This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: The Youth Speak Magazine with Houston Wrona.

One of our favorite things is talking to homeschool graduates who are doing cool things. That is why we were so excited to have homeschool graduate Houston Wrona, about his homeschool youth magazine, The Youth Speak.

Houston’s homeschool journey began at preschool and continued through graduation. He has found homeschooling to be a great experience and is thankful for it.

The family’s homeschooling style changed over the years. In his younger years, the family employed a much more curriculum-based approach. However, in high school years, they moved to a “basically no curriculum” approach with more problem-solving, exploration, and skills development behind all his learning experiences.

The Youth Speak is a magazine by homeschoolers for homeschoolers. It is a glossy, professional magazine with high-quality articles on a variety of topics. (You can read digital editions of the magazine for FREE here.)

The Youth Speak is a magazine by homeschoolers for homeschoolers.

The magazine came out of a homeschool group that Houston attended during high school. He and his peers created a newsletter-style newspaper. The teens in the group wrote the articles, printed it, then mailed it to the families in the group.

As they neared graduation, Houston and his friends were enjoying their journalistic adventures so much that they wanted to continue and level up their publishing efforts. They decided to create a glossy magazine and open it up to any Christian homeschooler for submissions.

Today The Youth Speak is run by a core team. The team shares writing, editing, layout, and design responsibilities. Any Christian homeschooler can submit an article for consideration through email. (The staff does not charge writers to have their work published in the magazine.)

After an article is accepted, the staff handles the rest of the production process.

The team creates an attractive, professional magazine. They try to follow instructions in the Bible, “Whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord, not to men.” To The Youth Speak’s team, this means to create an attractive, professional journal at a reasonable subscription price. (The cost is $9 per issue in the contiguous 48 states. The rest of the production cost is covered by advertisements and corporate sponsors.)

Some recent articles have covered:

Submitting an article for publication can be an exciting experience for high schoolers. Here are some criteria from Houston and his team:

You can find details for submissions to The Youth Speak here.

How to subscribe to The Youth Speak

You can find a link to subscribe to The Youth Speak here. While you wait, check out the free digital editions!

Join Vicki and Houston Wrona for an inspiring conversation about a magazine by and for homeschoolers: The Youth Speak.

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing.

Learn more about cool things that homeschool graduates are doing with these fun Homeschool Highschool Podcast episodes:

The post The Youth Speak Magazine with Houston Wrona appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Want your child to make more friends this year—but aren’t sure how to help?

Friendships are important for kids’ happiness and well-being, but making friends doesn’t always happen automatically, especially for homeschoolers. Simply putting kids around other kids isn’t necessarily enough.

In this episode, I share a simple three-step strategy for helping your child develop meaningful friendships. And surprisingly, it has a lot in common with shopping at a rummage sale!

You’ll learn:

• How to help your child recognize a good friendship fit • Why having time for friendship matters • The importance of shared interests and compatible values • Where homeschoolers can find good opportunities for friendship • Why large groups don’t always lead to closer relationships • The three ingredients that help acquaintances become friends • Social skills your child may need to be explicitly taught • How curiosity and good questions can help kids connect • What to notice when friendship interest isn’t reciprocal

Kids need more than conversation skills to build lasting friendships. They also need practice with teamwork, good sportsmanship, handling frustration, resolving conflict, apologizing, setting boundaries, and responding when someone else behaves poorly.

That’s why I created Training Aliens, my story-based social and emotional skills curriculum for elementary students.

Each lesson uses a funny story, choose-your-own-adventure decisions, realistic consequences, discussion, games, challenges, STEM activities, and more to help kids practice important social and emotional skills.

Both faith-based and secular teacher’s guides are available.

Download a FREE Training Aliens sample: https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/training-aliens-level-1-kit/

If helping your child make more friends is one of your goals this year, remember the rummage-sale strategy: know what you’re looking for, go where real friendships can develop, and teach your child the skills to turn an acquaintance into a friend.

What have you found works well for helping your child make friends? Share your ideas in the comments.

Homeschool Mom Friendships

Hospitality Lies That Keep Us Lonely

Raising Confident Kids Through Homeschool Theater

If this episode was helpful, subscribe to The Homeschool Sanity Show.

Watch on YouTube

The post How To Help Your Child Make Friends This Year appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Waking up with a plan is what Morning Time For Mixed Ages is all about. How do you get everyone into a routine that really works? Join me as I share ways to increase your time each day.

We do not need five different school days in one kitchen. A one-room schoolhouse started together, then split for the work that had to be separate. That is vintage, and it still works.

We need a routine more than we need a schedule. A schedule says 8:42. A routine says, after breakfast, we gather. If breakfast is late, the gathering still happens.

I say Morning Crate on purpose — not morning basket.

A pretty basket is lovely, and if you already have one, keep it. In our house, a basket didn’t fit enough stuff! A crate is practical. (And, as my kids said, we could easily junk it up!) A wooden crate is pretty, and it is easy to move. If you prefer, use a plastic bin with handles or recycle a shipping box. Whatever works for you and allows you to cut down on extra trips.

The crate is the signal. When the crate comes out, we are starting. When the crate goes back, we are done. Little children understand that. Teens do too, even if they roll their eyes the first week.

Do not pack everything. Pack what you will actually open tomorrow. However here I will break my own rule. I usally packed in enough for a week.

Pack it the night before. Morning-me is not the woman I want making decisions.

Pick the one that matches the day you actually have.

This is the day you almost skipped school. Do not skip the start.

Gather. One prayer or a short Scripture. One hymn stanza, one poem, or one page of the read-aloud. What you are thankful for? Put the crate away. That is a complete Morning Time.

This is the ordinary version, and the one I want most of you to try first.

Begin the same way — gather, pray, read a verse of the Bible. (Use an idea from the Character Planners or Media Angels.com/store for more ideas.) Discussion. Then add one beautiful thing and one simple thing. The beautiful thing might be a hymn you will sing or if the kids are in a choir or studying music someone can play a short piano piece, etc. A poem can be read, or a picture you talk about for several minutes. The simple thing might be a few pages of the read-aloud, a map, or a character word.

Older children can journal at this time. Younger children draw what they heard. The toddler participates or plays quietly with his “toys.” If someone needs to leave, they leave. Be flexible!

Some seasons can hold more, especially during elementary and middle school. Forty-five minutes can hold prayer, Scripture, a hymn, a longer read-aloud, and one extra.

Do not start at this point if you also have a toddler and a teen with a job or someone who does afternoon lessons or sports. You can increase (or decrease) you time based on your children’s interests. You cannot shame yourself into it. If the room unravels at minute twenty, shorten it tomorrow. Every day is a fresh start.

Together does not mean identical. Together means we occupy the same beginning.

Your attitude sets the tone. The crate is just a box. You are the warmth in the room.

The Psalm can be shared. The math lesson cannot. After the crate goes back, send each child to the work that belongs to their level.

That is why this episode is sponsored by CTCMath: short video lessons at each child’s grade, so you are not writing three different math plans before breakfast. There is a money-back guarantee.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.” — Lamentations 3:22–23, RSVCE

Print the September Morning Starter that goes with this episode. It has the pack list, the three timed versions, toddler-hands ideas, and a night-before reset you can check off.

More at MediaAngels.com/store.

The post Morning Time For Mixed Ages appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Last week we talked about why family worship matters and why it’s so hard. You came away convinced. Then Monday morning arrives, everybody’s on the couch, and the question hits: what do we actually do for the next fifteen minutes?

Hal and Melanie Young — parents of ten — walk through exactly that. Not a theory of family devotions, but the pieces you can pick from, and permission to leave most of them out on any given day.

you don’t have to do every element every time. Little ones need it short and moving; older kids can handle more. Match it to the family you actually have this year.

Hal closes on Deuteronomy 6 — teach them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise. Family worship isn’t fifteen minutes in the morning; it’s the whole day, and the fifteen minutes is just where it gets named out loud.

The last word belongs to Melanie: “You can’t save your kids. Only God can do that. But you can make sure you have a good relationship with your kids, and you can make sure you’re teaching them the Word of God.”

Scriptures mentioned: Deuteronomy 6:6-7 · Colossians 3:16 · Genesis 1:1 · John 3:16 · Psalm 23

Resources mentioned: Hymnary.org (online hymnal — tunes, texts, accompaniment) · A Catechism for Boys and Girls · the Youngs’ Christ-Centered Advent (two volumes) and other family devotionals at RaisingRealMen.com/shop

Missed part one? Start with Family Worship Without the Guilt — the obstacles, and why they’re not the end of the story.

Making Biblical Family Life Practical is hosted by Hal and Melanie Young and is part of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network. Find more from Hal and Melanie at HalandMelanie.com.

This episode is sponsored by CTCMath.com

The post Family Worship That Actually Works: What to Do With Those 15 Minutes appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Giving a teen their first social media account can feel a little like handing them the keys to a car. We wouldn’t expect a brand-new driver to figure everything out without preparation, and social media deserves the same kind of intentional teaching.

In this episode, I’m joined by Stephanie Simoes of Critikid for a conversation about what teens need to understand before they start using social media.

We discuss six important areas parents should consider:

We also talk about practical ways parents can prepare their teens, including modeling healthy social media habits, discussing questionable posts together, and creating a social media agreement before giving them an account.

Kids Safe GPT

How Social Media Platforms Work – Reel

Interview with Fareedah on Online Safety

Be Internet Awesome – Google

Social Media TestDrive

Critikid Social Media Simulator

Critikid Media Literacy Resources

Or buy both together in the Media Literacy Bundle: https://critikid.com/bundles/media-literacy-bundle

Free media literacy resources:

Critical Thinking in a Digital Age

FundaFunda Academy Computer Applications

Teens need practice navigating social media before they are expected to manage it independently. Talk through examples with them, teach them what warning signs to watch for, and make sure they know they can come to you when something online makes them uncomfortable.

If you know a family with a teen who is getting close to opening a first social media account, share this episode with them.

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

The post How to prepare teens for their first social media accounts appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: How Oxford Style Tutorials Work with Trinity House.

Many of us homeschoolers are fans of C.S. Lewis’ writings. For those who have followed his biographies, you know that his most impactful educational experiences were with his tutor, William Kirkpatrick. We Americans do not often have the opportunity to experience tutoring of this style. However, it still exists. That’s why we were excited to have our friend Justin McGeary of Trinity House on the podcast again.

Justin McGeary founded Trinity House, where he offers Oxford-style tutorials. He is no stranger to homeschooling! His mother started homeschooling him in sixth grade. He graduated from homeschooling and headed to college.

When Justin taught at the college level, he had a number of homeschool students that came through his classrooms. He found that these students transitioned well to college because there are many similarities between the kind of education you get in high school homeschooling and at the college level.

Growing up, Justin learned to love the classics by both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. During college, he had the opportunity to study at Oxford as part of his school’s study abroad program. He was at Oxford for the Hilary Term (January through March), and loved experiencing the full tutorial experience.

Justin loved his time at Oxford. He rode my bike around the city and attended evensong with its beautiful choral evening hymns.

In the college, he met with his tutors and attended lectures. One of his favorites was a lecture series on Tolkien and Old English literature. The lecturer had not expected it to be very popular. However, on the first day of the lecture, the tiny room was jam-packed. The lecture series had to be moved to a larger lecture hall.

Justin attended lectures on modern British literature and 19th-century American literature, as well as some side courses on British culture.

The tutorial system is an intensive kind of education that cultivates learners and develops critical thinking skills. There are three main features of the tutorial system:

For example, C.S. Lewis would have his tutorials with a handful of assigned students. He would give lecture series that any student could attend. Then the students used Oxford’s amazing library system for reading, studying, and preparing for major exams at the end of several years of college study.

Justin’s tutor would meet with him regularly. Each meeting, the tutor would give him a sheet of paper with several questions written on it. Underneath those questions would be several resources. Justin’s responsibility was to read through those questions and decide, “Which question do I wanna tackle? Which question do I want to answer?”

Then he would go to the library and do his own independent learning using the resources list that tutor had provided. For example, in literature, he might be looking at a particular poem or a particular section of a novel. He would answer essay questions on a key section or theme in the book being discussed.

Justin would take a week or two to write an essay based on the questions his tutor had given him. He would read the completed essay out loud to the tutor. Then the tutor would give him feedback on that essay. He would then rewrite the essay. This process helped him to hone his writing and critical thinking skills.

He remembers that his first few essays were really terrible. However, his writing improved rapidly because he was getting help right away. He also liked that he was not graded on every single essay.

Trinity House evolved as Justin was teaching college students. A number of his students were struggling with college-level requirements. He remembered author Dorothy Sayers asking, “Where are the tools of learning? Where is the kind of careful thinking, and the ability to write well?”

One evening, when he was having a conversation about this with his wife, she asked, “What about the Oxford tutorial? Might that not be a thing that you can bring to high schoolers to help them prepare for college success?”

That’s when Trinity House Oxford-Style Tutorials was formed.

Working with Trinity House’s Oxford-style tutorials is like educational learning coaching.

Each week, students answer questions assigned by their tutor. Then they come back with an essay and say, “Here’s how I thought about this question.”

The tutor is sort of this personal trainer coach. He does not say, “And here are all the right answers.”

Instead, he says,  “This is a good argument here, here, and here. What about here? Have you thought about this? Explain to me more about this.”

In Trinity House tutorials, students engage in a conversational relationship where they are continually honing their thinking with a seasoned tutor.

Students learn how to learn and think independently. Their essays are not simply regurgitating what “so-and-so” thinks, but rather, “what do they think”?

Doesn’t that sound inspiring?

Sign up for their newsletter or email me for a sample tutorial: [email protected]

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing, and we’ll see everyone next week.

The post How Oxford Style Tutorials Work with Trinity House appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Homeschooling Strong-willed Children

Strategies for Homeschooling Smart Kids

How to Motivate Reluctant Learners

Does homeschooling your strong-willed child sometimes feel like negotiating with a used-car salesman? You have a plan, but your child definitely has ideas of their own!

In this episode of The Homeschool Sanity Show, Dr. Melanie Wilson shares what she learned about parenting strong-willed kids while watching her son negotiate the purchase of his first used car.

You’ll discover:

Strong-willed kids can be challenging to homeschool, but their determination can also become a strength. Instead of trying to win every battle, learn how to negotiate wisely, reconsider rules that don’t serve your family, and help your child develop the skills to advocate for themselves respectfully.

Grammar Galaxy Story-based language arts without unnecessary busy work. Take it for a test drive with a free sample: http://funtolearnbooks.com/samples

FastGrammar A story-based approach to grammar for older students: https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/fast-grammar-high-school-training-bundle/

Training Aliens A fun, story-based social and emotional skills curriculum for K–8 students that teaches skills including boundaries, conflict resolution, and respect for authority: https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/training-aliens-level-1-kit/

Goldilocks Discipline Get more help parenting and homeschooling strong-willed kids: https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/goldilocks-discipline/

Are you having trouble making a deal with your homeschooler? Share your deal breaker in the comments!

Homeschooling Strong-willed Children

Strategies for Homeschooling Smart Kids

How to Motivate Reluctant Learners

The post Strong-Willed Homeschooler? How To Make A Deal With Them appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Happy Families take work! The timeless truth that a family that prays together stays together has guided many parents through the ups and downs of raising children. Happy families don’t happen by accident—they require intentional effort, but the eternal rewards make every challenge worthwhile. In today’s fast-paced world, homeschooling families have a unique opportunity to nurture strong bonds rooted in faith and love. This episode of the Vintage Homeschool Moms Podcast explores practical ways to cultivate joy at home, even when obstacles arise.

Every time I sit down to record an episode on creating happy families, it seems like chaos erupts! It’s almost as if unseen forces are working against us, throwing curveballs left and right. Yet, in the middle of our daily routines—meals, lessons, chores, and everything in between—we sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture. Homeschooling allows us to slow down and focus on what truly matters most.

Many of us entered family life with a clear vision of what we hoped for: a home filled with faith, shared meals, laughter, and meaningful connections. Perhaps you pictured lively gatherings, just like the warm, noisy households many grew up in. Reality often brings surprises, but that doesn’t mean the dream is lost. It simply evolves into something even richer through God’s grace.

As the heart of the home, moms often carry significant influence over the family’s atmosphere. This isn’t about blame—it’s about recognizing our powerful role in setting the tone each day. Husbands play an equally vital part, and together we partner in building a Christ-centered household. The key? Remembering that happiness begins with a daily choice.

Each new day brings a fresh opportunity: Will we choose happiness, or let circumstances dictate our mood? It’s a simple decision, yet one of the hardest to maintain consistently. A self-fulfilling prophecy can easily take hold if we wake up expecting the worst. Instead, we can hand our burdens over to the Lord.

I recently had a sweet reminder of this while at the checkout line. A cashier softly sang words that touched my heart: “I place my worries at the foot of the cross.” She didn’t speak to me directly, but her quiet witness—working diligently while trusting God—lifted my spirit. It was a beautiful example of living faith in the ordinary moments. We aren’t called to carry every family worry like an overstuffed backpack. That path leads to exhaustion and misery for everyone. [You can hear more about the encounter here.]

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, RSVCE)

Building lasting joy takes more than good intentions. Here are some time-tested approaches that have helped countless families:

For those in the infant and toddler years, know that the season of sleepless nights and constant demands is temporary. Reach out for help when possible, and always turn to prayer when support feels out of reach. God sees your efforts and provides strength for each moment.

Homeschooling offers the precious gift of time together. By prioritizing faith-filled relationships over external pressures, we raise children who know they are loved and valued. Happy families model Christ’s love, creating a legacy that extends far beyond academics.

Recommended Resources from Media Angels

Consider the Creation Camp at Home workbook set to bring hands-on faith and science learning into your family days. Or explore the Character Counts Planners to help children reflect on godly traits and family moments worth treasuring. Visit MediaAngels.com/store for these and more.

Sign up for our encouraging ezine here: https://mediaangels.com/ (look for the newsletter signup).

The post Happy Families appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

You know you should be having family devotions. You’ve started three times this year. Somebody bounced on the couch the whole time, somebody else couldn’t stop giggling, and by Thursday it had quietly disappeared again — along with a fresh layer of guilt.

Hal and Melanie Young have been there. In this episode they talk honestly about why family worship is so hard, why it matters more than you can see right now, and how to build a rhythm that survives a real week in a real house.

Melanie tells the story of their son Sam — the wiggliest of the wiggly, the boy who “just did not seem to be in the same room” during devotions. Home from his first year of college, he waited until everyone else had left the room and said, “Mom, Dad, don’t ever stop doing this with the kids.” He’d sat in Bible studies with kids raised in Christian homes who didn’t know the Word — and found that the passages his parents had read again and again came right back to him. “I didn’t know I was paying attention.”

Scriptures mentioned: Ephesians 6:4 · 1 Timothy 3:4 · 2 Timothy 1:5 · Colossians 3:16 · John 16:13 · James 1:5

Resources mentioned: J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels · Matthew Henry’s Commentary · BlueLetterBible.org · Hymnary.org accompaniment tracks · the Youngs’ Christ-Centered Advent family devotional at RaisingRealMen.com

Next time: You’re convinced it matters — but what does it actually look like in a house full of different ages? That’s next week.

Making Biblical Family Life Practical is hosted by Hal and Melanie Young and is part of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network. Find more from Hal and Melanie at HalandMelanie.com.

The post Family Worship Without the Guilt: Making Devotions Stick This School Year appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

AI can be an incredibly useful learning tool for teens—but only when they use it in ways that support their own thinking and skill development.

In this episode, I share a framework parents can use to help teens decide when AI is appropriate for schoolwork. The key question teens need to ask is: Will using AI help me learn something, or will it help me avoid learning it?

We look at situations where teens should not use AI, including:

I also share productive ways teens can use AI. It can re-explain a difficult concept, generate extra practice questions, provide feedback on a draft without rewriting it, help brainstorm ideas, identify gaps in understanding, practice for an interview or oral exam, and suggest search terms or resources for research.

Finally, I give teens four questions they can ask themselves before using AI for schoolwork:

These questions can help homeschool parents move the conversation beyond simply telling teens whether AI is “good” or “bad” and teach them to make thoughtful decisions about how they use it.

AI for Teens class at 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

The post Is AI Helping Your Teen Learn—or Doing the Learning for Them? appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.