156th Carnival of Homeschooling- Winter in Paris

Welcome to the December 23, 2008 edition of carnival of homeschooling! As you browse through the posts, I thought you might enjoy some of the scenes from a December trip to one of my favorite cities, Paris, appropriately nicknamed “The City of Lights.”

Paris is a magical city, and it sparkles extra brightly during the holiday season. Squares are flooded and frozen for ice skating, sidewalk vendors offer hand-warming cones of hot chestnuts (yum!), and the whole city feels festive with garlands of lights and greenery.

Prices are low at this time of year, and tourist crowds are light, which makes it an excellent time to visit. Just be sure to pack plenty of warm layers, as it’s a small, walkable city, and you’ll be chilly without hats, scarves, tights, and mittens. Enjoy the Carnival and your virtual tour of Paris! Read more

A Microbusiness Can Help With College Expenses

As most of you know, I have enjoyed several microbusinesses throughout my life, and I believe they can be great learning experiences for teens. With the economy in its present disturbed state, I believe that a microbusiness can be helpful to any family.

What is a Microbusiness?

A microbusiness is a very small business that is created without a large investment of capital. Another way I like to describe it is “doing with your might what your hand finds to do” (from Ecclesiastes 9:10).

A Few Ideas for Microbusinesses

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Questions About Excellence In Literature from a Co-op Leader

I received an e-mail this morning from a co-op leader, inquiring about the Excellence in Literature (EIL) curriculum. When I receive detailed questions like these, I know that others are probably wondering some of the same of the same things, so I’ll share the questions and answers here.

Q- How easy is this program to adapt to a co-op setting?

A- I designed it to be easily adaptable to a co-op or school. I taught an earlier version of it online for a few years in order to test it, and that helped me tweak it so that it was easy to use. One thing you don’t need is something that requires a lot of prep time, so there are week-by-week lesson plans for each unit, with carefully crafted assignments.
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Reading for Fun is the Foundation of Literary Appreciation

I just came across a book review (of the Truth Seekers Mystery Series by Christine and Felice Gerwitz) that clearly articulated the natural progression of learning. The review was much more than a simple review– it was an introduction to the art of reading. The reviewer, Magistra Mom, wrote of her own self-education:

“I decided to get to that end point, graduation, I would need to start… at the beginning.  To do so, I began reading at their level, and worked my way up.  I began with simple science readers, juvenile level biographies, and historical fiction.  From there, and over a few years, and by joining an amazing book club, I worked my way up to the classics…

“As I read “simpler” books, I built up a schema within my mind - a whole structure that later, enriched my understanding of more difficult readings.   Without…these early readers, I would not have the appreciation, nor understanding today as I read classic literature, texts from the past, biographies and diaries, and historical documents.” Read more