We are having an amazing time in the No Sweat Nature Study LIVE membership! If you haven't joined us there yet, it's never too late! What is No Sweat Nature Study LIVE? Twice a month, your 1st-8th graders can take part in fun, interactive, LIVE science lessons with a nature study twist. Within each 30-45 minute lesson, your students learn scientific concepts and vocabulary, while creating incredible nature journal pages. Can't commit to LIVE lessons? No worries! Members get 24/7 access to a video library of every single previously recorded lesson - all of which can be viewed at your convenience. I haven't even mentioned the downloadable supplementary materials, free ... Read More
Charlotte Mason Homeschooling
Charlotte Mason homeschooling encompasses everything that is wonderful about homeschooling. Gentle lessons in a literature-rich environment, short lessons that focus on real-life with plenty of opportunity to explore the world indoors and out. And, these are just a few of the reasons I love this style of homeschooling! In these articles, my goal is to share the wonder, joy and creativity of the Charlotte Mason style, while giving you plenty of ideas and practical advice for implementing it in your own home. Enjoy!
An Abstract Art and Math Activity Inspired by Kandinsky
Art and math are so often a wonderful duo. Anytime you can combine the creativity of art with the logical side of nature, you've got a powerful activity that connects both sides of the brain for meaningful learning. This particular lesson brings art and math together through a fun project inspired by famous abstract artist Wassily Kandinsky. Who was Wassily Kandinsky Wassily Kandinsky is known as a pioneer of abstract art. Abstract art doesn't look like real life. Instead, the style uses bold lines, shapes, and colors to sometimes oddly portray real images - or no image at all. Abstract artists often paint in ways to try to express their feelings or emotions. The painting of ... Read More
Nature Study During Morning Time
Morning Time. Morning Basket Time. Circle Time. In our home we call it Brain Training Time. Whatever you might call it, I have some great ideas to help you include nature study during the time you gather for family learning before jumping into the rest of your homeschool day. I bet you think I'm going to tell you that circle time should begin with a quick nature walk. Nope. While that's certainly a great way to start your day, in this article I'm actually going to share ideas for nature study without going outside! And, since we're talking circle time and I know you're probably including more than one activity each day, all these ideas are ... Read More
Sneaky Summer Learning Library
In our home, summer break has always been an opportunity for more reading rather than less. With the obligations of regular school lessons on hold for awhile, we often get lost in a stack of picture books or chapter after chapter from a current read-aloud (or two.) I don't necessarily plan for learning during all this extra reading time, but living books tend to have a way of making one impression or another that's long lasting. I recently took part in a challenge with some friends on Instagram to choose five of my very favorite sneaky summer learning books for five different subjects. Because I know how much we all love booklists, I've gathered those 25 suggestions into this post for ... Read More
How To Teach High School History with Literature Easily
I love using living books in our homeschool. If you've been around here any time at all, you know that living literature is a key tool I use across all ages and all subjects. Using literature to teach high school history works especially well. There are so many nuances of an event or era that can be understood through books. Living books also have a unique way of drawing students in and placing them smack-dab in the middle of a time period to meet important people, experience meaningful events, and feel real emotions. Just talking about all the benefits of literature makes me want to go grab some historical fiction right now! I received Modern U.S. and World History for free ... Read More
24 Wonderful Picture Books for Nature Study
There is not one teaching resource I treasure more than picture books. The good ones have such a masterful knack for laying out factual information in the midst of wonderful storylines. The illustrations, of course, help our children put pictures to names and places and ideas. When my children were younger, one of the best things I did was use picture books for nature study. There are so many wonderful picture books that can inspire a deep interest or understanding of nature! Sometimes, we would pack along a picture book and a blanket and actually read as part of the nature walk. This mid-walk reading might have the purpose of a cozy rest time or a specially planned inspiration to ... Read More
The Mission: To Broaden the Vision of Nature Study
Nature study is certainly a big deal in the homeschool community at large - even outside of Charlotte Mason circles. For that, I am very excited! But, I still get the impression that many view nature study as a fun extra to their regular homeschooling. "Yes, it might bring a little more goodness into the week, but it isn't a make-or-break subject." I'm on a mission to broaden the vision for nature study. This post contains affiliate links. I've written before about how much real science is at the heart of nature study. It's so true. Whether nature study is used as the full science curriculum, or it serves as extension lessons to the "regular" science curriculum, or even if it stands ... 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
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