Catherine Hays, Author at Oak Meadow | Providers of Exceptional Homeschool Curriculum

Valentines Day Printables

Valentine’s Day is a special time of year when we show love and appreciation to the important people in our lives. As homeschooling parents, it’s a great opportunity to celebrate and create memories with your children. That’s why we’re excited to share these fun and educational Valentine’s Day printable activities! Valentine’s Day Printable Activities Designed

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How to Motivate Your Homeschool Student (and Keep Learning Fun!)

Without the structure of a school day and a physical classroom environment, homeschooling families often need to find creative ways to stay motivated and keep their learning moving forward. Luckily, with the flexibility of homeschooling, there are plenty of ways to keep your student engaged in their work while still having fun! Here are some

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Negotiating the January Panic: Tips for Catching Up Mid-Year

By Gabe Moss, Oak Meadow High School Teacher Many families return from their winter holidays to an unpleasant surprise: the fact that their students are weeks behind in some or even all of their courses. This situation, while worrying, is neither unusual nor irredeemable: the “January Panic” is a common feature in the ebb and

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Summer Reading List 2022 for Families & Students K-8

Summer, or any break from formal schooling, is a great time to slow down and encourage children to read just for fun! Our K-8 teachers are constantly discovering new books and literature, and they love sharing their recommendations with Oak Meadow community. This summer reading list can be used to supplement your homeschool curriculum or

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Hot Cocoa Bombs & Homeschooling

The winter days in Vermont are blustery and bitter cold, but they can also be bright and beautiful with blue skies making the snow sparkle. Outdoor winter activities abound (if one dresses properly!) and of course homeschooling takes center stage indoors. But sometimes when the temperatures are in the negative double digits, even the sun

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Fall Scavenger Hunt

This scavenger hunt was originally featured in the Fall 2021 issue of Living Education. For an activity the whole family can enjoy together, try a scavenger hunt. You can make a list of items to find and have people pair up to see which team can find everything on the list first. Or you can

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Felting Wool Roving

Over 10,000 years ago, wool became one of humanity’s greatest products. Rugs, blankets, and nearly every type of clothing can be made with sheep’s wool. Winter hats and mittens are made using wool because of how dense and warm it can be. Wool can grow to be so thick, farmers need to shear their sheep

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How long is a typical homeschool day?

Many homeschooling families wonder how long a typical homeschool day should be. The answer is that this varies for each student and each family, and will change as the child gets older. In the early grades, the parent is completely involved in the learning process, but as the child moves through the grades, more and

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Summer Reading List 2021 for Families & Students K-8

Our K-8 teachers are always reading, and they love sharing their recommendations with Oak Meadow families! These summer reading books can be used to supplement your homeschool curriculum or as a nice break from day to day schooling. While we order these books by grade level, keep in mind that these are just suggestions —

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Teaching Reading & Writing: Oak Meadow’s Approach

In the early grades (K-2), Oak Meadow’s primary focus in language arts is building a strong foundation of skills needed for reading and writing. Our approach is gentle and no-pressure; we believe children begin to read and write when they are ready. The development of literacy is a complex task that involves two primary skills:

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