*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *
I know you are thinking that its only the beginning of November but if your house is anything like mine December will be here in the blink of an eye. A little forethought and planning now can make December a more peaceful and joyous month in your homeschool.
Our first year homeschooling I had big plans for December. We were going to do all of our regular school plus tons of great holiday themed activities that I found to go along with the season. By the time Christmas arrived I was burned out, stressed out, and feeling way behind. It has taken several years to work out a plan that works for us, but one thing I learned quickly is that those holiday activities need to replace the other things rather than supplement. December is typically a busy time of year for families already and so adding even more to an already full plate is a recipe for problems.
I started out with some of the easy subjects to switch out for holiday themes. First, we switch out our copywork and focus on Christmas and nativity themed verses or passages. Hymn study is another easy and powerful switch that can be made. There are so many great Christmas hymns. Not Consumed Hymn Studies is a great place to start if you are looking for easy to use ready made plans. She has some great plans Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as bundles including other hymn studies. They are very well done.
Our read aloud and novel studies were another place where we could easily switch out ‘regular’ schoolwork for holiday themed work. There are so many good books. Some years I have a basketful and we just pick one when we are ready to read and some years I’ve wrapped them up and let them pick one and open it each day that we have time to read aloud. We have done novel studies independently and together as a family. I’ve included a list of books we have really enjoyed below to get you started on your basket.
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas was a book recommended to me by a friend of mine. She wrote this blog post that explains more about the book. We have used it as a part of our Bible and devotional time and found it to be simple but meaningful.
Art is another one that can be an easy switch, many years I have found various Christmas crafts, made Christmas cards, and gifts during our art time. This year we are looking at using these Christmas Chalk Pastel Art Lessons to supplement our art since the children love the pastel lessons. If you have never tired these lessons be sure to check out the free Christmas Star lesson. I’m sure I’ll throw in a few crafts as well because we all enjoy spending that time together.
This year we will continue with our normal math lessons for most of December since we are using a more formal curriculum. However when the children were younger and I was creating the curriculum I used December to review and brush up on skills using fun Christmas and winter themed activities. We also did fractions and other math in connection with our holiday baking. This was a great way to make math fun and memorable. I may still pull one or two fun Christmas themed math activities as a review, like this fun decimal freebie.
Writing is another great area to bring in Christmas. Whether it is a natural assignment like writing Christmas cards or thank you letters or a fun printable like this Christmas story writing printable or Christmas memory journal prompts from Write Shop. As part of the Lightem’ up activities that I talk about below we also often write letters of encouragement or appreciation to others during this time. If you are traveling during the holidays a travel journal can be a great way to save those memories and get in a little writing practice at the same time.
Music is another great way to incorporate the holidays into your homeschool. We listen to a variety of music while we work and will be switching most of that over to Christmas music during December. We have a collection of CDs with Christmas music, you can also find music on Youtube or if you don’t like the ads on Youtube Amazon Prime Music Unlimited may be a good fit and they have a free 30 day trial. We also look at the composer that we are studying to see if they composed any Christmas music. For example, last year we were studying Handel so we naturally listened to and studied The Messiah.
Another activity that ranks high on our list, Lightem’ Up, doesn’t actually take the place of anything but is something our whole family enjoys and that we make sure to work into our calendars ahead of time. Some of these activities can take hours and some just a few seconds as you go through your day. We pick out a list of those we want to try to do each year and get together any supplies in November so that implementing them in December is as simply as we can make it. This is a great list of ways that we can bring cheer and happiness to other people during this season. While certainly not an exhaustive list, it is a great resource for finding fun and easy ways our family can serve others.
I can’t leave Legos off the list. My older two children love Legos and Proverbial Homemaker has these great challenges for them to do small Lego projects each day including a great Christmas Challenge.
My three year old loves to ‘do school’ with us and needs plenty to keep his attention occupied when I’m working with the older two. I will of course be reading many good Christmas picture books, he loves singing with us, and anything crafty. However, for those times when I need him to play quietly I love the Little People Nativity. We have one at home and one in my preschool classroom at church. They are a great way
for children to be able to play with the decorations without fear of breaking them and learn about the Jesus’s birth in a hands-on way. We also enjoy using pattern blocks to work on fine motor skills and these free Christmas templates are a great addition this time of year.
No matter how much you want to switch out or what you want to accomplish I think it is important to have a plan. You can write it out on paper or print out one of the many free holiday planner’s available, like the one over at Proverbial Homemaker (in her freebie section). Whatever method works for your family, having that plan can take a lot of the stress out of this busy season. I also highly suggest talking as a family to work out at least part of the plan. Find out what is important to you children so that you incorporate at least some of what everyone is hoping to do and don’t spend time on things that no one thinks are important.
In addition to switching things out so we are not overwhelmed I find it important to remember that it is good to take some time off and enjoy the holidays. We take several weeks off so that we can focus on Christ and on family and friends. The 12 days of Christmas used to be celebrated starting on December 25th. This means that when I get to Christmas and feel frustrated that we didn’t get a chance to make the gingerbread house or do some other fun activity we had planned, I still have almost two weeks to fit it in.
I pray that you will find peace and joy in your life and your homeschool this year. I hope that these tips and resources can bless your family. If you have other ideas I’d love to have you share them in the comments.
Also check our free resource library for two new Christmas freebies, Christmas Traditions and a Christmas Bucket List. These are great ways to help plan and prepare for some simple holiday fun!
When you sign up for our free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
Resource Library
This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
Deals and Freebies
Need a good way to organize all of these great printables and have access to them when you need them? Try a free Dropbox Plan.
Amazon Prime 30 day FREE trial. If you do not yet have Amazon Prime this is a great time to try it for free for 30 days! Get your Christmas shopping done with free shipping, enjoy Christmas music and more.
The Green Ember is only $2.99 on Kindle or Free with a KindleUnlimited Trial
$10 Sign-Up Bonus for Ibotta and they are doing some major savings and rebates starting today. Great way to save money on the things you are already buying.
Two Free Audio Books with an Audible Trial and if you aren’t sure what to start with I’d suggest checking out the Green Ember or The Penderwicks for good family choices.
One of my favorite Amazon sales, just in time for Christmas shopping! Buy 2 Get 1 Free Books!
Tuttle Twins has a great Veteran’s Day sale happening now!
Free Makeover Your Morning 5 Day Challenge! This is a great way to help re-focus and get your day off on the right foot.
Harry The Happy Mouse (Free on Kindle)
Illustrated Would You Rather Book (Free on Kindle)
Free Help Your Child’s Memory Book from All About Learning Press!
33 They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”
34 Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?35 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.” Luke 5:33-35 New International Version
While I think it is important for us to live life with eternity in mind, I love this reminder that part of glorifying God is enjoying those pleasures that he created for us. God created beauty and fun, food and drink, and all of life’s pleasures for us to enjoy with-in the boundaries that he set forth. I know people on both ends of the spectrum, those that seem to never enjoy anything and are always serious and somber and those that live ‘in the moment’ to such an extent that they neglect many important things in life. I think what Sally is expressing in this chapter is neither of those things but a balance of recognizing that part of life is fun and enjoyment. We can laugh and have fun while still glorifying God.
” Discipleship happens through relationships that are cultivated by listening to the needs of the moment and moving to meet those needs—even when those needs involve laughing and having fun. ” (pg. 107)
In years of serving God in a variety of roles both here and in Mexico, I found that before we could effectively minister to people we had to build some kind of relationship or meet their other needs. Sometimes that meant holding medical clinics and caring for the sick, but other times it meant bringing a soccer ball and playing with children or making crafts with them. I can tell with my own children that they are more receptive to the bigger ideals and goals when I’m also meeting their need for activity and fun or time alone with me. I have to study my children and know what they need so that I can fill their cups. Once we have that, then they are more open to the deeper things. For my daughter this means baking cookies, having tea or going out and doing a little ‘window shopping’. These things help meet her needs and leave her open to deeper conversations. My son would rather play Legos, ride bikes, or spend time playing outside. Those times aren’t wasted time, they are precious valuable times of relationship building.
” When you have toddlers, five minutes at the dinner table without someone drooping food or wailing over the fact they don’t like peas is a sought-after dream. A discipleship that cannot make room for the ordinary is unrealistic. ” (109)
This quote so describes some of our days. Now that two of my children are older it is better but I still have a 3 year old and a baby on the way so some days I’m still in the thick of this. I think it is important that we keep trying because little by little they start to learn. As we try, we can’t beat ourselves up when things don’t look perfect. Toddlers (at least all the ones I know) aren’t going to sit quiet and still at the table for a long theological discussion. However, we keep working and training and having family conversations so that they begin to understand what our family table looks like. For some of you right now getting in a prayer before meal time and not having any melt downs at the table is an accomplishment and that is ok. You are still loving and teaching and growing your children. As my children grow older, even though some days I’m still in the thick of it all, I can see the growth and how those times of training are paying off in relationships and table talk. Now we can often have long conversations about school or life or discipleship with the older two asking questions while we eat and fellowship (especially if I excuse the three year old once he is done eating to play quietly with a toy or make a point to let him talk about something he wants to say even if it doesn’t relate to the topic at hand.) So if you are in the period of younger children or other challenges, don’t give up. It really will pay off and be worth it in the end.
I hope that you take time this week to try Sally’s suggestion of taking 15 minutes to do something you enjoy and stop the cycle of busyness. It is so easy to feel compelled to do more and more (and sometimes those things are necessary) but even a small break can be refreshing. Tell me in the comments what you can do this week for just 15 minutes to enjoy that time and break the cycle.
I’m also looking forward to trying the Clarkson Snowballs (Russian Tea Cakes) recipe at the end of that chapter. They look easy and tasty. I think it will be fun to make them with my daughter. I just have to remember to get some pecans so that we have all the ingredients.
Also check our free resource library for two new Christmas freebies, Christmas Traditions and a Christmas Bucket List.
When you sign up for our free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
There is so much to learn from the Revolutionary War and so many interesting stories to tell that I think you could spend an entire year focused on that one war. However, we wrapped up our month long study of the war last week so that we can move on to other important parts of American history. We will continue to learn about Revolutionary history through events, books, and conversations but our focus will be turning to the new nation and how our government works.
The children enjoyed several chapters from America’s Story Volume 1 this past week. The story format keeps them begging for me to read more and I find them looking back over it during their free time. I love that it isn’t a dry list of dates and events but a collection of stories that told about the war. Occasionally the timeline gets a little jumbled with this style, as it makes sense to cover campaigns or theaters sequentially, even if significant events were happening geographically elsewhere.
Matthew did an excellent presentation on rations from the Revolutionary War including a poster, some modern day examples, and a speech. This was a topic that I would not have thought to do too deeply into but he was so interested that he enjoyed studying about it and recreating them as best he could given modern ingredients and cooking. I expect that he will enjoy seeing how rations changes as we study other wars in our American history.
In art this week we did the Paul Revere Drawing from You Are an Artist. This was his hat and lantern that are symbolic of his famous ride. The children enjoyed the lesson and it tied in well to Elizabeth’s presentation which was about Rachel Revere, Paul’s wife. There are many people from this time that we hear all about and I thought it was great for Elizabeth to do a little reading and research into someone that is not as much a familiar name. While she used several different resources for her presentation the bulk of her information came from What Really Happened in Colonial Timeswhich included a chapter on Rachel Revere.
I used If you Lived at the Time of the American Revolution for a read aloud this week. I love how this book talks about the different experiences from the perspective of Loyalists and Patriots. The book goes into multiple aspects of daily life during that time including schooling, food, clothing, etc. It is broken into small sections so it was easy for us to read it a few minutes at a time between other tasks.
The American Revolution is probably one of our favorite times in history and we have enjoyed this month long study. I hope that my children took away a better understanding of the courage and perseverance of them men and women who worked together for independence. Tell us in the comments what you or your children enjoyed most about this era in history?
When you sign up for our free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links; see below for more information. *
I love celebrating Thanksgiving. It is a refreshing reminder that we should be thankful every day for the many blessings that God has given us. For our family, it tends to be a less busy and hectic time of year than Christmas, and it is easier to relax and enjoy.
We are doing gratitude journals for our writing this month and a few other thankful activities around the dinner table. We are also studying the Native Americans as part of our history this month. We are skipping a formal study of the pilgrims as we covered this in history in September, but there are other years when we take a week or two and focus on that part of history.
I’ve created this list of free and inexpensive resources for Thanksgiving to help you study and enjoy Thanksgiving in your homeschool. Some of these resources talk about the history of Thanksgiving, some focus on gratitude and thanks, others talk about Thanksgiving through history, and a few more are fun activities featuring popular Thanksgiving items like turkeys.
They can be used during your school day, in the car if you need to travel, or as a family. I pray that they are a blessing to you during this season.
Thanksgiving Lessons and ActivitiesNot Consumed Hymn Studies (You can purchase a set with several holidays or the Thanksgiving one.)
More Hymn Studies (These are more basic than the ones at Not Consumed, but they are free.)
Free Thanksgiving Lego Brick ChallengeProverbial Homemaker also has a great printable Thanksgiving Calendar and writing prompts, as well as a devotional. Just click on her Freebies link.
Thanksgiving In History (Thanksgiving during the WWI and WWII time periods)
Thanksgiving Unit StudyThanksgiving Sudoku PuzzlesGive Thanks With a Grateful Heart Card Set Give Thanks TreeThanksgiving PlacematsThanksgiving Easy ReaderMayflower CraftThanksgiving Unit StudyThanksgiving Bible PrintablesFree Pumpkin Art Tutorial (There is also a full set you can purchase including a turkey.)
When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
Resource Library
This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
Our family really enjoys hiking. We have found it to be healthy, educational, stress-relieving, and lots of fun. We have been truly blessed that in addition to our family hikes, we have a great group of homeschooling friends who hike with us twice a month.
We choose different trails from a rotation of about ten local trails for a hike, and whoever is available meets up. Sometimes we just walk, and the children play and talk; sometimes, we do scavenger hunts, bark rubbings, or other activities; and recently, we have begun adding in a few ranger-guided hikes at local state parks.
Benefits of Family Hiking
I want my children to enjoy and appreciate nature, and I have found that the more time we spend in nature, the more they enjoy it. I work to balance times when we are actively learning and engaged in an activity with times when they are just playing and enjoying nature.
The physical activity tends to increase on those hikes where we just let them play. In places where it is appropriate (some trails and parks have rules about staying on the trail, and we obey those), they often find logs to balance and walk on, creeks to splash in, rocks to ‘climb,’ and even one log that works like a giant see-saw.
They think they are just having fun (which is important), but they are also working on those gross motor skills. If you are interested in the research into the importance of time in nature, I recommend Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv.
Learning-Centered Hikes
When we want to do a more learning-centered hike, we have a variety of options to choose from. Sometimes we simply take one of our field guides and choose to try to identify as many items as we can, picking from flowers, trees, mammals, insects, etc. Other times, they bring their nature journals and simply choose to draw and write about something they find interesting.
Our science studies from Apologia often have ideas for nature studies or projects we can do as well. We may take a guided hike where the ranger or other expert discusses specific aspects of what we are seeing on the trail. We have taken pencils and paper and done bark rubbings for tree identification or collected leaves to preserve in their nature journals.
Hiking Resources
I have included a simple fall printable scavenger hunt, including things to collect (please remember to only collect on trails that allow for leaf collection, etc), do, and find in our free resource library. This is a great way to get started using your hikes as a nature study. Sign up for access to all of our free resources at the link at the bottom of the post.
Common Hiking Misconceptions
There are a few common reasons that people are concerned about hiking that I’d like to address. One of the most common that I hear is that people don’t feel that they are physically fit enough to hike.
However, barring physical conditions or problems that you may need to speak to your doctor about, most people can hike. You may need to start out on easier trails and shorter distances. You can take a quarter-mile loop on an even gravel trail and work your way up to longer trails or more difficult terrain.
Another common one is a question about how well small children will do on hikes. I have found that there are several solutions to this depending on the child and the trail and that most small children get a lot from the experience of hiking. For babies, baby-wearing is a great option, and how I normally choose to hike with little ones.
A good wrap or soft structured carrier like an Ergo can allow mom and baby a safe and comfortable hike. Some folks prefer a stroller, and on some trails, this is a great way to hike. You do have to make sure that the trail is stroller-friendly, but there are many trails that utilize gravel or boardwalks that can be great options for strollers.
If the child is walking and moving but is still very young, you can either choose shorter hikes or a combination of them walking and then, when they get tired, use a carrier or stroller.
Not my best picture, but a great example of hiking and babywearing.
Fun Treats
As a part of our hiking and traveling the area, our group has found another wonderful benefit to hiking: cupcakes! I know you are probably thinking, how do cupcakes relate to hiking? We enjoy the exercise and time outside, and then near several of our trails, we have found wonderful, delicious bakeries to get fun, sweet treats after our hike and continue the conversations and good times.
If you are local or semi-local, two of our favorite stops are Rachel K’s Bakery in Washington, NC, and HappyCakes in Morehead City, NC. We enjoy our trips as times of nature study, exercise, and fellowship!
Inspiration and Ideas
I hope that you are inspired to go outside, hike, and enjoy nature. If you are looking for trails in your area try your local government site for municipal and county parks, your state parks (these are great for guided group hikes and extra activities) or our National Park Service.
Whether you go with just your family or a group of friends, there is much to learn and a great deal of fun waiting on the trail. What do you like most about hiking, or what concerns do you have about getting started? Share in the comments.
What you would want to take will obviously depend on where you are and what type of hike you are taking. You won’t need the same things for a .5-mile loop on a paved trail that you would for a 10-mile hike in new territory. I do recommend always taking water, insect repellent (or applying it before you leave), and a small first aid kit with an emergency blanket.
Water Bottles (We like this set because it is colored-coded by person, and the silicone sleeves protect the bottle from accidental breakage.)
Fire Starter or matches (Obviously only for children who are responsible and trained in the use of these items).
When you sign up for our free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
Friday’s Deals and Freebies
Apologia is running a free shipping special and other sales throughout the month.
Two Free Audio Books with an Audible Trial and if you aren’t sure what to start with I’d suggest checking out the Green Ember or The Penderwicks for good family choices.
$10 Sign-Up Bonus for Ibotta and they are doing some major savings and rebates starting today. Great way to save money on the things you are already buying.
“We must be intentional to guide, discuss, and celebrate the dependable rhythms of life.” Sally Clarkson (Pg. 87)
Her discussion of Sunday mornings being a time where we feel, “rushed, urgent, and -dare we admit it?- a slight bit annoyed.” really hit home for me. We have spent more Sunday mornings than I care to think about rushing everyone out the door, fussing because we couldn’t find shoes, someone’s hair wasn’t brushed, and we were going to be late. This sets a bad tone for our day and our time of worship. We have been working on doing things to intentionally plan and prepare to make Sunday smoother. We now meal plan for Sunday (and the rest of the week but for a long time I only planned Monday through Friday). I’m working on a creating a list of breakfasts that I can either prepare ahead or are simple to prepare on Sunday morning but can still feel like a feast. We also are trying to be more intentional about getting clothes ready, lessons printed, etc on Saturday evening to reduce Sunday morning stress.
“But I strongly believe that we need traditions like these because they give us necessary anchors in our lives — our days and weeks and months and years. Anchors are the moments when, no matter what, you stop, breathe, enjoy, rest, and check in with the Lord.” (pg. 90)
I want my children to love the Lord and to serve them all of their lives. While going to church is part of what we do as a family, I don’t want them to see it as a chore that must be checked off the list. I want them to go because they love worshiping the Lord and serving Him. I am thankful that unlike some of the congregations that she described in this chapter, our church is not a sober and sad place. It is a place of worship and joy. My son had a low grade fever a couple of weeks ago and had to stay home with my husband while I took the older children to church and taught the preschool class. I hated that he was sick but it also did my heart good to see that he was genuinely sad that he couldn’t go to church. He is only three and does not understand everything at church but he knows it is a place where he gets to sing, praise and learn about God.
“When we model to our children that pleasure, delight, laughter, and food are not God’s afterthoughts, but His generous gifts to us all, we do them a great favor. For the good of our souls and the souls of our children, we must learn to celebrate the glory of God.” (pg. 92)
While God is just and hates sin, he is also loving and kind. He wants us to enjoy his creation and have lives filled with joy and beauty. I want my children to see all of the gifts and blessing of the Lord. The flowers in the field and on the table, the yummy and nutritious food that He provides (we could be eating manna every day but instead he has given us a wonderful bounty), the warm home we live in, the sun rise each morning, and the sunset each evening are all blessings for a loving God.
Once when I was working with a children’s program in Mexico I was blessed to be able to be a part of getting them a donation or art supplies for the children to use. When the gifts were given to the children they were not told they were from other people, but that they were gifts from God. I loved the truth and beauty of that lesson. While it is true that people donated the money for those supplies, they donated it in the name of the Lord and they had been blessed by the Lord with those resources to give. The goal of those missionaries was for the children to understand that all good things come from the Lord. I pray that I also teach my children the same lesson. We need to be thankful to Him for everything.
Sally spends the next part of the chapter discussing their Sunday morning conversations. I love the concept of setting aside that time for learning and discussing what they were learning about the Lord. As I look at our own family and stage of life, I think that set aside time and conversation may work better at our Sunday lunch table. To some extent, we are already doing this in that we normally discuss what each person learned or took away from the church service that morning. Lunch is a more relaxed time for us and gives us more opportunity for discussion. She says, “I saw these Sunday morning conversations not just as a duty to be fulfilled, but as an important opportunity for my children”. When I approach things as a duty, I can begin to resent them or grow weary. However, by looking at it as an opportunity is is easier to be grateful for the chance and more excited about making it an anchor or routine in our lives.
She finished the chapter talking about how sometime we shy away from the difficult conversations that come as our children grow older. They often begin to question what they believe and what they are taught. However, instead of shying away from these conversations it is important that we prepare for them and engage in those conversations. Those conversations are one of the ways that our children will come to have a faith that is their own, it is through these struggles that they will grow and learn. Jesus spent time answering his disciples hard questions and preparing them for what was to come. It is our responsibility to do the same for our children.
“And I can say with thorough enthusiasm that each flipped pancake was worth it.” (pg. 97) I hope that when my children reach adulthood, I can look back and know that I spent the time necessary to help them to learn and grow in their relationship with the Lord, that I may know that those ‘mundane tasks’ were worth it and valuable in their lives and the Kingdom of God. I’d love to hear your thoughts on chapter six or your favorite Sunday morning breakfast ideas in the comments.
If you haven’t got your copy of the book, check it out here. Also there is a great study guide that goes deeper into scripture related to the life-giving table. Finally, if life is busy right now ans you are having trouble keeping up you might want to check out the audio book on Audible. If you have not tried Audible before you can get a 30 day free trial which includes 2 free books that are yours to keep even if you cancel the trial.
When you sign up for our free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
There are many different titles we could have chosen, but in broad strokes this period represents the creation of the American republic and its emergence on the world stage. European history is booming, quite literally, during this period with the Napoleonic Wars. Politics in early United States history are equally tumultuous. The Articles of Confederation fail, and the new nation is called upon to draw up a new Constitution, put down a tax rebellion, decide what national defense is necessary, all while expanding trade and influence on the high seas. We fight a ‘Quasi-War’ against our revolutionary ally, France, engage multiple Barbary States against piracy, and ultimately fight another war against Great Britain.
In November, we will leave the American Revolution behind and begin looking at the years that followed. First looking at how the Articles of Confederation failed and why the Constitutional convention became necessary. We will take an in-depth look at the Bill of Rights and the protections they offer both then and now. The next week we will spend some time focused on the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812. We will dig into some of what was going on with various Native American tribes and then wrap up the month with the Carolina Gold Rush and an introduction to Lewis and Clark.
This is a time when borders and boundaries were changing frequently. The original 13 colonies become states, the nation adds two additional states and two huge territories (the Northwest and Louisiana purchase). The changing borders and national expansion can be confusing and I recommend finding a map resource to help show those changes. There are a variety of maps and programs that can be used. One program I like is Map Trek by Knowledge Quest. You can get a free sample here.
There are so many great art lessons in our American History Chalk Pastel Course to tie into this month that I am having trouble deciding which ones we want to cover. There is one specific to the war of 1812, The Constitution, Lewis and Clark, and several others that would tie in nicely. This is a great problem to have and knowing my kids they will want to do them all. They enjoy them even when they are not ‘assigned work.’
There are many good books that we are looking at using with this block of history. My son loves the Rush Revere series and will also be reading the book Six Frigates which was written to an adult audience but has a great deal of good information about naval history and early American politics. My daughter is going to start with Little House by Boston Bay to get an idea of life during the War of 1812 from the prospective of a young girl. She is much more interested in what was going on in people’s lives than the battles and details of the war. We will probably use Sacagawea as our family read aloud this month. In addition the children will use and I will read aloud parts of several books about the Constitution and the Bill of Right and we’ll review the primary source documents, but probably stop short of memorizing the preamble. We will continue studying selected chapters from America’s Story Volume 1 by Master Books. Many more great books are included on the list of resources found in our free resource library. If you have not already done so, please sign up at the bottom of this post to get access to all of those resources.
We have a busy month with family events planned and preparing for the holiday season, so our field trips are going to be shorter and closer to home this month. We will visit the Stanley Home and New Bern Academy, connected with Tryon Palace and participate in a Native American webcast from the North Carolina Museum of History. We will also be looking back at pictures and memories from a trip a couple years ago to Washington D.C. where we saw many things that connect to the creation of this nation including visiting the archives and seeing the documents first hand. For those able to do more field trips this month there are many great ones listed in our resource list.
On the digital front, we will be watching a few more episodes of Liberty’s Kids and an old classic, Schoolhouse Rock which has some very catchy songs to help children remember information about the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, and How a Bill Becomes a Law among others.
I’ve found some recipes that look quite tasty from this time period and we are excited to try them. My son will be looking into the rations from the War of 1812 and comparing them to the Revolutionary War as well as comparing the rations of various armies during the war. This may become a recurring theme as we work our way up through history. After all, ‘An Army marches on it’s stomach’ (and so do many eleven year old boys).
A couple additional resources that may be of interest are the current sale on Discovery Education Streaming Plus at the Buyers co-op. This is a great collection of educational programming. They also have a sale on Jim Hodges Audio CDs right now. He has several different collections that would work well with early American history.
If you would like to join us on this journey through US History, join our mailing list and get access to our free library. Each month I’ll post a list of resources and ideas for the time period we are going to cover the next month. You can learn more in our post Our Journey Through History. Colonial and Revolutionary resources are currently posted.
When you sign up for our free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
Don’t forget Tuesday 10/31 is the final day for this sale! There are only a few more days left to take advantage of the great sale at Schoolhouse Teachers! With this sale you can have the curriculum you need for all of your children for about $10 per month and you can try it for $5 for your first month. They have everything from core classes, to art, music, and other great electives.
For years I created our own math curriculum because I couldn’t find one that was a good fit for my kids. We had a system that worked very well for our family. I would teach a concept like fractions to both children but take them each as far as they could go with the concept. We used lots of hands-on manipulatives and living books with math concepts. Using the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for math, I made sure that each child was covering at least what was expected at their grade level and extending it where they were able. We did this successfully for five years, but with my oldest in middle school and a baby on the way we decided to try something new this year. One day soon I’ll post more about how I created our own math but today I want to tell you about the math program we are using this year.
Math for a Living Education by Master Books has been a great fit for our family. My son loves the fact that they tie in stories to the math. I have enjoyed that there is a review to help keep things fresh and lots of critical thinking and real world application. One of the biggest complaints I heard about math during my time teaching in a classroom and from my own children was that they didn’t need to know how to use it. This curriculum helps make the connection of the math problem to how it is used in real life.
In this season of our life, I also appreciate that the children can do this subject fairly independently. Each week their math assignments are listed on their weekly contracts and they work on one lesson a day with an extra lesson sometime during the week, so that they complete five lessons during our four day school week. I try to check their assignments each day so that I can go over any they had trouble with and keep them on the right track.
We have needed to do school on the road quite a bit this month with several trips to the state fair and some other business travel. Having their math all right there in the book makes it very easy for them to bring on the road and and do (mostly independently) while we are riding. In these situations, I do need to make an extra effort to make sure I keep up with checking them so that if they are doing them incorrectly I catch it before they have practiced too many problems.
I know that with the new baby coming in February, it will be really important for them to be able to complete as much as possible independently for a few weeks while I recover. This curriculum will allow them to continue on with their math uninterrupted and is set up where my husband can easily check it for them each evening.
In this season and time, this curriculum has fit in nicely and eased my work load. However, I truly believe that there are no one sized fits-all curricula. There are many excellent curriculum options. Math for a Living Education stops at grade six so next year I’ll be looking for other options. Knowing that my son is advanced in some areas of math, on grade level in some and needs a little support with critical thinking it can be difficult to find the right fit. We are currently considering SchoolHouse Teachers because for one price I can get several different math courses to use to find the right fit. They also have some that are extra helps to support him in the areas that he needs to work on.
I believe that he will be ready for Pre-Algebra next year and they have a class that looks like it would be a great fit, but if it is a bit too much, we can simply switch over to one of the other middle school level courses. If you have a math program that is mostly working for your family but you want a little extra help, check out their Daily Math which is a collection of supplemental resources that you can use.
What has your family found that works for math? I’d love to hear from you in the comments what math curriculum your family loves or if you are still searching for the right fit.
Homeschool Buyers Co-Op is offering a great deal on Discovery Education Streaming right now. 60% off and bonus Smart Points redeemable for other products. We have used this in the past and enjoyed it.
Two Free Audio Books with an Audible Trial and if you aren’t sure what to start with I’d suggest checking out the Green Ember or The Penderwicks for good family choices.
Our Friends over at US History Through Flags are doing a great giveaway for a free flag! Check out their October 19th post, Giveaway ends October 31st.
If you are following along in the Facebook group, you know we decided to only do one chapter this week. It seems October is a busy month for many of us and I wanted to give everyone a chance to catch up and really focus on the reading. As I went through chapter five with my highlighter, I felt like I had to stop myself from highlighting whole pages. So much truth and wisdom that I wanted to remember and share on each page that it was hard to choose what to focus on.
One of the main points of this chapter that really resonated with me was, “Convictions aren’t memorized; they are digested.” (pg. 74). She went into further detail earlier on that page explaining that while teaching is important the real difference comes when that truth becomes a part of someone’s life. In some ways it can be easy to teach our children what we want them to know but harder to make sure they internalize it as a conviction in their own hearts. The time we take at the table to discuss and debate ideas and thoughts can help them make this transition to convictions.
“Let your Conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” (Colossians 4:6)
I had never thought of this verse in light of the fact that Paul was limited in what he could write and he still found this to be important enough to write about. Our conversations are so much more important than we often give them credit for. People form opinions about us, our families, and more importantly our God based on how we communicate with them. Communication and specifically conversation are important to our lives and our faith. As such we need to work with our children to learn how to have gracious and attractive conversation. I’m thankful for today’s digital communication in that I can keep up with family and friends that are hundreds of miles away. However, I see how our digital communication seems to be hurting our personal conversation skills. In light of that, I realize that I need to be more purposeful of teaching my children how to have good conversations and in making a point to invite those conversation with the people in my life. I need to take time for tea and conversation whenever possible.
I love music in a variety of forms, from praise music on the radio, to the old country that we turn on every now and again, blue grass concerts at the state fair, and our wonderful North Carolina Symphony. However, my musical abilities stop at the ability to enjoy the music and turn on the radio. I never thought I’d compare myself to a conductor of an orchestra but I love Sally’s comparison. On page 79 she said, “At our table, I pictured myself as the conductor of an orchestra and sought to make our table a place of harmony.” I know that harmony is sometimes hard to come by with children of varying ages and personality. I have a three year old that does not have much patience for long conversations, especially if he isn’t the one talking. Then there is the nine and eleven year olds that don’t share the same sense of humor and tend to clash if one of them feels slighted in the least. I need to spend time with my family rehearsing graciousness and conversation until it becomes part of our family culture. The more we practice and I coach or ‘conduct’ our conversations the more it will grow to be our regular rhythm.
“Table-Discipleship Principle: Shaping the mind and heart through repeated discussions about truth, beauty, and righteousness and engaging in these ideas regularly shapes convictions that last a lifetime. “
How are you orchestrating the conversations around your table this week? What topics are you hoping to discuss with your family or friends? How can you make your conversation gracious and attractive? I’d love to hear how you are applying this book in your life. It is really helping me be more aware and more intentional even through the toddler tantrums.
If you haven’t got your copy of the book, check it out here. Also there is a great study guide that goes deeper into scripture related to the life-giving table. Finally, if life is busy right now ans you are having trouble keeping up you might want to check out the audio book on Audible. If you have not tried Audible before you can get a 30 day free trial which includes 2 free books that are yours to keep even if you cancel the trial.
When you sign up for our free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *
I know you are thinking that its only the beginning of November but if your house is anything like mine December will be here in the blink of an eye. A little forethought and planning now can make December a more peaceful and joyous month in your homeschool.
Our first year homeschooling I had big plans for December. We were going to do all of our regular school plus tons of great holiday themed activities that I found to go along with the season. By the time Christmas arrived I was burned out, stressed out, and feeling way behind. It has taken several years to work out a plan that works for us, but one thing I learned quickly is that those holiday activities need to replace the other things rather than supplement. December is typically a busy time of year for families already and so adding even more to an already full plate is a recipe for problems.
I started out with some of the easy subjects to switch out for holiday themes. First, we switch out our copywork and focus on Christmas and nativity themed verses or passages. Hymn study is another easy and powerful switch that can be made. There are so many great Christmas hymns. Not Consumed Hymn Studies is a great place to start if you are looking for easy to use ready made plans. She has some great plans Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as bundles including other hymn studies. They are very well done.
Our read aloud and novel studies were another place where we could easily switch out ‘regular’ schoolwork for holiday themed work. There are so many good books. Some years I have a basketful and we just pick one when we are ready to read and some years I’ve wrapped them up and let them pick one and open it each day that we have time to read aloud. We have done novel studies independently and together as a family. I’ve included a list of books we have really enjoyed below to get you started on your basket.
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas was a book recommended to me by a friend of mine. She wrote this blog post that explains more about the book. We have used it as a part of our Bible and devotional time and found it to be simple but meaningful.
Art is another one that can be an easy switch, many years I have found various Christmas crafts, made Christmas cards, and gifts during our art time. This year we are looking at using these Christmas Chalk Pastel Art Lessons to supplement our art since the children love the pastel lessons. If you have never tired these lessons be sure to check out the free Christmas Star lesson. I’m sure I’ll throw in a few crafts as well because we all enjoy spending that time together.
This year we will continue with our normal math lessons for most of December since we are using a more formal curriculum. However when the children were younger and I was creating the curriculum I used December to review and brush up on skills using fun Christmas and winter themed activities. We also did fractions and other math in connection with our holiday baking. This was a great way to make math fun and memorable. I may still pull one or two fun Christmas themed math activities as a review, like this fun decimal freebie.
Writing is another great area to bring in Christmas. Whether it is a natural assignment like writing Christmas cards or thank you letters or a fun printable like this Christmas story writing printable or Christmas memory journal prompts from Write Shop. As part of the Lightem’ up activities that I talk about below we also often write letters of encouragement or appreciation to others during this time. If you are traveling during the holidays a travel journal can be a great way to save those memories and get in a little writing practice at the same time.
Music is another great way to incorporate the holidays into your homeschool. We listen to a variety of music while we work and will be switching most of that over to Christmas music during December. We have a collection of CDs with Christmas music, you can also find music on Youtube or if you don’t like the ads on Youtube Amazon Prime Music Unlimited may be a good fit and they have a free 30 day trial. We also look at the composer that we are studying to see if they composed any Christmas music. For example, last year we were studying Handel so we naturally listened to and studied The Messiah.
Another activity that ranks high on our list, Lightem’ Up, doesn’t actually take the place of anything but is something our whole family enjoys and that we make sure to work into our calendars ahead of time. Some of these activities can take hours and some just a few seconds as you go through your day. We pick out a list of those we want to try to do each year and get together any supplies in November so that implementing them in December is as simply as we can make it. This is a great list of ways that we can bring cheer and happiness to other people during this season. While certainly not an exhaustive list, it is a great resource for finding fun and easy ways our family can serve others.
I can’t leave Legos off the list. My older two children love Legos and Proverbial Homemaker has these great challenges for them to do small Lego projects each day including a great Christmas Challenge.
My three year old loves to ‘do school’ with us and needs plenty to keep his attention occupied when I’m working with the older two. I will of course be reading many good Christmas picture books, he loves singing with us, and anything crafty. However, for those times when I need him to play quietly I love the Little People Nativity. We have one at home and one in my preschool classroom at church. They are a great way
for children to be able to play with the decorations without fear of breaking them and learn about the Jesus’s birth in a hands-on way. We also enjoy using pattern blocks to work on fine motor skills and these free Christmas templates are a great addition this time of year.
No matter how much you want to switch out or what you want to accomplish I think it is important to have a plan. You can write it out on paper or print out one of the many free holiday planner’s available, like the one over at Proverbial Homemaker (in her freebie section). Whatever method works for your family, having that plan can take a lot of the stress out of this busy season. I also highly suggest talking as a family to work out at least part of the plan. Find out what is important to you children so that you incorporate at least some of what everyone is hoping to do and don’t spend time on things that no one thinks are important.
In addition to switching things out so we are not overwhelmed I find it important to remember that it is good to take some time off and enjoy the holidays. We take several weeks off so that we can focus on Christ and on family and friends. The 12 days of Christmas used to be celebrated starting on December 25th. This means that when I get to Christmas and feel frustrated that we didn’t get a chance to make the gingerbread house or do some other fun activity we had planned, I still have almost two weeks to fit it in.
I pray that you will find peace and joy in your life and your homeschool this year. I hope that these tips and resources can bless your family. If you have other ideas I’d love to have you share them in the comments.
*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links; see below for more information. *
I love celebrating Thanksgiving. It is a refreshing reminder that we should be thankful every day for the many blessings that God has given us. For our family, it tends to be a less busy and hectic time of year than Christmas, and it is easier to relax and enjoy.
We are doing gratitude journals for our writing this month and a few other thankful activities around the dinner table. We are also studying the 
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