Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell others.
― Mary Oliver, Sometimes
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reading lessons on the kitchen floor
lettuce snipped from the winter garden
a beginning in Latin, one he’s challenged by and enjoying
a ticklish encounter with Daddy Long Legs
a colorful card for a friend
an empty bird nest in winter
morning journaling, a new practice
family nature walks and warm weather
whittling branches of our Christmas tree
discussions in grammar and sentence diagramming
studying Da Vinci and building an ornithopter
a shark dissection (not pictured here, but worth mentioning)
more recent images here: #cloisteredaway_homeschooling
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As I’ve been slowly combing through oodles of archived posts, I noticed several monthly recaps of our homeschool from years ago. Most of these little snippets included books we were reading or activities we had done together that month, often coupled with sub-par photographs. Each post was a gentle reminder of how much each of us has grown over the length of this journey. Now years removed, they felt precious to me, and I naturally wanted to revive this old project. For us, these sort of snippets will be as close to a yearbook as we’ll get. For you, I hope they will be a different picture of our days, a small but broader slice of our meandering path.
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JANUARY IN BOOKS
Liam || The Secret Garden | Galen and the Gateway of Medicine | The Door in The Wall | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | Calvin and Hobbes
Burke || Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (books 1-5) | Heroes of Olympus series (books 1-5) | Black Beauty | Ozma of Oz | Galen and the Gateway of Medicine
Blythe || The Marvelous Land of OZ | Holes | Leonardo Da Vinci | several smaller chapter books
Olive (mostly read aloud) || finished Kipling’s Just So Stories | Five Children and It | several early readers
Current read-a-loud || The Horse and His Boy. Burke is also reading The BFG aloud to Olive because he loved it so much and thinks she will too–so heartwarming.
Comments
I think you’re using English Lessons Through Literature this year? I’d love a review sometime! I’m thinking of using it or Brave Writer’s offerings. Curious how it’s going and how you like it. We’ve used Susan Wise Bauer’s First Language Lessons and looking for something similar but rooted in literature we’d read as a read aloud and more comprehensive so that really it’s the whole LA for my young kids (they mainly do copywork at this point, only being 8). Thanks for considering!
So funny, I’ve got it on my list to write about this month. Stay tuned. x
It’s funny, I thought the aspiring photographer in me would cringe at my old photos, but often they bring back so much nostalgia. As you know, when you start to learn about photography, you learn about clearing/reducing clutter from the frame. And in fact, I think it made me much more cognizant of clutter in general. But when I see those old photos, in all their messy glory, I don’t know… it brings back a lot of memories. Imperfect but so beautiful all the same.
Yes, it’s so true. Although I fight it every way, mess and imperfections have a beauty of their own.
Love this idea. I’ve been thinking of a way to record our tree change journey. As I know we will quickly forget the little steps along the way. Thank you for always being thoughtful and inspiring. x
12+ years into parenting, I’m amazed at all I’ve already forgotten. As for the day-to-day specifics, well that feels like an empty abyss in my brain. As the days are fuller and busier, I want to record more. Thank you always for your thoughtful comments and encouragements, Natalie. xo
So lovely! My two boys are little and I’m just launching into early years of preschool home schooling. I have read some Charlotte mason. Do you use a specific curriculum?
Thank you! What a wonderful beginning for you and your family! Honestly, we don’t use just one curriculum. I’ve pieced together many different resources and use them as they fit us. I shared the specific resources we’re using this year over here. Honestly, at your children’s ages I’d recommend lots of outdoor play, read-a-loud, hand-projects, and letter/number recognition. Keep it simple and build slowly. All learning snowballs, and before long, they’ll be ready for you to begin some basic math and reading. Enjoy their littleness! xxx
I am going to love this series!! Looks like a profitable month of learning!
I’m so very glad to hear it, Natalie. Thank you. x
Thank you so much for this wonderful post. I absolutely love your blog, and feel so blessed to have found it. Thank you for taking the time to share your journey with us.
Thank you, Pippa! I’m so grateful you have found a cozy spot in this online space, and I appreciate the feedback and encouragement always. Best to you today. x