The Curriculum Choice

Susan S.

Susan currently home educates a third grader, a first grader, and a nearly Kindergartner. Her background is public school-traditional, but she and her husband are drawn to the classical emphasis on order and the logical accumulation of knowledge. They have added in Charlotte Mason’s emphasis on living books, nature study, and artist and composer study, since it offers such a beautiful complement to the sometimes heavy feel of classical. They even do a little lapbooking and notebooking at their house. Finally, they have covered all of this knowledge-acquiring with prayer, asking the Great Teacher to lead and instruct their family in His Way.

Adventures with Atoms and Molecules

Elementary, Science No Responses »

Feb 202012

Formal science is always a bit iffy around our place. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s the experiments that get me–we read lots of science-related books–but science experiments can be troublesome. There are all of those ingredients to gather; there is all of that mess to clean up.

This year, thanks to Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise and their well-trained minds, I have a solution: Adventures with Atoms and Molecules by Robert C. Mebane and Thomas R. Rybolt.

We have two volumes of this series. There are thirty experiments in each, which are titled with a question.

For example, Volume 1 asks . . .

Do hot molecules move faster than cold molecules?
Are gas molecules farther apart than liquid molecules?
Can molecules be broken into smaller molecules?

And Volume 2 asks . . .

Do like charges attract or repel?
Can salt remove water from the air?
Can molecules move through a membrane?

The title question is followed by:

a list of materials, most of which are easy to gather in your home (yes, really, they are easy to gather in your home)
a procedure to follow
questions for observation
an explanation, which they call the discussion.
There are also variations of the experiment to try for further study.

When we asked the question “Do molecules move?” we used a glass of water and food coloring to reveal that, yes, molecules do move, as evidenced by “the collection of food coloring molecules spread(ing) throughout the glass of water” (7). We also got to play with food coloring.

When we asked the question “Are rubber molecules less bouncy when cold?” we used two identical rubber balls and the freezer. It was easy to see that the answer was yes, since the flexible polymers in the rubber “changed from being flexible and stretchy to being stiff and rigid” (38) due to the cold. We also got to play with bouncy balls.

There are many questions and many answers to be found in these wonderful little books.

We are studying chemistry in our home school using a method of experimentation and discussion. It has been a treat to ask a science question, prompted by Mr. Mebane and Mr. Rybolt, and to follow their simple instructions to find the answer. The ingredients have been easy to find–lots of vinegar and baking soda and fruit–and the clean up has been a breeze. Best of all, the kids and I have learned about the properties of atoms and molecules!

There are five volumes in the series, each named Adventures with Atoms and Molecules followed by a volume number. We are using volumes I and II, completing simple home-made experiment pages, reading science-y books, and having fun!

Susan is a homeschooling mom of three—a preschooler, a first grader, and a third grader. They spend their days reading on the couch, playing with numbers, and making big, fun messes in a Spirit-led, Well-Trained Mind-inspired classical-Charlotte Mason-traditional model of home education.

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LightHome Publications Penmanship Books

Elementary, Handwriting No Responses »

Dec 092011

I like handwriting books. They make life simple: Get out the book, turn to the page, write, put the book away. Repeat until the book is finished.

This year, though, I decided that the shipping and handling on my favorite handwriting book was outrageous. I refused to do it. What’s a homeschool mama to do? Download handwriting books instead!

So, I tripped along to Currclick and found an alternative that has made me happy.

A-Z I Like Animals A-Z Crawly Critters Cursive Penmanship

For handwriting we are using two books from LightHome Publications. My first grade son is using A-Z I Like Animals and my third grade daughter is using A to Z Crawly Critters Cursive.

I was initially drawn to the animal theme that is part of both books. The handwriting lessons and the pictures follow the respective animal themes. My kids have especially enjoyed the coloring pages that accompany each letter. They are accurate pencil drawings of the animals discussed in the handwriting lesson.

Both books begin with several pages asking students to trace similarly formed letters. The manuscript book also contains a series of simple mazes at the beginning. From that point, the letters are ordered alphabetically. The manuscript book, A-Z I Like Animals, is a tracing curriculum, so students are given letters and sentences to trace.

The cursive curriculum, A-Z Crawly Critters Cursive, on the other hand, provides both a sentence to trace and, below it, space to write the same sentence. Tracing the letters first has given my children the chance to learn letter formation without pressure.

Because these products were downloaded, I can print as many copies of each page as I need. If a particular letter gives us trouble, I simply print another page for additional practice. If everyone wants to color the picture of the yucca moth, I can easily make that happen by pushing a few buttons. I did print both e-books in their entirety, so that I would have the pages on hand.

I may be done with paper handwriting books forever. LightHome Publications and Currclick have not only made it easy to practice penmanship, they have alleviated those costly shipping and handling fees!

Susan is homeschooling mama to three: a third-grader, a first-grader, and a nearly kindergartner. Their educational philosophy is classical-ish, Charlotte Mason-y, and little bit traditional. She likes for things to be quality and for them to be simple.

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Native American Legends by Terri Cohlene and Charles Reasoner

Elementary, History, Living books 1 Response »

Nov 232011

While perusing the library’s database in search of books about Native Americans, I discovered a wonderful little series of Native American legends written by Terri Cohlene and illustrated by Charles Reasoner. There are six titles in the series. Each presents a legend and a different tribe of Native Americans.

Clamshell Boy is a Makah legend telling how a boy, born of a mother’s tear, saves a group of disobedient children from the evil Basket Woman.

Dancing Drum is a Cherokee legend that tells the story of a boy as he tries to save his people from the wrath of the sun.

Ka ha si and the Loon is an Eskimo legend that shares the tale of a sleepy boy who wakes to become his people’s hero.

Little Firefly is an Algonquian legend that relates the Cinderalla-like experiences of a young girl as she seeks to follow her mother’s advice, sent to her in a dream, to find The Invisible One and the happiness that accompanies him.

Turquoise Boy is a Navajo legend about the son of Sun Bearer and Changing Woman and his desire to make life easier for the people of his land. He takes a quest to the corners of the world, returning with gifts that become horses.

Quillworker is a Cheyenne legend that explains how a young girl and her seven adopted brothers escape the Buffalo Nation and become stars.

I am drawn to these books by both the illustrations and storytelling. The illustrations are detailed and beautiful, representing the people and their natural surroundings faithfully. The legends have been rendered in powerful, direct language, creating stories that are detailed and well-told but not too long for young listeners or readers. As a bonus, each book contains information and images sharing the lifestyles and customs of the tribe highlighted by the legend.

There are several additional titles in the series that are still illustrated by Charles Reasoner, but the author is Gloria Dominc: Brave Bear and the Ghosts (Sioux), Coyote and the Grasshoppers (Pomo), First Woman and the Strawberry (Cherokee), Red Hawk and the Sky Sisters (Shawnee), Song of the Hermit Thrush (Iroquois), and Sunflower’s Promise (Zuni). My library does not currently have any of these, so I am at the mercy of inter-library loan. My guess is that they are well worth the wait, though!

I must warn you that these books are a little difficult to find. My library carries four of the six by Terri Cohlene, and I have requested the other two on inter-library loan. Amazon seems to have a few, too, so they must be out there somewhere. Keep your eyes open!

Susan S. is a mama of three who loves the thrill of finding a good book. Her third-grader, first-grader, and preschooler learn in a sort-of classical, Charlotte Mason-y, a bit of traditional kind of way. The family appreciates the blessing of home education in all of the ways that it happens.

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Living Memory: A Classical Memory Work Companion

Charlotte Mason, Classical, Elementary, High School, Middle School, Mom Helps, Uncategorized 1 Response »

Oct 262011

If you have read many of my other reviews you already know that I like for things to be easy. If they aren’t easy, I at least don’t want them to be a ton of work for me. After all, my inner educator proclaims, this is their education, not mine! This of course is true to a point. We all know, I reply to my inner educator, learning never stops; least of all, perhaps, for a home educating mama.

In addition to easy, I want things to make sense, for them to be logical. Timely, too, in that when they are presented with new ideas, those new ideas make sense to my little learners. I want to be developmentally appropriate, and I want to cover material that will be useful and necessary.

We ascribe to a sort of Classical, sort of Charlotte Mason, very literary-based education for our children. The idea of a lot of rote memory work does not fit into my idea of practical or useful. The idea of memorization for the purpose of reviewing and cementing ideas, though, is another story. If memory work is one of the tools–like reading and writing and listening and drawing–that we use to gather and corral ideas, that is something I like and want to use.

I have found a great resource by Andrew A. Campbell called Living Memory: A Classical Memory Work Companion that has removed some of the burden of memory work from my shoulders.

It is simply a book of lists. The lists, derived from academic subjects, contain organized information for the purpose of memorization. Dr. Campbell includes an essay detailing the how and why of using memory work as one of the tools of learning. The remainder of the book is comprised of lists of information in the following broad subjects: Latin and Greek, arithmetic and mathematics, grammar and composition, literature, religion, geography, world history, United States history and civics, and natural sciences. Each section is broken down into more specific categories and into lists. There are speeches and portions of documents. There are formulas. There are charts. All of this is intended to be used over the academic lifetime of a student–from Kindergarten to graduation.

The book has been helpful to me in two ways. First, it has given me ideas. Sometimes the question of what to memorize has been overwhelming to me–so overwhelming that I have thrown up my hands and provided nothing for my kids to concentrate on retaining. Now, I can open Living Memory, find a science list that fits with our studies, and put my little learners to work.

Second, Dr. Campbell has assured me that memorizing something is better than memorizing nothing, that I can start small and build, and that memory work can and should be in the context of our studies. I like that. It makes sense to me, because it is orderly and timely. It is developmentally appropriate. Also, it is simple and easy. And you know that I like easy.

Living Memory: A Classical Memory Work Companion by Andrew A. Campbell provides comprehensive lists in a variety of pertinent subjects to be used for memory work. It can be found on Lulu.com in both digital ($14.95) and paperback ($22.46) versions.

Susan S. is a home educating mama of three in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Her days are wild and lovely, full of chattering, learning children. In all of the mess, she learns the most, taught by the Master Teacher Himself.

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History Through the Ages Timeline CDs

Classical, Elementary, History, Mom Helps 1 Response »

Sep 062011

Timelines appeal to me. They aid visual, kinesthetic, spatial, and logical thinkers. What’s not to love?

Well, the work of putting together a visually appealing, cohesive, historically-accurate timeline, for one. How about the time it takes to find all of those little pictures? What about deciding which dates to include? What about figuring out how to put the thing together? What about figuring out where to put it?

The details of the timeline were dragging me down, threatening the reality of creating one in our home.

It seemed to me that some sort of timeline was a foregone conclusion in our home school, but there were several burdens to bear. Although I could have done the work myself, it is more likely that the timeline would have fallen by the wayside without a little outside intervention.

I found the help that I needed to make the timeline happen in our home at Homeschool in the Woods. Their History Through the Ages Timeline answered many of my questions, solved some problems, and simplified everything else.

I purchased the CDs, which include over a thousand historical figures. The figures represent people, places, and events throughout time. It is truly history through the ages, encapsulating a variety of different realms—political, military, social, art, music, and literature. Likewise, both secular and biblical and church history are included.

There are two CDs in the case. They contain the same figures, but one CD presents the figures in PDF format, the other in GIF format. Both CDs contain the figures with only a name and a date, as well as the figures with a short text summarizing the importance of the person, place, event, people group, or time period. There are two sizes of PDF files—wall and notebook size. These files print in pages of figures; they are arranged chronologically. The GIF files can be chosen and sized to fit specific needs, and are easily accessible using categories that serve as an index.

I have used the timeline figures for two major purposes in our academics.

We have begun a paper timeline that is stored in a binder. It is simple, but effective, visually presenting history through the use of Amy Pak’s intricately drawn figures. We add figures as time allows, which generally means a marathon session with the binder and a glue stick. We also add a little bit of color coding, just to help us remember who and where go with what and when.

I have also made a set of timeline cards—people, dates, and events with which I hope for us to maintain familiarity. I used a glue stick to adhere the appropriate timeline figure onto an index card, and voila, instant and cost effective timeline card! We study a fourth of history at a time, but we are able to easily review material from previous years. As an added bonus, I could choose the dates, which means that we review events from all through time and all over the world, customizing the cards to our studies.

My children are in elementary school, so a lot of the work of the timeline falls to me. As they get older, I will expect them to be more involved in the preparation, decisions, and details of our timelines. I foresee lots of mini-timelines and personal timelines and subject-specific timelines. It will be a timeline extravaganza! All brought to us from Homeschool in the Woods and their History Through the Ages Timeline CDs!

The Historical Timeline Figures come preprinted and in CD form. The preprinted sets contain figures that are 2.5” by 3.5” and are sold in historical groupings: Creation to Christ, Resurrection to Revolution, Napoleon to Now, and America’s History. They cost $22.95 each, with the exception of the American history set, which costs $32.95 due to its larger size.

The CDs contain the same figures found in all four sets plus a bonus set of additional figures. The CD allows for multiple printings and for resizing of timeline figures. The CDs contain 1,260 historical figures in both PDF and GIF formats, as well as the timeline information found on the website. It costs $74.95.

There is also a handy, dandy Timeline Placement Guide that I have found useful as I tried to determine placement of figures. The $11.95 has been well worth it, because it contains a sample timeline in miniature that includes all of the timeline figures on the CD.

The History Through the Ages Timeline CDs were a major investment for our homeschool. I have been pleased with both the figures and their use in our home, and believe that they will continue to be a benefit in the years to come. I bought them early in our homeschool journey so that we could suck all of the use out of them in multiple years and in a variety of ways. So far, so good!

Are you in need of a little timeline help? The History Through the Ages Timeline CDs may be answer!

-Most days find Susan on the couch reading to her children, in the floor “playing” math, and generally in the middle of a good-sized mess. A love for the Lord, a love for her little ones, and a love of learning have led Susan and her wonderful husband to an educational philosophy that is Well-Trained Mind-inspired classical and Charlotte Mason, with a touch of the traditional.

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Poetry for Young People

Charlotte Mason, Classical, Elementary, Language Arts, Literature, Living books, Reading 2 Responses »

Aug 192011

“I dwell in Possibility/A fairer house than Prose,/More numerous of windows,/Superior of doors.” Emily Dickinson, “I dwell in Possibility”

Poetry is a flexible area of study. It can be studied on its own, and for its own merit. On the other hand, born of cultural, historical, and personal experience, poetry can enhance the study of any subject. For me, the trouble with poetry is how to narrow it down. There just seems to be so much of it to choose from.

The Poetry for Young People series provides an excellent introduction to a number of poets. Each volume contains the poetry of a specific poet or area of poetry. The poems are chosen for their suitability to a young audience, and as poetry representative of the poet’s body of work. Illustrations accompany the poems. A short biography, also sensitive to the needs of a young audience, opens each book.

I have found this series useful in two ways. It has been a simple task to browse these pages to find a poem to enhance a particular study. As the poems have been chosen because they are appropriate for children, I need only choose the poem that best suits my needs.

More often, however, I choose a poet to study for a month or six weeks. As a family, we read several poems each week until we have finished the book. The Poetry for Young People series makes this process very simple, as each volume contains a nice number of poems. Each book serves as a gentle introduction to the work of a poet.

This may be the year for poetry study at your house!

Raid your local library for the Poetry for Young People series.

-Most days find Susan on the couch reading to her children, in the floor “playing” math, and generally in the middle of a
good-sized mess. A love for the Lord, a love for her little ones, and a love of learning have led Susan and the wonderful man she married to an educational philosophy that is Well-Trained Mind-inspired classical and Charlotte Mason,
with a touch of the traditional.

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Life Lessons: Sponsor a Child

Bible, Geography, Hands On, Writing 1 Response »

Jul 222011

Our family sponsors two children with Compassion International.

It isn’t exactly a curriculum, but my family is receiving an education through it.

The educational benefits are numerous:

1. Geography becomes a real, living subject rather than a flat, oddly shaped spot on a globe. Someone lives there! Someone who writes you letters! You send letters back! Geography lives.

2. The study of geography extends to cultural study, based on a real person, a child, just like your child. Although this picture may emerge slowly, it is, at its base, more real than any book could portray.

3. Financial stewardship and generous giving become a reality in your family. This giving is not just for adults. Children must see giving in action to understand it. Sponsorship allows for that. Beyond sending the money, writing letters and daily praying for the child(ren) that you sponsor teaches a true concern for the welfare of those that you serve with your finances. Giving becomes a family affair, one that is more than lip service or check-writing.

4. Writing skills are honed through the exchange of letters between children. Even if the adult acts as an intermediary, parent and child can write the sponsored child together. In sharing details of life through writing, children learn how to share themselves in their writing.

5. Humility and discipline are brought to the forefront when sponsored children share their experiences. The kids that we sponsor are poor, poorer than we can really understand, but their gratitude, humility, and commitment to disciplined living shine a light into our lives.

6. Family prayer has an outward focus. We pray daily for our sponsored children. Do you think that I remember to pray for them every day? Hardly. My eight, six, and four-year old are on the ball, though. It is a beautiful thing when children pray for each other.

7. The fabric of the body of Christ is woven in a tangible way. Even my youngsters can understand that through our prayers, service, and love we are connected to people on other continents. This is the kingdom of God and it is alive.

There are so many reasons to use our wealth to sponsor children of poverty. In light of the extreme circumstances of the children served through programs like Compassion International, it seems selfish to list the ways that sponsorship benefits me. In my experience, though, God is a God of double blessing: He uses relationships to bless those who receive and those who give. The reasons listed above may not be the primary reasons to become a giver, but they are a part of the blessing of sharing with others and a sign of God’s goodness and love for all.

Perhaps sponsorship seems insufficient, even paltry, due to the distance between your money and the very real difficulties of the children. A few minutes spent perusing the websites of organizations that create child sponsorships quickly reveal that the help is as real as the need. Compassion and groups like them have become adept at creating a cycle of giving that truly helps children and families.

Sponsorship makes a life for children of poverty in a way that empowers families. It is real and lovely.

And as an added bonus for the homeschooling family, it is an education.

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Scripture Memorization Made Wonderful: Seeds Family Worship CDs

Bible 4 Responses »

Jun 202011

At some point last year I read about Seeds CDS. Although they received glowing reviews, I thought that at $12.98 apiece they were a bit on the pricey side.

I was wrong. They are worth every single penny.

Seeds Family Worship CDs contain delightful, powerful songs created using the words of scripture. The songs are sung by accomplished musicians, the arrangements are pleasant and memorable, and the music itself is lovely and lively in turn.

The style of the music varies, but is professional. Some songs have a bit of a country bent, others are more in the realm of soft rock, a jazzy turn marks a few, but all are enjoyable for a wide audience. In other words, they are not strictly for children. As the CD jackets proclaim, they are intended for family use—family worship.

To the element of family worship, add family scripture memorization. This is scripture memorization at its simplest and most pleasant. We listen to the CDs in the car. We sing the scriptures in the house. It is that easy.

These CDs (and others like them) have the capacity to significantly aid spiritual development in the family setting through worship and memorization. As the family listens and sings, they worship and memorize, allowing the words of God to enter the mind and heart.

When scripture becomes part of the mind and heart, it can be woven into the fabric of a life.

Each of the six CDs utilizes scripture that centers on a theme:

●Seeds of Courage

●Seeds of Faith

●Seeds of Praise

●Seeds of Purpose

●The Power of Encouragement

●Seeds of Character

Another interesting tidbit about this music is that it is literally made to share. When you order a CD for your family, they actually send you two copies of it. One is for your family; one is to share with another family. This is an easy way to share your love of the Lord and scripture with another family. The music also lends itself to this process, because it appeals to such a wide audience.

In short, I give the Seeds Family Worship CDs the highest praise that I know of for products marketed to children and families:

These CDs are so well done that I listen to them even when the kids aren’t with me.

They are available from the Seeds company.

In the interest of full disclosure: I purchased these CDs on my own, much to my delight!

Most days find Susan on the couch reading to her children, in the floor “playing” math, and generally in the middle of a good-sized mess. A love for the Lord, a love for her little ones, and a love of learning have led Susan and the wonderful man she married to an educational philosophy that is Well-Trained Mind-inspired classical and Charlotte Mason, with a touch of the traditional.

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Who in the World? Biographies

Classical, Elementary, Living books No Responses »

May 312011

Our journey through time with Susan Wise Bauer’s children’s history texts, The Story of the World, brought us to the Middle Ages this year.

It was quite the exciting romp: We watched as Rome fell, sat entranced as the barbarians invaded, learned about the rise of Islam, discovered exciting events happening in China, Japan, and Australia, sailed the seas with the Norsemen, established the English throne, were scattered with the Jews and new Christians, felt the terror of the Black Death, travelled to Africa to see the great kingdoms there, explored new worlds with Henry the Navigator, Columbus, and others, viewed the America kingdoms—the Maya, the Aztec, and the Inca—in all of their glory, entered into a time of rebirth and reform with da Vinci and Martin Luther, and finished the year with Queen Elizabeth I and the Bard.

Our primary text was The Story of the World: The Middle Ages, the second text in the series.

I supplemented Bauer’s storytelling with an extensive list of books from the library. Some of them were recommended by the activity guide that accompanies the main text, and others popped up in searches of our library’s holdings. The children and I were delighted to find a vast body of work discussing early England and the Celts, knights, castles, and Robin Hood, and the Norsemen and their gods. Even Joan of Arc was amply represented. Other areas were lacking.

It is simple to find additional books for children in some historical subjects, but others are woefully slim.

Peace Hill Press is working to fill that void with a series of children’s historical biographies published under the title Who in the World? There are currently four titles in the series. Each correlates with a chapter in The Story of the World: Middle Ages.

Who in the World Was the Acrobatic Princess? The Story of Theodora accompanies Chapter 4, which discusses the Byzantine Empire. Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora are not on the list of historical topics widely covered by the local library’s children’s department.

Who in the World Was the Unready King? The Story of Ethelred accompanies Chapter 15, the tale of the early kings of England. King Ethelred and the heavily bearded Viking king Sweyn Forkbeard who defeated him are not popular picture book topics, either.

Who in the World Was the Forgotten Explorer? The Story of Amerigo Vespucci accompanies Chapter 31, which is entitled “Exploring New Worlds.” While Vespucci finds his way into a few children’s books, it is only for a mere mention.

Who in the World Was the Secretive Printer? The Story of Johannes Gutenberg goes along with Chapter 35, the story of the Renaissance and the beginning of the printing press. There are a surprising number of children’s texts about Gutenberg. Unfortunately, little is known of his life, making him something of a mystery.

In our homeschool, we simply used the Who in the World? biographies as they came up. Each was a welcome addition to our study, adding valuable historical information in a manner appropriate for children. A simple search for additional information about several of these historical figures reveals information that is not child-friendly. The Who in the World? series handles these issues by discussing only the parts of the each person’s life that can be readily understood by an early elementary-aged child. This is not to say that the historical figures are made to seem perfect. As in The Story of the World, the historical narrative is balanced—the positive lives alongside the negative in these real people of history.

The integrity of the history is not compromised, and children are allowed to learn in a manner that safeguards them.

We are wrapping up the Middle Ages at our house. It has been fun and informative to spend a little bit of time alongside the saints, sailors, kings, queens, scientists, and artists that make up this period of history. Thanks to the Who in the World? series we have had the pleasure (or pain depending on the character) of making the acquaintance of Empress Theodora, King Ethelred, Amerigo Vespucci, and Johannes Gutenberg as well.

The Who in the World? biography series can be purchased from Peace Hill Press. Each is available in book, audio, PDF, and MP3 versions.

The four books in Peace Hill Press’s Who in the World? biography series were provided to Susan free for the purpose of review. She has reviewed them truthfully and honestly, and is delighted to be able to do so. It would be sad (and bad manners) to have to say that you didn’t like something someone gave you.

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One Small Square – Illustrated Nature

Charlotte Mason, Classical, Elementary, Hands On, Living books, Science, Uncategorized 1 Response »

Feb 182011

Science is fun. I want to fit it in. In juggling the demands of this busy homeschooling household, I don’t always manage it, though.

The answer: living books!

For me, it all starts with the books. A topical, science-based, information-packed, well-illustrated set of books often provides the basis for scientific study at our house. They give me the boost that I need to develop a science topic into a science curriculum. Once I have the books, I can add in experiments and notebook pages and memory work and activities. In the end, we have a great elementary science program.

For habitat study last year, we used The One Small Square series written by Donald Silver and illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne and Dianne Ettl.

The One Small Square series by Donald Silver uses the space of a three-dimensional square to explore the Earth’s habitats. Each book contains around forty pages of focused information about a particular habitat, along with delightful illustrations and activity suggestions. The books provide the reader with complete descriptions of each area, including plants, animals, and other pertinent tidbits. Attention is given to the seasons and changes that occur in the space as the year passes. Other topics are explained as they naturally arise: African Savanna discusses drought, Backyard covers decomposition and life cycles, and Pond talks about microscopic creatures.

The primary purposes of the books are two fold: information and exploration.

The information–comprised of text and illustrations–is useful and appropriate for elementary students. The illustrations themselves are accurate and engaging. They draw the eye and delight the mind. At the end of each book is a picture list of all of the plants and animals covered by the text, which serves as a mini-field guide to the area being studied.

The exploration portion comes in the form of activities designed to help the young reader delve into the habitat and understand particular ideas associated with it. When possible, the first task for the student is to go to the habitat–a pond or woodsy area, for example–and mark off a small square with an adult’s help. This is followed by ideas designed to make the space come alive for the child. Activities include making a home for a duck from a cardboard box in Pond, studying trees to compare them to pictures of African trees in Arican Savanna, and making a picnic to attract bugs in Backyard. Keeping a nature journal is strongly encouraged and ideas for what to do with it are given throughout the texts.

Books in the series include:

Backyard
Seashore
Woods
Cactus Desert
Arctic Tundra
Pond
Tropical Rain Forest
African Savanna
Coral Reef
Cave
Swamp
The Night Sky

The One Small Square books by Donald Silver have been a hit at our house. The kids love them, often pulling them off of the shelf to look at and read, and they have made this mama’s life a little easier by providing quality information and useful activities. We get to do science!

Find the series at your local library or at lots of bookstores and on-line sellers, including Amazon.

Susan S. is a homeschooling mama of three little ones who get bigger and livelier every day. They delight in living books and hands-on math, and are nurturing a love for God and the amazing world that He created.

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