Homeschool Better Together with Pam Barnhill

Nothing strikes fear in the homeschool mom more than starting kindergarten with that first child. I remember wondering how I was ever really going to make this work. (Pssst -- it has!) I am joined on the podcast today by Rebecca Zipp, a homeschooling mom who has put much thought into a gentle kindergarten. We have a message for the new homeschooling moms out there. It is going to be ok. Of course, we also spend quite a bit of time talking about how Morning Time fits into the homeschool kindergarten (hint: they are a match made in heaven), how much time you should spend doing kindergarten, and what are the goals of a kindergarten education. Listen, mama, and be encouraged!For the show notes and episode downloads visit: https://pambarnhill.com/ymb76

Rea Berg loves books and stories. She has become quite the collector of them through the years as she homeschooled her six children and then later went on to found Beautiful Feet Books. On today's show Rea joins me to chat about how we can use literature to teach history from story. We will be chatting about some of the challenges homeschool families face in the teaching of history, why stories and living books make an effective approach to history study, and how to pivot from using textbooks to using living books instead -- even in middle and high school. Enjoy!

I am joined today on the podcast by Mary Wilson, a homeschool mom and book lover who believes that fun should be an integral part of the homeschool day. In this episode Mary and I discuss the idea of celebrating books in big and small ways. We chat about some of Mary's past book celebrations, how she got started, and why she thinks this is a unique and important way to introduce your kids to literature. We also chat about how you can make book celebrations doable and bring a little bit of this kind of practice into a weekly Morning Time setting. Don't miss this one! For more information and a downloadable transcript and time stamps visit https://pambarnhill.com/ymb74

On today's episode of the podcast I am chatting with a good friend Brandy Vencel all about which subjects in our homeschools are appropriate for Morning Time. Are some activities and subjects holier than others? Are there any subjects that do not pertain to God?   These are all fascinating questions. While we do not claim to have a definitive answer we welcome you to join us as we begin the discussion. Let us know what you think in the comments.   For the downloads including transcript and time stamps or to leave a comment, visit https://pambarnhill.com/ymb73.

What do you do when you have a kid (or two or more) who do not like Morning Time? As much as we want to think that our kids will be as enamored with the idea of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty as we are, sometimes that just isn't the case -- especially when we start building a Morning Time habit after our homeschools are already established.   Today I am joined by Dawn Garrett, Community Manager here at Your Morning Basket, and we chat about solutions to this very problem. We talk about flexing schedules, honoring your kids' time, age-appropriate activities, and yes, when it is okay to require them to stay and have a decent attitude.   All of that wrapped up in one (hopefully) helpful show.   For podcast downloads and resources be sure to visit https://pambarnhill.com/ymb72

Today on the podcast I am joined by Joy Cherrick, homeschooling mom of six and author of Nature Study Hacking. This series of lesson plans boils down nature journaling to a do-able list that moms everywhere can actually use. On the show Joy and I chat about the value of studying nature, the four parts of nature study, and ideas for how to make nature journaling a habit that your kids want to do on their own. Enjoy! More information, downloads, and show notes at https://pambarnhill.com/ymb71

Dr. Carol Reynolds joins me on today's show to give a delightful lesson about folk music. In this episode Prof. Carol enthusiastically shares about the value of folk music for our kids, what exactly a folk song is anyway, and how to get started studying them in your Morning Time. Full of wonderful stories and great resources, I think this is an episode you will really enjoy. Don't forget to grab your episode downloads at pambarnhill.com/ymb70

I am joined on the podcast today by Lauren Stengele, a non-native Spanish speaker who is passionate about raising bilingual kids. Lauren is teaching her kids Spanish in order to reclaim her own Mexican heritage and she is using Morning Time to make this a reality in her homeschool.   In this episode of the podcast Lauren and I chat about how she incorporates two languages intro her school day, what makes Morning Time such a great vehicle for second language learning and also about the two biggest indicators for success in raising bilingual kids. It was a fun episode.   Don't forget to grab your episode downloads including your Basket Bonus Spanish memory work for your Morning Time at pambarnhill.com/ymb69.

On today's episode of the podcast I am chatting with a good friend and author of the Morning Time plans at pambarnhill.com. Jessica Lawton is a bibliophile and owner of a library of over 3000 books. She is also great a choosing just the right books to use in Morning Time.   On today's podcast Jessica and I chat about how to choose the best books about a topic, which books she thinks are worth owning versus merely borrowing, and how to use different kinds of books for different purposes.

Today's episode of the Your Morning Basket podcast has not one, but two great interviews. First up on the show is my good friend Fr. Doug Martin who is here to talk about the spiritual observation of Lent and how all Christians can practice this in their families. As we were preparing that interview we were approached by author Asheritah Ciuciu, an evangelical author who has her own Lenten devotional recently published by Moody Publishers. We decided to have Ahseritah on the show as well to talk about her new book and the practice of Lent from her perspective. A wonderful benefit is that both guests focus on how we can observe Lent within our families and use it to join our sufferings with Christ, slow down and grieve our sins, and experience the joy of the Resurrection more fully. I hope you enjoy this episode.