We long to provide a way for moms and children to engage education in a way that is fun, inspires wonder, and cultivates play. (Psst: You can read more about that here, and grab two full FREE units while you’re at it!) Gentle + Classical Preschool is a full-year preschool program. It is a blend of Charlotte Mason and classical studies. The BEST part? The Teacher’s guide is absolutely FREE.
We could talk about SO many of our whys with what we included in the curriculum but today we want to talk about our ABCs. As many preschool curriculums do, each unit has a letter of focus. However, we don’t begin with “A” but instead with “L” - why is that?
We are very "sorry, not sorry" for adding a new option to your pile for next year ;). If you're still exploring options, we wanted to make sure you have a FULL wealth of knowledge about how our Nature programs work, by getting your hands on it... legit.
That's why we compiled the first TWO units of Nature Volume 2 into a sample, just for you!
The preschool years seem to be filled with such “gray area”. Do our 2, 3, and 4-year-olds just need to play, or do they do school work too? What should they know before kindergarten? Do they need to know anything?
We love nature-focused unit studies around here. After much searching and pre-reading, we found a few very favorite reptile books that have been a hit with our kiddos.
Before we share the book list, we want to share a completely free resource you might enjoy….
Morning Virtues offers FLEXIBILITY, but, we don’t want you to just take our word for how much we love Morning Virtues, we want you to try a month on us! So, we are offering Morning Virtues: Courage free.
We often hear the question “what do I do with my toddler while we homeschool?” or even just a general “What do I do with my toddler?” Trust us, we get it - and it is an absolutely valid question. Of course, every family and situation is different, so all of the ideas we discuss today may not work for your family, but we long to help get the brainstorming wheels turning.
Check out a few ideas we have compiled below using our FREE list of Skills and Activities Checklist. We are hopeful this is helpful in creating a plan for your curious two-year-olds.
What a joy it is to explore the animal world and stand in awe of the creatures God has created! There are so many unique animals with different abilities, habitats, and features we don’t even know about! We have created this FREE Polar Animals fun pack to give you and your children then chance to explore the world of polar animals. Learn about the Orca whale, penguins, narwhal, and more! The recommended ages are preschool through 4th grade - but let’s be honest— no one is too old to enjoy the world of polar animals!
Are you in the season of reading instruction? It’s one of the most daunting aspects of home education and can feel overwhelming. But rest assured, when all is said and done, most of our children will learn how to read without too much of an issue.
There are so many aspects to learning to read, and if there is one kink in the chain, your child can struggle. Let’s take a look at a few areas students can struggle with when it comes to reading.
Have you assumed that Gentle + Classical curriculum is only for families with preschoolers or Kindergarteners?
After loving Primer, have you thought, “What’s next for my first grader since Gentle + Classical doesn’t have a first grade program?”
If you have thought or assumed any of those things, you are not alone! That second question is one of our TOP questions, and we are here to answer that and so much more!
We want you to thoroughly understand EXACTLY what we offer for all students- preschool through 6th grade - so that you can make an informed plan for your children! And if you already love G+C, we don’t want you to feel like you must go find something else once you’re done with Primer!
There is nothing like cozying up on a cold winter day with a cup of coffee, light music in the background, and something to keep your mind busy and off the long cold winter days. We designed this free Winter Fun Pack to add a little “spice” to your days, and to especially help your little ones in getting the wiggles out in a way that might be a little more productive and wholesome than just climbing the walls!
Seasoned homeschool mom or brand-newbie, it’s extremely easy for any of us to get stuck in the “about to start” mode. Does any of this resonate with you?
You have everything you need to get started… but it’s all sitting in a box unpacked.
You have things pretty organized, but things aren’t just right yet.
You took a break during the holidays, and the idea of starting back feels you with dread.
There are a few different emotions that can hold us back from beginning, and two are most prevalent:
Fear.
Burnout. (Which is actually also rooted in fear.)
Honestly, I’m so thankful I started homeschooling over a decade ago…
In a curriculum from the 1890’s, Charlotte Mason outlined a list of “attainments” that she believed were a challenging set of skills and knowledge that a well-educated child of 6 would do well to have. This list of skills is not for a child to hav e mastered BY the age of 6, but r ather to be challenged with AT the age of 6. This means that the following list of attainments are not a “kindergarten readiness” list but instead would be considered Miss Mason’s “kindergarten” program.
My little guys love ocean animals! As a child I had a deep desire to become a marine biologist. I mean, who doesn't want to swim with dolphins and closely observe whales?
Over time, the Lord had different plans for me, but that doesn't mean I don't still love ocean animals. As a matter of fact, Volume 2 of Nature (release: Spring 2022) is allllll about oceans and shorelines.
This is a guest post contributed by Lara Chomout. You can learn more about Lara in her bio at the bottom of her post.
I have but one passion - it is He, it is He alone. The world is the field and the field is the world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ. - Nicolaus von Zinzendorf
I don’t know about you, friend, but when spring hits at our home, we are out the door like a flash! School is a little harder to do when warmth, sunshine, and fresh air await us outside. (We will momentarily pretend like muddy ground, wasps, and pollen-apocalypses don’t accompany it!)
This is a guest post contributed by Lara Chomout. You can learn more about Lara in her bio at the bottom of her post.
I often wish I was “perfect.” As I dream of what this must look like, I imagine the mom I want to be -- the mom who wakes up before the kids, reads her bible, has breakfast ready, dishes put away and a load of laundry going all before the day truly begins. But just as quickly as that dream begins, I roll over in bed, groan, and press the snooze button… over and over again.
You may have noticed my post about how to assemble a memory statement board but still remained all-together confused or overwhelmed by what a memory statement even IS. Memory statements fill the pages of all Gentle + Classical programs, so I want to make sure you understand WHAT they are and how to implement them in your homeschool!
Memory statements are an idea that seems to have sprung from the more modern ideas of classical education and have been made popular by a popular community-based curriculum program. However, if we dig more deeply, we find that the notion of a “memory statement” is rooted in Charlotte Mason and true (historical) classical education.
Valentine’s is usually a “love/hate” kind of holiday for most. Some people are tired of commercialism while others adore the special focus on love and romance this time of year.
I’ll say that I squarely fall into the middle. I’m not one for “mush” but I absolutely love to take time to make sure that my family knows just how important they are to me. We have very simple, candy-centered traditions around our house.
Even if you don’t love V-day, I find that late Jan-February is typically one of the hardest seasons in homeschooling. And when you layer a year-long pandemic on top? Sheesh. So anything that can bring some light and joy into our lives as we suffer through the long stretch of gloom and cold of this generally abysmal month- well, I’m all for it!
There are truly a plethora of ABC flashcards available on the market these days- I even have four sets in my own shop. Once upon a time, this set was in my own shop as well.
But can we really have too many beautiful options? In the early years of education, flashcards become a staple in our homeschool and in our schooling space…
𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿.
My youthful ambitions were to be famous and make money. (Deep, I know.)
I never wanted kids. I definitely would never be "that mom" who doesn't work, doesn't climb the ladder, doesn't have "huge" accomplishments to show the world.
I was the least homeschooler-type person in all the world.
Then the Lord knocked. He placed a baby on my heart then one in my tummy. Then another.
And during that first set of babies, he placed a book in my hand: 𝘈 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯. I rocked a massive belly and read ideas about motherhood and education that might as well have been from Mars.
This is a guest post contributed by Lara Chomout. You can learn more about Lara in her bio at the bottom of her post.
It was Tuesday evening, and I was exhausted and ready to curl up in my own bed with a good book. Naturally, I didn’t want to let our 3-year-old’s bedtime routine linger. I read her a couple books, not giving into her requests for “just one more,” and started to move on to our prayer. For some reason, despite my longing to keep it quick, I decided to ask her one of our catechism questions from our preschool curriculum.
I looked at her sweet little face and asked, “Who made you?” I wasn’t fully expecting an answer. I was simply going to answer it for her- as we have done during our school time during the day. “God made me!” she said with absolute delight. Tears started filling my eyes as I said “Yes, he sure did. God made you.”
My child is learning this memory work really quickly... Should I move faster, add to it, or go to a different level? This question lands in my lap quite often, so I want to explore things a little bit further with you. Always remember, this is my personal perspective, so trust your gut and your prayers, Mama!
My child is learning this memory work really quickly... Should I move faster, add to it, or go to a different level? This question lands in my lap quite often, so I want to explore things a little bit further with you. Always remember, this is my personal perspective, so trust your gut and your prayers, Mama!
St. Patrick left an amazing legacy on the isle of Ireland that hasn’t been quickly forgotten by the Irish in over one thousand years! Each year, we celebrate his gift of Christian mercy, love, and compassion on March 17th.
After researching and learning about Ireland over the past 2 months for this issue of On Mission, I can see why St. Patrick loved it so. Even after escaping from captivity as a slave there, his heart could not be separated from the land or the people. God called him back- to HIS CAPTIVES- to preach the Good News.
During my years as a homeschool mom, I’ve found that I’m not alone in always looking for a more efficient way to walk through our days, plan ahead, and keep moving without getting bogged down and distracted. One of the most effective ways I’ve found to stay on track with younger students is the addition of a memory work (or memory statement) board or display in our home.
Over the past year, I’ve received email after email from users of The Gentle + Classical Preschool or Gentle + Classical Nature all reflecting the same sentiments: they felt lost and unfocused in their school days UNTIL they created a memory work board!
We all have basic subjects that we know are foundational for a full feast for our children: math, science, history, Bible, foreign language, and even the riches like art and music study. But, I think that it's not necessarily unique to me that we can often overlook subjects that DO deserve a presence in our homeschooling portfolio.
Traditionally, history is the "core" for a classical education- one of the four "cycles" as we have come to know them. I want to reference a post I wrote a while back in developing The Gentle + Classical Preschool Level 2:
“Do not let the endless succession of small things crowd great ideals out of sight and out of mind.” -Charlotte Mason
I have no idea how many books I’ve read in my life, but I can promise you that they have shaped who I am and the way I live- drastically. The way I speak to my husband, the way I teach or discipline my children, the way I pray and seek the Lord- have all been shaped by books.
Books are powerful because words and ideas are powerful. Allowing someone else’s ideas into the most intimate places in our heart is a precious thing- a thing we must always approach with discernment.
Charlotte Mason tells us that ideas build upon ideas. And so the ideas that we develop are often rooted in the ideas that we have received from others. We receive ideas through conversation, articles, books, music, movies, television shows, and even our social media feeds.
This is a guest post from my friend Jana! I love to read her practical encouragement and actionable wisdom. I hope it will bless you too!
The monotony of life at home can lull us into simply existing. We’ve all been there. But it doesn’t have to be so. Mama, you can thrive at home! Here are three strategies: make it beautiful, provide gracious order, and be a consistent presence.
MAKE IT BEAUTIFUL
Do you feel an internal tug for beauty? Perhaps you love an orange sunset or pink peonies. God created this world beautiful as a reflection of Himself, so I believe an innate pull to beauty is why we desire to create beautiful spaces in our homes. Beautiful spaces bring a deep sense of thriving.
This is a guest post from Kelly Hellmuth! I’m absolutely delighted to have a “peak behind the curtain” into Kelly’s home. Find more from Kelly at the bottom of this post.
“Maybe it’s the influence of the Little House on the Prairie, but I find the history of the one-room schoolhouse a little romantic.” - Denise M. Colby
Don’t we all? Most of us here are pursuing an educational path either with Charlotte Mason or Classical influences (or both!), and we know the value of educating our children together. There is an ease and even a necessity to discuss subjects such as history and science and fine arts as a family.
This is a guest post from Leah Hudson! It has amazing encouragement and wisdom. Find out how to hear more from Leah at the bottom of the post.
When I started homeschooling my oldest, I compared the anticipation to jumping off a cliff into a vast ocean. From my pre-homeschool vantage point, I could see countless other women bobbing up and down in the waves - obviously keeping afloat. Some had even fashioned together trim little boats for their crews. Their success gave me encouragement to take the plunge.
I dived in.
Who knew kindergarten could be so overwhelming? Who knew adjusting to new routines would prove so difficult? I needed to get my sea legs FAST!
This is a guest post from DJ! I love her perspective of making things work well for her family. Find her details at the bottom of the post.
Hey y’all! I’m DJ from thebookishden.com and I’m so excited to have the opportunity to share with you what a typical homeschool day looks like for our family. I’m sort of fan-girling over here, as Erin’s blog is one I’ve followed for ages!
We’re a family hanging out in a small town right outside of Charlotte, NC. We have 5 kiddos ages, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. I wish I could say that those stair step ages were our plan, but that was all Jesus!
Our family started this wonderful world of homeschooling about 5 years ago and man…there’s been a serious learning curve! We’ve been experimenting with how we do school since the beginning, and with each child coming to school age-each year looks a little different.
The alarm labeled “Its Co-op Day!” goes off at 6:00 am. Thankfully, the coffee pot also automatically starts at 6:00am. I’m not a morning person, so, in all honesty, the next step in my morning routine is hitting the snooze button. Lunches have been packed the night before and the kids are old enough to get themselves breakfast, so as I grab that first cup of coffee I take a moment to sit in the dark, pray over the day ahead, get snuggles from my dog and let my brain wake up a bit.
Then we hit the day running. Everyone out the door by 7:35am to be on time.
If previously you had told me this would be my norm this year, I would have scoffed. I love sleeping in and cozy mornings reading on the couch with my kids. It’s why I homeschool. The packing of lunches, the hustle to get out the door, the stress over “did you remember this or that” is something I have avoided like the plague.
This is a guest post written by Kim! I hope you enjoy all of her encouragement and insight as she details a typical homeschool day with her two little ones. Find out more about Kim below.
With two boys, three and five, our days are usually full of a lot of energy, a lot of noise, and a whole lot of crazy. When it comes to our daily homeschooling, I have been slowly introducing a gentle learning environment for both boys since they are both still young.
When I first began to plan our official homeschool “Kindergarten” year, I was already (almost unconsciously) trying to recreate a public school environment. I was already beginning to forget the freedom homeschooling allows in learning. While planning, I was trying to check all the boxes and tick all the subjects. I was trying to figure out how to cram all of this material into one day… for a five year old!
This article is a guest post by Tia McArthur. You can learn more about Tia and find her online via the information at the end of this post. I hope you’ll find Tia’s words a comfort and encouragement!
As a single mom with a small business that is a full-time ministry, homeschooling looks a lot different in our home than many others. Finding balance to implement the feast that is a Charlotte Mason (CM) education while also providing our sole source of income is the most rewarding challenge of my life. Like family dinners, this feast is often messy and loud and one of us often wants to take our favorite dish/book off to a corner somewhere. But this time spent together is weaving a fabric of memories for us both to treasure for a lifetime, just like those family dinners from my childhood.
I would have loved to have met Charlotte Mason. From her writings, she seems so wise yet approachable. However, I cannot now sit down with her to chat over a cup of coffee, so, instead, I sit down by myself or with like-minded mamas with a cup of coffee and her six volumes. This nineteenth century educator has completely revolutionized the way I envisioned homeschooling my son, and thusly, both of our lives in the process.
Just over 3 years ago, I was 4-5 months pregnant with my very welcomed but highly surprising 4th child. At that time, my 3rd was still shy of his FIRST birthday, and I had a daughter going into junior high and one struggling greatly due to dyslexia and dyscalculia.
As a new school year loomed large, I was overwhelmed. As a matter of fact, I was CERTAIN that I could NOT do it. I could NOT successfully homeschool my two girls with any sort of excellence while wrangling a newborn and tiny toddler. I went to the Lord with my great overwhelm. Shockingly, to us and everyone around us, my husband and I felt completely led to put our two girls in the local public school.
There are a LOT of Bible study tools on the market. A. LOT. It’s honestly a little overwhelming, but with two teenage daughters, I felt like it was wise to pursue a program that could be an additional voice in teaching them to seek God’s word out daily.
Aside from the general overwhelm at the quantity of programs available, I became overwhelmed by the AUTHOR’S voice, perspectives, interpretations, and beliefs as I perused guide after guide. Ultimately, I wanted simplicity for them. I wanted practicality. I wanted their time in God’s word to not be led by an author (no matter how esteemed and brilliant) but rather GOD’s Spirit.
I’ve been exceedingly shocked by the enthusiasm and reactions from the very-popular Preschool Morning Binder. And of course, as my own little kiddos get older, I knew we would need a slightly more advanced version of this great tool. Beyond that, since Level 2 of The Gentle + Classical Preschool is for ages 4-6 years and is a full Kindergarten program, I knew that most of us would want a morning activity binder perfect for our kiddos who are 5-7 years old.
So what is a Kindergarten Morning Binder?
AHHHH! I’m so excited about this! I recently hosted an amazing giveaway with a few companies that I adore. Even though that giveaway is over, I wanted to leave this post up to share their wonderful products!
I know that preparing for the first few years of home education with your little one can be overwhelming- teaching them to read being right at the top of the list of fears at times! I’ve talked about this before, but honestly. teaching our children to read can be one of the most stressful, daunting tasks in all of homeschool (with the exception of Trigonometry… which we will outsource ;).
Below are 4 of my FAVORITE resources for doing K4 and Kindergarten at home this year!
We have used Bob Books for years. For me, they were a great, level-appropriate compliment to All About Reading that allowed us to have additional fluency practice. I always enjoyed how simple the reading was, but let's say that my kiddos were never enthusiastic to read about Bob and all his weird, pointless shenanigans.
What are some milestones that I need to look for in my child’s behavior or abilities?
How do I know he’s ready for school?
How long should she be able to pay attention?
How much time should we spend on “school”?
My child doesn’t do ________, is that ok?
What are some ways that I can engage my child in a meaningful way during our busy days?
These are all questions I’ve asked over the years and questions I hear daily from busy, concerned homeschooling moms who want to make sure they’re doing best for their child.
My Instagram feed is filled with gorgeous nature tables, muddy rainboots, and wild and free children. This speaks to my heart in an unimaginable way. While I may often get too busy to truly spend the hours out of doors that I would like... and sometimes the complaints about the heat just wear me down (we live near Satan's armpit), I know deep in my soul that being surrounded and immersed in God's creation is as close as we can get to touching him on this earth.
When I first began reading Charlotte Mason's own personal work (and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT, start here), I was slightly put off. I almost felt as if she worshipped nature. But I knew I had to be missing something important, so I pressed further in. Through prayer, I realized that Charlotte was passionate about nature because she was passionate about the Creator of nature. She knew that being immersed in Creation was a sneak peak into eternity and into the heart of our Father in Heaven. Our task as mothers is to simply help our children become thoroughly acquainted with Creation, capable of truly SEEING it with clear observation.
Gentle + Classical Nature finally arrived just a few months ago. It has been a labor of love, and one I’m very excited to get into your hands after completely “revamping” the original release of Nature. Gentle + Classical Nature Volume 1: Inland Waterways and Forests explores all of the organisms and life cycles that take place in our freshwater, inland waterways as well as temperate forests. I won’t go into a huge amount of detail because you can download the FULL Teacher’s Guide 100% for FREE!
St. Patrick left an amazing legacy on the isle of Ireland that hasn’t been quickly forgotten by the Irish in over one thousand years! Each year, we celebrate his gift of Christian mercy, love, and compassion on March 17th.
After researching and learning about Ireland over the past 2 months for this issue of On Mission, I can see why St. Patrick loved it so. Even after escaping from captivity as a slave there, his heart could not be separated from the land or the people. God called him back- to HIS CAPTIVES- to preach the Good News.
According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. -1 Corinthians 3:10-14
We get to choose. We have this free gift of a solid, unshakeable, eternal, faithful foundation that can never be moved, and then we get to choose.
Whether it's who we marry, how we educate, how we parent and discipline, how we speak and serve and love, how we spend and earn our incomes--we have agency. And this freedom can be both liberating and simultaneously terrifying.
This fabulous guest post was written by my friend Lydia who does a fabulous job of sharing her adventures with her three littles utilizing The Gentle + Classical Preschool. Find more info about Lydia at the bottom of the post.
To the homeschool mamas reading this who are simultaneously changing a diaper, wrangling a toddler away from near disaster, and mitigating the uproarious queries of a preschooler bouncing on the couch — you are my people.
With three very little littles (ages 4, 2.5, and 1), I would be lying if I told you we regularly had beautifully structured homeschool days. Far from it! But homeschooling has brought its own rhythm to our home, adding an invaluable richness to our lives and family culture. I want to share with you a example of what I consider a very good day.
There are literally close to one million free printable planners available on the internet. Search Pinterest, and you’ll find out that I’m not exaggerating by much. However, I can never quite find THE ONE, ya know? They’re either kind of functional but not pretty, the website has one million and one ads and pop-ups and feels like spam, or they just don’t quite suit my needs… I am forever a tinkerer.
I do really love to chat homeschool scheduling! I believe our schedules are and should be just as unique as our families and our homeschools are. But also, we are always looking for ways to improve- maybe to streamline, reduce overwhelm, or just enjoy our day better. So, I’m happy to share our general flow, both as it kind of went this year, and also as I plan for it to continue into the fall.
We do school year round. We take June off, and July is very casual with a long reading list and math only. So, this schedule applies to our more typical school year, August-May.
I did what I think no other homeschool blogger has ever done- I failed to write a “curriculum pick” post for last year. Eeek. Honestly, in hindsight, I’m thankful. I was full excited about a few programs over last summer, but when it came down to it, they weren’t a good fit and we swapped to new programs after a few weeks.
I’m thankful for the experience, as it was an incredible learning opportunity to me. It also shows that no matter how amazing a program seems, once you get into it, it just might not be a good fit! Suffice it to say, that after an initial “fail” of one program in the fall, we found our way to a program that I now am certain we will use for many years (as certain as an easily distracted homeschool mama can be!).
So, what are our choices for this year? Many of them are simply a continuation of last year…
In this 2-part series, I'll discuss my process for decision making on digital products as well as share my favorite resources for making printing affordable! You can read the digital discussion HERE and the printing help below.
Edit 8/4/19- I have found another (new) homeschool printing company that I love! FamilyNestPrinting.com has exceptional prices AND they offer a 20% discount to Life, Abundantly readers. Use code Erin20 at checkout to save!
How can I afford to print this all? I get that question ALL the time! Whether it's the stuff from my Gentle + Classical Nature Bundle or my Preschool Bundle, the BYB Annual Sale, you may LOVE what you see, know that you would definitely use it and get great value from it... but you can't figure out how to make the printing feasible. I hope what I share today will help.
In this 2-part series, I'll discuss my process for decision making on digital products as well as share my favorite resources for making printing affordable! You can read the digital discussion here and the printing help HERE.
It's not an uncommon message for me to receive-
How many pages is this document?
Will I need to print ALL of it? I'm trying to figure out how much it's going to cost all together?
Where do you get your stuff printed?
How can you afford to have so much printed?
How are digital products a saving when printing is SO expensive?
I 100% get it, my friend! Every single one of us is on a fixed homeschool budget, and even if the budget is generous, we want to stretch every penny because- books, right? So I wanted to develop a "guide" for choosing and printing digital products because opportunities abound for these in the homeschool world, and it can get overwhelming!
I’ve been on an educational and spiritual adventure that God is gently (forcibly) leading me through as I quake in overwhelm at the idea of penning GC Preschool 2. I’ve never felt such incredible weight and responsibility, but I’ve also never felt God so tangibly pulling me in a particular direction. I recently updated the overview page of The Gentel + Classical Preschool 2 (HERE) and removed the study of history from the framework. I give a brief overview of why on that page and mention words like “moral imagination” and “poetic knowledge.” If you are anything like I was just a few short months ago, you have no idea what those words mean. (I feel you.)
I won’t pretend to be an expert…
We are annual zoo members and have been for years. Our kids have always treasured days at the zoo, and when the weather isn’t sweltering, I always have too. I feel like it’s an excellent opportunity to get out of the house and do a little roamschooling.
I wanted to create a tool for us (and for you!) that would serve our whole family. I have babies from 2 up to high school freshman, so it’s not often we do anything or learn anythign that EVERYONE can enjoy and benefit from. However, the zoo is definitely an excpetion to that. Furthermore, with this zoo explorers pack, that’s even more true than ever.
You may have noticed, if you've browsed this blog much, that I'm an enthusiastic supporter of All About Reading. So, it may come as a surprise that I'm sharing a review for a different phonics curriculum.
When the author of Foundational Phonics, Ariel Gunther, reached out to me with her gentle phonics program, I was more than intrigued. As we worked for years to get my dyslexic daughter reading on grade level, we tried more than a handful of programs. That process, along with the success my friend Hayley has also had with AAR, left me looking through Foundational Phonics with a discerning eye. So it's only natural that as I share all I love, or might not, about Foundational Phonics, I'll be making a few references to All About Reading as well.
What is Foundational Phonics?
I received a text from a sweet friend last night, one who is in the thick of her first year or two of homeschooling. As she'd spent many sleepless nights cradling and nursing her newborn infant recently, thoughts and concerns flooded her mind over the progress of her 6-year old daughter's reading.
Anyone who has been in the thick of homeschooling for one year or 10 remembers those days well. Not one of us is impervious to fears, second-guessing, unmet expectations, and the torture of comparison. What follows is a version of my response to her concerns, that she and I agreed, should be shared with you as well.
I was so excited when Erin told me that All About Learning Press was releasing a NEW COLOR EDITION of their All About Reading program! I have used AAR with three of my children, and it has been such a blessing to our family. This program has helped me gain confidence and skills in teaching my children to read. I’ve written before about how we use AAR in our home. Today I want to share a little more about the new color editions, and why I have changed my mind about Level 4.
If you saw that title and clicked to read, it’s likely that one of two things brought you here: You thought, “What in the world? This girl thinks she’s got it all figured out. I have to see who this chick thinks she is.” OR, you thought, “Sheeesh, I’m struggling. I need a dose of whatever she’s got going on.”
Those are extremes, obviously, but for most homeschool mamas, we tend to vacillate between these throughout days and seasons. We either think we have "it" finally figured out (only to have “it” blow up in our face the next day) OR we think we are never going to get “it” figured out, and our kids would probably be better off spending their days in school.
Since long days, learning challenges, chaotic toddlers, willful attitudes, and mismatched learning and teaching styles can leave any of us questioning our sanity (and looking for a better way), I thought I’d share how I have “it” together (FINALLY!) and how you can too! It turns out you CAN have an amazing homeschool experience and choose the perfect curriculum.
As my blog has grown, I’ve had the opportunity to do a few reviews. I’ve learned that it’s important to me that I really LOVE anything that I review. I don’t want to hand out a negative review, but I’m also going to be 100% honest. I’m thankful my caution has paid off, and I’ve received a product for my honest review that I can say I HONESTLY love.
Beautiful Feet Books is known for it’s simple, easy-to-implement, open-and-go curriculum guides combined with exceptional literature. When the books are this perfect, you don’t have to add much to it, especially in the grammar stage.
I chose to use Beautiful Feet Books Geography Through Literature program with both my 6th and 9th grader girls. My oldest daughter already has much geography included in her Tapestry of Grace core curriculum, but I thought it would be wonderful to have an additional “fun” thing to do with her as well. So, aside from our “Lunch Basket” (what we call morning basket), this is the only thing we do all together.
When I first began homeschooling, the responsibility that intimidated me more than any other was teaching my own children to read. I have always been an avid reader, and I desperately wanted to instill a love of reading in my kids. I realized very quickly, however, that my love of reading did not automatically qualify me to teach someone else HOW to read. Because I had no background in teaching reading, I knew I needed to find a program that could walk ME through the process as well as my child. We tried several different programs in the beginning, but they either bored my child to tears or proceeding so quickly that she felt overwhelmed, and I felt lost without a map.
I am so excited to get to share about the Beautiful Feet Books' HISTORY OF SCIENCE program! If you're like me, you never really entertained the notion of a science program from the perspective of history. When I first ran across it, I thought that it might not be very hands-on (meaning all books, no experiments) or that it wouldn't be "thorough enough" since it's not specific to one area of science--like biology, chemistry, botany.
Oh my, how I was wrong! I received this curriculum to use with my 6th grader for my honest review. She is a very hands-on kinesthetic learner, who- despite being dyslexic- learns best through real, living stories. When she is involved in a story line, she will remember every single detail of that person's life. Living books are hands-down the best way to get lasting knowledge and true education into her heart and mind forever. You do NOT have to avoid living books for a dyslexic student!
Homeschooling high school was always something that I looked ahead to with both excitement and fear. When my children were in elementary grades, I felt confident teaching according to a classical model, but as they grew into the middle and high school years, I felt intimidated by the challenging literature and history and by my own lack of knowledge in these areas.
I was excited to learn alongside my kids, but also afraid that I would not be qualified to teach upper level courses. I knew I would need a curriculum that could guide me as I redeemed my own education.
A dear friend had been telling me for a few years how much her family loved Tapestry of Grace, and I could see the results in her son. He was able to carry on deep discussions about topics in history, literature, philosophy, and government with such thoughtfulness and a depth of understanding that I wanted for my children and myself. I had looked at so many other classical courses for high school, but I kept feeling called back to Tapestry of Grace.
I llooooooveeeee organization. I will also quickly admit that I’m not the best at “maintaining” said organization, but I am a PRO at setting it up. I have learned, over the years, with a lot of failure, that simple works best. I’ve also learned that no organizational systems matters a lick if you don’t have the self-discipline to utilize the system. Being a self-proclaimed scatterbrain AND perfectionist, wrapped all into one, creates a very interesting dichotomy that I’m confident my family total loves (not at all).
As we approached this school year, I had a vision in mind for bringing the spreadsheet system I’ve used for years into a real life, adjustable, very visible, attractive wall system. (If you’re curious about how I use a spreadsheet and generally plan our days, check out this detailed post and free spreadsheet.) I am probably the most “out of sight, out of mind” person you’ve ever met. It frustrates me immensely, but I also just accommodate this insufficiency with various tools, like my phone alarm and calendar.
Over the past eight years of homeschooling, we have used a variety of resources for memory work. We spent five years as part a of classical, memory work focused co-op- first as participants in Classical Conversations, then in a classical co-op, which Erin founded. During those years, my oldest two children memorized amazing amounts of information about history, science, Latin, math, geography, English grammar, and world history. Now that they are in middle school and high school, I can see how all the seeds that were planted during the grammar years are producing much fruit.
As my children got older and my younger two joined us at the homeschool table, I felt that being involved in a co-op was not the best use of our time. Dedicating a full day to a co-op made it hard to complete all their other school work in the remaining four days. Despite making the difficult decision to leave our co-op, I didn’t want to leave memory work out of our curriculum. I wanted to ensure that my two younger children would have the same foundation in memory work their older siblings received.
If you're reading this, you are probably in the midst of teaching one of your little ones to read OR you have that endeavor looming ahead of you in the near future... amiright? The singular biggest fear of every single homeschool mom I've ever spoken to is failing to teach her child to read well... and especially failing to teach them "on time".
In most of our minds, we envision that our homeschooled child would be reading well in advance of their public school counterparts (or at least at the same time). Simultaneously, in our little hearts, one reason we homeschool is to give our children the time and space to grow and develop on their own timeline. Sometimes these desires and expectations clash and can create monster homeschool mom anxiety. I know many mamas who have quit homeschooling (or never even began) because they were overwhelmed at the idea of failing in this important task.
I want to share some actual evidence with you today that helped put me at ease when my own homeschool student just wasn't progressing like I felt she "should."
Even the best homeschool mom faces days or weeks where she questions if she should quit or not- sometimes after a year and sometimes after 5. Other times, we can also recognize that we've not taken the time to really reflect on our WHY for educating at home or cast a true vision for our homeschool. Those are both INCREDIBLY important.
In this video, I discuss why this matters, along with ending with some general "points of refreshment" that I use to encourage myself during challenging seasons. It could be called "A List of What I Have Learned." I hope you enjoy!
I'm going to *guess* that you've probably received a few emails and have seen a few social media posts about the Build Your Bundle Sale? Honestly, in years past... I thought it was obnoxious. I'd even purchased a bundle here and there, but I tend to ignore "the thing" everyone is talking about. I couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about. But the truth of the matter was I never really looked into it either- I totally blew it off.
Over this past year, my attitude has evolved. I've become a huge fan of digital curriculum for two reason: space and MONEY. Digital curriculum is almost ALWAYS less expensive, while not lacking anything in quality, AND I don't have to have a bookshelf for it. Win. Win.
The numbers are impressive, so what about content? How much value is truly in each or these bundles... Or is there just filler?
In part 5, we wind up this series ask the big question that brought you here:
SHOULD I quit homeschooling?
I'm going to be brave. I'm going to say the thing that is "forbidden" in the homeschool community. There's one option we've yet to address in this series, so I want to say it here:
You can stop homeschooling.
Here we are! We are almost finished! This has been a long series, but rightfully so. The idea of drastically altering how you approach education for your children is no small matter. We are now on the final "question" of this series, question 3. There are worksheets (FREE) in the Practical Joy Resource library to add significant depth to this exploration. You definitely, definitely want those. Grab the workbook from the Resource Library here.
Question 3: Should I just take a break from homeschooling? Will that fix whatever the problem is?
I want to explore a few different aspects of this question, but I want to assert up front that there is not a right or wrong answer. As has been the case in every portion of this series, what's right for YOU and your family, your season, your child, will not be the right answer for everyone else. This is a journey of finding YOUR place in homeschooling and being certain that it truly is best for everyone involved.
Every day I fail. Every day I say the wrong thing, behave selfishly, act pridefully, think only of myself, drop a few four letter words, and get sinfully angry. Some days I do all of those things, and other days, I manage to squeak by with just a few, but regardless- I am a hefty sinner. As Paul says in Romans 7:15: I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
Man. He gets me.
It is the overwhelming awareness of my own desperate need for a savior that digs the importance of the celebration of Easter deep into my soul. As Mamas, it's our job to begin at the earliest age possible digging the truth about Christ and our desperate need for him down deep into their souls.
I wanted to provide some tools to do just that.
I love Classical Education. From the first moment I lay my hands upon the book The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise, I was hooked. I learned as much as I could and fully believe in the proven power of our natural learning in the sequential order of the Grammar, Dialectic (aka Logic), and Rhetoric stages. Even as adults, in our daily lives, as we are introduced to new things, we logically follow these steps. {Click here to read a great metaphor to understand this process a little better.}
This 3 step process applies to all aspects of life and branches of knowledge. Having a teen and tween whom we've used this process with throughout their education, I can see the profound fruits.
I was browsing Pinterest the other day, looking for some printable activities to use alongside explore birds with my preschooler. I wanted a fun, bird-themed opportunity to review basic math and counting skills that fit the season. Our yard is freshly filled with birds in the early spring, and there’s really no better time of year to pull our feathered friends into our homeschool time.
Who doesn't love copywork... especially math copywork, right? Well, besides your kids! While we get a fair amount of pushback from our students, the struggle is worth the outcome. In what other way can you practice slow memorization while also absorbing the fundamentals of English grammar and punctuation AND practice handwriting all at once? In my mind, math should be no different. While memorization of math terms is only one small portion in math instruction, it is an important portion nonetheless.
I personally usually take to the internet, mainly Pinterest, searching high and low for copywork pages that fit what we are studying each year in each subject. Truly, the hardest to come by have been copywork pages for math. AND if I did find them, it was rare to find them for the particular term I was looking for. I wanted a workbook of the vast majority of the terms my students would run across in elementary school without having to go look high and low or create my own every single time we found a new term.
I have a daughter with dyslexia. For my sweet girl, one of the most confounding aspects of her learning disability is a poor working memory and the amount of effort (and incredible repetition) needed in order to move information from "temporary storage" into her permanent, long-term memory. During the elementary years, it can take a dyslexic students YEARS of practicing parts of speech, place value, multiplication tables, writing dates and months before they TRULY master it and put it into their long-term memory.
Is it time to get in gear for next year (or maybe just survive the end of this one)? Regardless of where you are right now, a well-constructed planner is always much-needed. So you can snag it now and save it for when the next school year is on your mind, or put it to use ASAP! Just like I mentioned in the FREE Planner Bundle for Mom, I had something in mind that I wanted dearly, but just could not find it.
I created this planner out of a desire to have ONE place to track all of the following in 5 pages (and I went all out! You get two versions... normal printable AND editable PDF all in one zip file!):
I'm a highly eclectic homeschooler, with some very clear Charlotte Mason and Classical tendencies... but I'm also so eclectic that I don't even tend to homeschool the same "way" each year, all year long. I ran across this notion of "tidal homeschool" a while ago via Pam Barnhill's podcast and her interview with Melissa Wiley. Once I heard Melissa describe their "ebb and flow" of learning throughout their year, I knew that what had been a natural tendency for us was not a mere lack of "diligence" on my part.
I'm an INFJ (sometimes ENFJ), and as such, I am highly intuitive. Certain seasons of life, seasons of the year, and life events change how and why (and where) we homeschool. I have always made those adjustments to fit the circumstances naturally- but also fought guilt over not always (well, ever) finishing the "whole curriculum."
Do you have a student who needs consistent review over the same skills in order to truly master them? How about a student who is just learning to read and you need a good source of sight words to pull from for instruction and game play? I did, too!
My daughter, who was diagnosed with "profound dyslexia" and "probable dyscalculia," needs to continuously cycle through the same information, even as we add additional skills. Why? Because with dyslexia and many other learning disabilities, if you don't use it, you lose it! I was tired of reteaching EVERY skill we had ever learned before I could get to the actual new content- and obviously, so was she!
Have you ever noticed that it seems that many homeschoolers don't necessarily choose home education for themselves? It seems to choose them? So sometimes we come into it a bit overwhelmed, making decisions as we go, sometimes making one mistake after another.... (raising hand!)
Sometimes it ends up being more than we signed up for. We may even consider quitting. Or maybe we aren't that far into questioning our choices, but we also know there has to be a better way.
- Maybe you started homeschooling out of necessity, and you jumped in hurriedly?
- Maybe you just dove in hoping for the best, but you weren't sure what to expect?
- Maybe you thought you had it figured out, but life circumstances, learning disabilities, personality conflicts... something... came in and derailed your plans?
- Maybe things aren't going so badly, but you also don't feel like you're thriving like it seems others are?
- Maybe you're kind of new and feeling overwhelmed, unsure of how to make decisions when there are just SO MANY options and opinions out there?
Wow! Have you looked lately for books for your little ones and been completely overwhelmed? There are SO many- and how can we know they are good books that are of high literary quality and don't counter with our beliefs and family culture until we've bought them? My sweet friend Hayley and I wanted to combine forces and share a powerful list of 107 books that we feel like every child should have read to them (or read) before age 7.
Many lists like this include a majority of chapter books or books for children with longer attention span. We have many of those, but rest assured that this collection also includes shorter picture books with gorgeous, engaging illustrations and fewer words per page.
I love Classical Education. From the first moment I lay my hands upon the book The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise, I was hooked. I learned as much as I could and fully believe in the proven power of our natural learning in the sequential order of the Grammar, Dialectic (aka Logic), and Rhetoric stages. Even as adults, in our daily lives, as we are introduced to new things, we logically follow these steps. {Click here to read a great metaphor to understand this process a little better.}
This 3 step process applies to all aspects of life and branches of knowledge. Having a teen and tween whom we've used this process with throughout their education, I can see the profound fruits.
It's January... which means we are all on a downhill slide. The busyness and craziness and fun of Christmas has all been quieted, and we are left to our own devices (often trapped inside from the frigid temps). If you're like me, this anticlimactic time following the depths of winter as we roll past the New Year can usher in boredom, exhaustion, and cabin fever. We oftentimes enter what's now commonly referred to as a "slump" in our homeschool year.
But why? Is it fully triggered by gloomy weather and post-holiday blues? I suspect there's something else lurking beneath this battle almost every homeschool Mama faces each year...
There's little that strikes more fear into a homeschool mom's heart than the idea of teaching their child to read. It seems that every aspect of their child's future success is hinged upon this necessary, often ominous, skill. I know some homeschool parents that send their children to school for kindergarten and first grade, just to skip the stress of it! So, for a new homeschool mom to be greeted with a child whom she is doing everything "by the book" for and nothing seems to be sticking... well, it honestly feels like their deepest fears of inadequacy are coming to fruition.
You can feel like you must be the biggest homeschool failure in the world when you've been working diligently to teach your child phonics for over a year, and they still know less than a handful of sounds. You can be certain you've ruined your child's future when they are 7, and despite working to identify letter NAMES since they were 4, they still visibly struggle to name each letter. You can feel like pulling your hair out when you child sounds out CCCCC-AAAAAA-TTTTTT on one page, then sees it again 8 more times in the SAME book (seconds apart) and STILL has to sound it out like she's never seen the word in her life every single time...
I hope part 1 of this series was an encouragement to you! We are all making a new way as we walk through our homeschool adventure, and it's challenging for each of us in different ways, at different times. My heart is that you always know you aren't alone! AND, I hope I can share some practical tips about how our days are running and which curricula we are using (and what we tried and dropped) this school year.
I have used a system like this for about 5 years now and despite seeming a little time-consuming to plan, it leaves me feeling relatively confident that our days have some rhythm and rhyme to them. I tend to schedule down to the minute because I'm a type A, control freak... but, I also give us tons of space and grace. I expect that this fancy schedule will actually pan out like 2% of the time. The rest is hit or miss, and that's ok.
Not everyone is called to homeschool their children, but those who are know it's challenging on every level. And it's a challenge so often strewn with criticism and an incredible amount of self-doubt. Homeschool moms are notoriously some of the most insecure people in the world. We seem confident because we're willing to be so counter-cultural, but when it comes down to it, we're frequently overrun with doubts and fear, and so we compare and second-guess at every turn.
Jesus faced many of the multitudinous challenges we also face on a day-to-day basis (and obviously a few more). The disciples did not "get it" every time he told a story. He frequently had to stop and explain what he meant to them (the parable of The Good Shepherd in John 10 is good example of this). And even when they understood at the time, he would still have to go back over and over again explaining the same concepts, telling new stories, giving new examples. He consistently had to refresh and remind them of truth he had previously taught them.
Even when he went to the cross, they still did not have a good grasp of what he was teaching them. Only once the crucifixion and resurrection took place, and they had the resurrected Christ actively in their lives, did they truly gain access to the knowledge and understanding that he had been working tirelessly to pour into them.
So here's the big secret, and it's a big claim (so bear with me)...
Over the past few years, Montessori 3-part cards have gained a lot of attention and popularity across the educational world. In fact, we even include them in many of our programs at The Gentle + Classical Press! While they may seem similar to flashcards, they actually are so much more. Montessori 3-part cards are a simple tool at first glance, but they provide a wide variety of practical applications - which are all fully adaptable to how each child learns, thinks, and plays! However, many of us simply might not know how best to utilize this beautiful educational tool in our homeschool. I know when I first saw them online, I was really unclear on what you actually do with them.