True North Homeschool Podcast

Amanda Ostrander

An inspirational and informational podcast all about homeschooling. Each week, Amanda, a certified teacher turned homeschool mom will answer questions, cover topics and share ideas on how to homeschool your kids and love it!

Episodes

  1. Sep 23

    Our Realistic Homeschool Space | Homeschool Room Tour + Organization | True North Homeschool

    What does our homeschool space actually look like after 9 years of homeschooling? Spoiler: it’s not a Pinterest-perfect homeschool room! 😂 When we first started homeschooling, our setup was completely different. Alexie worked at the dining table while Zoe sat in her high chair with playdough and markers. Eventually, we moved the girls into one bedroom and turned the bigger room into a dedicated homeschool room and playroom. We used it for about a year… and then somehow, we drifted right back to the dining room table. And we’ve stayed there for most of the last five years! In this video, I’ll show you our realistic homeschool space, why we homeschool at the dining room table, and how we organize all our homeschool supplies without a dedicated homeschool room. Our dining room has become our main homeschool space, and honestly, it works really well for us! 0:00 Intro 1:46 When we first started 6:41 Our dining room table What's in our homeschool space? 8:30 Our repurposed desk  11:11 Our 3-tier homeschool cart  12:31 Our art supply basket  13:46 Dry-erase board  14:51 Chart paper 16:01 Bookshelves 16:50 iPad  17:52 Outro After years of homeschooling, I’ve learned that you don’t need a dedicated homeschool room to homeschool successfully. You don't need a perfectly organized space, matching furniture, or an entire room filled with curriculum. For us, 95% of the homeschool magic happens right here at the dining room table. The other 5% happens on the couch with movies and documentaries, or out on field trips! If you’re setting up a homeschool space, moving away from a traditional homeschool room, or wondering how to homeschool in a small space, I hope this gives you some realistic inspiration. Join my channel with a membership! ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@truenorthhomeschoolca #homeschoolroom #TrueNorthHomeschool #Homeschooling

    Our Realistic Homeschool Space | Homeschool Room Tour + Organization | True North Homeschool

  2. Sep 16

    Our Realistic Weekly Homeschool Routine | Our Weekly Homeschool Schedule | True North Homeschool

    What does a homeschool week actually look like? In this video, I’m breaking down our homeschool weekly schedule, including what we do each day for school, activities, chores, meals, errands, and family time. With a new school year, it’s a great time to take a look at your weekly homeschool routine and make sure it still works for your family. I also recommend doing a schedule check-in 2–4 times throughout the year, because what works in September might not work in January! Of course, this is our schedule—a custom homeschool routine built around our family, our commitments, and the activities we’re involved in. Take the ideas that work for you, borrow what you like, and leave the rest! 0:00 Intro 3:06 Monday 8:15 Tuesday 10:45 Wednesday 11:56 Thursday 13:03 Friday 18:02 Outro One of the things I love about homeschooling is that our schedule can be built around our actual life instead of trying to squeeze our life into a traditional school schedule. If you're creating or updating your own homeschool weekly schedule, I hope this gives you some ideas for balancing academics, activities, chores, errands, rest, and family time. 🇨🇦 True North Homeschool — Canadian homeschool curriculum, resources, and support for homeschooling families. Join my channel with a membership! ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@truenorthhomeschoolca #weeklyschedule #TrueNorthHomeschool #Homeschooling

    Our Realistic Weekly Homeschool Routine | Our Weekly Homeschool Schedule | True North Homeschool

  3. Sep 14

    How to Plan Your First Month of Homeschool | Simple Homeschool Planning | True North Homeschool

    How do you actually plan out a month of homeschool without making yourself crazy? 😅 In this video, I’m sitting down to plan our first month of the homeschool year and showing you exactly how I approach it. I don’t plan every single page or minute of our homeschool day.  Instead, I focus on pacing our lessons and making sure everything fits into the month while leaving us plenty of room for real life. Here’s what I’m planning: 0:00 Intro 3:18 Start with the things we can’t change  5:33 Plan our novel reading  8:32 Pace our unit studies  10:18 Art and Music Lessons 11:04 Copywork & annotated passage - language and writing  12:44 Plan math  13:41 Celebration Events - Book Parties & Tea Times 15:54 Meal plan around our schedule  18:50 Outro The planner shown in this video is available here:  Colour PDF: https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/product-page/copy-of-homeschool-planner-academic-calendar-2 Black and White PDF: https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/product-page/homeschool-planner-academic-calendar-black-white  My goal with homeschool planning is not to create a perfect schedule. It’s to have a general plan for where we’re going so that I’m not constantly wondering, “What are we supposed to be doing today?” If you’re getting ready to start a new homeschool year, hopefully this gives you a simple way to plan your first month without overplanning every minute of your day! Join my channel with a membership! ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@truenorthhomeschoolca #HomeschoolPlanning #TrueNorthHomeschool #Homeschooling

    How to Plan Your First Month of Homeschool | Simple Homeschool Planning | True North Homeschool

  4. Sep 9

    How to Plan Your First Month of Homeschool | Simple Homeschool Planning | True North Homeschool

    How do you actually plan out a month of homeschool without making yourself crazy? 😅 In this video, I’m sitting down to plan our first month of the homeschool year and showing you exactly how I approach it. I don’t plan every single page or minute of our homeschool day.  Instead, I focus on pacing our lessons and making sure everything fits into the month while leaving us plenty of room for real life. Here’s what I’m planning: 0:00 Intro 3:18 Start with the things we can’t change  5:33 Plan our novel reading  8:32 Pace our unit studies  10:18 Art and Music Lessons 11:04 Copywork & annotated passage - language and writing  12:44 Plan math  13:41 Celebration Events - Book Parties & Tea Times 15:54 Meal plan around our schedule  18:50 Outro The planner shown in this video is available here:  Colour PDF: https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/product-page/copy-of-homeschool-planner-academic-calendar-2 Black and White PDF: https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/product-page/homeschool-planner-academic-calendar-black-white  My goal with homeschool planning is not to create a perfect schedule. It’s to have a general plan for where we’re going so that I’m not constantly wondering, “What are we supposed to be doing today?” If you’re getting ready to start a new homeschool year, hopefully this gives you a simple way to plan your first month without overplanning every minute of your day! Join my channel with a membership! ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@truenorthhomeschoolca #HomeschoolPlanning #TrueNorthHomeschool #Homeschooling

    How to Plan Your First Month of Homeschool | Simple Homeschool Planning | True North Homeschool

  5. Aug 27

    What We’re Buying for Homeschool! | Back to School Shopping Vlog | True North Homeschool

    I LOVE back-to-school shopping! 📚✏️ And as a self-proclaimed stationery junkie, getting ready for a new homeschool year is one of my favourite parts of the year. But before I went shopping, I did something important: I checked what we already had at home! There’s no reason to buy another package of pencils when you already have three sitting in a drawer. 😉 In this homeschool back-to-school haul, I’m showing you what we already had, what I decided we actually needed, and everything I picked up for the upcoming homeschool year. 0:00 Intro 6:58 Walmart Shopping 13:32 Dollarstore shopping 14:42 Haul 24:02 Outro I hope this gives you some ideas for your own homeschool back-to-school shopping and, more importantly, reminds you that you don't need to buy everything new every September. Shop your house first, figure out what you actually use, and then fill in the gaps! If you’re getting ready for a new homeschool year, be sure to subscribe for more homeschool planning, homeschool supplies, curriculum, homeschool organization, back-to-school prep, and realistic homeschool life from a Canadian homeschool mom. Join my channel with a membership! ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@truenorthhomeschoolca #backtoschoolhaul #TrueNorthHomeschool #homeschooling  Pencil end Erasers: https://link.amazon/B07UeKWIW 28lbs stock paper: https://link.amazon/B0iuNTB5U  * Staples did have the paper on sale, so I got mine there this year.

    What We’re Buying for Homeschool! | Back to School Shopping Vlog | True North Homeschool

  6. Aug 20

    New to Homeschooling? 7 Things to Do First (Without Getting Overwhelmed) | True North Homeschool

    If you’re homeschooling for the very first time, this video is for you! Starting homeschooling can feel incredibly overwhelming. There’s no single roadmap, no one-size-fits-all homeschool, and it can seem like everyone has a different opinion about what you “should” be doing. But you don’t have to figure it all out at once. In this video, I’m sharing 7 practical tips for new homeschoolers to help you start homeschooling with confidence—without trying to recreate traditional school at home or overwhelm yourself with curriculum, schedules, and activities. 📚 In This Video 00:00 Intro 01:43 Take a Breath 03:57 Learn Your Local Homeschooling Rules 05:01 Start Simple 8:34 Read Together 10:22 Don’t Try to Recreate School 12:43 Find Your Community 15:08 Be Realistic 18:25 Outro If you’re a new homeschooler, considering homeschooling, or preparing for your first homeschool year, I hope this gives you permission to slow down, keep things simple, and remember that you don't have to have it all figured out on day one. Interested in Homeschool Coaching? https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/book-online Welcome to True North Homeschool! 🇨🇦 I’m Amanda, a Canadian homeschool mom and former teacher sharing practical homeschool advice, curriculum, encouragement, and resources to help make homeschooling feel a little less overwhelming. SUBSCRIBE for more homeschool tips, curriculum ideas, planning help, and encouragement for Canadian homeschool families. Dumbing Us Down: https://link.amazon/B0fBfwRgX  Brave Learner: https://link.amazon/B0hjshoZQ  Join my channel with a membership! ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@truenorthhomeschoolca #homeschooltips  #TrueNorthHomeschool #Homeschooling

    New to Homeschooling? 7 Things to Do First (Without Getting Overwhelmed) | True North Homeschool

  7. Aug 12

    Big Announcements + Welcome Back | True North Homeschool

    Welcome back to another season of homeschooling! 🎉 After a busy summer behind the scenes, I’m so excited to officially introduce True North Homeschool — our new name, new look, and a whole lot of new things coming your way! In this video, I’m catching you up on what we’ve been up to this summer, sharing why I decided to rebrand, and giving you a peek at some of the new homeschool curriculum and resources I’ve been working on. From writing new units and relaunching our journals to family adventures, renovations, birthdays, and a very hot trip to New York City… it’s been a LOT of summer! 😂 And now, somehow, it’s already time to start thinking about a new homeschool year! 📚 In This Video 00:00 Welcome Back! 00:19 Introducing True North Homeschool 00:48 Our Very Busy Summer 10:24 Why I Rebranded 13:31 New Homeschool Curriculum 15:35 New Journals 20:15 Curriculum Plans 22:15 Bundle Sale Announcement 24:57 Outro 🎒 New for this Homeschool Year I’ve been busy creating and organizing new resources, including: • History of Me — a K–2 unit exploring family, identity, personal history, relationships, and personal safety https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/produ... • Reading, Writing & Science Journals — now available again in multiple levels https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/produ... • Homeschool Bundles — some of our most popular resources grouped together for bigger savings https://www.truenorthhistory.ca/produ... And for this week only, you can save an extra 10% on all bundles! 🎉 If you’re getting ready for a new homeschool year, this is the perfect time to take a look! ❤️ Your Turn! After all the summer craziness, I’m curious… What is ONE thing you’re most excited about for your homeschool this year? A new curriculum? A fresh routine? More field trips? Finally getting organized? Or maybe just surviving the first week? 😂 Tell me in the comments — I’d love to hear what you’re looking forward to! Join the Happy Homeschoolers Club! ➡️    / @truenorthhomeschoolca  #HomeschoolConsultant #TrueNorthHomeschool #Homeschooling

    Big Announcements + Welcome Back | True North Homeschool
  • 7 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

An inspirational and informational podcast all about homeschooling. Each week, Amanda, a certified teacher turned homeschool mom will answer questions, cover topics and share ideas on how to homeschool your kids and love it!

Information

  • Creator
    Amanda Ostrander
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 True North Homeschool Podcast
  • Show Website
    True North Homeschool Podcast

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