How to Homeschool a Kid Who Hates to Write ~
Written by Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy

For whatever reason, some kids hate to write.

I don’t mean they dislike it, or they’d rather not today, thank you. No, I’m talking about those kids for whom writing “The cat sat on the mat,” requires the physical effort and mental stamina of climbing Pike’s Peak (but probably with a lot more fussing, whining, crying and arguing).

These kids aren’t faking: writing is genuinely difficult for them. (Especially when they’re young, and especially for boys.)

Your challenge as a teacher, a parent, and an academic coach is to keep their disdain for handwriting from turning into a hatred of school, which happens all too often because the thing they hate most (handwriting) permeates every subject.

Thankfully, most writing haters get over it–without intervention–by 4th or 5th grade.

But until then, these tips will help you — and your child — cope.

9 Tips: How to Homeschool a Kid who Hates to Write

1. As far as you can, eliminate the writing in every subject but writing. 

The goal is simply to master the material.

2. Do the work out loud.

Instead of written worksheets, try oral drills for math facts, phonics, translations, fill-in-the-blanks, paragraph summaries, etc. Or, do the worksheet but do it out loud.

3. Use stickers.

If your child is completing a worksheet, try writing the answers on small stickers in advance. Your student can then place the correct sticker in the appropriate spot for his answer. (This has the advantage of feeling like a game.)

4. Make it a matching game.

With a little advance work on your part, your child can match up Spanish nouns with their meanings, coins with their names, states with their capitals, dates with historical facts, and anything else you can think of.

5. Play “secretary” for your student.

They dictate, you record. This lets your creative child get their stories, summaries, or science observations out of their head and onto paper.

6. Get creative with spelling word practice.

To practice “writing” spelling words, let your child “spell” the words with his finger in a shallow container of rice, sand, beans, or water. No paper or pencil required.

7. Consider starting typing early.

We started our pencil-hating kids on a typing program at age seven (at their request!), but kids as young as five can begin typing lessons.

8. When your kid must write, equip them with coping strategies to help them handle it better, or let them find their own.

My writing-haters self-soothed by swinging, spinning and sprinting down the driveway, preferably before and after handwriting time.

9. Make the writing easier:

• Switch to markers or smoothly gliding pens.
• Ditch the paper for a dry erase board.

These tips and tricks require a little extra work on your part to implement.

But if your writing hater still loves school (well, except for handwriting class) I hope you’ll agree with me: it’s worth it.

Do you have (or have you had) a student who hates to write? We need your tips, tricks and coping strategies!

A Little House Virtual Field Trip ~

As I’ve written before, the Little House books have influenced my life since I first read them as a little girl. I’ve read the entire series several times and have always had a dream – a dream that this year is going to come true!

I’ve always wanted to walk where Laura walked, see where she lived, and be inspired as a family along the way. Well, this summer it’s happening!

In June we’ll be heading west as a family – not in a covered wagon, but a minivan – to the Little House sites in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota on a massive road trip.

I’m beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to do this as a family, but then I thought – why not take you guys along with me?

Of course, you won’t all fit in the minivan, but why not put together a virtual field trip so you can take your kids to Laura’s homes from your dining room or coffee table?

Ready? Let’s go!

A Little House virtual field trip

Stop 1. Pepin, Wisconsin

Books written about this site: Little House in the Big Woods

Head to Little House in the Big Woods on Google Earth

Laura was born in the Big Woods in 1867, and she describes this first childhood home in Little House in the Big Woods. The Ingalls lived here twice, and the memories Laura shares in the book actually take place after they returned from the Kansas prairie.

If you look at the satellite view, you’ll see that only a few trees remain, but there’s a replica cabin located at the site and a picnic area to hang out in.

Take a tour of Little House, Pepin:

(Click here for the video if you can’t see it below.)

Learn more about Pepin:

• About the site – Wikipedia
• Read the highway marker at the site.
• More photos of Laura’s birthplace
• Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, Pepin

Stop 2. Independence, Kansas

Books written about this site: Little House on the Prairie

Head to Little House on the Prairie on Google Earth

Laura’s family moved here in 1869 and settled on land belonging to the Osage Indians, having received word that the land would soon be available for settlers. After a year of persevering through hardships and dealing with tensions between the Native Americans and settlers, the Ingalls were forced to leave Kansas.

Today a replica cabin sits on the site, furnished the way Laura described in the book. Pa’s hand dug well stands nearby as well.

Take a tour of the Laura’s little house as it looks today:

(Click here for the video if you can’t see it below.)

Learn more about the Kansas site:

• Read the marker at this site.
• More photos of the site near Independence.
• Kansas travel – Little House

Stop 3. Walnut Grove, Minnesota

Books written about this site: On the Banks of Plum Creek

Head to Walnut Grove on Google Earth (scroll up a little to see the original dugout site)

After leaving Kansas and spending a few years back in Wisconsin, the Ingalls moved to Minnesota in 1874 and lived in a sod house for the winter. Pa eventually built a house on the property (which Laura called “the wonderful house,” as it was the largest she had lived in at that point).

Both houses are gone, but Plum Creek–ah, that’s still there! I’m looking forward to taking off my shoes and wading in it, just like Laura did.

The site of the dugout has been marked, and Walnut Grove has a museum dedicated to Laura and the time period. The church bell that Pa donated his shoe money for hangs at a church in town as well.

Tour the site of plum creek and Laura’s home:

(Click here for the video if you can’t see it below.)

And take a walk on the banks of plum creek:

(Click here for the video if you can’t see it below.)

Learn more about the Minnesota site:

• Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, Walnut Grove

Stop 4. De Smet, South Dakota

Books written about this site: By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, The First Four Years

Head to Little House in De Smet on Google Earth

After suffering disappointments in both Minnesota and Iowa, where the Ingalls lived for a short time, the family decided to move further west so Pa could work for the railroad as it expanded through South Dakota. This ended up being their final move until Laura, Mary, Carrie, and Grace left home as adults.

De Smet is the site of the Long Winter, the site of Laura’s courtship with Almanzo Wilder, and the start of their married life together.

Tour the Little Town on the Prairie:

( Click here for the video if you can’t see it below.)

Stop 5. Malone, New York

Books written about this site: Farmer Boy

Head to Almanzo’s childhood home on Google Earth

Almanzo was born on this farm in 1857, and Laura shares his childhood story beautifully in her book Farmer Boy. His family lived here for nearly two decades, until crop failures forced them to move west to Minnesota.

Almanzo’s original home still stands, and has been restored as much as possible to the time period in which the book was written.

Tour Almanzo’s farm:

(Click here for the video if you can’t see it below.)

Stop 6. Mansfield, Missouri

Head to Rocky Ridge Farm on Google Earth

All the Little House books were written from this location!

Laura, Almanzo, and Rose moved here in 1894 looking for a fresh start in farming. They transformed the rocky land they purchased bit by bit and spent nearly 20 years building the white farmhouse that is now a museum honoring the family’s legacy.

Years ago Steve and I had the chance to visit Rocky Ridge Farm on a road trip before having children, and I loved seeing Pa’s fiddle and Laura’s kitchen and parlor.

I’m standing at the site of the “Rock House,” which Rose (Laura/Almanzo’s daughter) built as a gift to her parents down the street from Rocky Ridge Farm. After living there a few years, they said it was “too fancy” for them and that they were homesick for the farm – so they moved back down the street!

Tour the Little House on Rocky Ridge Farm:

(Click here for the video if you can’t see it below.)

Learn more about Rocky Ridge farm:

• Laura Ingalls Wilder home and museum
• Laura Ingalls Wilder house
• Rocky Ridge Farm – Tripadvisor

I hope you enjoyed this Little House virtual field trip out west with Laura and me – a special thanks to Laura Ingalls Wilder, Frontier Girl for all of the wonderful video clips!

Head here to read all Jamie’s posts re: Little House – including the one after we returned from our trip!

“It has been years since I beat eggs with a fork or cleaned a kerosene lamp. Many things have changed since then, but the truths we learned from our parents and the principles they taught us are always true. They can never change.”~ Laura Ingalls Wilder, reflecting on her famous series

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what you need most!

Create Your Own Math Playground (UPDATED!) ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool

I’ve been revisiting a series I first wrote more than ten years ago (how is that possible?!) all about math—sharing the non-traditional path our family chose, particularly in our early homeschooling years.

This time, though, you’ll also hear the reflections of my older, wiser homeschool self, looking back to see how my early ideals have held up (or not) over time.

Together we’ve been exploring math through a fresh lens, pausing to ask: Why do we approach this subject the way we do? Could there be other meaningful options worth considering?

For this post, you’ll find my updated thoughts in navy blue, and I’ve fully updated both lists of games & toys. This is the final update in this math series, now complete!

If you’ve missed any of the others, you can find them here: 

Other UPDATES in this math series:
* A different way to look at math
* Out of the box math inspiration
* Read your way to a love of math:
75 titles for ages 4-12

Much of the research we’ve peeked at suggests it’s possible to wait until around age 10, give or take, to introduce formal math. (I’m not saying this is the only way to approach it, by the way! It’s one of many options.)

If you decide to follow this advice, however, what should you do up until that age?

I’m glad you asked. Why not create your own math playground?

Create Your Own Math Playground

Here are a couple of ways to approach it:

Option 1: Less Structure

In the early elementary years of homeschooling, look for ways to bring math into your lives when the opportunity naturally arises (and it will!). Point out patterns in nature and the beauty of God’s creation. Discuss it with a sense of wonder and possibility.

If your child enjoys games, follow her lead in playing some of the ones listed below – and read aloud some of the books I’ve mentioned in this post. As your child gets older, you may transition to option two below (or not, depending on you and your kids).

Option 2: More Structure

Let’s say you must document your child’s math for your state or country’s home education laws. Does that mean you can’t approach math this way? (I get this question a lot!)

I don’t think it means that at all. Simply apply these ideas with a bit more structure and document what you’ve done as needed.

Maybe you decide to set aside 15-30 minutes each weekday, three times a week, or whatever suits you – making it your “math time.”

Create a routine if that works best for you: read one math book or one chapter of Life of Fred (answering the questions aloud is fine, unless you need them written for proof of study), play a math game, and end with a Bedtime Math problem.

Switch it up when you or your child need a break or get bored with the routine. Now that you have an idea of how to play with math, let’s get an idea of what to play with!

Below you’ll find an updated list of popular math games and toys that I’ve spent hours putting together!

Feel free to bookmark this post so you can come back to it as needed. If you add 1-2 items each year, over time you’ll create your own math playground with ease.

Math Games

Let’s be straight up about games for a second: They’re great for learning, but young kids can seriously stink at losing. This seems to get better with age and depends on their personality, but don’t force something that makes you all miserable!

In our home I’ve found it works a bit better if I play one-on-one with a child (as opposed to siblings squaring off against each other).

^ Okay, an updated confessional: I did not have a love-hate relationship with board games in our homeschool. I had a like-hate. I liked them sometimes, and other times they made me hate my life. #honest

This meant that all the excited talk about gameschooling (and how fun it could make learning) inadvertently made me feel guilty.

What was I doing wrong? How come this wasn’t fun? And what was wrong with my kids that they couldn’t handle losing, and that one game gone wrong could destroy our entire day?

Doing games one-on-one helped some, which is why I recommended it here in the original post…but it wasn’t a guarantee. I have one twenty-something who I still can’t play games with!

Like anything else, explore the options to see what’s out there and then, as the expert on your homeschool, choose (or don’t choose) what works (or doesn’t work) for you!

And the upside, now I have one young adult who loves playing games…and occasionally we’ll have other siblings join in too with more success.

So keep in mind it isn’t now or never. Maybe games aren’t your family’s thing right now, but maybe in a decade and a half they might be!

Also on a practical note: Check your public library for math games! Ours started having these available for checkout over the past few years.

10 Top Math Games for Ages 4-9 (Updated!)

Those marked with an asterix * at the beginning are Martin family favorites.

1 – * Sum Swamp: Ages 4+, addition/subtraction (Just the sight of this gameboard hits me with such a wave of nostalgia that it makes my stomach hurt! True story: I gave this away to a dear homeschool friend of mine and then asked for it back.)

2 – Tiny Polka Dot: Ages 4+, counting, basic arithmetic

3 – Zingo 1-2-3: Ages 4+, number recognition, basic arithmetic

4 – * 4 Way Countdown: Ages 5+, basic math facts (Just the fact it’s wooden made me feel all Waldorf-y and like I must be doing something right. lol)

5 – Monopoly Junior: Ages 5+, money value

6 – * Money Bags: Ages 6+, coin identification/money awareness (Another game board that still gives me funny feelings, even though we passed it on to another family – and let them keep it this time!)

7 – Math Dice Jr: Ages 6+, basic math facts

8 – Quirkle: Ages 6+; pattern recognition

9 – Rat a Tat Cat: Ages 6+; strategy, memory, addition

10 – No Stress Chess: Ages 7+; (I am putting this on my wish list now because I never learned how to play and have always wanted to! I guess we’re never too old for games.)

10 Top Math Games for Tweens/Teens (Updated!)

1 – 7 Wonders: Players calculate how combinations of cards and resources multiply point values

2 – 24 Game: Use the cards to make the number 24 (Great for reviewing math facts; 2 versions available – single or double digits)

3 – Gravity Maze: logic/problem solving; can be played solo (I’m a sucker for any games with marbles!)

4 – Karma Card Game: forming/recognizing patterns (Recommended by a college math professor)

5 – Monopoly Deal: The fun of monopoly without taking hours!

6 – Prime Climb: multiplication/division/factors

7 – Rummikub: constantly add and manipulate number tiles to create or extend sets and runs

8 – Splendor: Arithmetic, sequencing, and cost-benefit calculation

9 – Who Knows Math and Finance Better? – a quiz style card game

10 – * Yahtzee: great for mental calculations (We still use the same one I had in childhood!)

10 Top Math Toys

Those marked with an asterix * at the beginning are Martin family favorites.

You have a ton of math toys in your home already. Don’t overlook the obvious: a ruler, measuring tape, compass, dominoes, beans for counting, and your kitchen measuring cups.

And it goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: You don’t need any of the below or the above to homeschool “right.” You’re already enough as you are.

These are just options for fun or for holiday/birthday wish lists! I hope you enjoy getting to create your own math playground that’s unique to you and yours.

1 – Base Ten Starter Blocks

2 – * Calendar/Weather Chart – Okay, I’m trying to stop getting all the feels over these family favorites, but it’s just not happening. We used our calendar chart all 15 of our homeschool years, and my family can let you know that I have heavily resisted taking it off the wall. Heavily.

3 – Fraction Tower Equivalency Cubes

4 – * Learning Resources Cash Register – I just looked it up…we bought this on August 12, 2010 for my Jonathan’s 6th birthday. Oh my heart – it’s still in the attic.

5 – Melissa and Doug Wooden Abacus

6 – *Melissa and Doug Money Set – buying Melissa & Doug stuff always made me feel like a good homeschool mom

7 – Pattern Blocks

8 – Self-Correcting Multiplication Keys

9 – Silent Learning Clock

10 – Talking Learning Clock

“Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.” ~ Albert Einstein

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

This post contains affiliate links. 

Read your way to a love of math (UPDATED!) ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool

I’m currently updating a series I published over ten(!) years ago about math, explaining how our family decided to approach the subject in a non-traditional way, particularly in the early years.

Now you’ll get to hear my perspective looking back as a veteran homeschool mom to see if it matches what my young, naive homeschool self thought!

In these posts, we’ve explored math study from a different perspective, asking two important questions: Why do we do what we do when it comes to this subject? Are there any other valid approaches to consider?

Other updates in this math series:
* A different way to look at math
* Out of the box math inspiration

An alternative to workbook pages in the early years is the simple sharing of a book spread open across your lap. It’s one of the easiest ways to create a blossoming love of numbers and patterns in a child’s heart and mind.

Back in the day when I was an insecure homeschool mom, I would have loved a list of well-chosen math titles, recommended by someone I trusted.

I’ve tried to provide that for you here, highlighting the resources we found most enjoyable in our own family – as well as including an updated list of other popular books you may want to check out.

Enjoy the journey as you read your way to a love of math!

Read your way to a love of math: 75+ titles for ages 4-12

Bedtime Math

Who is it for? Ages 4-12

What a fun addition (get it?!) this resource is for your math-learning littles.

Check out their website or app for easy access to a daily math question, or check out one of their three published Bedtime Math books(afflinks) for an offline option.

The beauty of bedtime math is that there are questions geared to a variety of learning-levels, making it something you can use for your preschoolers all the way to your pre-teens!

Life of Fred

Who is it for? Ages 6 – High School

Since I first wrote this series, I’ve been asked the same question several times: “I’d like to approach math differently, but what can I do if I have to provide documentation for my state and/or my kids have to take a standardized test?”

My top recommendation for those in the above situation would be to explore Life of Fred Math, a curriculum that goes from early elementary all the way through high school – but in a very different way to the norm!

Used in a structured or formal way, you’d be able to approach math creatively but still be able to provide the documentation you need to meet your local requirements.

Like any resource, Life of Fred isn’t for everyone. But my kids loved it, and I loved that I could read math aloud at the lunch table!

Mathemagic

Who is it for? Ages 4-12

Mathemagic is Volume 13 of a kids’ encyclopedia series that used to be produced by Childcraft and is now out of print.

It is full of inspiring math stories, clever puzzles, riddles, and games – perfect for reading aloud or putting on the shelf for your kiddos to flip through.

Math study aside, we have always had a used set of several Childcraft volumes  on our shelves, and still do!

I can’t get of rid them, because hardly a homeschool day went by in our house that I didn’t see a child with one of these tucked under their arm. Keeping them for the grandchildren, perhaps one day?!

No longer in print, check for them on Amazon or Ebay.

Mathematicians Are People, Too

Who is it for? Ages 8-12

This is a fascinating collection of short stories about the lives of the great mathematicians throughout history – often including the details about how they developed their groundbreaking theories and discoveries.

A perfect way to show our kids what passion for math looks like, this series contains two volumes.

Sir Cumference Series

Who is it for? Ages 7-11 (give or take)

The Sir Cumference books introduce foundational geometry concepts through adventurous stories – radius and diameter, data collection, perimeter, area, and pi all make an appearance in this series of 12 titles.

*****

Other titles to explore for ages 4-8 (Updated!)

• 12 Ways to Get to 11
• Amanda Bean’s Amazing Dream (multiplication)
• Anno’s Counting Book
• Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar
• The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos
• Captain Invincible and the Space Shapes  (3D shapes)
• Count on Me
• Do Not Open This Math Book  (addition/subtraction)
• The Doorbell Rang (division)
• Double Puppy Trouble  (doubling)
• Each Orange Had 8 Slices
• Even Steven and Odd Todd
• Fannie in the Kitchen (measurements)
• Full House: An Invitation to Fractions
• Give Me Half!  (fractions)
• The Greedy Triangle
• How Much is a Million?
• I Love You 100  (counting to 100)
• Inchworm and a Half  (fractions)
• Just Enough Carrots  (comparison)
• Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money
• Math Fables: Lessons That Count
• Math For All Seasons: Mind-Stretching Math Riddles
• Measuring Penny
• Missing Math: A Number Mystery
• Missing Mittens  (odd/even)
• More or Less  (comparison)
• Multiplying Menace: The Revenge of Rumpelstiltskin
• Mummy Math: An Adventure in Geometry
• One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale  (doubling)
• One Hundred Hungry Ants
• Pebbles and the Biggest Number
• Pigs Will Be Pigs (money)
• A Place for Zero
• The Rabbit Problem
• The Reindeer Remainders  (division)
• Spaghetti and Meatballs for All!
• Tally O’Malley  (tallying)
• Ten Black Dots
• What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras?  (geometry)
• Where is Sheep 100?  (skip counting)
• Zero the Hero

Other titles to explore for ages 8-12 (Updated!)

• 5 Minute Math Problem of the Day
• The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat
• Annika Riz, Math Whiz
• The Best of Times (multiplication)
• Betcha! (estimating)
• Counting on Frank
• CSI Math Mystery for Kids
• Danica McKeller’s Math Series (Ages 12+; Perfect for adults looking to freshen up, too!)
• Daphne Draws Data: A Storytelling with Data Adventure
• Divide and Ride  (division)
• Earth Day – Hooray!  (place value)
• Eat Your Math Homework
• Fractions in Disguise (fractions)
• Game Time  (time)
• G is for Googol: A Math Alphabet Book
• The Grapes of Math
• The Librarian Who Measured the Earth
• The Man Who Counted: A Collection of Mathematical Adventures
• Math Curse
• The Math Inspectors (Chapter book series – 6 titles)
• Math Mysteries: The Triple Threat
• Math Potatoes: Mind-Stretching Brain Food
• Math-terpieces: The Art of Problem Solving
• The Multiplying Menace Divides  (division)
• The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure
• The Penny Pot  (coins)
• The Phantom Tollbooth
• Pythagoras and the Ratios  (ratios)
• Shark Swimathon  (subtraction)
• The Times Machine!  (multiplication/division)
• Too Many Kangaroo Things to Do!  (multiplication)

“Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty.”
~ Bertrand Russell

Do you know of any more inspiring titles to help read your way to a love of math?

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

This post contains affiliate links. 

Out of the Box Math Inspiration ~
Written and updated by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool

I’m currently updating a series I published several years ago about math, explaining how our family decided to approach the subject in a non-traditional way.

Now you’ll get to hear my perspective looking back as a veteran homeschool mom to see if it matches what my young, naive homeschool self thought!

If you missed the first update in this series, I’d recommend reading it here before continuing this one!

Let me continue by serving up more math inspiration for you to consider.

Several “out of the box” math inspiration examples follow, which I hope will help you develop your own thoughts and discern what may be best given your family’s current situation.

Many of these examples fueled my personal decision on when and how to teach math in our homeschool.

Out of the Box Math Inspiration

1. Just Do the Math by David Albert

David Albert shares the story of 9-12 year-olds who learned all K-6 math in just 20 hours of study. He also shares his belief that an average teen who is actually motivated to learn math, and wasn’t held back by math anxiety, could learn all the K-12 math that he hasn’t naturally picked up in life in approximately eight weeks of study. 

 “So, do the math. If you figure the actual math time at 30 hours a year for 8 years (accounting for the wasted time in the early years), it totals 240 hours. Lo and behold – if, at age 15 or so, you wanted to learn all the math K-12, weren’t inhibited by math anxiety, and were willing to spend 30 hours a week at it, it would take you…8 weeks!”

2. A Mathematician’s Lament by Paul Lockhart

In his book, research mathematician Paul Lockhart (afflinks) makes the case that math is an art form, and that the way we currently study it prevents kids from falling in love with and seeing it through the lens of imagination that other arts inspire. 

“If I had to design a mechanism for the express purpose of destroying a child’s natural curiosity and love of pattern-making, I couldn’t possibly do as good a job as is currently being done – I simply wouldn’t have the imagination to come up with the kind of senseless, soul-crushing ideas that constitute contemporary mathematics education.

“You want to train them to calculate 427 plus 389? It’s just not a question that many eight-year-olds are asking. For that matter, most adults don’t fully understand decimal place-value arithmetic, and you expect third graders to have a clear conception? Or do you not care if they understand it? It is simply too early for that kind of technical training. Of course it can be done, but I think it ultimately does more harm than good. Much better to wait until their own natural curiosity about numbers kicks in.”

3. Research on the Teaching of Math at Trivium Pursuit

This article shares (in thorough detail) how math has been taught historically through the ages – a fascinating study! The author then suggests waiting until around age ten to begin formal math lessons.

“So to wait until age ten to teach arithmetic is actually, from an historical perspective, to advocate an early start. It is only from a decidedly modern perspective that waiting until age ten would appear to be a late start.

“Depending upon the child, upon the method, and upon the subject matter covered, there exists the potential for developmental harm from the formal teaching of arithmetic before age ten.

“Small children cannot understand many arithmetic concepts at an early age. We can teach them to perform the process, but we cannot make them understand the concepts. The child learns to hate learning. The child’s understanding develops along the wrong lines. He may actually develop mental blocks to arithmetic – actual physiological blocks in the brain.”

But how can someone actually begin the formal teaching of math at age ten? Laurie Bluedorn suggested one possibility in a follow up to the above:

“At age ten we start the child in formal math with a 6th grade math textbook. I give the child two math grids, and they are allowed to use them when doing their math lessons.

At age eleven I take away the addition/subtraction grid. The child should have the addition/subtraction facts memorized by then. If I think that he doesn’t have them memorized then we would drill on them till he does have them memorized. At age twelve I take away the multiplication/division grid.”

4. Louis P. Benezet’s Study…as told in Free-Range Learning

In 1929 Louis P. Benezet, the Superintendent of Manchester, New Hampshire schools, tried an experiment within his system. He trialed having some of his classes wait until seventh grade to introduce formal math study. Before then he encouraged naturally occurring math learning, but had teachers make reading, writing, and reasoning the focus in the early years.  

“I feel that it is all nonsense to take eight years to get children through the ordinary arithmetic assignment of the elementary schools. What possible need has a ten-year-old child for knowledge of long division? The whole subject of arithmetic could be postponed until the seventh year of school, and it could be mastered in two years’ study by any typical child.

“Due to pressure from some school principals, children were started on a math book in the second half of sixth grade. All sixth-grade children were tested. By spring of that year, all the classes tested equally. In other words, those children exposed to traditional math curricula for part of the sixth-grade year had mastered the same skills as those who had spent years on drills, times tables, and exams.”

5. What I thought (and wrote) then – 10 years ago:

In some ways it’s difficult to explain exactly what we do in our family – because it is, has been, and no doubt will continue to be completely different for each child. There’s no formula, but we have followed the advice mentioned above about waiting to introduce formal math.

This decision comes from our deep belief in the importance of our young children having a full and thorough Core Phase, which does not include a focus on early academics.

Two of my three children are now in the second phase of learning, Love of Learning, and recently math emphasis has crept into our lives more regularly. But it is still highly individualized and based on each child’s needs and strengths.

I have one who is naturally gifted with numbers, who has played with them over the years and by doing so has picked up quite a lot. I have two children who learn very differently to the traditional classroom style and who appear to have their geniuses (at this stage) in other areas.

Of course this doesn’t mean that math won’t be a part of their lives, but it means that I introduce concepts when I believe maturity and readiness are present so I can set them up for success.

6. What I think now – 10 years later:

When I look back on teaching math, I marvel at how God in his wisdom directed our paths to what our children would need for their future. At the time I first wrote this, I didn’t have full clarity of my daughter Trishna’s and my son Elijah’s special-needs (both on the autism spectrum, with several other diagnoses).

Yet this individualized approach ended up suiting all three of my kids and what mattered most for each of them.

I would have experienced so much wasted time and frustration if I had tried to push structured math onto my special needs children earlier. It would have negatively affected their self-concepts, and my self-confidence as a teacher.

One of them reached about eighth grade level of math before graduating, and that fits perfectly with their needs. The other struggles greatly with math concepts, and is around first grade level, even after several years of diligent focus and lessons in their teens. This child is learning workarounds to help them function in this area for what they’ll need in life.

My son Jonathan used Teaching Textbooks for math and finished through Algebra II, enough for him to get into the colleges of his choice. His job as a Lighting Director and Designer uses a lot of math and it’s been interesting to see how proficient he’s become in that on-the-job setting.

So see? It all worked out!

I do want to honestly mention that at times it was challenging for our younger kids in certain social situations when math tasks came up that they had not mastered yet. This could be mitigated by mastering addition/subtraction earlier but waiting for the rest.

I also want to say that it is possible to teach math as a structured homeschool subject if that’s best for your family’s needs. This out of the box math inspiration and approach is not the only “right” option!

If you approach it with flexibility and the understanding that there is more than one way, you can make regular curricula work for you as opposed to you working for it.

Keep in mind the long-term perspective: Not every child needs to love math, but it would be nice if so many didn’t hate it!

So if you decide to get out of the box when it comes to math, what can you do in the early years to prepare and play with numbers instead? I’m glad you asked!

Come back soon for the next update in this series. I’ll have a list of specific resources so you can create your own math playground.

“Mathematics should be taught as art for art’s sake. These mundane “useful” aspects would follow naturally as a trivial by product. Beethoven could easily write an advertising jingle, but his motivation for learning music was to create something beautiful.” ~ Paul Lockhart

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

A Different Way to Look at Math ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool

Like many of us, I have a complicated relationship with math.

I like math.

But I don’t always like how it’s taught.

I naturally excelled at math in school. The subject made me feel powerful, and eventually I was offered the chance to skip 7th grade math (which I ended up declining – those 8th graders looked so scary!).

You’d think since I had a “positive” experience with math in school, I would have been eager to replicate that in our home.

But my heart (and my children) steered me in a different direction.

I see now that the main skill that led to my math success wasn’t understanding math; it was the ability to memorize. From an early age I used that skill to people-please my way into my teachers’ hearts, to form an identity for myself, and to cover up deep-rooted feelings of insecurity.

(See?! I told you it was complicated!)

And as the years passed, I had that familiar sense so many of us identify with when it comes to this subject: Boredom.

Nagging questions rang through my head: “What’s the point of all this?” and “When am I ever going to use it?”

I wanted something different for my kids.

I saw the value of studying numbers, patterns, and shapes – because God built those into our world. Therefore they must be interesting, useful, and worth learning about!

Yet I dared to imagine a different timeline for this subject. Because when I looked at the math scope and sequence, especially for elementary school kids, one thing appeared drastically lacking:

The principle of relevancy.

A Different Way to Look at Math

Children naturally want to learn and conquer things that are relevant to their lives.

I saw this with my own as littles when it came to a love of and interest in words. In our home my children were surrounded by reading and writing–therefore they showed interest in both (still on their own unique timeline, mind you.)

With math, the process felt different.

Some parts were relevant – the ones that appeared in our daily lives.

This included writing numbers, counting, basic adding and subtracting, temperature, fractions as related to cooking, telling time, measuring, the concepts of multiplication and division (but not complicated calculations with them early on), decimals as related to money, etc.

But math that didn’t naturally arise in our daily lives didn’t get our focus early on because it requires a different process: Abstract thought.

The ability to reason and think abstractly doesn’t come in the early elementary years–it develops closer to the age of puberty.

“Piagetian experiments have shown repeatedly that cognitive maturity may not come until close to age 12. Interestingly, the ancient Orthodox Jews, known over the world for their brilliance, provided little or no formal schooling until after age twelve for girls and thirteen for boys when children were considered able to accept full responsibility for their actions.”
~ Dr. Raymond Moore, The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook, pg. 44

The traditional approach to math study, whether done at school or at home, creates a hate of math in many kids. It makes plenty feel stupid at a young age – an internal lesson hard to unlearn later. Others (like I did) begin to measure themselves by their positive performance instead of their inner value.

All of the above is the opposite of what I wanted for my own children. Instead of making my kids fit the system, I created a new system to fit my kids.

It included a different way to look at math.

I will not for a second suggest that this was always simple to do. But in some ways, it was easy. I lightened my load considerably by allowing the principle of relevancy to guide our math learning.

My own mental battles ended up being the hard part when it came to choosing something so counter-cultural – and sticking with that decision in the face of opposition. When I started to panic (and you should know I did many times), those mental battles were usually the reason why.

We had to step way outside the grade level box to follow our family’s personal convictions in this area, and that took courage. But believing we were doing what was right for our children made the choice worth it.

If you feel at peace in your homeschool choices when it comes to math, please keep on keeping on! As always, there are a million ways of creating a successful homeschool, and zero ways to create a perfect one.

My method here isn’t “right” and others “wrong,” it’s all about discovering what works for your family and your kids.

But if you’ve hit a wall in your study of numbers, if you or your students have or are experiencing math burnout, or if you’ve ever wondered “Is this the only way?” – then know that you’re not alone.

Perhaps you just need a different way to look at math.

Over the next month or so I hope to bring a little thought-provoking inspiration across your path in this series on looking at math differently from my perspective as a now retired homeschool mom of three. Stay tuned!

“The tantalizing and compelling pursuit of mathematical problems offers mental absorption, peace of mind amid endless challenges, repose in activity, battle without conflict, “refuge from the goading urgency of contingent happenings,” and the sort of beauty changeless mountains present to sense tried by the present-day kaleidoscope of events.”
~Morris Kline, Mathematics in Western Culture

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

My personal experience using All About Reading with an older child ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool

Sometimes homeschooling requires us to face our greatest fears.

When we first started out, my husband and I used an interest-led learning approach. I knew this meant that my children might not read at ages five or six, but could even take until eight or nine to reach that milestone.

I read example after example of homeschooling parents whose children went from not knowing how to read one day, to reading full chapter books the next. I saw something similarly miraculous occur with my oldest two, who began reading at ages six and eight, with minimal formal lessons.

But with my youngest I waited and waited. We dipped our toes in program after program as the years went by, each one helping, but nothing unlocking fluency.

Having an older child who could not read was one of my greatest fears, one that I’ve been called to face. My son is now fourteen.

His inability to read is not his fault, nor is it mine (another fear). It goes back to his battle in infancy with malaria, a battle that nearly took his life in West Africa before he joined our family. He’s a survivor, yet his brain still shows the scars. Having to work much harder than others to master basic academics is one of them.

I’ve cried and prayed and stared at the ceiling in the middle of the night, asking God for help. About a year ago those prayers led us to All About Reading. (affiliate link)

Using All About Reading with an Older Child

One day I watched a video in which Marie Rippel, founder of All About Reading and All About Spelling, describes her own son’s learning struggles that led her to create her programs. I showed the video to my son, and he wanted to give it a try.

We’ve been using it for over a year now.

I wanted to share our experience in case it might be the right fit for you and yours, whether you have a child who struggles as well or are just looking for a solid program to use with younger children.

A few details I’ve appreciated:

The Scripted Lessons

I was shocked by how much I LOVE the scripted lessons, telling me exactly what to do and say and what materials I need for each part of the process. It takes away that guesswork of “Am I covering everything in the best order?” – especially important with a struggling learner.

I will say that if I was using this program with elementary-aged children, I would likely add in some reward/incentive (#intentionalbribery) to make sure the lessons don’t become a battle.

Check out my day in the life post from a few years ago where I mention our “skills learning treats.” This is something I wish I would have started earlier, but I worried that bribery would take away my kids’ love of learning. (Note: Providing it’s not overused, it doesn’t!)

Format of Lessons

Each lesson begins with a review of phonograms and words previously learned, moves on to new teaching (a lot of which is done on a magnetic whiteboard), and includes activities that allow students to practice new skills.

Alternate lessons have students reading stories, which are some of the best I’ve come across in early readers–and I love the illustrations, now in color!

I also adore the “warm up sheets” for each story, which guide children in practicing specific words and phrases that will appear in their story–helping them read with more fluency. Brilliant!

Since I’m doing these lessons with an older child, we often skip the kinesthetic, game-like activities geared toward younger kids, but it’s perfect to have them if you need them. The program also builds in many multi-sensory learning options so you can adapt it to what works best for your student’s learning style.

Our Progress

The entire All About Reading program is comprised of four levels, covering phonics, decoding, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension.

Elijah and I are currently halfway through Level Two, and while he hasn’t reached fluency yet, we feel more hopeful about his reading than ever before.

We typically do a 15-20 minute lesson three to four times a week, and we go at his pace, which means that we might spend two days on one “lesson.”

Our progress is slow, but guess what? It’s progress! And after all these years, that feels really good.

Interested in giving All About Reading or All About Spelling a try?

I’ve also had wonderful success using All About Spelling with my son Jonathan, but this post was getting too long, so I shared those details in another one here.

One of the best things about AAR/AAS is their incredible year-long guarantee:

Check out all of the step-by-step lesson plans and reading and spelling tips for ONE FULL YEAR. Treat the program like your own, and learn everything the program has to offer. If you then decide it’s not for you, simply send the package back (in any condition), and we’ll refund your purchase price. No questions asked.

As I mentioned before I am an affiliate for All About Learning, which means I receive a commission on any purchases through these links. Please know I only ever share with you programs that have made a difference in our homeschool.

This is definitely one of them! Perhaps it will also be the answered prayer for you that it has been for us.

Any specific questions about using All About Reading with an older child? I’d be happy to answer them!

Disclosure: I received this curricula at no charge; all opinions are my own.

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

7 Characteristics of a Charlotte Mason Education (UPDATED!) ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool

Welcome back to my newest Simple Homeschool series, in which I’m going back in time to share my thoughts as a retired homeschool mom after 15 years of active duty.

This month I decided to revisit this popular post from the very first year of Simple Homeschool; I wrote it in 2010!

Obviously I have a lot more experience and thoughts of my own to share now, so I’ve updated the post below with them. Look for the red headings to easily spot those.

Let’s learn a bit more about Charlotte Mason education together:

Prefer to listen instead?

*****

If you’ve been homeschooling for long, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Charlotte Mason.

Her educational principles, which she developed in 19th century England, offer much to home educating children and families alike.

But what exactly is a Charlotte Mason education? How can you know if it will work well for your family?

Use this overview to help you decide.

7 Characteristics of a Charlotte Mason Education

1. Habits

Charlotte believed that the development of good habits within a child provides the foundation for early education. She wrote, “The mother who takes pains to endow her children with good habits secures for herself smooth and easy days.”

For this reason Charlotte advised delaying formal academics until age six, instead advocating play and work within the gentle boundaries of the family unit.

Charlotte saw good habits as so crucial that she recommended putting all else aside if a bad habit appeared, and working with the child (in a friendly way) to reconcile the issue before it could develop further.

Jamie’s thoughts on habits today:

Keep in mind that Charlotte Mason worked with children in schools, and was not a mother herself. Please have no guilt if you find that instilling good habits in your children is a lifelong endeavor – it is!

I agree with the delay of formal academics (in most cases), and that is what worked well in our family. However, I can remember feeling guilt over the fact that my kids did have bad habits, and this can feel even heavier to those of us who have children with a variety of diagnoses and special needs.

Habits are a big priority, but they are not our ONLY priority. Success in this area can take a decade or more to observe!

2. Style of Lessons

Charlotte Mason style lessons are short, especially for young children. The goal is to train the child to focus fully on their work, but only for the amount of time they are developmentally capable of.

For early elementary-aged children this often means only 5-15 minutes per subject. In older grades the duration extends to 45 minutes or more.

Photo by D. Sharon Pruitt

When a child becomes restless, Charlotte advised changing the lesson to a different type of subject–maybe moving from handwriting to music study, or from math to handicrafts.

Short lessons means that more subjects can be incorporated into a school day. This fits with the Charlotte Mason philosophy of introducing many topics to children and allowing them to delve deeper into the ones that spark their interest.

Jamie’s thoughts on style of lessons today:

Yes! I 100% agree that short lessons are the best lessons, especially for littles, but boy did my Inner Taskmaster find it hard to stop without reaching the “official” end.

I felt like I didn’t get my closure and gold star! Looking back though, I would try to work with a timer/clock and mark where we leave off so we could return and begin the next time.

3. Living Books

Living books are the opposite of textbooks–quality literature (either fiction or non-fiction) written by an author with a passion for the topic. The writer’s passion and expertise breathes life into the book, as opposed to a textbook that gives impersonal overviews of many topics.

Living books present inspiring stories that engage the minds of children and adults alike, providing characters our children can look up to and emulate.

Jamie’s thoughts on living books today:

Yes, especially for younger ages, living books are the way to go! However, for those of us with a proclivity toward insecurity, please remember that this does NOT mean that you must only choose books that are 100 years old or were on Charlotte’s official reading list.

You’re looking for books, new and old, that have that spark of life to them that captures your own imagination and that of your child. You get to create your own list as you go!

4. Narration

A Charlotte Mason-style education uses narration as one of the central methods to evaluate a student. The goal is to teach a child to think and express themselves clearly.

Up until the age of 10 or 11, Charlotte advises teachers to use mainly oral narration with a child. After listening to a short passage of a book, the child will tell back, in his or her own words, important aspects of the story.

Letting a young child do this orally helps them develop analytical thinking skills without getting stuck by the physical mechanics of handwriting.

At around age 11 Charlotte Mason teachers begin having children do written narrations, which lengthen and become more in depth as children get older.

Jamie’s thoughts on narration today:

I experienced a ton of pressure in this area that we weren’t “doing it right.” It’s essential to remember that life with a classroom of students must be organized differently to life at home with a handful.

When I asked my kids to repeat back what they had heard…it often resulted in that deer in headlights look, left me feeling disappointed, and took away from the enjoyment in what we were reading. But there were other times when the kids were so excited about something they had read that they couldn’t wait to come and tell me every. single. detail.

This is narration at home, in the context of real life. The same way that we might summarize a book for our adult friends! So experiment with narration to see how or if it works for you, but feel free to allow it to naturally happen as opposed to forcing it.

5. Dictation

Dictation exercises introduce and reinforce spelling and grammar concepts.

Charlotte recommends using inspiring quotations or Scripture for dictation. The child studies the passage until they are certain of the spelling and punctuation. Then the teacher dictates the passage slowly while the child writes it down.

Formal grammar study is usually delayed until age 10 or 11 in a Charlotte Mason education.

Photo by Wonderlane

Jamie’s thoughts on dictation today:

I definitely agree with the concept of delaying formal grammar study as a general idea. Aside from Mad Libs and chatting casually about grammar mistakes in real life (as an English major and author, grammar is very important to me!), we delayed this formally even longer than Charlotte.

We used Fix It Grammar for a while; I loved those workbooks! Dictation is a bit like copywork, which I listed as one of the things I’d do differently of if I could go back in time.

But dictation was not a top priority for us until the teen years, and it doesn’t have to be for you to homeschool well. Try it and then decide for yourself!

6. Art & Music Study

Charlotte Mason believed in exposing a child to greatness in many forms, which is why she introduced music and art appreciation at her schools.

In Charlotte’s schools, one composer or artist was studied each term–both through experiencing the music and art, reading living books about the artist, and perhaps reproducing the style through art or music lessons.

Jamie’s thoughts on art and music study today:

Of course it is beautiful to introduce art and music to a child, yes! If this an area of personal passion for you as a homeschooling parent, then please focus on it and share your own inspiration. That always makes for beautiful memories and learning moments!

However, if it feels rote, remember that it doesn’t have to be as formal as it was in Charlotte’s schools to make an impact over your entire homeschooling years. You are spreading a feast for your kids, as Charlotte used to say, but you are NOT force-feeding them. There is a difference!

7. Nature Study

Photo by James Wheare

Charlotte thought children should spend as much time as possible outdoors, especially as young students.

Students kept their own detailed nature journals as part of their nature study and also used nature guides to discover and identify the natural world in their neighborhood.

Jamie’s thoughts on nature study today:

You do not have to spend several hours outside daily to have your kids appreciate and benefit from nature. Some of CM’s quotes suggest otherwise, and if that fills you with guilt, remember to look at the heart behind it.

Nature inspires us and is and worth getting into whenever possible, but your kids aren’t doomed to failure if they miss a day or don’t spend six hours outside in the rain LOL! We never did nature journals, but I know other families who have and have loved them.

Good and terrifying news: You get to be your own expert, on this and every other decision!

*****

Charlotte Mason’s ideas created an educational revolution when she developed them. She hoped education would open the doors of equality and opportunity to all.

She believed that, regardless of what social class they belonged to, children deserved dignity and respect. <— THIS is my biggest Charlotte Mason takeaway. Use her ideas out of dignity and respect for your individual children; don’t use them out of fear of failing your kids or getting it wrong.

Never put any homeschool philosophy or method above a precious child of God!

Charlotte expressed the hope in many a homeschooling parent’s heart when she wrote the following:

“The question is not,—how much does the youth know? when he has finished his education—but how much does he care?

And about how many orders of things does he care? In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set? And, therefore, how full is the life he has before him?”

Further Links to Learn More (UPDATED):

• Modern Miss Mason
• Heritage Mom
• Ambleside Online
• Living Books Curriculum
• What is the Charlotte Mason Method? (a good overview)
• When Children Love to Learn: A Practical Application of Charlotte Mason’s Philosophy for Today
  
• A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning
• For the Children’s Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School

Has your family incorporated any of Charlotte Mason’s ideas? Please share what has worked for you.

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

SH #111: Don’t Make Math a Misery ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool and Introverted Moms

Welcome back to a new episode of the Simple Homeschool podcast, continuing this year’s series with my 18-year-old son Jonathan!

Jonathan was homeschooled from K-12th grade/graduation and today we are answering a question that came in from Danielle: What you did for math with your kids at various ages?

Don’t Make Math a Misery

In Episode 111, you’ll hear us discuss:

• How much we love Family Ties (doesn’t have to do with math, but still fun
• How long we waited to require formal math and what we did instead in the early years
• The disconnect a lot of young kids feel when it comes to math that isn’t relevant in their daily lives
• The practical tools & curricula we used for math in various phases of homeschooling

Click here to stream/download Episode 111! Find it wherever you listen to podcasts and subscribe so you’ll be notified when we release another in a couple of weeks.

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Thanks to our sponsors: FORM Fitness and Night Zookeeper!
• Are our voices an encouragement? Buy us a tea!
• A Different Way to Look at Math
• Out of the Box Math Inspiration
• Read Your Way to a Love of Math: 50 Titles for Ages 4-12
• Create Your Own Math Playground
• Homeschooling 101: What to Teach and When to Teach It
• Teaching Textbooks
• My Fun Science and CTCMath
• Follow Jamie on Instagram and Facebook
• QUIZ: What’s Your Homeschooling Mom Personality?

Do you have a homeschooling question for Jonathan or me to answer in an upcoming episode? If so, leave it in a comment on this post or email it to me at jamie@simplehomeschool.net with the subject line “Podcast Question” and we’ll see what we can do!

* Listen to more episodes of the Simple Homeschool podcast here.

* Click here for the auto-generated transcript of this episode.

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your type needs most!

How to Use Literature Guides as a Complete Language Arts Curriculum ~
Written by Kari Patterson

As a mama with very different kids, including one on the spectrum, we have tried a little bit of everything, curriculum-wise. Over the last 11 years we’ve done Saxon, Singapore, Life of Fred, Bob Jones, and HSLDA math. (Whew!) Each was helpful for the particular child and stage he or she was in at the time.

We’ve also dabbled in various history and science curriculums, but there has been one fairly common thread through the whole course of our homeschool journey:

Teaching language arts through literature guides.

This isn’t a certain curriculum (I use several) so much as an approach. If this interests you, follow along: I’d love to share how this has worked for us.

How to Use Literature Guides as a Complete Language Arts Curriculum

Why Literature Guides?

Humans love stories. Doesn’t everyone love stories? Who doesn’t love getting swept up in a truly captivating tale, who isn’t moved or challenged or inspired by the heroism and humanity we meet, whether on the page or the screen?

My mom always espoused the Delight Directed philosophy of learning. She believed that if we can discover what delights our children, we’ll find the key to helping them learn. As far as I can tell, everyone delights in a well-told story.

Time together. While our kids do a lot of reading on their own, we’ve always done our literature guides together. In the youngest years, I read the books aloud, snuggled on the couch, and we did all the writing work together.

Now at 16 and 14 years old, they do all that work on their own, but we read the books at the same time and discuss as we go.

I have found that reading literature together has allowed my kids and I to enter into fascinating worlds together. While the rest of life is going on, we are also elsewhere. We are in Narnia or Avonlea, Pemberley or the Shire.

Just the other day I walked in to Dutch’s room and he was laughing to himself: “Marie St. Clare is the WORST!”  I knew exactly where he was.

I love sharing a literary world with my kids. 

How? 

Of course there are any number of ways to do this, but I’ll share what it’s looked like for us.

Getting Started: I’ve primarily used Total Language Plus and Progeny Press study guides.

(Side note: I now teach middle/high school literature at a homeschool co-op and the Progeny guides are nice because the pages are reproducible for use within one classroom. You can also buy them as e-guides and just print off what pages you need.)

Pace: As a general rule, you can usually cover 3-4 literature guides a year, depending upon the book. (We’ve done 4 each year.) My favorite way to plan is simply peruse grade-level book lists from sources I trust, and see which ones coincide with literature guides.

I start with ones I’ve read and love, and for those I’m not familiar with, I check them out from the library to read over the summer.

Pick and choose: I don’t use every activity in each guide. I’m not a fan of word-scrambles or crossword puzzles for vocabulary study, though some of you might love those! I prefer students write creative sentences or paragraphs using vocabulary words.

Discussion: In my opinion, the discussion is the most valuable part. We go through every chapter together, discussing what struck us, what confused us, what we loved or didn’t love. We discuss the analysis questions, we discuss implications and underlying assumptions.

This also helps students’ comprehension, if the book is particularly challenging. Many weeks I’ll have students confess they were very confused by the narrative or dialogue, but after a thorough discussion they understood more clearly.

Grammar/Writing: Just this year I began incorporating the IEW Structure & Style concepts into our literature studies. I wish I’d started years ago! We’ve always done the grammar and writing activities included in the literature guides, but this year I took Andrew Pudewa’s teaching practicum and purchased the teacher and student notebooks and incorporated the concepts and assignments each week.

This has been a fabulous combination!

Lastly, I can’t help but share some of our very favorite literature studies over the years:

The Whipping Boy, Charlotte’s Web, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, My Side of the Mountain, The Wheel on the School, The Hiding Place, Anne of Green Gables, The Giver, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and Pride & Prejudice.

Whether you have or have not used literature guides for language arts, I hope this encourages you to try something new! 

Are you a GOOD or BAD homeschool mom? Take Jamie’s NEW QUIZ now to find out!