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.

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.

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

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

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.

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...

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

We took to Facebook & asked our followers,

What advice would you give a new homeschooling parent?

Snippet of “5 Tips for Homeschooling with Toddlers”

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

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."

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.

"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.

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!

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.

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!

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?”

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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?

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.