Tag: homeschooling

Early American History Book List

Early American History Book List

For purposes of this blog post, we’ll say Early American History covers the landing of the Pilgrims (1620) through the early 1800s.

Some key events that took place during these years include: the Pilgrims coming over from England and colonies eventually getting established, the birth of a new country and the Revolutionary War (and the French Revolution), and the establishment of our new country’s government (constitution and government).

There are so many books that cover this time period. We use mostly living books. I’m only including books we read but there are so many to choose from! 

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

Reference Books/Biographies

We purchased many of the following through Beautiful Feet Books, specifically their Early American History packs, and Amazon.

A Child’s First Book of American History  by Earl Schenck Miers and illustrated by James Daugherty. This is a nice big book with big print and cool illustrations that focuses solely on American History. Good for all ages.

A Child’s History of the World by Virgil M. Hillyer.  A great overview of history. 

Picture Books

(These are best suited for the younger elementary years, but I read them to my older kids too!)

BenjaminFranklin by Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire

George Washington by Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire

The Fourth of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh

Winter at Valley Forge by James Knight 

GEORGE VS. GEORGE: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides by Rosalyn Schanzer

Shh! We’re writing the Constitution by  Jean Fritz

A More Perfect Union by Betsy and Giulio Maestro

Dear Benjamin Banneker by Andrea Davis Pinkney

A Voice of Her Own: The Story of Phillis Wheatley by Kathryn Lasky

Books for Later Elementary and Middle School:

The World of William Penn by Genevieve Foster

Poor Richard by James Daugherty

George Washington’s World by Genevieve Foster

Why Not, Lafayette by Jean Fritz

Pilgrim Stories by Margaret Pumphrey

Remember the Ladies by Jeri Chase Ferris
 

Turning back the pages of time booklet by Kathy Keller (This is a great booklet to have on hand.  It has lists of booklists on early American History.)

Historical Fiction:

Amos Fortune Free Man by Elizabeth Yates

Fearless by Elvira Woodruff (Not pictured. Also not specifically American history but takes place in England in 1700 – and so it was neat to read a book taking place at the same time in a different part of the world.)

Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

Johnny Tremain by Esther Hoskins Forbes

Toliver’s Secret by Esther Wood Brady

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Latham

The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz (not pictured)

Phoebe the Spy by Judith Berry Griffin (chapter book for younger kids)

Matchlock Gun by Walt Edmonds (chapter book for younger kids)

Other Resources to Study American History

Chalk Pastel

Drive Thru History

Check out my other history book lists!

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Greece

Ancient Rome

Middle Ages

Reformation and Renaissance

And…  How We Do History – Textbook Free!

 

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Lewis and Clark Salt-Dough Map

Lewis and Clark Salt-Dough Map

Homeschooling and salt dough maps go together like peanut butter and jelly. They are the ultimate hands-on way to learn geography AND history. But they can also seem like a daunting activity, especially if you are averse to a mess.  Have you ever made one? A salt-dough map that is, not a mess! 😉

Before I had ever done a salt dough map I had made them out to be much more complicated than they were.  Then we did our first salt-dough map while studying Ancient Egypt. It was a wild success!

Recently, while studying Lewis and Clark’s expedition, the thought of doing another salt-dough map seemed like a great idea. We could map out their expedition, even showing the different terrain they had traversed over. And so we made another one! I don’t know why I waited a few years to do another salt-dough map, as they really aren’t that difficult and the kids love them!

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you.)
Here is how we made a Lewis and Clark salt-dough map, using items we had in the house!
  1. We needed something for the base.  Not overcomplicating things we used a large cereal box and cut an opening flap using a utility knife.
  2. We went online to find a map of the United States. We printed out the size we wanted (we just did the one-pager!)  Then my younger son colored the back of the map using a black piece of chalk.  We then flipped it over and traced the outline of the map (we actually traced a little bit beyond the outline of the map, because we wanted it just a tad bigger…).  Now we had the outline of the map on the cereal box base! Don’t be like me and overthink this part.  It does not have to be perfect!
  3. We mixed up the salt dough: 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 cup water. (If it’s too sticky you can add more flour; if it’s too dry, add more water). Mix and knead it for a few minutes.
  4. Now the fun part – spreading the salt dough out to fill in the map, and make sure the mountains were in the right spots. We printed out a physical map to help guide us in how to shape the moutnains, plains and valleys.
  5. Before letting the map dry, we stuck toothpicks into the main locations we wanted to highlight on the map (we used a timeline from this book to help us pick those locations.) We pulled the toothpicks out right away, but the holes were there for when it dried. We labeled our toothpicks at this time, but you can do it later too. Lewis and Clark Salt Dough Map

*Then we let it air dry for 48 hours.*

6. Next we painted the map. We used the same physical map of the U.S. (linked above) to help guide us in how to paint it. Lewis and Clark Salt Dough Map

7. We then stuck our labeled toothpicks back into the salt dough map.Lewis and Clark Salt Dough MapLewis and Clark Salt Dough MapAnd here’s the final product!Lewis and Clark Salt Dough Map


 

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Comparing the Reformation and Renaissance

We studied the Reformation and the Renaissance at the same time. While working up a list of all the books we used to learn about these time periods, I realized it might be helpful to note the differences and similarities between the two periods.

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Two different movements happening at the same time

While these two time periods happened simultaneously, they are very different from one another. This is a point that many know. However, if you are studying this for the first time with your kids, it may not be as obvious to you. The Reformation was a religious revolution, and the Renaissance was a secular movement and had to do with the revolution of ideas. The book that I leaned on heavily as a resource to understand these differences, and I highly recommend, is “How Should We Then Live?” by Francis Schaeffer.

Both movements followed the Middle Ages

Both the Renaissance and the Reformation followed the Middle Ages, a darker time of not as much growth.  The printing press did not exist in the Middle Ages, and books were not readily available. Literacy rates were below 20%, with mostly the wealthy having access to education and books. During the Middle Ages, people did not have ready access to Bibles to teach themselves scripture, or to other books to learn new things. This was soon to change during the time periods of the Renaissance and the Reformation.

The Renaissance – a secular movement, “rebirth” of ideas

The Renaissance and Reformation were both leaving “tradition” but did so in different ways. Renaissance, which literally means “rebirth” was a secular movement focusing on new ideas, music, art, philosophy, etc.   The Renaissance introduced us to the idea of humanism, that is man is at the center of his universe. Obviously, humanism is directly at odds with the Bible. This is one way the Reformation was markedly different than the Renaissance.

The Reformation – Gettings back to the basics of the Bible

Ultimately the Reformation was about getting back to the basics of what the Bible said. When we think of the Reformation, we often think about the Roman Catholic church splitting into Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. For me personally, when I think of the Reformation I picture Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to that door.  It’s important to note the Reformation already had stirrings for quite some time before this. My favorite book from the book list we used was Morning Star of the Reformation. It is about John Wycliffe who lived from 1320-1384 (long before Martin Luther!)

The Printing Press – a common denominator for both movements

While these time periods were very different from one another, they did have some similarities. They were both leaving tradition and both were heavily impacted by the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press around 1440. Below is a list of books we used to learn more about these time periods.

Book List

How Should We Then Live?

A Child’s History of the World

Trumpeter of Krakow

Morning Star of the Reformation

The Golden Book of the Renaissance

Columbus

The World of Columbus and Sons

Shakespeare Stories

Little Pilgrim’s Progress 

Pilgrim’s Progress Movie  (free on Youtube)

Martin Luther

Luther Movie

Joan of Arc Movie

Check out my other history book lists!

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Greece

Ancient Rome

Middle Ages

And, how we do history, textbook free!

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Practical Ways to Stoke the Fire of Learning

Practical Ways to Stoke the Fire of Learning

And inspire your child to become a learner for life!

In her book “Teaching from Rest” Sarah Mackenzie references the quote, “Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire.” She goes on to say “…but we must remember that a fire does indeed need to be lit, and then stoked, or else it will burn out.”

There indeed is a balance between pushing your child too much and not pushing enough, and keeping the fire stoked is part of that balancing act.

In this post, I lay out some practical ways you can stoke the fire.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

Practical Ways to Stoke the Fire

Recognize the spark.

Before you can stoke the fire in your child’s learning, you have to first recognize what sparks their interest. For some children, their interests are much more obvious. If it’s not so obvious, ask yourself: What motivates them? What types of things do they get excited about? If they had loads of free time, how would they spend it? Consider the ways they are “smart”, as that likely could shine a light on what their interests may be. 

Provide resources and opportunities.

The easiest (and cheapest!) way to provide resources is using your local library.  Find books on the topics of their choosing.  Show them youtube videos relating to their interest. Are there classes (online or in-person) they can sign up for that will help them grow and learn more? Are there simple things you can buy (or find for free) that can cultivate their learning? 

Ex: Some kids love taking things apart… You could find old appliances/computers for them to do so.

Provide time.

Allow time in your schedule to give them space to explore, wonder and create. What does your day look like? Is it scheduled to the hilt? If so, consider paring back a little to give margin so they have more breathing room to explore and dive into their interests. More time also allows for more conversations that can cultivate a culture of curiosity and wonder. 

Help them set goals.

Goals give us something to shoot for.  It can move us out of a place of laziness/complacency to action.  Are there goals you can set with your child to help them grow? A goal could be as simple as completing a project related to their interest or taking a class to grow their skills. 

Expose them to a variety of subjects and topics.

I think this point is especially important for those kiddos whose interests aren’t as obvious.  By giving a buffet of learning, we can see what interests stick. During Covid, we started to hike more as a family.  My son, whose previous interest (for YEARS!) was weather, became very interested in maps, hiking, geography, and state parks as a result. 

Tie it into the other subjects when possible.

Now, this is obviously not always possible. But when you can, tie their interests into other subjects.  Are they interested in cooking? Then find out what foods they ate in different periods of history and what they eat in different parts of the world. Minecraft (or any building activity)? Have them create builds related to what they’re learning.  Drawing/art? They can draw pictures related to what they’re learning about history/other topics (Chalkpastel.com is great for this!)

You get the idea.

Give them opportunities to teach others what they know.

In his book, Passion-Driven Education, Connor Boyack refers to this teaching of others as the protégé effect. The protégé effect is an idea introduced by Roman philosopher Seneca.  Seneca said, “While we teach, we learn.”

This could be teaching to younger siblings, or family members, or friends. It could be formal or informal. The point is when you teach something you learn it on a different level. It propels you to a place where you really know and own the information.

Ask what they would like to learn about.

This is simple, but you could just ask your child what they would like to learn about.  Chances are you already know, but you may be surprised! 

Books I recommend related to this topic:

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Three Tips for Homeschooling a Creative Kid

One of my biggest challenges over 8 years of homeschooling has been figuring out what works for my oldest child, a creative learner.

In the early years, she did not like my ideas for homeschooling -ideas that reflected what I thought homeschooling should look like (which were hugely influenced by my time as a classroom teacher!)

Often I’ve said if I could go back to our early homeschooling years, there are many things I would do differently. 

I’ve had to unlearn so much about my idea of what education SHOULD look like – and am still a work in progress! Ultimately, homeschooling doesn’t always look the way we expect, and it’s appropriate to tweak things when necessary! This is especially true with creative learners who thrive on novelty.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

tips for homeschooling a creative kid

3 Tips for Homeschooling a Creative Kid:

1. Give them free time to explore their interests.

Many years ago I received advice on the importance of free time to explore interests as a method to help with anxiety (which is common with creative people).  This advice has proved to be invaluable. 

When we are overscheduled, and my creative learner has less time to “create”, she is more likely to experience anxiety. Having time to be creative in a non-structured way is extremely helpful to her.  

2. Work together to make a plan. 

Their input into their learning plan/schedule/curriculum will foster ownership in their learning and increase motivation. 

My daughter and I work together to create a weekly schedule.  If I were to just give her her list of tasks, things would not go as well! But when I get her input we can work together to make a plan, and things go much more smoothly.

3. Consider different methods of instruction.

Is there a subject or curriculum that is just agonizing for your kiddo? Consider, is there a way you can do things differently?

For us, switching from a more traditional math curriculum to Life of Fred was a game-changer.

Also, incorporating Minecraft into my daughter’s history learning (she’s not a big history buff) has made it come more alive to her. Her most recent Minecraft creation was a hospital build to go along with learning about the Bubonic Plague.  *We use Gamed Academy for Minecraft. 

Creative kids often learn by doing!

Additional ideas for creative learning:

Games – Here are some of our favorite math games!

Chalk Pastel (also a lot of lessons here that tie into history!)

Maybe for reading, switching between audiobooks and regular books could be helpful.  

Resources to Help You with Your Creative Kid:

For more ideas, one book I highly recommend is The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart. Lots of ideas in that book to get the brain juices flowing!

Also, knowing how your child is smart can be very helpful! The book 8 Great Smarts by Kathy Koch is a great read to help you learn even more about that! 

 

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4 Reasons Right Now is a Great Time to be a New Homeschooler

There are quite a few reasons now is a GREAT time to be a new homeschooler:

4 Reasons Right Now is a Great Time to be a New Homeschooler

I’ll be honest, I’ve never been so grateful to be a homeschooler as I am right now.  I’ve seen the angst so many friends have experienced not knowing if, or how their school would be re-opening.  And the worry of school closing down if there is an outbreak.

For homeschoolers, so much has remained the same, and for the most part, we are unaffected by decisions made by local private and public schools.

For many, these crazy times have given rise to the idea of homeschooling, when maybe they’d never thought about it before (or it was just on the back burner).

There are quite a few reasons now is a GREAT time to be a new homeschooler:

No Pressure

Well maybe not NO pressure, but certainly reduced pressure!  Often times, people are scared to try homeschooling because they don’t want to bear the weight of their child’s education.

But during this crazy time when life feels chaotic, and for many virtual school is the only option, they can feel the pressure lifted knowing homeschooling, even if they’re not sure they’re doing it right (which they’re probably doing just fine!) is a better option than the others available. And by the way – yes you are qualified to homeschool your own child.

Retain a Sense of Normalcy

Our “new normal” world is strange. I’ve seen the pictures – socially distanced desks (some with shields!) not to mention masks all day, and potentially no recess. There’s also the worry that your school could close at any time due to an outbreak.

All of this change and uncertainty can be stressful for kids. Having them at home allows you to maintain a sense of normalcy even in the midst of a crazy time.

You won’t have to field the questions…

New (and old) homeschoolers often have to field many questions such as ‘What about socialization?’, and ‘How long do you plan on homeschooling, etc. etc.?’ But for now, new homeschoolers and those just trying it out have covid as an excuse. 😉

Huge Amount of Support

You’re part of a big group and there’s lots of support! Since so many others are also homeschooling, there’s a good chance you know others in your community giving homeschooling a try, and homeschool groups online are busting at the seams with new homeschoolers.

In fact, I don’t know if there’s ever been a better time to be a new homeschooler!

If you’re wanting some guidance on how to get started homeschooling, check out my ebook: Getting Started Homeschooling.  It contains my best tips and advice to get started.Getting Started Homeschooling

 

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Six Tips for Homeschooling “Newbies”

Given the current unprecedented circumstances, otherwise known as COVID-19, many are considering homeschooling this fall.  In this post I outline my BEST homeschooling tips.  I hope they are helpful!

Homeschooling is a beautiful choice for many families, but during these crazy times, it can feel more like crisis schooling (even for those of us who have been homeschooling for years!) My heart goes out to those of you who feel you have no choice, but to homeschool.

Ideally, one comes into homeschooling with a sense of hope and excitement, and I know for many of you, you simply feel it is your only choice with the given circumstances.  I hope you can use this time to make lemonade out of the lemons presented.

Because I’m an “always” homeschooler, rather than an “unexpected” homeschooler, I can’t fully empathize with those finding themselves in this position.  However, I tried my darndest to put myself into the shoes of a FIRST-TIME homeschooler (whether it’s temporary, or a permanent decision.)

If I were to sit down over a cup of coffee and chat homeschooling with you this would be my general advice.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

My Best Homeschooling Tips

6 Tips for Homeschooling “Newbies”

1.) Simplify Academics – Focus On the Three R’s

In days of old, they focused on the three R’s: Reading, (W)riting, and ‘Rithmetic.  These three subjects build on each other, and should have more of a focus. Whether you’re pulling out of brick and mortar school for just a season, or considering homeschooling indefinitely, these are the basic skills needed for learning.

I don’t typically advise buying an all in one boxed curriculum (it was a flop for us!), but I understand the temptation to do so.  To see an example of how we pull many different resources together, check out this curriculum picks post.

Also if your kids are younger (ages 4-7), this post might be helpful: What I Would Do Differently My First Year of Homeschooling.  May you learn from my mistakes! 😉

2.) Routine OVER Schedule

Rigid schedules can be stifling, while routines give life.  Plan a general flow to your day, so your kiddos know what is coming next, and you’re not re-inventing the wheel each day.

While classrooms need to have rigid schedules to manage so many children, a huge benefit of homeschooling is the flexibility it allows to your daily flow.  Take advantage of it!

Check out Cindy West’s Master Class for more help in this area:

Designing A Practical Homeschool Schedule  This Master Class will give you actionable and practical tips to get you started!

3.) Consider Your Family’s Interests

When it comes to other subjects (science, history, art, music, etc.), choose topics you or your kids are interested in.

Does your child have a passionate interest in bugs?  The human body? Mummies and Ancient Egypt? Now’s your chance to go deep! When kids get the opportunity to dive deep into the topic of their choice, you will see them blossom before your very eyes! 

The subjects above do not build on each other, so you can’t really get behind in them.  However, if you have a high schooler who will be going back to brick and mortar school, you’ll want to make sure they cover the class they’ll be missing. (for example, Biology is generally covered in 9th grade)

For history, if it were me and you were here across my kitchen table, I’d say pick a time in history you’d like to learn more about and read some great living books with your kids.  If you want a full picture on how we do history, check out my post on How We Do History – Textbook Free! History is my favorite subject because I’ve learned so much alongside my kiddos!

4.) Don’t Try to Recreate School at Home

Homeschooling looks different than a classroom. Homeschooling is not the same as school at home.  And that’s one reason so many people do it!  This took me a bit of time to understand, but now that I do, it has freed me up to focus more on doing life with my kids and learning together rather than trying to make our home look like a classroom. Some refer to it as lifeschooling.

5.) Enjoy the Time Together

Go on nature hikes together, cook together.

Make it a priority to read-aloud together.  There are so many benefits of reading aloud!

Bake a treat and try some Poetry Teatime.

Above all, enjoy each other.

6.) Outsource Classes

One of the greatest benefits of homeschooling during such a technological age is the opportunity to outsource classes, from the comfort of your home.  You can get dinner ready, or rest those eyes for a bit, while the kiddos continue to learn!

These are some classes I highly recommend:

Chalk Pastel Art – Nana is a delight! Her ‘I Drew It Then I Knew It’ classes that cover many events in history are perfect for those kids who ‘learn by doing’.

No Sweat Science Live – Just turn on the video and the kids can watch and interact with Ms. Cindy.  They complete a nature journal page during the lesson. For grades 1-8.  Great for a nature-smart kid!

SQUILT Music – Mary has curated all the material.  All you need to do is open the lesson, and go! Works for a variety of ages.

Resources I Recommend:

Teaching From Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakeable Peace by Sarah Mackenzie – A short and easy read that will leave you feeling BLESSED and not STRESSED about homeschooling.

Carole Joy Seid’s Homeschool Made Simple – Carole Joy Seid is a homeschool veteran who focuses on keeping homeschooling SIMPLE.  This DVD resource is best for those considering homeschooling for the long haul. This is a Christian based resource that revolutionized our homeschool. I consulted with Carole back in 2016 and her advice changed the trajectory for my late reader.

Cindy West – Designing a Practical Homeschool Schedule – You can’t go wrong with this class.  This would be a great place to start if you’re new to homeschooling!

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“Am I qualified to homeschool my child?”

What qualifies someone to be able to homeschool their children?

Can you successfully homeschool your children without a background in teaching?

I’m here to tell you – YES! You can homeschool, and do it WELL without a teaching degree.

Or any degree for that matter!  *GASP*

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).
You don’t need a teaching background to homeschool.

Recently I have found myself in different conversations with people who believe strongly that you should only be allowed to homeschool if you have a teaching degree. I love finding myself in these conversations (sarcasm).   As someone who does not agree with that AT ALL, this gets tiresome.  I have never agreed with that statement, but I’m more vocal about it than I was in my early years of homeschooling.

In those early years, I was pretty green and fragile and I would nod along and choose to not die on that hill.  I just wanted to weasel myself out of those conversations as fast as possible.  As an anti-conflict, people pleaser, it really was exhausting and painful.  (Quick shout out to those in my life who have supported us in this journey the entire time – THANK YOU!)

What qualifies someone to be able to homeschool their children?

When you “come out” as a homeschooler,

especially if you’re a first-generation homeschooler, you will likely be met with some criticism.  Homeschooling is different, not the norm, and people have their preconceived ideas of what homeschooling is like.

“What about socialization?”

“What about high school?”

And something I heard (and STILL do) quite often, was “Well, YOU were a teacher, so you are qualified.”

No, no, NO.

Just as you do not need a culinary degree to cook simple OR complex meals, and you did not need a degree in early childhood to parent young children, you do not a teaching degree to homeschool your kids.

Though I’m thankful for my time in the classroom,

teaching in the classroom looks SO VERY DIFFERENT than homeschooling your own kids.  Do you think we learn about everything possible about every subject and how to teach it to every type of learner in order to get our teaching degree?  Umm, NO, that would take like, FOREVER.

Yes, I did learn a few things that have been helpful to me as a parent (one thing that comes to mind is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and the importance having an absence of threat in one’s learning environment) but I have learned ABUNDANTLY more since having my own kids and learning about their individual needs.  Like many things you learn “on the job”.

And truly, parents are the experts of their own children.

So what DO you need to be able to homeschool?
  • LOVE for your children and wanting the best for them.
  • A good dose of patience. For me, this requires a great deal of prayer.
  • Commitment to their education.
  • Willingness to research and learn what you can to help them when necessary.  And this day in age it is SO easy to find extra help when we need to (think higher-level math…)

So, if you are a parent reading this and considering homeschooling for whatever reason, but lack confidence because you are not a trained teacher, please hear this loud and clear:

It is simply not true that you will be better at homeschooling your child if you have a teaching degree.

In fact, many former teachers, now homeschoolers find their time in the classroom inhibits their ability to homeschool well.  We, former teachers, have to remind ourselves often that homeschooling ≠ school at home.

Final Recommendation

I will add this, it IS helpful to read some books on how kids learn. One I would recommend to all is the 8 Great Smarts, which is about the multiple intelligences. Whether you homeschool your children or not, it is very helpful to know your child’s strengths and this book is a great way to get you thinking about that.


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Ancient Rome books

We’ve studied Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and now Ancient Rome!  We have really enjoyed diving into living books and learning about these ancient times.  And I’m not sure who’s learning more – me or my kids!?

One of my absolute favorite things about homeschooling is redeeming my own education and getting to dive deep into things that I was only able to “scratch the surface” of during my time in school.

Listed below are the books we used to learn about Ancient Rome.  I used these for my 9 and 11-year-old.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through these links will result in a small commission for me (at no cost to you!) 

Our “spine” books that we use for all of history:

A Child’s History of the World by Hillyer.  A great overview of history.

Story of the World Volume 1 We only do SOTW on audiobook, the kids (and hubs!) just love listening to Jim Weiss.

Other books that cover Ancient history:

These are all Usborne books.  We love Usborne!

Time Traveler

Atlas of World History

The Usborne Encyclopedia of World History

Books for Ancient Rome

Non-Fiction Books For ANcient Rome

Rotten Romans from the Horrible Histories Collection -These are bit much for my taste BUT based on the fact that my kids love it and are learning a ton in the process, I have it on the list…  I have been amazed at historical facts my non-history loving daughter will spout out that we did not learn together.  When I ask, “Where did you learn that?”, her response is almost always, “Horrible Histories”.

Augustus Caesar’s World by Genevieve Foster – Genevieve Foster’s books are unique because she takes the main character (Augustus Caesar in this case) and weaves all world happenings together, going into detail of what was happening in other parts of the world at that same time in history.

Historical Fiction:

Twice Freed by Patricia St. John – Based on life of the slave Onesimus from the book of Philemon in the Bible.  This one was soo good!

The Runaway by Patricia St. John – set during the time of Jesus’s ministry on Earth.

Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare  – another one that’s during the time of Christ’s earthly ministry.  We listened to this one on audiobook and finished it in just a few days because the kids enjoyed it so much! Suspenseful and descriptive.

Other books to consider:

Any of Arnold Ytreeide books including but not limited to Jotham’s Journey, Tabitha’s Travels, and Amon’s Adventure.  These are meant for Christmas and Easter, but they are set in the 1st century and can tie in with both Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece.

Jenny L. Cote’s ‘The Epic Order of the Seven’ Series – I haven’t personally read these but they are books my kids LOVE.  They are Christian historical fiction novels written from the point of view of animal friends.  What’s not to love!

Jenny L. Cote has a passion for God, history and young people and fuses those passions together in her writing.

These four (books 3-6 of the series) specifically tie in with Ancient Rome:

The Prophet, the Shepherd, and the Star – Setting is the time of the birth of Christ.

The Roman, the Twelve and the King – Time travel happens in this story, with the animals traveling to the time of Handel writing “The Messiah” in the 1700’s and also being there for Jesus’s childhood, ministry, passion and resurrection.

The Wind, the Road and the Way – covers the resurrection of Jesus Christ through Paul’s 2nd missionary journey.

The Fire, the Revelation and the Fall – About the events in Acts, and birth of Christianity.  Includes Nero’s reign and Paul’s third missionary journey.

Check out my other history book lists!

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Greece

Middle Ages


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Strengths-Based Homeschool (not just for the kids!)

I originally wanted to title this post “I thought I was doing a good job homeschooling until I joined Instagram.”

I joined Instagram last fall but didn’t really understand how to use it until a couple of months ago, when I decided it would be a good place to meet other homeschoolers and also share my blog.   Now that I’ve been using Instagram, I love it, but I have noticed a not so pleasant feeling that bubbles up within me occasionally…

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Comparison Trap

When my son was two, we found out he was delayed in many areas.  For that reason, I would sometimes find Facebook painful.

People posting all these things of what their kids were doing struck me like a dagger.  It reminded me that my kid wasn’t up to par.

Thankfully God’s brought me a long way in this and I am continually growing in seeing my child through the lens of what he CAN do rather than what he can’t.

But these days, especially on Instagram, I struggle with comparisons of a different sort.  A lot of what I see posted are ideas that I just love and can’t wait to try with my own kids.

See, I’m an opportunist, and Instagram allows me to see what hundreds of other homeschoolers are doing.   So many cool opportunities!

However,

the excited opportunist in me +

my perfectionist tendencies of wanting to find the perfect learning opportunity +

endless opportunities = PARALYSIS.

And I find myself thinking I’m not doing enough in my homeschool and that I need to do things more like so an so (such a lie – not just for homeschool moms but ALL moms).

Also, I know most of the ideas in my feed won’t be enjoyed by my creative child, who tends to enjoy doing her own thing.

This got me thinking… I need to get back to our family basics and remember how we became outside the box learners.

Working your “Mom-Strengths” so you can thrive in your homeschool

As someone who totally believes in following kids’ passions to help them bloom, I’m realizing how much MY OWN passions and interests also matter in our homeschool.

When I’m excited about something, there is at least some interest from the kids.  It’s contagious.

A few examples… I love doing crazy fun voices during read-aloud and therefore my kids generally enjoy read-aloud. Music moves me, and therefore if I sit down at the piano, my daughter will join me adding in harmonies in a higher key(that’s a real treat for me!).  I’m a nature lover so I have an innate wonder of God’s creation that rubs off on my kids.

Craft extraordinaire I AM NOT. Thank goodness for subscription boxes!  Our current box of choice is the Toucan Crate.

If I’m doing a special project or activity (that I’ve seen on Instagram or Pinterest) because I’m thinking my kids SHOULD like it, I often get pushback, and then I feel drained.

However, if I already enjoy something I don’t have to manufacture enthusiasm.  I love the idea of hands-on projects but in reality, it’s not my strength.  We still do crafty stuff just not every day. And usually, it’s if my kids request it.

Include things your kids love and what’s important to you.

If you’re enthusiastic about something there’s a strong chance that it might ignite interest in your kids.

Obviously, you still need to get the main things done (reading, writing, ‘rithmetic).

But include things you like, too…

Read a book (or two…. or ten!) that was a favorite from your own childhood.

Recognize what lights your fire and infuse some of that into your homeschool.


 

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