AHA Weblogs Blog

Homeschooling Illinois

Illinois now has its own homeschooling blog, thanks to Kara. At Homeschooling Illinois, you get some of Kara's personal experiences homeschooling mixed with a nice chunk of news on Illinois homeschool happenings, state law and legislature. It is in interesting idea and Kara knows how to keep it balanced. Her sidebar has important links such as "Legislation watch" and "Parental Issues watch". It is a good way to stay abreast of issues if you happen to live in our fair state, and if not it is probably a good way to predict future issues in your state! Universal preschool anyone? Mental health screenings for all? Read Kara's blog to find out in depth what these issues are all about.

A Day in My Homeschool Life

When you visit A Day In My Homeschool Life you will notice very intermittant posts, which is sad, because the posts that are there are usually full of good information. Colleen is a resource person. She's got many resources up her sleeve and is tirelessly seeking out new ones. Pop in and give her some feedback and maybe she'll be inspired to add a few more helpful posts a week! Also of note is the service she used to create her blog, homeschoolblogger.com . It seems to be a service which offers free blogs to homeschoolers and it has many bells and whistles worth checking out.

Home Works

Jeanne is a new blogger in Mississippi and she's got a lot to share. Her family has 3 sons and one exchange student son from Ecuador who is teaching them Spanish quite a bit. As a reader, you get interesting stories about what it is like to have an extra kid going to public school while homeschooling, plus you get to watch as Jeanne tries to manage her household, her sons various projects and squeeze in a little blogging time. Most recently, her blog is on the topic most present in everyone's minds, especially in the south, the hurricane aftermath. Although her area was unharmed, she is close enough to feel the effects and has blogged a little about relief efforts. Here's hoping she keeps us updated on progress.

Progressive Homeschool

When you visit the Progressive Homeschool blog it is like viewing a portfolio of an amazing homeschooling journey. Nika is homeschooling her gifted daughter with an enthusiasm and sensitivity that appears to be fitted completely to her child's needs and their family's progressive world view. The result is a blog with many fine examples of what is so great about homeschooling. They raise a frog from a tadpole, make pigs in a blanket to learn about nutrition (among other things) and post their cartesian coordinate puzzles for all to join in on. There are samples of their daughter's artwork and her book summaries on such fabulous books as "A Wrinkle in Time" and "The Eldest" (written by homeschooler Christopher Paolini).  Early in this blog Nika states that the objective is to "develop concepts and community" Clearly she has a wonderful concept of how to educate her child and I hope you will become part of her progressive community.

Camp Homeschool

It is summer, and so it is time to camp after all. Thus, the abundance of homeschooling blogs with camp names, I guess. Camp Homeschool is written by a woman named Jen, a former science teacher now living a back-to-nature lifestyle with her four children and practicing attachment parenting and unschooling. How cool is that? That is not just a rhetorical question. You should go visit and find out for yourself how cool it is to breeze through their dreamy day of books on tape while mama makes cottage fries. By her description, I can almost see the sunlight slanting through her kitchen window and see the dust particles floating by as the cat yawns and a dragonfly buzzes by outside. Jen describes their abundance of zucchini as well as their field trips to and fro. Even so, she's not above an occasional bit of fretting about the children's learning and what they should study next year. Jen really knows how to tell a story and reading her peaceful blog will make even the most reluctant prospective homeschooler take the leap!

Wonder Ranch Homeschool Diary

At Wonder Ranch, Lucie shares her daily diary posts with the world as part of her ongoing plan to bring the world some idea of what it is like to homeschool Waldorf-style.  But her diary is just a small part of her well-designed website. She has sections on every aspect of homeschooling that could be of interest to the Waldorf-leaning person, such as teaching tools, lessons, imagination and beginners.  The whole site is a wonderful resource and the diary is the place to start just to get a flavor for their days, which are spent doing things such as arithmancy with a group and playing chess at home . Like many homeschooling bloggers, Lucie likes to write and tries to find the time to balance the homeschooling and writing. It is really interesting to see her techniques for things like teaching quadrilaterals holistically as well as surviving a desert hike with her kids. If you've ever been curious about the Waldorf approach this would be the place to visit and see what it is all about.

Home Education Magazine Editor's Blog

Helen Hegener has just kicked started her very own blog after 20 years of writing about homeschooling in Home Education Magazine and various other places. Although she doesn't state it directly in her blog, one of her motivations appears to be bringing homeschoolers together by connecting us with other fabulous blogs and websites and publications. Helen has been such a positive force in the homeschooling world and her writing always reflects the kind of joy and support we all seek when we begin the homeschooling journey. So visit often if you'd like to find out the latest homeschooling news and issues and to discover a wealth of resources.

The Dirt Road Diaries

The Dirt Road Diaries is a weblog put out by Harriette, a southern mama, who is happy to share her thoughts on motherhood, homeschooling, life in the south, and frustratingly enough, how beautiful their weather has been lately. This week there was a rainbow! Placing jealousy aside temporarily, I was able to note how fun Harriette is. She observes how it takes the impending visit of guests to make her actually bother to clean. She ponders why our culture is so obsessed with voyeuring on other's misfortunes through the media while she herself is sucked in to the dramas. She muses on the diversity of wildlife around them and generally conveys her enthusiasm for all life with every post, even the life she recently discovered blossoming in her son's bathroom, growling! Harriette is a new blogger, and I hope her blog will expand in size over the next year, telling us more about the make-up of her family, their adventures in weather paradise and what they are up to for homeschooling!

Mudpies and Paint

Any blog name that involves mud and paint is worth a look-see, am I right? This one, Mudpies and  Paint is Amy's homage to her family life with three young girls in North Carolina.  Some days there is excitement, such as when Amy accidentally gets stung by 10 wasps, or blue tailed skinks invade their driveway or when the baby magically transports herself across the floor, even though no one has ever seen her crawl! Other days are more sedate, and they get down to the brass tacks of learning about the Oregon trail to prep for a trip to Oregon. Amy gives lots of interesting details, like what is in their reading pile, what units they are studying, and they appear to take lots of trips, which makes for some good pictures and information.  Perhaps most thought-provoking is following her journey homeschooling a bright and spirited child and clearly blogging is a method of processing this for her and getting support from parents with similar challenges. If you've got a spare moment, pop in and let her know how not alone she is in that department.

The Thinking Mother

If you like Charlotte Mason-style homeschooling, are interested in attachment parenting and books, or if you just like a good barf story with graphic details, then you should pop by and visit Christine as she catalogs the things of interest to her and her kin. As the Thinking Mother herself, Christine has some interesting thoughts on education, the media and how to reduce clutter which warrants a visit. Perhaps one of the most useful aspects of her blog is that she takes curriculum seriously and her background as a writer/reviewer leads the reader to fabulous in-depth reviews on products they may be contemplating.

Camp Wacky Homeschool

At Camp Wacky Homeschool, Heidi will say she's got a quiet little blog but that is a slight understatement. Any homeschooling mom who has her own list of made-up rock band names as a sidebar, who helps out at Cub Scout camp, takes the kids to homeschool day at the theme park. ushers carloads to skate parks and squeezes in a bit of gardening on the side for herself, that person rarely has a quiet blog. Her enjoyable blog may not be quiet, but it is at times funny, and always warm and welcoming. I feel like I know this woman, who readily admits she really loved school as a kid. It's always refreshing to read an honest blogger going about her life and letting us in on the complexities of it.

Home*School*Home

FactatPaulanne is the one who writes Home*School*Home and you get the feeling that she really has a blast with her 3 kids in Kentucky, playing with unique learning toys, which she reviews, and going on road trips, which are full of family fun and laughter. When she's not reviewing educational products or taking her vacation, she is often tied up with her job, medical transcription. You know how you see those ads that offer to teach you how to work at home as a medical transcriber and the children are playing quietly at your feet? Read FactatPaulanne's weblog for a picture that is closer to reality!

HMS Indefatigable

The HMS Indefatigable byline is this, "homeschooling, classical education, parenting, literature and politics(with some knitting thrown in)" and that is an inviting enough description for me. Hornblower, as she calls herself, shares knitting secrets such as how to knit a stuffed bear poncho just as easily as she shares her politics. She lives in Canada (as do most bloggers that I read, for no apparent reason!) and has 2 children. They have birding adventures, and raise bugs of various sorts. She struggles mightily with the "how much structure" question, visit ships (back to the hornblower thing), takes nature walks and enjoys awesome books! Overall, this blog is a nice example of how a family can incorporate classical education in a day, and yet still remain balanced and fun. Hornblower has a thoughtful, inquiring approach to life and it comes through in her posts.

Joys in the Journey

Carla is mother to 6 children,a devout Christian and an avid blogger. When you read her blog you get a firsthand account of what it is like to practice attachment parenting and Christian values in the heart of America. They live in a Mennonite region and are enjoying rural life. The latest post is about the kids playing in a neighboring field while the Blue Angels perform tricks for their benefit. There is a moving post about her youngest and how mom has come to accept her having spina bifida. There are many moments when Carla quotes the bible or a poet and she often has pictures of her family, patriotic scenes, or nature photos. Her blog posts often waver between reports on family happenings and a place for Carla to share her thoughts on her faith, her worries and her hopes. She is the classic "homemaker" and proud to share the details of running such a large household. A visit will surely enlighten you as to what it is like to homeschool a large family and maintain your cool while blogging about life.

Home Educator's Family Times

Here is another homeschooling news blog that is relatively new to the blogosphere. Started in April, by none other than "Home Educator's Family Times" herself/himself, it's only flaw, as far as I can reckon is that it is a bit...anonymous for my tastes. There are no pictures or profiles or personal details about the creator. This may be done for good reason. I take it that the author wants us to judge the blog based solely on the news content, which is good. The author does weed through the news for the gems in homeschooling info, and his/her commentary does reveal an informed attitude about education, it's history and how homeschoolers fit in to this puzzle. Overall, I'd say this is a blog to watch as it grows and it's creator let's out a bit more about his or her background and intentions while blogging about a subject that is obviously dear to his/her heart. By the way, I'm saying his/her just because technically it's PC, but I have a strong hunch that the blogger is a woman, based solely on the last post about a book that argues that motherhood makes us smarter.

Bright Kids at Home-Travelin' Homeschoolers Hittin' the Road

Amy maintains her blog Bright Kids at Home and has a website of the same name which caters to a unique group. It is for parents who are homeschooling their gifted children and traveling! Her blog is their personal account of the travels and adventures that ensue. This blog is relatively new, but she has been at the travel thing for awhile, that is apparent! This family believes that education is enriched by travel and understanding of other cultures. They go kayaking, they study botany at tropical locales, and they appear to have a good time everywhere. Lest you feel left out, Amy has set up a guest blog so that readers can share their homeschooling travel tales too. All in all, this is a good place to get ideas on how to incorporate more travel in to your homeschooling, and to share the details of your trips. Don't forget to check out her actual website for specifics on how they homeschool on the road.

The Classical Family

Chris and company put out a fine blog that is part homeschool news, part Christian family blog and part public service through information. They have a FAQ page for new homeschoolers, a sidebar with classical book reviews and plenty of links. Chris' strength in blogging is that she keeps the posts short and sweet, tossing in humor and news and opinions all in a mixed salad sort of way which makes for an entertaining blend. This family has strong opinions about what matters to them and they express them well throughout their blog, often tending to veer in to political territory. To Chris' credit, she does often give a warning when she is about to get political.

Puppdaddy

My tireless search for a homeschooling dad blog has paid off, and paid off big time the day I found Puppdaddy. Chris is the man behind the blog, and he has got an eye for postability. Take for example, his most recent post titled "On the Loss of Steve" which bemoans the replacement of Steve from Blues Clues-described as a man whose Buddha nature allowed him to understand kids, with Joe-who Chris says brings the whole show to the level of the Grease II of children's television. Chris' posts tend to ramble on, full of frenetic energy about any old topic that appeals to him at the moment, the rain, their 10th anniversary, toxic chemicals in his eye, home repair hideousness, stuff like that. Although the subject rarely pops over to actual homeschooling, that hardly matters, since his blog is filled with hilarious pictures, quotes, stories and ideas. Still, Chris admits how hard it is to be a homeschooling dad, and like another homeschooling dad I know once said, you have to know how "to pierce the estrogen curtain" of homeschooling mom groups.  So, give him a warm welcome and let him know how hardy and inspiring his singular voice is in our world!

Organic Learning

When you first read about unschooling, and your disbelief begins to dissolve in to wonder at how cool it sounds to be able to go where the winds of children's curiosity blows them, you tend to picture a reality a lot like the one Danielle writes about at her blog Organic Learning. Imagine having memories of a mom who taught you how to make a broom with the broom plant, then went off to start the garden, careful to avoid the black widows. Your're welcome to join, or to play Harry Potter with your new broom. Earlier in the week, dad had set up a tightrope. When you are feeling a bit under the weather, you watched a little Sherlock Holmes. That is the sort of homeschool I imagined when I dreamed of full-tilt unschool. This also happens to be the one Danielle and her husband help make happen at their home. The three kids seem to enjoy that immensely, as well as attending plays, tons of field trips and lots of hands on activities. Danielle seems to know how to shake things up, strew the house with interesting learning opportunities and keep on her game face. Her three children are very creative also. Maybe some of the calm and patience comes from her Buddhist nature. Whatever the case is, it is an ideal peak in to a world of self-directed learning and will surely give even the most structured of homeschoolers a little boost in their spontaneity factor.

My Two Cents

Jules is the brainstorm behind My Two Cents. She is an unschooling Christian mom living in the north woods of Wisconsin, and she has a lot to share. Maybe even more than two cents worth. When she does let life take over and forgets to blog for a bit, you can be sure she will take a few pictures of what's been slowing her down, like the laundry and bills and such.  She shares pictures of their chicken coop to be, and is very pleased to tell us how you know if  "You might be from Wisconsin..." Jules is in short, a laugh riot. But then, there is a very honest side to her that fears you will judge her for having a pile of laundry on her bed (oh, honey, you are just proving yourself human!) and admitting that she dislikes her kid's birthdays because she is expected to make the day perfect for them (we all stress over the party plans, and I'm so glad she brought it up because we have the big 5 party coming up!). Jules bares her soul, sharing her secret investigations in to a purchased curriculum, her confessions that she has no real answer when people ask her what she's been so busy doing (except running to and fro) and her struggles to get a kid interested in books. Through it all, the reader can't help but feel like a close neighbor living in the north woods of Wisconsin too.