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Recent Blog Posts

Blog Posts
Homeschooling Books – Take what you need edition
Vickie Turner

Every homeschooling parent needs more encouraging tools and support. Read through the list of topics and pick up a book based on what resonates with what you need right now.

Blog Posts
Books to make your homeschooling journey better!
Shelly McMahon

Shelly McMahon has raised and homeschooled 7 children! At one point, she had 5 children under the age of 5. But she’ll also tell you that she cheated because there’s a set of twins in there.

Blog Posts
Michigan Graduation Guidelines
Tarla Gernert

In order to graduate from High School in Michigan a student must complete...

Blog Posts
7 Fears You May Have About Homeschooling Your Child
Tarla Gernert

Here are 7 common fears about homeschooling and some reality checks that I hope will ease your mind.

Blog Posts
Do Homeschoolers Go to College?
Tarla Gernert

Whether you homeschool or not, every parent wants the best possible future for his or her child. For homeschool parents, though, the question of their child’s future can sometimes feel overwhelming. After all, we feel like what we do now has a direct impact on what they do later.

Blog Posts
Encouragement for the Homeschooling Mama
Meg Marie Wallace

I told her I wanted to quit. I’m overwhelmed and feel like I’m failing. There’s so much happening in other areas of life that I feel I am unable to give their schooling the attention it deserves. I was in tears...

Blog Posts
Staff Spotlight: Shelly McMahon
Josh, student author

On Friday, September 27, I sat down with Mrs. Shelly from Homeschool Connections...

Blog Posts
Penpalling: An Old-Fashioned Writing Activity Perfect for Homeschool

What research-backed, at-home activity utilizes rich writing skills and promotes positive social engagement?

Blog Posts
Science Fair Mice
Eva, Student Author

Today Mouse and Lina were at the Science Fair. Mouse and Lina were excited to see all of the creative things that the kids came up with. The first table they visited featured a poster board about taste buds.

Blog Posts
Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Virginia Lane

During the 2019 Winter Semester, Mrs. Lane taught nine classes at the Auburn Hills campus, Rochester Hills campus, and the Troy campus. Her classes include Engineering, Robots, Astronomy, Greek and Latin/reading skills, Clay Animation with Language Arts, Fun with Math and Games, US States, Microsoft Office, and Critical Thinking. She has also taught many subjects like History, Geography, Digital Movie and more.

Blog Posts
Mouse Visits Citizenship Book Club
Eva, Student Author

Today, Mouse and Lina were in Citizenship Book Club, and they were having so much fun! Earlier in the first semester, they read a whole series of books about the Tuttle Twins; their names were Ethan and Emily. The books they read were about the government and ideas about entrepreneurship. This semester they were reading The Lemonade War series.

Blog Posts
How to Homeschool Financial Literacy
Jennifer Dawson

One of the frequently cited reasons by parents for homeschooling their kids is the inadequacy of the public school curriculum. Today, homeschooled kids score 15 to 30 percentile points above public schooled kids in standardized tests like SAT and ACT, encouraging even previously skeptical parents to confidently make the move towards homeschooling.

Blog Posts
A Day in the Life of a Homeschool Connections Student

As you may know, there is no “typical” day for a homeschooling student. Some families like to wake up early and get their schooling done by lunch so they can pursue other interests in the afternoon. Other families like to take it slow and may start the day at the library or music lessons before lunch and do their school work in the afternoon. Some choose to teach all of the core subjects at home and come to Homeschool Connections for the elective classes.

Blog Posts
Student Spotlight: Hannah

Today I thought it would be cool to interview my friend Hannah. Her favorite thing about Homeschool Connections is going to her classes and learning new things. If she could choose to take a class of her choice, she would take a class about dogs. Hannah has two dogs; their names are Willow and Samson. This is Hannah’s first year at Homeschool Connections, but she loves all her classes.

Blog Posts
Boosting Math Skills Through Crafts
Jennifer Dawson

One of the biggest advantages of homeschooling is that you can set the curriculum. You can be creative with the learning experience, especially when it comes to merging subjects and skills. It is a way of teaching that you won’t find in the majority of high school classrooms. There are many creative crafting skills that will sit well on your timetable and boost your children’s math skills in a way that is interesting, fun, and engaging.

Blog Posts
Homeschooler’s Book Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart is about the adventures of the young, but intelligent, Reynard, who goes by Reynie.

Blog Posts
Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Kapusta

Ms. Kapusta is a writing teacher who attends multiple Homeschool Connections campuses. She attended Central Michigan for a Special Education Degree. Ms. Kapusta said that her favorite thing about teaching is seeing the lightbulb come on in her students’ eyes and her least favorite thing is the time it takes to grade all the papers!

Blog Posts
Student’s Book Review – Left Behind: The Kids Series

The Left Behind: The Kids series is my favorite Christian book series of all time. It is very well written and appealing. Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye wrote all forty books with the help of Chris Fabry.

Blog Posts
The Tiger Project

At Homeschool Connections, Mrs. Gibson teaches art classes and created The Tiger Project! Mrs. Gibson's art class at the Shelby Township campus has been working on a very interesting project for the last three weeks.

Blog Posts
Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Cathie Jo Seamon

On Friday December 7th, I interviewed Mrs. Cathie Jo Seamon, the science teacher. She teaches at the Troy campus and the Shelby Twp. campus. Mrs. Seamon has been teaching at Homeschool Connections for four years and, in her words, “really love(s) it here.”
Science and math were her favorite subjects in school, but she also loved government. Mrs. Seamon used to teach middle school at Connections, but she currently only teaches high school.

Blog Posts
Lap-Booking American History!

In Lap-Booking Through the American History Timeline class, we dive into history using our scissors and glue.

Blog Posts
Off to See the Wizard!

On Friday, November 30th, 2018 at the Shelby Twp. campus, the drama class put on a production of “The Wizard of Oz.” The play was written by our very own drama teacher, Mrs. Megan Timberlake, and adapted from the novel by L. Frank Baum.

Blog Posts
Advice to New Homeschooling Parents, from Parents!

We took to Facebook & asked our followers,

What advice would you give a new homeschooling parent?

Blog Posts
Tips for Homeschooling with Toddlers

Snippet of “5 Tips for Homeschooling with Toddlers”

Written by Denise James of Taking Route for the Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Blog.

Blog Posts
Tips for Teaching a Reluctant Reader

There are children who begin to read immediately after being shown how to sound out words and then there are children who could if they wanted to, but show no interest in reading at all. These we call "reluctant readers."

Blog Posts
Raising Children to Have a Positive Attitude

As parents, we want to help our children to learn to have a more realistic and balanced point of view about the positive and negative aspects of life.  To do this, however, we need to look at our own attitudes and help our children build positive attitudes about their place in the world.

Blog Posts
Understanding Multiple Intelligences in Children

As a homeschooling parent, understanding multiple intelligences in children will better help you teach and choose curriculum that leans towards your children's strengths. Developed in 1983 by developmental psychologist Howard Gardner, the use of his multiple intelligences test has been embraced by a number of educators and parents.

Blog Posts
Using Multi Sensory Learning Strategies

A solid body of research supports the role of the senses in skill development and concept retention.  Multisensory learning strategies make deliberate use of touch, hearing, and sound to enhance the brain’s ability to relay information.  According to educational research, the more sensory pathways we involve, the more efficiently and effectively we learn.  

Blog Posts
25 Fun Ways to Encourage Reading That Do Not Involve Books

What do you do if your child hates to read or just won’t sit still long enough for a story? You encourage her to read in small bites, the way everyone reads throughout a normal day. Whether you have a beginning reader or a 12-year-old who still stumbles over words, you can use these ideas to help your child improve reading skills.

Blog Posts
Teaching Math Using the Kagan Approach
Vickie Turner

With each person comes a different personality, with each teacher comes a different prospective, and with each student comes a diverse way of thinking. Every one acts differently according to their beliefs. As a teacher, I have found that I need to teach with my beliefs and depict how I will use it in my classroom.

Blog Posts
Why Kids Hate Math

"Ugh! Math stinks; I only do it because I have to."  Have you ever heard or said this yourself? Have you every wondered why kids hate math? Well, I feel your pain. I hated math too, and now I teach the stuff I once couldn't stand. Not only that, now I like it, enjoy it, love to talk about it. Did I go nuts? No, though at some point I realized what was really bothering me about math.

Blog Posts
8 Tips for an Even More Awesome Homeschool Experience
Vickie Turner

Homeschooling can be challenging, rewarding, frustrating and the most joyful time of your life. As tough as it can be at times, your children will receive the best education possible through homeschooling.  Whether you are new to homeschooling or a veteran homeschooler, there’s always something new to discover. Homeschooling is awesome and we want to help you make it an even better experience!

 

Blog Posts
Tips to Help You Start Homeschooling in the Middle of the School Year

Congratulation! You have decided to start homeschooling…now what? What do you do? HELP!!

We know there can be a lot of fear and uncertainty when you start homeschooling especially in the middle of the year, but, it is often the perfect time to start homeschooling. You don’t want to ruin your child, but you know there has to be a better way.

Blog Posts
Homeschooling Through the Holiday Madness

There is an ebb and flow to life, and it shows up in homeschooling as well. So when the rhythm changes, don’t panic. Recognize it as normal and adjust for the madness!

Blog Posts
What Do You Need to Teach Your Child

What Do You Need to Teach Your Child? This is a question almost everyone asks, from people who are exploring the idea of homeschooling to those who have been homeschooling for a while. But stop for just a minute, and really let that question sink in…what do you need to teach your child?

Maybe a better way to phrase it is,What does your child REALLY need to know?

Blog Posts
Student Showcase: American Girl Class

The American Girl class is the perfect class for students who love to read, or want to improve their reading skills, while having loads of fun. During each American Girl class the students read 2 series of books, each about a different American Girl during a different decade of history. 

Blog Posts
Starting Your Homeschooling Year off on the Right Foot

As we look forward to the start of a new school year, there is usually much anticipation as well as a bit of anxiety. We all want to make sure we are using the “right” curriculum and doing this homeschooling thing the “right” way.

Blog Posts
Bright Versus Gifted: What’s the Difference?

There is a difference between a child who is smart or bright and one that is gifted. All gifted children can and are considered to be bright, but not all bright children can be considered gifted.

Blog Posts
Common Homeschool Challenges

What in life is without challenges? I’d argue that anything worth having has some challenges that go along with it, and homeschooling is no exception.

Blog Posts
Do Homeschoolers Get Scholarships?

When it comes to scholarships, do homeschooled students usually have the same opportunities as those who attend public or private schools?

Blog Posts
Can I Work and Homeschool My Child?

For many who are new to the idea of homeschooling, home education seems to be the domain of the stay-at-home parent, often the mom. But the truth is that homeschooling has many, many faces, and wanting or needing to earn a living doesn’t necessarily mean that you cannot homeschool your children.

Blog Posts
What Do You Need In Order to Homeschool High School?

This is a question that almost everyone asks - from people who are exploring the idea of homeschooling to those who have been homeschooling for a while. But stop for just a minute and really let that question sink in…what do you need to teach your child?

Blog Posts
Besides College, What Are the Options?

So what are the options if your student decides college isn’t the right choice for him? Here are just a few to consider:

Blog Posts
GED Versus Diploma: Getting Into College?

While the right choice depends on your individual homeschool and your child’s unique needs, there is something to be said for pushing forward with a high school diploma.

Blog Posts
12 Genius-Like Characteristics to Encourage in Your Child

You might have noticed it already, but there’s a bit of genius in your child. In fact, just about every child has characteristics of genius that parents can nurture and encourage.

Blog Posts
Can I Homeschool My Special Needs Child?

As a parent, you have been teaching your child since the moment you brought him home (and possibly before) without even meaning to. Your child learned numerous important things about the way of living from you, so it’s natural for you to teach him. But what about academic subjects? Yes, you can teach your special needs child academics too.

Blog Posts
Home Education Options: 6 Different Homeschooling Styles

There are many ways to home-educate your child, and you can shape and mold them to fit your child’s needs and your family’s lifestyle. Here are just a few homeschool styles that parents across the country are making work for their families.

Blog Posts
Creating High School Transcripts

Follow these 3 steps to create a high school transcript for your homeschooler:

Blog Posts
5 Learning Characteristics of the Gifted Child

Here are some learning characteristics that make gifted children stand out among their peers:

Blog Posts
5 Questions About Homeschooling and How to Answer Them

Many people do not understand homeschooling and can’t imagine doing it themselves and some are even critical of others who are homeschooling. You may hear many questions like these and will need to distinguish between those who are being critical and those who are just curious.

Blog Posts
5 Myths About Life After Homeschooling

When you’re considering homeschooling, you’re likely to hear (or read) a number of myths mixed in with facts from a range of different sources. And it’s the myths that can make you question whether homeschooling is the best option for your family.

Blog Posts
Homeschooling Books – Take what you need edition

Every homeschooling parent needs more encouraging tools and support. Read through the list of topics and pick up a book based on what resonates with what you need right now.