We have been homeschooling for many years, and I sometimes forget that what we do isn't the same for others. So, I am writing a monthly homeschool recap to demonstrate one way (there are so many methods out there!) that homeschooling can work.
We use an eclectic method of homeschooling that leans very heavily towards the Charlotte Mason method of teaching. Without going into too much detail about this method, it can be described as very literature-heavy. We read and discuss A LOT of books. We don't spend a lot of time on workbooks, worksheets, etc., We have gravitated toward this method over the years and found that it works very well for our learners and family lifestyle.
Here are some items that we have read, listened to or watched during the month of April:
*The Holy Bible
Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? by Richard J. Maybury
How to be Your Own Selfish Pig by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
Listen The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas on Audible
The Land of Little Rain by Mary Austin
The Hickory Chair by Lisa Rowe Fraustino
Watch Is Every Civilization Doomed to Fail? - Gregory Aldrete - After Skool on YouTube
In Freedom's Cause: A Story of Wallace and Bruce by G.A. Henty
Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Tree of Freedom by Rebecca Caudill
The Secrets of the Woods by William J. Long
Marco Polo: His Travels and Adventures by George Makepeace Towle
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Philip Yancey and Paul Brand
This Country of Ours by HE Marshall - we use a different version, but this link is similar
The Reb and the Redcoats by Constance Savery
By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare
The Quest for Seven Castles by Ed Dunlop
The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy by Thomas Stanley
The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall
The God Who Is There by Francis A. Schaeffer
*Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
*Listen to The Children of the New Forest by Frederick Marryat
Bright Valley of Love by Edna Hong
Heroes of the Bible Devotional by Joshua Cooley
First Studies of Plant Life by George Francis Atkinson
The Rodale Book of Composting by Jerry Minnich
The Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif
The Wonder Book of Chemistry by Jean Henri Fabre
The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
George Washington's World by Genevieve Foster
English Literature for Boys and Girls by HE Marshall
The Boy Scientist by John Lewellen
The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
Read various current event articles
Our Island Story by HE Marshall
Stories from the History of Rome by Mrs Beesly
*John Adams by David McCullough
Read Historical Document: Federalist 10
Read Historical Document: Federalist 51
Read Historical Document: Federalist 39
Read Historical Document: Federalist 68
Read Historical Document: US Constitution
A History of the American People by Paul Johnson
Great Astronomers by Robert S. Ball
The Age of Revolution by Winston Churchill
Isaac Bickerstaff by Sir Richard Steele
The Lost Prince by Francis Hodgson Burnett
The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
The Brendan Voyage by Tim Severin
The Royal Road to Romance by Richard Halliburton
God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew with John & Elizabeth Andrew
The Bears of Blue River by Charles Major
*Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
*Five Little Peppers and How they Grew by Margaret Sidney (we have an older copy but this one is comparable)
Then There Were Five by Elizabeth Enright
Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight
Parables from Nature by Margaret Scott Gatty
Listen and study various hymns and folk songs
Listen to various works of Mozart CD
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
The Lay of the Land by Dallas Lore Sharp
The New Answers Book 2 by Ken Ham
Miracle at Philadelphia by Catherine Drinker Bowen
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison
Watership Down by Richard Adams
The Birth of Britain by Winston Churchill
*Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston A Price
No Fear Shakespeare - Othello by SparkNotes
Here's a list of more "formal" curriculum products that we have used during the month of April:
Sailors and Seababies: The Fairy Tales of Charles Kingsley by Anne E. White
Teaching Character Through Literature by Rebecca Manor
Beautiful Feet Books Around the World I
Fallacy Detective by Nathaniel and Hans Bluedorn
Grammar of Poetry by Matt Whitling
Update a personal quote book
Update historical timelines
Life of Fred - Fractions by Stanley Schmidt
Asgard to Athens by Anne E. White
The Plutarch Project Volume One by Anne E White
Exploring Creation with Physical Science by Jay Wile
The Art of Problem Solving, Introduction to Algebra by Richard Rusczyk
Life of Fred - Beginning Algebra Expanded Edition by Stanley Schmidt
Life of Fred - Dogs by Stanley Schmidt
Life of Fred - Goldfish by Stanley Schmidt
Fix It Grammar
A Bluestocking Guide: Justice by Kathryn Daniels
Getting Started with Latin by William Linney
Mind Benders by The Critical Thinking Co.
Completing entries in a Nature Journal
Here are some online classes/resources that we have used:
Turning Point Bahnsen Economics Course
All In One Homeschool Online Spanish Course
All In One High School - Biblical Hebrew I Course
*Items marked with an asterisk are my personal favorites and highly recommended.
Here are a few field trips/activities that we have participated in during the month of April:
April was a busy month outside the home. We participated in many activities that kept us quite busy.
- M., E., and G. attended livestock judging classes for 4H and FFA.
- M. attended 4H photography club.
- P. attended a business class by a local entrepreneur.
- E., M. and E. participated in the Academy of the Arts camp and plays. It was an exhausting, but fun week.
- The kids participated in our church's youth group.
- They attended an official FFA meeting followed by a class about parasites.
- They attended an FFA site visit at the UK Veterinary Diagnostic Lab. They furthered their knowledge about parasites including instructions on how to perform at-home fecal testing.
- P. participated in the UK Field Day.
- P. and E. assisted with Ag Awareness Day. This event was designed to educate local elementary school students on the various aspects of agriculture.
- P. and E. participated in BU Spring Soccer training.
- M. continued her soccer season with the BU Middle School Soccer team.
- M. and G. practiced their crocheting skills and created new designs.
- M. and G. worked with a neighbor on a sewing project. They are learning how to hand sew and how to use the sewing machine to create new items.
- P. assisted with a concrete project on a neighboring farm.
- E. attended a dance with a friend.
- G. fixed screens for her rabbit pellet collection system
- P. and E. attended the BU Spring Formal Dance.
- The girls picked strawberries at a local farm.
- They assisted with babysitting activities during the school day.
- They continued to help with farm chores and activities.
Our lives are not what is considered normal, but we are loving it this way!
*For those that enjoy the booklists, I have attached links to my Amazon affiliate account. As an Amazon associate, I will earn money from any qualifying purchases made by using these link