We have been homeschooling for many years and I sometimes forget that what we do isn't the same for others. So, I am adding a monthly homeschool recap to this blog 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 August:
*The Holy Bible
*Watch Lunatic Farmer Episode 1 on Abundance Plus
Watch Permaculture Water Management on YouTube
Review PowerPoint presentation about Introduction to Animal Science and related worksheets provided by their FFA instructor
The Story of Painting by HW Janson
The Book of Missionary Heroes by Basil Mathews
Watch Veggietales - I Want More
Watch Veggietales - Beauty Comes From the Inside
More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell
Bright Valley of Love by Edna Hong
Heroes of the Bible by Joshua Cooley
*The Tuttle Twins and the Fate of the Future by Connor Boyack
*Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? by Richard Maybury
Watch Hand Carding Clipped Angora Fiber on YouTube
Watch David Attenborough's Great Barrier Reef episodes
Elementary Geography by Charlotte Mason
Watch Geography Bible: 12 Interesting Maps that Decide Our Planet on YouTube
The Little Man in the Map by E. Andrew Martonyi
Anno's Spain by Mitsumasa Anno
*Richard Halliburton's Book of Marvels - The Occident
Watch various YouTube videos of locations mentioned in Halliburton's book
Home Geography for Primary Grades by CC Long
Tree in the Trail by Holling C Holling
The Brendan Voyage by Tim Severin
Don't Know Much About the 50 States by Kenneth Davis
Marco Polo by George Makepiece Towle
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Paul Brand
History's Most Magnificent Rulers by Hywell Williams
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by Mark Twain
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
Daniel Boone by RG Thwaites
Watch Flower Sack Dresses on YouTube
Watch - Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? DVD
Watch - The Richest Man in History on YouTube
Never Give In by Stephen Mansfield
The Little Duke by Charlotte Yong
A Picture Book of Frederick Douglass by David Adler
The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem Van Loon
A Child's History of the World by Virgil Hillyer
The Birth of Britain by Winston Churchill
Our Island Story by HE Marshall
Elsie Dinsmore Book 1 by Martha Finley
English Literature for Boys and Girls by HE Marshall
Watch Robin Hood DVD
Plutarch's Life of Phocion with Study Guide by Anne White
No Fear Shakespeare - As You Like It by SparkNotes
Chaucer for Children by Mrs. HR Haweis
Various poetry selections by William Blake
Various poetry selections by Walter De La Mare
Various poetry selections by Robert Frost
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
Parables from Nature by Margarett Gatty
*Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
*The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
Watch/Listen Beethoven pieces on YouTube and CD
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Michael Faraday by Charles Ludwig
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
The Boxcar Children Book 1 by Gertrude Chandler
A Wonder Book for Boys and Girls by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit
The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill
The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
The Tripods - The City of Gold and Lead by John Christopher
*Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb
Watch Nat Geo Kids Fun Facts About Robots on YouTube
STEM Starters for Kids Robotics Activity Book by Jenny Jacoby
Watch How Big Business Built the Food Pyramid on YouTube
Watch Secrets to Growing Awesome Tomatoes on YouTube
Watch Amazing Tech-Free Energy Generator by Speaker Magnet 100% on YouTube
Watch Hard Pruning Your Tomatoes for Double Yield on YouTube
Plant Variation and Classification by Dr. Carol Ballard
First Studies of Plant Life by George Francis Atkinson
Watch How to Save Tomato Seeds on YouTube
Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray
*Food Anatomy by Julia Rothman
*The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery
The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton Burgess
The Magnificent Book of Animals by Tom Jackson
Adventures with a Microscope by Richard Headstrom
Watch various microscope videos on YouTube
The Life of a Spider by Jean Henri Fabre
The Wonder Book of Chemistry by Jean Henri Fabre
*The Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton Burgess
It Just Couldn't Happen by Lawrence Richards
Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity by Robert Cwiklik
A Drop of Water by Walter Wick
Herb Fairies Book One: Stellaria's Big Find by Kimberly Gallagher
Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs by Rosemary Gladstar
Watch Homemade Tooth Powder on YouTube
Watch How to Make Herbal Tinctures on YouTube
Here's a list of more "formal" curriculum products that we have used during the month of August:
*A Blue Stocking Guide to Economics
Mind Benders by The Critical Thinking Co.
*The Fallacy Detective by Nathaniel Bluedorn
Life of Fred - Ice Cream by Stanley Schmidt
*Life of Fred - Cats by Stanley Schmidt
Abeka reading books - these were gifted to us and we use them for reading practice.
*Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
*Life of Fred - PreAlgebra 1 with Biology
Completing entries in a Nature Journal
Apologia - Anatomy and Physiology
The Art of Problem Solving, PreAlgebra by Richard Rusczyk
Revolting Writing for Boys...And Girls Who Dare by Jennifer Cabrera
Here are some online classes/resources that we have used:
Here are a few games/activities that we have enjoyed:
Rummy - This is a family favorite card game.
Complete a Knex building activity
Professor Noggin's Human Body Trivia Card Game
*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 August:
- Our kids assisted with the booth at the Bluegrass Farmers Market.
- We participated in the FFA family event. This event was hosted by another FFA family to help kick-off another great year with our group. Activities included games, canoeing and a picnic. Everyone had a great time!
- We spent a day at the Kentucky State Fair. The boys joined up with their FFA group and participated in a scavenger hunt competition. The girls and I leisurely explored the exhibits.
- Our son assisted with a sawmilling job. He is learning a lot about working this machine.
- We processed roosters. We have been incubating our own eggs. This has led to an abundance of roosters on the farm. We attempted to process some of them for our own consumption. It worked but we are highly inefficient at the task. We have so many other things demanding our limited time that we sold the remaining roosters to a more experienced butcher.
- Our sons participated in their monthly official FFA meeting. One of our sons is the chapter treasurer and he is learning more about this new role and responsibilities.
- Our sons participated in an Animal Science class for FFA. This first class of the year was focused on the introduction of the topic. Each student prepared and presented reports to the class. This assignment was designed for the student to reach outside of their current knowledge base and learn about a different animal species.
- Our sons participated in the Youth Group at church. They enjoy fellowship and discussions of Biblical principles.
- Our daughters participated in the Little Disciples Group at church. This group is for 3rd to 5th grade children. They join their friends in studying Biblical concepts.
- Our kids alternate in creating meals from scratch. Each one is improving and sharing new creations for the family to enjoy. Some meals have included rabbit, salmon-stuffed peppers, cookies and more! I am eating pretty well and not even having to cook. They are spoiling their mama!!
- Our daughter has been assisting with fiber harvesting from our French Angora rabbits. This is part of her chosen elective class that focuses on Fiber Arts. She is assisting with the fiber harvest and learning to card the raw fiber. If she really enjoys this portion, we will consider obtaining the equipment and learning how to spin the fiber into thread.
- Our daughter is taking crocheting lessons from the Master Crocheter. This is another portion of her Fiber Arts elective. She is hoping to create some ornaments for the Christmas tree this year.
- Our oldest son is taking elective classes through Bluegrass United. These classes include Interpersonal Communication, History of Comic Books and Critical Thinking. He is enjoying both the alternative to his core classes and the time discussing the topics with friends.
- Our son has assisted with childcare during a church event. He has credited helping with his younger siblings in preparing him for this endeavor.
- The soccer season is in full-swing with practices and games for our daughter and sons.
- For a birthday adventure, we went ziplining at Squire Boone Caverns in Indiana. Our daughter was thrilled that she made the weight limit by one whole pound!
- Our daughter is taking horse lessons at Riding with Rhythm. She is expanding her skills and really challenging herself to become better at handling the horse in different conditions.
- Our kids took turns hard pruning tomato plants. This was done after watching an instructional video describing how this can increase yields.
- Our kids saved tomato seeds. This was done after watching an instructional video on YouTube. We will plant these seeds next year and monitor their germination rate.
- Our son is working to improve his wildcrafting and plant identification skills. He is identifying various plants on the farm. This is followed by research and making herbal preparations.
- We celebrated a birthday!
- Our sons participated in a pool party hosted by their soccer coaches. They had a great time with friends.
- The kids continue to help around the farm. Some of the chores are more fun than others.
- The kids have assisted in the building of our new chicken wagon. I was told that the planning meeting must take place before any actual work is to be done.
Our lives are not what is considered normal, but we are loving it this way!
If you are interested, here are some links to the places/items mentioned above:
The Bluegrass Farmer's Market (bluegrassfarmersmarket.com)
Leesburg Christian Church - Home
Squire Boone Caverns – A Treasure of Indiana History and the American Pioneer Spirit
*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 links.