Boy did I touch a nerve in this month’s family seminar when talking about boys and writing assignments – not the creativity, but simply the mechanics of the process. SO MANY wrote to me about this particular issue, that I had to provide you all with my thoughts and some feedback. The emails typically went […]

Staging a Good Paragraph Tips by Martha Cole, Education Counselor What can you do with colored index cards? No, not cover one eye for a vision test. They‘re not for writing recipes. Nope, not for an art project either. Colored index cards can be used to create a great hands-on resource for staging an academic […]

Fun Tricks for Recalling Information Keep your children motivated by presenting fun ways for them to share what they are studying in their lessons. Choose from a variety of fun activities that will keep them motivated to learn, while you have an opportunity to assess how they recall important information. Here are some suggestions of […]

October Teaching Tip: Create a Word Wall Words are the foundation of knowledge, and there is no better way to enrich our students’ vocabulary than by surrounding them with words using a word wall. A word wall is an ongoing and interactive display of key words that provides a visual reference for students throughout a […]

Preparing for a Successful Homeschool Year Alexander Graham Bell advised, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” This wisdom especially holds true for homeschooling. This month’s Inspire! newsletter contains advice that will help you throughout the year as well as steps to take right now. As many families begin the homeschool year, use […]

When I wake up in the morning, there is a palpable excitement. Today is the day when I get to work with my second graders on types of sentences. I remember teaching the first graders complete and incomplete sentences yesterday. Lucas asked me if ‘Sit down’ was a complete sentence. I may actually keep the […]

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! As we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence this July 4, it is a great time for families to delve into our states’ and country’s history. Whether you plan on taking a vacation to a historic site, exploring history in your own neighborhood, or learning about the history of […]

It’s Summertime and the Weather is Fine to Explore Science and Nature Outdoors Science is the study of the natural and physical world. Formal science uses systematic observation and experiment; however, teachers know that an important step in successful science education is developing enthusiasm for science in children. To do this science education can expand […]

The middle of the homeschool year is often when families experience what is best described as the Mid-Year Blues. It is a time when interest and motivation for homeschooling wane. When the blues hit, the best thing to do is shake things up. Over the years, the staff at Calvert Education has collected a number […]

Wait a minute! It’s December? How did that happen?  Panic! Excitement! Hysteria! Frenzy! The December Holidays are sneaking up on you and you still have to buy the gifts, iron the carpet, shampoo the tablecloth…   Wait… what??   Let’s take a few deep cleansing breaths….  There, that’s better.  Now let’s take a step back. How […]