Every week when I conduct the webinars for new Calvert families, I speak about the skill of executive function, and how colleges are looking for that skill from homeschool students because they seem to have it more often than their public/private school peers. So, I have to ask myself, how can that be?? How does [...]

December 2010 Inspire! As if choosing and implementing an academic curriculum for your children was not enough, research indicates that you should be organizing regular physical activity for them as well.  The results of a study by Charles Hillman, Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Neuroscience at the University of Illinois were published in the Journal [...]

One of my kids used to be referred to as Houdini. He could disappear from our homeschool classroom in a Yankee minute. Sometimes, right before my very eyes! The particular year that I was really having an issue with him was the first year I had 4 children to teach. I had a 1st grader, [...]

Several years ago, my eldest son announced at dinner that he had decided that he had all the education he needed – he was in 5th grade. While I choked on my food, my husband calmly asked him what he then intended to do with his life. Lucas blithely replied that he intended to be [...]

November 2010 Inspire! Do you know what lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, swamps, bogs, and marshes have in common? They are all freshwater habitats, and along with reservoirs and ground water, make up the 1% of the Earth’s water that is salt-free and suitable for drinking. Because of the importance of freshwater, it was selected as [...]

OK – so it has been several months since a blog was posted by yours truly… Honestly? I have been involved in several things, and blogging has not been on the top of the list. But now, having been given permission to make this a regular event, I want to tell you a funny story… [...]

October 2010 Inspire! Today’s teachers know that it is important to use a multi-sensory approach to teaching since different students learn best using different modalities. Some students are visual learners while others are auditory or tactile learners. This article will look at ways that a parent can support their child if they learn best visually. [...]

September 2010 Inspire! As a child who did not learn to read easily, I sympathize with children who find reading a struggle. While some children pick up reading without difficulty, many children have to really work at it. Often these children complain that the story is too long or too hard. Since one of the [...]

August 2010 Inspire! One of the most exciting aspects of beginning a journey toward homeschooling is organizing a classroom space. Whether you have a dedicated homeschooling room or your children take over the kitchen table each day, conducting your lessons in a well-organized space can play an important role in creating a successful homeschooling experience [...]

July 2010 Inspire! Summer is the time of year that students’ attention may wander and you may have a more difficult time catching their attention. Here are a few ways to “grab” their attention in each of the educational disciplines! Ideas for younger students: Children in these age groups absorb anything we tell them without [...]