Listen on:
Episodes
Tuesday Jul 13, 2021
Tuesday Jul 13, 2021
Are you wondering how to teach reading? From the brand new homeschooler to the old pro, everyone knows how important reading is. It’s so important, it can create a lot of stress for the home educator! When should you start teaching reading? What method should you use? How do you keep your student interested? And once your kids are reading, how can you be sure they’re reading the right things? Holly and Melody answer all these questions and more in today’s episode, so sit back, listen in, and learn all about how to teach reading!
If you have homeschooling questions or comments, email us at happyhomeschoolpod@gmail.com
SHOW NOTES:
Visit Transcript Maker and get your 14-day free trial!
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!
The Well Read Kid
Checklist For Reading Readiness
Reading Resources for the ACT
SAT Reading Test
Our Reading Readlist:
A Home Start in Reading, by Ruth Beechick
A Strong Start in Language, by Ruth Beechick
You Can Teach Your Child Successfully, by Ruth Beechick
Games for Reading, by Peggy Kaye
The Writing Road to Reading, by Romalda Spalding
Reading and Spelling Pure & Simple, by Deede Hinckley Cauley
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, by Elaine Bruner, Phyllis Haddox, and Siegfried Engelmann
The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease
Phonics Pathways by Dolores G. Hiskes
The Happy Homeschooler Podcast is a Transcript Maker Production. It is hosted by Holly Williams Urbach and Melody Gillum, 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!
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
Math provokes strong feeling almost unlike any other school subject. Yet, like it or not, every home educator needs to know how to teach math. Maybe you’re the math lover of the family, maybe that’s your student, or maybe you’re both in agreement one way or the other. No matter your situation, Melody and Holly have all kinds of strategies to make math enjoyable for everyone!
If you have homeschooling questions or comments, email us at happyhomeschoolpod@gmail.com
SHOW NOTES:
Visit Transcript Maker and get your 14-day free trial!
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!
Multiplication Bingo
S’math: The Game That Makes Math Fun
Math Geek Mama
Khan Academy
Homeschool On’s Comparison of Math Curricula
Key Curriculum Press
Miquon Math
The Happy Homeschooler Podcast is a Transcript Maker Production. It is hosted by Holly Williams Urbach and Melody Gillum, 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!
Tuesday Jun 08, 2021
Tuesday Jun 08, 2021
Liberal arts might be scoffed at sometimes, but we think you might want to take a second look at it. Not just for college and high school, a liberal arts approach might just be the answer to some of the challenges of the modern day homeschooler. Listen to today’s pocket-sized episode and hear about the shortcomings of a STEM-only approach, how people misunderstand liberal arts, why you might be trying to shy away from teaching arts and humanities, and more!
If you have homeschooling questions or comments, email us at happyhomeschoolpod@gmail.com
SHOW NOTES:
Visit Transcript Maker and get your 14-day free trial!
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!
How Music Education Benefits Students – Learning Lift Off
10 Benefits of Music Education for Students – Learning Liftoff
How Physical Activity Helps Learning – ADDitude Magazine
Build Your Muscles, Build Your Brain – ADDitude Magazine
Fine Arts Courses Help Students Excel In Math And Science – Forbes
Bill Gates and Steve Jobs raised their kids with limited tech — and it should have been a red flag about our own smartphone use – Business Insider
The Happy Homeschooler Podcast is a Transcript Maker Production. It is hosted by Holly Williams Urbach and Melody Gillum, 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.