Homeschool Coffee Break Reading List - March 2023

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A long time ago I did an occasional round-up of articles, resources, and just fun things around the web and called it the Coffee Break Reading List, because this blog is the Homeschool Coffee Break, so of course! It included things unrelated to homeschooling too, as it was essentially a collection of the different things I was reading. As I finished the journey through homeschooling my own kids, I did continue tutoring and mentoring homeschool families, and was involved in the homeschool community, but I did this round-up less often, until eventually I left off doing it altogether. After a recent move, I started a new blog and it's now the home of the Coffee Break Reading List, but I thought I should still do something similar here occasionally because I still care deeply about homeschooling. I think it needs a new name though. I'll have to think about that. For now, here are just a few things I've found during recent coffee breaks that you may find interesting as well.

The homeschool reading corner:

• This article at Intellectual Takeout was published in 2021, when the vast majority of American schools were closed or limited because of the pandemic, and American schoolchildren were at home and doing some kind of virtual school. In Homeschooling Just Crossed the Tipping Point, Annie Holmquist looks at the statistics showing that home education grew to just over 11% of families at that time in light of a study showing that when just 10% of a population holds an unshakeable belief, that belief will be adopted by the rest of society. Do you think homeschooling became more mainstream after the school closures? 
• Lockdowns in other parts of the world sent students to virtual and home education as well. My life as Exeter home-schooled teen and why I'll never go back to class is about a student in UK that excelled when allowed to learn at home, at her own pace.
• School vouchers are often a topic of debate among homeschoolers. That would promote school choice, wouldn't it? There's more to the topic than meets the eye. Nicki Truesdell explains in Understanding School Choice.
• Florida and Ohio are among states considering changes to school funding, including school vouchers. Arkansas just enacted a new education bill that may impact homeschooling. Visit the HSLDA campaigns page to check on legislation affecting homeschooling in your state and the HSLDA recommendations on those bills.

Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence. ~Abigail Adams

Resource Spotlight:

One of the resources we often used is one I still promote and recommend―SchoolhouseTeachers.com. They happen to be focusing on Science this month, so I will highlight some science resources as well. This article― From the High School Lesson Book - A Resource Collection for Science―showcases the resources we used along with some info about each of them, so it's a good place to start if you're thinking about science curriculum for next year.

If you're a member of SchoolhouseTeachers.com, I hope you already know about the Hey, Mama! Bright Spot Chat series. Each month there's a members only Hey Mama! Bright Spot Chat designed to encourage you and equip you with fresh, practical ideas your homeschool. Let's Talk Science is the next chat, so plan to join in at 4 p.m. (Eastern) on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. You can register from the Events tab of your Member Dashboard.

Do you homeschool and wish your kid could participate in a Science Fair? A lot of co-ops and homeschool groups do these, but if you are still looking, SchoolhouseTeachers.com has got you covered with their Virtual Science Fair. Homeschool science can be so much fun because you can study whatever branch of science your kids are interested in! From biology to anatomy to botany and astronomy, the ski is the limit. Your students can share what they've learned this year and see what other homeschoolers have learned as well. SchoolhouseTeachers.com is now accepting entries for the PreK―12 Virtual Science Fair. Submit photos and videos of your child's science projects or exhibits. Award certificates will be presented for first, second, and third places in each category. Find all the details in the Activity Calendar section of the Member Dashboard. You have until the end of the day April 7th to submit your entries.

There are lots of Science courses for all grade levels offered at SchoolhouseTeachers.com. Here are just a few of the high school level courses:

My personal coffee break reading: 

In The Shelter Of Hollythorne House by Sarah E. Ladd

A Perilous Perspective by Anna Lee Huber

This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin

After the Boxes Are Unpacked: Moving On After Moving In by Susan Miller

   

   

Find out more at my book blog Just A Second.

Found anything interesting on the web lately? Read any good books? Leave a comment and let me know!

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