I recently enjoyed a debate with some teenagers about what makes a good book. We were reading a classic with which they were struggling to connect. This started a lively discussion on the merits of reading this book. Was it a good book? What makes a book good? My final conclusion was that a book is good when you can learn from it. This doesn't mean non-fiction, fact-based books are the only good books. It means that I am challenged, ... continue reading...
New On the Blog:
Strategic Tic-Tac-Toe Board Slam
My son discovered Strategic Tic-Tac-Toe on Cool Math Games when he was younger. It is such a interesting twist on an old favorite. When trying to come up with a new math game for their Challenge IV class, my son and husband collaborated with their class to take the traditional Board Slam (or National Number Knockout) and mash it up with Strategic Tic-Tac-Toe. The end result? A strategic twist on a fast moving number game. For a free ... continue reading...
The GPA Trakr : A Better Way to Navigate High School Credits
After graduating my first, I have a good sense of the necessity of keeping good records and having the right info for your transcript. A good friend of mine has come up with a solution: The GPA Trakr. It's a tool that provides a great way to organize and track your student's high school career. I've asked her to share her story about how and why she developed this resource. Keep reading to the end for an awesome $10 off coupon code! When ... continue reading...
At Home With Classical Conversations
Strengthen Your Reading Muscles with the Classics
I recently enjoyed a debate with some teenagers about what makes a good book. We were reading a classic with which they were struggling to connect. This started a lively discussion on the merits of reading this book. Was it a good book? What makes a book good? My final conclusion was that a book is good when you can learn from it. This doesn't mean non-fiction, fact-based books are the only good books. It means that I am challenged, ... continue reading...
Strategic Tic-Tac-Toe Board Slam
My son discovered Strategic Tic-Tac-Toe on Cool Math Games when he was younger. It is such a interesting twist on an old favorite. When trying to come up with a new math game for their Challenge IV class, my son and husband collaborated with their class to take the traditional Board Slam (or National Number Knockout) and mash it up with Strategic Tic-Tac-Toe. The end result? A strategic twist on a fast moving number game. For a free ... continue reading...
How to Use Comparison to Enhance Bible Study
Of Aristotle's Five Common Topics, Comparison has always been the easiest for me. Perhaps it is because I grew up comparing things, whether good or bad, all of my life. This summer I led a seminar in using the topic of Comparison to generate ideas for an entire paper. The topic of Comparison generates a wealth of ideas. Sometimes it is hard to get a conversation going about the Bible because as we get older we forget to wonder about the ... continue reading...
Latin with Andy Code Breakers
When we started making Latin videos for Latin with Andy in 2017, we had no idea what we were in for! We have learned so much on our journey, and we're excited to share a new branch of the Latin with Andy resources: Code Breakers. Andy had the opportunity to work with some younger students and loved seeing how quickly they picked up on the concepts when they imagined they were breaking a code. In truth, they were, because that's what ... continue reading...
10 Ways to Practice Latin Vocabulary
Latin vocabulary is the bear that you don't want to hibernate over summer. Just like any muscle, if you don't use it, you will lose it. Therefore, taking some time to keep that vocabulary refreshed over school breaks will be one of the most fruitful endeavors you can pursue. Here are 10 ways to keep it fun and fresh: 1 - Flashcards Flashcards are a simple yet effective method for review. If you just focus on 10-15 flashcards over the 10 ... continue reading...
Challenge IV Resources & Ideas for Making A Memorable Senior Year
Not many make it to the final year of the Challenge program. Our son was old enough to graduate at Challenge III (just barely), but we opted to finish out the program, and we are so thankful that we did. Challenge IV is such an incredible year focusing on cultivating leadership. The students really take charge this year leading three out of the six seminars: reasoning, literature, and debate. This gives them so many opportunities to practice ... continue reading...
Fun with My Family
How to Use Comparison to Enhance Bible Study
Of Aristotle's Five Common Topics, Comparison has always been the easiest for me. Perhaps it is because I grew up comparing things, whether good or bad, all of my life. This summer I led a seminar in using the topic of Comparison to generate ideas for an entire paper. The topic of Comparison generates a wealth of ideas. Sometimes it is hard to get a conversation going about the Bible because as we get older we forget to wonder about the ... continue reading...
4 FREE Inspirational Coloring Sheets
I love the pace of summer. Even though we generally have a variety of different events that mess up the routine, the overall pace of summer is restful. The sun slows me down, invites me to soak in its goodness, and reminds me of God's faithfulness. Sometimes we need reminding of these truths that seemed so obvious to us at one time. I've shared some coloring sheets before because I love the way that they help one meditate on ideas. When you're ... continue reading...
Seattle Spotlight: Chihuly Garden and Glass & Space Needle
I am a sucker for a garden. Everywhere we travel, I try to find a local garden to explore. When we went to President Clinton's library in Little Rock, AR, I saw some of Chihuly's work displayed there. It also is featured in Atlanta's Botanical garden which is incredible! So when we were heading to Seattle, and the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit was at the foot of the Space Needle, I thought it would be a great opportunity to see them ... continue reading...
5 Beautiful Seattle Day Hikes for Beginners
My husband and I got away for our 20th Anniversary to Seattle. When we arrived at our Airbnb, we found this great guide for exploring the city: Best Easy Day Hikes Seattle. As a way to make sure I stayed active on the trip, we decided to try out a different one each day. This helped us explore the city of Seattle in a unique way. Here are five beautiful Seattle day hikes for beginners. 1. Alki Beach Trail If you're looking for a ... continue reading...
Creative Graduation Gifts that Come with a Blessing
My husband is tutoring my son's Challenge IV class in Classical Conversations this year, so we're full on in graduation season. I tutored this class for a couple of years and my husband has had them for the last three, so these kids seem like family to us. As I thought about what I'd like to give them as graduation gifts, I thought it would be fun to bless them with some wisdom for their journey. You could pick and choose from any of ... continue reading...
70+ Gifts for the Book Lover in Your Life
With Mother's Day, end of school, and graduation right around the corner, I thought it fitting to share some non-book ideas that would make great gifts for the book lover in your life. It can be hard to know if someone already has a certain book that you found, but there are some other ways to celebrate their love of books that they might enjoy a little bit more than a second copy of their favorite book! Wearable Gifts For A Book ... continue reading...
There is no such thing as too many books!!
Strengthen Your Reading Muscles with the Classics
I recently enjoyed a debate with some teenagers about what makes a good book. We were reading a classic with which they were struggling to connect. This started a lively discussion on the merits of reading this book. Was it a good book? What makes a book good? My final conclusion was that a book is good when you can learn from it. This doesn't mean non-fiction, fact-based books are the only good books. It means that I am challenged, ... continue reading...
Challenge IV Resources & Ideas for Making A Memorable Senior Year
Not many make it to the final year of the Challenge program. Our son was old enough to graduate at Challenge III (just barely), but we opted to finish out the program, and we are so thankful that we did. Challenge IV is such an incredible year focusing on cultivating leadership. The students really take charge this year leading three out of the six seminars: reasoning, literature, and debate. This gives them so many opportunities to practice ... continue reading...
What’s on my bookshelf: Challenge III Resources
The Classical Conversations Challenge III program is where the incredible fruits of the entire program just start to explode all around. With Shakespeare, poetry, and philosophy, this is one of my husband's favorite levels to tutor. This year looks into consequences of choices made in literature, American history, and so much more. As with all of my resource book lists, these items are all optional. I'm also including some of my favorite ... continue reading...
What’s On My Bookshelf: Challenge II Resources
The Classical Conversations Challenge II program is one of my favorites. With British literature, artists and composers, and Socratic dialogues, I feel a bit indulgent as a tutor to walk through these studies with students. I love that many of the things I collected from my Foundations years are revisited in Challenge II. It is a year of contemplating choices, and it is rich with great content. As with all of my resource book lists, these ... continue reading...
Free Summer Reading Tracker for CC Students
As we're wrapping up the school year, I generally start looking at what's coming next and looking at how to keep the learning going. We've participated in many summer reading programs over the years with our local library, and that got me thinking about new fun ways to track our reading. Combining my love of coloring and bullet journals, I came up with these fun printables for you to use as a summer reading tracker for your CC students (moms ... continue reading...
2019 Great Homeschool Convention Shopping Confessions
This year my husband and I took a different approach to the Great Homeschool Convention. Typically, we attend this conference because we love all of the speakers that attend and we love hearing from them because we already use their curriculum at home. My kids were really the driving force of us attending the conference this year. Since we've been every year, this time my husband and I didn't attend as many of the sessions. To pass the time ... continue reading...