Enjoy Language Arts at the Library Here are some ideas for a scavenger hunt at the library that will build all sorts of academic muscle. Questions can easily be altered for younger or older children. This was planned for my 5th grader and it will probably take a couple trips to finish. (By the way, the…
After the last couple of living math posts, I promised to share some of our non-textbook lessons. Here are some of the fun things we’ve been doing/have planned to do this winter on our living math days. My hope is to encourage you that…. 1.) Living math really is thoughtful, meaningful math. 2.) Living math isn’t hard to…
Last week we finished up a short, but successful unit on our state. I think all involved liked the change of pace this time around. Mahayla practically completed her readings, worksheets and projects on her own, while Caleb and I tackled his work at our own pace. Here are just a few highlights. Kentucky Notebooks Using several…
(This post contains affiliate links.) Cheating Just a Little Okay, so my Charlotte Mason friends may raise their eyebrows to this post. I can get overwhelmed with all the “stuff” that’s out there to teach. Good stuff like artists, composers, Latin…. Things that just seem to slip by the wayside sometimes when the phonics and…
Mammoth Cave is the most amazing site! As the longest cave system in the world, there are many tours offered to cover miles and miles of underground beauty. We chose the easiest tour because of Eli, but it also happens to be one of the most beautiful tours as well. The Frozen Niagra tour is one of…
A friend from Singapore asked this question recently: I have a 6y+ son who just started public school in Singapore. He can read pretty well but he can’t spell. He has simple spelling list from school which he has problems learning. Do you have any advice? Many children need hands-on or movement-based lessons when they…
Have you ever heard of Warm Fuzzies for Cancer Patients? I hadn’t either, but our 4-H extension agent did some research and found this wonderful program for us to take part. Groups (or individuals) make fleece lap blankets and donate them to cancer centers. So, that’s what our 4-H group did this week. Our blankets…
A peace place. A place for my children (or myself) to go when we are not being peaceful. A time-out of sorts, but focused on God and His desires for us. A quiet and comfortable place for us to reflect on why we haven’t been peaceful and to ask forgiveness. A place to rid ourselves of frustration,…
(This post contains affiliate links and links to my business website, Shining Dawn Books.) I hated math when I wad a kid. Hated it. It didn’t make much sense to me, I had a hard time memorizing facts, and my teacher’s didn’t spend much time helping me to understand. I remember my poor dad spending…
I’m straying from the typical sort of unit study we do around here. This Kentucky unit will be mostly worksheet-based, with final projects being research-based. Why? Well first, I want the unit to be fairly quick. Second, Mahayla has covered this topic before at co-op, so it just made more sense to provide them each…
I know I gush often about our Keepers At Home Group, but it really is a wonderful thing! Yesterday we took a break from “practical” stuff to party! Each of the girls was asked to prepare a dish and bring the recipe. (We’re putting the recipes together in a little booklet for them.) After reading…
Here’s the latest edition of the Westward Gazette.