February 26, 2025 – Favorite Teacher Tips and Resources

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

Where I Have Found Help

As a home educator, you need practical help and resources like any other teacher. We cannot be lone rangers in this journey of home education. We need support. Because homeschooling has exploded, the amount of help and number of resources available have also exploded. So, it really helps to hear from others who have the same age children or are a few steps ahead. Word of mouth and testimonials are wonderful helps for decision making.

I have found most of my help in three places:

1. My local homeschool support group and the moms who are loaded with wisdom. Nothing beats sitting with local friends and discussing homeschooling. Here is a listing of support groups by state.
2. The many authors and experts in home education that find their way in this e-newsletter and in the pages of the magazine. Over these twenty‑plus years, I have grown in wisdom through these helps. Don’t forget—you can take the magazine with you through www.HomeschoolApp.com.
3. My local homeschool convention. There is nothing more powerful than seeing you are not alone, rifling through curriculum, and listening to amazing speakers. My paradigm has shifted many times over many conventions. (Stay tuned to the conventions section in the upcoming spring issue).

What about those days when math brings tears or you are dealing with a particularly rebellious child? Find your desired topic here and listen while you prep dinner: Podcasts Archive – The Old Schoolhouse®. 

We have recommended books, products, services, and curriculum for twenty years. Find our past, honest reviews from homeschool parents like you here: Product Reviews – The Old Schoolhouse®.

Just let us know your questions or struggles, and we can point you in the right direction. We love to support the homeschool family in every way. It’s not only our job, it’s our calling. Just like yours when you decided to keep your children Home. Where They Belong. 

~Deborah

P.S. Years ago, when we saw families struggling to afford curriculum, we created www.SchoolhouseTeachers.com which now has hundreds of courses that all open to the whole family for one price. From certificates of completion to a free record‑keeping system to help for high school: we’ve made it all with your needs in mind because we’ve walked this road, too. 

dwuehler@theoldschoolhouse.com

From learning to make letters and numbers in early education… to complicated diagrams in middle school science, Wikki Stix are an amazingly versatile teaching tool. https://www.wikkistix.com/ 

Alexandria Letkeman

Tried-and-True: Setting Up for Success

Since the whole internet tells you what tips are best for your child, I’m narrowing it down to my proven favorites. I don’t like giving suggestions for curriculum, since it must be individually tailored, so let’s focus more on teacher tips. The best tips are the ones that work for you. 

Creating the Right Environment

This might sound obvious but having a learning zone that can adapt to different activities can infinitely boost your child’s willingness and eagerness to learn. Incorporate a structured desk and cozy reading nooks. You can supply pillows or blankets and create a corner near a bookshelf filled with fun and age-appropriate books. You might also provide a yummy treat to complement their schooling. Some adults (like me!) love to read novels while sipping tea. You can use that same cozy yumminess with your teens. 

Establishing Effective Routines

Again, this tip might seem simple, but it has huge returns. Begin each day with a morning meeting to set goals and build excitement for learning. Connect with each child to provide support, encouragement, and accountability. And learning is no fun if that’s all we’re doing! Balance your day with plenty of breaks to keep their brains going. Having a daily routine will help everyone (including you!) know what to do and when.

Technology and Resources

Balance a mix of online and offline resources and use educational websites as supplements rather than primary teaching tools as much as possible. In high school, using a physical planner and taking notes by hand was integral for my studying process. Alternate between digital and hands-on activities and set clear screen time limits.

The most important elements for each of these are consistency, adaptability, and maintaining a positive learning environment. If your children are learning and you have family harmony (at least most of the time!) you’re succeeding. Keep up the great work!

About the author

Alexandria Letkeman began homeschooling with her family in middle school and has recently graduated with honors in 2020. Together with her husband, she has developed a passion for financial literacy, classical writing, and the freedom that homeschooling provides. In pursuit of those passions, she and her husband aim to continue the legacy of The HomeScholar and continue helping homeschool parents homeschool with confidence. One day, Alex plans to start a homesteading farm in Texas featuring mini cows.

From Mike Nawrocki, co-creator of VeggieTales and voice of Larry the Cucumber! Read The Dead Sea Squirrels and stream the animated series on Minno. https://bit.ly/4gAkDOq

Kerry Tittle

Which Resources Fit Your Child’s Learning Style?

Staying up to date on the best resources out there can be challenging. Figuring out which resources fit the learning style of your child can be hard, too. But occasionally some educational wonder can pop up and change everything! As I look over my twenty‑six years of homeschooling, a few resources have stood out to me as being incredible.

1. Dave Ramsey’s Foundations in Personal Finance Curriculum. This curriculum can either be self-led or taught by you. It teaches personal finance (which was my goal), but it far exceeds that with real life applications. It has upgraded so much since my older kids took it. Currently, is has lesson guides, video lessons, and auto-graded assessments. Dave Ramsey does have some corny, light-hearted jokes but the kids seem to engage well with it. I was

pleased with how it stuck with the children into their adult lives with avoidance of debt accumulation and wise purchase choices. 

2. Tuttle Twins. To be honest, I tend to be wary of engaging books for the whole family that teach values of the free world. Often my kids find them dry with bad graphics. I had low expectations, but not for long. My kids loved the books! They were able to grasp economical concepts I hadn’t known previously. They liked the first books but

loved the recent set. They were able to grasp ideas of the principles of freedom, entrepreneurship, and personal responsibility. This company has age‑appropriate audiobooks, graphic novels, magazines, and books for all your kids, and even a TV series. 

3. Drive Thru History. This has always been a favorite of our entire family. David Stotts brings history to life in a unique way by video. He tells the stories of the people, places, and events that shaped history by traveling the area and pointing out the history as he travels. Within the teaching, he also incorporates how Christianity shaped

Western Civilization and the world we live in today. My kids are drawn to his comedic personality. This is streamed on various platforms, but more importantly, you can find it on the SchoolhouseTeachers.com platform!

I pray you find these resources helpful. Blessings on your journey!

About the author

Kerry Tittle is a mother of nine children and a 20-year homeschool veteran. She was the owner of ReformationKidz with her husband Rob until a tornado destroyed their home and business in 2014, taking the lives of Rob and two of their daughters, Tori and Rebekah. Kerry is the founder of Refined Family, which is created to encourage others to find hope in the gospel in the midst of trials.

Heidi Mosher

Must-Haves and Mindsets for the Ambitious Mom

It’s ambitious, this homeschool life, yet what a way to spend these quick years! Here are my favorite must-haves and mindsets to keep home and school running well.  

Must-Haves

These tools will be heroes in your homeschool: 

• the Merriam‑Webster dictionary app
• gel highlighters for Bible
• a Time Timer^® to help kids focus on time management
• sticky notes to communicate expectations and encouragement
• educational placemats (a map or flags, etc.) for incidental learning
• rewards and incentives like stickers and little collectibles 
• a special deck of cards for math games 
• cheap calculators to entertain young students (and to sneak in a little learning!) 
• a snack box so kids can help themselves, freeing Mom to work one-on-one with another child 

It’s worthwhile to invest in anything that will help your homeschool stay organized. It’s also worthwhile to supply preschoolers with educational items to keep them occupied. Both of these areas are almost as important as curriculum for your older kids, and both can greatly impact your outlook. 

Want more ideas? See “Not Your Ordinary School Supply List: A Checklist for the Homeschool Mom’s Heart and Mind.”

Mindsets

As the adult in the room, you are the one with the big picture. You are the leader, the one equipped with resolve, and you set the temperature. Kids follow best when needs are met, so prioritize sleep, nutrition, and relationship. Teach like you’d want to be taught. The subjects kids shine in just may be a glimpse of their future work, so relax when other subjects are tricky. And remember, you don’t have to homeschool, you get to! 

You’ll feel worn out now and then, though. When you do, embrace Jesus’s invitation: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).

About the author

Heidi Mosher is honored to write for The Homeschool Minute, as it was a lifeline of her early homeschooling years. She is thankful to be the mother of four—two recent homeschool graduates and two who are currently homeschooled.

Struggling to teach math? Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered at SchoolhouseTeachers.com. Hands-On Math Help Using Cuisenaire Rods are designed to empower parents to help their children learn. Its purpose is to help homeschool parents of students in preschool–third grade make math enjoyable instead of frustrating. Through a free app and math tutorial videos, this course shows parents how to teach math in a manner that involves play, directed activities, open-ended tasks, and challenges. While this course is designed to work with Cuisenaire rods, there are instructions for creating a homemade set included!