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.
We took a break from traditional schoolwork during the month of June. We still had a lot of hands-on learning activities during this time, but this made for a short list, so I have combined it with the month of July.
Here are a few field trips/activities that we have participated in during the month of June:
- The kids competed in their respective contests for the state FFA competition. They worked hard and performed well.
- Our son competed in a Shark Tank competition for his registered Katahdin flock. He designed and submitted a business plan with financial projections and recorded a video supporting his project. He was chosen as a finalist and gave a speech on stage in front of a large crowd about his project. He didn't win first place, but he did earn money to help fund his project and grow his flock.
- They assisted with the booths at various farmers markets.
- They assisted neighbors with various farm and home chores.
- They attended youth group services with our church.
- Our sons were invited to join another church's youth group at Crossings Bible Camp. They had a great time and learned a lot.
- Our daughters continued to improve their culinary skills.
- Our oldest continued to practice his driving skills.
- The boys assisted with the sawmill.
- The girls spent time learning the art of crocheting from the Master Crocheter (their grandmother).
- Our daughters submitted entries into the county fair for crocheting and photography.
- They continued to assist with farm activities.
Here are some items that we have read, listened to or watched during the month of July:
*The Holy Bible
Watch Clinical Anatomy - Midbrain - Armando Hasudungan on YouTube
*Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman
*The Lord God Made Them All by James Herriot
First Studies of Plant Life by George Francis Atkinson
Napoleon's Buttons by Penny Le Couteur & Jay Burreson
The Tuttle Twins and the Leviathan Crisis by Connor Boyack
Watch The Paradox of Being a Good Person - George Orwell's Warning to the World - Pursuit of Wonder on YouTube
Read and summarize current event articles
Watch The Beginner's Guide to Excel - Excel Basics Tutorial - Technology for Teachers and Students on YouTube
Listen The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle on Audible
Money Matters for Teens by Larry Burkett
*Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Let's Get Turtles by Millicent Selsam
Little Bear by Elsa Homelund Minarik
Watch Wild Kratz episode - Hamsters
Read articles from Backwoods Home Magazine
Listen to The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni in Audible
Watch Interesting Enclaves & Exclaves from Around the World - The Geography Bible on YouTube
Anno's Spain by Mitsumasa Anno
Watch Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? DVD
Watch Introduction: Crash Course US Government and Politics - CrashCourse on YouTube
Watch Why is Everyone Obsessed with this Gas Station? - Weird History on YouTube
The Great Explorers by Robin Hanbury-Tenison
History's Most Magnificent Rulers: From Ramses II to Napoleon by Hywel Williams
Watch Why Don't Americans Use the Metric System - Weird History on YouTube
Read various poems by Christina Rossetti
Read various poems by Helen Hunt Jackson
To a Different Drum by Pauline Hamilton
The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
Utopia by Sir Thomas More, Edited by Paul Turner
Richard Halliburton's Book of Marvels -The Orient by Richard Halliburton
Marco Polo by George Makepiece Towle
Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific in a Raft by Thor Heyerdahl
The Ultimate Girls' Body Book by Walt Larimore
Our Island Story by HE Marshall
The New World by Winston Churchill
A Child's History of the World by VM Hillyer
Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula
The Story of the Greeks by H.A. Guerber
Augustus Ceasar's World by Genevieve Foster
The Landing of the Pilgrims by James Daugherty
Mourt’s Relation: A Journey of English Plantation settled at Plymouth in NE by CJohnson
Listen The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyon on Audible
*Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb
English Literature for Boys and Girls by H.E. Marshall
American Tall Tales by Adrien Stoutenburg
*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
Plutarch's Life of Camillus Study Guide by Anne White
Parables from Nature by Margaret Gatty
The Book of Virtues by William Bennett
Listen The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
The Ark by Margot Benary-Isbert
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
Listen Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra
*The Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton W. Burgess
Rural Hours by Susan Fenimore Cooper
It Couldn't Just Happen by Lawrence O. Richards
Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick
The Secrets of the Woods by William J. Long
Here's a list of more "formal" curriculum products that we have used during the month of July:
The Art of Problem Solving, Introduction to Algebra by Richard Rusczyk
Life of Fred Beginning Algebra Expanded Edition
Life of Fred - Butterflies by Stanley F. Schmidt
*Life of Fred - Kidneys by Stanley Schmidt
*Life of Fred - Edgewood by Stanely Schmidt
Completing entries in a Nature Journal
Apologia - Anatomy and Physiology
Rewriting misspelled words
Here are some online classes/resources that we have used:
Here are a few games/activities that we have enjoyed:
*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:
- The kids continued to assist with the markets.
- The kids attended youth group and other activities with our church.
- We had a field trip to the Ark.
- The kids continued to improve their culinary skills by preparing food from scratch.
- We attended our FFA banquet and lunch.
- We participated in a hike at Ravens Run with our FFA group.
- The boys started another season with Bluegrass United soccer team.
- We went swimming with friends.
- We celebrated a birthday with homemade cake and ice cream.
- Our oldest continued his driving lessons.
- We hosted and attended various parties.
- We studied nature around the farm.
- Our son continued his work with his worm farm
- Our daughter took over the harvesting and packaging of the rabbit pellet fertilizer portion of the business. She is earning money with the goal of purchasing a horse one day.
- Our oldest prepared wooden CNC orders for customers.
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