science

In homeschooling vernacular, expensive is a relative term. While the average cost is about $500 a year per child, this goes down a bit in families with more children, since resources can be shared, membership costs are not multiplied, etc. If your children have been in private school for $4,000–10,000 a year per child, you’re probably planning a vacation with your homeschooling savings and are only reading this article to kill some time! But if they’ve been in a conventional school setting or are just beginning school, it’s prudent of you to count the cost, to be prepared. You’ll want to invest in your core curriculum materials first, then add other items as your budget allows

It is possible to homeschool with just a Bible and a library card, but most of us will add a bit. I was able to homeschool seven children at a time for less than $100 in a year, once I had accumulated a few non-consumable resources. Here are a few ideas to homeschool on a shoestring budget:

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Dear Friends,

April is a season of renewal and growth as winter comes to an end. Spring also is a time when children often get antsy (and parents too!) to see the end of the school year, counting the weeks until they complete their course work.

As one school year wraps up, you inevitably find yourself beginning to think about courses for next year. In this process, you can find guidance by taking note of special interests your children are developing, and think about how to foster those interests through projects or courses in the coming year. This month we offer some suggestions on projects and courses of study that fit closely with your students' highest level of interest--where they have the greatest desire to learn and stretch their knowledge base.

Before we begin though, here's a bit of friendly advice from two former homeschooling moms. Although specialized courses of study may be tempting to consider, you may only have the time, energy, and resources to pull off one, two, or three courses--or in some cases...

Dear Friends,

April is the time of year when the deadness of winter suddenly bursts forth with new life and color. The wonders of science are all around us from the blooming plants to the starry skies to the cake baking in the oven!

What conjures up in your mind when you hear the word science: experiments, chemicals, fossils, plant life, medical discoveries, or the intricacies of all of God's creation? Cathy Duffy aptly describes a proper viewing of science when she said, "Science, in terms of education, means the study of God's creation, its purposes, its functioning, and its beauty. We often limit our definition of science education to memorization of plant structure, the names of bones, the periodic table, and other such laborious data without seeing beyond to God's purposes for each aspect of creation." For many of us, science was that difficult or "uninteresting" subject we were required to study in school. However, in retrospect, we realize that without science, we cannot know God and...