Happy Hive Homeschooling

Hey Reader, One of the greatest gifts homeschooling gives us is the opportunity to keep learning alongside our children. You are the perfect model of what lifelong learning looks like. You don't have to know everything before you begin. You don't have to have all the answers. You simply have to stay curious and willing to learn together. Disclosure: Telemachos Publishing provided me with copies of several Guided Editions and compensated me for sharing them with my audience. As always, I only...

Hey Reader, No, today isn't the wacky holiday "Ask a Million Questions Day". I'm going to flash back to my classroom teaching days with you again when I posted this on Facebook: Just about an hour to go- I hate to count the minutes, but today was ask Mrs. Gandara 1,000,000 questions day. ❓"Mrs. Gandara. I have a question. You know when adults say bad words? Those are interjections, right? Are we going to learn those?" (Middle School English student) ❓"Mrs. Gandara, if Adam and Eve didn't sin,...

Hey Reader, Have I ever told you about the time, as a classroom teacher, I held a funeral for a frog? I probably haven't shared this. It doesn't come up in conversation much... Way back in the time of the dinosaurs...the 1990s ...One of my fourth-grade students had a pet frog named Rojo. Every day, "Kylie" would come in and share a little tidbit about Rojo. The other students were deeply invested in the adventures of Rojo. It was a highlight of our morning. And let me tell you, frogs don't do...

Hey Reader, Another week has simply flown by! Do you feel the same? I'm in full-blown summer mode here in the hive... but that doesn't mean I'm slowing down! I'm working on so many fun things behind the scenes, and I can't wait to share them with you! Since they are not quite ready to be revealed, I'll share with you these fun finds from the homeschool world: If you have a reader between 8 and 13 who loves The Chronicles of Narnia, or reading in general, Laurel over at Story Seekers put...

Hey Reader, One of the most rewarding moments in homeschooling is when you begin to see your children thinking for themselves. They start asking deeper questions, making connections, noticing details, forming opinions, and supporting them with evidence. You realize they're becoming independent learners. But these skills have to be modeled before they emerge in your children. That's one reason I was impressed with the Guided Editions of the Classics from Telemachos Publishing. The annotations...

Hey Reader, During a recent podcast interview, the host asked what reading curriculum I used with my own children. I think she was expecting a long list of phonics programs and language arts curricula. Instead, I told her that some of the most powerful reading experiences in our homeschool came from influential books, Classic Literature. From Anne of Green Gables to Frankenstein, classic literature played a much bigger role in my homeschool than any reading curriculum did. Disclosure:...

Hey Reader, Have you ever downloaded a free printable or activity and thought, “This is great, but it’s not enough”? Good news, you don’t have to stop at just the freebie. With a few quick additions, you can stretch any free resource into a complete learning experience for your homeschool. Here’s my favorite formula: 1️⃣ Start with the freebie.2️⃣ Add a related book from the library or a video from YouTube.3️⃣ Encourage your child to write or narrate something about what they learned.4️⃣...

Hey Reader, One of the hardest parts of homeschooling can be figuring out what your child is actually interested in, especially if they tend to shrug and say “I don’t know” whenever you ask. Want a fun, low-pressure way to find out? ➡ Use free resources as curiosity sparks. Here’s what I mean: Try grabbing a free printable, a quick activity, or even a random holiday-of-the-day celebration and see how your kids respond. (Have you checked out the free resources in the School's Out Bundle yet?)...

Hey Reader, One of the things I love most about homeschooling is that learning can show up in unexpected places. A math lesson becomes an art project.A summer afternoon turns into a deep dive on American history.A simple activity sparks a question that leads somewhere entirely new. This week's Fun Finds are full of those kinds of opportunities, easy ways to add a little curiosity, creativity, and connection to your summer without a lot of extra planning. Let's dive in... Working with hundreds...