Tips & Resources

All sorts of tutorials on using Layers of Learning and on homeschooling in general.

Homeschooling in High School

Homeschooling in high school is a whole new ball park. Even seasoned homeschool moms question whether or not it’s a good idea. Not only are the subjects and material more advanced, but the stakes are higher and more long term. What kids do in high school can be a slingshot for future college paths, careers, […]

Guide for New Homeschoolers

Welcome, New Homeschooler! I’m Karen. I’m the little sister in the Layers of Learning duo. I remember feeling like I was lost at sea when I was a brand new homeschooler. I want to help you have a smoother start! I know how absolutely terrifying and overwhelming it can be to start a journey at […]

Step 1: Where Do I Even Begin?

In short, you begin homeschooling at the beginning. Your beginning may be a different place than mine. I began when my oldest was starting kindergarten, which will look very different from the homeschooler that is beginning in the middle of 2nd grade when a reading disability is discovered before an online ADHD treatment begins, or […]

What Is the Best Homeschooling Style?

When we, Karen and Michelle, each started homeschooling it seemed like everyone we spoke with and every book we read talked about homeschooling styles. Everyone wants to know what “style” of homeschooler you are. Well, we weren’t sure what style we were until we tried each one on for a bit. Like most other homeschoolers […]

Step 3: How Do I Choose A Curriculum?

Buying homeschool curriculum and supplies is a big commitment. It’s hard to know where to begin. Your choices will depend on your homeschool style and your budget, so please keep those in mind with every single purchase. So let’s walk through the process of planning and purchasing curriculum for your homeschool. Get basic supplies. Buy […]

Step 4: How Do I Plan A Homeschool Year?

Hopefully by now you’ve thought about your overall homeschool vision, decided what your homeschooling style is, and purchased your curriculum. {Did you feel as excited as I do when I open the boxes of shiny books?} Now it’s time to get right down to the business of planning out THIS YEAR in your homeschool. Before […]

Step 5: How Do I Cover Everything? (& Other Questions From Homeschool Parents)

Over and over I hear the same several questions from homeschool parents, and I want to put your mind at ease a bit as you begin homeschooling by answering them right upfront. Here they are: How do I cover everything? Can I teach things I don’t know? How do I homeschool when life is hard? […]

Step 6: How Do I Keep Records?

Making a homeschool portfolio is one of the easiest ways to track and record kids’ progress in school. Before we get into it much further though, I want to encourage you to find out the laws and requirements in your state or country. You also need to be aware of requirements for any charter school […]

How To Track Grades and Transcripts for High School Homeschool

You can keep track of younger kids’ grades if you want to (or if your state requires you to), but in high school you must track your student’s grades. The high school grades are necessary for college admissions, military admission, and sometimes for jobs, even years after graduation. Here we’ll explain how to track grades […]

A Week With Layers of Learning

Have you wondered what a week with Layers of Learning looks like? Join us for a springtime week in our homeschool. And if you aren’t familiar with the Layers of Learning curriculum, take a quick peek at our of Layers of Learning Curriculum Guide to learn more about it. A Week With Layers of Learning […]

Disciplining Teenagers – How To Deal With a Teenage Tantrum

Disciplining teenagers is no cake walk. How do you respond when your teen sasses back, lies, breaks curfew, fails his math class, torments her younger siblings, or gets into a fight? If you respond to these relatively minor behavioral problems correctly, then it’s much less likely that the bigger problems like drugs, teenage sex, violence, […]

Homeschooling and Housekeeping

Homeschooling and housekeeping . . . a seemingly never-ending battle. I’m quite picky about my house staying clean, but with each additional kid that comes along the level of cleanliness seems to drift further and further from my ideal. I hate that crazy feeling when I start the day with a clean house, but all […]