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 September:
*The Holy Bible
Watch Comfrey in the Chicken Run on YouTube
Watch various YouTube videos about animal stockmanship provided by their FFA teacher.
Read various journal articles about animal science provided by their FFA teacher.
Watch The $150 Greenhouse on YouTube
Watch various YouTube videos about animal facilities provided by their FFA teacher.
The Book of Missionary Heroes by Basil Mathews
More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell
Watch What if (2010) movie
Watch Veggietales: The Little House that Stood Still
The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula
To a Different Drum by Pauline Hamilton
Utopia by Sir Thomas More, Paul Turner translator
Watch Carding Angora Fiber on YouTube
Watch First Time Spinning! What You Do Next by LFTN on YouTube
Watch - Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? DVD
Anno's China by Mitsumasa Anno
Elementary Geography by Charlotte Mason
*Richard Halliburton's Book of Marvels - The Occident
Watch various YouTube videos of locations mentioned in Halliburton's book
Tree in the Trail by Holling C Holling
The Brendan Voyage by Tim Severin
Marco Polo by George Makepiece Towle
Facing the Facts by Stan and Brenna Jones
Watch Trauma Medicine Series episodes by Bear Independent on YouTube
The Ultimate Girls' Body Book by Walt Larimore
Daniel Boone by RG Thwaites
This Country of Ours by HE Marshall
Watch Old Things You Would Find in a House that is No Longer There on YouTube
A History of the English Speaking Peoples Vol 2 by Winston Churchill
The Voyage of the Armada by David Howarth
Martin Luther Speech: Excerpts from the Confrontation at the Diet of Worms
Watch A Man for All Seasons DVD
Watch Why Don't Country Flags Use the Color Purple? on YouTube
Watch Night at the Museum DVD
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by Mark Twain
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
Never Give In by Stephen Mansfield
The Little Duke by Charlotte Yong
A Picture Book of Frederick Douglass by David Adler
The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem Van Loon
The Birth of Britain by Winston Churchill
Our Island Story by HE Marshall
The Chaucer Storybook by Eva Tappan
Various poetry selections by William Blake
Elsie Dinsmore Book 1 by Martha Finley
English Literature for Boys and Girls by HE Marshall
The Lost Prince by Francis Hodgson Burnett
The Heroes by Charles Kingsley
Various poetry selections by Robert Frost
Pilgrim's Progress Part 2 by Jim Pappas
Various poetry selections by Walter De La Mare
Plutarch's Life of Phocion with Study Guide by Anne White
No Fear Shakespeare - As You Like It by SparkNotes
Chaucer for Children by Mrs. HR Haweis
Parables from Nature by Margarett Gatty
*Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
*The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler
Sir Cumference and All the Kings Tens by Cindy Neuschaunder
Listen/Study Folk Song - Gypsy Rover
Listen/Study Hymn - Sun of My Soul, Thou Saviour Dear
Watch/Listen Beethoven pieces on YouTube and CD
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill
Legends of Charlemagne by Thomas Bulfinch
The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
The Boxcar Children Book 1 by Gertrude Chandler
A Wonder Book for Boys and Girls by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit
The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill
The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
The Tripods - The City of Gold and Lead by John Christopher
*Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb
STEM Starters for Kids Robotics Activity Book by Jenny Jacoby
All Creatures Great and Small by Isabelle Brent
Concussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas
Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History by Penny Le Couteur
*The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery
First Studies of Plant Life by George Francis Atkinson
The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin Wiker
Watch Growing Tomatoes This Way Gets Many Fruits, TEO Garden on YouTube
Watch The Easiest and Most Fruitful Ways to Grow Tomatoes at Home, TEO Garden on YouTube
Watch A Dog Saves a Baby video on YouTube
Watch Grow Veggies Year-Round with Fall/Winter Gardening on Abundance Plus
Watch Amazing Tech Free Energy Generator by Speaker Magnet on YouTube
The Market Gardener by Jean-Martin Fortier
There's No Place Like Space! by Tish Rabe
Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley
Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray
The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton Burgess
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 Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton Burgess
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
Watch Leapfrog: Talking Words Factory DVD
Watch Is Herbalism Sorcery? on YouTube
Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs by Rosemary Gladstar
Here's a list of more "formal" curriculum products that we have used during the month of September:
Mind Benders by The Critical Thinking Co.
*The Fallacy Detective by Nathaniel Bluedorn
*Life of Fred - Ice Cream by Stanley Schmidt
*Life of Fred - Cats by Stanley Schmidt
*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.
*Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
*Life of Fred - PreAlgebra 1 with Biology
Completing entries in a Nature Journal
Apologia - Anatomy and Physiology
Michael Faraday's The Chemical History of a Candle with Guide and Activities by William Hammack
The Art of Problem Solving, PreAlgebra by Richard Rusczyk
Here are some online classes/resources that we have used:
Here are a few games/activities that we have enjoyed:
Rummy - This is a family favorite card game.
*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 September:
- We enjoy good weather, canine company and beautiful scenery to complete our schoolwork.
- Our kids assisted with the booth at the Bluegrass Farmers' Market.
- Our sons participated in their monthly official FFA meeting. One of our sons is the chapter treasurer and he is learning more about this new role and responsibilities. The kids practiced the art of parliamentary procedure.
- Our sons participated in an Animal Science class for FFA. The students completed a project on best animal breed. This assignment required the students to design their very own animal breed. They created a visual representation of their "perfect breed" of animal and described its characteristics in their presentations.
They worked together on their design for a modern egg production facility for their Animal Science class. This project required the students to design their ideal egg production facility. They created a drawn layout of the design and presented the reasons for each aspect of it during their presentation.
- Our daughter assisted with the painting of our new mobile chicken coop that we have affectionately named The Little Red Hen House.
- Our sons participated in their first 4H livestock skillathon meeting. They found it very informative and are considering a team competition in the future.
- A couple of our kids participate in the local co-op. Our son attends classes for Bible and Art. Our daughter attends classes for Bible, Art, Science and Logic. They really enjoy their time learning with their friends.
- Our sons participated in the Youth Group at church. They enjoy fellowship and discussions of Biblical principles.
- Our daughters participated in the Little Disciples Group at church. This group is for 3rd to 5th grade children. They join their friends in studying Biblical concepts, fellowship, sharing a meal and creating crafts.
- Our kids alternate in creating meals from scratch. Each one is improving and sharing new creations for the family to enjoy.
- Our daughter helped to harvest fiber from our French Angora rabbits. She also attempted to card the fiber.
She is also taking crocheting lessons from the Master Crocheter. This is another portion of her Fiber Arts elective. She is hoping to create some ornaments for the Christmas tree this year.
- Our oldest son is taking elective classes through Bluegrass United. These classes include Interpersonal Communication, History of Comic Books and Critical Thinking. He is enjoying both the alternative to his core classes and the time discussing the topics with friends.
- The soccer season is in full-swing with practices and games for our daughter and sons.
We are enjoying beautiful days and evenings at the soccer field.
We also enjoy after game meals with our friends.
- Our daughter attended 4H Colonial Camp. This camp was designed for children in the 5th grade to experience various outdoor activities related to the colonial time period.
- Our oldest participated in a soccer tournament at the Mountain Mission School. It is a school that provides a Christ-centered home and education for at-risk children. This was an overnight tournament that allowed time for the kids to tour parts of the school and learn about their mission.
They played very well and won the entire tournament!
- Our daughter is taking horse lessons at Riding with Rhythm. She is expanding her skills and really challenging herself to become better at handling the horse in different conditions.
- During her robotics study, our daughter constructed a robot motorcycle from a STEM kit.
- Our son is working to improve his wildcrafting and plant identification skills. He is identifying various plants on the farm. This is followed by research and making herbal preparations. His most recent creation is Cocklebur-infused oil. It is reported as being good for the skin and preventing wrinkles. I am excited to try this one!
- Our youngest daughter is working towards her future in cosmetics. She has several helpers in her pursuits to "make people pretty".
- Our sons worked with the lumber portion of the business. They rotated inventory throughout various kilns and storage areas. They also assisted in sawmilling jobs for customers.
- The kids continue to help around the farm. Some of the chores are more fun than others.
- We found some time to enjoy nature and discover new things on the farm.
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