April 10th is National Sibling Day, something I only remember when people post photos of their siblings on social media every year. This year, it encouraged me to reach out to other families for their stories and experiences, and reflect on my own experiences educating multiple ages at once. The truth is, if you ask 100 families how they home educate siblings, you will get 100 different answers. On the surface, many of them may look the same. However, as each family is unique

Welcome! We’re glad you’re here. As it says on our website landing page, “Homeschooling isn’t for everyone, but it’s for anyone.” We are Virginia’s only fully inclusive, independent, volunteer-run, member-driven, statewide organization. No matter your race, religion, political affiliation, income level, or family situation, we here at the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers want to make sure we’re providing you with resources that help you on your homeschooling journey. To

In January of 2022, homeschoolers across the state of Virginia responded to a VaHomeschoolers survey question asking them to describe the method they use for providing the annual Evidence of Progress (EOP). Submitting an annual EOP is a requirement for those who educate children in accordance with the Home Instruction Statute in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Note that educating children according to the Home Instruction Statute is not the only type of “homeschooling” in the

No matter what style of homeschooling you subscribe to, strewing is an effective means of engaging your children in self-directed learning and discovery. Strewing is the art of casually leaving items around your house for your kids to pick up, engage with, and discover. An assortment of seashells with a magnifying glass, a history or current events magazine, a book of paintings, a small glockenspiel—all of these are perfect examples of things to leave out where your child mig

“Mama, when can I get Minecraft? All my friends have Minecraft!….” (pause 5 minutes) “What about now, can I have Minecraft NOW????” Sound familiar? That was the soundtrack of my life for a couple of years. Before the pandemic, computer time at my house was strictly limited and computer games were only educational. My daughter’s pleas to add Minecraft to the mix were non-starters – monsters, mayhem, and unsupervised internet interactions were 100% off the table. While mayhem a

What does fluency mean and why is it important to actively teach it to readers? If someone is a fluent dancer, he can move with grace and ease. If someone writes fluently, she can use her language easily and with accuracy. The same smooth flow of fluency is essential in reading, not only for equipping a student to read volumes of material as they move to advanced content, but for comprehension even at the most basic level. By shifting the focus to the whole rather than the mi

s a homeschooler, I didn’t always know I wanted to go to college. Actually, I spent most of my grade school career studying classical ballet (something you don’t really need to go to college for). In other words, I didn’t spend my high school career chasing awards or internships for my college resume. From a young age, I’ve had a passion for storytelling, in any way, shape, or form, and once I was able to, writing became one of my favorite mediums for it. With the freedom of

When families come to me wanting to leave traditional school and “come to the dark side,” my first bit of advice is almost always to do a deschooling period, and I am almost always met with confusion and worry. Unstructured time? Won’t they fall behind? What do mean do nothing? For how long? But, won’t they fall behind? Before we get into what deschooling is, I think it’s important first to discuss why it’s necessary. Why should I Deschool? Traditional education models, inclu

Building stronger critical thinkers in my children is the goal I have for my family. I am an analyst, and it is often hard for me to turn off my critical thinking and examination and simply enjoy a book, movie, art, music, etc, without considering the history and experience of the artist that has made it. I seek to know, to understand, and to address my ignorance of the space in which it originates. What I am often not careful of is my framework and bias. Am I framing my inte

My kids and I have embarked upon our first year of homeschooling. The journey actually started in 2018, when my son’s health began impeding his ability to attend school consistently. Since then, I have traveled through the five stages of beginning to homeschool. It’s been fun. Join me, won’t you? Stage 1: No Way In early 2020, when Covid was still a thing in another part of the world, my son was hospitalized and missed six weeks of school. I started to consider homeschooling,

What grade are you in?” It is an innocent question that frequently reminds us our choice to homeschool is not the same choice the majority makes. It is a question that can fill you with doubt and fear if you let it. It is a question that makes us cringe when we’re feeling insecure and smile when we’re feeling confident. Why does this seemingly harmless question, and others like it, have so much power? They trigger the homeschool comparisons. There are three types of homeschoo