Little House Learning Co. — Homeschool Helps

I know not every homeschool family does, but I love taking a summer break. Since we live in a cold climate, when the warm summer weather finally comes we hit the ground running– going to the beach, boating, camping, hiking and being outside as much as we can!  It is so nice to take some time off from homeschooling. I personally need the time to recover and let my body and mind rest from the fast pace of teaching and homeschool activities.  Even though we’re not homeschooling, that doesn’t mean that I’m not preparing for the school year. The time...

It's spring, and for me that means planning for a new school year!  This coming school year, 2025-2026, I will have a 5th grader, 3rd grader and 1st grader, so I wanted to detail how I plan a homeschool year with Ambleside Online. (And let me forewarn you that this is going to be a very detailed post!) We have used AO now for 5 years and every year I use it, it gets easier to plan. I feel sad at times that the disorganization of their website and the poor SEO of their forum discourage people from using the...

The toddler age is one of the most precious stages. Your toddler is exploring their world, asserting their voices and very curious about everything. But they do make homeschooling a challenge, no question about it. Whether it was flipping light switches, running away, climbing tables, opening cupboards or just creating general chaos, my toddlers made a simple to-do list of school subjects feel like a massive undertaking on some days. Homeschooling with a Toddler Even though something is hard, that doesn't make it bad. In my years of homeschooling with a toddler underfoot, here are a few of the things I did to navigate this...

If it hasn't happened to you yet, it will. The homeschool inquisition. It can take many forms- at the grocery check out, the dentist office, or from a well-meaning relative- but especially over the holidays, it is very common for conversations to steer into this territory. No matter who is questioning you, giving an answer that is full of grace can go a long way. And a little information doesn't hurt either! 10 Homeschooling Questions (Others Have For You) and How to Answer Them First things first: you don't need to defend yourself. Sometimes just listening to someone is enough....

A real concern of homeschooling is finding community. We all know that the built in community in a school system isn't always great, but it is community none the less.  How do you begin to find community when you are brand new to homeschooling or to your area? How do you find community when you have mismatched ideals among your family members, with some preferring large group connections and some recoiling at the idea of being in a group of strangers? How do you find community while still protecting your schedule and time at home? Finding the "Right" Homeschool Community...