This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: College Safety and Fun for Homeschool Graduates with Seth and Caroline Tillman- Replay.

This is a replay of a favorite episode. We feel like it is useful information for our grads who are heading to college soon.

Vicki’s five homeschool high schoolers are all graduated from college now, even her youngest, Seth, and his newlywed wife, Caroline. Seth and Caroline loved their years of homeschooling. College was a big change for them both, but they loved it and made the most of their experiences there by getting involved in college activities and mentoring relationships. They also made lots of friends.

From the many experiences they or their friends had, Seth and Caroline offered to share some safety tips for homeschool high schoolers who will head off to college (or anywhere in the big, wide world).

Seth and Caroline Tillman, photo used with permission

Seth is a elementary music education teacher in a local public school. Caroline first worked in the retirement industry but recently transferred to the University of Delaware as academic advisor and assistant to the UD Health Professions program. Both of them have had the adventure of spending part of their year teaching or advising remotely. (Check out Seth’s videos for his music students.) They believe in paying the things they have learned forward to current homeschoolers to help them prepare for college or employment situations.

As often as you can, especially at night. If you will be late at the library, call a friend and talk to a friend while walking and use “Find My Friend” app on your phone. (Predatory people tend to prey on lone individuals, so groups are best when possible.)

You would think this is not something you really need to tell teens. But Caroline shared that she saw the poor outcome of roommates or friends not locking doors a number of times. (Keep a key on a hair tie if you find keychains are too cumbersome.)

Ask the driver what YOUR name is. Make sure they and their car look like the descriptions you were told when ordering the ride. Also look for the lit sign in the windshield of the car (Uber or Lyft have signs). If you can, ride with a friend on the ordered ride.

This makes you more aware of your environment, especially for crossing roads but also for unusual things that might need your attention.

But only share that with close, safe friends. It is not a social media app!

If you have car trouble, are locked out of your apartment, or are in an uncomfortable situation, phoning a friend can be a lifesaver.

For example, at the University of Delaware, there are safety blue lights regularly around the campus for calling for help. It is so important for schools to be considering the safety of their students!

Let there be an understanding that if things get uncomfortable, you can say to your friend, “I need to go” and they will actually leave with you.

Okay, now for some uncomfortable topics. Sometimes we homeschool parents try so hard to shelter our teens, that we find it extremely difficult to discuss “adult” topics with our young adults as they leave for college. (As Seth says, your kids are not kids anymore when they leave for college, they are adults…young adults but adults, so need to be prepared for an “adult” world.) Naivety will not work for new adults.

Be aware of your surroundings. If you see someone who is not okay, call the university police or 911. If it is someone you know and you feel safe, help them get back to their dorm. When calling 911, remember it’s better to have folks mad at you about it than have someone die from alcohol poisoning. Also, there is usually a medical amnesty policy that protects you from getting in trouble when you call 911.

From Mayo Clinic’s website: confusion, vomiting, seizures, slow breathing, irregular breathing, blue-tinged or pale skin, low body temperature, passing out and cannot be wakened.

Seth and Caroline graduated from a state college. Seth points out that alcohol is common in state colleges, so they were not surprised to see these kinds of things. He also has lots of friends who went to small private or Christian colleges. In the smaller schools, these things happen, too (but mostly in secret).

This is difficult to talk about but important. No matter where you are whether restaurants, parties or get togethers. Vicki jumped in on this to add that, as a counselor who works with college students, she has worked with a number young women who have been “roofied” (a date rape drug slipped into their drink) while at a public gathering. So:

Some are stronger than others. Learn about it ahead of time.

Of course, keep boundaries (some people might think you are an endless free ride) and remember that you can offer but not everyone feels comfortable accepting rides.

Of course, only if you know they are safe friends

If you see someone who appears uncomfortable, (and you are safe) walk up to the person who looks uncomfortable and talk right to that person. If you do not feel comfortable, feel free to call 911. Don’t just walk away, err on the side of keeping people safe.

If you are in an uncomfortable situation and do not feel safe, it is okay to lie in order to stay safe, as in: “Sorry, I can’t go with you, I have to meet my roommate here.” Or give out a fake phone number. Remember that actually if you find you are making someone feel uncomfortable, stop and walk away.

It is a genuinely valuable investment of time

Teach them to be gentlemen. Teach them no means no. Teach them the value of all God’s creation. Teach them good manners.

Join Vicki, Seth and Caroline Tillman for an empowering discussion. Also check out the college success tips interview with their friend, Kendall Smythe.

Watch one of Seth’s digital classes for his elementary music students (his school was online during COVID-19). And his fun project with friends, Newbit.

https://youtu.be/sV3RncvhwGA?si=ZpFTyumSzy9OMKe4

Are your students more like the tortoise or the hare when it comes to learning English? Some homeschoolers find that grammar, writing, spelling, vocabulary, and literature take so long that it feels like they just can’t win. Others find that their kids breeze through English lessons so quickly that they may not be accomplishing the goal of being competent readers and writers.

Fortunately, learning English doesn’t have to take all day. In fact, there’s a way to teach it that’s so enjoyable that you and your kids will want to do it.  As a former homeschool mom of six who also taught English to her friends’ kids, I’m going to get you on the fast track to English teaching success. Ready? Let’s go!

Watch on YouTube

The first step to teaching English quickly and effectively is to use stories. In fact, if all you do is read your kids a story every day, you’re making progress in all the language arts. Stories are one of the best ways to teach vocabulary—which also happens to be the best predictor of academic achievement and life success. Using stories that include advanced vocabulary words like those in Grammar Galaxy will give your kids exposure to the words. Exposure to the words is more effective for building vocabulary than having kids write out definitions—something most students don’t like doing.

In addition to vocabulary, stories teach grammar through exposure. Although some grammar has to be explicitly taught, other grammar is mastered through listening to it used correctly in conversation and story.

Stories can be used to teach literary concepts of course, but they also help students become better writers. Most writers were voracious readers in childhood. They learned how to use the English language to express themselves by reading their favorite authors.

The added benefit of using stories to teach is that they are memorable. A lecture or nonfiction paragraph is forgettable. But stories stick with us and beg to be shared. That’s why I wrote Grammar Galaxy—to use story to teach language arts concepts.

Ask many adults what a prefix is and they won’t know. But in Grammar Galaxy, Prefix is an evil programmer who introduces the re- virus into the galaxy’s computer system. As a result, movies keep rewinding and people keep repeating themselves. Students are guardians of the galaxy who correct the chaos Prefix and his Gremlin accomplice caused. If you’d like to try a free sample of Grammar Galaxy, click here.

If you’re using story to teach English, you’ve already come a long way. But now let’s take a shortcut. When I first started homeschooling, I thought I needed a separate spelling curriculum—one that presents new lists of words to be memorized. As I tried one curriculum after another like this, I noticed something. My kids already seemed to know most of the words in each list. And those they didn’t either weren’t that difficult to spell, or they weren’t words they used often.

While dyslexic students’ spelling can benefit from focused work on phonics, most students can focus on learning only the words they are misspelling in their own writing. Then they can choose a mnemonic or memory tool that makes remembering easiest. For example, students may find it helpful to remember that piece meaning part is spelled p-i-e-c-e by noting the word pie at the beginning. They can embellish this further with a saying like: “The waitress put a piece of pie in front of Ce.” In Grammar Galaxy, students focus on learning to spell the most commonly misspelled words. They also choose and create a mnemonic that helps them remember them.

I found the same shortcut worked with vocabulary. I didn’t need a separate vocabulary curriculum, but it did make sense to review Greek and Latin word roots that form the basis of so many English words. I added many of these to the vocabulary unit of Grammar Galaxy. As homeschoolers, we save teaching time by not doing spelling or vocabulary busywork.

Writing is like the last leg of the race. It feels like the hardest part, but that’s mostly psychological.

Florence Chadwick attempted to swim 21 miles from Catalina Island to the California coast in thick fog. She stopped after almost 16 hours of swimming only to discover she was less than a mile away from shore. If she had known, she would have dug deep and finished. How can we use her experience to help our reluctant or slow writers?

The most important thing we can do is break up the long writing process into smaller milestones. Swimming 21 miles must have felt impossibly hard. “Write an essay” can feel like a slog for our students too. So instead of, “Write an essay,” we can say, “write your three main points.”  Instead of write a paragraph, we can say, “write the topic sentence.” Shorter sprints completed regularly help students build skills more effectively than a writing marathon.

The next thing we can do to make our writing lessons take less time is have students write with others. If Florence had been trying to beat another swimmer who was still swimming, I think she would have gone the distance. Giving a student an independent writing assignment that doesn’t have to be shared is not as motivating as participating in a class. Having my kids share their writing in our home-based co-op with friends helped them write better and faster. But writing and sharing with family members also helped—especially when we had a funniest writing competition that I participated in and Dad judged.

Finally, we can speed our young writers along by cheering them through to the finish line. If we are alongside them, focusing on when they should have started, and what they could have done better, they will be tempted to quit. Applaud the effort and content first to help them finish writing faster.  Only then can we choose one or two things that we’d like them to improve in the next writing assignment.

Students don’t have to be either the tortoise or the hare when it comes to learning English. They can be guardians of Grammar Galaxy who quickly defeat the Gremlin and master language arts. Download a sample from the link here.

Have other ideas for quickly and effectively teaching English? Comment to share them.

Why Charlotte Mason Would Love Grammar Galaxy

Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Child’s Writing

How to Edit Your Child’s Writing

Have a happy homeschool week!

Confused by ClassWallet, ESAs, and all the “school choice” headlines? In this episode, Gina Steffy joins Felice Gerwitz to break down—in plain English—how these state education funds actually work, what the online state resources really tell you, and how homeschool families can decide wisely.

“School choice” money is everywhere in the headlines, but almost nobody explains the plumbing behind it. What is ClassWallet? Is it the same thing as an ESA? Where do you find the real rules for your state—and how do you avoid the traps? In this conversation on Vintage Homeschool Moms, Felice sits down with Gina to demystify Education Savings Accounts, the ClassWallet platform, and the online state resources every homeschool family should bookmark. You’ll walk away knowing the difference between the program and the platform, what these funds can (and can’t) buy, how accepting money can change your legal status, and the smart-choice questions to ask before you apply. No legal jargon—just a clear, balanced map so you can make the right call for your own family.

If you’ve spent five minutes in a homeschool Facebook group lately, you’ve seen the questions: What is ClassWallet? Is it free money? Can I use it for curriculum? Does my state have it? The “school choice” headlines are everywhere, but almost no one explains how the money actually works—and that’s exactly where families get tripped up.

In my recent conversation with Felice on Vintage Homeschool Moms, we pulled back the curtain on Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), the ClassWallet platform, and the online state resources every homeschool family should know about. This companion guide gives you the plain-English version you can come back to anytime. (Quick disclaimer up front: I’m a homeschool mom, not a lawyer or tax advisor—so treat this as a friendly map, not legal advice, and always confirm your own state’s official handbook.)

Here’s the single most important idea in this whole topic: ClassWallet is not the funding program. It’s just the tool.

Think of ClassWallet as the debit card and online marketplace that several states use to move education money and track how it’s spent. The state decides who qualifies, how much you get, and what you’re allowed to buy. ClassWallet is simply the plumbing that gets approved dollars from the state to the vendor.

So when someone says, “I got approved for ClassWallet!”—what they really mean is they were accepted into their state’s ESA (or a similar program), and ClassWallet is the platform they’ll use to spend it. Some states use ClassWallet; others use different platforms entirely (Florida’s program, for example, runs on a system called EMA). The tool varies. The principle doesn’t.

An Education Savings Account (ESA) is the program: the state sets aside a pot of money—often somewhere around $7,000 to $8,000 per student—that you can spend on approved education expenses. ClassWallet is the platform some states use to manage that pot.

Getting this straight matters, because the rules you have to follow come from the ESA program and your state’s law—not from ClassWallet. The platform just enforces what the state already decided.

Once you’re approved and funded, there are generally three ways to spend:

1. The Marketplace. The simplest option. You shop from pre-approved vendors inside the ClassWallet marketplace, and payment happens automatically from your account—no out-of-pocket cost.

2. Direct Pay (“Pay a Vendor”). You request that ClassWallet pay an approved provider directly—say, a tutor or a curriculum company. The provider may need to be registered or approved first.

3. Reimbursement. You pay out of pocket, then submit receipts to be paid back. This carries the most risk: if the purchase is denied, you’re stuck with the bill. That’s why the golden rule is never buy first and hope later.

The internet is full of blog posts (including this one!) that give you the lay of the land. But when it’s time to actually apply or spend, go to the source. Here’s the hierarchy I recommend:

One caution: ignore outdated articles. This landscape is moving so fast that a post from even a year ago may list the wrong amount, the wrong deadline, or a program that’s since changed.

It varies by state, but ESA funds commonly cover curriculum, tutoring, online courses, standardized testing, educational materials, therapies for students with special needs, and sometimes technology. Every program publishes an approved-expense guide and an approved-vendor list, and here’s the catch: “educational” in your mind doesn’t always mean “reimbursable” in theirs. Check the guide first, and get pre-approval for anything unusual or expensive.

This is the part families most often miss, and it’s the part worth slowing down for.

Legal status. In many states, accepting the money changes your student’s legal category. While in Arizona, an ESA student signs a contract and is not a statutory homeschooler. In Florida, to join the Personalized Education Program you actually have to terminate your home-education program and become a “PEP student.” You’re still teaching at your own kitchen table—but the rules you answer to have changed.

Testing and reporting. Depending on the state, you may owe an annual norm-referenced test, a written learning plan, attendance or portfolio records, or all of the above.

Records. Keep an audit folder from day one: award letters, account agreements, invoices, receipts, and proof of payment. The families who run into trouble are almost always the ones who spent freely and kept nothing.

This is a personal decision, and reasonable homeschoolers land in different places.

On one side, these funds are real, meaningful help—especially for families on a tight budget or those covering therapies and specialized services. On the other side, groups like HSLDA caution that government money can come with strings, and that a funded student is a distinct legal category rather than a protected independent homeschooler; they’d rather see tax credits, where you simply keep more of your own money. Other groups, like THSC, believe a well-designed ESA with strong legal protections can help without eroding freedom.

My honest take? Know exactly what you’re trading. If the trade-offs work for your family, an ESA can be a genuine blessing. If they make you uneasy, there is no shame in keeping your independence.

Want the full picture for your state? Download our free 50-State Homeschool Funding Guide—a plain-English map of what’s available, who qualifies, and what to watch out for in all 50 states. Then head to your state’s official page to confirm the current details before you apply.

And if you haven’t yet, listen to the full conversation with Felice on Vintage Homeschool Moms for the stories and nuance behind these tips. 🎧

Is ClassWallet free money for homeschoolers? Not exactly. ClassWallet is the platform that manages state ESA funds, and while the money is real and helpful, it comes with rules: an approved-expense list, possible testing or reporting, and in many states a change to your legal status. It’s better to think of it as a state education allowance with a rulebook attached than as “free money.”

What’s the difference between ClassWallet and an ESA? An ESA (Education Savings Account) is the state program that provides the money. ClassWallet is the online platform some states use to distribute and track that money. The state sets the rules; ClassWallet just enforces them.

What can I buy with ClassWallet funds? Commonly curriculum, tutoring, online courses, standardized tests, educational materials, therapies, and sometimes technology—but only from approved vendors and within your state’s approved-expense guide. Always check the guide and get pre-approval before large or unusual purchases.

Does taking an ESA mean I’m no longer a homeschooler? In many states, yes—your legal status changes from independent homeschooler to program participant. Arizona and Florida are two examples where accepting funds changes your statutory status. Read your state’s definition before enrolling.

Where do I find the real rules for my state? Start with your state Department of Education’s ESA page and the current program handbook—that’s the source of truth. Use national sites like EdChoice and NCSL for context, but confirm amounts, deadlines, and eligible expenses on the official page before you apply or buy.

Educational content only—not legal, tax, or accounting advice. Program rules, award amounts, vendors, and deadlines change frequently; always verify the current official handbook for your state before applying or purchasing.

Got boys? Then you've got noise. Hal & Melanie Young on why boys are loud by design, teaching self-control, stopping the bickering, and keeping home a safe harbor.

Parent note: this episode discusses pornography and its effect on kids and families. The conversation is frank but never graphic — it’s meant for grown-up ears, so you may want to listen before the little ones are in the room.

It’s not a question of if your child will see explicit content online — it’s when. That’s a hard sentence to read, but it’s the honest starting point of this conversation. Andy “Fletch” and Kendra Fletcher sit down with Barrett and Jenifer Johnson of INFO for Families to talk about what actually helps: not panic, not shame, and not a false confidence that the right filter will keep the world out. Filters and boundaries matter, but the real protection is an ongoing, calm, gospel-shaped conversation you start long before you think you need to.

Whether you’ve just discovered something on a device and your heart is pounding, or you simply want to get ahead of it, this episode gives you language, resources, and hope.

In this episode:

Chapters (approximate):

A couple of lines worth remembering:

“It’s not if your kids will be exposed — it’s when. And the best filter you have is the conversation you’re already having with them.”

“Don’t freak out. If your kid feels like they can come to you with the hard thing, you’ve won something no software can give you.”

Resources mentioned:

If you’re a parent in the thick of this right now: take a breath. You are not behind, and you are not alone. Start the conversation, keep it going, and lead with hope.

Thank you to the sponsor of this episode, CTCMath.com

Homeopathy for Pain Relief – Mini-Training Excerpt

I am asked frequently about pain – Do you have anything for headaches? Do you have anything for backache? Toothaches? Do you have anything for bladder infections? Do you have anything for Earaches? The list goes on!

Yes! We have remedies for all these things specifically, but for the sake of simplicity, I made this two part mini-training for my members – Homeopathy for Pain Relief.

This week I share part 1 on the podcast – a great introduction to the common, go-to type remedies and how to use them.

The rest of the mini-training inside our Members Corner is more detailed about how to zero in on certain “Types” of pain and then how to find the best remedy, specific to the patient. You can join the Members Corner for access to this and over 70 other in-depth mini-trainings on the Members Corner. Click here to see what we have inside: https://members.homeopathyformommies.com/mini-trainings/

Join now: https://members.homeopathyformommies.com

In this episode, Meryl talks with Sophia Alvarez de la Hoz, a former student in Meryl’s AI for Teens class. Sophia shares what she knew about AI before taking the course, what surprised her, and how her understanding changed as she learned about topics such as large language models, AI ethics, red teaming, and responsible use.

Sophia also explains how she currently uses AI tools for schoolwork and personal projects. She discusses using NotebookLM to study and an AI image generator to develop the design for her eighth-grade graduation cap.

The conversation addresses an important question for homeschool families: How can students use AI for support without allowing it to do the thinking for them? Sophia shares practical strategies, including asking AI to explain a concept without revealing the answer and recognizing when the tool is completing too much of the learning process.

Other topics discussed include:

Sophia’s central message is that AI is a tool whose value depends greatly on how it is used. Students need opportunities to understand its capabilities, limitations, risks, and ethical implications so they can make informed decisions.

AI for Teens class from FundaFunda Academy:

NotebookLM:

Take a look at show sponsor, FundaFunda Academy to see what they offer for online classes and web-based unit studies.

Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology in your homeschool.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review! Subscribing will help you make sure you never miss an episode

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Cooking for High School Credit with Angela Smith.

As homeschool parents, we 7Sisters know a win when we see one! How about life skills, cooking, and food science combined for a fun and meaningful high school elective credit?

That’s what we found with Angela Smith at Inquisicook!

Angela likes to say that she is “actually a native member of the homeschool tribe”. Her family started homeschooling in 1992 and continued until their last child went to college. These days, Angela is helping with the homeschooling of her twelve grandchildren.

The Inquisicook online program combines food science, life skills, and culinary arts into hands-on courses that put delicious food on the family table.

The Inquisicook online program combines food science, life skills, and culinary arts into hands-on courses that put delicious food on the family table.

These practical, elective courses include science labs that wind up as a prepared dish for the family table!

When her youngest child was about ten or eleven years old, she informed Angela that she wanted cooking to be one of her homeschool subjects. They were already cooking together as part of their family lifestyle. (Angela’s family loves to exercise hospitality.)

However, being a homeschool mom, Angela wanted to incorporate a science-driven approach to cooking. She thought it made sense to study the science that’s literally under their noses and that they were engaging with daily.

Angela believes that anybody ought to be able to prepare a tasty dish based on what’s in season, what’s on sale, or what’s in the fridge. She wants teens to be free from the tyranny of an ingredients list that says, “I’ve got to buy, you know, this and this and this, and if I don’t have those things, I can’t make this recipe.”

Angela could not find a curriculum that taught comprehensive, science-based cooking, so (being an industrious homeschool mom), she created her own. It took years to finally have the course in the form she wanted to launch, but it’s ready, and you can get your teens started now!

Inquisicook offers two courses. Each of the courses is divided into five units with fifteen lessons. Also included are optional recipes that we call “for further eating”, and teacher resources.

Inquisicook 1 covers eggs, quick breads, salads and dressings, yeast breads, along with herbs, spices, and seasonings. This is combined with soups and stocks.

Students also conduct sensory evaluations for every recipe they re-prepare, rating it based on appearance, flavor, texture, and aroma. This guides them to think specifically and analytically about their outcomes. It also gives them a pathway to craft improvements or variations for future attempts at the recipes, because we want them to be intuitive cooks, not recipe followers.

These skills help students figure out what the version two of that recipe might look like for their family’s tastes.

Of course, all of the units are packed with science. For instance, they learn about egg protein molecules and how those molecules are transformed when heat is applied to them. They learn the physics of whisking: what is happening to egg proteins as they unfurl and then collect around bubbles to create an egg white foam.

In the science of custards, students learn special techniques to trap moisture droplets within the protein network.

In the quick breads unit, they learn the differences between biological leaveners, physical leaveners, and chemical leaveners. They learn about the different types of wheat, different protein contents of the wheat, and the different ways to capture those little air bubbles that cause bread to rise.

During the soups and stocks unit, students learn about extracting flavor through long, slow cooking and the science behind different flavoring agents in terms of herbs and spices

Inquisicook is an applied science that’s super tasty!

This course would be a good choice as an elective on the high school transcript!

Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing the podcast.

Have a bright child who suddenly refuses to do schoolwork? You’re not alone. In this episode, I share the surprising reasons intelligent, capable students stop trying—and why the problem usually isn’t laziness.

After homeschooling six graduates and researching motivation, I discovered five hidden causes that can keep bright kids from giving their best. More importantly, you’ll learn practical ways to help your child rediscover their love of learning.

⭐ Free Grammar Galaxy Sample Discover story-based language arts that turns reluctant learners into enthusiastic readers and writers.

⭐ Free Training Aliens Lesson Help your child build self-control, communication, and other essential social-emotional skills through engaging stories.

👉 Find both free resources here: https://funtolearnbooks.com

Reluctant Learners: How to Motivate Them

Helping Students Take Initiative

Homeschooling Smart Kids

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Have a happy homeschool week!