True North Homeschool Podcast

What does our homeschool space actually look like after 9 years of homeschooling? Spoiler: it’s not a Pinterest-perfect homeschool room! 😂

When we first started homeschooling, our setup was completely different. Alexie worked at the dining table while Zoe sat in her high chair with playdough and markers. Eventually, we moved the girls into one bedroom and turned the bigger room into a dedicated homeschool room and playroom.

We used it for about a year… and then somehow, we drifted right back to the dining room table. And we’ve stayed there for most of the last five years!

In this video, I’ll show you our realistic homeschool space, why we homeschool at the dining room table, and how we organize all our homeschool supplies without a dedicated homeschool room.

Our dining room has become our main homeschool space, and honestly, it works really well for us!

0:00 Intro
1:46 When we first started
6:41 Our dining room table
What's in our homeschool space?
8:30 Our repurposed desk 
11:11 Our 3-tier homeschool cart 
12:31 Our art supply basket 
13:46 Dry-erase board 
14:51 Chart paper
16:01 Bookshelves
16:50 iPad 
17:52 Outro

After years of homeschooling, I’ve learned that you don’t need a dedicated homeschool room to homeschool successfully. You don't need a perfectly organized space, matching furniture, or an entire room filled with curriculum.

For us, 95% of the homeschool magic happens right here at the dining room table. The other 5% happens on the couch with movies and documentaries, or out on field trips!

If you’re setting up a homeschool space, moving away from a traditional homeschool room, or wondering how to homeschool in a small space, I hope this gives you some realistic inspiration.

Join my channel with a membership! ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@truenorthhomeschoolca

#homeschoolroom #TrueNorthHomeschool #Homeschooling

What does a homeschool week actually look like? In this video, I’m breaking down our homeschool weekly schedule, including what we do each day for school, activities, chores, meals, errands, and family time.

With a new school year, it’s a great time to take a look at your weekly homeschool routine and make sure it still works for your family. I also recommend doing a schedule check-in 2–4 times throughout the year, because what works in September might not work in January!

Of course, this is our schedule—a custom homeschool routine built around our family, our commitments, and the activities we’re involved in. Take the ideas that work for you, borrow what you like, and leave the rest!

0:00 Intro
3:06 Monday
8:15 Tuesday
10:45 Wednesday
11:56 Thursday
13:03 Friday
18:02 Outro

One of the things I love about homeschooling is that our schedule can be built around our actual life instead of trying to squeeze our life into a traditional school schedule.
If you're creating or updating your own homeschool weekly schedule, I hope this gives you some ideas for balancing academics, activities, chores, errands, rest, and family time.

🇨🇦 True North Homeschool — Canadian homeschool curriculum, resources, and support for homeschooling families.

Join my channel with a membership! ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@truenorthhomeschoolca

#weeklyschedule #TrueNorthHomeschool #Homeschooling

How do you actually plan out a month of homeschool without making yourself crazy? 😅 In this video, I’m sitting down to plan our first month of the homeschool year and showing you exactly how I approach it.

I don’t plan every single page or minute of our homeschool day. 

Instead, I focus on pacing our lessons and making sure everything fits into the month while leaving us plenty of room for real life.

Here’s what I’m planning:

0:00 Intro
3:18 Start with the things we can’t change 
5:33 Plan our novel reading 
8:32 Pace our unit studies 
10:18 Art and Music Lessons
11:04 Copywork & annotated passage - language and writing 
12:44 Plan math 
13:41 Celebration Events - Book Parties & Tea Times
15:54 Meal plan around our schedule 
18:50 Outro

The planner shown in this video is available here: 

Colour PDF: https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/product-page/copy-of-homeschool-planner-academic-calendar-2

Black and White PDF: https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/product-page/homeschool-planner-academic-calendar-black-white 

My goal with homeschool planning is not to create a perfect schedule. It’s to have a general plan for where we’re going so that I’m not constantly wondering, “What are we supposed to be doing today?”

If you’re getting ready to start a new homeschool year, hopefully this gives you a simple way to plan your first month without overplanning every minute of your day!

Join my channel with a membership! ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@truenorthhomeschoolca

#HomeschoolPlanning #TrueNorthHomeschool #Homeschooling

How do you actually plan out a month of homeschool without making yourself crazy? 😅 In this video, I’m sitting down to plan our first month of the homeschool year and showing you exactly how I approach it.

I don’t plan every single page or minute of our homeschool day. 

Instead, I focus on pacing our lessons and making sure everything fits into the month while leaving us plenty of room for real life.

Here’s what I’m planning:

0:00 Intro
3:18 Start with the things we can’t change 
5:33 Plan our novel reading 
8:32 Pace our unit studies 
10:18 Art and Music Lessons
11:04 Copywork & annotated passage - language and writing 
12:44 Plan math 
13:41 Celebration Events - Book Parties & Tea Times
15:54 Meal plan around our schedule 
18:50 Outro

The planner shown in this video is available here: 

Colour PDF: https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/product-page/copy-of-homeschool-planner-academic-calendar-2

Black and White PDF: https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/product-page/homeschool-planner-academic-calendar-black-white 

My goal with homeschool planning is not to create a perfect schedule. It’s to have a general plan for where we’re going so that I’m not constantly wondering, “What are we supposed to be doing today?”

If you’re getting ready to start a new homeschool year, hopefully this gives you a simple way to plan your first month without overplanning every minute of your day!

Join my channel with a membership! ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@truenorthhomeschoolca

#HomeschoolPlanning #TrueNorthHomeschool #Homeschooling

I LOVE back-to-school shopping! 📚✏️ And as a self-proclaimed stationery junkie, getting ready for a new homeschool year is one of my favourite parts of the year.

But before I went shopping, I did something important: I checked what we already had at home! There’s no reason to buy another package of pencils when you already have three sitting in a drawer. 😉

In this homeschool back-to-school haul, I’m showing you what we already had, what I decided we actually needed, and everything I picked up for the upcoming homeschool year.

0:00 Intro
6:58 Walmart Shopping
13:32 Dollarstore shopping
14:42 Haul
24:02 Outro

I hope this gives you some ideas for your own homeschool back-to-school shopping and, more importantly, reminds you that you don't need to buy everything new every September. Shop your house first, figure out what you actually use, and then fill in the gaps!

If you’re getting ready for a new homeschool year, be sure to subscribe for more homeschool planning, homeschool supplies, curriculum, homeschool organization, back-to-school prep, and realistic homeschool life from a Canadian homeschool mom.

Join my channel with a membership! ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@truenorthhomeschoolca

#backtoschoolhaul #TrueNorthHomeschool #homeschooling 

Pencil end Erasers: https://link.amazon/B07UeKWIW
28lbs stock paper: https://link.amazon/B0iuNTB5U 
* Staples did have the paper on sale, so I got mine there this year.

If you’re homeschooling for the very first time, this video is for you!

Starting homeschooling can feel incredibly overwhelming. There’s no single roadmap, no one-size-fits-all homeschool, and it can seem like everyone has a different opinion about what you “should” be doing.

But you don’t have to figure it all out at once.

In this video, I’m sharing 7 practical tips for new homeschoolers to help you start homeschooling with confidence—without trying to recreate traditional school at home or overwhelm yourself with curriculum, schedules, and activities.

📚 In This Video
00:00 Intro
01:43 Take a Breath
03:57 Learn Your Local Homeschooling Rules
05:01 Start Simple
8:34 Read Together
10:22 Don’t Try to Recreate School
12:43 Find Your Community
15:08 Be Realistic
18:25 Outro

If you’re a new homeschooler, considering homeschooling, or preparing for your first homeschool year, I hope this gives you permission to slow down, keep things simple, and remember that you don't have to have it all figured out on day one.

Interested in Homeschool Coaching? https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/book-online

Welcome to True North Homeschool! 🇨🇦
I’m Amanda, a Canadian homeschool mom and former teacher sharing practical homeschool advice, curriculum, encouragement, and resources to help make homeschooling feel a little less overwhelming.
SUBSCRIBE for more homeschool tips, curriculum ideas, planning help, and encouragement for Canadian homeschool families.

Dumbing Us Down: https://link.amazon/B0fBfwRgX 

Brave Learner: https://link.amazon/B0hjshoZQ 

Join my channel with a membership! ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@truenorthhomeschoolca

#homeschooltips  #TrueNorthHomeschool #Homeschooling

Welcome back to another season of homeschooling! 🎉 After a busy summer behind the scenes, I’m so excited to officially introduce True North Homeschool — our new name, new look, and a whole lot of new things coming your way!

In this video, I’m catching you up on what we’ve been up to this summer, sharing why I decided to rebrand, and giving you a peek at some of the new homeschool curriculum and resources I’ve been working on.

From writing new units and relaunching our journals to family adventures, renovations, birthdays, and a very hot trip to New York City… it’s been a LOT of summer! 😂

And now, somehow, it’s already time to start thinking about a new homeschool year!

📚 In This Video
00:00 Welcome Back!
00:19 Introducing True North Homeschool
00:48 Our Very Busy Summer
10:24 Why I Rebranded
13:31 New Homeschool Curriculum
15:35 New Journals
20:15 Curriculum Plans
22:15 Bundle Sale Announcement
24:57 Outro

🎒 New for this Homeschool Year
I’ve been busy creating and organizing new resources, including:

• History of Me — a K–2 unit exploring family, identity, personal history, relationships, and personal safety https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/produ...

• Reading, Writing & Science Journals — now available again in multiple levels https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/produ...

• Homeschool Bundles — some of our most popular resources grouped together for bigger savings https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/produ...

And for this week only, you can save an extra 10% on all bundles! 🎉
If you’re getting ready for a new homeschool year, this is the perfect time to take a look!

❤️ Your Turn!
After all the summer craziness, I’m curious…
What is ONE thing you’re most excited about for your homeschool this year?
A new curriculum? A fresh routine? More field trips? Finally getting organized? Or maybe just surviving the first week? 😂
Tell me in the comments — I’d love to hear what you’re looking forward to!

Join the Happy Homeschoolers Club! ➡️    / @truenorthhomeschoolca 

#HomeschoolConsultant #TrueNorthHomeschool #Homeschooling

Summer is finally here! ☀️

One of the questions homeschoolers get asked all the time is: "Do you take the summer off?" 

In today's video, I'm sharing what summer homeschooling looks like for our family, along with our plans for travel, reading, activities, and a little bit of learning.

While we do continue some school through the summer, it's much lighter than our regular school year. Our goal is simply to keep moving forward with math, language arts, and reading while leaving plenty of room for fun, friends, and family adventures.

Intro
Summer Homeschooling routine
Summer Plans
Summer Camp
My summer goals
Outro

Summer has become one of my favourite homeschool seasons because it gives us the flexibility to slow down, enjoy experiences together, and focus on the things we love most.

💬 Do you homeschool through the summer or take a complete break? Let me know in the comments!

Join my channel with a membership! ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/raisingatoz/join

#summerplans  #RaisingAtoZ #Homeschooling

Our homeschool year is almost finished, so it's time to look back on everything we learned, loved, and would do differently!

In this video I'm sharing an honest review of our 2025-2026 homeschool year, including our favourite unit studies, biggest challenges, and the books that stood out the most for our family.

Intro
September + Kingdoms and Classifications Unit
October + Canadian History Unit
November 
December + History of Christmas
January + Ancient Greece
February + Canadian Geography
March
April + Mammals
May
June
Outro

Every homeschool year teaches us something new, and this one was no exception. From amazing books and memorable unit studies to lessons learned about planning, pacing, and surviving a long Canadian winter, I'm sharing it all.

💬 I'd love to hear from you! What was your family's favorite book or unit study this year?

 🔔 Subscribe for homeschool tips, real-life encouragement, and honest conversations about homeschooling.

➡️ https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/

Very Very Far North: https://amzn.to/4ojlF63 
Wilderlore: https://amzn.to/3RRBQeG 
Heartwood Hotel 2: https://amzn.to/3RNKsTI 
Lion, Witch and Wardrobe: https://amzn.to/4x09n6u 
Percy Jackson:  https://amzn.to/49Gp5tC 
Spies on Parliament Hill: https://amzn.to/4vsFkmr 
One and Only Ivan: https://amzn.to/4v1jBCf 
Harry Potter 4,5,6: https://amzn.to/4g1a9dm 

Join my channel with a membership! ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/raisingatoz/join

#homeschoolwrapup #RaisingAtoZ #Homeschooling

The homeschool year is wrapping up, summer break is around the corner, and I'm sharing exactly what I do to close out one homeschool year and prepare for the next.

Last year, I left everything until August and spent all of September feeling behind. This year, I’m re-implementing my simple end-of-year routine that helps me head into summer feeling organized and ready for the new school year. 

Here are the 9 things I do now to enjoy the summer and start the next school year on the right foot.

Intro
Make a Plan
Shop for Curriculum
Gather Books
Inventory 
Register for Activities
Print Stuff
Upload Manuals
Planner Organized
Shop for Supplies
Outro

These simple tasks make back-to-school season so much less stressful and help us enjoy our summer without worrying about homeschool prep hanging over our heads.

What do you do at the end of your homeschool year? Let me know in the comments!

The planner shown in this video is available here: 
Colour PDF: https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/product-page/copy-of-homeschool-planner-academic-calendar-2
Black and White PDF: https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/product-page/homeschool-planner-academic-calendar-black-white 

Whether you’re a detailed planner or more relaxed homeschooler, this process helps me stay organized while still leaving room for flexibility throughout the year.

Let me know in the comments — are you already planning next year yet, or are you still recovering from this year first? 😂

Join my channel with a membership! ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/raisingatoz/join

#planning #RaisingAtoZ #Homeschooling