homeschooling Archives

Homeschooling High School with College in Mind

January 16, 2017Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley5

If you are considering homeschooling through high school, check out the book ‘Homeschooling High School with College in Mind.’

10 Things I’ve Learned in 10 Years of Homeschooling

January 10, 2017Jenny Bristol9

GeekMom Jenny has been homeschooling her kids for over ten years. Read about some of the lessons she’s learned along the way.

Flash Academy: Does the Latest Language-Learning System Measure Up?

November 12, 2016Sophie Brown3

The team behind Flash Academy offered us a three-month premium subscription, so I decided to spend some time improving my French.

Encourage Imagination and Creativity with Mindware Toys Unbored Games Treasure Hunt Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley My Little Poppies GeekMom

‘Unbored Treasure Hunt’ Sparks Imagination and Creativity

October 21, 2016Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

We are a game loving family and we cannot resist a new find. Today I’m going to tell you about a new favorite game in our closet: ‘Unbored Treasure Hunt.’

Make Bath Time Educational with Tub STEM

October 11, 2016Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

I do not think you need to spend much money to have some STEM fun. My children have enjoyed STEM challenges using cardboard boxes and broken pool toys. They have built forts and fairy houses. And one time I make a tinker kit for only $5.

That said, I spent a little money on our Tub STEM and the learning and peace has been priceless.

Using Games in your Homeschool Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley, GeekMom, homeschooler, play, educational games, board games, homeschooling

Games in Your Homeschool: Learning Through Play

September 6, 2016Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley7

Among the biggest of homeschooling perks in my world is the fact that our family is able to play games frequently. We don’t have to try to squeeze in a family game night on an already jam-packed weekend, but rather we can play daily and sometimes multiple times daily if we desire.

Poetry Doesn’t Have to Be Scary… And Here’s Why

August 28, 2016December 13, 2017Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

When I was a little girl, I loved poetry. Somewhere along the path to adulthood, I became disconnected from poetry… until I had children. And now, as an unexpected homeschooler, I find myself appreciating poetry in a way I hadn’t before. Thanks to the Brave Writer curriculum we love, we make space for poetry every week! Today, I’m sharing our family’s favorite titles and a few tips for adding poetry to your homeschool routine!

Brave Writer, writing, curriculum, homeschool, homeschooling, writing program, Julie Bogart, writing development, written language

Allow for Natural Writing Development With Brave Writer

August 1, 2016Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

The Brave Writer lifestyle is not only fun and easy to incorporate into your family’s routine but it also results in oodles of fun family experiences and memories that are sure to last a lifetime.

Self Care Vs Lazy Parent

June 30, 2016Rebecca Angel2

Daily self care seems like being a lazy parent, but at what point is a break absolutely necessary? Do we have to wait until it’s doctor’s orders?

Make Your Own 3D Shapes for the Classroom

May 17, 2016December 13, 2017Chris Gerty

My 6-year-old’s first grade teacher gave all the parents a flier during orientation: “This year we will continue to identify shapes and polygons, such as a parallelogram and trapezoid, as well as some of the more common 3D shapes.” My 3D printer and I could definitely crank up the geek factor for this one!

Practice Math Through Play

May 11, 2016Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

I have one of those kids who understands higher-order math concepts but stumbles over the rote memorization piece of it. He makes careless errors because he’s always flying at full speed, and he hates back-tracking to remedy the situation. We are homeschoolers and, initially, this tendency resulted in heaps of power struggles. And tears. I want my children to love math, and to see the value in it. I want them to grow into adults who feel confident in math. How can we practice those skills without the never-ending battles? Is it possible to make it fun?

music, musical, music appreciation, homeschool, homeschooling, music books, picture books

7 Music-Themed Books Children Will Love

April 22, 2016December 13, 2017Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

There are countless benefits to music education, and you do not need to have a grand piano in your living room or weekly guitar lessons in order to incorporate music education into your home routine! Here are seven fantastic music-themed books for your family library.

educational games, strategy, logic, reasoning, board games, family games, homeschool, parenting, play

Stratos Spheres: A 3-Dimensional 4-In-A-Row Game

March 22, 2016December 16, 2017Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

What if I told you that you could take your Connect Four love to the next level with an updated game that you can hold in the palm of your hand?

The EASIEST, Least Painful Book Log Ever

March 14, 2016Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley14

My first real word, after Mama and Dada, was bookie. I would follow my mother around the house, like her little shadow, with a book in hand. All the while I’d be repeating, “Boooooookie bookie bookie bookie bookie!”

The Best Trick To Play On Your Children — Raise Readers!

January 5, 2016December 13, 2017Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley16

My husband and I have this little trick we play on our children.

Every night, we try to get our three children in bed as close to 7:00 pm as possible. Our rule is that they need to stay in their rooms quietly and lights must be off. Oh, unless they feel like using this.

Are you scratching your head over there?

Never in a Million Years Did I Imagine Myself Homeschooling

December 17, 2015Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley3

There are some folks in this world who set out to homeschool. Homeschooling has always been a part of their life plan.

Then there are others who, for one reason or another, stumble into the world of homeschooling.

I never, in a million years, imagined myself here.

Homeschooling the Geeks into the Future of Education

February 12, 2015Samantha Cook1

What homeschooling is and isn’t, the influence of the tech community, and the role it can play in making education better for everyone.

We Can Do It! Lessons From My Son

November 14, 2014Melanie Meadors

Some people think homeschoolers teach their kids at home, short and simple. Well, that’s not entirely true. Sure, I might teach my son, the Chief, how to do math, or how to find out more information about his favorite planet, or we might read stories together. But truly, the learning goes both ways.

How Ecological! A Review of EcoFluxx

September 23, 2014Melanie Meadors

EcoFluxx is one of the many games in Looney Labs’ line of Fluxx card games. GeekMom Melanie wonders, is it worth buying another Fluxx game?

Go Math! Academy: Learning Through Positive Reinforcement

September 10, 2014Corrina Lawson1

Go Math! Academy provides on-line learning for kids with positive reinforcement at every step.

The Parentalist Interviews Jenny Williams

January 3, 2014Jonathan H. Liu

The Parentalist, a website which features interviews with notable parents, has picked our own Jenny Williams for today’s episode!

Edward Snowden: Brilliant "Dropout"

June 13, 2013Kris Bordessa3

Edward Snowden’s extensive, competent knowledge of surveillance, sophisticated technology, and programming is what landed him that job, diploma or no.

Introducing GeekMom Book Dish! Episode One: Quinn Cummings

June 10, 2013Melissa Wiley3

In GeekMom Book Dish, author Melissa Wiley talks shop with other writers and artists. This episode’s guest: author Quinn Cummings.

This Week With the GeekMoms

April 12, 2013Cathé Post

Read what our GeekMom writers are up to this week!

Review: Python for Kids

February 20, 2013Marziah Karch

Python for Kids is a book from No Starch Press that aims to teach kids ages 10 and up and their parents about the Python programming language. I happen to have an 11 year old daughter for convenient review purposes, so we’ve been working through the book together.

How To Learn From Experts

January 29, 2013Laura Grace Weldon

There’s no substitute for direct, hands-on, person-to-person learning.

Khan Academy Adds Computer Science Courses

August 14, 2012Melissa Wiley

Exciting news for kids, parents, and autodidacts everywhere! Khan Academy, the innovative online platform that brings free education to the masses, has added computer science to their already stellar lineup of subjects. John Resig, Khan Academy’s Dean of Computer Science, describes the new offerings on his blog: We’re releasing a completely new platform that targets […]

TED-Ed Launches Innovative Customized Learning Web Initiative

April 26, 2012Matt Blum

It’s been a long time since anyone’s done anything truly revolutionary when it comes to online video, but leave it to the folks at TED to buck that trend, and to revolutionize online learning while they’re at it. The TED-Ed …

Minecraft Mods and Homeschooling

March 16, 2012Admin

First, this Geekdad idea is great! I have two boys, 10 and 6, and I’ve resigned myself to the label of ‘geek’ or something analogous. As I get used to posting under my own name and not a snarky and …

No Long-Term Benefit Of ADHD Meds?

February 1, 2012Laura Grace Weldon8

Want to cause a ruckus? Criticize attention-deficit meds. Over three million U.S. kids take these drugs to help them stay calm and attentive. Parents may not be thrilled to dose their children but they are following expert advice to improve behavior and school performance. They tend to see results. And they don’t need to be […]

Tag: homeschooling