Homeschooling Help!

As an educator, writer, artist, inventor — and retired homeschooling mom to two smart, creative, well-adjusted college-educated adults — I’ve helped families create fun and effective learning environments for nearly 20 years!

Homeschooling gives families the ability to shape their children’s education. You don’t need to use a packaged curriculum or online school to be successful. In fact, I do not make recommendations on “which curriculum to buy.” Instead, I can show you how to:

• figure out your goals for each child

• custom tailor an education plan that meets your state guidelines and opens up opportunities for higher education and a career

• create a learning environment in your home that makes it easy for kids to engage in fun, educational hands-on activities

• find high-quality resources to create a personalized curriculum for your family, without the need for expensive homeschooling programs or materials.

You can do it all, without a teaching degree, just using the skills you already possess as a loving, committed parent.

My Philosophy

My aim is to reassure parents that you can do this – and help you set realistic goals and achieve them with as little stress and worry possible.

As both parent and advisor, I’ve spent years researching educational best practices outside of a traditional school setting. I continue to talk with experts and listen to the experiences and concerns of homeschooling families. Based on what I’ve learned, I believe the best way to help children learn is to follow these simple guidelines:

• Meet children where they are.

• Follow their interests and build upon their abilities.

• Incorporate as many real life, hands-on experiences as possible.

• Avoid putting pressure on your kids — and yourself — by focusing on meaningful accomplishments rather than arbitrary measures and milestones.

What I Offer

Looking for personalized support as you start your homeschool journey? I offer individual remote consulting to homeschooling parents. Contact me to discuss your needs and how I can help.

My Fee:

One-on-one Zoom consultations: $75 for 45 minutes

Classes, Workshops, and Guides

I also offer webinars for parents and educators, and online classes homeschool students. Check my schedule for upcoming programs, or contact me to set up your own.

Important Note

• I only recommend curriculum and learning materials that follow accepted scientific evidence. I do not work with religious-based materials.

• Sorry, I don’t offer in-person instruction at this time.

About Me

I am the mother of two children, now grown, who were homeschooled from kindergarten through high school in the Capital Region of New York State.

I've been an active member of the local homeschool community since the dawn of the internet, sharing advice, organizing activities, teaching classes, and educating the public about homeschooling through articles in newspapers, magazines, and online.

In college, both my kids received scholarships to and graduated from attend highly selective programs at public and private colleges. Today, they work in the highly competitive fields of filmmaking and video game development.

In my own work life, I was the Homeschooling Expert (yes, that really was my job title!) for the website About.com (now ThoughtCo) and the "Hands-On Learning" columnist for Home Education Magazine. I also helped create and run the GeekMom blog on Wired.com, contributed to the GeekDad series of books, and was a co-author of the Geek Mom book.

Currently I create hands-on learning projects for kids from elementary through high school for organizations like Maker Camp and Girl Scouts of the USA. I’ve written more than a dozen books of educational projects for home or classroom on topics ranging from the Silk Road to robotics. I continue to teach online enrichment classes for kids and present workshops and talks to help teachers and librarians share Making and design thinking with the public.

From my blog…

For more, go to my blog!

Upcoming Classes and Workshops for Kids and Adults