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I'm a part-time clinical psychology researcher and full-time mother to Alex (4/05) and Colin (2/09). We are secular homeschoolers following a modified neoclassical curriculum.
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Current Read-Aloud
The Borrowers Aloft
Mary Norton-
Category Archives: social studies
The curriculum of love, continued.
As we have done before, we took off from school today for a Civics lesson. For two and a half hours, we stood in the cold outside an early voting site and campaigned on behalf of Marylanders for Marriage Equality. … Continue reading
Posted in excursions, field trips, social studies
2 Comments
Gold, salt, and taxes.
In history this week, Alex learned about the great medieval kingdoms in West Africa: Ghana, Mali, and Songhay. They rose to wealth and prominence because they were located in the center of trade routes, which allowed them to tax the … Continue reading
Posted in social studies, sotw vol. 2
4 Comments
A busy Saturday.
Today we went to Roman Days, a living history demonstration run by a group calling themselves Legio XX (the 20th Legion). Our friend Bill was there in a Senatorial toga, hearing cases as a magistrate when he wasn’t showing us … Continue reading
Posted in excursions, nature study, park quest 2012, social studies, sotw vol. 1
6 Comments
Richard and John.
Story of the World, Volume 2: Medieval Times has not been working for us as well as Volume 1 did. I’m not sure if the problem is with the curriculum, or with our failure to really put our hearts into … Continue reading
Posted in sotw vol. 2
8 Comments
We are rigorous homeschoolers.
Susan Wise Bauer is a notable educator and the author of several well-regarded curricula, not to mention the Bible of rigorous academic homeschooling, The Well-Trained Mind. When she says in her books that a project has educational value, I have … Continue reading
Posted in philosophy and politics, sotw vol. 2
7 Comments
Mrs. Katz and Tush, part 2.
We had a pretty busy week with Mrs. Katz and Tush, despite the lack of posting. (The real issue with that? I was reading the Hunger Games trilogy in every minute of my free time.) In the book, Mrs. Katz … Continue reading
Posted in art, five in a row, religious education, social studies
Tagged mrs katz and tush
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Mrs. Katz and Tush.
We’re taking another break in our usual curricula to study a Five in a Row book. Because it’s almost Passover, we’re reading Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco. The story is about a lonely Jewish widow and an African-American … Continue reading
Valhalla bound!
“Men die, cattle die, you yourself must die one day. There is only one thing that will not die – the name, good or bad, that you have made for yourself.” – quoted in D’Aulaire’s Norse Gods and Giants. Michael … Continue reading
Posted in sotw vol. 2
3 Comments
Color, cut, paste.
Alex is going through a huge coloring phase right now. I am thrilled – I can’t think of a better way to improve pencil control and build up stamina for writing than coloring elaborate pictures with colored pencil. Her control … Continue reading
Posted in art, sotw vol. 2
1 Comment
The Glorious Flight.
We’re back to Five in a Row this week with the 1984 Caldecott medalist, The Glorious Flight, by Alice and Martin Provensen. This wonderful book tells the true story of aviation pioneer Louis Bleriot, who in 1909 became the first … Continue reading
Theodore Parker: Listening to our conscience.
Our UU Superhero of the day today was 19th century abolitionist Theodore Parker. We started with a story about how Parker, as a little boy, first identified the voice of his conscience. (Here is one version of the story; the … Continue reading
Posted in religious education, social studies
4 Comments
More Heroes of History.
Our Heroes of History book club at BHCC continues to go very well. We’ve had two meetings in a row devoted to ancient history: first Julius Caesar, and then Alexander the Great. (Poor Alex has been the lone voice crying … Continue reading
Posted in BHCC, social studies
6 Comments
King John Sigismund: We add in RE at last!
I’ve been meaning to start adding in supplemental Religious Education since… September? Earlier, actually. Since I was on the committee to review RE curricula for our church and fell in love with the one Alex’s class isn’t doing. The program … Continue reading
Posted in religious education, social studies
4 Comments
Another geography fanatic.
Shortly after we started kindergarten, Alex became obsessed with the United States, largely because of Laurie Keller’s Scrambled States books and game. Her intense interest in U.S. geography faded after a while, but over the last several months Colin has … Continue reading
Posted in geography, toddler world
7 Comments
Hanna’s Cold Winter.
We’re doing a Five in a Row book this week, our first title from Volume 4. Volume 4 studies are supposed to be more in-depth and extended, but we’ve been a little haphazard about it so far. Alex loves the … Continue reading
History planning, and travels in ancient China
We made a big change at the New Year. Instead of using Five in a Row as the core of our curriculum, we’ll be doing a FIAR book once every five weeks. I’m still trying to figure out how the … Continue reading
Posted in policy & planning, sotw vol. 2, stuff we're reading
7 Comments
A New Coat for Anna.
Counting down our last few books of “regular” Five in a Row, this week we’re studying A New Coat for Anna, by Harriet Ziefert. Somewhere in post-WWII Europe, Anna has been squeezing into an outgrown and threadbare coat for far … Continue reading
Grandfather’s Journey, and tough questions.
Our book this week is the 1994 Caldecott winner, Grandfather’s Journey, by Allen Say. This is a very unusual picture book, spare and subtle and controlled, with delicate, formally composed illustrations. The storyline follows Say’s grandfather from Japan to America, … Continue reading
Molding Maryland mountains.
In Climbing Kansas Mountains, when the father suggests that they climb a Kansas mountain, the boy reminds him of the flour dough relief map of Kansas he made for a school project. (Really, imaginary teacher? A flat rectangle of dough … Continue reading
Climbing Kansas Mountains.
Our Five in a Row book this week is Climbing Kansas Mountains, by George Shannon. A young boy’s father takes him to “climb a Kansas mountain,” going to the top of the enormous grain elevator where the father works. The … Continue reading
