My Father’s World: 1st grade

 Art, Bible, Charlotte Mason, Classical, Elementary, Geography, Grammar, Hands On, Language Arts, Living books, Music, Nature Study, Phonics, Reading, Science, Spelling, Unit study resources  3 Responses »
Aug 222011
 

What immediately drew me to My Father’s World is that the curriculum is the fact that it is fairly stand alone. You purchase either the basic set or their deluxe set, and you are ready to go!  I adore this as our little library in this rural community really doesn’t have the variety or selection of books that we were used to in San Diego. This means filling in blanks or filling out a curriculum is a challenge now so a curriculum with most of the absolutely necessary books included was a huge plus to us.

However, like the true bibliophiles that we are, I wanted the option of having more, should we be able to find them. True to the Charlotte Mason element, the curriculum is surrounded by the “living books” concept so the usage of books is completely up to you.  I love that they include this in every year.

About My Father’s World 

mfw basicMy Father’s World isn’t just a Charlotte Mason style offering but rather a unique fusion of sorts, merging both “the best of Charlotte Mason, classical education, and unit studies with a Biblical worldview and international focus.”

My Father’s World offers grades K-2nd grade as a more independent, semi-stand alone element and then moves into a family 5 year cycle that works around a central theme. The 5 year cycle is specifically geared for multiple ages, for grades 2nd-8th so there is savings to be found as families with more than one child use the same program to teach all children in 2nd – 8th grade.

Year One Geography: Exploring Countries and Cultures
Year Two History: Creation to the Greeks
Year Three History: Rome to the Reformation
Year Four U.S./World History: Exploration to 1850
Year Five U.S./World History: 1850 to Modern Times

 

They also offer a bridge year called Adventures in My Father’s World, which is geared for families 2nd or 3rd graders who have no siblings in 4th – 8th grade.(We will be doing this program next year as I have a 4year old and a 7 year old.)

 

Our Adventure

Currently we are working our way though My Father’s World, 1st grade.  I adore this program as it is laid out in an easy to follow, daily workbook fashion.  It’s easy for me to combine the integrated social studies, science, art and Bible elements with both kids, while focusing independently on the phonics and math.  My boys love that they are learning together, doing the same things, despite their age and grade differences.

The curriculum does include a 1st grade phonics-based reading program that focuses on the Bible and more fun, hands-on math activities.  We include our own K4 phonics and and additional math program (Math U See) for both boys as I found their math not as intensive as I think it needs to be for the grade.

mfw craftsOne major element we always seemed to miss with our previous years curriculum was the arts; we simply didn’t always make time for them.

With My Father’s World, art, music, crafts,hands-on learning is a major part of the curriculum. Everything is planned out and outlined for you to see the day before so you can prep easily, using common household items most of the time.  My boys have enjoyed this more consistent addition to our learning and I have found they have better attitudes and have better lesson retention.

The only cons that I have experience thus far is that the 1st grade teachers book is only formatted with a daily lesson plan. It lacks the easy, one glace, weekly grid that their latter versions offer.  I also felt the math that is included is a bit weak for the age group so we needed to supplement an additional math program. Ultimately, minor things that we easily rectified.

For a full curriculum, It’s fairly affordable, especially when you compare it to larger, more known companies. For the 1st grade curriculum, you can elect to get their basic package for only $136.oo or their deluxe package for $239.00.  As the years grow in complexity, so does the number of books included which will contribute to a steady raise in the overall costs. However, remaining competitive and within reach for most families.

Overall, My Father’s World, or MFW, has been a blessing to our household. It’s affordable, fun, engaging and the children really do learn.

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.

TruthQuest History

 Charlotte Mason, Classical, Elementary, High School, History, Literature, Living books, Middle School, Unit study resources  8 Responses »
Jun 232011
 

What’s taken me so long to try TruthQuest History???  I have had the mistaken impression that TruthQuest guides were only glorified book lists that I could develop myself.  While it’s true that I could come up with an appropriate list of living literature for a specific time period, these guides are SO much more!

  1. First, you get a complete look at the era, covering all of the important people, places and events in a general order of occurrence.
  2. Second, you get a full listing of appropriate living literature which will immerse your child into the era, its people, and its events.
  3. Third, and most important to me, Michelle Miller offers deliciously written commentary throughout the guide to give you an overall picture of the era, as well as tying seamless transitions from one important event to another.

Using a living literature approach to history as a Charlotte Mason style homeschooler, I have often felt a slight disconnect in moving from one thing to another in a particular era.  In other words, when we’ve read a wonderful book about Martin Luther, another about the Holy Roman Empire, then another about King Henry VIII, I haven’t always known how to give my children the “whole picture” about how they fit together.

With TruthQuest guides, I now have the “missing ingredient” I’ve been searching for – a living literature approach to history PLUS a non-textbook, complete overview in between the living literature to tie everything together for me! (Boy, was that a long, drawn-out description!)  Michelle Miller’s writing style is living itself -  sometimes humorous, sometimes tongue in cheek, always interesting.

Don’t get the impression that you are totally off the hook as the teacher using a TruthQuest guide. You will still be responsible for attaining all the living literature and may want to occasionally throw in a project or two.  However, there are open-ended question sprinkled throughout the guide called ThinkWrites which can be used for discussion and/or writing assignments.

Speaking of the literature, each section includes several book choices, many of which should be available at your library.  Your child isn’t expected to read everything on the list, but instead you choose one or two, then move on to the next section of the era.  Additionally, since many of the guides can be used with various age levels, the book lists not only include brief descriptions, but appropriate age levels, too.

To give you a picture of how in-depth and thorough the guides are, I’ll give you the table of contents from the TruthQuest History – Renaissance, Reformation & Exploration guide I am using.  These are just the main headings, as each contains several specific lessons with literature choices and overviews.

  • John Wycliff and Jan Hus
  • Growth of Towns
  • Northern Art Begins to Change
  • Dawn of the Renaissance
  • Early Renaissance Art
  • Exploration Begins
  • Fall of Constantinople
  • A Visit to Italy
  • The Princes of Prints
  • War of the Roses
  • Think Like a King
  • Artists of the High Renaissance
  • Ferdinand and Isabella
  • Holy Roman Empire and France
  • Christopher Columbus and Other Early Explorers
  • Church Leaders
  • Machiavelli and His Prince
  • Reformation Rumble
  • Francis of France
  • Charles V and His Spanish Holy Roman Empire
  • Ottoman Empire
  • Spain’s New World Empire
  • Early Native Americans of the Southwest
  • King Henry VIII
  • Reformation Spreads
  • Science Takes a Leap
  • Russia and Ivan the Terrible
  • The French in the New World
  • The Counter-Reformation
  • Later Renaissance Art
  • Queen Elizabeth
  • John Knox
  • Mary, Queen of Scots
  • England Gets into the Race for the New World
  • Spanish Armada
  • Walter Raleigh
  • William Shakespeare
  • Later-Counter-Reformation Figures
  • The idea War
  • Holland Yearns for Freedom
  • Battle of Lepanto
  • El Greco
  • Scien-a-rama
  • Mystery of the Roanoke Colony

Wow.  See what I mean?  You might not be able to tell from the list above, but a focus on Christianity is prevelent throughout the book.  The author strives to make God’s Providence a main focus, as history is HIS story.

This particular guide is appropriate for grades 5-12, but TruthQuest guides are available for all grades in all eras of history.  Check them out! If you’re a living literature, Charlotte Mason or Classical kind of mom, you’ll be glad you did!

-Written by Cindy, eclectically Charlotte Mason mom of three from Kentucky.  You can find her blogging at Our Journey Westward and see her NaturExplorers curriculum at Shining Dawn Books.

(Cindy received TruthQuest History: Renaissance, Reformation & Exploration free for review.  As always, she only writes her honest opinions.)

Arithmetic Village: And The Winner Is…

 Living books, Mathematics, Uncategorized  1 Response »
Jun 152011
 

Congratulations to commenter #12, Dawn!

Our winner was chosen using the online Random Number Generator. :)

Dawn, please email me at songofmyheartblog at yahoo dot com within three days for info. on how to claim your set of Arithmetic Village books. I know that and your children are going to enjoy them!

Thank you to all who participated in our giveaway!

written by Shannon from Song of My Heart

Arithmetic Village Review and Giveaway

 Charlotte Mason, Elementary, Hands On, Literature, Living books, Mathematics, Preschool, Uncategorized, Unschooling  24 Responses »
Jun 022011
 

I am always on the lookout for living math books, and when I stumbled upon Arithmetic Village, I knew I had to read this new series of books with my children. The five books arrived, and after one reading we were hooked. Ever since then my children, ages 5, 7, and 9, have chosen to read these delightful stories again and again. (Yes, even the nine-year old boy enjoys them!)

The Arithmetic Village series, written by Kimberly Moore, is set in a lovely, magical village nestled in a fairytale countryside where glittering jewels fall from the sky. The reader is gently introduced to place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, as the children in the village collect, lose, and share the jewels with others.

The series includes:

Arithmetic Village – This first book of the series introduces the five main characters: Polly Plus, Linus Minus, Tina Times, and King David Divide. The concept of place value is introduced through the use of jewels, velvet sacks (ten jewels go in a sack), and treasure chests (ten sacks go in a chest). You can read the story in its entirety here.

Polly Plus – This story demonstrates the concept of addition as Polly goes about the village collecting jewels and adding them in her neat and precise manner.

Linus Minus – Described as “an adorable mess”, Linus shows us how to subtract by losing and scattering jewels everywhere he goes.

Tina Times – Speedy Tina demonstrates multiplication by quickly and efficiently counting groups of jewels as she gathers them.

King David Divide – The wise and fair king of Arithmetic Village, David Divide shares jewels with everyone. He distributes them equally, but if some are left over they go to his pet dog, Rover. (I love the idea of Rover receiving the remainder.)

My favorite things about this series:

  • Rhyming text
  • Engaging and whimsical story line
  • The characters’ demonstrations of sharing, kindness, and other noble qualities
  • The use of fun props – jewels, sacks, and treasure chests – that bring the math concepts to life
  • The Arithmetic Village website. The author offers free hands-on activity ideas and downloads to accompany the books. She has posted several videos showing how to easily make (or buy) your own set of jewels, sacks, and treasure chest and how to use them with your children to reinforce through play the concepts taught in the stories. This website is a valuable resource and is not to be missed.

To purchase any or all of the books in the series, visit Arithmetic Village’s shop page where you can receive an online discount.

I am excited to announce that Kimberly is graciously giving away a set of Arithmetic Village books to one Curriculum Choice reader.

Two Ways to enter the giveaway – you can do both:

  1. Browse the activities at the Arithmetic Village website. Leave a comment here at CC telling us your favorite activity!
  2. Follow Arithmetic Village on Twitter, and leave a comment here at CC to let us know that you did.

Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each of your entries, as well as an email address or blog url where you can be contacted should you win. Entrants must live in the continental U.S.

**Deadline for entries is Monday, June 14th, 10:00 pm (EST).

Good luck, and enjoy your time in the Village!

(Disclosure: The Arithmetic Village series was provided to me for free for review purposes. The views and opinions expressed in this review are purely my own.)

Written by Shannon, who blogs about living books and other homeschool-ish things at Song of My Heart.

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.

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.

A Pioneer Story by Barbara Greenwood

 Elementary, History, Living books, Unit study resources  2 Responses »
Apr 142011
 

Here’s one book no homeschooling family should miss:  A Pioneer Story: The Daily Life of a Canadian Family in 1840.  It combines heartwarming stories of a busy pioneer family with the background information and hands-on activities of a unit study.  Truly, it is a winning combination.

Beautifully illustrated, this story of the Robertsons fills our hearts and minds with the life of a pioneer family in the backwoods of eastern Canada.  We follow Sarah (10), Willy(9), George(13), and Meg (15), as well as Granny, Pa, Ma, little sister Lizzy, and baby Tommy, through a whole year of maple sugaring, baby animals, milking, sheep shearing, fishing and more.

With the Robertson children we face the terror of meeting a lynx, the thrills of building a new home, the hard work of bringing in the harvest before the storm, and the joys of surviving a night lost in the wintery woods.  We trade with a jolly peddler, meet a new English boy at the school, and visit Uncle Jacob’s home for a thrillingly different Christmas.

Reminiscent of Laura Ingalls Wilders’ stories, these tales are not only the delightful story of a busy family, but also a wonderful introduction to the book’s detailed explanations and activities.

For example, in the chapter “Finding a Honey Tree,” Uncle Jacob took Sarah and Willy out to mark a bee tree in anticipation of the fall, when the honey could be harvested.   After enjoying the story, we learn about bees, harvesting wild honey, and pioneer remedies.

“Signs of Spring” shows us the family’s house, winter diet, cooking, and farmyard in such wonderfully illustrated detail that we can almost imagine their lives for ourselves.  When Sarah found the year’s first egg, the entire breadth of pioneer experience is revealed in Ma’s response:

Ma stroked the egg dreamily.  “Pudding,” she said.  “I’ll make a nice egg pudding for tonight’s supper.  There’ll be a good mouthful for each of us.”

When the peddler arrived, he brought joy and excitement to everyone in the family.  Itinerant preachers, shoe makers, peddlers, tailors, and tinkers all were welcome visitors at the farm.  Crafts in “The Peddler’s Visit” include making a punched tin picture, a pioneer water carrier, and a sand clock.

Willy spent a lot of time with his friend Neekeek, and occasionally Neekeek’s uncle would teach the boys a new skill.  Once he taught them how to catch trout with their bare hands.  When Willy came home triumphantly with the fish he had just caught, George scoffed at his story.  Granny, on the other hand, laughed, “Och, aye!  Tickling trout. Your granda was a dab hand at that. Many’s the poached fish we had from the laird’s stream.  Scooped up just that way.  Good for you, young Will!”  Of course this chapter discusses fishing, hunting, guns, and snares.

Throughout the book we learn to read the weather, make a balance scale, prepare for winter, make candles, use a bake oven, build a road, and thresh the grain while we live, laugh, and bicker with the family.  While the bickering does bother me, this book is, on the whole, happy and inspiring. The illustrations are a joy, and the stories are a treat.  My children enjoyed A Pioneer Story even more than I did both times I read it aloud, and they’ve enjoyed it on their own as well.

A free Teaching Guide is available.

-Written by Annie Kate, a Christian homeschooling mom of five, who reviews and blogs at Tea Time with Annie Kate.


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.

Patricia St. John Books

 Bible, Charlotte Mason, Elementary, Literature, Living books, Middle School  2 Responses »
Feb 042011
 

I love sharing great authors with you – authors that you can almost always assume will provide a wonderful living literature experience for you and your children.  Patricia St. John is one of these authors.

Ms. St. John (1919-1993) was first an English missionary in Morocco where she worked in a medical mission trying to win the hearts of Muslim people for Christ.  Second, she was the author of many books for children and young adults.  Each book is not only a wonderful story, often filled with adventure, but interweaves Christian truths seamlessly as well.

No matter the book, each main character has at least one character issue to work through, whether that be selfishness, hatred, or loneliness, among others.  The point of finding our Savior, the only One who can help us defeat our character flaws and lead us to a life everlasting is always the main point of the story, but is never the pounding point.  In other words, the message is gentle and beautiful.  And the characters always come out having learned that their lives are all about choices and how to choose the better part.

One of the books stands out as slightly different than the others because it’s a piece of Biblical historical fiction.  Twice Freed is the story of Onesimus, the slave of Philemon, who learns throughout the story what real freedom means – freedom in Christ rather than freedom from slavery. Since it’s historical fiction, there are liberties taken in the storyline, but this is a very interesting viewpoint about a section of the Bible that we might otherwise not consider.

Her picture books (of which we’ve only read A Home for Virginia) are appropriate for children from 5-10, while the chapter books seem to be most appropriate for ages 8-14.

Patricia St. John’s books are currently in print through Kingsley Press.  By clicking on the link, you will be able to see two pages full of Ms. St. John’s books available.  All the books I have personally read and recommend are included as linked graphics in this post.

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS OF LIVING LITERATURE?

-Written by Cindy, an eclectically Charlotte Mason mom of three in Central KY.  You can find her blogging at Our Journey Westward and find her nature study curricula at Shining Dawn Books.

Things People Do

 Elementary, Geography, Living books, Preschool  No Responses »
Nov 172010
 

Do you remember elementary school social studies?  I remember a few bits and pieces—my memories are of a little American history and a lot of social studies.  It seems that we talked quite a bit about how society works.  We talked about the police, the fire department, community leaders, the library, and other societal mechanisms.  Though I have chosen a chronological approach to history, I still want my children to know how our community works.

I believe that these ideas are communicated well in their proper context through the normal activities of life.  A few living books will complement your childrens’ early social education.

Things People Do written by Anne Civardi and illustrated by Stephen Cartwright is an Usborne book that shares the general idea of community and the specific details of several occupations with preschool and lower elementary students.

Information is presented in the form of a loose story about the people who live on the fictional Island of Banilla.  Banilla has a mayor and city council, fishermen, builders, a hotel with a staff, a school with personnel, a baker, farmer, a garage, a fire department, a police department, a dance school, an airstrip, a veterinarian, and even a television station.

Each character’s job is explained in a two-page spread that includes part of the story-line and presents additional characters who work alongside him or her.  Workplaces, task details, and work schedules are included in each character’s description.   The descriptions are just right for a young listener.

Things People Do is illustrated by Stephen Cartwright.  The pictures are realistic enough to look like adults, but cute enough to appeal to a young reader.

There are two additional surprises.  Cartwright included a small yellow duck on every page, providing a bit of search and find fun.  Also, the characters’ names are puns, reflecting their careers.

Younger readers can find the ducks while older siblings decipher the characters’ names.

Things People Do has been a favorite with my children.  Though Usborne no longer sells it, Sonlight continues to carry an over-sized hardbound version.  Used copies are not difficult to locate either.

Enjoy your journey to the Island of Banilla!

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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