Winter is the perfect time for snuggling up with books – lots of them! Over the years, we’ve gone back to certain books time after time during the winter season. I thought I’d share our winter book list and give you an idea of some of the book extension activities we’ve done to turn the…
Adding a good picture book to any lesson makes learning come alive. It also adds terrific visual references to help concepts have more meaning. This particular Christmas book activity is the perfect way to celebrate the season and help children learn empathy at the same time. In my mind, character-building is just as important in…
Enjoy the magic of Christmas with this precious literature-based lesson, which includes a special service project for your family to do together. You’ll love the Silver Packages book activity so much that it might even become a Christmas tradition. Traditions help families build relationships and give children peace and security. Because they are so meaningful,…
Since the Christmas season can bring along busy days and sometimes cold weather, it can be challenging to incorporate nature study into your homeschooling routine. I’ve created a list of Christmas nature study books that will help you bring new and inviting ideas to the table without much effort. Each book description gives you an…
Creating opportunities for children to publish their work can be incredibly rewarding. Published books for kids offer a tangible way for young writers to see their creativity and effort come to life. When students go beyond the final draft and produce a finished bound book, it instills a sense of pride and accomplishment that motivates…
Field trip notebooks are a fantastic way to sneak in some writing practice while creating a memorable keepsake for your kids. Here’s how you can turn your family trips into learning experiences that your children will cherish for years. Field Trip Memories (And Learning, Too!) After a family trip to Michigan, we came home with…
Living literature isn’t just for reading but also for teaching writing styles! Serious writing lessons don’t start in our homeschool until middle and high school, but believe it or not, I often use picture books to help me teach. Since picture books can be read in one sitting, they are perfect examples of good writing from…
Does your family have a favorite children’s book author? If you find yourself reading book after book from the same author, it’s pretty safe to say that your family may have a favorite! Why don’t you consider a favorite author study to celebrate that author (or illustrator) and learn a lot about the fundamentals of…
Why would anyone use picture books to teach expository writing? Because picture books are written by master authors who can teach us clearly through their examples. Not to mention, it doesn’t take long to read through most picture books, so you can share examples and get right to the work of writing. What is expository…
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 that I use across all ages and all subjects. Using literature to teach high school history works especially well. So many nuances of an event or era can be…
Yes, I’ve told you how much we love literature around here many times. While I teach geography through maps, quizzes, and games, the best way to connect to the maps and their culture is through really good books. Enjoy this giant list of world geography living literature with your elementary children. This post contains affiliate links….
Wait. Isn’t personification a language arts topic? What does it have to do with science or nature study? Great question! Mrs. Cindy will explain herself in this creative episode about figurative language. As strange as it sounds, I think you’ll enjoy animal personification nature study! Animal Personification Nature Study Listen to the podcast episode to…