Organizing Your Time and Space

I recently gave a talk to our homeschool mom's group on "Organizing Your Time and Space." I'm not sure if it was helpful to anyone else, but it helped me feel more organized just writing my speaking outline. Thankful I learned from the true master, Honey a.k.a. Mom!

Organizing Your Time and Space 

I. Time 

    A. Every family is different. You will have different strengths and weaknesses, different learning styles, different needs. 

    B. Start with spending time with the Lord. Kids can join in. 

    C. My hourly schedule – may look overwhelming at first, but it shows me where my margins are. Combines my calendar and to-do list. 

        a. Leave room for margin (quiet time—first 30 minutes, reheat coffee and Instagram) 

        b. Leave room for your hobbies/interests (read, piano, out with a friend) 

        c. Date your husband and your kids (babysitting swap with a friend) 

    D. If your resources allow, get help. 

        a. Housekeeper 

        b. Grocery delivery 

        c. Babysitter one afternoon a week 

    E. Schooling 

        a. You really can’t do it all, I have tried so hard! 

        b. Play to your strengths (I’m not a nature girl, I hate history projects, love to read). 

        c. No school is perfect—private, public, home—they’ll all have gaps. 

        d. Day in, day out learning adds up to a whole lot by the year’s end. 

        e. Structure: morning time, then tutorials, after lunch is together time subjects. 

        f. In previous years I’ve done different things—all grades handwriting, all grades math, etc. Rotation Stations. 

        g. Trust in what the Lord has called you to do. 

        h. Pray for wisdom. 

    F. Take inventory 

        a. What’s working, what’s not? Possible solutions. 

        b. Write out a family mission statement—if you want—how do those priorities fit in your life? 

 II. Space 

    A. Two mantras: 

        a. Everything has a place and everything in its place. 

        b. Don’t put it down, put it away. 

    B. Teach kids to help 

         a. Laundry basket idea—gather up all you can find, a quarter to get anything back 

        b. Transfer responsibility to your child—help them develop their own plan, resort to the Mom plan when needed 

        c. 15 minute pick-up time/cleaning time 

    C. Get rid of clutter. Give away things you haven’t used in the past year. Simplify. 

    D. Cleaning routine 

        a. I have daily tasks—dust Monday, clean kitchen and baths Tuesday, floors Wednesday, wash sheets and towels Thursday. 

        b. It is easier to clean a clean house. It doesn’t take very long. 

        c. A weekly wipe-up keeps the house clean enough. 

        d. Deep cleaning—some seasons I’ve had a schedule, some seasons I just wait till something starts bothering me or I have time to scrub. 

    E. Meals routine 

        a. Let kids help in kitchen—teaching and serving opportunity! Sometimes seems more trouble than it’s worth, but say yes when you can. 

        b. Dinner short-cuts—make double batches and freeze half, use that crock pot! 

        c. Make a master grocery list. 

III. Conclusion: Grace 

    A. We all need more grace. “From His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16         B. Ann Voskamp: Life is not an emergency, it’s a gift. 

    C. Enjoy your children. Soak up each phase. It won’t last.

What You Do Best

It is so easy to be overwhelmed by ALL THE THINGS YOU MUST DO when you're a mom, and it really piles on when you are the teacher, too! This year I'm really focusing on what our family does well and what we enjoy and letting the rest go. This is the beauty of homeschooling.

We love read-alouds. We all like our math program. We love studying history. We are pretty good at science experiments. 

I always think we should be outside more, but in reality Mama doesn't like bugs, snakes, and mud. I never do the projects that go along with our history curriculum. Making dioramas and mummifying a chicken is just not for me.

So I don't get to all the things. I bake my own bread, but I buy the pre-washed salad. It is all a balance.

We do the essentials every day (math and language arts), then use the time that remains to do the things we enjoy. All the minutes and days and weeks add up to lots of learning--I'm always amazed when I look back at the end of the year and see all the ways we grew in knowledge together.

Play to your strengths, friends!

First Day of School 2020

Monday was our first day of school. We are starting a bit early this year so we can take time off when we move and maybe do some traveling. We've finished up our first week and it feels good to be back in our routine and learning together! Some days may seem long, but teaching my kiddos really is the best job in the world. 

Nora: kindergarten

Annie: 4th grade

Sophie: 2nd grade

Jacob: 4th grade

my students!

 

Last Day of School: 2019-2020 Edition

The kids worked really hard this winter and spring to finish up our schoolwork a few weeks early, so we could take some fun trips in May. We finished the schoolwork but the trips are postponed for now. So we're moving on to our morning basket/summer school plans and saving the trips for later. I'm really proud of the skills and knowledge they gained this year. They're doing great in math, Sophie has become an amazing reader, Nora knows all her letter sounds and is starting real reading lessons, and Annie and Jacob have made big improvements in spelling. We read lots of books, did lots of science experiments, started learning Latin, and continued to love history. It is always amazing to me how doing our lessons day in and day out leads to so much cumulative learning by the end of the school year! Congratulations on finishing up your 3rd grade, 1st grade, and 4K years!

Early Modern Literature: a reading list

Here's what we read aloud for our literature studies this year. So many good stories!

1. Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, Margaret Hodges
2. Perrault's Complete Fairy Tales (selected), translated by A.E. Johnson
3. Little Mouse and Elephant, Jane Yolen
4. The Boy of the Three Year Nap, Dianne Snyder
5. Liang and the Magic Paintbrush, Demi
6. A Time of Golden Dragons, Song Nan Zhang
7. The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Robert Browning
8. Selected Poems, Elizabeth Barrett Browning
9. Dangerous Journey, Oliver Hunkin
10. Little Red Cap, Brothers Grimm
11. Seven at One Blow, Brothers Grimm, Eric Kimmel
12. Rapunzel, Brothers Grimm, Paul O. Zelinsky
13. The Hero of Bremen, Margaret Hodges
14. Songs of Innocence, William Blake
15. Robinson Crusoe, Classic Starts Daniel Defoe
16. The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship, Arthur Ransome
17. The Tale of the Firebird, Gennady Spirin
18. The Tale of Tsar Saltan, Alexander Pushkin
19. Gulliver's Travels, Classic Starts Jonathan Swift
20. Rama and Sita, David Weitzman
21. William's House, Ginger Howard
22. Poetry for Young People, William Wordsorth
23. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Classic Starts Victor Hugo
24. Les Miserables, Stepping Stones Victor Hugo
25. The Three Musketeers, Stepping Stones Alexandre Dumas
26. Selected Poems, Alfred Lord Tennyson
27. Great Expectations, Stepping Stones Charles Dickens
28. Oliver Twist, Stepping Stones Charles Dickens
29. Sing Song, Christina Rossetti
30. The Last of the Mohicans, Stepping Stones James Fenimore Cooper
31. Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
32. Alice Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll
33. The Pinata Maker, George Ancona
34. The Gold Coin, Alma Flor Ada
35. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Classic Starts Mark Twain
36. The Adventures of Huck Finn, Classic Starts Mark Twain
37. Poetry for Young People, Edward Lear
38. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Classic Starts Jules Verne
39. Around the World in 80 Days, Classic Starts Jules Verne
40. Journey to the Center of the Earth, Classic Starts Jules Verne
41. Moby Dick, Classic Starts Herman Melville

Early Modern History: reading list for the grammar stage

Here's our reading list for history this year. We used Vol. 3 of Story of the World as our spine, and supplemented with these titles. Some we read aloud and some the children read on their own. So many good books here!

Terror on the Amazon, Phil Gates
The Colony of Virginia, Brooke Coleman
If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620, Ann McGovern
Sarah Morton's Day, Kate Waters
Samuel Eaton's Day, Kate Waters
Tapenum's Day, Kate Waters
Who’s That Stepping on Plymouth Rock? Jean Fritz
The Pilgrims at Plymouth, Lucille Recht Penner
Samurai Castle, Fiona MacDonald
Taj Mahal, Christine Moorcroft
India, Eyewitness
The New Americans, Betsy and Giulio Maestro
Kids in Colonial Times, Lisa Wroble
If You Lived in Colonial Times, Ann McGovern
Mary Geddy's Day, Kate Waters
A Day in the Life of a Colonial Dressmaker, Amy French Merrill (and others in the series)
You Wouldn't Want to Be an American Colonist, Jacqueline Marley
The King's Day, Aliki
Struggle for a Continent, Betsy and Giulio Maestro
Russia, Eyewitness
The First Tulips in Holland, Phyllis Krasilovsky
The Farewell Symphony, Anna Harwell Celenza
If You Grew Up with George Washington, Ruth Belov Gross
If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution, Kay Moore
Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? Jean Fritz
Will You Sign Here, John Hancock? Jean Fritz
And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? Jean Fritz
Liberty or Death: the American Revolution, Betsy and Giulio Maestro
What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? Jean Fritz
Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May, Jean Fritz
A More Perfect Union, Betsy and Giulio Maestro
Shhh! We’re Writing the Constitution, Jean Fritz
If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution, Elizabeth Levy
The Bill of Rights, Patricia Ryon Quiri
Pirates, Barnaby Harward
From Plant to Blue Jeans, Arthur John L'Hommedieu
The Story of an English Village, John Goodall
Kids During the Industrial Revolution, Lisa Wroble
The National Anthem, Patricia Ryon Quiri
A New Nation, Betsy and Giulio Maestro
Kids in Pioneer Times, Lisa Wroble
If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon, Ellen Levine
If You Were a Pioneer on the Prairie, Anne Kamma
If You Lived with the Cherokee, Peter and Connie Roop
If You Lived with the Iroquois, Ellen Levine
If You Lived with the Souix, Ann McGovern
They're Off! The Story of the Pony Express, Cheryl Harness
California Gold Rush, Peter and Connie Roop
Gold Fever, Catherine McMorrow

Biography
Rembrandt, Venezia
The True Story of Pocahontas, Lucille Recht Penner
Galileo, Jacqueline Mitton
Samuel de Champlain, Claude Hurwicz
Squanto, Clyde Robert Bulla
Hokusai, Deborah Kogan Ray
Thinkers, Michael Pollard (selections)
Bach, Venezia
Handel, Venezia
Mozart, Venezia
Beethoven, Venezia
Peter the Great, Diane Stanley
Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen, Deborah Hopkinson
Meet George Washington, John Heilbroner
A Picture Book of George Washington, David Adler
Martha Washington, Jean Brown Wagoner
Crispus Attucks, Dharathula Millender
John Adams Speaks for Freedom, Deborah Hopkinson
Betsy Ross and the Silver Thimble, Stephanie Greene
A Picture Book of Patrick Henry, David Adler
Meet Thomas Jefferson, Marvin Barrett
Thomas Jefferson: A Picture Book Biography James Cross Giblin
Sacagawea, Joyce Milton
Andrew Jackson, Venezia
Charles Dickens, Diane Stanley
Lewis and Clark, Steven Kroll
James Monroe, Venezia
A Picture Book of Simon Bolivar, David Adler
Tecumseh, Rachel Koestler-Grack
Davy Crockett, Aileen Wells Parks
Daniel Boone, Augusta Stevenson
Buffalo Bill, Augusta Stevenson
Jean Lafitte, Aileen Weintraub
Shaka, Diane Stanley
Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth, Anne Rockwell
Sitting Bull, Augusta Stevenson
Sequoyah, Dorothea Snow
Jim Bowie, Marianne Johnston

Crisis Schooling Thoughts and Resources

A friend sent me this article and I found it so helpful. For those of you now "homeschooling" because of Covid19, I want you to know this is not what we usually do every day. What we all--homeschoolers included--find ourselves in now is "crisis schooling." My children miss their friends and ballet classes and baseball games just as much as yours do. Now, I'm an introvert, and those of my children who are extroverts have enough siblings to provide built-in playmates. But still, being at home all the time is challenging. Thankfully, we've had mostly-nice weather and we have been able to be outside a lot. That helps. We've had piano lessons via Facetime and dance class via Zoom. But let's all admit that this is hard and that's okay.

All that said, you likely find yourself now home with your kids ALL DAY. Maybe you're trying to juggle working from home, too. My hat's off to you. Your kids probably have instructional packets or computer-based learning from their school. But that likely won't take all day, and you may find some gaps you want to fill in.

If you are looking for some things to add to your school day, I'd start with the beauty that we rarely have time to include if we aren't purposeful.
After breakfast, have a morning devotional time with your children. Read from the Bible or a children's story Bible, pray together, work on a memory verse or passage, learn a hymn, memorize a catechism question, etc.

Then sit down with your morning basket and soak up some beauty together. If you have a toddler or preschooler, check out The Homegrown Preschooler for tons of learning ideas and activities.
Suggestions for your morning basket (check out Pam Barnhill's blog for lots more)
Read from a poetry book
Do a Mad Lib and laugh together
Maybe memorize a poem over a couple of weeks
Play a game
Study an artist or composer
Read a great book out loud together

Unit Studies
Pick a topic (or let your child choose) your children are interested in and explore it together over a week or two! Google your topic (Mars, Laura Ingalls Wilder, salamanders, pyramids, etc) + unit study and you'll get tons of ideas.

Read, read, read!
Read out loud to your kids, even your kids who can read by themselves.
Teach your pre-readers letter sounds, help your early readers with their independent reading, make sure your readers have time to read to themselves each day.
If you need ideas for what to read, check out the book Honey for a Child's Heart or the website or podcast Read Aloud Revival.

Grammar, Handwriting, Spelling
If your kids need more in this area than they are getting from their assigned schoolwork, use a combination of copywork, dictation, and narration. In your best penmanship, right out your Scripture memory verse or a passage from Charlotte's Web or another great children's book and have your child copy it. For first grade and up, dictate sentences for your children to write. Help them when necessary. At first, they will need a lot of help! After you've read something to your child, have them narrate it back to you. Write it down for them. Older children can copy what you've written for them into their own handwriting. While we're home, teach your kids the art of letter-writing! Everyone loves to get mail. :)

Math
Play games, read some Life of Fred, try Khan Academy online.

History
We love the Story of the World series by Susan Wise Bauer. The audio books are also excellent. Great overview of history, told in an interesting way. This is a great resource to add to what your kids are already doing with their assigned schoolwork.

Science
Do some science experiments and talk about them. Older kids can type up a short report.

The two vital things:
Do not underestimate the value and importance of two things: quiet time and play time!

As my kids outgrew nap time, it was replaced with quiet time. Since my kiddos are home with me all day, I need a break from them. I love them dearly. But they are loud. And they always need me. Every afternoon from 2-4pm, my kids go to their room or the playroom and play quietly, read, or listen to audio books. They are not allowed to bother Mama unless they are bleeding. If they come looking for me, I tell them Mama is off-duty.

Play a lot, inside and outside! Children need free play! They need to use their imaginations and exercise their bodies. Check out these resources on the importance of play. Yes, they will fight and get bored. Try to stay out of it as much as possible. Once they get over the fussing and boredom, they will get creative.

Your kids are probably getting plenty of screen time. Limit it as much as you can. Screen-based learning does not engage the brain in the same way as other learning mediums. That said, sometimes screens are helpful...or at least a necessary evil in our society. Here are a few screen-based resources we use:
Khan Academy
Check out your library's online resources--our library offers Duolingo for foreign language learning
There are also free coding and typing courses online, try Hour of Code or Scratch
Try some YouTube art lessons, like Art for Kids or Wild, Free, and Crafty

Have fun together, but don't feel like it is your job to entertain your kids all day. Watch classic movies from your childhood (my kids just watched The Princess Bride and now they are quoting it), look through your scrapbooks, show your kiddos old home videos. Teach some life skills, like laundry, cleaning, and sewing. Set out random art supplies and see what your kids come up with. Let them choose recipes to make and try some cooking and baking together.

You can do this!

Memory Work: Bible, History, Poetry

I mentioned memory work in my curriculum post. Some homeschoolers are big on memory work and there is lots of great advice out there. I don't love memory work but I figure it is good for us to work our brains and memorize some things each year. Here's what we've done the past three years; I'm still working on our 4th grade plan for next year. When possible, I choose at least a couple of poets who wrote during the time period we are studying in history. I'll put a list of Bible verses we've memorized over the years at the end of this post.

Ancients - 1st grade
Bible
10 verses
Psalm 23
Lord’s Prayer

History
7 Wonders of the Ancient World

Poems (6)
The Caterpillar, Christina Rossetti
Hearts Are Like Doors, Anonymous
Baby Chick, Aileen Fisher
The Little Elf, John Kendrick Bangs
Who Has Seen the Wind, Christina Rossetti
The Swing, Robert Louis Stevenson

Middle Ages - 2nd grade
Bible
10 verses
Colossians 3:12-17
Books of the Bible

History
Magna Carta (concluding paragraph)

Poems (6)
My Shadow, Robert Louis Stevenson
When It’s Thanksgiving, Aileen Fisher
I Heard a Bird Sing, Oliver Herford
The Goops, Gellet Burgess
Sonnet 18, William Shakespeare
Death Be Not Proud, John Donne

Early Modern - 3rd grade
Bible
10 verses
The Beatitudes
Apostles Creed

History
Declaration of Independence (1st two paragraphs)

Poems (4)
The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost
The Land of Nod, Robert Louis Stevenson
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, William Wordsworth
A Slash of Blue, Emily Dickinson

Modern - 4th grade
Bible
10 verses
Longer passage?
The New City Catechism

History
Gettysburg Address

Poems (4)
?

Bible Verses
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

1 Peter 4:8
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8
But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.

Matthew 28:20b
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

James 4:17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

1 Peter 5:7 [Cast] all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

James 1:17 Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Psalm 139:14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Proverbs 3:27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.

Psalm 119:105 Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Proverbs 6:19 God hates . . . one who sows discord among brothers.

Proverbs 12:20b Those who plan peace have joy.

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:5 A fool despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.

Proverbs 17:5b He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Matthew 7:12 Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them.

1 Corinthians 13:6a Love . . . does not rejoice at wrongdoing.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Philippians 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances.

Hebrews 10:24 Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.

James 1:19-20 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

2019-2020 Curriculum Recap

Here's what we used in our homeschool this year:

Nora: 4K
God's Creation from A to Z, by My Father's World
I have used this curriculum for 4K with Annie, Jacob, and Sophie, too. It is a sweet little program and we don't do all of the suggestions, but it gives us some structure and Nora feels like she is doing "real school."

Sophie: 1st Grade
Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
I love this book. It is very easy to use and comprehensive, and she generally enjoyed it (I got very few complaints about not wanting to read). We started it last year with kindergarten, and she's almost finished with it. She is reading on a fourth grade level. I used a different program with Annie and Jacob and they did learn to read, but they did not enjoy that program and they were slower to learn. However, every child learns to read at their own pace and that is okay.

All About Spelling, level A
Makes learning to spell easy. Love this program. Check out the companion program, All About Reading, if the Ordinary Parent's Guide is not a good fit for your child.

First Language Lessons, level 1
Short oral lessons for an early intro to grammar.

Zaner-Bloser Handwriting, first grade
Easy to follow books, she does this mostly independently.

Right Start Mathematics, level B
I love Right Start. It is hands on and gets kids thinking about how and why math works, instead of memorizing formulas to solve problems.

My First Piano Adventure, books B and C
We did book A last year. I used these three books with Annie and Jacob, and when they started "real" piano lessons their teacher said "whoever taught them the basics did a really good job." All I did was work through these books with them, it wasn't hard. ;)

Annie and Jacob: 3rd grade
All About Spelling, levels A and B
Spelling was where I put my focus for the big kids this year. Our previous spelling program was not clicking and they were really awful spellers. This program makes so much sense and Annie and Jacob have improved so much this year!

First Language Lessons, level 3
Comprehensive grammar program. It isn't flashy or super-fun, but the lessons only take 10-15 minutes a day. Annie and Jacob have learned a lot about how our language works.

Zaner-Bloser Handwriting, third grade
This is year two of covering cursive writing, and they're realizing how much easier and faster it is to write in cursive. Woohoo. Also, Jacob's cursive is more legible than his manuscript!

Right Start Mathematics, level D
We continued on with Right Start this year. Awesome program, though it is very hands-on for the teacher until level G.

Piano lessons with a music teacher

Prima Latina
Introduction to Latin. We only do Latin 1-2 times per week, so we are spreading this book over two years. You could easily do it in one, but this is just an extra for us--a small dose of a foreign language.

Subjects we all do together:
Story of the World, volume 3
We love the Story of the World series! I will definitely repeat these with the younger children, they are some of our favorites.

Chemistry for Every Kid
We do 2-5 experiments a week and talk about them, then type up a report for their science notebook. We supplemented with books about chemistry from the library.

Drawing with Children
This was our art program this year. We all--Mama, too--learned a little about drawing this year. It really clicked with some kids, and we all had fun with it.

Also, here are some things we have done during Wonder Hour/Morning Basket:
Lots and lots of picture books
Life of Fred
Mad Libs
A Child's First Book of American History
The Story of the Orchestra
DK: The Arts, a Visual Encyclopedia

Annie, Jacob, and Sophie do copywork, dictation, and narration for their writing. We all do memory work together. I'll do a separate post on that sometime. Annie and Jacob also do a good bit of independent reading, and they--along with Sophie--still read aloud to me often so I can check in on them. We do our literature read-alouds together before rest time. I'll post a list of books we're reading this year later.

Whew! It looks like a lot but it really isn't. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we generally do school from 9-noon. Thursday is our activity day (dance, piano, horseback riding, library) so we usually only do math and reading. Friday we do math and language arts (grammar, spelling, reading, handwriting) and anything else we need to catch up on.

New-to-us favorite poetry books

We have always been poetry readers and have lots of favorite anthologies. I just stumbled on a series of books that cover one poet each, and we love them. The books are called Poetry for Young People. There are lots of them on several poets! They include a short biography and a sampling of poetry (around 40 pages). The poems often have a two-sentence introduction, and definitions for any obscure words. So glad we stumbled on these! My kids are enjoying focusing on one poet at a time instead of the anthology method we have been using.

First Day of School Pictures

All is well here--we've just hit an incredibly busy time for our family. I'll get back to more regular postings about a month from now. Here are some back to school pictures from a few weeks ago. Annie and Jacob third grade, Sophie first grade, Nora 4K. We are having a great time learning together!

Wonder Hour

AKA "keeping sane when school is out." I would love to take the summer off completely, but we need a little structure or the kids will just fight and whine all day. Hence, the Wonder Hour. There are so many ways to structure your "morning time." Here’s what we’re doing right now. (I incorporate Pam Barnhill's three R's: ritual, reading, and recitation. See her book for lots of great ideas!)

To begin, I play Andrew Peterson’s song Gather Round, and everyone meets me on the couch. Then I say “the Lord be with you” and the kids reply "and also with you." Then we light our Wonder Hour candle. While the candle is lit everyone is (ideally) paying attention. We start with Bible reading, catechism, and singing our hymn of the month. Then we read a picture book. Next is Mad Libs; my kids love these and we can practice grammar. Then we play a math game or read a chapter from Life of Fred (silly math book). Next we do a little art or music appreciation, and then review old spelling words and memory work (Scripture, poems, and history facts we’ve memorized). This summer we are learning the 23rd Psalm. We finish up with reading from our literature book, singing the Doxology, and blowing out our candle. Usually we do this 2-3 times a week. Then 2-3 other mornings a week, we do Bible time and then work on a few school subjects that need a little extra practice or that I don’t want the kids to forget over the summer. Everyone reads aloud to me (Nora looks at pictures and makes up a story) and takes turns with Reading Eggs or Khan Academy on the computer. Annie and Jacob are finishing their handwriting book (will be replaced with summer journaling as soon as we finish) and are doing a fun geography workbook. The three older kids are finishing their current piano book, and Sophie is learning to tie her shoes.

There you have it—an hour of structured activities for most days. How do you keep sane when school is out?

Mama's Recent Reading

Book Girl, Sarah Clarkson. Love Sarah's insights and her reading lists for grown-ups. I want to read more fiction and her suggestions will help.

Persuasion, Jane Austen. My favorite Austen novel. I re-read it every year.

On Reading Well, Karen Swallow Prior. The English major in me just loves books about books!

The Point of It All, Charles Krauthammer. No other columnist can say what needs to be said like Krauthammer.

Rethinking School, Susan Wise Bauer. One of my favorites of the education books I read recently. Excellent ideas for helping your child get the best education for them--public, private, or home.

Books to Build On, E.D. Hirsch. From the author of Cultural Literacy--this is the kid's version and has good suggestions on many topics.

Books that Build Character, William Kilpatrick. I bought a copy of this one--book lists for character qualities.

A Biblical Home Education, Ruth Beechick. I didn't agree with much here. Beechick's education philosophy was basically just "teach them the Bible and don't worry about the rest." Now I will be the first to say that all that I teach my children is grounded in our faith and we hold a high view of Scripture, but there's a lot more to education than just knowing your Bible.

The Unhurried Homeschooler, Durenda Wilson. Along the same lines as Beechick, but not quite as strict. Wilson is a little too on the "unschooling" side for me. This book verified that for me, it is important for my children to have an academically rigorous education. I want to build strong minds, bodies, and spirits.

Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World, Kristen Welch. Loved, loved, loved this book. I bought this one, too. A must read for any American parent.

Give Your Child the World, Jamie Martin. Another excellent book (that I bought for our home library). Suggestions and book recommendations for teaching your child all about this big world we live in!

The Brave Learner, Julie Bogart. I wanted to like this book, but I really just didn't. I picked up a few helpful tips. Apparently I'm not a brave enough learner to leave the glitter and glue out where my children can get to them at any time.

Better Together, Pam Barnhill. A helpful little book about how to do "morning time," with tons of practical suggestions. I bought this one, too.

The Connected Child, Karyn Purvis. Amazing book designed for adoptive parents, but a book I'd recommend to any parent. Great insights into a child's brain and helpful parenting suggestions for lots of situations.

The Storm-Tossed Family, Russell Moore. Another solid book from Dr. Moore.

Long Days of Small Things, Catherine McNiel. Enjoyed this book on practicing spiritual disciplines in the throes of mothering littles.

The Wingfeather Saga, Andrew Peterson. The Gent and I both really enjoyed this four-book series. Can't wait to read it with my kids when they are a little older!

Medieval History for the Grammar Stage

Finishing up the book lists...for now. ;) Here were our top picks for supplements to our medieval history study.

Culture Overviews
1. Japan: The Culture, Bobbie Kalman
2. Japan: The Land, Bobbie Kalman
3. Australia, Allan Fowler
4. Look What Came From Spain, Kevin Davis
5. Welcome to Russia, Alison Auch
6. The Great Wall, Elizabeth Mann
7. Who Were the Vikings? Jane Chisholm
8. A Street Through Time, Annie Millard
9. A City Through Time, Philip Steele
10. The Story of Chocolate, C.J. Polin
11. The Inca Empire, Sandra Newman
12. The Ancient Maya, Jackie Maloy
13. The Aztec Empire, Sunita Apte

Biographies
14. Leif the Lucky, D’Aulaire
15. Saint Francis, Brian Wildsmith
16. Saladin, Diane Stanley
17. Who in the World was the Acrobatic Empress? Robin Phillips
18. Who in the World was the Unready King? Connie Clark
19. Genghis Khan, Demi
20. Henry the Navigator, Claude Hurwicz
21. Joan of Arc, Diane Stanley
22. Leonardo da Vinci, John Malam
23. Leonardo da Vinci, Diane Stanley
24. Selections from Geometry’s Great Thinkers, Bonnie Coulter Leech
25. Selections from The Reformation, Ezra George
26. William Shakespeare and the Globe, Aliki
27. Bard of Avon, Diane Stanley
28. Who in the World was the Forgotten Explorer? Lorene Lambert
29. Who in the World was the Secret Printer? Robert Beckham
30. Good Queen Bess, Diane Stanley
31. Columbus, D’Aulaire

European Medieval Life
32. A Medieval Feast, Aliki
33. What Were Castles For? Phil Roxbee Cox
34. The Duke and the Peasant, Wendy Beckett
35. Till Year’s Good End, W. Nikola-Lisa
36. The Middle Ages, Jane Shuter
37. The Medieval World, Philip Steele
38. Knights in Shining Armor, Gail Gibbons
39. Castle, Christopher Gravett
40. Knight, Christopher Gravett

Ancient History for the Grammar Stage

I know I posted the kids' ancient literature list from last year, but I don't think I ever posted our history reading list. We use Susan Wise Bauer's Story of the World as our history spine, and then supplement from there. I love this approach to teaching history. There are many ways to teach history, but I want to raise my kids with the awareness that there is much more to the world than our little corner and our present time. Traditional "social studies" starts with the child and then goes out from there, which to me just reinforces a child's natural tendency to believe the world revolves around them. ;) I'm also a fan of teaching history chronologically, so my kids can see where the stories they hear fit. So we start at creation and go to the present day, over a four year cycle. These were our favorite books from last year's study of ancient history. We didn't read every word of the Eyewitness books, but they have good illustrations.

1. I Can Be An Archeologist, Robert Pickering
2. Me and My Family Tree, Joan Sweeney
3. The Nile River, Allan Fowler
4. Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, Henry Barker
5. How the Ancient Egyptians Lived, Jane Shuter
6. Seeker of Knowledge, James Rumford
7. Who Built the Pyramids, Jane Chishol
8. The Great Pyramid, Elizabeth Mann
9. Tut’s Mummy, Judy Donnelly
10. Ancient Egypt, George Hart (Eyewitness)
11. Great Wonders of the World, Russell Ash
12. Hidden Army, Jane O’Connor
13. Buddha, Demi
14. Great Wall of China, Leonard Fisher
15. Long is a Dragon, Peggy Goldstein
16. Ancient China, Arthur Cotterell (Eyewitness)
17. The Librarian Who Measured the Earth, Kathryn Lasky
18. Ancient Greece, Anne Pearson (Eyewitness)
19. Alexander the Great, Demi
20. In Search of Troy, Piero Ventura
21. Selections from The Great Philosopher, Mary Gow
22. Romulus and Remus, Anne Rockwell
23. The Roman Colosseum, Elizabeth Mann
24. Roman Numerals I to MM, Arthru Geisert
25. The Romans, Peter Hicks
26. Who Was Julius Caesar, Nico Medina
27. Augustus and Imperial Rome, Miriam Greenblatt
28. Cleopatra, Diane Stanley
29. Ancient Rome, Simon James (Eyewitness)
30. Pompeii, Richard Platt

Medieval Literature for the Grammar Stage

This year we studied medieval history and literature. We read SO MANY books. Here are our favorites!

1. Favorite Medieval Tales, Mary Pope Osborne (various – long)
2. Across a Dark and Wild Sea, Don Brown (Ireland)
3. Patrick, Tomie dePaola (Ireland)
4. Little Oh, Jim LaMarche (Japan)
5. The Warlord’s Puzzle, Virginia Walton Pilegard (China)
6. Book of Norse Myths, D’Aulaire (Scandinavia and Germany – long)
7. Three Golden Oranges, Alma Flor Ada (Spain)
8. Marguerite Makes a Book, Bruce Robertson (France)
9. Puss in Boots, Malcolm Arthur (France)
10. Little Red Riding Hood, Harriet Ziefert (France)
11. The Fly on the Ceiling, Julie Glass (France – about Descartes)
12. Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow, Robert San Souci (England)
13. Robin Hood, Annie Ingle (England – short chapter)
14. Knights of the Round Table, Gwen Gross (England – short chapter)
15. The Kitchen Knight, Margaret Hodges (England)
16. Sir Cumference and the First Round Table, Cindy Neuschwander (England – math story)
17. St. George and the Dragon, Margaret Hodges (England)
18. Chanticleer and the Fox, Barbara Cooney (England)
19. Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare for Children, E. Nesbit (England – long)
20. The King’s Chessboard, David Birch (India)
21. Savitri, Aaron Shepard (India)
22. Moon Rope, Lois Ehlert (America)
23. Stories from Dante Told to the Children, Mary MacGregor (Italy – long)

In particular, I recommend the first and last titles on this list. Mary Pope Osborne (of Magic Tree House fame) does a fantastic job retelling Beowulf, Robin Hood, Sir Gawain, and more for the elementary-age child, and she has a beautiful way with language. Stories from Dante Told to the Children provides background, author information, and a summary of The Divine Comedy--no easy feat. In fact, unless you just love Dante, this version is about all you need to know as an adult, too. ;)

Last Day of School

We had a great year of school! I love having my kids home with me and being their teacher.

Sophie: finished kindergarten

Nora: finished preschool

Annie: finished second grade

Jacob: finished second grade

Homeschooling in Real Life

I keep getting asked how I "do it all" so I thought I'd write a little about that.

For starters, I don't "do it all." Any type of schooling (public, private, home, or a combination) is going to leave something out because perfection does not exist in this world. And I have a housekeeper so someone else cleans my house twice a month.

But here's how our typical school day goes:

We start school by 9am. We begin with circle time: prayer, calendar, and during everyone's kindergarten year we say the Pledge of Allegiance so they all learn it.

Next is Nora's preschool. I read her a library book (usually off the Honey for a Child's Heart booklist) and we go over a concept. Right now we are doing letters. Some days we read an alphabet book; this week we are using large felt letters that she can trace while we say the letter name and sound.

Then Sophie and Nora play while I do math with Annie and Jacob.

Then Annie and Jacob do "sustained silent reading" (go read the Ramona books if you don't know what this is!) while I do Sophie's math and Nora plays independently.

After that we all do handwriting together, working on age-appropriate levels. Nora's goal for this year is to learn to write her name. Then we do memory work together (Bible verse, history facts, and poem). This is more for the older kids but Nora and Sophie can join in.

Then Annie and Jacob do spelling and grammar.

Recess for 15 minutes. Whew.

It is usually about 11am by this point. After recess, I do Sophie's kindergarten program (Five in a Row) with her. The other kids often want to listen in.

Next is one-on-one reading lessons with the older three children.

If we have time, the older two kids do history or science (we alternate days) to finish up our day. Then lunch. Sometimes we have lunch and then do history or science.

After lunch we read-aloud our literature book (medieval lit this year) and then our fun chapter book (right now, C.S. Lewis's The Silver Chair).

Then quiet time for two blessed hours. Mama collapses for about 30 minutes and catches up on email and other messages, then gets her chores done.

After quiet time comes tea time (snack and poetry reading).

Then it depends on the day: piano practice, ballet or gymnastics class, or free play.

That's pretty much our 9-5.

Of course, life never goes as planned. The first morning of school this year, the dog threw up. Then Nora was sick the second day. We have field trips about twice a month. A foster parent friend has a crisis. There are always interruptions. We just pick up where we left off and try to make it up by the end of the week.

All the little moments add up to lots of learning and I love getting to be part of it!

First Day of School 2018

Elementary Ancient Literature List

In honor of the back to school phase of life we're finding ourselves in, here's my list of ancient literature for elementary grades. We did ancient history and literature last year and we read A LOT of books. These were our favorites. Be prepared that sometimes the myths and battle stories get a bit strange or gruesome--I occasionally edit as I read aloud. ;)

1. Complete Book of Bible Stories, Jesse Hurlbut (Judaism and Christianity - long)
2. Gilgamesh the King, Ludmila Zeman (Mesopotamia)
3. The Revenge of Ishtar, Ludmila Zeman (Mesopotamia)
4. The Last Quest of Gilgamesh, Ludmila Zeman (Mesopotamia)
5. The Trojan War, Emily Little (Greece)
6. The Flying Horse, Jane Mason (Greece)
7. Book of Greek Myths, D’Aulaire (Greece - long)
8. Once a Mouse, Marcia Brown (India)
9. One Grain of Rice, Demi (India)
10. The Elephant’s Friend, Maria Williams (India)
11. Black Ships Before Troy, Rosemary Sutcliff (Greece - long)
12. Rhinos for Lunch and Elephants for Supper, Tolowa Mollel (Africa)
13. The Adventures of Spider, Joyce Cooper Arkhurst (Africa)
14. Tutankhamen’s Gift, Robert Sabuda (Egypt)
15. Exodus, Brian Wildsmith (Egypt and Judaism)
16. The Wanderings of Odysseus, Rosemary Sutcliff (Greece - long)
17. The Legend of the Persian Carpet, Tomie dePaola (Persia)
18. Forty Fortunes, Aaron Shepherd (Persia)
19. The Hero and the Minotaur, Robert Byrd (Crete)
20. King Midas and the Golden Touch, Charlotte Craft (Crete)
21. Roman Myths, Geraldine McCaughrean (Rome - long)
22. The Lost Horse, Ed Young (China)
23. The Dragon Prince, Laurence Yep (China)
24. Lord of the Cranes, Kerstin Chen (China)
25. Da Wei’s Treasure, Margaret and Raymond Chang (China)
26. Dragon Kites and Dragonflies, Demi (China)
27. In the Eyes of the Cat, Demi (Japan)
28. Miracles of Jesus, Tomie dePaola (Christianity)
29. Parables of Jesus, Tomie dePaola (Christianity)
30. Aeneas, Emily Frenkel (Rome – long)