Homeschooling Outside the Box
by Cindy Rinna
Homeschooling Outside the Box is the podcast that encourages and equips moms who homeschool an outside-the-box child. Join the host, Cindy Rinna, as she talks about Charlotte Mason education, the joys and challenges of homeschooling Outside-the-Box kids, and creating a homeschool that fits your unique family.
Episodes
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Thriving with Home Education: A Conversation with Mandy Davis
Mandy Davis began her journey in traditional education, where she worked tirelessly within public schools, private schools, and international institutions. But her path took a transformative turn when she chose to homeschool her three children, allowing her to blend her extensive background with…
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Patriotism in an Age of Cynicism: A Conversation with Dawn Duran
We live in an age of cynicism and polarization but a more balanced view can help us think critically and ponder our civic duty as Americans. As we approach the 250th birthday of America, Dawn and I discuss and celebrate the good and beautiful about this land that we love. Dawn Duran has devoted…
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Autism from a Dad's Perspective: A Conversation with Lee Rinna
I've talked about autism a lot on this podcast (especially in this Autism Everything episode) but for the first time, I'm bringing my husband in to discuss autism from a dad's perspective. Don't miss this behind the scenes coversation and be sure to share this one with your husband, ladies. This…
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On Autism: The "Everything" Episode
If your child has autism, Welcome. Welcome has a very positive connotation; the diagnosis your child received doesn't usually carry that same positivity. In fact, it probably rocked your world. And will continue to rock your world. The autism grief cycle is real. And yet, I say "welcome." Find…
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Their Future is Shining Bright: a Conversation with Rachel Kovac
The high school years are a big turning point in your homeschool journey but you don't have to walk through them blindly. Transcripts? College applications? Paths for students not interested in college? The high school "experience?" We talk about all of the myths and realities today. Rachel Kovac...
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On Artists, or Picture Study
Beauty matters. It is not frivolous. It is not an afterthought. In a world that worships all that is utilitarian, I am here to remind you that beauty has a purpose in and of itself. Find all the links on my SUBSTACK
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On Composer Study: Homeschooling by Subject
Music has been an integral part of history since the beginning. From the psalms of David to your favorite Amazon playlists or Spotify stations today, every culture in every time period has used music for expression, pleasure, and even a high form of worship. Music clearly carries meaning. Music...
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On Reflection & Expectation
Thank you for joining me for my 100th episode! This is one of my favorite weeks of the year. It's the "already, not yet" week. We have already experienced most of the year — we've made it through Christmas morning, decking the halls, singing carols, and slowly, slowly, we are emerging from our...
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Replay: 10 Favorite Family Christmas Traditions
Christmas is no ordinary time of year. It intoxicates our senses; the air smells of pine and sugar. The days are filled with music and stories. The soft, warm sleeves on our arms and thick mittens on our hands and hat on our head triggers our mind to think cozy thoughts despite the biting cold.…
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Replay: Embracing Your Child's Differences with Nathan Clarkson
I am not doing interviews right now, but I want to bring you some great talks from past seasons. Enjoy! Do you find it easy to embrace your child's differences? As new parents – or even "not yet" parents – we can have many dreams and ideas about what our children are going to be like. Sometimes…
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On Memory Work: Homeschooling by Subject
The phrase "memory work" is one that can carry baggage for people. The act of memorizing something may bring to mind a collection of facts you memorized as a child that you now deem useless such as the planets or the names of the bones in the body. You may think of learning scripture verses in...
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Replay: Poetry & Teatime with Julie Bogart
I am not doing interviews right now, but I want to bring you some great talks from past seasons. Enjoy! Do you consider poetry to be a staple of your homeschool? Oftentimes when the subject of poetry comes up with other parents, even the most enthusiastic homeschoolers will admit that they shy…
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On Poetry: Homeschooling by Subject
Do you consider poetry to be a staple of your homeschool? Of your life? Oftentimes when the subject of poetry comes up with other parents, even the most enthusiastic homeschoolers will admit that they shy away from this subject. When I press to understand why that is, the answer is usually that...
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On Folk Songs: Homeschooling by Subject
This is going to sound familiar; a lot of what I had to say about hymns applies to folk songs, as well. Of course, there is a sacredness that goes along with hymns that you don't find in folk songs but that doesn't mean we should skip them. Folk songs pass culture from one generation to the next...
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On Hymn Study: Homeschooling by Subject
Over the next few months I'm going to break down each subject and look at how we study it and what our favorite resources are. Our family adheres to Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education. To truly understand how to teach each subject, check out my series on Charlotte Mason's 20 Principles.…
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On Planning Your School Year: The (Almost) Back to School Episode
I'm big on philosophy when it comes to education but at some point we need to stop thinking and discussing and actually do the thing. This is the nuts and bolts of it all. How do we actually homeschool? What is the super practical application of the beautiful Charlotte Mason Philosophy? If your...
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Replay: The Importance of Humor with Betsy Jenkins from Homeschooling with the Classics
I am not doing interviews right now, but I want to bring you some great talks from past seasons. Enjoy! Homeschooling is not for the faint of heart. It requires endurance and initiative. It requires sacrifice and diligence. But it also requires something you might not realize…a sense of humor. We...
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On the High School Years: The Beginning of the End
If you're just at the beginning of the high school years, it may feel like the end is still far off but I warn you, the ball sure does start rolling quickly once it starts. The end is nigh, my friend. You've been working yourself out of a job and when you make it to the high school years, and you...
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Replay: The Value of Teaching Through Stories with Jim Weiss
I am not doing interviews right now, but I want to bring you some great talks from past seasons. Enjoy! Stories have been a part of human history from the very beginning and have been used as a powerful teaching tool throughout the centuries. Teaching through stories is a wonderful way to…
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Replay: Seeing Autism in a New Light with Bryn Hogan, Executive Director of the Autism Treatment Center of America®
While I am not able to do interviews right now, I want to bring you some great talks from past seasons. Join me for the replay of a fantastic interview with Bryn Hogan. Are you ready to see autism in a new light? So often the conversation about autism is surrounded by a list of limitations. And...
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Replay: Homeschooling High School with Melissa McMahan
While I am not able to do interviews right now, I want to bring you some great talks from past seasons. Join me for the replay of a fantastic interview with Melissa McMahan. Homeschooling High School…what is it about this phrase that makes even the most confident homeschool mama shake in her…
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On the School Years: The K-8 Episode
This is the crux of it all. When you are homeschooling kids in the K-8 range, you are in the sweet spot, my friend. The pre-school years are largely spent cleaning up messes and putting out fires (hopefully only theoretically ones, but you never know), and trying to get a handle on how to run a...
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Replay: Why Effective Communication Matters with Andrew Pudewa, Director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing
While I am not able to do interviews right now, I want to bring you some great talks from past seasons. Join me for the replay of a fantastic interview with Andrew Pudewa. Are you raising effective communicators? Andrew Pudewa is a well-known name in the homeschool world and for good reason. His...
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On Rhythms & Routines: The "How to Run Your Day" Episode
Isn't this the best month of the year to talk about this? It seems like January is the time we all want to finally get our lives together and give a valiant effort to do so. Despite our best efforts, though, somehow the new of the year wears off over the months and by the time the weather warms,...
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Replay: Reclaiming a Wild + Free Childhood with Ainsley Arment
In case you missed it... Join me for the replay of a fantastic interview with Ainsley Arment. Childhood is a unique growing time for our children; educators, parents, and experts have known this for years and yet childhood often gets swept under the rug at the expense of rigorous academics and a...
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On Principles 11-15: The Curriculum Episode
This is it, guys. The final episode of the series. We made it. It's a big one, too — five principles jammed into one article but they all have to do with wonderful, wonderful curriculum. Read and subscribe on Substack. Connect with me on Instagram.
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On Christmas Cheer: December Everything
Ah, Christmas. The lights. The music. The traditions. The bustle. The gatherings. The Reason for the season. Starting this month, I'll be gifting my paid subscribers with a bundle of rhythms to help celebrate the season from month to month. They're called "Everything" guides. If you've been…
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On Principles 18 & 19: The Reason Episode
Principle 18 & 19: The Way of the Reason We should teach children, also, not to lean (too confidently) unto their own understanding because the function of reason is to give logical demonstration of (a) mathematical truth and (b) of initial ideas accepted by the will. In the former case reason…
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On Principles 16 & 17: The Will Episode
Principle 16 & 17: The Way of the Will We may offer to children two guides to moral and intellectual self-management which we may call 'the Way of the Will' and 'the Way of Reason.' The Way of the Will: Children should be taught (a) to distinguish between 'I want' and 'I will.' (b) That the way…
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On Grief: The Interruption Episode
I'm supposed to be working on my next episode of the "Summer with Charlotte" series that I've been slogging through this summer these past few months but after wrestling through fits and starts in my head I realize the answer is, as usual, simple and honest, if not immediately obvious. I can't....
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On Principles 9 & 10: The Mind Episode
Principle 9 & 10: How We Make Use of Mind "We hold that the child's mind is no mere sac to hold ideas but is rather, if the figure may be allowed, a 'spiritual organism' with an appetite for all knowledge. This is its proper diet with which it is prepared to deal and what it is able to digest and...
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Beyond Morning Time: A Conversation with Cindy Rollins
Cindy Rollins homeschooled her nine children for over thirty years. She is the host of The New Mason Jar podcast and a co-host with Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks of the popular Literary Life Podcast. She also curates the "Over the Back Fence Newsletter" at MorningTimeForMoms.com. She is the...
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On Principles 5-8: The Instruments of Education Episode
Principle 5: Three Instruments of Education Therefore, we are limited to three educational instruments - the atmosphere of environment, the discipline of habit, and the presentation of living ideas. The P.N.E.U. Motto is: "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline and a life." Reference: Volume 6,...
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On Principles 3 & 4: The Posture Episode
This is the third article in my "Summer with Charlotte" series. If you missed the first two, you can read On Education and On Principles 1, 2 & 20. Let's jump in. Principle 3: Authority and Docility The principles of Authority on the one hand and Docility on the other are natural, necessary, and...
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On Principles 1, 2 & 20: The Defining Episode
Principle 1: Children are Born Persons "No sooner doth the truth…. come into the soul's sight, but the soul knows her to be he, first and old acquaintance." "The consequence of truth is great, therefore the judgment of it must not be negligent." Reference: Volume 6, Chapter 2 Here Charlotte…
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On Education: The Charlotte Mason Episode
Where do I even begin? For the better part of twelve years I have been writing (and reading and podcasting and speaking) about Charlotte Mason. I'd like to think I've hit that 10,000 hours expert level of knowledge about her but truth be told there is still much to learn. I'm being totally…
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On Nature: The Great Outdoors Episode
"Never be within doors when you can rightly be without." It's one of the first Charlotte Mason adages I learned by heart. I use it all the time to this day. I bet it'll be one of those sayings my kids will remember when they're fifty and say with a smile - albeit a slight roll of the eyes - "my…
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To the Pre-School Mom
While becoming a parent is the true beginning of the journey, the preschool years bring a certain amount of well, uncertainty…for those of us who embark on the adventure of homeschooling. When is "the beginning" of their education? What should education look like in the early years? The culture...
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The Philosophy Episode
What is education? What are your family values? What type of family culture are you working to create? What type of people do you hope to help your kids become? Mark Twain once famously said, "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." Education means so much more than…
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The Winter Episode
Winter has the propensity to bring burn-out for homeschoolers but it doesn't have to be that way. Today I'll talk about ways to avoid burn-out and how to enjoy the coziness of winter. Show Notes Sunlight before noon post Until the Streetlights Come On by Ginny Yurich Homeschool Rhythms: Rest Time...
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Essential Rhythms for Busy Days
With the holidays around the corner, there are bound to be some busy days that will rock your normal homeschool routine. Those days are not lost, though. There's a simple way to stay productive and relaxed when a hectic schedule demands it. Tune in to see how we do it. SHOW NOTES Homeschool...
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How to Read A Lot Even As a Busy Mom
If you've ever struggled to fit reading into your life as a busy homeschool mom, this is the episode for you! Join me as I tell you how to fit a true feast into the nooks and crannies of your day. Show Notes Homeschool Rhythms: Morning Time Homeschool Rhythms: Rest Time Wild + Free Bundle...
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The Autumn Episode
Bring on the sweaters and boots and pumpkin spice lattes! Autumn is in full swing by now with falling leaves, crisp mornings, and night creeping in earlier and earlier. I like to take time to reflect as fall begins in earnest; what changes do we need to make in routines and atmosphere to get…
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How to Grow a Homeschool Group (and if you should) with Danielle Easley, co-founder of Connect
If you've listened to Part I of this episode (How to Start a Homeschool Group and why you should), you'll be delighted to hear this continuation on what to do when the group starts to grow and take on a life of its own! IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL HEAR: How teens make a difference for the group How...
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The Summer Episode
Doesn't summertime bring out the child in us all? Swimming in the scorching heat, drinking lemonade, inhaling the wafting scent of the grill, listening for cicadas, watching for fireflies…there is a sense of wonder that comes with summer. Use this month to tap into your inner child: Stop and…
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I'm Back!
It's been a while...but I'm back and I'm so excited to be with you again! Catch up on what's new and what to look forward to. Or, if you're brand new, get to know a little more about Homeschooling Outside the Box. You are very welcome here! You can also check out the new Nature Journal and sign…
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Homeschool Rhythms: Rest Time
So far in this "Homeschool Rhythms" series we've talked about morning time, narration, getting ready, group work, individual work, and read alouds. We've moved our way through morning activities and lunch so today we're going to talk about rest time! I know some of you might have the urge to…
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How to Start a Homeschool Group (and why you should) with Danielle Easley, co-founder of Connect
For decades homeschoolers have been plagued by the question, "what about socialization" from well-meaning (and let's be honest, sometimes not so well-meaning…) neighbors, family, and friends. The question chafes at us because it assumes that the minute we begin homeschooling, we hole up in our...
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Homeschool Rhythms: Reading Aloud
So far in this "Homeschool Rhythms" series we've talked about morning time, narration, getting ready, group work, and individual work. We've moved our way through morning activities and today we're going to talk about reading aloud! I want to talk to you today about making read-aloud time a…
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Homeschool Rhythms: Individual Work
When you ask a seasoned homeschooler about structuring the day, you will often hear the same refrain: "combine as many subjects as you can." But what about the subjects that require a certain set of skills for children to master? You can generally look at academics in two categories: skill-based...
About this show
Homeschooling Outside the Box is the podcast that encourages and equips moms who homeschool an outside-the-box child. Join the host, Cindy Rinna, as she talks about Charlotte Mason education, the joys and challenges of homeschooling Outside-the-Box kids, and creating a homeschool that fits your unique family.
Hosted by
Cindy Rinna