Homeschool Better Together with Pam Barnhill

Sarita Holzmann was a reluctant homeschooler but soon came to love it. With a heart for missionaries serving overseas and the people they serve, Sarita has always had an eye towards bringing geography to life using literature. On this episode of the podcast she joins us to discuss why geography is important and why literature is the best way to experience that. Get your notebooks handy -- there is more than one great book recommendation in this episode.Mentioned in this episode:Spring Curriculum Showcase – Fresh Deals Every Week at PamBarnhill.com!Say goodbye to overwhelm and hello to joyful learning! The Spring Curriculum Showcase at PamBarnhill.com/shop is live, featuring weekly spotlights on our most-loved and brand-new resources for the 2025–2026 school year. Discover open-and-go language arts bundles, brand-new middle school resources, geography notebooks, a new photography course for teens, and more! Each week brings a new special you won't want to miss—shop now and find flexible, family-friendly curriculum that fits your real life.Shop

Andrea Kirk Assaf homeschools on three continents as her family splits their time between Michigan and Rome as well as spending part of the year visiting her husband's family in Lebanon. Today she joins Pam on this episode of the podcast to talk about Calendar School, her Morning Time variation that includes elements of the Church year and the seasonal cycles. Andrea has a unique take on Morning Time planning that is fascinating and inspiring. We hope you enjoy!Mentioned in this episode:Spring Curriculum Showcase – Fresh Deals Every Week at PamBarnhill.com!Say goodbye to overwhelm and hello to joyful learning! The Spring Curriculum Showcase at PamBarnhill.com/shop is live, featuring weekly spotlights on our most-loved and brand-new resources for the 2025–2026 school year. Discover open-and-go language arts bundles, brand-new middle school resources, geography notebooks, a new photography course for teens, and more! Each week brings a new special you won't want to miss—shop now and find flexible, family-friendly curriculum that fits your real life.Shop

Sarah Mackenzie is on a mission -- a mission to help every family know that the importance of reading aloud goes beyond building bigger test scores and better vocabularies. The importance of reading aloud goes to the very heart of the relationships in your home. Join Pam and Sarah on the podcast as they chat why this is even more relevant to our culture today than it was 20 years ago, practical tips on how to get it done (even with a bunch) of kids, and the books that Sarah and Pam can never agree to like. The gloves are coming off on this episode -- don't miss it.Mentioned in this episode:Spring Curriculum Showcase – Fresh Deals Every Week at PamBarnhill.com!Say goodbye to overwhelm and hello to joyful learning! The Spring Curriculum Showcase at PamBarnhill.com/shop is live, featuring weekly spotlights on our most-loved and brand-new resources for the 2025–2026 school year. Discover open-and-go language arts bundles, brand-new middle school resources, geography notebooks, a new photography course for teens, and more! Each week brings a new special you won't want to miss—shop now and find flexible, family-friendly curriculum that fits your real life.Shop

This week Dawn Garrett and I are on the show with a very special announcement! Better Together is a new book all about Morning Time and it is hitting the bookstores today. Dawn and I dish about the book, other Morning Time resources, and how Morning Time is a great fit for every kind of homeschooler. Check it out!Mentioned in this episode:Spring Curriculum Showcase – Fresh Deals Every Week at PamBarnhill.com!Say goodbye to overwhelm and hello to joyful learning! The Spring Curriculum Showcase at PamBarnhill.com/shop is live, featuring weekly spotlights on our most-loved and brand-new resources for the 2025–2026 school year. Discover open-and-go language arts bundles, brand-new middle school resources, geography notebooks, a new photography course for teens, and more! Each week brings a new special you won't want to miss—shop now and find flexible, family-friendly curriculum that fits your real life.Shop

It's a question we get asked often and it is a good one: How do I do Morning Time when I have just one child? How do I keep it from looking like the rest of my school day? Today Tina Roman, mom of one, is here on the show to talk to us about what Morning Time looks like in her home. Hint: It's not as quiet as you might think it would be. Enjoy!Mentioned in this episode:Spring Curriculum Showcase – Fresh Deals Every Week at PamBarnhill.com!Say goodbye to overwhelm and hello to joyful learning! The Spring Curriculum Showcase at PamBarnhill.com/shop is live, featuring weekly spotlights on our most-loved and brand-new resources for the 2025–2026 school year. Discover open-and-go language arts bundles, brand-new middle school resources, geography notebooks, a new photography course for teens, and more! Each week brings a new special you won't want to miss—shop now and find flexible, family-friendly curriculum that fits your real life.Shop

In addition to your more traditional Morning Time we are hearing from moms more and more about Morning Time variations that they are using to enhance their homeschools. Today on the podcast Mystie Winckler is back talking about her Elementary Lessons. These are a separate, mini-co-op style session her family does with another family a couple of times each week. But it also looks suspiciously like Morning Time. Check it out.For shownotes and episode downloads, visit https://pambarnhill.com/ymb46.Mentioned in this episode:Spring Curriculum Showcase – Fresh Deals Every Week at PamBarnhill.com!Say goodbye to overwhelm and hello to joyful learning! The Spring Curriculum Showcase at PamBarnhill.com/shop is live, featuring weekly spotlights on our most-loved and brand-new resources for the 2025–2026 school year. Discover open-and-go language arts bundles, brand-new middle school resources, geography notebooks, a new photography course for teens, and more! Each week brings a new special you won't want to miss—shop now and find flexible, family-friendly curriculum that fits your real life.Shop

We are kicking off the new season of the Your Morning Basket podcast with a conversation about story. And there is no one better equipped to talk to us about a good story and the impact it can have on our kids than master-story teller S.D. Smith.   Author of the enthralling Green Ember series of books, Sam is here today to chat with us about what makes a good story and how these tales shape our kids. Pulling from his own childhood and what stories have meant to him, this is an episode you won't want to miss.Mentioned in this episode:Spring Curriculum Showcase – Fresh Deals Every Week at PamBarnhill.com!Say goodbye to overwhelm and hello to joyful learning! The Spring Curriculum Showcase at PamBarnhill.com/shop is live, featuring weekly spotlights on our most-loved and brand-new resources for the 2025–2026 school year. Discover open-and-go language arts bundles, brand-new middle school resources, geography notebooks, a new photography course for teens, and more! Each week brings a new special you won't want to miss—shop now and find flexible, family-friendly curriculum that fits your real life.Shop

What is a catechism and why is it important to teach to our children? In this episode of the podcast Dr. Geoffrey Reiter joins me to talk about how catechism and memory shape us along with some practical tips for implementing catechism memorization into our Morning Time.It's a fascinating conversation full of practical advice (including which catechisms to use) and things to ponder.For shownotes and episode downloads, visit https://pambarnhill.com/ymb44.Mentioned in this episode:Spring Curriculum Showcase – Fresh Deals Every Week at PamBarnhill.com!Say goodbye to overwhelm and hello to joyful learning! The Spring Curriculum Showcase at PamBarnhill.com/shop is live, featuring weekly spotlights on our most-loved and brand-new resources for the 2025–2026 school year. Discover open-and-go language arts bundles, brand-new middle school resources, geography notebooks, a new photography course for teens, and more! Each week brings a new special you won't want to miss—shop now and find flexible, family-friendly curriculum that fits your real life.Shop

Listener favorite Cindy Rollins is back on the podcast in this special cross-over episode between Your Morning Basket and the Mason Jar Podcast. Drawing on Cindy's vast experience, we chat about which subjects are best for Morning Time plus a whole lot more.Listen in and then search out The Mason Jar on your favorite podcast app to get the rest of the story.To access the podcast downloads for this episode including transcripts, time stamps, discussion questions, and more go to https://pambarnhill.com/ymb43.Mentioned in this episode:Spring Curriculum Showcase – Fresh Deals Every Week at PamBarnhill.com!Say goodbye to overwhelm and hello to joyful learning! The Spring Curriculum Showcase at PamBarnhill.com/shop is live, featuring weekly spotlights on our most-loved and brand-new resources for the 2025–2026 school year. Discover open-and-go language arts bundles, brand-new middle school resources, geography notebooks, a new photography course for teens, and more! Each week brings a new special you won't want to miss—shop now and find flexible, family-friendly curriculum that fits your real life.Shop

The Advent and Christmas seasons are almost upon us and homeschool moms are looking for ways to change their pace and do something special for the holiday seasons. Today Pam and Dawn Garrett discuss options for celebrating while still learning until your holiday break. Tons of good ideas in this one!Find links and resources at https://pambarnhill.com/ymbsp2.Mentioned in this episode:Spring Curriculum Showcase – Fresh Deals Every Week at PamBarnhill.com!Say goodbye to overwhelm and hello to joyful learning! The Spring Curriculum Showcase at PamBarnhill.com/shop is live, featuring weekly spotlights on our most-loved and brand-new resources for the 2025–2026 school year. Discover open-and-go language arts bundles, brand-new middle school resources, geography notebooks, a new photography course for teens, and more! Each week brings a new special you won't want to miss—shop now and find flexible, family-friendly curriculum that fits your real life.Shop