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 September:
*The Holy Bible
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley
Watch Low Risk Farming: The Smart Profitable Future - Farm Learning with Tim Thompson on YouTube
Slither and Crawl: Eye to Eye with Reptiles by Jim Arnosky
The Wonder Book of Chemistry by Jean Henri Fabre
Stories from the History of Rome by Mrs. Beesly
Watch Animal Farm DVD
Bulfinch's Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Beowulf by Burton Rafel (Translator)
The Once and Future King by TH White
What the World Eats by Faith D'Aluisio
Watch The World's Tallest EVERYTHING - The Geography Bible on YouTube
Elementary Geography by Charlotte Mason
Home Geography for Primary Grades by CC Long
Watch Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego DVD
The Brendan Voyage by Tim Severin
The Picture History of Great Inventors by Gillian Clements
Oliver Cromwell and the Rule of the Puritans in England by Sir Charles Firth - only selected chapters
Excerpts from the Diary of Samuel Pepys
Sailors and Seababies: the Fairy Tales of Charles Kingsley by Anne E. White
American Tall Tales by Adrien Stoutenburg
Listen to The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald on Audible
Watch Times Tales DVD
The Great Astronomers by Robert S. Ball
Watch Wild Dratts episode on Monkeys
The Story of Painting: From Cave Painting to Modern Times by Horst W Janson
Completing various drawing activities
First Studies of Plant Life by George Francis Atkinson
Adventures with a Microscope by Richard Headstrom
Watch selected videos related to microscopic images related to readings on YouTube
Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History by Penny Le Couteur
The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey by Rosemary Sutcliff
The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe
Listen I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed) by Alessandro Manzoni on Audible
Read articles and watch videos provided by the FFA teacher related to Agritourism
The Story of David Livingstone by Vautier Golding
Minn of the Mississippi by Holling C. Holling
Watch Learn Our History DVDs
Poor Richard by James Daugherty
Columbus by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
The Story of the Romans by HA Guerber
A Coffin for King Charles: The Trial and Execution of Charles I by CV Wedgewood
*Answering the Cry for Freedom by Gretchen Woelfle
Watch What They Aren't Telling You About the Constitution - Nick Freitas on YouTube
Listen The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle on Audible
Asgard to Athens by Anne E. White
Signs and Seasons: Understanding the Elements of Classical Astronomy by Jay Ryan
Money Matters for Teens by Larry Burkett
A Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking
Listen Doctor Dolittle Complete Collection on Audible
The Bears of Blue River by Charles Major
*Five Little Peppers and How they Grew by Margaret Sidney (we have an older copy but this one is comparable)
*The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter (we have an older edition, but his one is comparable)
*Herb Fairies Book One: Stellaria's Big Find by Kimberly Gallagher
To a Different Drum by Pauline Hamilton
Listen and study various hymns and folk songs
Listen to works by composer Frederick Delius
Read various essays by Francis Bacon
Read various poems by Alred, Lord Tennyson
Read various poems by William Blake
*Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison
Billy and Blaze by CW Anderson
Marco Polo by George Makepiece Towle
Ecclesiastical History of the English People by Bede
The Story Book of Science by Jean Henri Fabre
Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific in a Raft by Thor Heyerdahl
*Whatever Happened to Justice? by Richard Maybury
Our Island Story by HE Marshall
The New World by Winston Churchill
This Country of Ours by H.E. Marshall
A Child's History of the World by VM Hillyer
Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula
Augustus Ceasar's World by Genevieve Foster
Genesis: Finding our Roots by Ruth Beechick
*Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb
English Literature for Boys and Girls by H.E. Marshall
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Parables from Nature by Margaret Gatty
The Lay of the Land by Dallas Lore Sharp
The Book of Virtues by William Bennett
The Ark by Margot Benary-Isbert
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
The Warlord's Puppeteers by Virginia Pilegard
Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock
The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
Watch Easy - Octopus Crochet Tutorial - CreateOsaur on YouTube
A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder by Walter Wick
Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra
*Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley
Watch Zucchini Spaghetti Bake - Deep South Homestead at Pecan Grove on YouTube
Here's a list of more "formal" curriculum products that we have used during the month of September:
The Art of Problem Solving, Introduction to Algebra by Richard Rusczyk
Life of Fred - Beginning Algebra Expanded Edition by Stanley Schmidt
Fix It Grammar
Read and discuss various news articles
Life of Fred - Butterflies by Stanley Schmidt
Life of Fred - Farming by Stanley Schmidt
Life of Fred - Liver by Stanley Schmidt
All In One Homeschool Online Spanish Course
A Bluestocking Guide: Justice by Kathryn Daniels
Mind Benders by The Critical Thinking Co.
Completing entries in a Nature Journal
Apologia - Anatomy and Physiology
Here are some online classes/resources that we have used:
Here are a few games/activities that we have enjoyed:
Bananagrams
Rummy
Knex
*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:
- The kids assisted with the farmers markets. They placed items of their own to sell and helped customers during the day.
- They attended youth and services at our local church.
- Our high schoolers attended elective classes at Bluegrass United that include Freshman Foundations, Intentional Technology, Epistemology and The Art and Science of Wellbeing.
- They created delicious meals from scratch.
- They attended in person FFA class focusing on Ag Business.
- They attended a site visit to Evans Orchard with their FFA group. They learned first-hand how an agritourism business works.
- Our sons participated in the high school soccer games and practices with Bluegrass United.
- They participated in a soccer tournament at Mountain Mission Schools in Virginia. This was a great tournament, and we enjoy this trip every year.
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- Our daughter created a handsewn purse of her own design. It was rustic but a great first attempt!
- We attended and hosted various gatherings to enjoy time with family and friends.
- Our daughters continued to improve their crocheting skills through practice and new projects.
- Our daughter participated in horse lessons with Riding with Rhythm.
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- Our kids assisted with farm chores and activities. Some are more fun than others!
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