Homeschool Companion

The story of Elijah and Mt. Carmel reminds us that nothing is impossible with God. During Arts-n-Crafts, we make a suncatcher. The hope is that children will learn to let their light shine, the light that comes from God. This is a great transition to the forest classroom curriculum topic. Next, we begin our interview with Becky and Steve Harling about their book, Listen Well, Lead Better. Steve and Becky Harling share 10 practices that will help you be a more effective listener and leader. Learn how to ask better questions, make people feel heard and valued, and create an open...

Our devotional today is about Mollusks. So, we have fun making a water bottle squid and a clay starfish. Then, we discuss Resurrection Sunday and Passover. And look at ways to help our children learn. Next, we conclude our interview with Benny DiChiara. DiChiara believes that it is important to engage with others, even when we don’t know them. Share the gospel, bring them hope, and let God give them a future.

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2 million families that home school their children each year. Hosted by Rose...

The topic of today’s devotion is the sting, especially from bees and hornets. During Arts-n-Crafts, we make honey bee slime. At Curriculum Corner, we discuss the winter holidays and different educational experiences children can have. Then we begin our delightful interview with Benny DiChiara. Since his last interview with us, DiChiara and his band have launched the SALT EP. This project is based on Matthew 5:13, where Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth.”

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2 million families that home school their children each year. Ho...

Today’s devotion focuses on snails. These slow-moving creatures have a lot to tell us about God, the creator. Next, during Arts-n-Crafts, we make some cute snails. Then, we continue our discussion on teaching through the holidays. For our interview segment, we discuss Matt Markins, President and CEO of AWANA, and his book Forming Faith. This message helps us understand what isn’t working, why it doesn’t work, and what we can do about it. Forming Faith not only provides analysis but also offers biblically based, research-backed solutions to foster lasting faith in our children.

Every child’s first...

One of the biggest defenses many animals have is the ability to play dead, or remain perfectly still. In today’s Arts-n-Crafts segment, we learn about quail. Moving on to Curriculum Corner, we explore how to integrate holidays into our homeschool curriculum. Finally, we begin our interview segment with Matt Markins about his book The Story We Tell Our Children. This book issues a timely call to children’s ministry leaders, pastors, and parents, revealing how the church can unintentionally slip into a “Bible Lite Strategy” that teaches good behavior and virtues without anchoring kids in the life-changing story of Jesus Ch...

How to give good gifts to your children is the topic of today’s devotion. Then we make dandelion play-dough. During Curriculum Corner, we talk about STEM and how you can call many of the things that you do STEM lessons. Finally, we conclude our interview with Amber Parker, a writer and speaker who helps others activate their faith and deepen their walk with God. She serves on staff at Advancing Native Missions, a global missions organization. Amber enjoys teaching, coaching leaders, and building teams both here in the US and around the world.

Every child’s first scho...

What do Mosquitos have to do with our relationship to God? Listen to today’s show to find out. During Curriculum Corner, we conclude our discussion on multi-age teaching and learning. Then we go to our interview with Dr. Josue Orellana and his daughter, Rebecca. He concludes his thoughts on the previous interview about ADRA, and then we talk about homeschooling from Rebecca’s perspective.

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2 million families that home school their children each year. Hosted by Rose Gamblin, the program is dedicated to home-based educat...

Today’s devotional title is When Gorillas Go to Bed. So, for Arts-n-crafts, we make a gorilla. Next, we conclude our discussion on multi-age teaching and learning. Then we segue to our interview with Dr. Josue Orellana, who is the director of ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency). The Adventist Development and Relief Agency is the international humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, serving in 120 countries.

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2 million families that home school their children each year. Hosted by Rose Gamblin, the program is dedicated to h...

The Angler Fish is the topic of our devotion. This interesting creature looks harmless, but dangling from the front of him is a worm-like structure that lures other fish close enough to his mouth for him to catch them. During Curriculum Corner, we discuss the benefits of multi-age teaching and learning. Next, we conclude our interview with Amanda Ramoutar about her book Simplified Worship.

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2 million families that home school their children each year. Hosted by Rose Gamblin, the program is dedicated to home-based education an...

Our devotion today is about the Firefly. The firefly lets its light shine. So, during Arts-n-Crafts, we make a paper-roll suncatcher. During Curriculum Corner, we talk about commercial versus homemade curriculum. Then we begin our interview with Amanda Ramoutar, author of Simplified Worship. This book is a meticulously crafted resource designed for novice and experienced church officers who grapple with the intricacies of preparation for services.

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2 million families that home school their children each year. Hosted by Rose Gamblin, the program is dedicated to ho...

What are the various ways we can thank God? So, during Arts-n-Crafts, we make a Praise Chain. Then we talk about the costs of the Charlotte Mason curriculum. Finally, we go to our interview with Bruce Van Natta and his miraculous escape from death when a Peterbilt Diesel truck fell off the jack and crushed him. The documentary Investigating the Supernatural, Angels and Demons, includes his story and is available on CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network).

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2 million families that home school their children each year. Ho...

What are the various ways we can thank God? So, during Arts-n-Crafts, we make a Praise Chain. Then we talk about the costs of the Charlotte Mason curriculum. Finally, we go to our interview with Bruce Van Natta and his miraculous escape from death when a Peterbilt Diesel truck fell off the jack and crushed him. The documentary Investigating the Supernatural, Angels and Demons, includes his story and is available on CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network).

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2 million families that home school their children each year. Ho...

What Does God Want Me to Do Today? Is the title of our devotion. During Arts-n-Crafts, we make a Red, Yellow, and Green Light device to help us stay on task. We also do a home safety inspection. In the Curriculum segment, we discuss the curriculum products we would need for Traditional (School-at-Home) homeschooling. Next, we begin our interview with Misty Phillip, author of The Trojan Horse of the Digital Age. In The Trojan Horse of the Digital Age, Misty Phillip delivers a prophetic and practical wake-up call for the Body of Christ.

Every child’s first school is...

Let’s go on a prayer walk. While we are on our walk, we can make it a walk of gratitude and begin going through the alphabet. “God, I’m thankful for air.” “God, I’m thankful for the blue sky.” During Arts-n-Crafts, we imagine how we can pray indoors if the weather is bad. During Curriculum Corner, we look at the expenses for the homeschooling program, Classical Conversations. Next, we conclude our interview with Bonnie Keen. In addition to her musical talent, she has authored five books and bible studies and currently co-hosts the podcast Women Who Dare to Believe.
...

What Can God Do? Of course, we believe that He can do anything He wants to do; He is sovereign. But why doesn’t He? For our Arts-n-Crafts section, we plant seeds and study Matthew 17:20 about the mustard seed. During Curriculum Corner, begin the discussion of what types of curriculum products you need to obtain to do the type of homeschooling you want to do. Then we go to our interview with Bonnie Keen. She is best known as a founding member of the Grammy-nominated trio First Call. But we will discover many more interesting facts about Bonnie.

Ev...

Every person has a chapter in their life they don’t read aloud. Remember when you need to vent, vent upwards. During our Curriculum Corner, we discuss ways to teach the dyslexic child. Then, we begin our interview with Becky Nordquist. She was the victim of abuse and has dealt with tragic loss, but she has found hope and peace in Jesus along the way. Becky Nordquist and Music for the Soul have embarked on a new and exciting journey into podcast

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2 million families that...

What Is the Fear of the Lord? Today, you will understand what it means to fear the Lord. During Arts-n-Crafts, we put various objects on a tray, let our children look at it for a few minutes, then cover the tray and see how many items they can remember. During Curriculum Corner, we conclude our review of Coalition for Responsible Home Education. Next, we went to our interview with Jeff Kolkmann, a charming man who loves Jesus and the Olympics. When he learned about a program called Greater Than Gold, which he joined in the 2010 Winter Olympics games in Canada.<...

What If I Don’t Know What to Pray? If you are just beginning your relationship with Jesus, you might not know what to pray. Begin simply, thank Him, listen, read scripture, and pray by opening your mind to the Holy Spirit. Then ask Him for His Help. To conclude, we begin our interview with Jeff Kolkmann, who is an Olympics superfan. It started the day his father brought home a television set when Jeff was just 6 years old and has grown into a lifelong passion. The now-63-year-old will attend his 19th Olympic Games this week.

Every ch...

In our devotional, we explore the question: How is singing like praying? When you sing scripture, praise songs, or hymns, you are lifting your heart in prayer through music. Next, during Arts-n-Crafts, we listened to the sounds of nature and created our own melodies to accompany scripture. Following that, in the segment Questions Parents Ask, we interviewed Dr. Neil Nedley, President of Weimar University, director of the Nedley Depression and Anxiety Recovery Program, and hospitalist at Auburn Hospital. Discover how Social and Emotional Learning can benefit your child.

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion st...

Today’s devotional topic is: What’s a Prayer Buddy? For Arts-n-Crafts, we focus on team-building activities—for example, helping a friend complete pushup. In Curriculum Corner, we highlight the website CRHE.org (Coalition for Responsible Home Education). Next, we feature an interview with Dr. Sylvan Lashley and Florretta Mitchell. Dr. Sylvan A. Lashley, a seasoned leader and visionary, is CEO/President of Strategic Advent Leadership Christian Academy (SALCA), Inc., a registered Georgia domestic corporation and certified non-profit dedicated to "Preparing Visionary Whole Person Leaders."

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2 mi...

Isn’t it comforting that Jesus knows? That is our devotional topic today. During Arts-n-Crafts, we explore the Forest Classroom Theme. During Curriculum Corner, we discuss the benchmarks for each grade and how homeschooling parents can use them. Then we begin our interview with Becky Nordquist. She was the victim of abuse and has dealt with tragic loss, but she has found hope and peace in Jesus along the way. This interview will encourage you to put God back in his rightful place in your life and find His healing in the journey to wholeness.

Every child’s firs...

Can I Trust God? Unfortunately, we spend a good deal of our lives not trusting God. During Arts-n-Crafts, we look at a coin and the phrase “In God We Trust,” and we also talk about making bread and how yeast works. Then we look at our devotional, 52 Weekly Devotions on Family Prayer, and examine how we could turn it into a Bible/Science curriculum. Next, we conclude our interview with Pastor Frank Yapp about his book Eureka. This book is for every follower of Jesus. Pastor Frank Yapp is married with four grown children.

Every child’s first school...

Can God Help Me with Bullies? is the title of today’s devotion. What do you think? So, during Arts-n-Crafts, we build up our muscles, write about our feelings, and learn how to replace mean thoughts. Our interview today is with Frank Yapp, Pastor of the Bathany Seventh-day Adventist Church. He is a military veteran who has served God for more than 43 years. His book All That Remains is about his spiritual journey.

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2 million families that home school their children each year. Hosted by Rose...

What Prayers Are in the Bible? We examine as many of the Bible prayers as possible for today’s devotion. Next, we illustrate Psalms 23. During Curriculum Corner, we discuss the many forms of assessment, noting that simply observing what your child is doing is assessment. Finally, we conclude our interview with Dr. Michael Coleman. He has authored two books. The first, Reflections on Issues in Music and Worship, was published in March 2019, and the second, Women’s Ordination and the San Antonio Compromise, was published in March 2021.

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to sup...

Is a Short Prayer OK? is the title of today’s devotion. I believe God hears the yearning of our hearts even before the words are spoken. Moving into Arts-n-Crafts, we do a timer activity and learn SOS in Morse Code. Afterwards, we continue our discussion in Curriculum Corner about developing our own curriculum and including a mixture of media resources. Following this, we begin our interview with Pastor Michael Coleman. Dr. Michael G. Coleman has had the privilege of pastoring and conducting evangelistic meetings in the Northeastern Conference for more than 30 years.

Every child’s first school is t...

Healing Depression for Life is Dr. Jantz’s 39th—and most comprehensive—book. “This book is the culmination of three decades of learning, treating clients, and researching the very best techniques available. It is dedicated to the scores of people I’ve known who had the courage to confront their depression…and found healing,” he shares. Drawing from years of clinical experience, research, and real‑world stories, Dr. Jantz offers a whole‑person approach for those who haven’t found relief through traditional methods. His message is one of courage, compassion, and genuine hope for anyone longing for lasting healing.

Every chi...

How Does Forgiveness Help Me? We illustrate this with an object lesson using two tubes—one clogged and one clear—to show how forgiveness opens the way for God’s love to flow freely through us. During Curriculum Corner, we recommend creating a template for your curriculum so you don’t have to reinvent one each time you develop a new unit study. Then we conclude our interview with Pastor David Klinedinst. Forecasting Hope is a brand‑new, fully customizable evangelistic series designed to reach your community with a Christ‑centered approach to Bible prophecy.

Every child’s first school i...

How Does God Help Me Solve Problems? In Arts‑n‑Crafts, we explore how using different lenses to look at everyday objects can change what we see—and how, in the same way, we can be at peace because God knows the end from the beginning. During Curriculum Corner, we suggest creating a timeline to guide your curriculum writing. Then we begin our interview with Pastor David Klinedinst, MDiv, director of Evangelism and Church Growth for the Chesapeake Conference of Seventh‑day Adventists in Columbia, Maryland. He has developed a new, fully customizable evangelistic series for this generation called Forecasting Hope.

How Can I Stop My Anger? During Curriculum Corner, we look at developing unit studies and how an anchor assignment fits naturally within them. Then we conclude our interview with Yohanna Santana, who shares some beautiful free resources. Each year, Christian Record Services, Inc. (dba Christian Record Services for the Blind) impacts thousands of lives through services provided at no cost. Anyone who is blind, has low vision, or has a physical impairment that prevents them from holding reading material or focusing on printed ink is eligible for these free services.

Every child’s first school is their ho...

Can God Help Me Stop Worrying? Our devotion reminds us that when God is our leader, we can trust that He will guide us safely home. We continue our conversation about writing your own curriculum—today focusing on identifying the spine, or anchor, of your topic. Then, in our interview with Yohanna Santana, we learn how Christian Record Services for the Blind seeks to value the blind and low‑vision community and enrich their life journeys through free inspirational, educational, and informational resources and experiences.

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2...

Julie Bogart distills decades of experience—homeschooling her five now-grown children, developing curricula, and training families around the world—to show parents how to make education an exciting, even enchanting, experience for their kids, whether they’re in elementary school or high school. She demonstrates how to weave surprise, mystery, risk, and adventure into everyday routines, helping families create an environment where learning unfolds naturally and joyfully.

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2 million families that home school their children each year. Hosted by Rose Gamblin, the program is dedicated to home...

Have you ever been frightened by something that turned out to be nothing at all? Today’s story, Sea Serpents, explores just that—reminding us how fear can distort reality. We follow it up with a Moose Unit Study for young children, filled with fun facts and hands-on learning. Our featured game is Jenga, perfect for building focus and family connection. In the second half of the show, we hear from Dr. Samuel Blumenthal, a psychologist and author who believes that if we slow down and listen closely, stories will meet us in the very places we need them—and guide...

Today’s mystery, Dark Treasure, comes from Guide’s Greatest Mystery Stories—a perfect moment for moms and dads to take a little break while the kids dive into suspense and discovery. In Curriculum Corner, we explore what children learn while playing Hide-n-Seek, from problem-solving and emotional regulation to teamwork and spatial awareness. The episode concludes with reflections from Dr. Samuel Blumenthal, author of Once Upon a Time: A Collection of Short Stories for Those Trying to Find Their Way Home. Blumenthal writes, “Stories have always been about us—a mirror in which we can see ourselves, our hopes and dreams, bu...

Today’s story, Where’s Our Stuff?, follows a group of boys who quickly suspect a friend of stealing from their clubhouse. But the real mystery unfolds as listeners piece together the clues. In Part 2 of our interview with Dr. Rosemarie Downer, we explore her 40-day devotional, Above Defeat. Dr. Downer reminds us that the most effective weapon in spiritual warfare is the Word of God. Her devotional offers targeted readings to counter seven common obstacles—distraction, doubt, discouragement, depression, frustration, failure, and fear—equipping believers to stand firm and live victoriously.

Every child’s first school is their home...

Today’s show begins with a mystery story about Leyla’s dream, sparking curiosity and reflection. We follow it with ideas for fun, meaningful activities to enjoy with your children. In our featured interview, Dr. Rosemarie Downer explores the four Ds—Distraction, Doubt, Discouragement, and Depression—and the three Fs—Frustration, Failure, and Fear. She challenges us to rethink the human condition and uncover the deeper causes behind the struggles we face. Through her insights, listeners are introduced to new language for overcoming and fresh perspectives on how people can thrive and become their best.

Every child’s first school...

Best‑selling author Dr. Gregory L. Jantz, Ph.D., founded The Center – A Place of HOPE, which is recognized as a Top 10 Facility for the Treatment of Depression. For decades, the standard approach to treating depression has remained largely unchanged: most people are prescribed antidepressant medication and talk therapy. However, at least 30 percent of those struggling with depression do not find relief through these traditional methods, underscoring the urgent need to pursue more effective and lasting solutions.

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2 million families that home school their children each y...

How Do I Know God’s Will? This was the focus of today’s devotion, where we explored ways to seek and understand God’s guidance. During Arts‑n‑Crafts, we played a guessing game using envelopes, encouraging creativity and fun. In our curriculum development segment, we emphasized the importance of considering each child’s interests when shaping lessons. Finally, we continued our interview with Dr. Lengwe Sinkala, who shared insights from her experiences in ministry and art.

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2 million families that home school their children each...

How Strong Is God? We reflected on God’s incredible strength and power during our devotional time. For Arts‑n‑Crafts, we hiked to a high vantage point to appreciate the view, then built towers together as a hands‑on activity. In Curriculum Corner, we continued writing our own curriculum and discussed the importance of tailoring lessons to each child’s needs. Next, we began our interview with Dr. Lengwe Sinkala, who runs a children’s center and shared meaningful insights from her experiences.

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2 million famili...

Why does God let people do bad things? We explored this difficult question by discussing how, in a world influenced by sin and Satan, people are free to make their own choices—even when those choices are harmful. To illustrate the impact of sin, we filled a water balloon to the bursting point, showing how sin builds up until it causes damage. During Curriculum Corner, we focused on writing clear learning objectives for our curriculum. Later, we continued our interview with Doug Batchelor, who shared some of the personal challenges he has faced and how his faith helped him overcome th...

When should I pray for someone else? That question begins today’s devotion. In Arts‑n‑Crafts, we played Eye Spy and made sympathy bandage notes. During Curriculum Corner, we started exploring how to write our own curriculum. Our guest was Doug Batchelor from Amazing Facts, the president of Amazing Facts and senior pastor of Granite Bay Church in California. He is known for his dramatic conversion—from a wealthy, rebellious youth living in a cave to a prominent Adventist speaker.

Every child’s first school is their home. Homeschool Companion strives to support the 2 million families that home schoo...