When Laura Bains first heard the word “homeschooling,” it hit her like “a two-by-four straight out of heaven.” Despite having no prior knowledge of what homeschooling entailed, she felt an immediate conviction that this educational path was right for her family. However, the journey wasn’t without obstacles. Her husband, a first-generation immigrant who came to Canada specifically for its education system, needed convincing. Additionally, after pulling her daughter from traditional school, Laura faced unexpected social consequences—neighborhood children stopped playing with her kids, forcing the family to eventually relocate to the countryside.
Laura’s homeschooling approach was refreshingly straightforward. She focused primarily on three core subjects: reading, writing, and math. “I need you to be able to read, I need you to be able to write, and I need you to be able to do math. The rest of it you can figure out on your own,” she explained. This philosophy allowed her children significant freedom to pursue their own interests during afternoons. The family’s schedule was consistent—formal learning from 9 AM until 1 PM, followed by free time for self-directed exploration and learning. This structure proved incredibly effective.
During these afternoon periods of exploration, Laura’s son discovered his passion for electrical engineering at just four years old. He began building circuits with “snap circuits” (Lego-like components that allowed him to create working electrical systems) and taught himself programming. Meanwhile, her daughter excelled academically, developing advanced reading skills that put her far ahead of her grade level. Both children learned how to teach themselves—a skill that would prove invaluable throughout their lives.
After five years of homeschooling, both children expressed interest in returning to traditional education. When they reentered the school system in grades six and three respectively, they were academically far ahead of their peers. Laura’s daughter was the only student in her high school to medal on the honor roll all four years and eventually earned a mathematics degree. Her son took grade twelve classes while in grade nine and became the school’s unofficial technology expert, with teachers calling on him to solve their technical issues even after he graduated.
Laura’s homeschooling experience also transformed her own career path. When her children returned to school, she enrolled in teacher’s college. However, after completing her education, she found the traditional classroom setting restrictive and frustrating. “There wasn’t enough time to teach,” she explained. Instead, she became a private tutor, initially focusing on mathematics before expanding into language instruction. When the pandemic lockdowns revealed significant educational gaps among school children, she recognized the need for better resources.
Drawing on her homeschooling experience, Laura developed a unique phonics curriculum called “Amuse and Phonics”—a collection of 41 specialized books designed to help struggling readers progress quickly while maintaining their dignity. Rather than relegating older students to reading about “cat on a mat,” her curriculum allows them to tackle age-appropriate material while focusing on specific phonetic patterns. The results were impressive—students who had been years behind in reading were catching up within months.
Perhaps most profound is Laura’s reflection on what homeschooling gave her as a mother: “Homeschooling is not just about your kids. There’s something in there for moms too.” While homeschooling her children, she discovered her own passion for teaching and curriculum development. She encourages homeschooling mothers to find themselves in the process, to develop confidence in their choices, and to emerge from the experience “a thousand times stronger than when they went into it.”