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Friday Aug 11, 2023
Friday Aug 11, 2023
Back to school can be a stressful time, even for homeschoolers! But with the homeschooling boom still going strong, there’s lots of new homeschooling families that are getting back to school in a whole new way. So today, we’re discussing back to school in two parts. First, we talk about back to school for new homeschoolers. We discuss tips to allow it to go smoothly, and we speak frankly about what challenges you may face — and how to overcome them! In the second part, we discuss how we’re prepping for the new school year. Whether beginner or old pro, today’s episode is stuffed full of great ideas for how to get back to school… Homeschool!
SHOW NOTES:
If you have any questions or comments, please email us at happyhomeschoolpod@gmail.com
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Previous episodes you might find helpful:
031: Low Cost, No Cost Homeschooling
068: How to Start a Co-Op
079: 5 Questions to Answer Before Starting the School Year
80: Help for the New Homeschooler
084: Homeschooling on a Budget
Jennifer recommends ChatGPT to help with your lesson planning, check out the AI tool that’s sweeping the nation here.
The Happy Homeschooler Podcast is a Transcript Maker Production. It is hosted by Holly Williams Urbach, Melody Gillum, and Jennifer Jones, produced by Matthew Bass, and edited by Norah Williams. Our graphic design is by Pete Soloway and our music is by The Great Pangolin.
If you liked this episode, and you’d like to help us grow, leave us a review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!
Friday Jul 28, 2023
Friday Jul 28, 2023
Dyslexia is a disability, even if you can’t see it. As a learning disability, homeschooling parents want to be on the lookout for dyslexia and need to know how they can best support their dyslexic children. Today, we welcome Stephen Yearout of the Empower Dyslexia podcast to discuss his experience with his dyslexia, what the early warning signs are, and what you can do as a parent to help your child fulfill their highest potential. We’ve been wanting to bring you this episode for some time, but we wanted to do it right, and we think that every parent (homeschooler or not, dyslexic children or not) should listen to this episode and learn from what Stephen has to share.
SHOW NOTES:
If you have any questions or comments, please email us at happyhomeschoolpod@gmail.com
Visit Transcript Maker and get your 14-day free trial!
Like our page and join our group on Facebook!
Follow us on Instagram!
Empower Dyslexia – Podcast, Best Podcasts, Podcast, Vodcast
Neurodevelopment of Words – NOW! (nowprograms.com)
Dyslexia (scottishriteforchildren.org)
You Can’t Make Me (But I Can Be Persuaded), by Cynthia Tobias
The Happy Homeschooler Podcast is a Transcript Maker Production. It is hosted by Holly Williams Urbach, Melody Gillum, and Jennifer Jones, produced by Matthew Bass, and edited by Norah Williams. Our graphic design is by Pete Soloway and our music is by The Great Pangolin.
If you liked this episode, and you’d like to help us grow, leave us a review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!
Friday Jul 14, 2023
Friday Jul 14, 2023
Independence is the most important skill a parent can teach their child, but for homeschoolers it can be a bit harder. We’re always with our kids anyway, so it can be hard to loosen our grip and let them alone for a while, but with a few sensible precautions and a healthy dose of trust, it can be an immensely rewarding experience for parent and child alike. Today, we discuss the reasons for being overprotective, the pitfalls of it, and our own experiences of and ideas for encouraging independence in our own children. And be sure to stay to the end when we answer a big question about what papers homeschooling parents should keep.
SHOW NOTES:
If you have any questions or comments, please email us at happyhomeschoolpod@gmail.com
Visit Transcript Maker and get your 14-day free trial!
Like our page and join our group on Facebook!
Follow us on Instagram!
Homeschool Laws By State (hslda.org)
The Happy Homeschooler Podcast is a Transcript Maker Production. It is hosted by Holly Williams Urbach, Melody Gillum, and Jennifer Jones, produced by Matthew Bass, and edited by Norah Williams. Our graphic design is by Pete Soloway and our music is by The Great Pangolin.
If you liked this episode, and you’d like to help us grow, leave us a review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!
About Our Hosts
Jennifer Jones (left) is a dedicated homeschool advocate and community leader with over two decades of experience homeschooling her eight children in Marble Falls, Texas. After joining The Happy Homeschooler Podcast as a guest, Jennifer was thrilled to join the podcast as a co-host in 2022. She hopes that by sharing her own experiences on the podcast she is able to make homeschooling more approachable for new families. She believes homeschooling is truly a lifestyle, not just an educational choice, and encourages listeners to embrace it as an adventure for the entire family.
Holly Williams Urbach (right) is a dedicated homeschooling mother of six wonderful people (five of whom are now adults). She began homeschooling in Texas in 1993 when homeschooling was not yet fully legal. She is passionate about the benefits of the homeschooling lifestyle and shares her passion by mentoring new homeschoolers in person, through the local Facebook group she moderates with other seasoned homeschoolers in her community, and by being a co-host of The Happy Homeschooler Podcast.
Melody Gillum (not pictured) was a founding host of The Happy Homeschooler Podcast. In 2025, she retired from the show to spend more time with her husband Jon, with whom she homeschooled her seven children.