Is unschooling going too far — or is it exactly right? In this live Q&A from the Summer Homeschool Help Desk series, homeschool expert Christy-Faith pulls no punches on unschooling's real risks, curriculum overload, whether it's too late to start in high school, and what it actually takes to raise a well-educated child at home.

🎁 Free Resource: My Curriculum Recommendations
I spill the tea! No paid sponsorship placements! Grab the list, by subject, of the most reputable homeschool programs on the market (in my opinion).
👉 christy-faith.com/download-free-curriculum-recommendations

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why Christy-Faith believes pure unschooling carries real risks — and what she calls educational neglect
• The difference between unschooling, deschooling, and interest-led learning
• How to use BJU Press without doing every single thing in the curriculum
• Whether it's too late to start homeschooling in middle or high school (spoiler: it's not)
• How working moms and single moms can realistically homeschool
• What to do when your child can't spell and it's affecting their confidence
• How to source curriculum so it doesn't require you sitting next to your kid every second
• Real questions from real homeschool moms in the Summer Homeschool Help Desk

Sponsors:

BJU Press Homeschool
✔ Flexible curriculum to fit your family's needs
✔ Biblical worldview and critical thinking built in
✔ Hands-on learning for every grade level
👉 View Samples

CTC Math
✔ Get 50% off my favorite online math program
✔ Adaptive lessons so kids build confidence at their own pace
✔ Teaching, grading, and testing — all done for you!
👉 Free Trial | Get 50% Off

LearningRx
✔ Backed by 35 years of research
✔ Real long-term help with ADHD and dyslexia
✔ Strengthens attention, memory, reading, writing, and math
👉 Get $50 Off Your Cognitive Skills Assessment — use code HOME50

Summit Healthshare
✔ Save 40–60% vs. traditional health insurance
✔ See any doctor — no networks, no permission slips
✔ Free labs, office visits, prescriptions on select plans
👉 View Health Plans & Savings

Resources mentioned:

• How to Homeschool Guide — free 23-page ebook for anyone considering or just starting homeschool
• 5-Minute Homeschool Style Finder — free quiz to discover your homeschool style in under 5 minutes
• Free Curriculum Recommendations — Christy-Faith's curated list by subject, no paid placements
• Thrive Homeschool Community — Christy-Faith's membership community for homeschool moms
• The Christy-Faith List — free directory of homeschool-friendly businesses and providers

Connect with Christy-Faith:

• Instagram: @christy_faith_homeschool
• TikTok: @christy_faith
• Website: christy-faith.com
• Book: Homeschool Rising

🎧 Love the show? Follow, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen — it helps more homeschool families find us!

• (00:00) - Welcome to the Summer Homeschool Help Desk

You've been up at midnight Googling curriculum, schedule templates, and whether you're doing enough. That stops here. In this Summer Homeschool Help Desk Live Q&A, homeschool expert Christy-Faith — author of Homeschool Rising and a homeschooling mom of four who also works full time — answers real questions from real moms on curriculum choices, daily structure, living books, reading gaps, toddlers underfoot, and how to stop doing it all yourself.

🎁 Free Resource: My Curriculum Recommendations
I spill the tea! No paid sponsorship placements! Grab the list, by subject, of the most reputable homeschool programs on the market (in my opinion).
👉 christy-faith.com/download-free-curriculum-recommendations

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How working moms make homeschooling work — and why "sourcing" is the real secret
• How to choose curriculum strategically so you're not teaching every subject yourself
• Why kids need structure (backed by 70 years of child psychology research) and what it actually looks like
• How to handle naysayers and skeptics who question your homeschool decision
• How to teach history in a way kids love — spines, living books, and picture books explained
• What to do if your child is behind in reading or has a suspected learning disability
• How to manage homeschooling when you have toddlers in the house
• Why the Christy-Faith List is the homeschool resource you didn't know you needed

Sponsors:

BJU Press Homeschool
✔ Flexible curriculum to fit your family's needs
✔ Biblical worldview and critical thinking built in
✔ Hands-on learning for every grade level
👉 View Samples

CTC Math
✔ Get 50% off my favorite online math program
✔ Adaptive lessons so kids build confidence at their own pace
✔ Teaching, grading, and testing — all done for you!
👉 Free Trial | Purchase (50% off)

Summit Healthshare
✔ Save 40–60% vs. traditional health insurance
✔ See any doctor — no networks, no permission slips
✔ Free labs, office visits, prescriptions on select plans
👉 View Health Plans & Savings

Resources mentioned:

• 5-Minute Homeschool Style Finder — Free quiz to discover your homeschool style or pedagogy
• How to Homeschool Guide — Free 26-page ebook: 6 steps to get started and launch
• Free Sample Homeschool Schedules — Preschool through high school
• Free Curriculum Comparison Chart
• Free Curriculum Recommendations Download — Christy-Faith's fail-proof subject-by-subject list
• The Christy-Faith List — Free directory of homeschool-friendly businesses, doctors, and providers
• Thrive Homeschool Community — Christy-Faith's membership community for homeschool moms

Connect with Christy-Faith:

• Instagram: @christy_faith_homeschool
• TikTok: @christy_faith
• Website: christy-faith.com
• Book: Homeschool Rising

🎧 Love the show? Follow, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen — it helps more homeschool families find us!

• (00:00) - Introduction & Summer Help Desk Series

You've heard the question — maybe from a relative, a neighbor, or a stranger at a party: aren't you sheltering your kids? In this archived Summer Homeschool Help Desk live Q&A, homeschool expert Christy-Faith answers real questions from real homeschool moms and unpacks the difference between sheltering your kids and "greenhousing" them — protecting them while they grow strong. Because a strong homeschool was never about the perfect curriculum. It's about a secure, confident mom who knows her why.

🎁 Free Resource: The 5-Minute Homeschool Style Finder
There are 9 homeschool styles — and when you know yours, the curriculum, the schedule, and your whole approach finally click. Take the free quiz and find your fit.
👉 Take the Free Quiz

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The difference between sheltering your kids and "greenhousing" them
• Why a strong homeschool isn't built on the perfect curriculum
• How to become a secure, confident homeschool leader who knows her "why"
• How to handle the pressure to prove your kids are keeping up
• Why trauma doesn't build resilient adults — but healthy challenge does
• How to find your homeschool style (and why it matters before you buy curriculum)
• When reading struggles mean it's time to get an evaluation
• Real questions from real homeschool moms in the Summer Homeschool Help Desk

Sponsors:

BJU Press Homeschool
✔ Flexible curriculum to fit your family's needs
✔ Biblical worldview and critical thinking built in
✔ Hands-on learning for every grade level
👉 View Samples

CTC Math
✔ Get 50% off my favorite online math program
✔ Adaptive lessons so kids build confidence at their own pace
✔ Teaching, grading, and testing — all done for you!
👉 Free Trial
👉 Get 50% Off for Homeschool Families

LearningRx
✔ Backed by 35 years of research
✔ Real long-term help with ADHD and dyslexia
✔ Strengthens attention, memory, reading, writing, and math
👉 Get $50 Off Your Cognitive Skills Assessment — use code HOME50

True North Homeschool Academy
✔ Cognia-accredited live online and self-paced courses for grades 6–12
✔ Dual degree track or tech & trades diploma
✔ Small classes, college-ready rigor, faith-friendly environment
👉 Explore Courses & Get Started

Summit Healthshare
✔ Save 40–60% vs. traditional health insurance
✔ See any doctor — no networks, no permission slips
✔ Free labs, office visits, prescriptions on select plans
👉 View Health Plans & Savings

Resources mentioned:

• 5-Minute Homeschool Style Finder: find your homeschool style
• Thrive Homeschool Community: christy-faith.com/thrive
• Homeschool Rising (Christy-Faith's book): Homeschool Rising
• The Christy-Faith List — find homeschool-friendly providers: christy-faiths-list.com

Connect with Christy-Faith:

• Instagram: @christy_faith_homeschool
• TikTok: @christy_faith
• Website: christy-faith.com
• Book: Homeschool Rising

🎧 Love the show? Follow, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen — it helps more homeschool families find us!

• (00:00) - Welcome to the Summer Homeschool Help Desk

Is it ever too late to start homeschooling? What curriculum should you actually trust? In this episode, homeschool expert Christy-Faith opens the floor and answers the hardest questions real homeschool moms brought to her live Q&A — from homeschooling a gifted kindergartner to choosing curriculum, deschooling, and whether to school straight through the summer.

🎁 Free Resource: My Curriculum Recommendations
I spill the tea! No paid sponsorship placements! Grab the list, by subject, of the most reputable homeschool programs on the market (in my opinion).
👉 Free Download

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Whether it's ever too late to start homeschooling — even with an eleventh grader
• How to choose homeschool curriculum you can actually trust (and why Christy won't just hand you a list)
• What to do when you're homeschooling a gifted child — especially with a new baby in the house
• How to find your homeschool style so curriculum decisions get easier
• What deschooling is and why most new homeschoolers need it first
• How to keep US curriculum going when your family moves overseas
• The real case for and against homeschooling year-round vs. taking summers off
• When it makes sense to outsource the subjects that aren't your strong suit

Sponsors:

BJU Press Homeschool
✔ Flexible curriculum to fit your family's needs
✔ Biblical worldview and critical thinking built in
✔ Hands-on learning for every grade level
👉 View Samples

CTC Math
✔ Get 50% off my favorite online math program
✔ Adaptive lessons so kids build confidence at their own pace
✔ Teaching, grading, and testing — all done for you!
👉 Free Trial
👉 Purchase

Summit Healthshare
✔ Save 40–60% vs. traditional health insurance
✔ See any doctor — no networks, no permission slips
✔ Free labs, office visits, prescriptions on select plans
👉 View Health Plans & Savings

Resources mentioned:

• Free Curriculum Recommendations — Christy's by-subject list of curriculum she trusts: Free Curriculum Recommendations
• 5-Minute Homeschool Style Finder — Discover your homeschooling style in five minutes: Homeschool Style Finder
• How to Homeschool Guide — Christy's free getting-started guide: How to Homeschool Guide
• The Christy-Faith List — Find homeschool-friendly providers: christy-faiths-list.com
• Thrive Homeschool Community: christy-faith.com/thrive

⭐ New to homeschooling? Start with Episode 101 — the New Homeschooler Series is the best place to begin.

Connect with Christy-Faith:

• Instagram: @christy_faith_homeschool
• TikTok: @christy_faith
• Website: christy-faith.com
• Book: Homeschool Rising

🎧 Love the show? Follow, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen — it helps more homeschool families find us!

• (00:00) - Introduction: Is It Ever Too Late to Start?

Before you spend another $500 on summer camp, ask one question: is boredom actually bad for your kids — or is it exactly what their growing brains need? In this episode, homeschool expert Christy-Faith makes the research-backed case that slow, unstructured, "boring" summers are one of the most powerful gifts you can give your kids. She breaks down what the science says, why their "I'm bored" makes us panic, and five simple moves for a slower, richer summer.

🎁 Free Resource: My Curriculum Recommendations
I spill the tea! Grab the list, by subject, of the most reputable homeschool programs on the market (in my opinion).
👉 Free Download

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why boredom is good for kids — and the brain science that proves it
• What the CDC found about kids, screen time, and rising anxiety and depression
• How the brain's "default mode network" fuels creativity, memory, and identity
• Why unstructured play and white space matter more than another summer camp
• The real reason your kid's "I'm bored" makes YOU feel so uncomfortable
• How sitting with boredom builds frustration tolerance and emotional regulation
• 5 practical moves for a slower, richer summer — including the "fridge list"
• The one-afternoon challenge that shows you what your kids can do on their own

Sponsors:

BJU Press Homeschool
✔ Flexible curriculum to fit your family's needs
✔ Biblical worldview and critical thinking built in
✔ Hands-on learning for every grade level
👉 View Samples

CTC Math
✔ Get 50% off my favorite online math program
✔ Adaptive lessons so kids build confidence at their own pace
✔ Teaching, grading, and testing — all done for you!
👉 Free Trial
👉 Purchase

LearningRx
✔ Backed by 35 years of research
✔ Real long-term help with ADHD and dyslexia
✔ Strengthens attention, memory, reading, writing, and math
👉 Get $50 Off Your Cognitive Skills Assessment — use code HOME50

Summit Healthshare
✔ Save 40–60% vs. traditional health insurance
✔ See any doctor — no networks, no permission slips
✔ Free labs, office visits, prescriptions on select plans
👉 View Health Plans & Savings

Resources mentioned:

• The Christy-Faith List — Find homeschool-friendly providers: christy-faiths-list.com
• Thrive Homeschool Community: christy-faith.com/thrive

Connect with Christy-Faith:

• Instagram: @christy_faith_homeschool
• TikTok: @christy_faith
• Website: christy-faith.com
• Book: Homeschool Rising

🎧 Love the show? Follow, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen — it helps more homeschool families find us!

• (00:00) - Introduction

If you've been putting off building a homeschool transcript because it feels too complicated, too official, or just too much — this episode is for you. Homeschool expert Christy-Faith sits down with Joan Girkins, founder of Homeschool Records and a veteran homeschool mom of 20+ years, to demystify the entire process and give you a real, confidence-building action plan.

🎁 Free Resource: My Curriculum Recommendations
I spill the tea! No paid sponsorship placements! Grab the list, by subject, of the most reputable homeschool programs on the market (in my opinion).
👉 christy-faith.com/download-free-curriculum-recommendations

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why keeping homeschool records matters — even if your state doesn't require it
• Whether a homeschool transcript carries the same weight as a public or private school transcript
• What "accreditation" actually means and why it's not a barrier for homeschool families
• When to start building your child's transcript (hint: 9th grade, out of the gate)
• What colleges actually want to see — and how to work backwards from their requirements
• Why record-keeping matters even if your child isn't college-bound
• How a student resume (activities, awards, achievements) can open doors to military academies, scholarships, and more
• How Homeschool Records' guided platform teaches you how to build a transcript as you go
• What to do if you've been homeschooling for years with zero paper trail
• The exclusive listener coupon code — use CHRISTYFAITH for 20% off + free trial at Homeschool Records

Sponsors:

BJU Press Homeschool
✔ Flexible curriculum to fit your family's needs
✔ Biblical worldview and critical thinking built in
✔ Hands-on learning for every grade level
👉 View Samples

CTC Math
✔ Get 50% off my favorite online math program
✔ Adaptive lessons so kids build confidence at their own pace
✔ Teaching, grading, and testing — all done for you!
👉 Free Trial
👉 Purchase

Summit Healthshare
✔ Save 40–60% vs. traditional health insurance
✔ See any doctor — no networks, no permission slips
✔ Free labs, office visits, prescriptions on select plans
👉 View Health Plans & Savings

Resources mentioned:

• Homeschool Records — Joan's guided platform for professional transcripts & student resumes. Free trial + use code CHRISTYFAITH for 20% off: homeschoolrecords.com
• Solid Rock Consulting Services — Joan's consulting firm: solidrockconsultingservices.com
• The Christy-Faith List — Find homeschool-friendly providers: christy-faiths-list.com
• Thrive Homeschool Community: christy-faith.com/thrive

About our guest:

Joan Girkins is a veteran homeschool mom who homeschooled all four of her children for over 20 years and is now watching her grandchildren be homeschooled. She is the founder of Homeschool Records, a guided online platform that teaches parents how to build professional transcripts, student resumes, and complete academic documentation — step by step, as they go.
👉 homeschoolrecords.com

Connect with Christy-Faith:

• Instagram: @christy_faith_homeschool
• TikTok: @christy_faith
• Website: christy-faith.com
• Book: Homeschool Rising

🎧 Love the show? Follow, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen — it helps more homeschool families find us!

• (00:00) - Introduction & Why Homeschool Records Matter

You're homeschooling a five-year-old, chasing a toddler, and surviving on whatever broken sleep your baby will give you. The advice you were raised on — cry it out, Ferber method, strict schedules — may not be sitting right anymore. So what do you actually do? Natalie Diaz, founder of Twiniversity and Certified IBCLC, brings nearly two decades of one-on-one experience with exhausted moms to answer that question — gently, practically, and without shame.

🎁 Free Resource: My Curriculum Recommendations
I spill the tea! No paid sponsorship placements! Grab the list, by subject, of the most reputable homeschool programs on the market (in my opinion).
👉 christy-faith.com/download-free-curriculum-recommendations

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why sleep training advice shifted so dramatically — and what the science now says
• The real reasons your baby isn't sleeping (and how to work through the checklist)
• Natalie's step-by-step approach for the mom who won't do cry-it-out but desperately needs sleep
• Why "sleepy gets sleep" is actually true — and how to use it to your advantage
• How breastfeeding and sleep are connected in ways most books get dangerously wrong
• The 3-hour chunk method for surviving newborn life without losing yourself
• What husbands and pediatricians consistently miss about mom exhaustion
• How to protect your marriage through the sleepless seasons — before resentment builds

Sponsors:

BJU Press Homeschool
✔ Flexible curriculum to fit your family's needs
✔ Biblical worldview and critical thinking built in
✔ Hands-on learning for every grade level
👉 Visit bjupresshomeschool.com/christy

CTC Math
✔ Get 50% off my favorite online math program
✔ Adaptive lessons so kids build confidence at their own pace
✔ Teaching, grading, and testing — all done for you!
👉 Free Trial
👉 Purchase

LearningRx
✔ Individualized brain training to strengthen focus, memory, and processing speed
✔ Real results for struggling learners of all ages
👉 Visit learningrx.com

True North Homeschool Academy
✔ Live, online classes taught by expert teachers
✔ Designed specifically for homeschool families
👉 Visit truenorthhomeschool.academy

Summit Healthshare
✔ Save 40–60% vs. traditional health insurance
✔ See any doctor — no networks, no permission slips
✔ Free labs, office visits, prescriptions on select plans
👉 Visit summithealthshare.com/cf

Resources mentioned:

• Twiniversity — global resource hub for twin families: twiniversity.com
• Tiny New Yorkers — Natalie's personal IBCLC services (covered by many insurance plans): tinynewyorkers.com
• What to Do When You're Having Two (book): Amazon link
• The Newborn Twin Sleep Guide (book): Amazon link
• The Twiniversity Podcast: Spotify | YouTube
• The Christy-Faith List — Find homeschool-friendly providers: christy-faiths-list.com
• Thrive Homeschool Community: christy-faith.com/thrive

About our guest:

Natalie Diaz is the founder of Twiniversity, a Certified IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), author, and podcast host with nearly two decades of experience working one-on-one with moms through newborn nights, feeding struggles, and the depletion that doesn't lift. A twin mom herself, she founded Twiniversity in 2009 and built it into a platform reaching over one million people weekly in more than 100 countries. She is the author of What to Do When You're Having Two and The Newborn Twin Sleep Guide, and the host of The Twiniversity Podcast. Her personal IBCLC practice, Tiny New Yorkers, is covered by many insurance plans throughout the United States.
👉 twiniversity.com
👉 tinynewyorkers.com

Connect with Christy-Faith:

• Instagram: @christy_faith_homeschool
• TikTok: @christy_faith
• Website: christy-faith.com
• Book: Homeschool Rising

🎧 Love the show? Follow, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen — it helps more homeschool families find us!

• (00:00) - Welcome and Sleep Shift

You counted the lessons left. You counted the days left. The math doesn't work — and now that quiet voice is asking if you've ruined your kids. Homeschool expert Christy-Faith has been there. In this episode, she gives you the framework she uses every single year with her own kids so you never panic about unfinished curriculum again.

🎁 Free Resource: My Curriculum Recommendations
I spill the tea! No paid sponsorship placements! Grab the list, by subject, of the most reputable homeschool programs on the market (in my opinion).
👉 christy-faith.com/download-free-curriculum-recommendations

🎁 Free Printable Notecard: "The scope and sequence is not a contract. It's a menu."
Download this beautiful, ready-to-print notecard featuring this episode's quote of the week.
👉 Free Download

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why an unfinished curriculum is not a sign of failure — and what it actually means
• The mindset shift that ends the panic for good (it starts with one question)
• What curriculum is actually for — and why finishing it was never the point
• How to sort every subject into skill-based vs. content-based — and why it changes everything
• Exactly what to keep going, what to park until next year, and what to skip entirely
• How to build an actual end-of-year plan in under 30 minutes
• The "ghost metric" haunting your homeschool — and how to fire it
• The quote of the week: why the scope and sequence is a menu, not a contract

Sponsors:

BJU Press Homeschool
✔ Flexible curriculum to fit your family's needs
✔ Biblical worldview and critical thinking built in
✔ Hands-on learning for every grade level
👉 View Samples

CTC Math
✔ Get 50% off my favorite online math program
✔ Adaptive lessons so kids build confidence at their own pace
✔ Teaching, grading, and testing — all done for you!
👉 Free Trial
👉 Purchase

Azure Standard
✔ Homeschool-family-owned company
✔ Organic, natural, and non-GMO groceries, health, home, and garden products
✔ All vetted to be free of harmful preservatives, food colorings, chemicals, and pesticides
✔ Use code CHRISTYFAITH15 for 15% off your first order
👉 Browse Azure's Grocery, Health & Home Products

Summit Healthshare
✔ Save 40–60% vs. traditional health insurance
✔ See any doctor — no networks, no permission slips
✔ Free labs, office visits, prescriptions on select plans
👉 View Health Plans & Savings

Resources mentioned:

• Free Printable Notecard — "The scope and sequence is not a contract. It's a menu.": Free Download
• The Christy-Faith List — Find homeschool-friendly providers: christy-faiths-list.com
• Thrive Homeschool Community: christy-faith.com/thrive

Episodes mentioned in this episode:

• Episode 64 — If you're feeling generally overwhelmed, start here
• Episode 88 — The liberation episode: all the things homeschool moms don't need to care about
• Episode 70 — If curriculum decisions are weighing on you right now

Connect with Christy-Faith:

• Instagram: @christy_faith_homeschool
• TikTok: @christy_faith
• Website: christy-faith.com
• Book: Homeschool Rising

🎧 Love the show? Follow, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen — it helps more homeschool families find us!

• (00:00) - Introduction

Your child reads beautifully out loud — but ask them what just happened in the story, and you get a blank stare. That's the gap most homeschool moms don't catch until it's too late.

In Episode 115, homeschool expert Christy-Faith sits down with educational therapist Janel Nansenn — founder of Read-A-Rific and a 25-year private practice veteran who has helped over 3,000 students — to break down the reading comprehension gap most families don't catch until fourth grade, when the doors really start closing.

🎁 Free Resource: My Curriculum Recommendations
I spill the tea! No paid sponsorship placements! Grab the list, by subject, of the most reputable homeschool programs on the market (in my opinion).

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What the Matthew effect is — and why it's the silent reason struggling readers fall further behind every year
• The critical difference between reading fluency and reading comprehension (and why fluent readers can still have huge gaps)
• The single skill underneath strong reading comprehension — concept visualization — and why most curricula skip it entirely
• The real reason kids say "reading is boring" (it's not laziness)
• The red flags that signal a comprehension problem before it tanks your child's confidence
• Comprehension-rich activities every homeschool mom should be doing — even if your child is already a strong reader
• How to evaluate whether a reading curriculum actually teaches comprehension or just tests it
• Why visualization is the bridge to math word problems, writing, vocabulary, and every other subject

Sponsors:

BJU Press Homeschool
✔ Flexible curriculum to fit your family's needs
✔ Biblical worldview and critical thinking built in
✔ Hands-on learning for every grade level
👉 View Samples

CTC Math
✔ Get 50% off my favorite online math program
✔ Adaptive lessons so kids build confidence at their own pace
✔ Teaching, grading, and testing — all done for you!
👉 Free Trial
👉 Purchase

LearningRx
✔ Backed by 35 years of research
✔ Real long-term help with ADHD and dyslexia
✔ Strengthens attention, memory, reading, writing, and math
Use code HOME50 for $50 off your cognitive skills assessment
👉 Get $50 Off Your Cognitive Skills Assessment

Summit Healthshare
✔ Save 40–60% vs. traditional health insurance
✔ See any doctor — no networks, no permission slips
✔ Free labs, office visits, prescriptions on select plans
👉 View Health Plans & Savings

Resources mentioned:

• Free symptoms checklist for weak visualization skills: readarific.com
• The Christy-Faith List — Find homeschool-friendly providers: christy-faiths-list.com
• Thrive Homeschool Community: christy-faith.com/thrive

About our guest:

Janel Nansenn is an educational therapist with a master's degree in speech-language pathology and audiology, and the founder of Read-A-Rific. With nearly 25 years in private practice, she has helped over 3,000 students of all ages become independent, confident learners by addressing the root cause of reading comprehension struggles: weak concept visualization.
👉 readarific.com

Connect with Christy-Faith:

• Instagram: @christy_faith_homeschool
• TikTok: @christy_faith
• Website: christy-faith.com
• Book: Homeschool Rising

🎧 Love the show? Follow, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen — it helps more homeschool families find us!

• (00:00) - The Matthew effect — why reading comprehension is the quiet worry

If your kid hates writing, you're not alone — and the problem usually isn't the kid. It's that we were never shown the actual process. In this episode, Christy-Faith sits down with veteran teacher and BJU Press curriculum specialist Sharon Fisher to walk through the four-stage writing process homeschool moms have been missing — and the one mistake that quietly kills your child's voice every time you sit down to write.

🎁 Free Resource: My Curriculum Recommendations
I spill the tea! No paid sponsorship placements! Grab the list, by subject, of the most reputable homeschool programs on the market (in my opinion).
👉 Free Download

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why writing is a process, not an event — and what that mindset shift changes
• The four stages of the writing process and why mashing them together backfires
• Why correcting spelling during drafting is the fastest way to make your kid hate writing
• The "brain dump" technique that protects your child's creativity
• The critical difference between revising and editing (most moms combine them — don't)
• How to teach writing as a skills-based progression, not a content-completion checklist
• Why two or three really good writing projects a year beats ten rushed ones
• The best writing curriculum for homeschool families and what makes it different

Sponsors:

BJU Press Homeschool
✔ Flexible curriculum to fit your family's needs
✔ Biblical worldview and critical thinking built in
✔ Hands-on learning for every grade level
👉 View Samples

CTC Math
✔ Get 50% off my favorite online math program
✔ Adaptive lessons so kids build confidence at their own pace
✔ Teaching, grading, and testing — all done for you!
👉 Free Trial
👉 Purchase

LearningRx
✔ Backed by 35 years of research
✔ Real long-term help with ADHD and dyslexia
✔ Strengthens attention, memory, reading, writing, and math
✔ Use code HOME50 for $50 off your cognitive skills assessment
👉 Get $50 Off Your Cognitive Skills Assessment

Summit Healthshare
✔ Save 40–60% vs. traditional health insurance
✔ See any doctor — no networks, no permission slips
✔ Free labs, office visits, prescriptions on select plans
👉 View Health Plans & Savings

Resources mentioned:

• BJU Press Homeschool Writing Curriculum: View Samples
• The Christy-Faith List — Find homeschool-friendly providers: Browse the directory
• Thrive Homeschool Community: Join Thrive

About our guest:

Sharon Fisher is a wife, mother, and grandmother passionate about helping homeschool parents and Christian educators teach with excellence and a biblical worldview. She holds a B.S. and M.A. in Elementary Education and brings years of full-time elementary classroom experience plus her work as a former elementary author for BJU Press. Sharon presents teaching workshops nationally and internationally, and currently serves as Social Media Coordinator, Workshop Speaker, Blog Writer, and Curriculum Specialist.
👉 Visit BJU Press Homeschool

Connect with Christy-Faith:

• Instagram: @christy_faith_homeschool
• TikTok: @christy_faith
• Website: christy-faith.com
• Book: Homeschool Rising

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• (00:00) - Introduction — Why writing is hard to teach