3 Ways to Foster Independence in the Middle Grades Homeschool Child

One of the biggest challenges that comes with homeschooling "big kids" is fostering independence.

A reader, commenting on last week's "Big Kids" post put it perfectly:

The biggest question for me right now is teaching independence. I'm trying to move away from the "I need to sit here while you do this work" mode. But of course I can't leap right to the "here's your pile of work, now sit down and get it done" mode either!

What steps did you/would you take to foster independence?

I don't claim to have all the answers, but I can share what we have been doing for the past two years with our middle grades child. 

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Homeschooling Big Kids - A Look at the Challenge Program

This is the second post in the Homeschooling "Big Kids" series. In last week's post I outlined some of the challenges and joys of homeschooling big kids. Judging by the response the post received, many of you can relate!

While I write to encourage others, this post and the comments I received afterwards, encouraged ME.

After feeling a bit lost during my daughter's sixth grade year, I knew we needed direction, motivation, accountability, and a like-minded peer group. 

Enter Classical Conversations - and specifically, the Challenge program. 

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