When my youngest was in second grade, we did a Creation-based dinosaur unit study that led to some amazing rabbit trail learning! What started out as a great “boy topic” to end the year with a bang, turned into so much more. Without my pre-planning, it even gave him a great foundational understanding of events leading up…
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 a while, we often get lost in a stack of picture books or chapter after chapter from a current read-aloud (or two). There are lots of components to summer…
When I used to teach elementary school, every teacher used a portion of the fourth-grade year to teach a rich Kentucky unit study. It was always full of learning about historical events and people, as well as important state symbols, culture, and things that make KY a special place to live. As a proud Kentucky…
Our family’s favorite picture book authors earn “forever spots” on our bookshelves. Those spots don’t just go to any old books. Nope. To earn a coveted spot on our shelves, a book has to be pretty special. While bunches and bunches of authors have found a space or two on our shelves, there are only a…
Eli and I have just begun our history studies for the year and I’m very glad to report that I might have another history lover on my hands! This ancient history art project is a motivating one for sure. This post contains affiliate links. Oh, how I have missed Story of the World. It’s just such…
The harvest moon is one of the big, beautiful full moons of the autumn season. Children will love learning how it got its name and why it looks the way it does in this homeschool nature study! The moon has fascinated folks since the beginning of time. It’s such a beautiful, yet mysterious object that…
Our 1st grade trip Around the World was wonderful. Our 2nd grade trip across the United States of America was even more wonderful! Take a peek at our around the USA study and enjoy a trip yourself! Around the USA Study Our brief stops in each state began with living literature “tour guide(s)” who introduced…
These days, it seems like hands-on homeschool is a buzzword of sorts. What’s all the fuss about? Let’s define hands-on first. It’s best to define hands-on first because I think its overall meaning might surprise you. You see, hands-on learning can actually mean several things. Most obvious, hands-on means “touching” things during lessons. For instance,…
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…
If you’re looking for history gifts for middle school kids, you’re in the right place! Whether you have a history buff on your hands or wish you did, keep scrolling for a bunch of ideas. Every time we do a deep clean at my house, I end up shaking my head at how much unnecessary…
Do your children love history or do you hit walls every time you try to teach it? I hated history as a child, mostly because the textbooks were horribly boring, the teachers were dry as a crust of day-old bread, and those long lists of dates were entirely frustrating. Given the opportunity to teach homeschool…
After a successful year of history with Ancient Civilizations and the Bible from Diana Waring’s History Revealed series last year, we are back at it with Romans, Reformers, and Revolutionaries. History Revealed works well for our unit study, project-based learning, literature-based loving family. In fact, it’s been a perfect transition for my older kids to…