About Homeschool Activities

Hi. My name is Sonya. I was brought up in a homeschooling family myself and I loved it!

second generation homeschooling

Here's a photo of me with my parents and siblings, most of whom were homeschooled. I'm the little girl with blonde hair sitting on my sister's knee.

Being one of the very few families taught at home myself has given me the confidence to know that homeschooling works.

And, although academic success is by no means necessarily your main homeschooling goal, the fact that my largely unschooled son ended up graduating summa cum laude with a First Class degree from Oxford University must give you some comfort.

But homeschooling takes courage. I know how hard it is, even for me, to take the leap into choosing a different path from family and friends.

Fears like: 'Can I cope? What if I fail my child? What about friends?' along with more practical questions like: 'How do I fit everything in? What if my child has dyslexia or autism?' are ones that keep us all awake at night.

So I have brought together the largest number of homeschooling families ever in one book to answer those questions and give you the confidence you will succeed.

Courageous Homeschooling Handbooks all three pin

"Totally love these books. They've been so instrumental in helping me understand what homeschooling can really offer. "

Please note that the book links on this page are affiliate links so if you buy I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Part 1

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Part 2

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Part 3

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Why I Love Homeschooling

I was sent to High School so I am in a position to compare the benefits of learning at home as against being taught in school.  My overwhelming experience is that school often destroys children's enthusiasm.

Tamara L Chilvers prepare children for life quote

By the time most children have been through school, they have been successfully put off most subjects - for life.

Learning isn't fun anymore.

I can vouch for that.  I thought the world was an amazing place, full of exciting things to discover.

But once I was sent to High School, I found all my interests evaporating.

I've always loved History, so I decided to study it at home by myself without any adult help. The school agreed only on condition that I undertook not to report them to the newspapers when I failed.

Being home educated had given me the confidence and self-reliance to know that I could teach myself - and that took me all the way to a First Class Honours Degree in History at one of the best Universities in the UK.

That experience underlies the basis of our philosophy:

Interest is the key to all learning, and learning at home is the best way to encourage your child's interests.

And this is what I believe about the problems of sending children to school and why we chose to homeschool:

Pasi Sahlberg education quote

When I was lucky enough to meet my husband Rob and we had William and Catherine there was no way I wanted to send them to school. In fact, rather than seeming the 'normal' thing to do, the whole idea of school seemed completely unnatural and artificial.

This website is our way to help allay your fears about starting out and show you the best activities we have found which make learning fun.

Catherine is following an unschooling route and is a talented artist. William went on to study Chemistry at Oxford University.  His acceptance by the University recently ranked top in the world gives reassurance that you can achieve the highest academic standards if that's your goal.

It also shows you don't need to follow a standard educational route to get there.  We took tons of holidays, no homework, days and days when we did absolutely 'nothing' at all.

I am certain that the key to success is motivation.  So long as you are all working happily together everything else will follow!

I wrote my first book Secrets of Success so you can see how to avoid battles with the kids and create a happy and enthusiastic home where learning stays fun.

Homeschool Secrets of Success by Sonya Chappell

Please note that the book links on this page are affiliate links so if you buy I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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I know that getting support and encouragement is essential to keep you on track along a journey that has its ups and downs.

We all have our bad moments! Sharing problems makes all the difference. I run a separate Courageous Homeschooling Facebook Group where no one judges anyone else and we all help each other.

Come and join us!

Sonya

Best wishes,

Sonya, Rob, William and Catherine

P.S. Do remember to sign up for my free monthly newsletter full of fun activities, ideas, and freebies!


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