Little House Learning Co.
Poetry for the Early Years
homeschool Reading The Early Years
Finding value in poetry enriches learning for a lifetime, and for us, we want that to start as early as possible! It displays the beauty in language and words and sets the stage for a love of literature and good writing. Even from when our kids are tiny, we weave poetry into our routine by picking picture books that rhyme and have intricate rhythms to the flow of story. Here are a few of our favorites that helped us dip our toes in the world of poetry! Our Favorite Poetry for Small Children Little Blue Truck series Bear Snores On The...
Cultivating the Habit of Attention Through Reading
Habits homeschool Preschool Reading The Early Years
I remember trying to read to a young child once, and after very few seconds of starting a book, the child became inattentive and quickly hopped out of my lap. The comment that was made was that, that child didn’t like reading. But truly, it wasn’t reading the child disliked, it was that the child had not developed the habit of attention. Now, some children are certainly born more attentive than others, but all little ones must be taught to keep their mind focused. Attention is a muscle of the mind that needs to be stretched and strengthened! "Attention is hardly...
Teaching Independence in The Early Years
Chores Habits Preschool The Early Years
When you’re a homeschooling family, you are likely at home 5 times more than the average family. For us, that means a lot more mess! More dishes, more dirty, more laundry and much more to pick up; it seems to come as a package. To alleviate this some, we practice and teach independence skills from a very young age. If the youngest child can help himself with basic needs, that frees up mom. It also lays a foundation for helping with chores and grows his confidence as a helper. Here are the basic things we do (and use: link to...
First Grade Curriculum Roundup
Ambleside Online First Grade homeschool Scheduling
We are in full swing with our First Grade year! I get asked often about what we’re using for different subjects, so I figured I would list it out here! The spine of our curriculum is Ambleside Online Year 1. This curriculum covers many of our subjects, but some of them I substituted for alternatives. Our 1st Grade Curriculum Bible: AO has Bible readings listed out, but I substituted our own alternative of The Child’s Story Bible by Vos because we were in the middle of it last year and enjoyed it so much we decided to finish it! We are also making our...
A Typical Homeschool Day in the Life
First Grade Homeschool Outdoor Play Scheduling The Early Years
When I first started homeschooling, or even considering homeschooling, the most helpful blogs posts were those that laid out the homeschooling day, step by step. I felt like I could finally grasp how this homeschooling life could actually work! Managing three kids, schooling, housework, side jobs and everything else can be a lot some days, but a daily rhythm keeps my sanity. What is homeschooling like? Each day is different, so that’s why we call it a rhythm, rather than a schedule. Attitudes, visitors, and a plethora of interruptions can change our plans at a minutes notice, so flexibility is...