A Fruit and Veggie Tracker to Encouraging healthy eating
Encourage kids to try new foods with a visual healthy food tracker printable.
Creating an Interest-Led Learning Binder
The homeschool world is full of creative, fun printable resources for any interest we might want to follow! It took me a while to warm up to the idea of how and when to use these, but now that I have a system to use them in our home - they’ve become an adventure we all love.
Best Phonics App for Kindergarten Early Literacy Skills
Why is it that teaching a child to read feels so intimidating and serious? Probably because it is THE most important part of their education. No pressure. But if learning is most effective when done through play, we might be most effective in reading instruction if we make it playful and fun!
Engaging Hands-On Science with BookShark in a Charlotte Mason Homeschool
Learning through experience can be a very powerful thing. We can read about something and think about it in theory, but until we see it in action or try something for ourselves, it can feel like just distant ideas. Using our hands and experimenting leads us toward deeper understanding.
Early American History Lessons Through Story
In our homeschool, we prioritize the use of story as a teaching tool. We can learn through story in pretty much any subject! But there is no better way to learn history than through story and biographies. Beautiful Feet Books has an Early American Enrichment Pack that caught my eye to add to our studies of early America not only because they are beautifully written, but they are vitally important voices to include as we learn the hard history of our country.
10 Things We Don’t Do in Our Homeschool
We so often talk about how to homeschool, things to add, to try, to buy. But what about the things we choose not to do? Do those say something about the inner workings of the homeschool and family life? As they say, when you say no to something, it leaves space to say yes to something else.
Meet My Homeschool: Little Drops of Water in Michigan
I’ve always been a creative person and over the years have dabbled with many creative outlets, from writing to drawing, to painting, to weaving. When I became a mom, it was only natural that these things spilled into my motherhood. I traded in my charcoal pencils for crayons and my watercolors for washable paint.
Creating Cozy Family Traditions with Young Children
We wanted traditions that would bring us together as a family - things that are the opposite of busy, stressful or feel like obligations. I think you might know what I mean when I say those words. We have all been there with certain traditions that feel like an expensive, chaotic whirlwind! We want to do it differently around here, but traditions can’t just be forced out of thin air.
Charlotte Mason's Principle 3 & 4: Authority and Obedience in the Parent-Child Relationship
Our authority as parents and their obedience as children are a natural part of the parent and child relationship. That is a natural and necessary dynamic. The most important part of this principle is that she says the word: BUT. We have authority, they are expected to be obedient...but, there's more to that story!
Meet My Homeschool: A Read Aloud Family in Iowa
This post is part of the Meet My Homeschool series, highlighting the beauty of variety and individualism in homeschooling. Schools often strive for standards, but homeschools don't thrive that way - they thrive in authenticity, based on the needs and interests of the family that's learning together! Enjoy this peek into a real homeschool. Let us connect over our similarities, and marvel at our differences!
Charlotte Mason's Principle 2: Nurturing the Potential in Every Child
Charlotte Mason says our children are born with the possibility for good and evil. I like to think that means that the whole world of possibility lies within them, whether strong-willed or mild-mannered, anything is possible. Let us encourage and nurture the best within them!
Charlotte Mason's Principle 1: Children are Born Persons
The very first principle that Charlotte Mason lays down is the overarching philosophical thought of all of her ideas. To really grasp this one idea will put the rest of her approach into perspective. She says that children are born persons. The phrase isn’t so familiar the way she wrote it, but to put it in the most simple terms I can, I read it as:
Children are whole people, just as they are.
A Week of Charlotte Mason First Grade Lessons
This is our first year of formal lessons now that we have a first grader! We are following the Charlotte Mason method for the most part, but there are some times where I just do what feels right for us. During our week you will see short lessons, narration, living books, a wide variety of subjects, and lots of time outdoors.
Our 1st Grade Charlotte Mason Homeschool Curriculum Choices
For our first official year of homeschooling, we are using A Mind in the Light to guide us through Year 1 of a Charlotte Mason style education.
I am, I can, I ought, I will...
When I discovered Charlotte Mason, one of the first quotes I came upon was her well-known motto, "I am, I can, I ought, I will". It struck me as one of the most empowering phrases I think I've ever heard. What I love about it is that we can each interpret her words in the way that means the most to us.
A Homeschooler's Guide to Choosing the "Best" Books
All books are not created equal. There's a lot out there to sort through! So I've decided to do a little round-up of the resources I use to help me find quality living books for our home that I hope will help you focus your energy on reading the best books, not hunting them down.
Charlotte Mason's Original Homeschooling Series
Miss Mason’s writings are rich with big ideas, even some that may completely change the way you parent, the way you look back on your own education, and how you approach educating your children in the future. She will change the way you look at the books on your shelves, the way you speak to your children, the movies you show them, the activities presented at library story time, the way other people speak to your children, the way you schedule your days… I could go on.
A Gentle Charlotte Mason Homeschool Kindergarten
Here's a round-up of our resources for our first year of homeschooling with a Kindergartener!
Homeschool Record Keeping with a Happy Planner
Lately, I hit my stride with planning and recording our weekly lessons. I tried a couple of different things over the past few months of the school year but I landed on a favorite so I thought I'd share in case it's helpful to you!
Sonlight Preschool 3/4 Curriculum Review
What follows is a breakdown of what comes in the box, and my personal thoughts on each item. We got this for our oldest daughter when she turned 3, and we have all been enjoying the books and materials together for the past two years. We enjoy the curriculum and plan to use it again with our second child.