This post is as much for me as it may be for you. This is a compilation of my digging into this idea of homeschool and what it means for me as a mother, woman, and human being.
RHYTHM
First, rhythm. This was my most important first step and something cultivated over several season for several years. You can see our homeschool rhythm here. I do not use a schedule, meaning I don’t say start breakfast at 8, Math at 9, Snack a 10 because I want to leave space for joy, inspiration, magic and create margins for the unexpected.
method
Next, I considered different homeschool methods and talked with homeschooling mamas. There are so many options and ways to homeschool. The takeaway is that though there are definitely different homeschool camps, everyone does homeschool differently, because every person is different. Homeschooling is truly a customizable educational path. I gathered ideas and resources from Waldorf/Steiner, Earth Schooling, Forest Schooling, Classical Education, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, Unschooling, the Good + the Beautiful, Peaceful Press, and Wild + Free. I watched YouTube videos on every homeschool method I could think of and put google and instagram to work.
reading list
Now, I love reading, I love to learn so I compiled a gargantuan book list, I mean its giant. It’s clear to me what I find important when it comes to education. I put the list at the end of this post (just scroll down).
GOALS/INTENTIONs/results
I took some time to write out some intentions/goals/results for this year. I’ll refer back to these when a do a review at the seasonal shift. They are:
✓ Deeper relationship + connection between me and the boys
✓ Reading
✓ Writing
✓ Creating
✓ Learning
✓ Health
✓Nature + Seasonal Living
I have fleshed them out a little with the how here:
✓ Deeper relationship + connection between me + the boys:
slow my response time to their questions
employ breathing so maintain a calm and thoughtful demeanor
entertain their train of thought esp. when they are excited or passionate
let go of control wherever I can
listen to them + respect them
dig deeper into triggers and seek therapeutic support when there is confusion
✓ Reading:
✓ Writing:
✓ Creating
✓ Learning:
✓ Health
✓ Nature + Seasonal living
simply getting outside as often as possible
asking questions to draw their attention to whats happening outside
being intentional
going slow
cultivating gratitude
celebrating the seasons with a party
PLANNING
There are lots of ways to set a homeschool “schedule”: block, loop, self-directed, unschool; ultimately I decided to create a daily focus where in all subjects: math, science, art, reading + writing, language arts, history, electives, etc. are weaved in throughout the day. Ex: Monday is Math day - but, we don’t spend the whole doing doing just math worksheets; we would do something like baking or measuring with fractions and multiplication, or problem solving or engineering a lego build. Maybe we read about a legendary mathematician or write a story about a boy who builds a building using math or we notice the patterns, shapes and designs in Nature. Or … craft the number 10 out of clay or cut bananas into number shapes. Seriously, the learning possibilities are endless. See mine here.
So, here is how I’m doing the planning …
First I look at the year and think about what I want to cultivate (see above), then I focus on the season and think about all the wonderful things the season brings - all we have to do it look outside and pay attention. Then I have a focus for the month, then I put together a few options to consider and inspire our learning each week - there are 13 weeks in a moon cycle so thats a good guide to narrow it down - I just intuitively choose a focus for each of the 13 weeks.
As I mentioned, I want to create space and margins, so I chose to make New + Moon days no school/rest days. They looks like this:
watching shows in the morning
alfresco/picnic dinner, lunch or breakfast
baking a treat
read aloud + snuggle
New Moon: set intentions/make wishes
Fully Moon: celebrate/give gratitude/release + forgive
+ a small cleaning project like cleaning out/organizing a drawer or closet
SUBJECTS ideas (this might get slightly overwhelming, but they just ideas to consider)
MATH
SCIENCE
ART (the 7 arts)
Architecture
Sculpture
Painting
Literature
Music
Performing
Film
+ The Liberal Arts:
grammar
logic
rhetoric
arithmetic
geometry
music
astronomy
Brush drawing
Nature journaling
READING + WRITING ( + history)
Native Peoples study @jodimockabee + Bonnie Shemie
An Inclusive American History Curriculum @littlewomenfarmhouse
Wildcraft course on foraging, identifying local plants, animal tracks and basic survival skills @jodimockabee
And now, let the giant reading list commence …
Grade Level Reading List
1st Grade Reading List
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
The Bears' Picnic
Bedtime for Frances
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business
Franklin Rides a Bike
!f You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Freckle Juice
The Little Engine That Could
Make Way for Ducklings
The Listening Walk
Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia
Quick as a Cricket
Ten Apples Up on Top
There's an Alligator Under My Bed
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
Frog and Toad are Friends
Ivy and Bean
Margaret and Margarita: Margarita y Margaret
My Best Friend
There Is a Bird on Your Head!
Widget
Aunt Chip & The Great Triple Creek Dam Affair
The Boy Who Loved Words
Carlo and the Really Nice Librarian
Edward and the Pirates
Max's Words
You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Fairy Tales to Read Together
The Apple Pie That Papa Baked
Bear Snores On
The Big Snow
Diary of a Wombat
The Snow Leopard
Winter's Eyes
Clementine
The Dot
Emily's First 100 Days of School
Little Cliff's First Day of School
Miss Smith's Incredible Story Book
Ramona the Pest
The New Girl...And Me
Is A Worry Worrying You
Oh Brother!
Dad, Jackie and Me
Big Bug Surprise
Elena's Serenade
The Empty Pot
Henry and Mudge
I Knew You Could
How to be a Good Dog
Raggedy Ann's Wishing Pebble
What's So Bad About Being An Only Child?
Charlotte's Web
I Wish That I Had Duck Feet
The Hundred Dresses
The Little House
The Little Prince
Mr. Popper's Penguins
The Stories Julian Tells
Fairytale News
Flotsam
The Girl in the Castle Inside the Museum
Goldilocks and the Three Martians
How the Elephant Got Its Trunk
Let's Play In the Forest While the Wolf Is Not Around
Prancing, Dancing Lily
Pinkalicious
When the Library Lights Go Out
The Cat in the Hat
Green Eggs and Ham
Minnie and Moo and the Case of the Missing Jelly Donut
Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams?
Stella, Queen of the Snow
George Washington's Cows
The Giant Hug
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse
Smash! Mash! Crash! There Goes the Trash!
I Love You This Much: A Song of God's Love
The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name
Wee One's Bible Stories
The Beginner's Bible: Timeless Children's Stories
Precious Moments Bible
The Icky Bug Counting Book
The Nature Treasury: A First Look at the Natural World
The Polar Bears' Home: A Story About Global Warming
Why Do Leaves Change Color?
More here from Earth Schooling
4th Grade Reading List
Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing - Judy Blume
✔The Indian in the Cupboard - Reid Banks
✔The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - CS Lewis
✔The Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
✔Number the Stars - Lois Lowry
James and the Giant Peach - Roald Dahl
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
Matilda - Roald DahlThe Witches - Roald Dahl
Blubber - Judy Blume
Freckle Juice - Judy Blume
Superfudge - Judy BlumeAre the there God, It’s Me Margaret - Judy Blume
Jumanji - Chirs Van Allsburg
Bud, Not Buddy - Christopher Paul Curtis
The One and Only Ivan - Katherine Applegate
✔Island of the Blue Dolphins - Scott O’Dell
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - Grace Lim
When the Sea Turned to Silver - Grace Lin
The 13 Clocks - James Thurber
The Tales of Desperaux - Kate DiCamilloFlora & Ulysses - Kate DiCamillo
The Giver - Lois LowryShiloh - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
✔The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson) - Rick Riordan
✔The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
✔Little House series - Laura Ingalls Wilder
Inside Out and Back Again - Thanhha Lai
Tuck Everlasting - Natalie BabbitWonder - RJ Palacio
✔Socks - Beverly Cleary Home of the Brave - Katherine Applegate
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carrol
✔Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
✔The Call of the WIld - Jack London✔Harry Potter - JK Rowling
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L’Engle
The Bag of Lucky Rice
A Children’s Anthology: A Gathering of Flowers
Auragole of Mattelmead
Auragold of the Mountains
✔Black Beauty
Blacky The Crow
Burgess Animal Book for Children
Bird Book for Children
Captains Courageous
Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales
Celtic Myths and LegendsA Child Awake - Science Curriculum
Dream FeatherGray Wolf’s SearchGrimmI Heard the Owl Call My NameJohnny AppleseedJust So Stories
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare - Edith Nesbit
More here from Earth Schooling
Seasonal Reading List
FALL
Autumn by Gerda Muller
Apple Cider Making Days by Ann Purmell
The Bold Boy by Malachy Doyle
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
Thanking the Moon by Grace Lin
Fall Leaves by Loretta Holland
Woody Hazel and Little Pip by Elsa Beskow
The Wind Children by Sibylle Von Olfers
When the Wind Stops by Charlotte Zolotow
Wild Child by Lynn Plourde
The Apple Cake by Nienke van Hichtum
Harvest Time
Christopher’s Harvest Time by Elsa Beskow
Hello Harvest Moon by Ralph Fletcher
The Gigantic Turnip
Apple Picking Time by Michele Benoit Slawson
Mrs. McNosh and the Great big Squash by Sarah Weeks
Saint George and the Dragon retold by Margaret Hodges
Brave Margaret An Irish Adventure by Robert B San Souci
Room on the Broom by Julie Donaldson
Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper
Moonlight the Halloween Cat by Cynthia RylantT
he Vanishing Pumpkin by Tony Johnston
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
ThanksgivingGiving Thanks – A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp
Squanto’s Journey by Joseph Bruchac
The Very First Americans by Cara Ashrose
City Green by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan
(Adult Autumnal Reading)
The Whole Family Rhythms Autumn Guide by Meagan Wilson
The Harvest Craft Book by Thomas Berger
Celebrating the Great Mother by Cait Johnson
Mabon by Diane Rajchel
WINTER
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner
Own Moon by Jane Yolen
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
The Story of the Snow Children by Sibylle Von Olfers
The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren
Ollie’s Ski Trip by Elsa Beskow
The Longest Night by Marion Dane Bauer
Winter by Gerda Muller
The Hat by Jan Brett
Sleep Tight Farm by Eugenie Doyle
The Mitten by Jan Brett
A Warm Winter Tale by Carrie A Pearson
Red is Best by Kathy Stinson
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Goodnight Moon by Margaret A Brown
Lifetimes by Bryan Mellonie
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst
Paths to Peace by Jane Breskin Zalben
Sky Sisters by Jan Bordeau Waboose
A Symphony of Whales by Steve Schuch
The Return of The Light: Twelve Tales From Around The World For Winter Solstice by Carolyn McVickar Edwards
A Winter Holiday by Arthur Randsom
The Nativity by Julie Vivas
Peter and Lotta’s Christmas by Elsa Beskow
Christmas in Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren
The Legend of St Nicholas by Dandi Daley MacKall
Advent and Christmas Stories by Estelle Bryer and Janni Nicol
The Longest Night by Marion Dane Bauer
The Light in the Lantern: Stories for Advent by Georg Dreißig
December’s Gift: An Interfaith Hanukah Story by Ashley Smith-Santos
The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer
Together for Kwanzaa Juwanda G Ford
Goodnight Stories from the Life of the Prophet Muhammad: Islamic Children’s Books on the Quran, the Hadith, and the Prophet Muhammad by Saniyasnain Khan
Lord Ganesha’s Feast of Laughter by Meera Uberoi
(Adult Winter Reading)
The Spiritual Background to Christian Festivals by Charles Kovacs
The Family Virtues Guide: Simple Ways to Bring Out the Best in Our Children and Ourselves by Linda Kavelin Popov
Living a Jewish Life, Updated and Revised Edition: Jewish Traditions, Customs, and Values for Today’s Families by Anita Diamant
Pagan Family Values: Childhood and the Religious Imagination in Contemporary American Paganism by S. Zohreh Kermani
The Interfaith Prayer Book: New Expanded Edition by Ted Brownstein
The Awakened Family: A Revolution in Parenting by Shefali Tsabary
SPRING
Spring by Gerda Muller
The Story of the Root Children by Sibylle von Olfers
The Story of the Butterfly Children by Sibylle von Olfers
How Robin Saved Spring by Debbie Ouellett
A New Beginning by Wendy Pfeffer
A New Day by Ronald Heuninck
Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Emma’s Lamb by Kim LewisLily and the Fairy House by Jane TannerUp in the Garden, Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
The Listening Walk by Paul Showers
Who Likes Rain? by Wong Yee
The Very Busy Spider Eric Carle
Eggs for the Hunting by Reg Down
A Year on our Farm by Penny Matthews
Rosalind and the Little Deer by Elsa Beskow
Thumbelina by Elsa Beskow
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
Little Sarah’s Big Boots by Paulette Bourgeois
The New Baby Calf by Barbara ReidFor Easter
The Story of the Rabbit Children by Sibylle Von Olfers
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
The Country Bunny by Dubose Heyward
The Easter Egg by Jan Brett
Marshmallow by Clare Turlay Newberry
The Egg Tree by Katherine Milhous
Rechenka’s Eggs by Patricia Polacco
The Story of the Easter Robin by Dandi Daley MacKall
The Little Red Hen version by Paul Galdone
Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox
Fancy That! by Pamela Allen
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Princess Sylvie by Elsa Beskow
(Adult Spring Reading)
Book of the Heart - The Poetics, Letters, and Life of John Keats by Andrés Rodríguez
Christianity as Mystical Fact by Rudolf Steiner
Celebrating Festivals with Children by Freya Jaffke
Easter The Legends and the Facts by Eleanor C Merry
Seven Times the Sun- Guiding Your Child through the Rhythms of the Day by Shea Darian
Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Walker Leslie & Charles E Roth
SUMMER
Summer by Gerda Muller
✓How Does My Garden Grow by Gerda Muller
The Story of the Wind Children by Sibylle von Olfers
The Story of the Butterfly Children by Sibylle von Olfers
✓Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
The Land of Long Ago by Elsa Beskow
✓The Sun Egg by Elsa Beskow
Peter in Blueberry Land by Elsa Beskow
✓Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner
The Seal Mother by Mordicai Gerstein
There’s a Sea in my Bedroom by Margaret Wild
Emily and Daisy by Elsa Beskow
Uncle Blue’s New Boat by Elsa Beskow
✓Over in the Meadow by Ezra Jack KeatsLittle Farm by the Sea by Kay Choraeo
The Sun with Loving Light by Stephen Bloomquist
Fireflies by Julie Brinckloe
✓Wave by Suzy Lee
✓Come on Rain! by Karen Hesse
Swimmy by Leo Lionni
(Adult Summer Reading)
The Whole Family Rhythms Summer Guides by Meagan Wilson
Whole Family Herbs by Meagan Wilson
Seven Times the Sun– Guiding Your Child through the Rhythms of the Day by Shea Darian
Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Walker Leslie & Charles E Roth
Summer Wynstone’s Book
The World of Fairytales by Pamela Daniel Udo de Haes
There is more (I told you it was GARGANTUAN) … these are from The Peaceful Press
https://www.thepeacefulpreschool.com/the-playful-pioneers-book-list
https://www.thepeacefulpreschool.com/the-precious-people-book-list
https://www.thepeacefulpreschool.com/blog/the-kind-kingdom
+ two more (thats it, I promise!)
https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/books/a29576863/types-of-book-genres/
https://www.readbrightly.com/home-reading-activities-6-year-olds/
RESOURCES + BOOKS
The Call of the Wild + Free by Ainsely Arment + her podcast
Homeschool x Design by Monica La Vella
The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer
The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had by Susan Wise Bauer
Nature + the Human Soul by Bill Plotkin
Ange Peters on hol:fit.com has great resources laid out in her blog post on homeschool
YouTube: all things Sir David Attenbourough on National Geographic + TedTalks (Sir Ken Robinson)
+ Mystery Doug, It’s Ok to be Smart, True Facts, Brick x Brick and PBS Kids are all entertaining + educational
Advice from homeschooling mamas
❤️ Go gently
❤️ Take the pressure off
❤️ Do less not more
❤️ Be with your children
❤️ Be intentional
❤️ Every day + season will be different
❤️ Stay present
❤️ Let the children lead
Oh and there is one more thing to note …
PLAY
“The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never loosing your enthusiasm.”
-Aldous Huxley
