Diane Allen Homeschool Reviews

Teaching Handwriting part 2

2014-07-24T01:18:00.002-04:00

One common mistake that well-meaning moms make when teaching handwriting is starting too early. Yes -- you heard me. Starting handwriting before the sweet little hands are strong enough leads to poor grip. Allowing a little child to work on handwriting of letters before they can make the strokes easily or even recognize the shape of letters allows them to learn a wrong process which will have

How to Teach Handwriting for the Average Mom and Child

2014-07-22T15:36:00.000-04:00

There is something of a handwriting war going on in our school system now. It has been building for the last 20 years as classroom teachers became more and more overburdened with new subjects etc and handwriting was the school subject that seemed less critical and was therefore dropped. As a result we see more and more students becoming adults with poor pencil grip and who struggle with

Attend the #NCHE14 Conference In Your Car!

2014-07-16T20:41:00.001-04:00

Wow -- looking back I can't believe it has been two months since I wrote here. I am still here -- but I do gasp that the summer has mostly passed me by in a blur. In May we were busy closing out the school year and going to conference. It was at the conference that I last posted. In June I was helping my daughter finalize her college registration and delivering her to Landry Camp at

NCHE Conference Day 1

2014-05-23T11:55:00.000-04:00

Day one of the NCHE conference is done -- actually it is already day two but I was too tired last night to type anything. I love the first day of the conference! It is not has busy and everyone is fresh and friendly. While I haven't made it into the book fair deeper than 20 feet yet, I have run into many old friends which is one of the primary reasons to attend. You can check in with more

The Winner IS!

2014-05-18T14:53:00.001-04:00

The winner of the NCHE Conference family give-away is Elayne Humphrey. Elayne, you need to email me asap to with your particulars so we can get you registered. By Sunday noon! Otherwise we'll have to go back and draw another name. Thanks so much to everyone who registered and read my blog. I hope you will stop me at the conference to introduce yourself.

NCHE Conference 101: For the Newbies!

2014-05-13T23:57:00.001-04:00

If you are thinking about homeschooling - or have made it through your first year - the conference is a one-stop for gathering most of the important information you need as you navigate the homeschooling waters. Live Chat To begin with there will be hundreds of experienced homeschoolers wandering around. As homeschoolers are such a friendly bunch, you will strike up conversations over the

Ten Days and Counting! NCHE Conference May 22 - 23 - 24

2014-05-12T21:32:00.001-04:00

Twenty-one years ago we had made the firm decision to actually follow through with homeschooling our two school age sons the next year. The idea of educating at home intrigued me and scared me all at the same time. I met my fear by doing research. I read all the books at the local library on homeschooling. There were....let me think.... a total of four! (Yes, days have changed).

Should Your High School Student Take Advanced Classes?

2014-04-29T19:56:00.003-04:00

I'm teaching a webinar tonight on this topic at Landry Academy. Come discuss the Top 5 Reasons To Take Advanced Classes in High School. Taking advanced science classes prepares your student for a wealth of experiences in college and can help them to narrow down potential career choices. Come and join us for a summary of the Top 5 Reasons to Take Advanced Science Courses Here is the

Everyone needs a Chance to Win - Conference Tickets

2014-04-22T11:28:00.003-04:00

Listen closely - attending the North Carolina Homeschool Conference is probably the best decision you can make about homeschooling whether you are a newbie or an old hand at this. What could be better than getting tickets FREE! Check out this post by a fellow NCHE Blogger and you may have a chance to win. Actually, the entire blogger team is giving away a family package. My give-away comes

Cooking Skills -- Don't Let Your Kids Leave Home Without Them

2014-04-16T20:40:00.002-04:00

I was not really a mom who loved to have my children interfering helping in the kitchen when I was getting supper on the table. Actually, I don't like to cook and so my goal was always to get in and get out fast. I might never have gone to the trouble of teaching my kids to cook had it not been for an unexpected blessing God sent our way when the two boys were 11 and 9! I was so sick

My Child Has Trouble Learning to Read - What Will Become of Him?

2014-04-15T19:29:00.002-04:00

I learned to read easily and early, but poor spelling and the ability to proof-read my own work plagues me to this day (just in case you haven't noticed!). I never associated my struggles with any form of dyslexia however. Because I never struggled with reading, it was very hard for me to understand when my children struggled. With one child I mostly berated him for "not trying" hard enough in

Nature Study - Link to a GREAT blog series

2014-04-12T09:48:00.004-04:00

A fellow NCHE Blogger has written a wonderful series about why nature study is important to growing children. I've linked Acorn Hill Academy here. Because we were blessed with a big yard and both my husband and I studied wildlife biology, nature study was more or less a lifestyle for our children. Since working with young children in co-ops, I've come to realize that we are probably

Should You Buy A Microscope?

2014-03-22T23:30:00.002-04:00

Because I was a science teacher in my previous life, homeschool parents ask me, "Do I really need to buy a microscope?" On one hand, I understand the concern of these parents, because microscopes are relatively expensive. I understand that parents fear spending money on something they don't know how to use properly or that their children will not use enough to warrant the cost. On the other

Soccer Mom Journal - One Last Time

2014-03-13T00:15:00.001-04:00