The Durenda Wilson Podcast

The Unhurried Homeschooler Mentoring Course

(P.S. Don't forget to check out my latest book, The Four Hour School Day: How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life on Amazon, durendawilson.com, or your favorite bookseller!)

A Simple, Unhurried Approach to Writing Essays and Research Papers (Podcast 342) Aug 29, 2022

Show notes

I've been sharing more simple, unhurried approaches to subjects like language arts and science because I want moms to know that homeschooling really IS doable!

Today my guest, Dennis Janisse (college professor and homeschool dad) shares his thoughts on writing as well as a budget-friendly, non-intimidating approach to writing essays and research papers!

Fun-Schooling

(P.S. Don't forget to check out my latest book, The Four Hour School Day: How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life on Amazon, durendawilson.com, or your favorite bookseller!)

A Simple, Unhurried Approach to High School Science (Podcast 341) Aug 26, 2022

Show notes

Today I have my good friend Sherri Seligson back with us!Sherri is a veteran homeschool mom who happens to love science and writes science curriculum.

She will put your heart at ease as we talk about taking a more simple unhurried approach to science in the high school years. She will also share what it looks like to help our science-oriented kids prepare for college!

REMEMBER YOU HAVE THE FREEDOM TO ADAPT ANY CURRICULUM TO YOUR CHILD’S NEEDS. IOW YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

General Science (Apologia)

Our family loved these for high school! It's very well done, it's doable, the student can work almost 100% independently and it fully qualifies as a solid high school credit!

Suggested options (include your child in the process of deciding);

Online classes

Live classes (Apologia)

Dual enrollment

Double up your subjects (example: if they are reading and writing for a science-related topic, they have covered science, writing, and reading)

(P.S. Don't forget to check out my latest book, The Four Hour School Day: How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life on Amazon, durendawilson.com, or your favorite bookseller!)

A Simple, Unhurried Approach to Science in the Elementary Years (Podcast 340) Aug 22, 2022

Show notes

I'm excited because today I have my good friend Sherri Seligson with us. Sherri is a veteran homeschool mom who happens to write science curriculum. She will put your heart at ease as we talk about taking a more simple unhurried approach to science in the elementary years!

REMEMBER YOU HAVE THE FREEDOM TO ADAPT ANY CURRICULUM TO YOUR CHILD’S NEEDS. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING!

(The next podcast will be about taking a simple, unhurried approach to science in the high school years)

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The Exploring Creating Series

Masterbooks

Sherri’s YouTube Channel

Check out field guides at the library

A Wildly Unconventional Conversation on Family Size (Podcast 339) Aug 19, 2022

Show notes

When we got married, my husband only wanted 2 kids. Today he joins me as we tell our story about how we ended up with eight and share some thoughts and questions about family size that you may not have considered!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Raising a Family of 10 on One Modest Income

Yes, I Had 8 C-Sections!

(P.S. Don't forget to check out my latest book, The Four Hour School Day: How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life on Amazon, durendawilson.com, or your favorite bookseller!)

A Simple, Unhurried Approach to Language Arts Grades 1-8 (Podcast 338) Aug 15, 2022

Show notes

Language Arts includes such a broad array of topics that parents can become overwhelmed and doubtful that they are covering everything well enough.

Years ago I was introduced to Learning Language Arts Through Literature. I loved how it gently covered all of the language arts pieces without being overwhelming. I didn't use it for all 8 kids, but it was one of the mainstays of our overall curriculum choices.

Today, Ashley Wiggers joins me to talk about taking a simpler, unhurried approach to using LLATL and what we loved about it!

Resources mentioned:

Why Grade Levels Don't Really Matter That Much

The Benefits of a More Natural Approach to Learning

(P.S. Don't forget to check out my latest book, The Four Hour School Day: How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life on Amazon, durendawilson.com, or your favorite bookseller!)

The Power of Reading Aloud to Recapture Joy (Podcast 337) Aug 12, 2022

Show notes

As moms, we set the tone in our homes.

Joy is a key element to learning, but even more importantly, we are called to it as believers. God gives us tools to help recapture joy when it has waned or has been lost completely.

Today Jennifer Pepito, owner of The Peaceful Press and author of Mothering By the Book, joins us to talk about the power of reading aloud to recapture joy!

Resources mentioned:

Charlotte Mason Companion

The Awakening of Miss Prim

Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto

Passion Driven Education

Mere Motherhood

Ways to connect with Jennifer and find her new book with a special bonus!

www.motheringbythebook.com

www.instagram.com/jenniferpepito

www.instagram.com/thepeacefulpress

www.thepeacefulpress.shop

(P.S. Don't forget to check out my latest book, The Four Hour School Day: How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life on Amazon, durendawilson.com, or your favorite bookseller!)

The Power of Reading Aloud to Help Overcome Fear (Podcast 336) Aug 08, 2022

Show notes

God knows that we will face fear as humans and a particularly intense battle with fear when it comes to being a mom and He graciously gives us tools to help overcome fear.

Join Jennifer Pepito (owner of The Peaceful Press and author of Mothering By the Book) and me as we have a great conversation about the power of reading aloud to help overcome fear!

Resources mentioned:

www.motheringbythebook.com

Ways to connect with Jennifer and find her new book with a special bonus!

www.instagram.com/jenniferpepito

www.instagram.com/thepeacefulpress

www.thepeacefulpress.shop

(P.S. Don't forget to check out my latest book, The Four Hour School Day: How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life on Amazon, durendawilson.com, or your favorite bookseller!)

Why Grade Levels Don’t Really Matter That Much (Podcast 335) Aug 05, 2022

Show notes

Many parents orient their homeschooling plans strongly around grade-level standards. But how crucial are grade levels and more importantly, where did this concept come from?

Listen in for a bit of a history lesson along with some insight and encouragement toward the freedom that is ours in home educating our kids!

Resources mentioned:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2lpOv8MddcJqkrXz11L8i2

Here is the first in the series on Ecclesiastes

Homeschooling: Purpose or Performance?

Let’s Talk About Testing

Creating High School Transcripts

Life Counts for High School Credit Part 1

Life Counts for High School Credit Part 2

Homeschooling with Confidence When Teaching a Struggling Learner

Tips for Disciplining Littles

(P.S. Don't forget to check out my latest book, The Four Hour School Day: How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life on Amazon, durendawilson.com, or your favorite bookseller!)

Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment with Hannah Anderson (Podcast 334) Aug 01, 2022

Show notes

It seems as though we need more discernment than ever, especially as moms. We are raising the next generation of image bearers who will carry with them the values that we instill in them. We want those values to be solidly rooted in biblical truth and for them to not only be well-versed in them but to meaningfully apply them.

But where do we start? What does discernment really mean? How do we walk out a life that practices discernment?

How can wisdom change a person’s life and the lives of those around them?

Listen in as Hannah Anderson gives us a deeper understanding of what it looks like to be discerning wives, moms, and women!