This is a subject which I love, and yet, to date my children have not shared the same passion. I sadly regret using text books on history with my children and fear this may have contributed to their distaste for the subject. Emma and Sarah are fond of historical novels and listening to historical accounts, so we hope to pursue history in literature, plays, novels, essays, biographies, poetry, architecture, painting for the period and monuments. Our goal for this year is to study from scratch - using the Greenleaf series, followed by biographies on the early Christian martyrs.
BIBLICAL STUDIES:
We have never insisted that our children read their Bibles, preferring them to see their parents read and enjoy God�s Word, and follow suit. This approach has worked tremendously, as they are now reading their own Bibles in the privacy of their room at night. In the morning, I tell the children what I have read and what the Lord has shown me. Sometimes, we take portions of Scripture and discuss it. Together, Andre and I freely talk to the children about the greatness of God, and how we fear Him. Sadly, we don�t have much family based Bible reading. I was encouraged, however, to learn of many mommas who, by themselves, taught their own children, while their husbands were either away, working or deceased. The children use the Bible for copy work as well as their memory verse books.
LITERATURE
Here are a few books we have enjoyed:
Little House On the Prairie series
The Days of Laura Ingals Wilder by TL Tedrow
Prairie Dog Town and all other childrens fiction by Janet Oke
"Charlie" series as well as Matilda and other children's fiction by Roald Dahl
The Adventures of Milly Molly Mandy by Joyce Lankester Brisley
The Saturdays, Thimble Summer & Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright
Helen Keller by Margaret Davidson
Charlotte's Web by EB White
Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
William the Ancient Briton by Richmal Crompton
Bows Against the Barons by Geoffrey Trease
Any Armada Paperbacks for Boys and Girls
The Nancy Drew Series by Carolyn Keene
All Agatha Christie novels
All Abbey Classics
Judy Blume books
LITERATURE CONT.
G Henty books
All of a Kind Family and other novels by Sydney Taylor
The Adventures of the Northwoods by Lois Walfrid Johnson
The Secret of the Rose series by Michael Phillips
American Family Portrait by Jack Cavanaugh
Oh, there are too many to mention! We are always on the lookout for good books. We try to steer away from later novels and prefer the older writers, as well as the Classics. And talking of classics, I have found that some take such a lot of concentration to the point of 'losing' the story line. Have any of you found that? And so - we are quite happy letting the children read the abridged versions. Sometimes, we find books by chance that we've never heard of before, enjoy them so much and can never seem to find any more by the same author. Books on subjects that we haven't been too interested in before. I guess it's like taste in music. You may enjoy classical and own many classical titles when suddenly you hear a Hungarian folk ditty that pulls your chords and you find yourself searching for more and before long, you have bought paprika in bulk and become an expert at Hungarian Goulash!
Some resources that have helped us on our homeschooling journey are;
The Elijah Company Catalogue - which not only lists resources, but has an extremely helpful section on homeschooling
The Teaching Home Magazine - articles, homeschooling methods and how-to, homeschooling testimonies
Creation Magazine
Honey For a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt
The Christian Homeschool by Greg Harris
You Can Teach Your Children Successfully by Ruth Beechick
Charlotte Mason Education by C Levison
Charlotte Mason Study Guide by Penny Gardner
Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Engelmann, Haddox and Bruner
PLEASE NOTE - CHANGE OF ADDRESS!!
There are two address changes:
The Webb Family - Areyonga Community, via Alice Springs, NT 0872
The 2nd Onions Family (formerly c/o the 1st Onions Family)
6 Cadjibut Way, Sth Hedland, WA 6722