I thought I would share what we have been up to this school year, even though it is soon coming to a close! Can you believe it? I sure do have a lot of improvements to make for next year. Mostly to be more intentional in my teaching and lesson plans. To make things even more meaningful and fun. Take it up a notch basically. I will give an overview of how I feel our year went in June, but for now we gotta get to it and finnish up our books and try to enjoy ourselves while were at it!
We chose to begin My Fathers World Exploring Countries and Cultures this year with our 7 and just turned 10 year old. We have really learned a lot and enjoyed the gentle approach and the overall natural feel that this curriculum has to offer. Here's a look at some of our books above. I understand that it looks like a lot, but you are not in all of them at once! You move methodically through them throughout the whole year and it makes SO much sense the way the lesson plans have it laid out!
The first pic is of our Geography books. They are all excellent! Great for different ages because they are easy to adapt the activities to the age level you are working with. The teachers manual also helps by giving tips on what to do for different ages groups. That little blue book as actually a little passport that you fill out every time you begin to study a new country. The kids always enjoy that! They are fascinated by the Window on the World book because of all the pictures and information on all the people groups around the world. The Geography From A to Z is also a favorite of ours. Every week we make note cards with the Geography terms for that week and draw pictures of them and write the definition on the back. Then we review them periodically. I have to say we really enjoy all these books and have gained a lot from them!
These are our science books! My second grader does The Complete Book of Animals and my fourth grader works in the Properties of Ecosystems. Then we read the Living World Encyclopedia together and the dK book is actually just a supplement that I already have that goes along perfectly with the unit, so I figured I may as well use it! I love studying nature and my little country raised boys are right along with me! The really cool thing is that the curriculum is set up so that you are actually studying the natural habitats, animals, forests, rivers, and climate of the countries and continents you are studying for Geography! Very cool.
These books are the read-alouds. I have to tell you though that for some reason my 2nd grader who loves to read and has listened to MANY chapter books read aloud to him, was not into any of these books. They were just over his head I guess. So I just read them to my oldest and that worked out fine. He listened and enjoyed them with no problem. He's been chapter-bookin' it since kindergarten though. The Kingdom Tales was awesome and sparked a lot of great conversation about God and who He is.
I apologize that this is such a brief overview! I will try to share some of our activities that we do in the next couple of months. Next year, as we venture into the My Father's World Creation to the Greeks, I will be sharing along the way so there will be a clearer picture of the curriculum. I love My Father's World and I feel very privileged to be using it! I feel like it was put together by the Holy Spirit's guidance to bless families like ours. I thank the Lord for this gift to help me to teach my little boys!
There will be more to come as I will share the rest of what we are doing in our school! Have a blessed day as you embrace all He has done for you!
