resources

Looking for some fun ways to breathe life into your homeschooling? Got questions on adoption or homeschool? Here are some of the other things we do, besides writing books and folding laundry:

Gaining Ground: This is an online book club with an optional paid writing coaching element. We read classics, and most of them are totally appropriate for high schoolers or advanced middle schoolers. Check it out here.

Science Goes Boom: This is a free weekly science curriculum of curated videos that are pre-screened for clean, accurate, non-woke content.

Movie Fight Club: Mostly just for fun (hey, did you know that’s okay? Sometimes we need a reminder…) but also culturally relevant because movies and storytelling matters, and this is a fun way to argue about it.

Military History for Middle & High Schoolers: A 16-week course for students, families, or nerdy adults, with two variants — one that’s just the videos and questions, so you can handle your own writing assignments if you’d like, or the other, where your student turns their writing assignments in to Vince. Info here.

Adoption, Attachment, and Discipline: This is a free 1-hour training on one of the hardest trifectas we’ll ever love our kids (and ourselves, and others) through. No sign up or registration required, just click play.

resources page at Copperlight Wood

other resources

I think I want to homeschool – what should I do?!

First, pray. Second, know that you can do this — you are uniquely qualified to teach your children. Third, here are the three books and one website that I always, always, always refer friends to for encouragement, inspiration, and tips on starting out:

A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola

For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

Books Children Love by Elisabeth Wilson

If you’re curious, Ambleside Online is the curriculum we have (loosely) used since 2012. In addition to the dreamy booklists, the website is saturated with resources, links, and ideas that are mostly free, and the forums are full of help and camaraderie from parents who have tons of experience.

My top homeschooling posts are here.

Also, Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is a terrific resource to answer questions about legality and requirements in your state/country. They also have a You Can Homeschool page right here.

from floor to ceiling (Copperlight Wood)

adoption info

Two of my books are specifically about adoption: Risk the Ocean and Upside Down – Must-have information and perspective for adoptive families, prospective adoptive families, and people who know adoptive families. You don’t have to take my word for it; check out the reviews. :) Adoptive families are not alone – and the communities around them can make sure they never feel that way again.

Nancy Thomas Parenting – information and resources on attachment and other behavioral special needs, particularly for (but not limited to) adoptive and foster families.

Attachment and Bonding Center for Ohio (Dr. Gregory Keck) – dozens of articles on attachment, dealing with difficult behaviors, and parenting the child from hard places.