​In this Year 1 (First Grade) year, Nature Study is usually reserved for Fridays.  It’s our art, science and sometimes poetry and geography day depending on the week.  On this particular Friday, we’re getting more hands on and learning all about WORMS & composting – Vermicomposting to be exact! 

​Following with the deep dive into all our lessons, today we're diving into HISTORY. The history rotation we follow is based on Ambleside Online’s history book list for my year 1 student. 

Geography? For First Grade? 

I know, I thought the same thing when I first perused the curriculum I chose for my daughter. But I went with it.  I searched high and low into every single subject and was able to see glimmers of what other veteran moms did and asked questions in forums, etc.  But I thought, since we're nearly done with this first year and my daughter so looks forward to this subject when she sees it's on our schedule for the week, that it would be beneficial for other homeschool families to see a deep dive into this subject. 

​This post may include affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase based on my recommendation, I get a small remuneration at no extra expense to you. I only recommend things I actually use and believe to be a blessing.

Introducing Shakespeare plays to early elementary school aged kids can seem daunting and to some even a waste of time.  I hope that once you see how easy it is to do, that you'll also open your heart to how incredibly enriching it will be for you and your kiddos to add this to the rotation of literature to learn at home and start that deep seeded love for one of the most, if not THE, greatest writer in the English Language!

When I first learned about the Charlotte Mason approach to homeschooling, the area I felt the most apprehensive about was Nature Study.  For some reason it intimidated me.  Chalk it up to me thinking I wasn't good at science, good enough at art, just not good enough (period). Gosh, we are our own worst critics, huh?

So naturally, I dove right in and learned that it is the one subject I look forward to the most now! It's everything I wish Science was when I was a kid and I am learning right along with my kiddos.  

I've learned a thing or two and want to let you in on it.  My very first suggestion: make Nature Study your ON-THE-GO subject!

It’s midsummer 2020 and I believe it wouldn’t be hyperbole to say that nearly all parents have had some sort of conversation regarding homeschooling this upcoming year due to the pandemic. Lots of parents I have personally spoken to say one of the following:

1. 100% we’re homeschooling next year, but I have absolutely no idea where to start
2. this wasn’t on my radar at all but now I’m considering it
3. no way, these kids are going to school next year!
   

No matter where you lie, it doesn't hurt to know the facts about how to legally homeschool your children.  I'll be specifically linking and siting options pertinent to the State of Florida, however, many of these links will also help guide you toward the rules and regulations of the state in which you live. 

Good news is... it's actually quite easy in many, if not, most states in the US!

​This post may include affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase based on my recommendation, I get a small remuneration at no extra expense to you. I only recommend things I actually use and believe to be a blessing.

​Recently I posted how we organize our school curriculum for my year 1 student and my year 0 student. As I was filing all the books in their proper spots, I quickly realized that I was going to have to be a bit more creative when it came to organizing Math. If you're like us, we have an incredible amount of math manipulatives and two activity boxes from The Good and The Beautiful Math K & 1 Math to organize. That's a whole lot! Let's dive in so you can see how we're doing it. 

I hope you enjoy this video below as I tour our Math organization in this home. Below you'll see all the resources I use and or recommend to start organizing all the math things in your own home.