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Karen Skidmore Rackliffe has been a pioneer and a leader for many years in the
rapidly growing home school movement. She is a founder of the Salt Lake Home Educators Association and has been a leader in the Utah Home Educators
Association. She is a popular lecturer for these organizations and also the Charlotte Mason Convention in Utah. Her articles on self education have appeared in local, state
and national newsletters and magazines. One of her articles was published in Charlotte Mason Study Guide
by Penny Gardner. She has been interviewed on a talk radio show and her home school was featured in Utah Holiday Magazine in July 1991. Her favorite lecture topic is nature journals.She has a Bachelor's of Independent Studies with a double minor in English and Sociology from Brigham
Young University. In connection with those degrees she did extensive research into how children learn. In 1978 she married William Rackliffe and they began the adventure of raising a family.
Feeling a strong sense of duty and confidence, she decided to home school her children when the oldest was ready to start kindergarten. All seven of her children have been homeschooled with great success.
Karen has also taught a variety of classes for children and parents in the community on science, nature, art, journal writing and watercolor. In 1990 Karen wrote her first book, Hearts of the Children
, as part of her University requirements. It is a collection of original historic biographies of her own ancestors, written for children about
children. The research for the book came from interviews and family journals. She self-published the resulting book and quickly sold all fifty copies. Wild Days, Creating Discovery Journals
is the result of years of research and experience teaching students of all ages about the earth, art, self-expression, journal writing, balance, spiritual fulfillment, and science. Active in several mother support
groups, Karen also draws on the experience of other mothers and teachers who have tried discovery journals with joy and success. Go back to Wild Days page. Go back to
Nature page.
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