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.
During the month of July, we chose to decrease the workload but not take a traditional summer break. My older kids are reaching the age where they are contemplating their career goals and pursuits after high school graduation. Nowhere in the real world (other than the world of academia), do individuals get a "summer break". We are working to prepare our children for their future endeavors and decided that we would adjust the workload throughout various times in the year and take breaks when needed. We will change our focus to year-round schooling to mimic the realities of what they should expect upon graduation. Each child receives a break from schoolwork this summer, but they are staggered, and the lengths of breaks are different for each child.
Here are some items that we have read, listened to or watched during the month of July:
*The Holy Bible
The Story of Painting by HW Janson
More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell
Bright Valley of Love by Edna Hong
Watch Veggietales - Larry Boy and the Rumor Weed
*Watch Kidco (1984) movie
*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
*Maps by Aleksandra Mizielinska
Watch Land Beyond Time, Australia on YouTube
Don't Know Much About the 50 States by Kenneth Davis
Watch David Attenborough's Great Barrier Reef episodes
Marco Polo by George Makepiece Towle
Watch Where on Earth is Carmen San Diego? DVD
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Paul Brand
The Little Duke by Charlotte Yong
Columbus by Edgar Parin D'Aulaire
Watch The Unsinkable Molly Brown DVD
Abraham Lincoln by Edgar Parin D'Aulaire
Watch What People Ate to Survive WWII on YouTube
A Picture Book of Frederick Douglass by David Adler
The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem Van Loon
Watch The History of Wonderbread on YouTube
*Answering the Cry for Freedom by Gretchen Woelfle
Carry a Big Stick by George Grant
A Child's History of the World by Virgil Hillyer
The Birth of Britain by Winston Churchill
In Freedom's Cause by GA Henty
*This Country of Ours by HE Marshall
Our Island Story by HE Marshall
Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula
English Literature for Boys and Girls by HE Marshall
Poetry selections by Walter De La Mare
Ecclesiastical History of the English People by Bede
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
Elsie Dinsmore Book 1 by Martha Finley
Various poetry selections by Robert Frost
American Tall Tales by Adrien Stoutenburg
The Heroes by Charles Kingsley
The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
Various poetry selections by William Blake
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Sir Cumference and All the King's Tens by Cindy Neuschwander
The Warlord's Puppeteers by Virginia Pilegard
Watch/Listen Beethoven pieces on YouTube and CD
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Michael Faraday by Charles Ludwig
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
The Boxcar Children Book 1 by Gertrude Chandler
Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Burton Raffel
The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney
The Tripods - The City of Gold and Lead by John Christopher
*Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb
The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton Burgess
Watch Why Aren't Country Flags Purple? on YouTube
All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot
The Magnificent Book of Animals by Tom Jackson
Watch How to Prune Tomatoes with Casey Ostwich on Abundance Plus
*Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley
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 Story of Inventions by Michael McHugh
*The Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton Burgess
Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thomas Seton
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
The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin Wiker
Herb Fairies Book One: Stellaria's Big Find by Kimberly Gallagher
Here's a list of more "formal" curriculum products that we have used during the month of July:
Beautiful Feet Books - Around the World with Picture Books I
*A Blue Stocking Guide to Economics
Mind Benders by The Critical Thinking Co.
*The Fallacy Detective by Nathaniel Bluedorn
*Life of Fred - Cats by Stanley Schmidt
*Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
*Life of Fred - PreAlgebra 1 with Biology
Abeka reading books - these were gifted to us and we use them for reading practice.
Apologia - Anatomy and Physiology
The Art of Problem Solving, PreAlgebra by Richard Rusczyk
Here are some online classes/resources that we have used:
We have been spending a lot of time outdoors. We haven't utilized any online classes for this month.
Here are a few games/activities that we have enjoyed:
Rummy - This is a family favorite card game.
Build a DIY truck building kit
*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 July:
- We officially started the new school year.
*Somehow, my oldest managed to skip out on the first day pictures this year. I must have been distracted.
- Our kids assisted with the booth at the Bluegrass Farmers Market.
- Our son ran the booth at the Harrison County Farmers Market on his own. This was an intentional learning experience for him. He did a great job!
- Our son assisted with various sawmilling jobs. He is learning valuable skills on how to run this machinery and create lumber.
- The kids continued to assist with farm chores.
- Our son participated in the 4H Top 15 Livestock Judging trip. This event was an opportunity that he earned by placing well in the state 4H Livestock Judging contest. The group traveled to various farms in different states to learn and practice their livestock judging skills. He enjoyed his time with this team and learned a lot in the process. Unfortunately, he didn't take any pictures.
- Our son assisted his Papaw in separating cattle. Unfortunately, they later broke down the gate and reunited in the same field. We jokingly blamed this on our son, but Papaw assured us that it was simply his onery cattle.
- Our son assisted with the Harrison County Night Farmers Market. He was tired after working cattle during the day.
He did wake up in time to discuss knife making with a local artisan.
- Our son assisted Papaw with power washing outdoor buildings.
- Our daughters attended Vacation Bible School (VBS) at Leesburg Christian Church. They had a great time!
- We attended family reunions, playdates and hosted sleepovers.
- We spent some time swimming at Oakbrook Swim Club. We enjoy this free time in the sun!
- Bluegrass United held their Soccer Kick-off event. This consisted of field activities similar to the Amazing Race TV show. They form teams and learn to work together to complete various tasks.
- Our sons participated in the BU Soccer camp held in Berea, KY. This was an all-day event (8am to 9pm) that focused on athletic training and abilities while integrating team building activities.
- Bluegrass United soccer season officially started with regular practices.
- We welcomed the addition of baby goats to the farm! 
- We celebrated the birthday of our baby!
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)
Home | Harrison Co Farmers (hcfmky.com)
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.