I finally had a chance to take a peek at the Grammar Galaxy curriculum to see what all the buzz is about. Teaching doesn't get much better than using stories to impart serious language arts skills - and enticing children into those stories through exciting missions. The author, Dr. Melanie Wilson, is a dear friend of mine, but I don't want you to get the impression that I'm saying nice things about Grammar Galaxy because of our friendship. She has truly written an engaging elementary language arts program! This post contains affiliate links. What is Grammar Galaxy? Grammar Galaxy is a language arts program for 1st-6th graders that uses stories and missions to teach language ... Read More
A Quick Leonardo da Vinci Unit Study for Your Homeschool
I have always loved teaching a Leonardo da Vinci unit study because it covers just about every single academic subject easily. The Renaissance, various science topics like inventions, simple machines, & the human body, and art & artist study are all easy topics to cover while learning about da Vinci. Add some fun research-based learning activities and good books and you have yourself a really fabulous unit study! Get a printable copy of this unit study below. Leonardo da Vinci Unit Study Taking two or three weeks to study the life and impact of da Vinci just might inspire your kiddos to dream big and do hard things. His incredible inventions, discoveries, critical thinking, and ... Read More
How To Take the Stress Out of December
I never like to admit when I'm barely treading water, but it happens almost every year as Thanksgiving approaches. The moment the leftover turkey is put in the fridge, it seems that December and its giant to-do list overwhelm me. Besides the regular crazy that we call our day-to-day around here, December kicks it up more than a notch or two. We celebrate a birthday in December, practice for and attend several special Christmas programs and parades that my children and husband participate in, and the colder weather means daily feeding of the cattle on top of regular jobs. And of course, there's all the home decorating, shopping, and general memory making that December seems to ... Read More
Educational Christmas Gift Ideas for Homeschoolers
I'm all about giving purposeful gifts for Christmas. Not everything has to have a grand purpose, but I don't want to waste my money on frivolous things that will never be touched again either. That's why I spend some time each year coming up with a list of educational Christmas gift ideas. I keep the list handy when buying for my own children, nieces and nephews, Christmas Angel children, and even the $5 gift exchange for the kids at church. Any family members who ask for ideas for my kids get the list, too. Now, don't get me wrong. We don't limit gift giving to only educational items. My children make their own wish lists which definitely include other things. We set a budget each ... Read More
100 of the Best Picture Books for Middle School
Picture books for middle school? Shouldn't older students have moved on from picture books years ago? Not necessarily. Many of the best living picture books include amazing stories with rich language that big kids are finally able to read and enjoy on their own. Additionally, some of the picture books we have on our shelves do a beautiful job of introducing kids to serious topics - like war or racism. And I purposely tend to hold these back until my kids are old enough to handle the emotional content. Even with books that don't cover heavy topics, there are many picture books with nuances that are best understood by older children. This book contains affiliate links. I've ... Read More
100+ Science Picture Books to Help You Homeschool
We follow a four-year cycle for teaching science. In the elementary years, science picture books have helped me introduce and explain scientific topics so well that I consider them as much curriculum as anything else we use to teach science. While we do use the occasional science textbook during the elementary years, much of the learning takes place through three modalities: Nature Study covers most of the biology and earth science topics. We consider nature walks to be our outdoor science labs and spend indoor hours reading, researching, and sometimes completing hands-on projects. Unit Studies cover most of the chemistry and physical science topics. We spend plenty of time reading, ... Read More
What’s Growing in Your Homeschool? Bacteria Science Experiments
Ah, fall. Beautiful weather, fun festivals, football...and the beginning of "sick season." It's the perfect time of year to teach middle and high school students about germs through some cool bacteria science experiments! I've harped to my son for years about the importance of hand-washing to prevent illness. Now that he has actually seen bacteria with his own two eyes, he's washing his hands more often. It's amazing what experiential learning can teach. Bacteria are all around us...and not all of them are bad! In fact, good bacteria are essential in our bodies to help us digest food and fight off some of the bad microbes that get in. Bacteria are also fabulous decomposers in our world ... Read More
The Best Language Arts Games and Manipulatives for Homeschoolers
Have you ever wondered which are the best language arts games to use in your homeschool? There are so many options out there, but not every game is both educational and fun. I've pulled together a list of more than 20 games (and a few manipulatives) that I have used to get my kids excited about things like reading, spelling, and sentence structure. For the most part, everything on the list can be used with multiple ages as long as the student can already read. This post contains affiliate links. We usually play at least one language arts game per week during school hours. But, a few are family favorites that we often enjoy during family game night. I'll note the family favorites in ... Read More
A Happy Collision of Nature Study and Language Arts
One of the things I love so much about nature study is its ability to merge together so many other academic subject areas. Nature study and language arts, for example, go hand in hand together. Think about all the reading and writing that take place as nature journals are written, field guides read, or new finds researched. Keep reading to learn how to naturally make connections between nature study and language arts. At the end of the post, I think you'll be super-excited about the surprises waiting to help you connect the dots between the two subjects! This post includes affiliate links. The Language Arts Language arts includes four main areas: reading, composition ... Read More
Dirty Science: Unique Activities To Learn About Soil
Are your children overjoyed to learn about soil? Probably not. But, oh, I bet they will be when you introduce these unique activities! Eli and I have had so much fun playing in the dirt AND doing some pretty cool chemistry experiments. I received free products and compensation from Home Science Tools in exchange for writing this post. As always, my opinions are strictly my own. Affiliate links are included in this post. It's Fun To Learn About Soil If you've ever dug around in the dirt, you've probably seen little critters or bits and pieces of roots and rocks. While those things are certainly wonderful to find, observe, and study, there are so many other cool things you can't see! ... Read More