Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Oct 12, 2011, 10:39 am
An Open Letter to the Edmonton Journal A lady in our local homeschooling wrote this letter to the Edmonton Journal, media sponsor for the Alberta Ballet. Please send in your own letters of support so that their Alberta Ballet’s many sponsors become aware of this unfair treatment. Dear Sir or Mada...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Oct 3, 2011, 1:22 pm
Dear Homeschooler, My name is Roya Dedeaux. I am currently working on my Master’s degree in Counseling at California State University, Long Beach to meet my goal of becoming a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT). I was homeschooled from the age of ten, when my mother removed me from the public sc...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Aug 23, 2011, 7:20 pm
If you’re looking for resources to teach your children about and Islam (we are nearing the end of the holy month of Ramadan), I have a page on Squidoo full of coloring pages on numerous topics in the religion of Islam. For Islamic coloring pages, click here. Related posts:Awesome Hello Kitty ...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Jun 5, 2011, 1:32 am
I just HAD to post this article that another homeschooler discovered on Yahoo News. It’s nice to see how society is beginning to understand that it’s our instinctual desire to learn and advance ourselves that will determine who we will become – and not be defined by what school or college you ...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - May 23, 2011, 10:55 pm
Face it, as a society, we are becoming increasingly paranoid for the safety of our children and loved ones. Despite evidence that crime rates are on the decline, the Internet and the news have managed to convince us that the opposite is true. On her blog, Free Range Kids, Lenore posted a letter se...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - May 12, 2011, 10:51 am
Imagine living in a society which, although claiming to be free, is able to dictate how and where to raise your children. Now imagine that this society is right here in Canada – a country reputed to be among the best in the world according to the United Nations. For one Québec family, this has s...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - May 8, 2011, 11:11 am
Where has all the time gone? The Wiggles are turning 20! The last time that the Wiggles were in town, I was unable to get any tickets because the accessible seating ones have already been sold out. I must have somehow made it onto the PR Manager’ s mailing list because I received an e-mail not o...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Jan 17, 2011, 7:12 am
One of the wonderful aspects of homeschooling is the chance to spend quality time with your children on a daily basis. School is a huge time-waster. Statistics show that of the six/seven hours spend in school, only 90 minutes are actually used up in active learning. The remainder of the time is use...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Jan 14, 2011, 7:16 pm
This week was all about rediscovering friends. Coming back from an extended vacation in her home country of Egypt, the girls were elated to be reunited with J, whom they had it seen in the almost two months. Reunited with J. The girls had a great afternoon together, though J was a little shy at fi...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Jan 11, 2011, 8:53 pm
You may have seen something different on your latest visit to practical homeschooling. Yes, I’ve been hard at work trying to give this site a brand-new look! With a fresh new banner and great new colors, this is the sign of better things to come. What do you think? Good? Bad? Blah? Share your tho...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Jan 11, 2011, 7:00 am
We all do it. We see a hyper six-year-old boy who refuses to sit down quietly and decide that he MUST have  ADHD. If your  12-year-old daughter is quiet, introverted and prefers being by herself rather than spending time with friends, she must be depressed. Why must we jump the proverbial gun and...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Jan 10, 2011, 2:15 pm
‘Organized homeschool’ is as much an oxymoron as I have ever seen. Think about it. Your children are with you 24/7 hours a day,constantly exploring, crafting, playing and learning. Your home has become their playground and because of this, keeping things in their places can be quite a challenge....
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Jan 9, 2011, 3:40 pm
If you like getting math problems in your e-mail, consider subscribing to Maria’s Math News. Maria censored newsletters out about once or twice a month, filled with interesting math problems for children of varying ages. Over at the Homeschool Classroom, Tonya reviews a touching movie, Gifted Han...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Jan 7, 2011, 7:00 am
It’s been a nice week and we are slowly picking up the pace. While I strongly support the unschooling movement, I sometimes worry that my daughters may not be getting what they really need. Or rather, I wonder whether they’re getting the basics they need to take off on their own. With that in ...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Jan 6, 2011, 7:16 am
I found this reading list circulating around Facebook. It has an excellent mix of old and new literature that provides people a good grounding of our Western culture. How many of these books have you read? I challenge you, and your families, to read all the books on this list. Who will be the first ...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Jan 5, 2011, 7:00 am
Building origami used to be one of my most passionate pastimes. The sheer possibilities of what you can do with a simple pieceof paper simply amazes me. This image to the right is the Black Forest cuckoo clock designed by Robert Lang.it is folded from a single sheet of paper with a ratio of 1 to 10....
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Jan 4, 2011, 7:00 am
Winter is a season where life tends to slow down, and we enter a kind of pseudo-hibernation where we, too,  slow down and become more sedentary. It’s time to embrace our slow season and make the best of it. Here are 21 activity ideas, for both indoors and out, to keep your families busy. 1. Anim...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Jan 3, 2011, 7:00 am
Yahtzee anyone? This is one game which, as a child, I spent many hours playing. Be it with my best friends or alone, I loved to fill the boxes of the gamesheet with the best rolls possible. Now that my daughters are getting older, I am starting to introduce this game to them as a way to practice th...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Jan 2, 2011, 7:02 am
Here’s what was interesting in the homeschooling webosphere this week. Unschooling Owes Schooling Nothing -Browse. Discard if we don’t like it. Embrace what excites us. Unschooling Rule #49 -”College is the hardest no-win decision your family may ever make.” Coming Out Of The Unschooling ...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Jan 1, 2011, 7:00 am
It’s the beginning of another wonderful year. I look forward to it, and all the activities and discoveries that it may bring. I want tobecome a better mother, a better teacher, a better person. What about you? Do you have New Year’s resolutions? Last year, I made a point of not having any New Y...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Dec 27, 2010, 8:28 pm
I have decided that it’s time to take a break, along with my daughters, until the new year. I want to get mentally reorganized, as well as prepare some awesome posts for the upcoming year. HIAB also needs my attention, as I have a long list of resources for you that need to be added. May end of t...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Dec 26, 2010, 6:13 pm
Merry Christmas to those of you celebrating Christmas and happy holidays to everyone else. It has been a relaxing week for me and my family, and it’s my wish that your holidays be stress free as possible. I am proud to report that my article titled “What Are The Advantages Of Homeschooling?” ...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Dec 24, 2010, 1:02 am
Studies have shown that when children are exposed to reading from as early an age as possible, they establish an essential foundation for their future literacy. I have fond memories as a child, of my mother reading to me before bedtime. I had a large library of books from Dr. Seuss, Golden books, et...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Dec 17, 2010, 12:25 pm
We’ve had quite a busy week! With practicing lots of reading and exploring their new notebook, the girls have been quite occupied! Dawn's drawing of the solar system. My little photographer! Dawn displaying her fairy puppet. Learning to cook eggs in the microwave. Emily made s...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Dec 15, 2010, 6:27 pm
YouTube has some amazing stories perfect for the Christmas season that have been produced by some very creative individuals. Here are our favorites! Rudolph’s Birthday T’was The Night Before Christmas How Santa Created Santa’s Village The Little Lamb
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Dec 5, 2010, 10:39 pm
Welcome to a new feature here at Practical Homeschooling: Sunday round-ups. Each week, you will get an update to what is going on online and in the news. Kiana Krenz discusses how she manages to homeschool with a tiny newborn in the house in Homeschooling With A Newborn. Rachman reports a news cli...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Dec 3, 2010, 7:53 pm
The girls have been up and about having a fantastic time playing and exploring. Opening a can of stew for lunch. Emily's turn! Into the bowl it goes! Dawn made her own earrings with an elastic and some beads! Making peanut-butter rice squares. Trying on mom's make-up. Daw...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Dec 2, 2010, 5:35 pm
If your children enjoy Rice Krispy squares, they’ll be sure to LOVE this peanut-butter version (pending any peanut allergies, of course). They are easy to make and require minimal help from the parents. Younger children can feel proud that they made these all by themselves! You will need: 1-250g...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Nov 18, 2010, 1:21 pm
As I already mentioned in The Underground History Of American Education posted last week, I have a lot of admiration for John Gatto. He takes the so-called modern education by the thorns and wrestles it to the ground. What does this have to with homeschooling? Several things, as a matter of fact....
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Nov 15, 2010, 6:55 pm
My little shutterbug! My little girls are born artists. They are like me in that they can’t pass by any form of artistic medium without having to have a go at it. This definitely includes cameras. Since they were old enough to talk, both Dawn and Emily have constantly begged me to use my cameras...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Nov 14, 2010, 9:36 pm
A free e-book by John Taylor Gatto Two-time Teacher Of The Year for the state of New-York, John Taylor Gatto, shocked the teachersphere when, at his acceptance speech, he began to scorn modern educational practices and called for a reform in the way we educate our children. He is an ardent support...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Nov 8, 2010, 9:18 pm
One of the local homeschooling mothers (thanks Kathy!) set up a field trip for a group of homeschoolers to participate in AMAZE-ing Agriculture, a program hosted by the Edmonton Farm Fair designed for children aged 6-12. The concept is simple enough. Children are given little passports showing the ...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Nov 5, 2010, 10:03 pm
Growing up in elementary school, I was the fat kid. I was overweight and ridiculed by my classmates: for being fat, for being unathletic, for being unattractive, for being not like them. It hurt immensely, but I made a conscious effort beginning to exercise more and eat better beginning in 5th grade...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Nov 5, 2010, 8:18 pm
What a beautiful day we had today! According to The Weather Network, this is to be one of the last days before the weather starts getting err…winter-like. We started by joining our friends at the library for their used book sale. The sale is now held 4 times a year and it’s an awesome opportuni...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Nov 4, 2010, 5:40 pm
I recently read a great book for emerging readers that your children will quickly devour. The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enbright is a wonderful tale of times past when children were allowed to roam freely in packs all the whileplaying and and discovering the world around them. This is a stark contras...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Nov 3, 2010, 11:11 pm
Those of you who know me understand that I am not of the Christian persuasion. Having said that, it certainly doesn’t mean that I avoid Christmas like the plague. In fact, I embrace the spirit of Christmas that seems to bring out the best in people, especially where generosity is concerned. One p...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Nov 1, 2010, 7:42 pm
Admittedly a little belated, but understandably so, since I wanted to post some pictures. Our tradition of late has been to go trick or treating at West Edmonton Mall. It’s a safe indoor environment for the girls to get some loot and in Edmonton, no one really knows what kind of weather we’ll ...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Oct 27, 2010, 9:33 pm
A belated birthday gift arrived today in the mail for Dawn. I think that the idea of receiving a package in the mail was more exciting than what was actually in the package! Uncle Elliott sent Dawn a cute jewellery box to be decorated in mosaics. Too excited to wait, Dawn immediately set off to wo...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Oct 26, 2010, 6:56 pm
With Halloween only 5 days away, I thought I’d offer up these fantastic websites for you and your children. We are busy here gettingready for miscellaneous parties and activities and hope that you enjoy all the fun! Halloween Unit Studies The Great Halloween Unit Study Halloween Lesson Pla...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Oct 22, 2010, 2:29 pm
It’s hard to imagine my baby is getting older! Yes, I know that we our constantly getting older and that a birthday is just another day in the grand scheme of things, but it’s also a time to reflect how we have changed over the year. As Dawn constantly reminds me, being six means sheR...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Oct 15, 2010, 8:50 pm
This video seems like a good reflection of where many-a-youth seem to be headed. Watch away! My apologies to those of you receiving the email feed; you’ll have to click though to the post to view the clip.
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Oct 12, 2010, 1:25 pm
…this is how I feel some days with these two little girls. There are times I want to sit back and relax so that I can get some work done, then find myself confronted by the tornado of two active little girls who simultaneously want my attention at the same time. My solution? Bring them to vi...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Oct 11, 2010, 1:33 am
by ALIX SPIEGEL February 21, 2008 On October 3, 1955, the Mickey Mouse Club debuted on television. As we all now know, the show quickly became a cultural icon, one of those phenomena that helped define an era. What is less remembered but equally, if not more, important, is that another transform...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Oct 11, 2010, 12:11 am
Lenore over at Free-Range Kids picked up an article by the New-York Times questioning why the sale of picture books are on the decline. It seems that in their not-so-experienced opinions, many people feel that children should be practising their ‘reading skills’ asopposed to looking ...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Oct 5, 2010, 1:30 pm
A friend of mine posted this letter to a local homeschool mailing list, and I wanted to share it along with my response, hoping that you too, can share your own opinions. Hello all. I took my children out of school at the end of January last term, and have decided to home educate them. I have slow...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Oct 2, 2010, 5:27 pm
The year seems to have flown past at the speed of a blink! It’s already October and Halloween is almost at our doorstep. Help your child enter the Halloween spirit with the Great Halloween Unit Study. And in the meantime, enjoy an interpretation of this Halloween favourite,The Raven by Edgar ...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Sep 29, 2010, 1:34 pm
What I love about You Tube is that anyone can be a star. These two video clips are awesome (at least in my opinion), so I wanted to share them with you. If you know some other hilarious homeschool videos, please leave links to them in the comments section. For those of you reading this via email, ...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Sep 28, 2010, 12:00 pm
I recently discovered the power of Squidoo and have to say that in the short time I’ve been with them, I have already become addicted. The potential for homeschoolers either wanting to find, or make and distribute valuable resources, is huge! I have already created two unit studies there, with...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Sep 28, 2010, 11:53 am
I used some of the funding allocated to my daughter to purchase a camcorder. First of all, I wanted it to document some of her activities and secondly, she’s a little video/camera aficionado and wanted to see what happens when she has access to such technology from a young age. Here’s ...
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Laura B. posted an article on Practical Homeschooling - Sep 26, 2010, 8:34 pm
TED Talks brings together some awesome speakers on a variety of subjects, including education reform. TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its sc...
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