Homeschool Lately

October was definitely a fun homeschool month!

We have three states left on our 50 states reading map and I have holds waiting to be picked up with all three of those states inside!

My mother-in-law bought A this Star Wars workbook, Preschool Number Fun, and he is suddenly very into math since Star Wars is his latest obsession.

Lately he’s been filling up four journal pages each week. Once a week he gets a new Bible verse to memorize for Awana and since he always likes the way verses are “all crazy” in my coloring devotionals, I’ve been making a (hideous) hand-lettered design for him to color in during quiet time on Thursdays. He’s been getting more and more into sounding words out and writing them himself so once a week he picks out five words for me to write in his journal, then he practices copying them in his own writing during quiet time.. and we’re still loving his stories, where he draws a picture and then I write down the story he narrates to me on the opposite page. I am keeping this journal forever, y’all.

We read lots of knight stories this month, along with a few nonfiction books on the same subject, and then dressed up and enjoyed an afternoon walking around a renaissance faire. We watched jousting, admired costumes, examined pirate artifacts, saw a spinning wheel demonstration, and took in the general atmosphere. 

Favorite books: Illuminations // The Storybook Knight // Sir Ryan’s Quest // Knights in Shining Armor // King Jack and the Dragon // Eyewitness: Castles 

After reading and loving Giant Squid, A was on a big ocean kick this month. We watched the ocean dvd of Planet Earth (alas, no giant squid) and then found all kinds of other great ocean-themed library books (plus a few from our own shelves) throughout the month. Favorites: Pink is for Blob Fish // The Magic School Bus and the Shark Adventure // Amazing Animals: Sea Turtles // Manfish // Shark Lady // Coral Reefs // Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle

We learn one page a week (five-ish new words) from a Spanish book I had picked up from the thrift store. I got to browse Usborne First Thousand Words in Spanish and I’m excited to order that soon and start in on that one as soon as we finish our current book! (They have a bunch of other languages too)

We’ve been collecting leaves on our stroller walks lately and we recently read The Magic School Bus and the Wild Leaf Ride before doing some leaf rubbings in his journal. We talked about evergreens vs broadleaves and we’ve been learning which leaves come from which trees, very fun.

And, because we’re always and forever reading alllll the books, ten general favorites this month: The Snatchabook // Balloons Over Broadway // Uni the Unicorn // Star Wars Little Golden Books // The Reader // Red Wagon // The Rockabilly Goats Gruff // Little Red Writing // Ned the Knitting Pirate // Goodnight Baddies