Articles by Topic

Why do so many parents continue to homeschool when it captures all their time? And how did they know what to do when they first started?

What advice would homeschool moms give to new moms? Many of them talk about what they've learned along the way in this fun, first-person article.

What about socialization? Am I qualified to do this? How do I begin? This article (the first of a two-part series) answers these and other questions.

Excellent question. Is there a difference between homeschooling and school at home? Hmm.

Many times in our homeschooling efforts a child just doesn’t “get it” the first few times... Sometimes we begin to think we must be a bad teacher... ...the problem may be a conflict of learning styles.

Our children all learn differently. What's a mom to do? Start by learning about VARK - visual, auditory, reading, and kinesthetic learning styles. This article offers an introduction to these four styles of learning.

We homeschooled our first two children in Maryland and things were going along well. But about the time that our second child was entering kindergarten, we became concerned that something wasn’t quite right with our toddler.

Our eight-year-old son, Brody, had been struggling for quite a while. He confused letters and numbers, made grammatical and spelling errors that weren’t age-appropriate, and completed any work at an excruciatingly slow pace.

After raising three boys without access to WVSSAC sports, Melody Sheppard offers other sport options that offer similar advantages.

In the 2020 WV Legislative Session, some progress was made toward homeschooler access to WVSSAC sports. This article explains the new law and its requirements.

In many states, homeschool sports leagues have garnered respect comparable to that of public school teams. In WV, that has proven more difficult. Still, a few parents feel up to the challenge!

When the Timberlakes of Jefferson County started homeschooling, they wanted sports to play a role in their children’s development. However, because the WVSSAC precluded their children from playing public school sports, they had to seek out alternatives. Hockey became the answer.

And can homeschoolers participate? This article introduces a series of 8 articles about the traditional 8th grade WV Studies culminating in the Golden Horseshoe exam. It also begins an entire year of help & resources.

Starting with textbooks used and how to find them, this article also provides tips and links to subsequent articles in this year-long series.

Homeschooled high school students are benefitting from early enrollment options where they can earn college credit during the high school years at a drastically reduced cost.

Maintaining an accurate and detailed record of your child’s high school studies is an important task for parents. Not only does it help greatly when preparing a transcript, but it can also become a necessity in a situation like ours.

Young children learn best through activity and play. But this needn't mean they aren't starting academics! This article provides a plethora of activities for each subject.

Many parents find that their five- or even six-year-old child experiences difficulty in learning to read. They may worry that they aren’t capable of homeschooling effectively. This article may provide the very help they need!

Homeschool moms remind me of soldiers in a war zone. Their mission? Shield and protect their precious charges while preparing them for whatever lies ahead. They must be ready to act, ready to defend, ready to listen and ready to care. Sacrifices are made every day.

We reap what we sow. A crop of Silver Queen corn doesn’t just mysteriously appear in my garden; I have to plant the seeds. If I want a marriage that radiates God’s glory, or kids that are dedicated Christ followers, or a homeschool that redeems education to God’s purpose, I have to sow the seeds to reap this harvest.

This helpful article provides a variety of considerations when deciding between testing or portfolio review for your annual WV homeschool assessment.

Besides offering a healthy way to view testing, this article suggests practical ways to prepare. Testing can hone our children’s skills in group situations, as well as in test-taking strategies, both of which are necessary for future endeavors like college.

Undeterred by the historic winter storm Jonas, WV homeschoolers converged on Charleston for HSDC... It was a valuable opportunity to connect with state legislators, meet new homeschool families, and showcase the musical talent of our children. But the highlight of the day was observing the House Education Committee meeting, which focused on legislation advocated by CHEWV...

Our family participated in Homeschool Day at the Capitol for the first time this year. As rookies, we weren’t quite sure what to expect so we were grateful that CHEWV organized it so that our trip would run smoother. Legislation pertaining to homeschooling was what motivated us to make our four-hour trek to Charleston... What we learned is that the winds of change in Charleston are constant and quite unpredictable...

With an excellent reputation at the Capitol, CHEWV members have been consistently rated by past state legislators as very effective lobbyists. The last two elections, however, have created an influx of new legislators, including a significant number who know little about homeschooling. HSDC is the ideal opportunity to highlight homeschooling accomplishments...

Lobbying is simpler than you might think - says John Carey, CHEWV's Legislative Liaison. John explains the importance of visiting the State Capitol as well as making a difference back home. With his usual wise candor, John includes valuable tips and practical advice.