Typing instruction has always been an important part of our homeschool. Not just for the sake of learning to type, but as an integral part of our language arts program. In today's technology age, of course it makes perfect sense to introduce our children early and often to correct typing format before bad habits are formed. Have you considered, though, how much of the language arts as a whole ... Read More
Search Results for: 10 days of project based learning
Living Literature Booklists
If you asked me to name a few things that have made THE most impact in our homeschool over the years, one of the answers I would give without hesitation is living literature. Many precious hours have been spent together around books. Those moments have built strong bonds between us, created warm memories, and sparked lively discussions. We've been gently prodded to build our character and ... Read More
How to Build a Hands-On Homeschool. It’s Easy!
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 it's 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, rather than reading about simple ... Read More
A Cemetery Scavenger Hunt Makes a Great History Lesson
Eeeewww! A cemetery scavenger hunt? Are you serious? Yes! Believe it or not, this is a REALLY cool activity because cemeteries are chock-full of history! We've visited several cemeteries over the years as we've studied our state's history. And, you might remember the times we've utilized our beautiful cemeteries for science purposes like winter nature walks, conifer studies, and ... Read More
When Your Plan for High School Science Isn’t Working
Homeschooling works. It just doesn't always look the same from one child to the next. Sometimes even the best intended plans fail and adjustments need to be made. Our latest major adjustments were made in the subject of science and I've shared our success story here in hopes that you will be encouraged not to give up when your high school science isn't working. Or any subject for that ... Read More
How to Use Informational Books as History Curriculum
Do history textbooks ever fit into a living literature-based homeschool? Of course they do! But, if we're being honest, they often don't fit in very well because dry text isn't the name of the game in the Charlotte Mason style. Think about this, though. If we only used living literature when teaching history, for instance, we'd certainly leave out some very important key facts, events and ... Read More
A Simple Machines Unit Study
I love to teach simple machines through hands-on, experimental lessons. While it took just a bit of time to gather materials, the engagement factor made this quick and simple unit study a hit with my children. Simple Machines Unit Study Before even reading the first book about simple machines, I set up some little centers for self-discovery. The kiddos had to visit each ... Read More
The Four Year History Cycle: Slightly Revised
You may have heard me say before that we follow a four-year cycle of chronological history in our homeschool. Well, we used to. My littlest man will be in 3rd grade this coming school year and we're just now getting into ancient history - year 1 in a four-year cycle. I still plan to follow a four (or five) year cycle, but he'll only go through it twice before he graduates - several years from ... Read More
More Than Just a Dinosaur Unit Study
My little man and I just finished a Creation-based dinosaur unit study that led to some amazing rabbit trail learning! What started out as a great "boy topic" to end 2nd grade with a bang, turned into so much more. And, without my pre-planning, it's given him a great foundational understanding of events leading up to ancient history - which is our focus next school year. (This post contains ... Read More
Picture Books That Demonstrate Narrative Writing
If there's one subject that seems to befuddle homeschoolers more than any other, it's writing. I hear it during homeschool consultations and casually talking among homeschool friends, and I see questions about it all over the internet. This post contains affiliate links. People are often surprised when I tell them I don't formally teach writing until middle school. Really, I ... Read More
Winter Homeschooling with Pinterest
Have the winter homeschooling blues set in yet? When the blues come around our house, my first line of defense is to kick up the interest level of our lessons. This might mean adding some fun art projects, science experiments or (cold) nature walks to our typical daily schedule. Or, it might mean setting aside regular lessons for a week or two while we dive into a wintery unit ... Read More
Elementary Astronomy Unit Study
The study of astronomy with my 7 and 10 year old children was surprisingly fascinating! As usual, we used bits and pieces of this and that, with lots of living literature, a field trip and projects to learn tons about our solar system. I hope you find something useful to add to your own astronomy unit study! This post contains affiliate links. Elementary Astronomy Unit Study Exploring ... Read More
