Category: Homeschool Tips

Homeschool writing programs have gone digital! With LightSail’s Author a Book Feature, kids can write — and publish! — their own books. When you want your kids to improve their writing skills, use new vocabulary words, or stretch their creative muscles, Author a Book is just what you need. Author a Book: A Step-by-Step Guide […]

One of LightSail’s incredible writing features is Author a Book.  Students can become published authors in their own right by learning their way around this feature.  They can write, edit, add pictures and multimedia, and publish all within our platform.  But you can also think outside the box and use it for a lot more […]

Middle school can be troublesome — and not just for kids.  With tween friendship dilemmas, more independent learning, and the distraction of social media, even homeschool classrooms can get downright stressful for parents and kids alike.  All of these situations and changes can lead to fluctuating “middle-schooler moods.” But take heart in your efforts to […]

One of the benefits of homeschooling is the ability to allow your children to deep-dive into topics that genuinely interest them. Is your daughter obsessed with everything rainbows? Does your son claim to hate reading but love poring over books about his favorite athletes? Do you find your second grader gobbles up any information she […]

Reading is the foundational skill for knowledge and learning. Knowing this, many homeschool parents naturally love reading and want to provide their students with a wealth of engaging reading material. While nothing beats the feeling of holding a book, turning the pages, scribbling notes in the margins, and folding the corners of well-loved passages, homeschool […]

For public school kids, standardized testing is a fact of life. In many states, homeschool students need to take these exams, too. It’s a good idea to know your state’s homeschool testing requirements so that you can properly prepare your students. 1. Know Your State’s Rules More than 20 states include testing guidelines in their […]

Utilizing digital curriculums can bring an exciting, 21st-century element to homeschooling, but most parents don’t want their kids staring at a screen all day long. When you’ve got your basics happening online, the best way to keep your kids on their educational toes is by incorporating hands-on learning activities into your school day. Kinesthetic learners thrive when […]

As homeschool parents, we want our children to read books at the just-right level to foster a love for reading and learning. Books that don’t challenge or excite them can dampen their passion for reading, as can texts written above their reading ability. Fortunately, when your child takes a Power Challenge, it enables LightSail to […]

One of the benefits of homeschooling is the ability to deep-dive into intriguing topics. Rather than just reading one chapter of text on a subject in a textbook, homeschoolers can devote time to truly understanding a topic and approaching it from many different angles. For example, instead of just reading a little bit about weather, […]