Thoughts this Autumn
This autumn has been surprisingly wonderful for our little schoolhouse. I was worried going into this school year. I was worried how I was going to manage all of the needs of my little crew but WE ARE DOING IT! My day is FULL but oh so good. I feel like I am go-go-going all day long but I am so grateful. One thought that has been frequently coming to my mind this season is that I am never going to regret this time with my children. Days are long and exhausting but they are filled with time and memories that I get to cherish forever. And I am grateful for that.
Also, Jacob has moved to doing some subjects independently and HE LOVES IT! It helps free up my time to work with the other kiddos and that has been a huge blessing.
FAMILY
Come Follow Me
Our study of the Doctrine and Covenants has been wonderful. We are nearing the end and I am sad to say goodbye. I can’t wait to share all of our thoughts and feelings later this month about this incredible book of scripture. This season I did change up how we did our “family study” and it was a good move. The depth we have reached the last couple of months has been amazing. Here were the topics we discussed this season – or our bullet points of goodness:
- Temple Ordinances
- Stand Ye in Holy Places and Be Not Moved
- Establish a House of God
- The Word of Wisdom: A Principle with Promise
- I Can Fill Myself with Light and Truth
- Temples Bring God’s Blessings
- Times of Trial Can Work for Our Good
- Lesson Learned from Zion’s Camp
- The Priesthood Offers Me Great Blessings
- The Temple Will Give Me Great Blessings
- Be Thou Humble
- Tithing Helps Build Zion
- Trials Can Strengthen Me
- I Can Have Integrity of the Heart
- Baptisms for the Dead
- Families Can Be Eternal
- I Can Prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
- The Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum
Extra Resources: The Red Headed Hostess Subscription / Book for Jacob / Books for Sarah and Benjamin
History
This was an exciting change this season – but Sarah is now joining us in history! It is quickly becoming a favorite for her and we love having her with us! Our first unit was about Ancient Rome! I also appreciated how we also talked about Islam and some of their history. We learned a whole lot and it was interesting to see how the events of one civilization just spill over and effect varying parts of the world. A full review of this unit will *hopefully* be up later this month.
Topics we covered were: the founding of Rome, the expansion of Rome, the evolution from republic to empire in Rome, daily life, the spread of Christianity, Constantine the Great, Theodosius I to the fall of Rome, the Byzantine Empire, Muhammad and Islam, the culture and contributions of Islam, Charlemagne, the temple mount and pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and the crusades.
We also read A Triumph for Flavius by Caroline Dale Snedeker. This was a short book but we enjoyed it. I actually really appreciated how it discussed the complicated feelings that would arise from conquered lands from Rome.
The end of November we began our second unit which is about the Reformation and the history of the Bible. So far we have discussed the inquisition and the causes of the Reformation. We also began a new book called Ink on His Fingers by Louise A. Vernon and are really enjoying it.
Curriculum: The Good and the Beautiful History: Year 4
Science
We kicked off this autumn with our bird unit! This was the first time we have done this unit and it did NOT disappoint! I would not have classified myself as much of a bird person before, but I truly enjoyed this unit! We learned so much and the kids loved it. A full review for this unit will also be out later this month.
The topics we covered in this unit were: birdwatching, the parts of a bird, flight, bird life cycles, poultry, large and small birds, birds of prey, marine birds, bird migration, penguins, parrots, unique beaks on birds, and how birds have impacted history.
At the end of November, we started our second science unit – ECOSYSTEMS! This is another brand new unit and we are all in! So far we learned what ecology is and abiotic and biotic factors.
Curriculum: The Good and the Beautiful Science: Birds; The Good and the Beautiful Science: Ecosystems
Art
We have been fans of Let’s Make Art for awhile now and we are still going strong! This season we did several projects: Beehive and Bees, Fall Fun, Spooky Mansion, and I am Thankful.
Resources: Let’s Make Art Kids Project
Nature
We have tried doing nature studies LOADS of times and it always seems to fizzle out. We are making a go of it again! We are being really relaxed about it and it’s working!
Curriculum: The Good and the Beautiful Nature Notebook
Letter Subscriptions
A NEW addition to our schoolhouse this year is our letter subscriptions. There are a lot of letter subscriptions out there and we decided to give them a try. We decided to do four subscriptions which means that we do a different letter each week.
Letters from Afar
Our first subscription is to Letters from Afar. We actually did this subscription for a couple months several years ago, but I stopped it when we moved to Wyoming and I just never signed back up again. I feel like these are the most quality letters and they are probably my favorite. These letters spotlight a place around the world and gives you a glimpse into the culture of the area.
This season we did Bunol, Spain, Monument Valley in Utah and Arizona, and Atacama Desert in Northern Chili.
Writings from the Wild
Writings from the Wild is probably the kiddos favorite letter because it is about ANIMALS! Each month we get a letter about a different animal and it is so fun. The quality of these is fantastic as well!
This season we learned about the peacock mantis shrimp, the red squirrel, and the orb weaver spider.
American Heritage
Our third letter is with American Heritage. These are letters that spotlight an important person in American history. The letters are written from the perspective of the individual. They are great and have definitely opened our eyes up to some new individuals.
This season we learned about Gilbert Stuart and David Crockett.
American Heritage Adventure
Our final letter is from American Heritage Adventure. Both this letter and American Heritage are from the same company. This letter spotlights a place within America – so National Parks, historical sites, and landmarks.
This season we learned about Olympic National Park, Antelope Canyon, and the San Antonio Mission Trail.
JACOB {4th Grade}
Language Arts
This autumn Jacob reached a big milestone and become independent with his study of language arts! I wasn’t quite sure how this was going to go before we started. But Jacob has surpassed all of my expectations and done so well. I think he has really enjoyed the independence and responsibility and it has been so good for him. He does his work each day and I go over it at the end. And now that he can do it on his own, he is FLYING!
This season he has covered topics such as: creativity, good books, cardinal directions, sentence diagramming, hues, personification, homophones, prepositions, and semicolons.
In geography this season, Jacob has learned about Italy – specifically Venice, the Mediterranean, and Tuscany. He even made some gnocchi! Next up was Mexico! Then Scotland, where he learned about Edinburgh and the Isle of Skye and made some Scottish Shortbread (so yummy!). Now, he is learning about Belgium and the Netherlands.
This year Jacob also gets to learn how to use pastels. He has really enjoyed this – he is definitely an art boy!
Curriculum: The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts: Level 4
Read Alouds
- Calico Bush by Rachel Field: This was a book I had never heard of but was recommended to me and so we decided to give it a whirl. I have to admit, more than once when Jacob and I were finished reading at the end of the day, we couldn’t decide if we were liking the book. It takes place in 1743 and follows the story of a young French girl named, Marguerite, who has become an indentured servant to a family as they settle a new area in Maine. There is a lot of talk about “Injuns”, and even a section where they talk about scalping. And there is another part where the little toddler falls into the fire and ends up passing away from her burns. It ends uplifting, but it is a pretty heavy book. Although I think there is opportunity for discussion, I don’t think I would recommend it.
- Three Fireside Stories to Warm the Heart by Louisa May Alcott: This book has three short stories and they are so beautiful and uplifting. My favorite book is Little Women but I had never read anything else from Louisa May Alcott before it. The first story is called Kate’s Choice. It follows a teenage Kate, who after losing her parents, goes to live with her Grandmother. It is a sweet story of the two of them taking care of one another and what really matters in life. The second story is What Love Can Do. This story is about two young girls in an apartment building who comment on Christmas Eve their dreams – which seem impossible due to their poverty. Their neighbor overhears and decides to leave them a surprise in front of their door. Other members in the building continue to add to it and they realize the love that grows when you serve and love others. The third story is Gwen’s Adventure in the Snow. In this story, a group of children go out on a winter adventure and end up having to take refuge in their summer home waiting through a storm. It’s simple and sweet and just oozing with goodness. Highly recommend – would be perfect to read at Christmas!
- Madelon’s Journey by Ethel Calvert Phillips: This was a sweet simple story. It follows a young girl named Madelon who lives in northern Canada. She spends the summer with family and then goes on to spend some time in Quebec. Again, the word that comes to mind is sweet, there is not a whole lot of depth to the story, but it is sweet.
Click here for our FULL READ ALOUD LIST
Handwriting
The only thing that Jacob is a little further behind than I wished is his handwriting. Now, handwriting is not a difficult subject AT ALL – probably the easiest – but Jacob does it while I read aloud to him. So really…it’s me that is a little behind! But Jacob is 100% doing cursive now in his handwriting and it is beautiful! His handwriting warms my momma heart and his cursive is just as wonderful.
Curriculum: The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting: Level 4
Creative Writing
NEW SUBJECT! A new subject for Jacob is creative writing. Jacob really enjoys writing his own little stories but for some reason he struggles whenever I give him some sort of writing assignment in “school”. So this new subject I have hopes to change that perspective. It is something we have had a harder time to implement into our day but Jacob seems to really be enjoying it – so WOOT!
Curriculum: The Good and the Beautiful Creative Writing Notebook #1
Math
Math is Jacob’s favorite subject and he is LOVING math this year. This was another subject that went fully independent this season and he is doing so well. Another aspect that was new to math is that there is now a video component. I was a little unsure about it but it has become Jacob’s favorite part. He is doing great and it’s been awesome to have him take math on his own!
Here are the topics Jacob has learned this season: numbers in nature, solving for unknowns, place value, expanded form, geometry, rounding to the millions, rays and angles, polygons, fractions, elapsed time, adding and rounding to any place value, subtracting across zeros, fractions and mixed numbers, comparing and ordering large numbers, multiplying multi-digit by one-digit, U.S. customary system of volume, multiplying by 100/1,000/10,000, metric system of volume, similar and congruent figures and equivalent fractions.
Curriculum: The Good and the Beautiful Math 4
Typing
Jacob is in his final year of typing. These are very gentle courses and I think Jacob has learned a lot and the basics are definitely coming together. His speed can definitely improve a little but he is getting there!
Curriculum: The Good and the Beautiful Typing: Level 3
Drawing
Another Jacob-favorite subject is drawing. This season has been a little more challenging but it’s been fun to watch Jacob stretch a little more.
Curriculum: The Good and the Beautiful Draw Vintage Level 3
Piano
Jacob continues to progress in his piano. He moved up to the BLUE books so he was pretty excited!
Resource: Faber Piano Adventures: Level 2A
SARAH {1st Grade}
Language Arts
Sarah has completely blown me away in language arts. She has just exploded in reading and it has been so exciting to see. I always suspected that Sarah would just soar academically and she is really proving that. She is very self motivated and she just goes for it! She read Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White all on her own this season just because she wanted to!
This season Sarah covered: consonant blends, long and short vowels, silent e, AR, SH, Ch, TH, EE, EA, OR, OO, OU, and OW words, syllables, alphabetical order, and two syllable words. We also talked about the power of art and Sarah wrote an acrostic poem. The sky is the limit with this girl!
Curriculum: The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts: Level 1
Read Alouds
- Happy Little Family by Rebecca Caudill: We LOVED this book! It is the first book in the Fairchild Family series and Sarah liked it so much that we decided to go ahead and read the whole series. This first book follows little Bonnie, who is the youngest of five children in rural Kentucky. The story is beautiful and uplifting and so true to family life {no matter the era!}.
- Schoolhouse in the Woods by Rebecca Caudill: This is the second book in the Fairchild Family series. This book follows Bonnie in her first year in school, as well as her siblings and neighbors. This story is just sweet and a wonderful glimpse into rural life and the simple things that bring joy.
- Up and Down the River by Rebecca Caudill: This is the third book in the Fairchild Family series. This book followed Bonnie and her older sister Debbie during the summer as they come up with a plan to “get rich”. But what they end up with is not a lot of money but a whole lot of memories and new pets! This is such a fun, sweet story and I loved the message at the end of what really makes a person “rich”.
- Schoolroom in the Parlor by Rebecca Caudill: This is the fourth and final book in the Fairchild Family series. Sarah and I have both loved this series so much. I had only planned on reading the first book and we loved it so much we have read them all! This one may have been my favorite! The family relationships, the lifestyle, it all just comes together so beautifully in this book. In this book, the oldest child, Althy, becomes teacher to the younger children during the long winter at home. It is such a sweet story and Sarah says she wishes there were 20 books in the series!
- Over the Hills to Nugget by Aileen Fisher: This is a great book about a family that moves to a new town in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado Territory during the gold rush years. Jacob and I read this book last year in history when we learned about westward expansion and it does a great job bringing that era to life.
Click here for our FULL READ ALOUD LIST
Handwriting
Sarah is plugging along nicely with her handwriting. She is getting lots of great practice and it is fun to see her skills grow.
Curriculum: The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting: Level 1
Math
Math is going really well for Sarah. This year, the Good and the Beautiful revised their math and I was skeptical. I have loved their math and didn’t see any reason for change, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The lessons are much shorter – which is nice – but I was worried about losing the depth. I have to admit I miss the old math a little, but Sarah seems to be doing well with it!
This autumn she has covered: identifying right and left, writing numbers, months of the year, time to the hour and half hour, place value, adding on 2, tally marks, counting by fives, even and odd numbers, writing one, two, and three, calendars, greater than, less than, equal to, adding on 3, AB and ABB patterns, pennies, nickels and dimes, subtraction, ordinal position, counting backward, adding two-digit numbers, counting by 10s, doubles addition, and subitizing.
Curriculum: The Good and the Beautiful Math 1
Drawing
NEW SUBJECT! A new subject for Sarah this year is drawing. She is enjoying all of the different drawing prompts and it is a great subject to add into her day.
Curriculum: The Good and the Beautiful Draw Vintage Level 1
Piano
Sarah is doing really awesome with piano! She moved up to the PINK books and is enjoying the new challenge!
Resource: Faber Piano Adventures Level 1
BENJAMIN {Preschool II}
Preschool
In September, Benjamin started his second year of preschool! We take our first year of preschool very gently, but the second year we start to get a little more into “bookwork”. It is still SUPER relaxed, but it was a good path with Jacob and Sarah and so we are doing it with Ben.
What I have learned is that Benjamin is just a different student. He is still young, so things very well could change, but at least right now, Benjamin just isn’t really interested. I think he will get there and so right now we are just taking things a little slower.
He has mastered letters A, B, C, and D – their names and sounds. And he is getting really good at isolating the beginning sounds of words, the colors, numbers 1-5, motor skills, and his pencil grip.
We are taking things slower as we learn letters E, F, G, H – but we are getting there!
Curriculum: The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts: Level Preschool
Handwriting
NEW SUBJECT! A new subject for Benjamin is handwriting. Ben has done great with his pencil grip and his strength in his hand. He has been working on curves, loops. waves, spirals, straight lines, angles, and zigzags.
Curriculum: The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting Workbook: Doodles and Pre-Writing for Littles Part 1
Final Thoughts
As I said at the beginning, I am feeling very grateful lately for the opportunity I have to homeschool my children. It is not the simplest choice in ways, but it has been an incredible blessing for our family. I love this time I get to spend with my children, learning and growing with them. In so many ways, my life has felt foreign to me lately. But I always hoped to have a close family, and I do. I love this life that we have and will cherish this time forever.
Now onto winter!
