Hi! I’m Kara Cunningham, homeschooling mom to five living in Colorado. Our family has been using Abeka homeschool for seven years. My oldest, Emmaline, will be entering 6th grade in the fall, followed by Charlotte (4th), Laurence (2nd), and Oliver (Pre-k). I also have a toddler, Theodore, and one on the way this fall.

Homeschooling has been such a blessing, but there are some subjects that come up that can be a bit of a challenge for us moms who haven’t been in a classroom ourselves for quite some time. Today I’d love to share a few tips that I’ve found helpful when I hit a difficult subject that I don’t have confidence in. 

Going old school, you can hit up your local library for books on the topic and put on your learning cap. This one can take a little time but is as effective as it’s always been. A little research can really help things click and help in knowing how to teach a topic that might have seemed daunting before. 

Call a friend! If you have a support system of other homeschool moms in your area, then I’ve found that at times they can be such a wonderful resource in situations like these. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, and it is sometimes great to have a few days where you can learn together with another family in your area. This is also great to allow your kids a small classroom experience with classmates for a few days/lessons. 

Piggybacking off of the above, I’ve also called and discussed difficult lessons with my homeschooling friends and family who live far away. You can get such wonderful, helpful ideas from other moms who have already taught the lessons or are in the same place that you are and are learning tips that work with their children. 

Another amazing resource that I have utilized is the Abeka Academy Homeschool Video Lessons on Demand. You can purchase them in 1-hour or 10-hour increments and they are an incredibly affordable way to get a teacher in your home who can help you and your students learn difficult subjects in easy-to-understand ways. Many times, I’ve sat with my student and watched how they explain and teach problem-solving and have learned so much, which helps me with teaching my younger ones in future years!  

Sometimes, it doesn’t hurt to slow down and spend a little extra time on extra tricky concepts so that your child can move forward with confidence. That’s one of the things that I love about homeschooling: it’s not a race to the end and we can help our children enjoy the process of learning in an unrushed and fun environment.