Author Archives: David Armstrong
AI Literacy Courses for NYC High Schoolers
AI literacy courses became a clear priority for New York City high schools after the city announced on September 2, 2026, that high school students would receive required instruction twice per year while younger students faced tighter limits on student-facing generative AI. For homeschool families, the news is more than a public-school policy update. It is a useful signal that families need to teach children how artificial intelligence works, where … Read the rest
Literacy Policy Webinar for Multilingual Learners
The literacy policy webinar scheduled for September 22, 2026, from 4:00–5:00 p.m. ET gives homeschool families, parent groups, teachers, and community educators a timely way to study how reading laws are written, who they serve, and where multilingual learners may be left out. As of September 21, 2026, the event is still upcoming, and the Center for Applied Linguistics lists the webinar details on its CAL event page.
For … Read the rest
Literacy Teacher Preparation Lessons for Parents
Recent New York regulations on literacy teacher preparation deserve attention from homeschool families, even though the rules are aimed at educator preparation programs rather than parent-led home instruction. For parents building reading, writing, history, and civics lessons around the kitchen table, the policy shift is useful because it names several practices worth studying: evidence-based reading instruction, assessment during real teaching, support for students with reading difficulties, and stronger preparation across … Read the rest
Homeschool Legal Protections Gain Ground
Homeschool legal protections moved forward in 2026 through a mix of federal recognition efforts and state-level rule changes. For parents, the practical question is not only whether a bill sounds friendly to homeschooling. The real question is how a law affects graduation records, college aid forms, withdrawal procedures, privacy, and the daily confidence families need to educate children at home.
As a homeschooling advocate, I see these developments as a … Read the rest
Bipartisan READ Act and Family Literacy
The Bipartisan READ Act gives homeschool families, classroom teachers, and community literacy advocates a timely social studies case study: how a national reading concern becomes a federal policy proposal. Introduced in Congress during 2026, the bill connected reading instruction, parent notification, early screening, and federal literacy grants in one legislative package. For families teaching civics at home, it offers a practical way to study lawmaking without turning the lesson into … Read the rest
Bilingual Teacher Shortage: Homeschool Lessons
The Bilingual Teacher Shortage in California is not only a public school staffing issue. For homeschool families, it is a clear social studies lesson about language access, workforce planning, local partnerships, and how teenagers can be invited into public service before they finish high school.
California’s plan is especially useful for parents who want civics, geography, economics, and literacy to connect in one unit study. The state is trying to … Read the rest
Educator Collaboration At The 2026 Summit
Educator Collaboration at the 2026 National Education Summit matters because social studies is strongest when it is not treated as a stack of isolated dates, documents, and vocabulary terms. The Smithsonian’s summit, held July 14–16, 2026, in Washington, D.C., and online, centered on the theme “Together We Thrive: Towards a More Perfect Union” and offered a free three-day professional learning experience with more than 40 sessions connecting art, culture, history, … Read the rest
How The 2025 U.S. Publishing Revenue Report Shows Children’s Books Still Anchor Family Reading Habits
The 2025 U.S. publishing revenue report gives parents, teachers, librarians, and homeschool families a useful reminder: children’s books are still one of the most reliable anchors for family reading habits. New formats keep growing, school reading scores remain a concern, and families have more digital distractions than ever, but the book market still shows that print, children’s reading, and home book access remain central to how young readers build confidence.… Read the rest
How Illinois Reads Together Shows Why Summer Reading Incentives Still Work For Kids
Illinois Reads Together is a reminder that summer reading works best when children see books as part of real life, not just a school-year requirement. The statewide initiative, announced in July 2026, connects local library summer reading programs with a child-friendly reward: the chance for young readers to be recognized at Wrigley Field before a Chicago Cubs game. For parents, teachers, librarians, and homeschool families, the lesson is practical. Incentives … Read the rest
How July’s New Children’s Book Releases Can Help Parents Build Better Summer Reading Lists
July can be a useful reset point for families who want summer reading to feel intentional instead of rushed. New children’s book releases give parents, teachers, and homeschooling families a fresh pool of picture books, middle-grade novels, graphic novels, nonfiction, and young adult titles to evaluate before the school-year routine returns. For Leap Year Publishing readers, the real question is not simply which books are new. It is how parents … Read the rest
