Homeschooling in Rest

  Starting  October 2025 , I’ll be running  live, online Life of Fred maths classes  for younger homeschoolers. Whether your child is just starting out or you've hit a few wobbly spots, these classes are gentle, story-based, and genuinely effective. If you're feeling unsure about teaching maths at home—or maybe you've started already and it's just not going the way you hoped—then I want to share something that could completely change the tone and direction of your maths journey. 🎥 Watch the video where I explain how the classes work, who they’re for, and how to know if your child is ready. What Makes Life of Fred Different? If you're not familiar with Life of Fred, it's a unique maths programme told through the eyes of a five-year-old maths professor named Fred. It's not your usual drill-heavy, memorise-and-repeat workbook. It’s story-based , engaging, and full of subtle yet powerful maths teaching. Each chapter is a quirky story that weaves in maths conc...

  Does Times Tales Really Work? How This Visual Programme Helps Kids Master Multiplication If your child is struggling with maths, especially between Grades 4 and 7, one of the biggest reasons might be that they haven’t memorised their times tables. As a maths educator and homeschooler, I’ve seen over and over again how not knowing multiplication facts slows learners down. They either guess — leading to errors — or take too long working it out, and run out of time. It affects everything: fractions, percentages, decimals, and even algebra. It also knocks their confidence just when they’re starting to move from concrete to more abstract thinking in maths. That’s why I was excited to speak with Meagan Flanagan from Times Tales — a mnemonic-based programme that teaches multiplication through visual stories. It’s fun, effective, and particularly useful for children with dyslexia or dyscalculia . It also works beautifully for homeschoolers who need something that doesn’t rely on rot...

  Maths Q and A – Let's Chat About Helping Your Child I’ve been getting more and more questions lately from parents wanting to know how to help their children with maths. Whether it’s confusion around number bonds, times tables, or what’s expected at their child’s grade level—there’s a real need to better understand how maths is taught and how to support it at home. So, I’ve decided to create a space for us to talk about it. On Thursday 22 May 2025, from 7–8pm , I’ll be hosting a Maths Q and A —and you’re invited. This is not a presentation. There won’t be slides, no screen sharing, no teaching from a whiteboard. It’s not a lecture.  Instead, this is a relaxed conversation where I’ll be answering your questions—so you can get real, practical help that makes sense for your child and situation. A space for you to bring the real questions you have—whether your child is in Grade R or Grade 7 —and I’ll do my best to give clear, practical answers. I’ll share insights into ...

Fair Exchange: Support for Your Homeschooling Journey Hi there, fellow homeschooling parent! If you're here, you're probably looking for guidance, answers, or just a bit of reassurance on this homeschooling path. And I get it—homeschooling can feel overwhelming at times. But the good news? You don’t have to do it alone. Over the years, I’ve had countless conversations with parents who are searching for help—whether it’s understanding curriculum choices, structuring a homeschool day, navigating challenges with kids of different ages, or simply needing encouragement. I truly love supporting families in this space and have been doing so for years. But, as much as I’d love to be able to offer unlimited free advice, there’s a reality I have to acknowledge—time is valuable. I’ve spent over 20 years in education, working with children from ages 2 to 18, and have built up a wealth of experience in various educational settings. I am happy to share my expertise, but as with any professio...

  I thought I’d talk about this topic, INDEPENDENT LEARNING, after chatting to a few moms recently about their frustrations of homeschooling tweens. Although I mostly focused on the Foundation Phase,  for many of us, our "little babies" are heading into a different phase and with that comes a new territory of homeschooling PLUS parenting! So without going into too much detail, it boils down to this: a child naturally gravitates to independence. (Fast track and watch a video about HOMESCHOOLING TWEENS  HERE. ) When they feel confident they “let go” and start “walking by themselves”. Now, just like it was in the early stages of development, each child starts to walk in their own time. It has continued this way as they’ve learned new skills and gained confidence. Yes, it comes with much praise and encouragement from us as parents but it does happen. Academic skills are no different. They are working towards doing things independently but if they haven’t “let go” yet, it mean...