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Remembering John Holt, by Pat Farenga, President of John Holt: Growing Without Schooling (GWS) Organization

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 John Holt My friend and mentor, John Holt, passed away 35 years ago on Sept. 14, 1985, and his legacy continues to grow as homeschooling increases around the world. I estimate there were perhaps 50,000 children being taught at home in the United States in 1985; then, most people thought homeschooling was crazy or something of a last resort to do with your children. In 2020, it is estimated at least 175 million children are being homeschooled in the United States. In light of the pandemic, homeschooling is something every parent is probably considering. In the first edition of Teach Your Own, John concluded: “What is most important and valuable about the home as a base for children’s growth into the world is not that it is a better school than the schools, but that it isn’t a school at all. It is not an artificial place, set up to make “learning” happen and in which nothing except “learning” ever happens. It is a natural, organic, central, fundamental human institution, one might e...
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Fun ideas for interactive geography lessons

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If you're looking for a way for your kids to learn about geography and maps that have loads of fun built in, here are 10 neat websites to check out. Postcrossing Our family did this actively years back and it's still one of my favorite activities. It's so exciting to send or receive a postcard from a new and exciting place. Keep a map on the wall and mark all the places where you either send or receive a card. "The goal of this project is to allow people to receive postcards from all over the world, for free. Well, almost free! The main idea is that: if you send a postcard, you will receive one back from a random Postcrosser from somewhere in the world." Classroom Project Where Is George The purpose of Where's George? is to track the natural and geographic circulation of currency. To track a bill, a user enters the local ZIP Code, the serial number, and series of any US currency denomination.Once a bill is registered, the site reports the time between s...
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Homeschool Tips to Maximize Attention

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  Homeschooling kids who struggle with executive function and self regulation (ADHD / Autism, etc.) can be a real challenge. The short attention span and difficulty organizing thoughts can make structured learning time sometimes feel like a real struggle. According to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University- “Executive function and self-regulation skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully.” (READ MORE) Both my kids struggled with executive function and self-regulation. As a homeschooling parent, you can get really creative on how to approach curriculum with kids like this. Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but if you try different strategies, you’ll land on something that works for your family. General Advice Avoid sugary or carbohydrate filled food / snacks before structured learning activities. Don't plan for them to sit very long (or maybe at all) unless...
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Anti-Racism and the Homeschooling Community

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With the incredible interest and growth in the homeschooling community due to the pandemic, families from all backgrounds are considering homeschooling as an option for the first time. We asked MHLA Board Member, Krysten Callina founder of Mastermind Adventures , to create a post about things we are learning about diversity and anti-racism.
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Review of "Mapping the World"

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Many homeschoolers spend lots of time looking for curricula, lesson plans and innovative family and group projects. We asked board member, Lauren Freed , founder of  Cape Cod Home Learners Cooperative  to talk about one of her passion projects. Below you will find her review of Mapping the World by Heart , a great example of a unit study, and samples of how she implemented this project with her group.
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What is a co-op?

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With so many parents joining the homeschooling community (at least temporarily) MHLA is looking to help provide education and context for homeschooling terms to help educate and ground families in the community and give them a sense of security. We asked Amanda Deane, our newest board member and the mastermind behind Flying Starlings and Westport and Surrounding Area Homeschoolers to talk about co-ops. What are they and how might they work for your family?
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What can we learn about learning time? ARTICLE

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In this article,  In a Time of Crisis, What Can We Learn About Learning Time? - Educational Leadership , the author explores the useful lessons and impact of crisis schooling on the future of American school structures. From 100 years of following approximately the same learning system, based on being  at  school and learning in allotted amounts of time, we've gone into a model previously only charted in crises and by the sliver of American students who are homeschooled. With brick-and-mortar schools shuttered, everyone has been forced into some form of home and remote learning. Parents and educators have struggled to do their best. It's been difficult—but we can, and should, learn about and from this experience. This reminds me of a video that inspired me at the beginning of my homeschooling journey (see below). Our public school system was designed to prepare people to work in factories in the industrial age. In the current age of innovation, there may be better ways to...
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