“Hey Mom, don’t forget that we’re going out for pizza after this last game of the season.
It’s a tradition, remember?”

“Dad, when are you going to get the bales of hay and pumpkins for your autumn masterpiece?
Can I go, too? It’s a tradition, you know!”

One of the sweetest gifts of homeschooling is the chance to weave family traditions into everyday learning.

Why Family Traditions Are So Important

Tradition…

Just the word sometimes sounds old and from past generations, doesn’t it? Yet family traditions have helped many a family stay together and strong over the past years, and probably for generations to come.

Traditions are so important in families. The sense of security and love that is felt when observing traditions as a family will stay with our children for the rest of their lives.

Homeschooling Family Traditions

As homeschooling families, we have a unique opportunity in today’s society to enjoy a wide variety of traditions for all kinds of events and observances and integrate them into our learning lifestyle. These traditions are woven into the fabric of our family, making it stronger and more memorable for everyone.

As a child, I grew up in a family filled with love, children, and plenty of traditions. My parents worked to build the strength of our family with some traditions that were simple and yet special. We lived far away from any relatives, so our traditions had to be based on our immediate family, and what a blessing those traditions were. My parents didn’t realize that these traditions would get us through some very tough times and keep our family close through thick and thin over many years and generations yet to come.

Early on Sunday mornings, my dad would drive to Krispy Kreme to get hot doughnuts for our family while Mom got all of us ready for church. To this day, when I bite into a warm Krispy Kreme doughnut, I remember Sunday mornings and my dad’s smile as he came through the door with those fresh doughnuts. It was a very simple tradition that meant so much then and means even more now. When we are visiting my childhood hometown, we still visit the same shop and share smiles and memories that cross generations.

When I was a young teenager, our family lost my father to cancer when we were from 8 to 15 years old. Yes, it was tragic and it was heart-rending, and we drifted in and out of being convinced that our happy family life had ended. However, my mother worked hard to keep us safe and housed and educated, but she worked even harder through it all to maintain our family traditions, and these added much-needed cement to our family through some very trying times. We still belonged to the family, the family was still strong, and these traditions gave us a sense of security and predictability in a world that had changed very quickly. Traditions became the ties that we needed as we grew and changed, even while some things never changed.

The variety of traditions is infinite, and I’ve heard of some unique family traditions in all of my travels around this great country. But that is one of the things that makes them special—they are YOUR family’s traditions, unique to you all.

Creating Traditions For Your Own Family

Here are some ideas for traditions that your family might enjoy:

With the end of a sports season or a church performance or other special occasion, have an ice cream sundae party at the local ice cream shop. Sometimes a tradition like this can be a “floating” tradition—one of recognition for feats accomplished.

With the birth of each child, plant a special tree, have a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol (contact your congressman to do this), hold a special family celebration to welcome the new family member, and don’t forget to take plenty of pictures.

With the marriage of each child or sibling, have a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol or plant an evergreen tree to mark the occasion.

When having a holiday get-together or family reunion, try to find a ceramic plate that can be autographed with a permanent marker, and have everyone sign the plate. Bring out the plate at future get-togethers for sharing memories and smiles.

One holiday tradition that we have observed for many years is enjoyed around the kitchen table. In the evenings, we gather and paint those small, plaster village houses to create an interesting holiday village. The tradition of gathering around the kitchen table to paint and be creative has brought about some fascinating conversations and treasured insights into each family member, not to mention the “unique” pieces of art that have been created!

Blessings,
Amanda B.

And so begins our search to answer the question of the day for November 11th – “Mom, what is a veteran?”

This generation of children has been unusually protected from much, if any, exposure to war and soldiers and military importance. So, when they see or hear reference to the upcoming Veterans Day holiday, they don’t understand the significance or relevance to their lives. We can use this holiday as the perfect springboard to learning more about our history, our blessings, and the brave men and women who have served to protect us, and all that we hold dear.

Learning About Veterans Day In Your Homeschool

Veterans Day – what does it mean to you?

The history of this holiday may be unknown to many of us, and yet it exists because of the strength and convictions of generations past that we should remember our veterans and their sacrifices for our peace and protection. There was a price paid for the freedom that we enjoy, and this freedom still needs our protection. While we enjoy peace, it is with an understanding that this peace has been bought with the efforts of our veterans, and this holiday can help us express our gratitude for their efforts and beliefs and sacrifices. On this holiday, we honor all of our veterans. Those in the military serve in all kinds of jobs – soldiers, doctors, nurses, pilots, engineers, astronauts, and so much more. They all work hard to protect and defend America, and we should be grateful to them all.

I heard recently that there is a shortage of military buglers to play “Taps” at military funerals – because so many of our military veterans are passing away, particularly those from the World Wars. While our children haven’t really been exposed to a “war” as we think of it, they do need an appreciation for those who have bravely served. Use this holiday to become familiar with veterans – their sacrifice and their courage.

Learn more about the American military system – how it protects us today and what is happening with our defense. Use this opportunity to learn more about the various organizations that help support out veterans – the Veterans Administration (VA), the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and others.

This holiday has special significance to many members of our family as well as our friends. Though often quiet about their service, these people have a wealth of information and experience that they might be willing to share with our students about their service, training, and ideas – if asked. By learning more about the people and their participation, we can carry on the tradition and remembrance with pride.

Applauding Our Veterans

With this holiday, let’s bring out the flag and applaud our veterans. Let us teach these things to our children, so that we never take our freedom and liberty for granted. All of our veterans deserve our appreciation and remembrance. It is now the next generation’s responsibility to protect and defend our country, our God-given rights, and our freedoms.

“The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men… It is a very serious consideration, which should deeply impress our minds, that millions yet unborn may be the miserable sharers in the event.”Samuel Adams, 1771

“The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves; whether they are to have any property they can call their own; whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and themselves consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will deliver them. The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army… We have, therefore, to resolve to conquer or die…”
George Washington, speech delivered to his army, 1776

“To fight out a war, you must believe something and want something with all your might. So must you do to carry anything else to an end worth reaching. More than that, you must be willing to commit yourself to a course, perhaps a long and hard one, without being able to foresee exactly where you will come out. All that is required of you is that you should go somewhither as hard as ever you can. The rest belongs to fate…:”     Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1884

“There are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpation.” James Madison, 1788

Veterans Day Unit Study Included in Patriotic Holidays

• Day One: What Is A Veteran?
• Day Two: History Of Veterans Day
• Day Three: Our Armed Forces
• Day Four: Flanders Fields
• Day Five: Sacrificing All For Our Freedom

What is the history of these national holidays? Who were the patriots involved? How can we remember the sacrifices of those who have fought for our freedoms? Show your children why these special days are more than just another barbecue or parade.

• American History Download N Go® set
• Veterans Day Homeschool Activities and Resources
• The Veterans Day Homeschool
• Helping Your Homeschooled Children Pursue Their Dreams
• What is a Unit Study?
• Unit Studies with Multiple Ages
• How Does this Method Compare to Others?
• Take the Tour: Learn About Unit Studies

Happy homeschooling,

Harvest….the end of the growing season….clearly signaled by bright orange pumpkins piled high at roadside stands, the spicy tart smell of apple butter cooking at local orchards, and the excitement of local fall harvest festivals. At the festivals, you can see the county’s largest sunflowers, the prettiest canned tomatoes you’ve ever seen, and the artwork so painstakingly created by children of all ages.

It is a season of reflection, gathering in, enjoying the fruits of your labor. I’m writing this today to share some of the lessons I’ve learned over the past few years of homeschooling — the importance of enjoying each moment of harvest in our lives, whether it is the accomplishment of a child finally learning to tie their own shoes, the excitement of reading their first book all by themselves, the time “they” point out how pretty the trees look, and many other times where the end product slowly but surely peeks out in the midst of daily life.

As many of you know, I’ve had a couple of tough years following two car accidents. Through it all, we’ve homeschooled and I’m not sure who has learned more…the parents or the children! Before these accidents, we were driven by a goal of homeschooling them through high school, keeping our eye on the “finished product” goal, instead of the daily accomplishments or “moments of harvest.”

Moments of “Harvest” In Your Homeschool

It is these moments of harvest that I wanted to make you aware of — that they should be recognized, savored, and remembered. Our “harvest” is not seasonal like a farmer’s crop — our harvest is lifelong, as we love, nurture and encourage our family each and every day. And yes, there are days when this is a TALL order, and it is those days that we can recall the good “harvest moments”, days when goals were reached, or thanks was given, or smiles and laughter rippled around the dinner table.

But before we go on, let me take a moment to share the definition of “harvest” with you, taken from Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: harvest — to gather in (a crop). A farmer plans for his crop all through the winter, then prepares (cultivates) the soil in spring, and finally plants the seeds of a new crop as the spring ends. Throughout the summer, he works on maintaining and protecting his crop, from drought, insects, and weeds. And then at the end of the summer, he finally begins his harvest, gathering in this precious crop that the has worked so hard to grow.

Can you see the similarities to our efforts as parents? We plan, plant, grow, nurture, and somewhere along the way, the “harvest” concept kind of gets lost in the search for both shoes, the car keys, the “right” curriculum, and on and on.

Seasons Of Growth In Learning And Family Life

Just like raising a stand of fruit trees (or maple trees, pecan trees, etc.), so goes the way of raising a child, in a way:

• A season to prune and maintain the plants themselves (the physical needs as well as the emotional needs).
• A season to fertilize to invigorate the plant’s production of fruit (talking, reading, sharing, putting information and caring into their lives)
• A season to tend the fruits as they develop (keeping an eye on their interests, activities, etc.)
• A season of harvest, when the fruit is enjoyed and preserved, keeping an eye towards the future for the next season of growth (protecting them from harm during tough times and planning the next season of growth)

And then, of course, the cycle begins anew, as the cycle of life thankfully continues.

Celebrating Progress In Your Homeschool

Given some time for reflection, you can “see” back through this past year and remember some prime “harvest moments”, both educational as well as emotional and spiritual. There are also some moments or events that strengthened and united your family, as well. I’ve made myself keep a small journal of these kinds of harvest insights, both for encouragement and so that I really realize the progress being made for our efforts. I know it is hard to find time to write down these kinds of things, and I am one of the worst when it comes to finding time for extra efforts like this. BUT, I have MADE myself do this with a journal — for all of us.

Here are some ideas in each harvest moment category that I mentioned above, to help you “see” what I record:

Breakthroughs in their education:

• First word read all by themselves
• First book read independently
• First time they read a book with interest “without” having it assigned
• Mastery of multiplication tables…FINALLY!
• Breakthrough on long division
• Moments of realization when they really “understand” a concept…like gravity!
• They begin to connect the things that they are learning with the world around us.

Breakthroughs in their emotional development:

• They slow down to help younger siblings voluntarily
• Refusal to “follow the crowd” based on principle or belief
• Doing the “right” thing even when you are not around!
• Helping others without being asked
• Appreciating grandparents and other family members
• Welcoming guests wholeheartedly and caring for their needs
• Asking if you can “all” go do something together…amazing!

And last, but not least — moments that strengthen and unite your family:

• When one parent is ill or injured, and they all work together to share the burden
• A death in the family or extended family, where they learn the real value of love and family, as well as the role of faith in assurance
• When times are financially strained, everyone comes together to conserve, plan, and help ease the struggle.
• Projects for the family tend to provide long memories as well — working together to add a room to the house, helping a neighbor, etc.

These kinds of things are all what I call those “harvest moments”. Golden, reflective and rewarding of our efforts. They may be brief, like a shooting star, but they are just as joyous when we take time from our hectic schedules and plans to see them and realize that progress is being made and our efforts are bringing on a “good” harvest.

This season of harvest is bright and fruitful, both in our lives as parents and as we approach the season of Thanksgiving. Not only have I learned to see the harvest moments in our lives, but I’ve also learned to really count our blessings, naming them one by one in my journal. The list is growing, right along with my faith.

And do you know what else? I’m watching the importance of this blessing counting grow in our children. What an amazing offshoot of my own lessons…that they, too, are really “seeing” the important things in life. As I sit and reflect on this now, perhaps that IS the most important lesson from all of this — that they see what really is important, instead of material things and day to day trials.

This “enjoying the harvest” does not just apply to our children’s growth and education, by the way. Try to take time to take a walk — really walking, not just speeding through another task. Notice the color of the sky, and the birds that you see — can you identify them? And when you are making that apple butter in a slow-cooker this year, don’t forget to add some savory spices and then enjoy the taste on hot buttered biscuits!

Put on some classical music and really listen to how lifting Mozart can be with your morning coffee…a much better way to start the day than the morning news, too. In other words, YOU have got to slow down and “smell the roses” too. As they say around my house, “when mama ain’t happy, ain’t NOBODY happy!” And I’m trying to remedy that, working on it on a daily basis.

The Fruit Of Our Labor As Homeschool Parents Is Ongoing

It is my prayer that this article has helped you see that the fruits of our labors are ongoing and lifelong. The harvest is never-ending, and we need to enjoy the harvest moments, right in the midst of the chores and labors of love in teaching and learning and sharing in our family lives. Live, really live, each day that God gives you. I have a saying that I keep on my dresser that reads “Today is a precious gift from God. Say thank you — and tear into it!”, and I try to do just that.

May you have a bountiful and joyous Thanksgiving, and may you find peace in the quiet moments that you can catch in the mayhem and noise of family life! Happy Thanksgiving, and don’t forget to count those blessings!

With much love, Amanda

This article was published in the magazine, The Home Educator’s Family Times, Vol. 6 No. 5. Copyright protected. Copyright 1998.

When I first began incorporating internet links into my unit studies years ago, I often encountered resistance from parents. It was understandable as the internet was entirely new territory for many families. 

At the time, there was genuine uncertainty about its role in education. As an educator committed to ensuring homeschooled children had access to the same research tools as their traditionally-schooled peers, I knew I needed to thoroughly understand this technology myself before recommending it to others.

After extensive research into the educational potential of the internet, I updated my unit studies to include tens of thousands of carefully selected links. These digital gateways opened extraordinary opportunities for students including virtual whale-watching expeditions, behind-the-scenes tours of baseball bat factories, thrilling Ferris wheel rides, and immersive journeys to destinations around the globe. The internet proved to be an invaluable learning resource for children of all ages.

I loved how it create so many wonderful learning options for my children and for yours. Most importantly, what remains at the heart of each unit study is something I consider irreplaceable: curated book lists. Books continue to be my favorite educational resource because the combination of children and quality literature creates something truly magical—lasting knowledge and a genuine love of learning that digital devices alone simply cannot replicate.

Artificial Intelligence: A New Educational Frontier

As we live in an era where artificial intelligence has emerged as a significant force in education, and even grocery shopping and medical care! Commerce. Whether we are aware of it or not,  AI now influences everything from personalized shopping recommendations to decision making in colleges, governments, and corporations. Our children are already likely to encounter AI in various platforms, making it essential that we help them understand and navigate this rapidly evolving technological tool. 

My commitment remains unchanged: to help students build a robust foundation of knowledge while preparing them to thrive in our dynamic, technology-rich culture. AI represents an additional tool in achieving this goal, but like any tool, it must be used wisely and purposefully.

Intentional AI In Your Homeschool Learning

Just as we approach internet resources and books with careful consideration, we must use AI to capture children’s attention and nurture their natural curiosity. AI should never serve as a student’s primary educational source, nor should it complete assignments, write papers, or compose essays on their behalf. Instead, AI should function like an engaging book, gradually building curiosity layer by layer while developing solid skills and foundational concepts. 

Our updated unit studies are designed for versatility and work seamlessly across tablets, laptops, phones, and desktops. Each study maintains its curated book lists as a foundation while incorporating age-appropriate “Ask AI” prompts. Every topical study guides students through essential concepts, introducing them to relevant history, geography, science, and key figures associated with the subject. Additionally, hands-on project suggestions help demonstrate and reinforce important ideas through experiential learning.

The “Ask AI” prompts serve as another avenue for engaging students at their individual learning levels. AI responses can illuminate topics in age-appropriate ways, serving as springboards to books and websites that encourage deeper exploration of both the main subject and the fascinating tangents that naturally arise during learning.

Fostering Critical Thinking With Educational Technology

There’s a fundamental distinction between using AI as a learning catalyst and allowing it to replace student thinking and creativity. When we use AI to help children explore topics more deeply, enabling them to write original responses based on enhanced understanding, we’re developing analytical skills. This approach requires significantly more cognitive engagement than simply asking AI to generate content on a student’s behalf.

Critical thinking skills are not just important. They are essential and they are at the heart of what we teach in our homeschools. 

The Most Important Part Of Any Homeschool 

I’d like to close with a quote that really encapsulates my approach to educational technology:

“We believe every student is made in the image of God, and that shaping a soul requires more than a circuit board… Let’s use technology, but never be used by it.”
—Dr. Kent Ingle, Southeastern University

It is a reminder that while technology can be a powerful support in education, it is the curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and character development of our families that remain the most important parts of any meaningful learning.

• Using AI Resources in Your Homeschool
• Keeping Homeschool Science Simple
• Helping Your Homeschooled Children Pursue Their Dreams
• What is a Unit Study?
• Unit Studies with Multiple Ages
• How Does this Method Compare to Others?
• Take the Tour: Learn About Unit Studies

Happy homeschooling,

Many of you are now at least a week or two into the new school year, and your days are transitioning from summer social calendars to autumn events and scheduling school hours. I know how that feels, with plenty of changes in the works, and the responsibility of teaching your children weighing heavily as you begin this new year.

In the midst of it all, if you’re like me, you are beginning to pull out the autumn-scented candles, decorations, and a sweatshirt or two. It’s molasses cookie and apple pie season, along with time for Crockpot cooking of applesauce and banana bread baking. Busy times, and so many memories to be made! Let’s not forgot the autumn learning opportunities, too!

Autumn Learning In Your Homeschool

One of the first things that I learned as a homeschool mom was the importance of connecting learning to the seasons that were going on just outside the window. While I could immerse them in all kinds of learning that was strictly focused on books, memorization, and test-taking, that wasn’t what grabbed their attention and left them wanting to know more. Their interest was focused on the outdoors with each change of the season, and that is natural and a great springboard for learning. Captivate them, encourage their curiosity, build up creativity, and connect it all to things that are happening in this season of their lives.

Fall Interest-Led Learning

Remember this, please. Work with what is right in front of you, and you’ll capture their interest. With topics like autumn, trees, baseball, football, soccer, and digital photography, you won’t have to look far to find one topic that they are interested in. Build on that interest. Simple learning simply lasts. Enjoy these days, and go on Autumn Treasures’ nature walks each day with your child. So much to see out there, and to see it through the eyes of your child is such a gift!

Crockpot Applesauce Recipe Perfect For Autumn Learning

Wish you could be here in the kitchen with me to smell this delicious applesauce that is simmering in my slow cooker!

Here’s the recipe I’m using, if you want to try it out at your house:  Crock Pot Applesauce (I add a pinch of ground cloves to give it a bit more sparkle!).

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Looking for more ideas to excite learning during the Autumn season?

We’ve got a beautiful set of unit studies that can help. Perfect for the months of September through December, the Autumn Download N Go® titles include:

• Autumn Treasures
• Tremendous Trees
• Football Frenzy
• Baseball

With more newly updated titles coming soon!

• Soccer
• Bountiful Bread
• Crunchy Cookies
• Thanksgiving

Never stop dreaming,

True confession: I was one of those kids that was always in trouble for daydreaming. There were a few people in my family and our circle of friends that wouldn’t tease me about it –they would actually take the time to ask me what I was thinking about. It is those people that kept helping me define and pursue my dreams that made all the difference in my life.

I kept dreaming and building and designing, received a degree in engineering, and worked, and then came home to be with our children – an amazing turn in my life.

Encouraging Our Children’s Dreams

I determined that I would encourage their dreams, keep them talking, pursuing, and having fun along the way. Homeschooling opened that door in a big way for our kids. I tell you this to suggest that you take time when the opportunity arises, to do the same thing with your children.

Helping Our Children Pursue Their Dreams: A Part Of Homeschooling

We get so busy educating them that we sometimes lose sight of the goal. The goal is not to fill them up with random bits of information to complete checkoff. The goal is to discover what God has placed in them, and to find ways to encourage them and help them pursue these special gifts and talents. 

We raised a gifted veterinarian, a visionary tree farmer/entrepreneur, and a computer scientist extraordinaire. God knew what He was doing when He knit them together, and we discovered that focusing primarily on His creation was the path to success.

Take time to ask them about their dreams – dream Lego creation, dream art project, dream computer they’d like to build, dream tree fort, dream invention, dream cake, and on and on. Their answers may be very simple at first, and that’s always the best place to begin.

You might also be interests in our Unit Study Homeschool Planner!

Never stop dreaming,