Preview Issue
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ur topic for this issue is trust versus control. This is the first in the series for our theme: The Kingdom Way. Trust does not come particularly naturally to us. If we’re honest, control is much easier. If I can control a situation (or at least feel in control), then I believe I will be able to create a desired outcome. The outcome is what motivates us to take over. The more important the outcome, the more control we crave, which is why we’re starting our series with this Kingdom principle. Everything else rests on this one.
- Healthy relationships provide a strong foundation for all home learning.
- Children were designed to learn from the day they are born.
- Each child has a unique blend of learning preferences, talents, and passions.
- There’s no one-size-fits-all education—including what they should learn and when they should learn it!
- The more ways kids interact with concepts, the better they understand them.
- Different seasons of life may require different approaches.
- Education should be an adventure!
- YOU are the best teacher for your children.
That’s why we bring you a variety of resources from trusted sponsors and recommended companies we choose to partner with. We hope you’ll check them out!
WAY: TRUST
WAY: WISDOM
WAY: HUMILITY
WAY: MISSION
love our new theme: The Kingdom Way. The Kingdom Jesus talks about is such an upside-down one, where the “last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16, NIV). When James and John’s mom requests that Jesus, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom” (vs. 21), “Jesus called [his disciples] together and said,
I’m sharing more about this kingdom in my new column, but first, we want to welcome Lori Lane, founder of Legacy Parenting and the creator of Artios Academies. She will be writing our Mom to Mom column. She shares, “My hope for this column is simple. I pray that it will continue to serve as part of the ongoing conversation between moms who desire to raise their children with wisdom, faith, and purpose.”
As I said, I’m talking about the Kingdom of Heaven in my new column, in-Formed. We are all being formed by something or someone. Christian spiritual formation happens when “that someone” is Jesus. He changes us from the inside out, and this column is dedicated to our being in-Formed by Him!
You’ll learn about our issue topic—trust vs. control—in several columns, including Faith Filled Family, Growing Relationships, Hifalutin Hints, Practical Support Tools, and The Family Man. Each columnist brings his or her unique perspective and expertise to give you both encouragement and practical advice in these areas. Then Kathy Eggers shares about developmentally appropriate expectations for toddlers in Cultivating Little Learners, while Colleen Kessler discusses how to raise resilient kids in Raising Lifelong Learners.
Bethany Stelzer explores, Lessons from the Garden. She’s sharing on behalf of our partner Azure Standard, and I get to tell you about Missy J’s cookie and brownie mixes that they sell. It was a tasty assignment, and I committed my all to it.
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ave you ever had one of those moments when you look at your life and think, “I never would have pictured this”? We all begin our journey with plans for how our lives will unfold and what they will look like, only to discover that God often leads us in directions we never anticipated.
As I stepped into my own story, I can honestly say I would not have expected John and me to have four boys, to choose to homeschool, or to start a program for our sons and their friends that would later become a homeschool ministry with campuses in multiple locations.
During our many years of homeschooling, our home was bursting with the energy that comes from raising four boys. If you’ve ever had books scattered across the table, lessons taking place all over the house, and a daily rhythm that is constantly being adjusted to meet the needs of your family. You know exactly what I mean. Since I had a background in education, I never imagined that my classroom would eventually become my own home.
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with Steve Demme
had only been following Jesus fully for a year or so when I began reading biographies of earnest Christians such as Hudson Taylor and George Müller. When these men were in need, they asked God, and only God, to provide for them. Hudson Taylor was a missionary in China, far from his home and support team in England. One of his favorite passages was, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.” He was encouraged by George Müller, who cared for thousands of orphans. One morning, George had 300 children dressed and ready for school; however, there was no food. He asked the children to find their places at the tables. Then, he prayed. Soon, a baker delivered bread, followed by the milkman, and the children were fed and went off to school.
As I read these inspired accounts of faith, I was encouraged to try this manner of living myself. One fall, I was looking for a pair of work boots. I normally bought a pair each year and wore them in the fall and winter when the weather turned cold and snowy. Then, after they were broken in, I wore them as I painted houses in the summer. I did not have the funds to purchase a pair one particular year, so I decided to pray. Without telling any of my friends or family, I asked God for work boots.
That fall, my mom and dad were visiting me and wanted to see Gloucester. As we walked through the town, my mom wanted to go into a certain shop. I was standing in the shop, bored and uninterested, when I noticed a large wire-mesh bin filled with shoes, bearing a sign that read “Fire Sale.” My interest was piqued, and I wandered over to discover a pair of size 13 work boots. I did not see any damage on them and bought them for one dollar!! I was amazed and encouraged. God had heard my prayer and provided just what I needed. Those boots meant more to me than checks to China or bread for orphans. Even after I wore them out, I kept one as a reminder that God hears our prayers!
(Reprinted from By Every Word, 2024)
- Challenge what it means to be a man.
- Encourage independence and discussion.
- Teach virtues through male archetypes.
- Meet personified vices who undermine men.
In the year following his fifteenth birthday, a lad embarks on a journey of self-discovery and growth, guided by the wisdom of eleven elders called Tribesmen. Each Tribesman, a guardian of age-old virtues, presents a unique challenge that tests the lad’s resilience, courage, and spirit.
An Intergenerational Study for Lads and Tribesmen
Kelda Poynot
of Homeschool is an Action Verb
WWW.TRIBESMENCIRCLEOFELDERS.COM
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with Ashley Wiggers
t’s a typical Monday morning around here. All of us are feeling a little slow to embrace the work week. While my oldest and I are trying to get through his lessons together, the younger two are usually found listening to a story, playing pretend, or climbing a tree. But on this particular Monday, they have run out of ideas. After making a fairly big mess attempting to build a fort downstairs, they became deflated and lacked the motivation to continue. With a distraught expression, Jack tells me, “I can’t do any of my ideas. None of them are working out.” “I know that’s how it feels right now, Jack. Maybe we can find another way to build the fort so the blankets don’t fall down?” I began looking for clips. His sister pipes up, “Mom, can I paint a rock?” I respond as I look for the clips, “We got the painting supplies out yesterday, Ruby, but we’re not going to get them out right now.” Cue whining. And no clips can be found. Jack is of the mindset that nothing, not one thing, could possibly turn his day around now. And all Ruby can focus on is that her dreams of painting a rock have been dashed…
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cience can be one of the most exciting subjects for kids of any age to learn about. All the words we use to describe children—curious, wonder-filled, adventurous—are the perfect “prerequisites” for such a discovery-based subject.
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here is a tension in parenting that no one prepares you for. It lives quietly beneath the surface of our daily decisions: what to say yes to and what to say no to, when to step in and when to step back. It’s the internal struggle between trust and control.
I remember one moment so clearly. My son was heading in a direction I didn’t have peace about. He was not making wise decisions and pushing the limits at home. Everything in me wanted to step in, put up more guardrails, and try to redirect him. I had the words ready. I had my reasoning prepared. I even had scripture to back up my concerns. Any defense he mounted, I was confident I could correct.
Before launching into my plan, I decided to pray over the situation. Was what I wanted to say what God wanted? Was the timing and location when and where God wanted me to have that conversation? It was during this part that the Lord stopped me. Thankfully, before I ever opened my mouth, He graciously put something different on my heart:
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by
Moving from Academic Pressure to Developmentally Appropriate Practices
very parent has stared at a screaming two-year-old and wondered where it all went wrong. You might feel like you are failing, but the truth is you are a good parent, and your toddler is experiencing a completely normal developmental shift.
A toddler’s brain operates like a massive, fast-paced construction site, with one million new synaptic connections forming every single second. This synaptic explosion allows them to absorb language and mimic behaviors at an astonishing rate, but it also means the neurological pathways for impulse control, logical reasoning, and emotional regulation do not yet exist.
When TikTok experts and toy companies push academic preschool prep down into the toddler years, they ignore the true biology of early childhood. Toddler development encompasses the whole child: socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively. When you understand what is truly developmentally appropriate, you can stop holding your child to unrealistic behavioral expectations and start guiding their growth more accurately.
Here are the top ten developmental realities of the toddler years, what NOT to do when expectations clash with reality, and what to DO instead.
ot summer days are ripe for thunderstorms, but lightning’s blinding flashes and thunder’s booming crashes can frighten young children. In Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco, a picture book based on Polacco’s childhood, a young girl scurries under her bed when she hears the thunder crack. Comfortingly, her grandmother coaxes her out and enlists her help in making Thunder Cake. They must hurry to gather the ingredients because it must be in the oven before the storm arrives to be a true Thunder Cake.
The story’s words convey the escalating sound of the approaching storm. Grandmother and granddaughter count the seconds between the lightning and thunder to determine how far away the storm is. While collecting the necessary items, the granddaughter must face her fears: intimidating barnyard animals, heights, and dark, eerie woods. She learns that bravery doesn’t mean never feeling fear but choosing to confront it—and it helps when she knows her grandmother is by her side.
Read this comforting story and expand your children’s weather knowledge with these activities while they learn to face any fear of storms.
ot summer days are ripe for thunderstorms, but lightning’s blinding flashes and thunder’s booming crashes can frighten young children. In Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco, a picture book based on Polacco’s childhood, a young girl scurries under her bed when she hears the thunder crack. Comfortingly, her grandmother coaxes her out and enlists her help in making Thunder Cake. They must hurry to gather the ingredients because it must be in the oven before the storm arrives to be a true Thunder Cake.
The story’s words convey the escalating sound of the approaching storm. Grandmother and granddaughter count the seconds between the lightning and thunder to determine how far away the storm is. While collecting the necessary items, the granddaughter must face her fears: intimidating barnyard animals, heights, and dark, eerie woods. She learns that bravery doesn’t mean never feeling fear but choosing to confront it—and it helps when she knows her grandmother is by her side.
Read this comforting story and expand your children’s weather knowledge with these activities while they learn to face any fear of storms.
ot summer days are ripe for thunderstorms, but lightning’s blinding flashes and thunder’s booming crashes can frighten young children. In Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco, a picture book based on Polacco’s childhood, a young girl scurries under her bed when she hears the thunder crack. Comfortingly, her grandmother coaxes her out and enlists her help in making Thunder Cake. They must hurry to gather the ingredients because it must be in the oven before the storm arrives to be a true Thunder Cake.
The story’s words convey the escalating sound of the approaching storm. Grandmother and granddaughter count the seconds between the lightning and thunder to determine how far away the storm is. While collecting the necessary items, the granddaughter must face her fears: intimidating barnyard animals, heights, and dark, eerie woods. She learns that bravery doesn’t mean never feeling fear but choosing to confront it—and it helps when she knows her grandmother is by her side.
Read this comforting story and expand your children’s weather knowledge with these activities while they learn to face any fear of storms.
I walk through our gardens, I am reminded of my childhood. The afternoons spent outdoors, making mud pies and tending to our little garden plots. Little did I know, but the garden had many lessons for me and would continue to shape me long into my adult years. Now, as I raise my own children and watch them run down the garden paths barefoot, laughing and shouting, I am reminded of these lessons. The garden is one of the best teachers.
My children don’t realize it now, but the garden is growing them as much as they are growing it. Of course, there are lessons like using the measuring tape to mark out their plant rows, counting out the seeds, and writing the name tags for the little sprouts. These lessons provide practical life skills. There are other lessons to be learned, though, ones that make gardening worth all the investment in the world.
The garden is a safe place for children to learn, explore, experience cause and effect, and even to fail. It is a space where they can learn the difficult lesson of patience while waiting for those tiny seeds to sprout, and later for those same plants to yield a harvest. Many summer afternoons, my children will carefully examine the rows of watermelon plants in the garden. In the autumn, the anticipation continues while they guess whose pumpkin will be the largest.
2. Invite Church members, neighbors, and anyone who’ll benefit from healthy food and local community fellowship.
3. Azure will give your Church 2% back on all your orders. It’s an easy way to serve your community and raise funds for Church ministries, programs or other projects.
2. Invite Church members, neighbors, and anyone who’ll benefit from healthy food and local community fellowship.
3. Azure will give your Church 2% back on all your orders. It’s an easy way to serve your community and raise funds for Church ministries, programs or other projects.
Featuring:
ne of my favorite things about working with Homeschooling Today is that I get to review products—books, curriculum, online courses. This is the first time, though, I’ve received food to check out. Y’all, I was made for this.
I just wanted to get through the read-aloud…
ne chapter. Fifteen minutes. But before I finished the first page, it started. My son had claimed the spot on the couch his sister wanted. She bumped him. He grabbed the book. And there it was. Another argument before we even got started.
This was not the homeschool I imagined. I had a picture in my head of what it was going to look like: Cozy mornings, kids leaning in together, learning side by side. Not refereeing a couch cushion dispute at 9 AM. If you’ve been there, you know that feeling. And when your kids are together all day, learning together, eating together, existing in the same space from morning to night, there are a lot of opportunities for these types of things to show up.
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Being shaped by Jesus from the inside out
by Kay Chance
Introduction: a new column
go through many seasons during our lives. The last five years have been quite “wintery” for my family. The dark, frigid kind of winter where you really don’t even want to go outside. I developed a chronic illness, both of our fathers passed away, and we experienced an incredibly painful time in our church of twenty-four years. As my anxiety increased about going to church, we finally decided to leave. It’s a long and complicated story, but from it a question took shape that I’ve been carrying around for the last several years: “What’s missing?” As a church, we spent so much time in Bible study, yet things fell apart. And our story isn’t unique. We all feel the anger, tension, and unrest of our times, even within the Christian community. Winter feels bleak.
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with
Jennifer Cabrera
fter our first few years of homeschooling, I wrote a “to-be-opened-upon-my-death” letter to my boys. Macabre, I know. But I had finally found my calling: homeschool mom extraordinaire! Therefore, in case I didn’t live long enough to see this homeschooling venture through to the end, I decided I better leave a list of values and skills I hoped each of my boys would gain. And a list of instructions to be carried out in my absence. It had taken me thirty-four years to find my purpose, and I wasn’t going to let a little thing like death keep me from fulfilling it.
“Boys, I love you more than you’ll ever know, and I’m sorry to have cut out on you so soon. My wish is that you bury me in the backyard so I can keep an eye on your dad. Not because I’m worried that he’ll try to replace me (he’ll never fill these shoes), but because I know he’ll let you skip the warm-up on your math lessons and then you’ll never get into the university of your choosing.”
Enhanced – Access: links & download
Michelle Moody
Exploring God’s Creation:
A Journey to Mars
are living in an exciting time of discovery as scientists continue to learn more about God’s creation beyond our own planet. When we study systems here on Earth, such as the water and carbon cycles, we see that their complexity and balance are remarkably designed to support life. This naturally leads us to wonder what amazing lessons God has for our children and us as we explore the rest of our solar system.
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Colleen Kessler, M.Ed.
Colleen Kessler, M.Ed.
ne minute, you’re knee-deep in playdough and picture books, and the next, you’re standing in your kitchen trying to coax more than a one-word answer out of a teen who would rather be anywhere but in conversation. It’s a tender and sometimes disorienting shift—the way connection changes as our kids grow. And yet, if there’s one thing that matters more with each passing year, it’s that connection isn’t optional; it’s foundational.
Especially in a homeschool. Especially for kids who experience the world a little differently.
Because when we build connection first, we’re not just creating warm memories, we’re raising resilient humans.
Question: What are Pros and Cons of Dual Enrollment?
ual enrollment allows students to earn college credit while in middle (in some states) or high school. Though dual enrollment continues to grow in popularity, it is important to take a step back and evaluate the learner’s needs and aspirations as well as the family’s beliefs, values, and seasons of life. The decision to dual-enroll is also dependent on the educational options available: venues, courses, and professors. Availability varies.
Enhanced – Watch: the review video
Curriculum Consultants
Gina Burmeier &
Practice addition and subtraction together with the Simple Math Bingo Game ② by eeboo. First, draw a colorful number tile illustrated with animals. If it solves a problem on your board, you can place a tile in the correct spot. Be the first player to fill the board to win! Recommended for grades K-3.
Educational Insights® Reel Big Catch Game ③ is adorable, hands-on, colorful, and educational—everything you need in a game geared for littles! The object of the game is to score the biggest catch of fish, measured by lining up your fish on the ruler. However, you can’t tell how long each fish is until you lift it up and it expands to its full length! Includes 9 telescoping fish, a folding ruler (measures up to 39”), a purple fishing rod, and instructions. For 2-3 players ages 3 and up.
The Make a Pie! Game ④ from eeboo is a sweet way to learn fractions! Each turn, spin to discover what fraction of the pie you can take. Fit the pieces together to create a whole pie, and whoever builds the most pies wins! But watch out—if an opponent lands on “Take a piece”, a piece of your pie may be pilfered! Pies are divided into halves, thirds, fourths, eighths, and sixteenths. Instructions include a chart of equivalent fractions for reference. For 2-3 players.
Explore multiplication, division, and more with the interactive Area Model Tray with Base Ten Blocks ⑤ from Hand2Mind®! Featuring movable x- and y-axes and built-in factor tracks, this hands-on tool helps children visualize mathematical concepts with base-ten blocks. The write-on/wipe-off surface provides a place where equations can be written out, and factor tracks can be filled with black units and rods to represent equations. Children will then work to solve the equations using the colorful Ones blocks, Tens rods, and Hundreds flats. This set includes 1 base ten area model tray, 4 hundreds flats, 20 tens rods, 100 ones units, a dry-erase marker, and an Activity Guide.
Enhanced – Listen: to the audio article
ne of my favorite places to go is a Homeschool Conference. There’s just something about rubbing elbows with lots of other moms and dads who I consider my “Peeps.” They get it…homeschooling that is. They understand the pressures, the demands, the desire to do a great job, and the feeling of failure that seems to go hand in hand with homeschooling.
My favorite part of the conferences is not speaking or even selling products. My favorite part is when moms and dads come up to me at my booth, or as we pass in the hallway, and tell me about their struggles and joys, triumphs and disastrous crashes.
But there’s one kind of mom that my heart goes out to: the perfect homeschool mom. Oh, she’s not perfect, everyone knows that…but she looks perfect, her kids look perfect. She does hours of school each day and finishes her curriculum each year. Her kids can write long papers, complete difficult math problems, and speak articulately.
Ad Index
American Heritage Education Foundation
www.americanheritage.org
Azure Standard
www.azurestandard.com
Building Faith Families
www.buildingfaithfamilies.org
Billy Graham Library
www.billygrahamlibrary.org/students
Celebrate Simple & Cheryl Bastian
www.cherylbastian.com
Connie Albers/Parenting Beyond the Rules
www.conniealbers.com
Evangel University
www.evangel.edu
Hifalutin Homeschooler
www.hifalutinhomeschooler.com
Homeschool Essentials
www.homeschoolessentials.net
Kathy Eggers
www.kathyeggers.com
Legacy Parenting
www.legacyparenting.net
Math Mammoth
www.mathmammoth.com
Rethink Geography World Map Set
www.geomatters.com/rethink-maps
Spelling Power
www.thespellingpower.com
Story Seekers
www.storyseekers.co
The Smiling Homeschooler & Todd Wilson
www.thesmilinghomeschooler.com
Ad Index
www.americanheritage.org
Azure Standard
www.azurestandard.com
Building Faith Families
www.buildingfaithfamilies.org
Billy Graham Library
www.billygrahamlibrary.org/students
Celebrate Simple & Cheryl Bastian
www.cherylbastian.com
Connie Albers/Parenting Beyond the Rules
www.conniealbers.com
Evangel University
www.evangel.edu
Harding University
www.harding.edu
Heart of Dakota
www.heartofdakota.com
Hifalutin Homeschooler
www.hifalutinhomeschooler.com
Homeschool Essentials
www.homeschoolessentials.net
Kathy Eggers
www.kathyeggers.com
Legacy Parenting
www.legacyparenting.net
Math Mammoth
www.mathmammoth.com
Rethink Geography World Map Set
www.geomatters.com/rethink-maps
Spelling Power
www.thespellingpower.com
Story Seekers
www.storyseekers.co
The Smiling Homeschooler & Todd Wilson
www.thesmilinghomeschooler.com
Co-Executive Editors
DESIGN DIRECTOR
COPY EDITOR
Subscription Inquiries
ADVERTISING
WEBSITE
Ashley Wiggers
Kay Chance
Alex Wiggers
Cindy Wiggers
info@homeschoolingtoday.com
advertising@homeschoolingtoday.com
www.homeschoolingtoday.com
Co-Executive Editors
DESIGN DIRECTOR
COPY EDITOR
Subscription Inquiries
ADVERTISING
WEBSITE
Ashley Wiggers
Kay Chance
Alex Wiggers
Cindy Wiggers
info@homeschoolingtoday.com
advertising@homeschoolingtoday.com
www.homeschoolingtoday.com
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