it to continue into the fall.We do school year round. We take June off, and July is very casual with a long reading list and math only. So, this schedule applies to our more typical school year, August-May.

May 17, 2019

Our Curriculum Choices (10th, 7th, K4)

May 17, 2019/ Erin Cox

I did what I think no other homeschool blogger has ever done- I failed to write a “curriculum pick” post for last year. Eeek. Honestly, in hindsight, I’m thankful. I was full excited about a few programs over last summer, but when it came down to it, they weren’t a good fit and we swapped to new programs after a few weeks.

I’m thankful for the experience, as it was an incredible learning opportunity to me. It also shows that no matter how amazing a program seems, once you get into it, it just might not be a good fit! Suffice it to say, that after an initial “fail” of one program in the fall, we found our way to a program that I now am certain we will use for many years (as certain as an easily distracted homeschool mama can be!).

So, what are our choices for this year? Many of them are simply a continuation of last year…

May 01, 2019

Moral Imagination? Poetic Knowledge? What the What?

May 01, 2019/ Erin Cox

Our little ones are often big thinkers with big fears and big questions. Their experience of walking alongside Pinocchio as he develops his own moral conscience helps them to understand that we can all fail and be redeemed. Their experience of the complete evil depravity of Cinderella’s stepsisters helps them see how horrible the downfall truly is for those who worship self and selfish ambition. Their experience of Snow White gives them a comforting picture of a wise, loving father (in the REAL dwarves) and cautions against disobedience, with a redemptive ending of LIFE (a picture of the Gospel).

Through stories that present a VERY CLEAR distinction of right and wrong, good versus evil, our children practice making decisions, facing “dragons,” and overcoming loss alongside the characters they are journeying with. I love this quote from Chesterton:

February 17, 2019

Headed to the Zoo anytime soon? (FREEBIE!)

February 17, 2019/ Erin Cox

We are annual zoo members and have been for years. Our kids have always treasured days at the zoo, and when the weather isn’t sweltering, I always have too. I feel like it’s an excellent opportunity to get out of the house and do a little roamschooling.

I wanted to create a tool for us (and for you!) that would serve our whole family. I have babies from 2 up to high school freshman, so it’s not often we do anything or learn anythign that EVERYONE can enjoy and benefit from. However, the zoo is definitely an excpetion to that. Furthermore, with this zoo explorers pack, that’s even more true than ever.

February 14, 2019

Review of Foundational Phonics Program

February 14, 2019/ Erin Cox

ou may have noticed—if you’ve browsed this blog much—that I’m an enthusiastic supporter of All About Reading. So, it may come as a surprise that I’m sharing a review for a different phonics curriculum.

When the author of Foundational Phonics, Ariel Gunther, reached out to me with her gentle phonics program, I was more than intrigued. As we worked for years to get my dyslexic daughter reading on grade level, we tried more than a handful of programs. That process—along with the success my friend Hayley has also had with AAR—left me looking through Foundational Phonics with a discerning eye. So it’s only natural that as I share all I love (or might not) about Foundational Phonics, I’ll be making a few references to All About Reading as well.
What Is Foundational Phonics?

February 14, 2019

Redeeming Suffering Through Action

February 14, 2019/ Erin Cox

Things I find unacceptable about the last 15 months of my life:

My mom was killed instantly in a car accident- the day before my 36th birthday.
Thirty days later, my best friend moved 15 hours away.
The following several months held sickness, anxiety, and yet another autoimmune diagnosis for myself.

I lost my mom.

I felt like I lost my best friend.

I rapidly began to lose my health.

You want to talk about some raw, lonely, abandoned feelings?

February 06, 2019

Be Interruptible: The Tension Between Mary and Martha

February 06, 2019/ Erin Cox

The mist from the prior evening’s rain was frozen solid in the shade at the Toledo Museum of Art in December. As my best friend and I skated every-so-gracefully out of the shadows of the parking garage into the sunshine, we’d just wrapped up an intriguing chat about those famous sisters—Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38–42).

Scripture + my bestie + art? This may have been my best day ever.

As a self-proclaimed Martha, I’ve revisited this Scripture again and again. One question has always plagued me—and I chatted about it that day with my self-proclaimed “Mary” friend: Wasn’t there stuff that needed to get done?

January 26, 2019

Dear Scared, Worried (Overwhelmed) New Homeschool Mom

January 26, 2019/ Erin Cox

I received a text from a sweet friend last night — one who is in the thick of her first year or two of homeschooling. As she’s been spending many sleepless nights cradling and nursing her newborn infant recently, thoughts and concerns have flooded her mind over the progress of her 6-year-old daughter’s reading.

Anyone who has been in the thick of homeschooling for one year or ten remembers those days well. Not one of us is impervious to fears, second-guessing, unmet expectations, and the torture of comparison.

What follows is a version of my response to her concerns — words she and I agreed should be shared with you as well. These words were once offered to me, small doses at a time, from the women ahead of me, speaking Truth into the midst of my fears. Some of these words are things I never heard but my heart desperately yearned for. And many of them are the result of hours, weeks, and years of pouring my aching heart out to a Father who understood and cared about it all.

Dear Scared, Worried, New Homeschool Mama,

January 22, 2019

All About Reading: Level 4 Color Edition Review

January 22, 2019/ Hayley Croft

I was so excited when Erin told me that All About Learning Press was releasing a NEW COLOR EDITION of their All About Reading program! I have used AAR with three of my children, and it has been such a blessing to our family. This program has helped me gain both confidence and skills in teaching my children to read. I’ve written before about how we use AAR in our home, but today I want to share more about the new color editions—and why I have changed my mind about Level 4.

January 11, 2019

The Kind of Mom I Want to Be (18 Gifts for My Children)

January 11, 2019/ Erin Cox

Have you ever spent much time considering the legacy that you're leaving your children (and their children and their children)?

If you have younger children, you probably haven't. It wasn't something that was front of mind for me until I lost my own mom very suddenly. In the year that has followed, I've spent much time reflecting upon who my mom was, what she taught me, and—most powerfully—the legacy that she left us of hard work, perseverance, humility, humor, and a sacred regard for life.

As I've reflected upon every good gift that my mom gave my sister and me, it has cemented the value of the now in my mind. We don't like to ponder our own end, but losing a parent pushes it to the forefront of your consciousness. In the end, we cannot control the fact that we are but a vapor, but we do have the good gift of choosing WHO we want to be for our children and the gracious ability to intentionally cultivate an inheritance that has generational benefit for our great-great-grandchildren.