Aug 30 2020

Our Weekly Bread: 4 of 36

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As you know, our weekly bread features a new bread-making experience every week. We chose to make socca this week. If you have never heard of socca, just know that it is a gluten-free flat bread that cooks in 10 minutes. The main ingredient is garbanzo flour. It originated in Provence and Italy.

Making socca

Making socca

To be clear, I am the only one in my family who must avoid gluten. As such, I will be the only one eating this bread. My children have no interest in even trying it. Like most people, they have a mental block when they hear “gluten-free.” Even though I make gluten-free pasta dishes or gluten-free pancakes and they love them, they have some reticence about other gluten-free recipes. Continue reading »

Aug 23 2020

How to Change Music Teachers

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When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for a family to dissolve the bands which have connected them with a particular music teacher, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. Sorry for getting all Thomas Jefferson on you, but that’s what came to mind as I was trying to introduce our situation.

Siblings on a tree

Keep on hiking, no matter what life throws at you.

So what happened? We were not planning on changing our music teachers. Our children have been taking piano lessons from the same lady for five years. They were very happy with her methods. Continue reading »

Aug 23 2020

Our Weekly Bread: 3 of 36

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This week, my son became the baker in the family by himself. My daughter came to watch and inspect. To clarify, that counts, too. We decided to make another easy bread recipe, Dutch-oven bread. Some people call it no-knead bread. I have blogged about this recipe before here: Dutch-oven bread.

Boy makes bread

Mixing the wet and dry ingredients

My son loved mixing the dough and expressed regret that he was not supposed to knead the bread. I suppose we are gearing up for full-on kneading bread recipes. At least he seems to be eager and ready to do it. Continue reading »

Aug 17 2020

Writing with Ease Review

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Writing with Ease is a writing curriculum for grades 1-4. You can use it with great flexibility. If your child is still learning how to form letters in first grade, you can start Writing with Ease in second grade.

Writing with Ease, level 1

Writing with Ease, level 1

You can get all four volumes, but even the curriculum author will tell you the fourth volume is not necessary. By the time you have gone through the first three volumes, your child will be ready for the Logic Stage. As such, you can move into Writing with Skill. I will cover Writing with Skill in a different post. Continue reading »

Aug 14 2020

Our Weekly Bread: 2 of 36

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On our second week of school, we found 10 minutes on a Thursday to measure some ingredients in the bread pan of our bread machine. I engaged both children this time, and it became clear that this should become a weekly goal.

Honey Banana Wheat Bread

Honey Banana Wheat Bread – fluffy and moorish

The Lord’s Prayer mentions our daily bread, so this will be our weekly bread. To clarify, we still purchase bread from the store, and I still cannot have gluten. But the children can learn to bake bread this school year. One loaf a week seems like a realistic goal. Continue reading »

Aug 14 2020

Our Weekly Bread: 1 of 36

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This school year, we plan to bake one loaf of bread a week. It’s a recent goal, one that happened organically. There are 36 weeks in a school year in the US, so we will have tried 36 different recipes by the end of the school year.

White Bread

Basic white/French bread – a simple recipe with four ingredients

I find weekly goals easier than daily goals, because life happens. No matter how well you plan, there will never be enough planning to eliminate life’s events. But a weekly goal of break making gives us flexibility. Continue reading »

Aug 3 2020

Post No. 835 and the Blog’s 7th Birthday

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HomeschoolWays.com turns seven on August 4, 2020 – that’s tomorrow. This is post no. 835. As we look at these two milestones, we want to do something special for our readers. How about a series of broadcasts on Facebook Live?

Homeschool Pets

Our son is holding Thunder and our daughter is holding Smoky.

We will cover three themes, which summarize the bulk of your preparation to homeschool: the 3 Cs – confidence, connection, curriculum. Without confidence, nobody decides to take the education of her children into her hands. We will highlight ways in which you can build your confidence to homeschool. Continue reading »

Jul 26 2020

Ready, Set, Go!

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We start the new school year next week. I know. It’s early. Two weeks earlier than our local public school district. There are many reasons why we start now.

Hydrangeas

Enjoy summer and hydrangeas while they last.

First, we need 30 weeks of instruction until the nationally standardized test they take in March of 2021. I add Christmas break, Thanksgiving break, sick days, and count back to a date in early August. Continue reading »