Homeschool is a Work of Heart

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Who says everything we do as homeschool families needs to be educational? Sometimes the best thing we can do is simply have FUN together!

In this lighthearted episode of Homeschool Is a Work of Heart, Melissa shares seven creative, affordable fall family activities that will inspire laughter and create lasting memories.

From hilarious pumpkin head photoshoots and surprise Boo Baskets to questionable pumpkin spice taste tests, thrift store art makeovers, and backyard Fall Olympics, there's something for every family!

Plus, hear how one silly family taste test turned into an unforgettable announcement and why some of our favorite family memories come from the moments that don't go quite as planned.

🍂 Your challenge? Choose just ONE idea and make it happen this week. No elaborate planning, no Pinterest perfection, and absolutely no pressure to turn it into a lesson!

Because childhood doesn't last forever, and sometimes the best homeschool days are the ones spent simply enjoying each other.

Write On!

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Are you helping your child too much? Or maybe not enough?

Recently, I surveyed homeschool parents, and one concern came up more than any other: How much should I be helping my child with their schoolwork?

Should you sit beside them? Explain something again? Let them struggle? And when should they be able to work independently?

In today's episode of Homeschool Is a Work of Heart, we're exploring the difference between teaching, helping, and doing the work for our children. I'll share a research-supported teaching approach and three important questions to help you recognize when to step in and when to step back.

Raising independent learners doesn't mean leaving them to figure everything out on their own, but helping too much is also problematic. Let's talk about it.  

Write on!

Mentioned in this Week's Episode

📚Better Learning Through Structured Teaching

Better Learning Through Structured Teaching is a professional education book that improves classroom instruction through intentional lesson design and evidence-based teaching practices. The third edition, by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey, updates the authors' framework with current research, practical classroom examples, and strategies that support student learning across grade levels and subject areas.

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What’s working in your homeschool right now? And what isn’t?

By October, you’ve collected enough data to know. The question is whether you’re willing to own what that data says.

In this episode of Homeschool is a Work of Heart, Melissa challenges homeschool parents to own both their wins and their struggles without slipping into guilt or shame. Sometimes “we don’t have time” or “this just isn’t working” sounds like a fact when what we really need to do is stop and ask two simple words: But why?

You’ll discover why planning doesn’t have to take away the freedom and spontaneity you love about homeschooling. In fact, a good plan may actually create more of it.

Melissa also explores the research behind implementation intentions, why good intentions alone often aren’t enough, and how putting important priorities on the calendar can help turn “we need to do this” into “we’re actually doing this.”

This week, grab your journal and identify one homeschool win and one homeschool loss. Then ask yourself: What part of this belongs to me?

Because a plan is not a prison. And when we take ownership of what’s working and what isn’t, we give ourselves the power to make meaningful changes.

Write on!

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Have you ever ended a homeschool day thinking, “We’re so behind,” “I’m not doing enough,” or even, “Maybe I’m just not very good at this”?

I’ve been thinking about how easily we confuse the facts of our homeschool with the stories we tell ourselves about those facts. 

• Math took longer than planned. 
• We didn’t get to science. 
• My child still needs my help. 

Those may be facts. But “I’m failing”? That’s a thought.

In this episode, I’m challenging you to separate the two. I’ll show you how to identify what actually happened, notice the thoughts you may be attaching to it, and ask one question that can completely change your perspective: How am I choosing to think about this?

We chose homeschooling for a reason, and we don't need to bring the school system’s measuring stick home with us.

Write on!

Mentioned in this Episode

🔗 Free Parent Training Webinar

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What if your child doesn’t actually hate writing? What if they hate guessing?

In this episode, I’m taking you back to sixth grade and a writing assignment I’ve remembered for decades. I was told to revise my paper, but there was one big problem: I had absolutely no idea how to revise it. That experience changed how I felt about writing and, years later, shaped how I would teach it. 

I’ll share the simple S.T.A.R. revision method I now teach young writers and show you why giving our children a clear, structured process can make such a difference. S.T.A.R. gives students four concrete revision choices: Substitute, Take Out, Add, and Rearrange. 

If you’ve ever told your child to “add more detail,” “make this stronger,” or “revise this” only to get a blank stare, this episode is for you. Sometimes our kids don’t need lower expectations. They need us to make the invisible visible. 

And be sure to grab my free S.T.A.R. Revision Tool below.

Write on!

Mentioned in this Episode:

🔗 S.T.A.R. Revision Tool Handout

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What does it mean to homeschool in 2026?

After more than 20 years in the homeschool world, I’ve noticed something: when a parent tells me, “We homeschool,” I still don’t know much about what learning actually looks like in their home.

Some parents teach nearly every subject themselves. Others outsource a few subjects, join co-ops, hire tutors, or use online classes. And some children complete nearly all of their schooling independently through online programs. They all call themselves homeschoolers, but their day-to-day experiences can look very different.

In this episode, I’m exploring the changing homeschool landscape and asking a question I think matters more than ever: What role do you want to play in your child’s education?

I’ll share my thoughts on parent-directed and provider-directed homeschooling, outsourcing instruction, building independence, and why I believe parent engagement still matters.

Most importantly, whether you are an experienced veteran or brand new to the homeschool world, I want to help you consider whether the homeschool you’re living today is the homeschool you intentionally set out to create.

Write on!

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What does a family camping trip have to do with teaching your child to write an essay? More than you might think!

Just like you wouldn’t arrive at a campsite without packing first, young writers shouldn’t be expected to sit down and simply “start writing.” 

Good writing begins with thinking, researching, gathering ideas, taking notes, and organizing those thoughts before the first paragraph is ever written.

In this episode, Melissa walks through the writing process using a camping trip as a surprisingly perfect analogy. From packing and enjoying the adventure to coming home and tackling the dirty laundry, each stage has a writing counterpart.

You’ll also discover why revising and editing aren’t signs that a child did something wrong. They’re simply what good writers do.

Because ultimately, we aren’t teaching children to write essays just to write essays. We’re teaching them to think clearly, support their ideas, organize their thoughts, communicate effectively, and tackle hard things with confidence.

So pack your bags. We’re going camping!

Write on!

Mentioned in this Episode

🔗 WOW Writing Programs

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When your child says, “This is hard,” is your first instinct to find something easier?

We expect kids to struggle when they learn the piano, take up a new sport, or master a new skill. We know practice, frustration, and even failure are part of the process. 

So why are we sometimes so quick to lower the bar when academics get hard?

In this episode, Melissa challenges homeschool parents to rethink struggle and consider the power of high standards paired with high support. 

You’ll learn how to recognize the difference between hard and too hard, why support shouldn’t become rescue, and how to help your child push through appropriate challenges without simply lowering expectations.

Sometimes our kids don’t need a smaller mountain. They need us to climb alongside them.

Write on!

Mentioned in this Week's Episode

🎙️Podcast: The Huberman Lab: How to Accelerate Learning

📚Book: 10-25: The Science of Motivating Young People by David Yeager

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It’s August. The curriculum is new, the schedule looked much better on paper, the kids are still figuring things out, and you may already be wondering: Did I get this wrong?

Before you change everything, take a closer look at what these first few weeks are actually giving you: data, not a verdict.

In this helpful and encouraging episode, Melissa reminds homeschool parents that a rocky beginning doesn’t predict the rest of the school year. Confusion can simply be information. New routines often take longer before they take less time. And something can be hard without being too hard.

You’ll hear three simple thoughts to help you evaluate what’s working, notice what isn’t, and make thoughtful adjustments without abandoning good things too quickly.

If your homeschool year hasn’t started quite as smoothly as you imagined, this episode is for you. Give yourself and your children time to learn the new route.

August is data. It is not a verdict on the year ahead.

Write on!

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After more than 30 years of teaching writing, I’ve seen the same mistakes trip families up again and again. And most of them come from parents who are genuinely trying to do the right thing.

In this episode, I’m sharing the seven biggest writing mistakes I see homeschool families make and, more importantly, what to do instead.

We’ll talk about why you don’t need to wait until your child is older to begin writing, why spelling and grammar don’t have to come first, why young writers need coaching before independence, and why simply writing more doesn’t necessarily create a stronger writer. I’ll also explain why the writing process deserves just as much attention as the finished product, why strong writers are made rather than born, and why constantly searching for the “perfect” curriculum may actually be slowing your child’s progress.

If writing has felt frustrating, confusing, or harder than it should be in your homeschool, this episode will help you simplify your approach and focus on what really builds confident writers: clear instruction, a repeatable process, encouragement, and practice.

Because every confident writer started as a beginner. We’re looking for progress, not perfection, one sentence at a time.

Write On!

Mentioned in This Episode

🔗 WOW Writers Clubhouse - Sign-Up Form