Informer Blog

The Doxology (or Praise God from whom All Blessings Flow)

Hymns are beautiful truths poetically told, hung on a rhythm, and held in a melody. This makes them memorable. Hymn study is extremely simple. Sing the hymn once a day. We’ve provided you links to different versions to enjoy as well as a link to download the sheet music for the hymn. Some of this … Continue reading The Doxology (or Praise God from whom All Blessings Flow)

Lorenzo Ghiberti

Picture Study is simple. Look at the picture with your children for a few minutes and then talk about what you saw. Try to remember as much about the piece as you can. Enjoy the beauty of it. Art is not a chore; it’s a pleasure. Beginning our Ancient Beauty theme, we’ve chosen some pieces … Continue reading Lorenzo Ghiberti

Teaching vs. Learning

As home educators, we want our children to use their childhood years of education to gain knowledge and skill and prepare their minds for the future. To that end, we research, purchase, print, and present various materials, supplies, and curricula. We study and write lesson plans. We sit down with our children, we show what … Continue reading Teaching vs. Learning

Teaching the Theological Truths at the Heart of Science

As humans, we naturally break things up into pieces.  We separate work time and playtime.  We separate reading from watching movies, and we separate art from science.  These separations are good and help us make sense of the world.  However, in another sense, these separations are artificial. It is good to find joy in your … Continue reading Teaching the Theological Truths at the Heart of Science

Busy Boxes

I have about three or four busy boxes that keep active toddlers and preschoolers occupied. I fit several different activities into each box, sorting them by age as I see fit. The trick is to keep them special. Put them away where they can’t be seen, and pull one out when you need a child to be … Continue reading Busy Boxes

Teaching Logarithms

Many students (and parents) cower in fear when thinking about logarithms.  However, while there are additional rules for dealing with these mathematical entities, there is nothing fundamentally different about exponentials and logarithms than there is about squaring and square roots.  The problem is that most books don’t teach them well. Let’s start by looking at … Continue reading Teaching Logarithms

I Can Wear Three Hats in a Day

Homeschool mamas wear a lot of hats. That means that every day has a lot of jobs. Every day, we are a child of God, a wife, a mother, and a daughter before taking on anything else. In any one day, before we count any other employment, we are teacher, maid, chauffeur, chef, laundress, nurse, … Continue reading I Can Wear Three Hats in a Day

Buy a Good Bra

It’s too expensive. I just don’t have time. It doesn’t really matter. We’ve all said these things, and sometimes they’re true, but not always. We homeschooling parents do so many things well, which is admirable. We’re a thrifty, hardworking, resourceful group. We can also be somewhat shortsighted when it comes to the proper care of … Continue reading Buy a Good Bra

Restoring the Lost Supper:

Building families & culture by gathering around the table, one meal at a time. “All great change in America begins at the dinner table,” said Ronald Reagan in his farewell address in the Oval Office, Jan. 1989.  Gathering around the supper table for daily family meals is something our family values deeply and prioritized since … Continue reading Restoring the Lost Supper:

My Kid is Behind

Many of us, at one point or another, have thought that our child is behind. Maybe they have not completed the curriculum by the end of the year. Possibly they missed an idea somewhere along the road and now there seems to be a gap in learning. Or they are just plain behind.  All of … Continue reading My Kid is Behind