Favorite Reads of 2020

in , ,

We're a month into 2021, but here in Oregon we’re still living amid the societal confinements that arrived last year, including schools that remain closed by our governor’s order since last March, ongoing Antifa-led violence in downtown Portland, and my friends’ small businesses struggling or shuttered. It’s quite likely the situation is similar where you are, though I hope it’s better. Frankly, I think the past year has paved the way for a concerning new normal, and it's not necessarily the future that I would wish for the world. I'm thinking particularly of the continuing travel restrictions, possible vaccine mandates, the French ban on homeschooling (now slated for 2022), and continued political fracturing. Nonetheless, I’m so grateful for the greatest blessing my family received at the end of 2020 when our fifth child (our fourth boy!) was born. I haven't been able to read as much with a newborn in my arms, bien sûr, but I'm happy to reminisce and recommend my favorite books that I read in 2020. Les voilà:

Read More

Support for Parents Who Suddenly Find Themselves Homeschooling Their Children

in , ,

What a strange, unprecedented moment we find ourselves in, peering into the foggy darkness of unknowns cast by the spread of COVID-19. Currently here in Oregon (as with more than half of U.S. states), schools are closed through the end of April and possibly through the end of the year. As a result, my husband (a teacher) and our wonderful exchange student are home enjoying the family time with the children and me. (Yesterday our exchange student was interviewed by USA Today about what it's like to be an exchange student in the U.S. right now; you can read the article and find our family photo in the article here, but more importantly, I'm also sharing my tips and resources for you newly homeschooling parents since I've learned a lot over the years as a seasoned homeschooling mom.

Read More

Educational French Resources for Learning (including every school subject!)

in , , ,

One of the key reasons I began this blog, Intentional Mama, back in 2013 was to share French resources with families and teachers here in the United States and anywhere else that French materials might be difficult to find. Today, learning French remains incredibly important to my family and me—we've been homeschooling in French, or mainly in French, for roughly five years now. Here is my current list of my favorite educational French resources organized by school subject! (Nearly all of these resources are available here in the U.S.; others can be ordered online.) Profitez-bien!

Read More

Inspiration for Bilingual Parenting: Adam Beck's Thoughtful Guidebook

in , , ,

Early in my quest to raise a bilingual child, I frequently read non-fiction books on bilingualism to help me grasp the requirements ahead. Eight years later, however, I'm now a homeschooling parent of three children, and my reading on the topic has slowed quite a bit. Since late last fall, however, I've been slowly savoring each little chapter of Adam Beck's indie-published book, Maximize your Child's Bilingual Ability. His book is neither a daunting tome of scientific research nor a fluffy anecdotal jaunt through his own parenting experience, but instead, it's the ideal guidebook for parents who are sure of their commitment to bilingual parenting but in need of ideas and ongoing inspiration. That covers every bilingual parent, including me!

Read More

French Summer Day Camps in Oregon: Our Experience

in , ,

Oh là là--can you believe la rentrée (back to school) has arrived? My husband returns to teaching high school this week, and my children and I will officially continue our homeschooling journey. We would have loved to return to France to continue the incredible experience we had there last summer and fall, but since we needed to stay in Oregon this summer, my older two children were thrilled to attend a week of French day camp. Here in Portland, Oregon, there are two French schools offering French immersion summer day camps, and both programs are fantastique. Here's what we loved about them:

Read More

Trying out Math by Hand, the Waldorf-Inspired Math Kits

in ,

This past spring I shared about a typical day in our French homeschooling life and a reader (merci, Shannon!) told me about Math By Hand, a Waldorf-inspired curriculum created by Marin Lipowitz here in the USA. I was intrigued by the idea of math learning kits that revolve around crafts and activities--aren't you? My children and I tried out the initial kit for first grade and here's what we found:

Read More

A Day in Our French Homeschooling Life: Ages 1, 4, & 7

in , , , ,

This is our second year of homeschooling if you consider that my oldest child is now seven, but our "education at home" lifestyle has been gaining momentum since that daughter was young and we first decided to take this path. This year we've found a definite rhythm, but that's not to say that we follow a set schedule. With my children's young ages and with my belief in the importance of play at this stage, certain days are far less orderly than others--but here's a typical homeschooling day for us:

Read More

Joyeux Noël & A Podcast about Our Family Language Trip

in , , , ,

Joyeux Noël, les amis! Yes, Feliz Navidad and Merry Christmas! I have a little gift for you if you listen to podcasts and are interested in traveling as a family to help you or your children improve your bilingual skills! You see, Marianna DuBosq at Bilingual Avenue has just released the 100th episode of the Bilingual Avenue podcast, and in this episode, Polish mama & translator Hanna Cheda and I share about how we took our families overseas for amazing language immersion experiences. I give details about how we saved money for the trip, how my children handled the experience, and how I enrolled my daughter in a French school. Hanna shares about locating affordable family housing and finding free immersion experiences for children. I hope you love what you learn!

Read More