By Hannah Overlock  

Learning is a process. It is often messy, spontaneous, and happens in unexpected ways. That is one of the beauties of homeschooling. You can teach your child in the way that they learn best, in their own time. This can cause many families to struggle showing all of the many topics their child has learned when the end-of-the-year assessment comes.  

Here are some tips to keep in mind at the beginning of the school year to make your year as stress-free as possible.

By Rachel Vallance

If you are of a certain age you may remember the theme from the PBS show Reading Rainbow, “take a look, it’s in a book!” If our homeschool had a motto that would be it, and if I had to name our learning style it would be Librarian-ism, or perhaps Biblio-Chao-tech: Books, Chaos, and a bit of tech. One wonderful thing about homeschooling is you can mix up learning styles to fit your child(ren). In our house it is always book central. 

By Ed and Kathy Green 

We are often asked to share why we started Homeschoolers of Maine (HOME), and why we have remained so passionate and active in promoting the core principles of HOME for more than 35 years! Simply put, the ministry principles that were set forth at the founding of HOME did not spring from a personal feeling or a passing desire. Instead, they were shaped and formed from the timeless and unchangeable principles that are essential for every generation to know and understand.

With the hope of helping the next generation to gain from the knowledge and experience of those who have gone before, we are sharing the story of the creation of HOME.   

What is a Unit Study?

Unit Studies offer students a thematic approach to learning. Typically, all subjects are covered through an in-depth study of one central topic. Learning becomes an adventure with students becoming more engaged, excited, and eager to dig deeper. Topics can be introduced to spark interest or to develop a special interest.

While typically unit studies are best suited for the elementary grades, they can easily be adapted for upper or lower grades or used in a multi-grade setting. HOME has created many unit studies over the years, and each one includes content for both early learners and high school students!

This makes them a popular and practical choice among homeschool families with multiple children. Everyone learns together, but at their own level of ability or interest!

Incorporating Unit Studies into Your Program

There are lots of ways to use unit studies. Some families use this method exclusively throughout the year. Others find that unit studies are better suited for a particular season or in certain circumstances. 

By Jessica Leavitt

It has happened to most of us. The end of the school year comes sneaking up behind us.  We turn around to meet it head on and we see our three-inch binder (aka a pre-assembled portfolio from HOME) staring us in the face. Empty. Maybe you have a few worksheets saved, or maybe you just forgot to write down every book, hike, and educational game played this past year. Maybe you aren’t sure what “counts” as evidence of learning. If only you had an assistant …