You have a lot to do. In addition to all your other jobs and responsibilities, you’ve also chosen to home educate your children. That’s huge! It’s no wonder that when you can’t keep up with the homeschooling curriculum, you worry they’re falling behind. You worry that they’re not where they’re supposed to be, that you’re failing as a homeschooler, and perhaps you should put them in school.
But before you jump to that decision, listen to this episode of the podcast!
In Episode 68 of the Raising Mums podcast, we talk about feeling behind in your homeschooling curriculum and what you can do to feel more positive about educating your children at home.
The belief that life will be better once you “catch up” robs you of the present; and the joy and connection you could be experiencing with your children now.
Your children are exactly where they are meant to be. You are exactly where you are meant to be.
Be the mother you wish to be, now. Don’t wait for when everything is perfect, because that day will never come.
How to Start Homeschooling
Launch Your Homeschool is an online course that will hold your hand and walk you through the beginning stages of homeschooling, built upon the framework of the Charlotte Mason philosophy.
I teach you how to craft a curriculum for your homeschool, how to choose the right resources and plan out your year to create a homeschool experience that aligns with the values and beliefs of your family. Whether you are homeschooling in the UK, or elsewhere in the world, this programme will help you give your children an incredible education at home.
I show you the essential teaching techniques that you’ll need to know to get started. There’s even an entire module on how to manage your time so you can still cook, keep the house tidy and take care of yourself, all whilst homeschooling your children!
One of the best ways to find good educational resources for your Muslim homeschool, is by getting recommendations from friends. Well we’re friends, right?! In Episode 57 of theRaising Mums podcast, I share my favorite homeschooling resources from the past twelve months.
This Blogpost may contain affiliate links. Please see Disclaimer for more information.
Consider this podcast episode a year in review. This isn’t just another homeschool curriculum choices list. This podcast episode gives mini-reviews of the resources that really worked for our children!
I share with you the books, curriculum, and activities that we are still loving and using months later!
What do we need to teach our children? Which books should we buy? What topics must we cover? Teaching history in a Muslim Homeschool can be tricky. How do we teach the whole history of mankind in a way that makes sense to children of different ages? This blog post will show you how a Book of Centuries will completely transform your Muslim Homeschool curriculum.
What should be in a Muslim Homeschool Curriculum for History?
When following a Charlotte Mason philosophy, history allows children to build connections between historical events. Our kids must understand how events relate to each other and be able to discuss the lessons which can be learnt.
To do this, it is essential children learn the order of historical events. Understanding when things happened is just as important as what happened. In a history lesson, your children are probably reading a variety of books covering history from different periods and cultures. But how can we gather this information in a logical way for our kids?
Charlotte Mason recommended children get to know a few particular time periods very well, rather than skimming over a brief outline of everything. Children interested in a certain time period will often find themselves absorbed in a single period of history for longer. However, they need to gather information in a coherent way, while understanding how events relate to each other.
This is where the Book of Centuries comes in.
What is a Book of Centuries?
A Book of Centuries sounds incredibly important, doesn’t it?
And it is.
It is an organised way for your children to process the historical facts learnt during their readings, read alouds, and history lessons. A Book of Centuries is an essential part of any Muslim homeschool curriculum.
The Book of Centuries is set up like a diary and contains blank pages waiting for your child to fill them in. To guide them, dates are written across the top of each page. These dates usually span from around 4000BC (the time of first recorded history) and the present day.
A Book of Centuries becomes a household treasure. You can have one shared between your children or they can have one each for their own personal collection. Over their years of homeschooling, children will continue to add to their Book of Centuries, their book growing and evolving alongside their historical knowledge.
Their Book of Centuries will become a cherished possession which they return to years later and recall the incredible stories. Having a place to record their historical findings encourages children to engage with what they are learning. They practice how to critically decide which pieces of information are important enough to include. Their creativity is sparked as they choose how to display the information in their books. They can choose to either write, draw, or even glue pictures and diagrams!
How to use a Book of Centuries in a Muslim Homeschool Curriculum
Now for the interesting part.
You know how to approach history, you know how important a Book Centuries is for your child’s Muslim homeschool curriculum, but how do you use a Book of Centuries alongside your history readings?
Charlotte Mason, recommends your children spend at least one lesson per week working on their Book of Centuries and timeline. This means they spend about 20 minutes gathering what they have learnt throughout the week and adding to their book.
To add an entry into their Book of Centuries, children locate the page with the correct year. Then, they add content to those pages to represent what they are learning. This could be done in different ways:
Writing the date of birth and death of famous people throughout history
Small sketches of important relics, events, or locations, such as pyramids or castles
Pictures printed from the internet of famous people or events
Parts of leaflets cut out from history field trips
Is a Book of Centuries just for History?
The Book of Centuries is a versatile resource that can be used in more than just History lessons.
For example, if your child reads about Salahuddin, they will come across dates of important battles and crusades. These dates would be added to their Book of Centuries, along will a small description of what happened. Your child might sketch the armour and weapons used at the time. Some children might include a map of Jerusalem and the grounds of Masjid al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock.
This little project may spark an interest in the crusades and the ongoing fight for authority in the Holy Lands. Your child will see how long this fight has been going on. Your child will understand how many time periods have influenced a fight that is still raging today.
As we’re taught by Charlotte Mason herself:
“…it is necessary to know something of what has gone before in order to think justly of what is occurring today.” (A Philosophy of Education, Charlotte Mason)
In these ways, children are building their own unique record of history in a way that not only makes sense to them but also demonstrates how events and time periods relate to each other. Children develop an intelligent sense of time and the evolution of mankind.
Where to buy your own Book of Centuries
Now, I’ve been where you are before. I completely adored the idea of using a Book of Centuries in my homeschool. I grabbed a blank notebook and started adding dates to the top of each page, each double spread representing 100 years.
However, this is time-consuming, and it was incredibly confusing trying to manage the time span of 6000 years! Plus, as a Muslim homeschool, it was important to me to make acknowledge the Islamic calendar and its place in the history of our world.
Because I know how tricky designing your own Book of Centuries can be, I have developed a book for you with the dates and setup already done.
Islamic dates alongside Gregorian dates at the top of each page
Lists of key Islamic dates
Further reading suggestions
A page of profile cut-outs for you to get started
A page for your chid to record their own family history
This Book of Centuries will help your child engage with their Muslim Homeschool curriculum and enjoy History lessons in an exciting way. No matter the age of your children, having a book they can add to themselves, without the work being done for them, will provide a satisfying sense of achievement, inshaAllah.
Homeschooling can be expensive. Whether you’re looking for something to supplement your existing homeschool curriculum, or hoping to homeschool on a budget, you’ll want to look through this list of free homeschool resources.
Many families, whose children would benefit immensely from a home-education, are put off from homeschooling due to a belief that they cannot afford to do so.
In the U.K., as well as many other parts of the world, home-educators are offered no financial support from the government, bearing the cost of homeschooling themselves.
However, in the age we live in, we have been blessed with the internet! The internet allows homeschoolers to have access to thousands of high-quality resources, many of which are free.
Homeschooling has never been so accessible and more possible for families on a small budget.
After much research and thought, I have put together a list of Free Homeschool Resources that I believe every homeschoolers should know about!
Sign up for our FREE Resources Library!
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FREE Homeschool Resources
The list below includes online educational resources that are great quality and genuinely free! They have been included because I would (and probably already do) use these resources with my own children.
ALL AGES
Ambleside Online : A free homeschool curriculum that uses Charlotte Mason’s classically-based principles. It aims to prepare children for a life of rich relationships with everything around them: God, humanity, and the natural world. It provides detailed schedules, time-tested methods, and extensive teacher resources.
Khan Academy : Provides courses and lessons for children aged preschool to high school. Also offers lessons in college application and exam preparation.
Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool : A complete curriculum for children aged from preschool to 8th grade (Year 9). Although designed for the Christian homeschooler, this free homeschool curriculum can be adapted and enjoyed by families of any faith.
Project Gutenberg : Take a look at this online library of over 60,000 free books!
Many Books : 50,000+ free eBooks in multiple genres
Librivox : A huge collection of free audiobooks read by volunteers
Duolingo :Your children can learn a foreign language for free with this online programme that personalises their learning experience to their needs. Languages on offer include all popular European languages, as well as Arabic, Hindi, Latin and more!
Memrise : Learn a new language with this app by watching and listening to native speakers!
CK-12 Foundation : High quality classes in Maths and Science for children of all ages.
Discover K12 : Discovery K12 offers a traditional, non-Common Core, secular, homeschool curriculum. Reading classic literature, writing essays, creating presentations, and conducting research are important aspects to the program.
CBBC Newsround : Your children can keep to date with the U.K.’s current affairs here!
Google Earth : Inspire your children’s geographical interests with Google earth. This incredible website allows users to see anywhere on the earth…and beyond!
Twinkl : A favourite amongst U.K. homeschoolers, this website offers a HUGE collection of worksheets and other downloadable resources. Some of the site requires paid membership. However there is a substantial mount of free content.
Teachers Pay Teachers : Designed by teachers, this site offers a variety of downloads to use in your homeschool lessons.
EventBrite : Find free local events at the museum, library, educational centre, amongst others.
NASA for students: Inspire your students with lessons in STEM, aeronautics, and space exploration.
Steve Spangler Science : Ideal for those days you’re looking for an experiment to go along with your science lesson.
How to Smile : Over 3,500 of the amazing science and math activities to choose from.
Homeschool.com :A monthly round-up of the best free online resources.
Free Homeschool Deals : Free printables, downloads, kindle books, lap books, unit studies and more!
TES: This U.K. website is filled with teaching resources for children of all ages, as well as up to date information about the national curriculum and mainstream education in the U.K.
Kids Type : Simple no-frill lessons in touch-typing.
Code : Children of all ages can learn computer science for free on this website.
Scratch : Your children can learn coding for free with scratch from M.I.T.
BBC Bitesize : Hundreds of lessons and videos that follow the national curriculum (U.K.)
Science Museum Group : Hundreds of free resources and science lessons from multiple Science Museums in the U.K.
Natural History Museum : Stories about the Museum’s collections, scientists and research. Learn about the history of life on Earth, from the smallest insects to the largest mammals.
Quizlet : Flashcards, helpful diagrams and study guides for all subjects KS1-KS4.
KM Tuition : A library of worksheets and past papers for KS1-KS4
Soft Schools : Online games, quizzes and worksheets for every age in Maths and English.
MEP Maths: Download this complete Maths curriculum for your students. Covers all ages, including GCSE and A-Level. Lessons are not online, but must be printed off and completed at home.
School Science : Free online science resources for teachers and students.
BBC Terrific Science : Fun science activities and lessons, linked to the national curriculum (U.K.)
U.K. Parliament : Teacher resources and lessons plans about the U.K.’s government
Art for Kids Hub: Free drawing lessons on YouTube for children of all ages! They have HUGE library of lessons that I’m sure your children will love working their way through.
Varsity Tutors: Your child can go on Virtual Field Trips in these LIVE sessions for children aged K-8.
Primary / Elementary School
Starfall : A free online programme designed to help children learn to read and develop reading fluency. For children aged from kindergarten to 3rd grade (Year 4).
National Geographic Kids : Interactive website for children, with a focus on geography and nature.
US Forest Service : Activities for children to learn more about the outdoors
Forestry England : Lesson plans, teacher packs, spotters guides and activity sheets all about the UK countryside.
Prodigy Maths : Prodigy maths teaches maths through educational games. Includes free and paid content.
Maths Chase: Fun Times Tables game to teach your children multiplication.
Mystery Science : This is a favourite in our house! These are complete open and go science lessons. Typically they involve a well-produced video, alongside thoughtful worksheets and fun activities.
Worksheet Works : If you’re looking for worksheets, this website will probably have what you need. My favourite part of this site is the handwriting practice generator.
Secondary / High School
Coursera : Courses, certificates, and degrees online from world-class universities and companies.
TED-Ed : Inspirational lectures from experts on wide range of topics.
Actuarial Foundation : Fun and engaging Math programmes. Free maths lesson plans, worksheets and posters.
Math is FUN! : Maths games, worksheets and activities.
National Geographic : Beautiful videos, photography and articles for a deeper insight into geography, history, nature, current affairs and more.
edX : 2500+ courses from Harvard and other excellent universities:
Open Learn: Free courses from the Open University for secondary school aged children
Corbettmaths: Free GCSEmaths video lessons with accompanying worksheets
National Gallery: Teacher’s notes, lessons plans, handouts and activities about famous works of art.
Sign up for our FREE Resources Library!
You’ll get access to HUNDREDS of FREE Educational Resources to use with your family!
Thank you!
You have successfully joined our subscriber list and can now access the FREE RESOURCES LIBRARY!
(Use the Password: hom3schoolh3lp )
Isn’t that incredible?! There are so many fantastic resources available to homeschooling families, and best of all, they’re free!
But tell me, what did I miss? Do you know any great homeschool resources that are free?
Please share them with everyone in the comments below this blogpost.
Let’s talk about a fun and engaging way to teach your children world geography in your homeschool!
Learning more about world geography encourages children to grow into global citizens. As travel and communication become more advanced, our world seems to be becoming smaller! Understanding and appreciating cultural differences between countries breaks down the barriers of prejudice and racial divide, which is necessary in today’s world.
I was recently introduced to an amazing new website called The Worldly Adventures of Archibold Clutterbuck & Friends – yes, it’s a fun as it sounds! In this blog post I’m delighted to share my family’s experience with this Free online learning platform and some of their products.
We’re also hosting a GIVEAWAY! Scroll down to the bottom of the blogpost for more details.
YouTube channel– Numerous animated videos to start your child off on a self-directed learning journey. Videos include, “Top 5 – European Landmarks” and “Top 5 – Waterfalls” and many more.
Geographical facts – The website offer a plethora of geographical information about the different continents, indigenous people, environments and flags
It uses entertaining animated charactersand scenes to keep children engaged in their learning.
Shop– The website currently stocks a colourful world map in A1 or A2 size, a continents explorer’s journal, and stickers. Their products are high-quality, and compliment the learning material available on their website.
How can I use it in my homeschool?
The Worldly Adventures of Archibold Clutterbuckis an open-ended learning resource that encourages self-directed learning. By utilising children’s innate curiosity about the world around them, these resources help children to develops research skills as they answer their own questions through independent research. Through the website, youtube videos, and worksheets, children are taught to be resourceful, looking for the information they need and deciding in which direction they want to take their learning.
We have used the Archibold Clutterbuck A2 World map and Explorer’s journal to compliment our study of world geography and prompt further exploration!. For example, in our last lesson, the boys began by watching a video about different world festivals on the Archibold Clutterbuck YouTube channel. Then they decided to follow that up, by watching another documentary about the Chinese New Year.
We looked at the A2 World map to identify China, and used the map to discuss its physical characteristics. We also had a look in an old atlas we have at home. Then the boys used the internet to learn how to say “Happy New Year” in Madarin, and wrote it in their Continent Explorer’s journal! It was so much fun, and the boys developed important life skills as they learnt about China and it’s culture.
By researching and directing their own learning, with the gentle prompting from the Archibold Clutterbuck resources, the children are learning the skills they will need to be independent learners for the rest of their lives.
If you prefer screen-free learning, all the resources in the Archibold Clutterbuck Shop can be used with books and other learning resources you already have at home.
The Explorer’s journalhas note-booking pages for the continents, landmarks, flags and much more. It’s a wonderful resource to encourage children to think more deeply about the world around them.
Another lovely idea would be to take the explorer’s journal with you when you travel with the children. They can fill in the sections as they witness the geography firsthand on their family holiday! What a great way to learn!
As a Muslim homeschooling family, I wanted to create a curriculum that aligns with our values, and helps us to live a life together that we love and that I am passionate about..
Using the Charlotte Mason philosophy to guide my decisions, I have designed a homeschool curriculum that nurtures my children’s love for learning, ignites their innate curiosity, and empowers me as their teacher and mother to teach with confidence and joy.
Inspired by Charlotte Mason, I have tried to bring God to the heart of every subject, and connect everything with our creator.
This blog-post contains affiliate links. See Disclaimer for more information.
I needed a curriculum that made me excited to wake up in the morning! I needed a curriculum that would touch the hearts of my children! I needed a curriculum that I couldn’t wait to learn from myself!
But I couldn’t find one out there! So, with the help and inspiration of many other Charlotte Mason resources, I put a curriculum together myself.
And here it friends, for you all to enjoy and, I hope, benefit from! insha’Allah
My eldest son is 8 years-old, and my youngest son is 6 years-old. Please assume that the resources outlined below are used by both boys, unless indicated by a (8) or (6) in brackets. However, as the boys use most of the materials together, please consider this curriculum suitable for children in 1st-3rd grade, year 2-4 in the UK.
And I’ve made a little video to go along with this blogpost too. ENJOY!
If you’d like to see the curriculum we used last year, when the boys were 7 and 5,CLICK HERE!
Language Arts / English
Our study of English is based around reading, copying and narrating back high-quality literature and poetry. We have chosen, as recommended by Charlotte Mason, to delay the study of grammar and spelling until our children are at least 9 years-old.
Handwriting
We make out own handwriting sheets on Worksheet Works using excerpts from books we are reading, poetry or ahadith. It’s a wonderful free resource!
Literature
These are books that I plan to read-aloud to the children, in addition to other subjects. We may use Audible to listen to some of them in audiobook form.
Little House Seriesby Laura Ingalls Wilder (8) – Note, there are some unacceptable racial terms used in these books. We use this as an opportunity for conversation and growth insha’Allah.
We use Audible A LOT! If you would like to try it out, they have a FREE TRIAL on at the moment, where you get your First Book Free, you can cancel anytime, and you’ll still have access to that book!
We do not follow a specific reading curriculum. The children are not forced to read any particular book, but rather are given a choice and then are required to read aloud to me 2-3 times a week. They also have 20 minutes free-reading in the afternoon, where they can read whatever they want…even car magazines! I hope that this relaxed approach will encourage them to develop a love of reading, rather than it becoming a chore and only a “school subject”.
We will be looking at one play each term. I feel more comfortable presenting plays that have less romance in, as so we will be beginning with The Tempest.
For Maths, we are using the wonderful Life of Fred Math Series. My 8 year-old are currently working on Kidneys and my 6 year-old on Butterflies.
If any concepts requires further reinforcement I will use other online resources. A favourite of mine is Math Mammoth.
Islam
My boys attend Arabic, Quran and Seerah classes outside of the home. However, we also do incorporate many Islamic sciences into out homeschool schedule, as well as trying to refer back to our creator or deeper lessons whenever they arise in our school day.
We also look at Seerah, the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) which I have included in our History curriculum. For seerah, we use Muhammad by Martin Lings
Nature Study
Nature study forms the foundation of our scientific learning. Through the study of nature I hope the children will learn to observe, records and question what they see around them. More formal science lessons will start when they are older insha’Allah.
Our focus this coming year will be Trees, and Star and Planets, although we will learn about other things things that interest them along the way too!
In addition to this, the boys often refer back to the atlas when a new place in mentioned in their history or literature books.
History
Our focus for history this coming year wil be the late medieval period, the Tudors and Stewarts. We will also focussing on Seerah, and studying the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
We are taking a very relaxed stance on artwork this year, allowing the children more freedom to draw and create in ways that excite them. For this, we will use Pinterest or Youtube for ideas or tutorials.
Picture study is one of the easiest components of a Charlotte Mason education to incorporate into your homeschool curriculum. You do not need to know anything yourself about art, or art history. I repeat …You do NOT need to know ANYTHING about art or art history to begin. All you need is knowledge of the method and a few worthy resources.
Why is Picture Study important?
In today’s society, the importance of the arts has been superseded by STEM and the other sciences. We have lost touch with the great artistic masters of past. Now, the masses only see fragments, distorted reproductions of the original genius of these men and women. For most of us, the only exposure we get to great art might be a coffee shop using the Mona Lisa in it’s logo, or a travel advert for Japan using a work of art by Hokusai.
Many of us will have heard of Leonardo Da Vinci, or Claude Monet, and will have seen their art used in advertisements on billboards and the TV, but have little to draw upon from our own education.
Just as the great works of literature give us glimpses in the the mighty thoughts of the world’s great authors, so too picture study can give us insight into the ideas and minds of those artists. It puts children in touch with worthy ideas and inspires them with something more than modern life can offer.
” We cannot measure the influence that one or another artist has upon the child’s sense of beauty, upon his power of seeing, as in a picture, the common sights of life; he is enriched more than we know in having really looked at a single picture.” – Charlotte Mason
Picture study offers our children a store of images in their mind, to balance out the media’s influence and attempt to monopolize their senses.
Picture study also:
Improves a child’s power of observation
Develop a sense of beauty
Connects them with an artist of a piece of art
Helps them to form opinion about art and their own taste in it
Encourages them to draw and be creative themselves
How to do Picture Study
From the ages of 6 to 15 Charlotte Mason recommended that children become acquainted with at least thirty of the world’s most famous artists.
I have filmed a short video, showing glimpses into our own Picture study lesson, in the hope that it will make what is written here clearer.
WATCH THIS VIDEO!
First begin by choosing the artist you wish them to study. In our first year, we began with Leonardo Da Vinci as it was easy to find the resources we needed, and I was slightly familiar with his work.
However, please remember, you do not need to know ANYTHING about the artist before you begin. In fact, it will only add to your enjoyment of this subject, as you find yourself learning alongside the children.
Examples of artists to study include:
Van Gogh
Claude Monet
Hokusai
Leonardo Da Vinci
Cezanne
Georgia O’Keeffe
The next step is to find six works of art by that artist for that school term, and studying three different artists per year.
Display one of those pieces in front of your children, and ask them to look at it closely, in silence. Allow them plenty of time to, not only absorb it, but to think and ponder over it. Then, when they are finished, hide the art from them and ask them to describe it.
Try your best not to prompt them with leading questions, like “What colour was her dress?” or “What was the weather like?” Just simply say, ” Tell me about it.” They will almost certainly not remember everything, but they don’t need to. By narrating in this way, they are performing a much higher thought process; of observing, processing, recalling and articulating those thoughts in their own words.
Artwork on display during school day
If you prompt too much, you are in danger of having your children become dependent on your questions, like we often see in school comprehension worksheets and multiple choice questions. Allow your children to think for themselves.
If your child is not used to narration, and is struggling to recall it or articulate his thoughts, then let him see the painting as he narrates. It is difficult skill to develop, so take it slow and try to keep the atmosphere joyful.
For older children, you can allow them to sketch from memory what they saw if they would like to.
The next step is to display that piece of art somewhere in your home so that the children can see it frequently through out their day.
The following week, repeat the process with the SAME piece of art. You will hopefully find that your children have more to say!
It can be helpful to tell the children a little about the artist or the painting before you begin. If the painting is about a story, it can be helpful to tell your children this story before you begin the picture study. Likewise, knowing a little more about the artist they are studying, will help them to form connections with him/her. Knowing more about the mind behind the art will encourage your children to look more closely at the work itself.
After 2 weeks, switch to another piece art by that same artist. In so doing, your child will some to know at least 6 of the artist’s works each term. That’s an incredible achievement!
Picture Study Resources
For the art prints themselves, I would always recommend getting the largest prints you can find and display easily.
Postcards and images in art textbooks are often too small for multiple children to see at once, and inevitably loose the finer details.
We personally use wall calendars of a specific artist. These tend to be much cheaper than books, the prints are a good size, and they are easy to display on our kitchen wall. Here are a few examples of some we have used:
Another option, is to look for larger “coffee-table books” on a specific artist. You can usually find some in your local library or on Amazon.
We have also used “Print Packs” from the Great Artist Collection. These contain a selection of six beautiful colour prints along with extensive information about the artist and his/her work:
The organsiation Simply Charlotte Mason also produces lovely Picture Study Portfolios that contains eight prints and a handbook.We have not tried these ourselves, but I have heard they are a excellent.
Children’s artist biographies can also be found at the library, but I would strongly recommend pre-reading these so you can omit the less-wholesome parts of the artist’s lives that young children do not need to know about. However, it may be worthwhile older children knowing the full picture, as these parts of their lives will have inevitably influenced their art, and will make for meaningful discussions with you.
Here are a few artist biographies, in the form of living books, that we have enjoyed with our young children:
From the age of fourteen, art history is incorporated into the Charlotte Mason curriculum, where children learn how the artist worldview would have influenced their art.
The picture study lessons will take no more that 10-15 minutes a week, but the influence that they have will be lifelong. To be able to store “a couple of hundred pictures by great masters hanging permanently in the halls of [their] imagination” is a worthy endeavor.
Teaching science in your homeschool can be difficult without the right curriculum. You have to consider your child’s learning style, find ways in incorporate hands-on learning, coding, technology, and all within your budget!
Despite these difficulties, my kids love science and so I have been looking for ways to include more supplemental science into our homeschool curriculum without adding to much to my own workload!
We follow the Charlotte Mason philosophy in our homeschool, and so I was looking for something to supplement our existing curriculum.
I’m excited to share what I found!
This post is sponsored by Homeschool Buyers Co-op who compensated me for my time. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own, please see my Disclaimer for details.
Where can I find Science Homeschool Curriculum?
TheHomeschool Buyers Co-ophas an award-winning selection of science and technology products, including core science curriculum and supplements, coding and programming courses, hands-on experimentation, and more.
Doing hands-on experiments at home can be a challenge for even to most seasoned homeschooler, especially as your children get older.
The Homeschool Buyers Co-op has an impressive range of science curricula specifically for hands-on learning!
I can’t tell you what a relief it was to me as a homeschooling mum to find these resources!
What about Technology and Coding?
I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember much about technology frim school, and I’m still not sure I know what coding is! Thank goodness there are homeschool curricula available to teach this for me.
The Homeschool Buyers Co-op offer a range of technology and coding curricula to chose from, all with significant savings too.
Online Homeschool Curriculum
If you’re like me and live outside the U.S. it can sometimes be frustrating to find homeschool curriculum. The great thing about Homeschool Buyers Co-op is that many of the curricula that they offer are online, so you don’t need to pay for International shipping!
Even if you do live in the U.S., an online Science curriculum is a great way to save money without compromising your child’s education.
So, if like me, you have been worried about how to teach Science in your homeschool, I would encourage to visit the Homeschool Buyers Co-opand see the choices they have on offer.
If you have any questions, please leave them for me in the comment below.
We have just completed another term of nature study in our homeschool; this time focusing on British birds. Nature study is one of our most-loved subjects and part of our Charlotte Mason inspired homeschool curriculum.
Below, I have listed all the resources we love and have found useful in the study of birds; including living books,beautiful children’s literature for all ages, reference books, preschool picture books, our treasured nature journal supplies and more!
This blog post contains affiliate links. See Disclaimer for more information.
Make sure you WATCH THIS VIDEO to get a closer look at these resources and take a peek inside the books!
Here is a selection of wonderful literature about birds; stories that are infused with scientific facts, as well as noble morals, memorable characters and moving storylines.
This is the diary of a naturalist who rescued an abandoned owlet from the woods and hand-reared it at home. This true story also features tips on how to keep your own nature journal and original black-and-white photos.
This book has been such an asset to us these past few months. We have used it to sketch the birds from into our nature journals. For each bird you are given a variety of large high-quality photos and plenty of information.
This lovely little book is our trusty guide to identifying birds when we are on nature walks. It is small enough to carry with us, with just enough information to help us identify any new birds we see.
Looking a Nature is a collection of nature-study lessons for children aged 4-11. It is perfect for those people who are unsure how to begin the study of Nature in their homeschool.
This book from Usborne focuses on birds from many different habitats. It discusses many aspects of their behaviour, life cycle, indientifaction and some myths and legnends! The illustrations are beautiful too!
Learning about the Bird Songs has probably been my favourite aspect of the study of British birds, and this CD played a massive part in that! I highly recommend it.
There is nothing quite so heart-warming as seeing tiny birds, of many coours and varieties, flock your garden, to eat the seeds you put out. They even develop a routine so you know what time each bird will arrive at your feeders that day!
Birds feeders, if placed close enough to your windows, can even be a way to do nature study on those days you cannot leave the house.
Local park
Your local park or woodland is a fantastic resource for you and your family. Get outdoors and explore the nature to see these incredible birds first-hand.
Enthusiasm
Your example and enthusiasm for nature study will influence you children far more than any book ever could. If you, as a parent, enjoy learning about birds and take part in nature journalling yourself, you children will be eager to follow your example. And besides, you might actually learn something…right?!!?
If you have any questions, please leave them for me in the comment below.
The power of words, their ability to turn hearts and move men should never be underestimated.
In fact, it has become one of the few truths that I stand by: that words can change the world.
One of the greatest proofs of this are the scriptures of the Abrahamic religions. Muslims, along with Jews and Christians, are called the “people of the book” and it is through the Divine words of revelation that God chose to guide us; words that forever changed the world.
“It is He Who sent down to thee, in truth, the Book (Quran), confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a guide to mankind, and He sent down the criterion (Quran) (of judgment between right and wrong).” – Holy Quran 3:3
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Words, in their ever varied and beautiful forms, also make up the backbone of our literature-based homeschool. It is by the craftsmanship of the many great authors we read, that my children gain knowledge and are inspired to learn.
Through the words of others, they are taught what it means to be human; the good, the bad and everything in between.
The beauty of well crafted words sometimes catches me off guard, as if placed in my path for a reason; to remind me, teach me or just to make me smile when I need it the most.
One such occasion was when we were visiting a local park. Despite having been to the same park for years, it was only on this visit that I noticed a small second-hand bookshop hidden above the ice-cream parlour. After the ice-creams were enjoyed, we all ventured up the narrow wooden staircase in the lofted roof. Tucked up under the eaves were hundreds of second-hand books, neatly arranged on old mismatched bookcases. The delight of finding this “secret” treasure-trove was not lost on my children, who quickly set about scouring the shelves looking for “the” book for them.
In addition to these, my youngest son carried home a hardback copy of Stories from Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milneas though it was the most precious thing in the world.
Back home, over a cup of tea, I opened the poetry book and the first poem that met my eyes made my heart flutter. I can’t make out if it was a pang of recollection from a distant childhood memory, or simply the power of the poem’s vivid imagery.
This is the poem I read,
The Way Through the Woods
They shut the road through the woods
Seventy years ago.
Weather and rain have undone it again,
And now you would never know
There was once a road through the woods
Before they planted the trees.
It is underneath the coppice and heath,
And the thin anemones.
Only the keeper sees
That, where the ring-dove broods,
And the badgers roll at ease,
There was once a road through the woods.
Yet, if you enter the woods
Of a summer evening late,
When the night-air cools on the trout-ringed pools
Where the otter whistles his mate,
(They fear not men in the woods,
Because they see so few.)
You will hear the beat of a horse’s feet
And the swish of a skirt in the dew,
Steadily cantering through
The misty solitudes,
As though they perfectly knew
The old lost road through the woods.
But there is no road through the woods.
By Rudyard Kipling
I read it over and over again, and it made me smile.
Words can do that; they can bring joy and delight when before there was none.
Then I read it to my kids. With their eyes closed and the room quiet, they felt it too. They told me about, “The lost road,” and “The horses hooves,” and they talked together about how roads were different in the olden days. They got it. They saw it in the minds and they felt the words.
Together we enjoyed those words, written many years ago by a man we never knew. Those words brought us closer. That poem is now something we share, like an inside joke or a happy memory.
By exposing my children to these great authors and poets, who are masters of their craft, I hope that my children will one day be able to yield the power found within words and use it for a noble purpose insha’Allah.
One day, when they are grown, and they hear the words of that poem again, it will trigger something within them and make their hearts flutter as they remember; and then perhaps they will pass these words onto their children.
Words connect us, they move us, and so too can they shape us. That is why I raise my children upon the best of them.
