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 February:
*The Holy Bible
Watched How to Grow Ginger, Garlic and Lemongrass at home video on YouTube
Review Livestock Judging notebook provided from 4H
Watch How to Build an Audience and Launch on Abundance Plus
Watch Turn One Sweet Potato into 100 lbs... on YouTube
Watch videos on Small Engine Repair provided from our FFA instructor
The Story of Painting by HW Janson
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards
Bright Valley of Love by Edna Hong
*The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
VeggieTales episode
The New Answers Book 1 by Ken Ham
Read/Discuss World Magazine articles
Listen Tuttle Twins Podcast
Watched videos on cooking from scratch from Farmhouse on Boone
Bluestocking Guide Economics by Jane Williams
Whatever Happened to Penny Candy by Richard Maybury
Home Geography for Primary Grades by CC Long
The Brendan Voyage by Tim Severin
*Richard Halliburton's Book of Marvels - The Occident
The Birth of Britain by Winston Churchill
Always Inventing by Tom Matthews
*George Washington by Ingri d'Aulaire
Magic Treehouse - Night of the Ninjas by Mary Pope Osborne
*This Country of Ours by HE Marshall
*Answering the Cry for Freedom by Gretchen Woelfle
Our Island Story by HE Marshall
50 Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin
Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula
Don't Know Much About the Pioneers by Kenneth Davis
Tree in the Trail by Holling C Holling
The Little Duke by Charlotte Yonge
A Child's History of the World by VM Hillyer
Abraham Lincoln's World by Genevieve Foster
Of Courage Undaunted by James Daugherty
Beowulf by Burton Raffel, translator
Watership Down by Richard Adams
English Literature for Boys and Girls by HE Marshall
Bulfinch's Medieval Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch
Age of Fable by T. Bullfinch
*Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb
*Aesop's Fables by Milo Winter
No Fear Shakespeare - King Lear by Sparknotes
Various poems by Rudyard Kipling
Various poems by Walter de la Maro
Plutarch Project by Anne White
The Fallacy Detective by Nathaniel Bluedorn
How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler
Listened to various Maurice Ravel songs on YouTube
Listened to various Hymns and Folksongs on YouTube
Watched YouTube videos on photography
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Elsie Dinsmore Book 1 by Martha Finley - we found an older copy at an estate sale, but I have attached a link to a paperback copy.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table by Roger Green
The Once and Future King by TH White
*Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DeCamillo
The Life of Olaudah Equiano by Olaudah Equiano
What We See in the Stars by Kelsey Oseid
Mr Poppers Penquins by F Atwater
*The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Adventures with a Microscope by Richard Headstrom
The Wonder Book of Chemistry by Jean Henri Fabre
The Story of Inventions by Michael McHugh
*Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley
First Studies of Plant Life by George Francis Atkinson
The Boy Scientist by John Bryan Lewellen
*The Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton Burgess
Peterson Field Guide Coloring Book - Mammals
Watch Burgess Animal videos on YouTube
*The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton Burgess
*Listen Burgess Bird Playlist on YouTube
Paddle to the Sea by Holling C Holling
*Parables From Nature by Margaret Gatty
Exploring the History of Medicine by John Hudson Tiner
Watched Crash Course Astronomy on YouTube
Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thomas Seton
Great Astronomers by Robert S Ball
Watched videos on woodworking skills
Here's a list of more "formal" curriculum products that we have used during the month of February:
*Claude Monet Picture Study · a humble place
*Song School Latin
*Various workbooks from The Critical Thinking Co
*Right Start Math
The Art of Problem Solving, PreAlgebra by Richard Rusczyk
Abeka Reading books - we received them as a gift and have been using them as supplemental reading material
Flash Cards
*Life of Fred - PreAlgebra 0 with Physics
*Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
Exploring Creation with Anatomy and Physiology
Here are some online classes that we have used:
Webucator online class about how to use Illustrator
Here are a few games/activities that we have enjoyed:
Review math flash cards
*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 February:
- We continued with our homeschool co-op. The high school and middle school kids participate in an Art class focusing watercolor techniques, a Literature class with some writing components and a Bible class. The elementary students are participating in classes for Bible, Science, Logic and PE.
- Our sons attended an FFA meeting to review small engine repair, AET maintenance and practice speeches for competition.
- Our sons continued their education on operating the sawmill.
- They enjoyed a Winter Jam concert with their grandparents.
- Our son continued to care for his worm farm. He had an issue with a fly infestation that decreased his population. He learned about the cause and corrected it. He still plans to provide worm tea to our customers this spring: EJ's Worm Tea – Growing Roots Farm (shopifypreview.com)
- They volunteered for a special event at church.
They helped to make the birdcage props. 
They dressed in character and participated in the show. 
- The FFA group spent a day in Frankfort, Kentucky for Career and Technical Education Day.
They met and discussed issues with political leaders.
We witnessed a Senate Agriculture Committee meeting.
- Our son continued his indoor soccer season with weekly games.
- They went skiing with friends at Perfect North slopes in Indiana.
- The kids prepared various meals and treats from scratch.
- They assisted in the building of an animal pen in the barn.
- They help care for the animals on the farm.
- We replaced the failed landscaping attempt with weed barrier fabric and rocks. We plan to add raised beds to this area to grow flowers and herbs. The kids were a great help with this work!
- They attended an official FFA meeting.
- They participated in a hands-on class on small engine repair.
- Our kids participated in their 4H Livestock Judging club. They are preparing for upcoming competitions.
- They attended FFA Livestock Judging Team practices. Our daughter isn't old enough to participate in FFA but has been invited to practice with the team for the extra learning opportunity.
If you are interested, here are some links to the places/items mentioned above:
Abundance Plus Referral Code: https://abundanceplus.com/?referral_code=DBgccacFBcgiHg
Sweet Potato video link: https://youtu.be/0igp5IzO21g?list=PLrUouAskiMhUS2MjqU8ZXnX-aZX5Bxa0d
Facts-Based News for Christians | WORLD (wng.org)
The Tuttle Twins Podcast - The Tuttle Twins
Online and Onsite Instructor-led Training Classes | Webucator
(21) Farmhouse on Boone - YouTube
Better Grades and Higher Test Scores — Guaranteed! - The Critical Thinking Co.
Home - Winter Jam '24 (jamtour.com)
Online and Onsite Instructor-led Training Classes | Webucator
Harvest Right link: https://affiliates.harvestright.com/2487.html
www.youtube.com/@FarmhouseonBoone
RightStart™ Mathematics by Activities for Learning, Inc. - (rightstartmath.com)
Kentucky FFA Association | KY FFA
Leesburg Christian Church - Co-op
Leesburg Christian Church - Home
*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.