- 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 February:
*The Holy Bible
Read various journal articles, PowerPoint presentations and completed question worksheets about food science provided by their FFA teacher.
Watched various YouTube videos about food science provided by their FFA teacher.
Review 4H Skillathon activities.
Stockman Grass Farmer online class - Why Farmers Should Direct Market
Watch 6 Ways I'm Building My Farm into a Business - the Shepherdess on YouTube
Watch 3 Ways I'm Prepping for a Recession - the Shepherdess on YouTube
Complete practice activities on livestockjudging.com
Watch Comfrey in Chicken Run - How does it work? - EdibleAcres on YouTube
Watch Smart & Special: The Big Picture with Joel Salatin (Part 1) - The Stockman Grassfarmer on YouTube
The Usborne Book of Famous Artists by Ruth Brocklehurst
Watched various YouTube videos and reviewed websites about Chihuly provided by the Co-op Art teacher.
Heroes of the Bible by J. Cooley
To a Different Drum by Pauline Hamilton
The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
Read various essays by Francis Bacon
Character is Destiny by Russell Gough
Utopia by Sir Thomas More, Edited by Paul Turner
Various articles from the Student News Daily
Watch The Paradox of Being a Good Person - George Orwell's Warning to the World - Pursuit of Wonder on YouTube
Watch Illusion of Home Equity - LifeDoneFree on YouTube
Watch How to Crochet a Granny Square for Beginners - Maddy Marie on YouTube
Tree in the Trail by Holling C. Holling
Anno's Italy by Mitsumasa Anno
Richard Halliburton's Book of Marvels -The Orient by Richard Halliburton
The life of Christopher Columbus by Edward Everett Hale
Don't Know Much About the 50 States by Kenneth Davis
Elementary Geography by Charlotte Mason
Marco Polo by George Makepiece Towle
*Whatever Happened to Justice? by Richard Maybury
Facing the Facts by Stan and Brenna Jones
The Ultimate Girls' Body Book by Walt Larimore
Our Island Story by HE Marshall
The New World by Winston Churchill
This Country of Ours by H.E. Marshall
The Voyage of the Armada by David Howarth
The Little Duke by Charlotte Mary Yonge
A Child's History of the World by VM Hillyer
Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula
Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England by Diane Stanley
The Story of the Greeks by H.A. Guerber
The Life of Sir Francis Bacon by William Rawley
Prince Henry the Navigator by Leonard Everett Fisher
Daily Life in Ancient and Modern London by Betony Toht
Watch The Richest Man in History - The Science Behind Gold - After Skool
Watch Liberty's Kids DVD
Don't Know Much About the Kings and Queens of England by Kenneth Davis
You Wouldn't Want to be Sick in the 16th Century! by Kathryn Senior
The Great Explorers by Robin Hanbury-Tenison
*The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Listen The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyon on Audible
*Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb
The Heroes by Charles Kingsley
Everyman & Other Miracle & Morality Plays by Anonymous
Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley
English Literature for Boys and Girls by H.E. Marshall
American Tall Tales by Adrien Stoutenburg
The Children of the New Forest by Frederick Marryat
*Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad by Rosemary Sutcliff
Poetry for Young People - Carl Sandburg by Frances Schoonmaker Bolin
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Listen The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame on Audible
Various Shakespeare sonnets
Plutarch's Life of Camillus Study Guide by Anne White
Various poems by Eugene Field
Watch High Noon DVD
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler
Listen/Study Hymn - Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
Listen/Study Hymn - Marie's Wedding
Listen/Study Composer - Vivaldi
Photograph for Kids by JP Pullos
The Endless Steppe by Esther Hautzig
The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
Listen Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Henry and Mudge books by Cynthia Rylant
Listen Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
Fritz and the Beautiful Horses by Jan Brett
Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley
Kenilworth by Sir Walter Scott
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
STEM Starters for Kids Robotics Activity Book by Jenny Jacoby
Watch Why Do Robots Use QR Codes? - TeachKidsRobotics on YouTube
*Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History by Penny Le Couteur
Adventures with a Microscope by Richard Headstrom
Watch various microscope videos on YouTube
The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton Burgess
The Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton W. Burgess
*Watch various episodes of Ryan Hall, Y'all channel
The Great Astronomers by Robert S. Ball
The Chemical History of a Candle by Michael Faraday
All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot
Rural Hours by Susan Fenimore Cooper
Watch How Does Air Pressure Impact the Weather? - 10 Tampa Bay on YouTube
Wild Life in Woods and Fields by Arabella Buckley
Watch Weather Barometers: Understanding Barometer Readings - ehow on YouTube
Work on essay writing for a local contest
Watch Did You Know That This is Edibile? Let's Forage & Setup Fresh Tinctures - The Honeystead on YouTube
Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herb by Rosemary Gladstar
Watch Native PawPaw and a Find That Was Worth Digging Up... - The Honeystead on YouTube
Here's a list of more "formal" curriculum products that we have used during the month of February:
A Humble Place - Caravaggio Artist Study
Beautiful Feet Books Around the World
A Bluestocking Guide: Justice by Kathryn Daniels
Mind Benders by The Critical Thinking Co.
*Life of Fred - Jelly Beans by Stanley Schmidt
*Life of Fred - Apples by Stanley Schmidt
*Life of Fred - Dogs by Stanely Schmidt
The Art of Problem Solving, PreAlgebra by Richard Rusczyk
*Life of Fred - Prealgebra 2 with Economics by Stanley Schmidt
Abeka reading books - these were gifted to us, and we use them for reading practice.
Apologia - Anatomy and Physiology
Completing entries in a Nature Journal
Michael Faraday's The Chemical History of a Candle with Guide and Activities by William Hammack
Here are some online classes/resources that we have used:
Here are a few games/activities that we have enjoyed:
Rummy
Activities with Snap Circuit Classic
*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:
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The FFA group attended a site visit at Rowlett's Milkhouse and Creamery. They toured the facility and learned about how various milk-based products are created.
They even took a few minutes to enjoy the product!!
- The girls continued to work on their crocheting skills.
- The kids attended 4H Livestock Judging classes. They are preparing for the state competition in May.
- Our oldest attended elective classes at Bluegrass United. He is participating in a Comic Club, a computer class of Introduction to AI (to clarify, artificial intelligence not artificial insemination) and a history class focused on Events that Changed the World.
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Our FFA advisor developed spotlight pages for our kids.
- Our son continued to participate in his indoor soccer season. He enjoys having fun with friends while continuing to improve his skills.
- They helped with chores on the farm (even in bad weather).
- Our daughter continued to work on her photography by taking winter pictures and making cards.
- Our sons attended their monthly FFA meeting.
After the official meeting, the kids found time to enjoy some Valentine's Day donuts!
- Our son continued his wildcrafting unit study by researching and preparing various herbal preparations. He made a thyme honey and a sage throat spray.
- Our sons attended their in-person Food Science class and lab focused on dairy products. They made butter and casein plastic from milk products.
- Our kids participated in their Young Disciples group and Youth Groups at church.
- We witnessed baby chicks hatching.
- A couple of our kids participate in the local co-op. Our son attends classes for Bible and Art. Our daughters attend classes for Bible, PE, Science and Logic. They really enjoy their time learning with their friends.
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They competed in their first 4H Livestock Skillathon competition in Bowling Green Ky. They had a great time!
Their team placed 6th overall and our son placed 9th in Quality Assurance.
- We experienced a flooded creek. The kids assisted with the cleanup.
- Our son completed an essay for FFA SAE grant. He is hoping to start his own flock of registered Katahdin sheep. The grant would pay for the beginning ewes. Cross your fingers!
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Our son continues to maintain his worm farm. We hope to utilize the worm castings in our garden this spring.
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