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
Watch The Problem is the Solution - How to turn a negative into a positive - Eric Seider on YouTube
Watch Learn Our History DVDs
For you They Signed by Marilyn Boyer
The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy by Thomas Stanley
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards
Watch How to Actually Start Drawing (for beginners) - KeshArt on YouTube
Watch How to Draw Something (when you can't think of anything) - Drawing Wiff Waffles on YouTube
Economic Essays from John Hopkin's Notions on Political Economy
Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
The Story of Painting by Janson - we purchased this version used but there are other versions that are a better price than listed here.
Bulfinch's Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch
The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall
The God Who Is There by Francis A. Schaeffer
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
The Lord God Made Them All by James Herriot
Watch Alpine Rivers: The Cradle of Life - Free Documentary - Nature on YouTube
Watch Wild Kratts episodes
Watch Does the Weather Actually Affect Your Mood? - After Skool on YouTube
The Rodale Book of Composting by Jerry Minnich
The Wonder Book of Chemistry by Jean Henri Fabre
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
The Tripods Collection by John Christopher
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
The Story-Book of Science by Jean Henri Fabre
Read various current event articles
Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? by Richard J. Maybury
Our Island Story by HE Marshall
Stories from the History of Rome by Mrs Beesly
*The Tuttle Twins and the Medals of Merit by Connor Boyack
*The Tuttle Twins and the Miraculous Pencil by Connor Boyack
*Abigail Adams by Natalie Bober
*John Adams by David McCullough
Read Historical Document: Articles of Confederation
Read Historical Document: Articles of Capitulation Yorktown
Read Historical Document: William of Malmesbury's Account of The Battle of Hastings
A History of the American People by Paul Johnson
Four Great Americans by James Baldwin
Great Astronomers by Robert S. Ball
The Age of Revolution by Winston Churchill
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
American Tall Tales by Adrien Stoutenburg
Listen to The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald on Audible
Isaac Bickerstaff by Sir Richard Steele
One Race One Blood by Ken Ham and A. Charles Ware
Watch Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, and the Birth of the Left and Right - National Constitution Center on YouTube
Minn of the Mississippi by Holling C. Holling
The Brendan Voyage by Tim Severin
The Royal Road to Romance by Richard Halliburton
Watch Australia vs Canada - Country Comparison - The Geography Bible on YouTube
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
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Parables from Nature by Margaret Scott Gatty
The Warlord's Alarm by Virginia Pilegard
Listen and study various hymns and folk songs
Listen to various works of Mozart CD
Read various poems by Emily Dickenson
Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb
Read various poems by Sara Teasdale
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
Material World: A Global Family Portrait by Peter Menzel
The Life of King Alfred by John Asser
1,000 Years Ago on Planet Earth by Sneed B. Collard III
The Lay of the Land by Dallas Lore Sharp
Answering the Cry for Freedom by Gretchen Woelfle
The New Answers Book 2 by Ken Ham
Good Queen Bess by Diane Stanley
The Ocean of Truth: The Story of Sir Isaac Newton by Joyce McPherson
Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula
Miracle at Philadelphia by Catherine Drinker Bowen
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People
Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison
The Book of Virtues by William Bennett
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder by Walter Wick
Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley
Pond and Stream by Arthur Ransome
Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra
The Birth of Britain by Winston Churchill
Sailors and Seababies: The Fairy Tales of Charles Kingsley by Anne E. White
Watch How Rivers Shape the Landscape: Crash Course Geography #23 - CrashCourse on YouTube
*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 February:
Artist study of Jean-Honore Fragonard with A Humble Place
Grammar of Poetry by Matt Whitling
Correct and rewrite misspelled words for spelling practice
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
A Walk through the Heavens by Milton Heifetz
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
Life of Fred - Cats by Stanley Schmidt
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:
Stockman Grass Farmer - The Grazer's Business School Course
All In One Homeschool Online Drawing Professionally Course
Turning Point Bahnsen Economics Course
All In One Homeschool Online Spanish Course
Hillsdale Online Courses - Constitution 101
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 February:
- M. and G. attended a photography workshop hosted by our county's extension office.
- M., G. and E. attended Livestock Judging practices with 4H and FFA
- P. attended a business class designed and taught by a local businessman.
- E., M. and G. attended the Academy of the Arts Play tryouts.
- The continued to practice their culinary skills with coffee cakes, pizza from scratch, cookies, meatloaf, short rib stew, roasted chicken.
- We attended an FFA site visit at Commonwealth Vet Clinic
- P. and E. prepared speeches for the FFA regional competition.
- They participated in a ski trip to Perfect North with friends.
- The girls completed various crocheting projects.
- G. practiced her shooting skills with hubby.
- We cheered on family members in their volleyball and basketball games.
- They attended a roller-skating party.
- M. participated in BU MS soccer practice
- They continued to help with farm chores and activities.
- We participated in a local Bible study group.
- The kids participated in our church's youth group.
- E. worked on his FFA vermiculture project.
- P. worked on his FFA woodworking project.
- M. worked on her FFA photography project.
- The Hubby, P. and E. attended Krav Maga self-defense classes.
- M. and G. practiced crocheting.
- P. and E. are volunteering with the children's ministry at church.
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