This is going to be the final post in the Educational Gifts series, but if you are looking for some last minute gift ideas, there is still plenty of time to shop. I’ve had a lot of fun sharing some great ideas for holiday gifts. Thus far, I’ve shared ideas for Language Arts, Science, Math, … Continue reading "Educational Gift Ideas – Cook Family Favorites"
We are deep into summer mode right now. The days are hot and lazy, perfect for curling up with a good book or spending afternoons in the backyard catching frogs and worms. It is also birthday season around here – my three eldest children all have birthdays within a week of each other. We have … Continue reading "Summer Learning"
This could potentially be a pretty long post – but I wanted to share some books that would work well with the BYL Level 1 and BYL Level 2 programs. I scoured my own personal bookshelves, as well as my town library and Amazon, to provide you with a list of great books for your … Continue reading "Recommended Readers for Level 1 and 2"
You often hear the term “living book” tossed around in homeschooling circles, but what makes a book “living”? Can it be subjective? What are spine books? Do we have to read only literature that was written over a hundred years ago? How can I use living books in my homeschool? Today, I want to explore … Continue reading "Teaching With Living Books: A Tutorial"
This is part 3 of the Literature-Based Education series. Follow these links to read Part 1 and Part 2. It may sound obvious enough, but any school subject can be taught through living books. Science, history, art, grammar, even math can be taught with literature! Most homeschoolers are familiar enough with livening up their history … Continue reading "A Literature-Based Education: Teaching Academics"
This is Part 2 in the Literature-based Education series. Last week we talked about Choosing Great Literature. Today I’m going to talk about the mechanics of reading aloud. So now you’ve chosen a topic to study and you’ve gathered all your books. Now, what exactly does teaching with literature look like? How can you fit … Continue reading "A Literature-Based Education: Reading Aloud – Making it Happen"
Every year, I like to keep track of what I read. I used to just jot it down in a spiral notebook, then I had a database in excel for a while. Now I keep track at Goodreads. At the end of the year, I like to reflect back on what I read. Now that … Continue reading "The Year in Books – 2013"
It’s that time of year again! By the end of August, I’m usually just about ready for autumn to begin. I love this season – the leaves changing, the cooler temperatures, the brand spanking new school supplies, and the excitement that a new school year brings (with no mistakes in it yet)! I’ve been brainstorming some … Continue reading "Back to Homeschool Series – “Book Organization”"
Reading aloud to your children is so important. I cannot stress that enough. It may be one of the most important things you do for them, educationally speaking. Most parents can find the time to read a picture book or two with their infants and toddlers, but once a child learns to read, that snuggly … Continue reading "The Importance of Reading Aloud"
Living books are the soul of Build Your Library curriculum. But what is a living book? To me, a living book is a book that comes alive when you read it. It leaves a mark when you’ve finished reading and lives in your heart forever after. That might seem like a lot to ask of … Continue reading "Thoughts on Living Books"
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