The Classical Scholar

Five Terrific Government Camps for Transcript Credit

diane@classicalscholar.com (Diane B. Lockman) — Fri, 25 May 2012 20:12:17 +0000

Are you facing the high school years and wondering how in the world you are going to teach every single subject that needs to go on the high school transcript? Good news! You can use the summer break to shore up the high school transcript. Homeschool teens can have fun with specialized learning at summer [...]

Are Homeschool Math Lessons Really Necessary?

diane@classicalscholar.com (Diane B. Lockman) — Mon, 21 May 2012 22:30:50 +0000

Is your homeschool tween suffering from the math heebie-jeebies? Research shows that math-related uneasiness, worry, and anxiety vastly increases during the early adolescent years. Some kids lack math confidence because of poor past performance. Math problem-solving is one of those critical thinking skills that progressively build on prior knowledge and experience, so if there was [...]

Free High School Constitution Course

diane@classicalscholar.com (Diane B. Lockman) — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:28:09 +0000

Connor and I just finished a free ten-week online high school course on the U.S. Constitution taught by Hillsdale College political science professors, and I highly recommend that you and your teens take this fabulous course. Based on the same course that Hillsdale students take, Constitution 101 is a broad survey that interprets the Declaration of [...]

High School Transcript Secret: Summer Camps

diane@classicalscholar.com (Diane B. Lockman) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:00:16 +0000

Nearly forty summers ago in eastern Tennessee, high-pitched screams permeated the air as five squeamish girls jumped up on flimsy cots, hugged each other in unashamed fear, and sprayed sticky hairspray at the rapid dog that wandered into the canvas tent at Girl Scout camp. Our brave counselor soon came running, and she shooed the [...]

Customize Digital Flashcards; Make Memorizing Fun

diane@classicalscholar.com (Diane B. Lockman) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 06:00:21 +0000

Remember the old white index flashcards that you used to make when you were in school? After so much use by grubby little fingers, the worn edges became soft as cotton, and any pictures had to be drawn by hand or glued out of a glossy magazine. Now thanks to a free teaching resource from [...]

News Flash! Founders Endorse Public Schools

diane@classicalscholar.com (Diane B. Lockman) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:48:59 +0000

Lately, I’ve been feeling convicted about holding my tongue when comparing homeschooling to public schooling, and this week while Connor and I were watching the Hillsdale College free series, Constitution 101, I found one more reason why I need to watch my tendency to glorify homeschooling. The Founders, many of whom were homeschooled, strongly advocated schools [...]

Santorum Homeschoolers Have Logical Skills

diane@classicalscholar.com (Diane B. Lockman) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 01:07:46 +0000

Homeschooling as a valid educational choice often unjustly suffers attacks. Neighbors and family members don’t understand why we do it, and secretly (or maybe publicly) think we are really weird. Bad press is the norm as seen in the recent attack by provocative political commentator Bill Maher, directed towards Republican presidential candidate, Rick Santorum. But [...]

9 Simple Tools to Keep You Organized

diane@classicalscholar.com (Diane B. Lockman) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:35:16 +0000

Expanding clutter, unfolded laundry, misplaced assignments, telephone interruptions, and scraps of scribbled “to-do’s” are only a few of the many things that threaten to rob you of your daily peace. Homeschooling is a demanding lifestyle. When you add multiple children and the needs of a spouse, the challenges to stay organized and “on-task” rapidly mount. [...]

30 Ways to Supercharge Your Speech Curriculum

diane@classicalscholar.com (Diane B. Lockman) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:32:30 +0000

Nervous giggles, tingly fingers, twitchy eyelids, trembling lips, racing heart, midsection butterflies are all symptoms of a truly legitimate fear: giving a speech in front of other people. Be honest. You have felt the exact same fear at some point in your life (maybe you still do), and your homeschool child will follow in your [...]

DIY Curriculum Projects Can Be Lots of Fun

diane@classicalscholar.com (Diane B. Lockman) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:33:15 +0000

Sometimes you need to know when to hire an expert and when to make the project yourself. Experts usually cost lots of money, and often, you could have done the same work at home and had more fun. I once paid a seamstress to create custom window treatments for my living room, and yes, they [...]