A Cottage Education

Homeschooling doesn’t have to drain your finances to be rich in learning. If you’re searching for ways to   homeschool on a budget without sacrificing quality , you’re not alone. When we first began homeschooling, I assumed doing it “well” meant expensive curriculum, endless supplies, and constantly buying the newest resources. Over time — and while homeschooling   multiple children of different ages and grades   — I learned the opposite is true. Some of our most effective homeschool years have also been our  least expensive . In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly  how to homeschool on a budget , how we save  hundreds of dollars each year , and how to invest wisely in resources that work for  more than one child . This approach has allowed us to homeschool gently, sustainably, and peacefully — without feeling like we’re cutting corners. Why Homeschooling on a Budget Actually Improves Quality Budget homeschooling forces intentionality. When you ar...

A gentle, joyful reading list for curious, active little learners Finding the  best books for early childhood education  can feel surprisingly difficult—especially when you’re homeschooling or intentionally teaching at home and need books to do more than simply fill time. In the early years, books must walk a careful balance. They need to be  entertaining enough  to hold the attention of busy, wiggly children, while also being  rich enough  to support early learning skills like language development, counting, sequencing, emotional awareness, and early reading readiness. As a homeschool mom teaching a  very active five-year-old boy , I’ve learned quickly that not all children’s books are created equal. My son tests limits, loses focus easily, thrives on movement, and—if I’m honest—has had more screen time than I’d like at certain seasons. I’ve also seen clearly that  limiting screen time improves his ability to focus , especially during read-alouds...