I’m proud to announce that Tweens, Tough Times, and Triumphs: Homeschooling the Middle Grades is available through Amazon in print or for Kindle. I wrote this book because I really have a passion for middle schoolers and middle grades education. I began my career in education thinking that I’d teach high school, but after several twists and turns, it turned out the middle schoolers were my people.

As much as I love middle schoolers, I swore that my own kids would never attend middle school itself. It’s a rotten time in school for most students, making it the perfect time for homeschooling. Too many families give up on homeschooling for middle school or are afraid to try. This book is meant to be a practical guide and encouragement.

This is no tiny blog post book! Inside, you’ll find chapters about the problems with middle schools, the development issues kids this age face, a guide to educational philosophies, how to organize your homeschool, strategies for approaching each academic subject, and how to use field trips and travel to enhance your homeschool. My favorite chapter is about best practices for middle schoolers, with tips about how to challenge students without overwhelming them.

My hope is that this book gives guidance and encouragement to homeschool parents of middle schoolers. There’s not much attention paid to this essential age group. I want to highlight how infuriating they can be for us as parents, but also how amazing and impressive they become as they mature. It’s an exciting time of life to parent, but it takes patience and flexibility.

This won’t be the only book from Simplify! Look for more from us in the coming year. We want to share our wisdom with you in lots of different ways – through books, podcasts, curricula, blog posts, and, of course, one-on-one consulting. Reach out if we can help you.