• Back to School 2023: Passionate Teaching and the Joy of Homeschooling

    “I think ultimately what God wants is to refine us in this homeschooling process. It’s not like we’re the ones that have it together and we’re teaching these children to get it together. It’s that we’re all people that need refined, and we’re all people that need to depend on the Lord. And it’s just something we’re all working through together.” Aby Rinella This week on the Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast, Yvette Hampton welcomed Aby Rinella back to share her enthusiasm for teaching and the joy of homeschooling – in our 2023 Back to School series. Aby Rinella is a former public school teacher and passionate homeschooling parent who believes in…

  • Navigating Social Media: a Guide for Homeschool Moms

    In the digital age, social media has become an integral part of our lives, connecting us with people from all corners of the world. But what are the consequences of this constant online presence? In the latest episode of the Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast, Aby Rinella engages joined me for an enlightening conversation on the impact of social media on our personal lives, particularly as homeschooling parents. This conversation, inspired by an article Aby wrote, titled The Original Influencer, provides practical encouragement for navigating the social media web with our families. “We have to remember that the enemy of our souls is the master of deceit. He’s deceiving people into thinking…

  • Hope Starts at Home

    “No matter how bad it gets down here, no matter if everything comes crashing down, we know who wins in the end…” Alex Newman Alex Newman recently joined Yvette Hampton and Aby Rinella on The Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast and even in the face of all of the challenges of 2020 he was able to bring a message of hope. In this short excerpt Alex Reminds us that God is sovereign and Christian Parents have an important role in raising up leaders for revival. Yvette Hampton:           Alex. Can you just offer some hope? Because this stuff is so heavy and it’s scary to look at our nation around us and know that…

  • Phonics or Sight Words: What is the Best Method for Teaching Reading?

    Recently, Alex Newman, was a guest on The Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast, with Yvette Hampton and Aby Rinella, to address the current state of education in our nation. During that conversation Alex covered the very important topic of teaching reading through phonics or sight words (also called “look say,” “see say,” whole-word, or whole-language method). Yvette Hampton:           I want to go back to something that you talked about just a little while ago. You were talking about phonics versus other methods of teaching reading. Talk about that a little bit, because I know that’s something that you’ve studied, and I understand the difference between the two, but I’ve never actually heard anyone explain how has that…

  • Coronavirus and Common Core: The Future (and Past) of Public Education

    2020 has been a year of critical changes in education. Will virtual school and social distancing be the new normal? Will the millions of students who have begun homeschooling due to the COVID-19 pandemic continue as classroom learning returns to normal? Should they? One of the major effects of millions of students doing public school at home is that the heart of public school education is being revealed to parents who are paying attention to their children’s Zoom lessons. At the same time, our culture has been in a state of upheaval, in near civil war, and the roots of this culture war have been nourished in the public schools.…

  • How Long is a Homeschool Day?

    “How long is a homeschool day supposed to be?” Every few episodes, Yvette Hampton and Aby Rinella answer listeners’ questions on The Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast. For answers to your homeschooling questions, listen to the podcast or visit our Homeschool Answers YouTube playlist. You can even submit your own questions on the Schoolhouse Rocked Facebook page. Yvette Hampton:           A listener asks, “How long is a homeschool day supposed to be?” So Aby, how much time should a family spend homeschooling each day? Aby Rinella:                  Okay, your homeschool day is as long as it needs to be for your family. The answer is not going to be “as long as a public school day.” I’ll tell you that. Yvette Hampton:           Right.…

  • Homeschooling Uncooperative Boys (The Pre-Teen Years)

    “How do I homeschool my son, age 11, who’s uncooperative? He fights me on everything and I’m feeling so defeated and overwhelmed.” Every few episodes, Yvette Hampton and Aby Rinella answer listeners’ questions on The Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast. For answers to your homeschooling questions, listen to the podcast or visit our Homeschool Answers YouTube playlist. You can even submit your own questions on the Schoolhouse Rocked Facebook page. Yvette Hampton:           A listener asks, “How do I homeschool my son, age 11, who’s uncooperative? He fights me on everything and I’m feeling so defeated and overwhelmed.” Aby, Do you want to jump on this? Aby Rinella:                  I read this and immediately two great resources came…

  • The Best Preschool Curriculum…

    Every few episodes, Yvette Hampton and Aby Rinella answer listeners’ questions on The Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast. For answers to your homeschooling questions, listen to the podcast or visit our Homeschool Answers YouTube playlist. You can even submit your own questions on the Schoolhouse Rocked Facebook page. Yvette Hampton:           A listener asked, “I’d love recommendations on a good homeschool curriculum for my preschooler, age three.” And Aby, I’m going to let you answer this, but before you answer it, I’m going to say, we just recorded an whole episode all about preschool with Leslie Richards, from the Homegrown Preschooler. In this hour-long conversation with Leslie she dives deep into homeschooling preschoolers and how to keep order in your…

  • How Do I Make Sure my Advanced Reader is Really Learning?

    It’s time for the next installment of our homeschool Q&A discussion with Yvette Hampton and Aby Rinella! Today’s conversation discusses what is important for your child’s reading development and offers some helpful resources for those who are trying to find age-appropriate material for their advanced reader. Yvette Hampton: We are back, and we have a mom asking for advanced reading help. She says, “My now-second-grader is reading chapters and I want to continue to make sure she’s deciphering the words properly. She’s comprehending what she is reading, so I’m thankful for that.” You want to jump on this one, Aby? Aby Rinella: As long as she’s comprehending what she reads,…