483 | The Joy of Reading in Community with Jennifer Dow (Janice Campbell)

Reading in community can take you more deeply into a book, and more deeply into the heart of friendship, too. If you’ve ever wanted to start a book group or wondered how to lead a class discussion on a classic work of literature, Jennifer Dow’s wise counsel can help you do both. You don’t have to know everything about a book in order to do this. Jennifer suggests that “If the goal is community and the hospitality that leads to healing, we must provide free space with clear, helpful boundaries. We must meet people where they are, at the same time offer or invite others to a vision of what can be, together, shoulder to shoulder. This expresses itself in the environment we curate, the content we behold, and the way we teach or read.” Join us to learn more about how to cultivate a reading atmosphere that leads to learning, growth, and relationship. About Jennifer Jennifer Dow is a classical teacher, speaker, and writer. Jennifer has completed the CiRCE Apprenticeship as a CiRCE certified Classical Teacher and has taught humanities, logic, rhetoric, and the fine arts since 2009. She is the founder of the Paideia Fellowship, an organization devoted to helping teachers and leaders, at home and school, teach the classical liberal arts.  Jennifer’s published works can be seen around the web, was a contributing author for The Lost Tools of Writing Level 1, published by The CiRCE Institute. Jennifer has spoken across the nation on how to teach and encounter the classical liberal arts and hosted The Classical Homeschool Podcast, been featured on Your Morning Basket Podcast with Pam Barnhill and The Commons with Brian Phillips. Currently, Jennifer is writing her first book about the journey of classical learning and teaching, serving as the Director of the Paideia Fellowship, and researching how parents, leaders, and teachers can provide an authentic and healing classical education to all. Jennifer, an Orthodox Christian, lives in North Carolina with her three children and enjoys spoken word poetry, trying her hand at fancy cuisine, collecting more books than she’ll ever read, and the occasional Netflix binge. About Janice Janice Campbell, a lifelong reader and writer, loves to introduce students to great books and beautiful writing. She holds an English degree from Mary Baldwin College, and is the graduated homeschool mom of four sons. You’ll find more about reading, writing, planning, and education from a Charlotte Mason/Classical perspective at her websites, EverydayEducation.com, Excellence-in-Literature.com, and DoingWhatMatters.com. Resources  Standing by Words: Essays by Wendell Berry  Awakening Wonder: A Classical Guide to Truth, Goodness & Beauty by Dr. Steve Turley Norms and Nobility: A Treatise On Education by David Hicks If you could choose any three books to give to a new homeschool mom, what would they be? Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life, by Henri Nouwen Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse The Liberal Arts Tradition, by Clark & Jain Connect Jennifer Dow | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Virtual Homeschooling Group | Facebook Group Janice Campbell | Instagram | Facebook | X | Pinterest | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

Jill and Jessica talk about public school vs. homeschooling, the transition out of public schooling, and whether or not to encourage your kids to go to college. About Jill Jill Simonian is Director of Outreach for PragerU Resources for Educators & Parents (PREP) and PragerU Kids. PragerU Kids offers families and educators free children's edutainment with shows, videos, resources, and books that honor and celebrate American values and history for Kindergarten through 12th grades. Jill is frequently seen and heard discussing education across media outlets, including Newsmax, Fox News, OAN, and more.  Jill is a former television host & media contributor, founder of TheFABMom blog, and published author. Previously, Jill was known for straight-talking parenting segments on Los Angeles' KCBS, KCAL, KTLA, KTTV as well as HLN/CNN, TODAY Show, Hallmark Channel, and more between 2011-2020. Prior to 2011, Jill was a full-time entertainment reporter and television host for a variety of cable news networks. Jill is a graduate of UCLA and resides in California with her husband and two children.  About Jessica Jessica is a wife, homeschool mom of three, author, and blogger. She lives in sunny North Carolina on a big family farm with chickens, goats, cousins, and lots of mud. Resources  PragerU Kids PragerU resources Connect Jill Simonian | PragerU | Instagram | X | YouTube Jessica Smartt | Instagram | Facebook | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

Join Jessica Smartt for a conversation with Connor Boyack, author of The Tuttle Twins books and president of Libertas Institute! About Connor Connor Boyack is founder and president of Libertas Institute, a free market think tank in Utah. Named one of Utah’s most politically influential people by The Salt Lake Tribune, Connor’s leadership has led to dozens of legislative victories spanning a wide range of areas such as privacy, government transparency, property rights, entrepreneurship, education, personal freedom, and more. A public speaker and author of over thirty books, Connor is best known for The Tuttle Twins books, a children’s series introducing young readers to economic, political, and civic principles. Connor lives near Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife and two homeschooled children. About Jessica Jessica is a wife, homeschool mom of three, author, and blogger. She lives in sunny North Carolina on a big family farm with chickens, goats, cousins, and lots of mud. Resources  Jessica's Weekly Review Favorite Things Connect Connor Boyack of Libertas Institute | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube Jessica Smartt | Instagram | Facebook | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

One thing we often neglect in our busy schedule is nurturing our walk with God. With everything we must complete, we feel that we just don't have the time to have a quiet time. However, Jesus tells us, "Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing." We all want more than anything to do a good job homeschooling, to bear much fruit in our children's lives. Yet, if we are not walking with the Lord, we cannot bear fruit, we can do nothing well. Colossians 1:29 says, "To this end I strenuously labor with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me." We need the energy Christ provides to succeed in any endeavor we undertake, especially homeschooling. In this podcast, Jeannie will share the simple format that Jesus taught us to strengthen our relationship with God. Even if you only have five minutes to spare each day, by employing the steps Jesus imparted, you will receive all the blessings and benefits of an intimate and dynamic relationship with God. About Jeannie Jeannie Fulbright, a 24-year veteran homeschooler, is the author of the #1 best-selling, multi award-winning Apologia Young Explorer science series: Exploring Creation with Astronomy, Chemistry and Physics, Botany, Zoology, and Anatomy & Physiology. She is also the author of the action-packed historical time travel book series Rumble Tumbles Through Time, as well as preschool science books and activity kits, the Charlotte Mason Heirloom Planner, and many high-quality Charlotte Mason based products. Jeannie and her husband Jeff became empty nesters in 2019. All four of their children all went to the University of Georgia on scholarship (homeschooling works!). For more than 20 years Jeannie has traveled around the country speaking to homeschoolers at conventions, covering a plethora of topics from Charlotte Mason to marriage and prayer.  Connect Jeannie Fulbright | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | TikTok | Pinterest | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Homeschool Solutions Show. View full show notes on the blog.

Interests can lead to learning, but kids don't always follow them past fun and convenience. Career dreams can only become reality through work and meeting requirements. Requirements only parents may fully understand and need to push behind the interests. But what if they have no interests? There's a spark for learning in all kids that we want to kindle but not put out. But how do we find the perfect balance?    About Jennifer Jennifer Cabrera, the Hifalutin Homeschooler, is the writer of homeschool truth, humor, and inspiration.  Jennifer lives in Salado, Texas with her husband and three brilliant boys.  She is a licensed Physician Assistant/MPH, but set aside that career for her ultimate life's work.  She is also the author of Socialize Like a Homeschooler: A Humorous Homeschool Handbook and Revolting Writing, a hilarious writing, vocabulary, and illustration journal for reluctant writers.  She is a featured speaker with Great Homeschool Conventions and her memes and witty insights are widely shared on social media. Connect Jennifer Cabrera | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

Can your children trust you? Before you answer that question, another question should be asked: "Do your children talk to you?" In our relationship with our children, trust is a precious commodity; but it's not one that magically appears in abundance, as if you've suddenly won the lottery of your child's confidence. Trust is acquired and saved over time. Over long and sustained periods as we prove our love and commitment to our children. As we talk to them and encourage them to talk to us. Because if we haven't convinced them they can talk to us, it's going to be very difficult to convince them to trust us. About Sean Sean Allen is the founder of The Well Ordered Homeschool, husband to his beautiful bride Caroline and a proud father of eight. He has a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design and is passionate about creating materials to assist parents in the incredibly challenging, yet surpassingly beautiful, work of schooling and training their children at home. Resources  The No Ordinary Days Podcast Connect Sean Allen | Instagram | Facebook | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

Life can be so busy that it's hard to focus on the things that really matter. Although Cal Newport's book, Deep Work, isn't written specifically for homeschooling families, his ideas are surprisingly compatible with Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education, and can help you discover ways to create focused, peaceful, and productive habits in every area of life.  About Janice Janice Campbell, a lifelong reader and writer, loves to introduce students to great books and beautiful writing. She holds an English degree from Mary Baldwin College, and is the graduated homeschool mom of four sons. You’ll find more about reading, writing, planning, and education from a Charlotte Mason/Classical perspective at her websites, EverydayEducation.com, Excellence-in-Literature.com, and DoingWhatMatters.com. Resources  Deep Work by Cal Newport Cal Newport's blog Blog post with visual notes A simple schedule from Benjamin Franklin (who didn’t have nearly as many distractions as most moderns, but shared some of Newport's ideas on time) Connect Janice Campbell | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Thank you to our sponsors! Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance Tuttle Twins: children’s books to help you teach your kids how the world really works Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

Whether you're just getting started or have been schooling for a while, there are a few basic things to know that might make your life easier. When I started homeschooling, I was lucky enough to have done enough reading and non-traditional learning so I knew that the "school-at-home" model wasn't what we wanted. That helped. However, I started out expecting that I'd be able to make perfect plans and schedules and keep exactly on track every year. As you might guess, that was — well, let's just say that it was overly optimistic. Here are a few of the things I wish I'd known — I hope they help you! About Janice Janice Campbell, a lifelong reader and writer, loves to introduce students to great books and beautiful writing. She holds an English degree from Mary Baldwin College, and is the graduated homeschool mom of four sons. You’ll find more about reading, writing, planning, and education from a Charlotte Mason/Classical perspective at her websites, EverydayEducation.com, Excellence-in-Literature.com, and DoingWhatMatters.com. Resources  7 Habits of Highly Successful People by Stephen Covey "One of the Family" by Frederick George Cotman Charlotte Mason Introduction Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Guides Music History Courses Lyrical Life Sciences Homeschooling articles Connect Janice Campbell | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Thank you to our sponsors! Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance Tuttle Twins: children’s books to help you teach your kids how the world really works Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

Have you ever begrudged your family for under-appreciating your homeschool efforts? If so, you then probably felt guilty for feeling neglected. For the love of homeschooling and our families, we do all we can to show it. Having these thoughts and emotions could be homeschool burnout. Or could you be overdoing it and wearing out your audience?  About Jennifer Jennifer Cabrera, the Hifalutin Homeschooler, is the writer of homeschool truth, humor, and inspiration.  Jennifer lives in Salado, Texas with her husband and three brilliant boys.  She is a licensed Physician Assistant/MPH, but set aside that career for her ultimate life's work.  She is also the author of Socialize Like a Homeschooler: A Humorous Homeschool Handbook and Revolting Writing, a hilarious writing, vocabulary, and illustration journal for reluctant writers.  She is a featured speaker with Great Homeschool Conventions and her memes and witty insights are widely shared on social media. Connect Jennifer Cabrera | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

Nobody ever said that homeschooling would be easy (and if they did they must be lying). How could it be? It's one of the most self-sacrificing endeavors that you could ever attempt. In this episode, we'll discuss how this often discouraging struggle against our selfish nature is the very thing our children need to see played out before them so that they too may be inspired to struggle against their lesser selves. And though this nature is constantly striving to press us into a rut, we'll discuss some simple but effective solutions to ensure that we don't stay there. About Sean Sean Allen is the founder of The Well Ordered Homeschool, husband to his beautiful bride Caroline and a proud father of eight. He has a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design and is passionate about creating materials to assist parents in the incredibly challenging, yet surpassingly beautiful, work of schooling and training their children at home. Connect Sean Allen | Instagram | Facebook | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.