Little House Learning Co. — homeschool

Getting Started With Ambleside Online

Ambleside Online Curriculum Review First Grade homeschool Planning Scheduling

Getting Started With Ambleside Online

What is Ambleside Online?  From their website, amblesideonline.org "AmblesideOnline is a free homeschool curriculum that uses Charlotte Mason's classically-based principles to prepare children for a life of rich relationships with everything around them: God, humanity, and the natural world." Ambleside Online is essentially a free book list and schedule for each year of formal education, starting at age 6, for history, literature, poetry, geography, and science. They also include information about artist study, composer study, folk songs, and hymn study. You have to pick a separate curriculum for math and foreign language.  The tricky thing about AO is that you...

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Our Homeschool Day in Three Parts

homeschool Scheduling

Our Homeschool Day in Three Parts

I am someone who tends to over complicate things. When it comes to our homeschool day, I've found a comfortable rhythm separating our day into three parts. Having the day divided into three parts helps me fit in all of our subjects and helps the day stay on track without a timed schedule.  Our Homeschool Day in Three Parts Part 1: Morning Time Our morning time starts after breakfast and after everyone is dressed and completed their morning chores. In the past we've done morning time during breakfast, but now that my kids are getting older they are often finished with breakfast...

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How I Teach Reading

First Grade homeschool Kindergarten Preschool Reading

How I Teach Reading

Before I started homeschooling, the idea of teaching my children to read was the most daunting. It is such an important piece of education that I didn't want to mess it up. The anxiety around teaching a child to read can keep parents from home educating or can shake our confidence in our choice to homeschool. With there being so many programs and methods out there, I wanted to share what the pathway has been for two of my children to learn to read. It can be so helpful to see how someone else has done it when we're trying...

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Winter Nature Study

homeschool Nature Study Outdoor Play winter

Winter Nature Study

The concept of nature study can be intimidating, especially if you live in a snowy climate. When it is freezing outside, this can be the farthest thing from your mind. But, it doesn't have to be complicated or boring. There are lots of ways to engage in meaningful nature study in winter time.  The Basics of Nature Study Get Outside and Go Together: When we get outside together we can explore lots of new places, I can model the basics of nature study and we can make memories together.   Observe and Identify: When we're outside, we try to notice all...

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When Mom Needs a Sick Day, Part 2

homeschool Motherhood The Early Years

When Mom Needs a Sick Day, Part 2

As someone who struggles with an autoimmune disease, I am in need of a sick day more often than I would like. Whether it's a chronic illness, health condition, pregnancy or a bad bug that runs through your family, we all need some back-pocket ideas for homeschooling when sickness takes mom out!   When Mom Needs a Sick Day: How I Homeschool 1. "Full-Court-Prep": When I wake up and know I'm going to be sick for the day, the very first thing I do is give my full effort to about 30-40 minutes of prep. I pull out every material and book we...

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