Five in a Row {Volume 2} - Harold and the Purple Crayon

Harold and the Purple Crayon is a sweet little book about a boy who draws his adventures (with his purple crayon) as the story is told. The FIAR manual suggests 'rowing' this book during review week because it is an easier book without a lot of subtopics. Seeing as it was our first week of school, I thought this would be a great choice as we are finding our new rhythm and routine.

Finding the Color Purple

We had a lot of fun with this color mixing experiment to find out which two colors are needed to make purple. Gabriel already knew the answer, but he was a good big brother and didn't ruin it for Gracie! 

Before we began the kids made a color chart leaving the middle boxes blank.

G and G watched for several minutes as the paper towels began absorbing the colored water. Gracie was all giggles and she waited to see which jar would end up with purple water. Gabriel was fascinated by the water "walking" up and over the jar, so we had a little side lesson about why that happens.

The water finally made its way to the middle jars and we had our results!

More color mixing fun with paint...

Survival Skills- Gaining a View from Altitude

Harold doesn't want to get lost so he climbs a hill but knows that the higher up he goes the farther he will be able to see. So, he climbs a mountain instead!

A lesson from the manual suggests teaching your child this practical skill in case they ever find themselves in a situation where they are lost. ( Now in order for this to be effective they will have to be familiar with their surroundings. This is something Charlotte Mason taught  as part of her geography lessons.)

We made a list of things we could see while still on the ground before climbing the 'mountain'





As they reached the top they were so excited to be able to see things from the higher altitude that they were unable to see on the ground.

Transportation- On Land, Sea and Air

Harold uses many forms of transportation throughout his adventure. Gabriel made a list of them and we added to it and come up with some pretty silly ways of getting around! He looked through magazines and cut out pictures of different modes of transportation and glued them on paper to be added to his binder.  (He will add to it as he comes across new modes of transportation in other books)

Harold falls off the top of the mountain but thinks fast and draws a hot air balloon so he can land safely on the ground. Since we didn't have one of those handy, Daddy helped us out! ;)

Art-Vanishing Point and City Scenes

These lessons were quite interesting to my children. They were very engaged as I discussed the different art techniques and demonstrated them, but were not too keen on trying it themselves. I filed these away in the Art Section of their binders and they can use it as a reference when creativity strikes! 

Setting

At the beginning of the book the setting of the story is unknown. We read The Little Red Hen and compared the opening scenes of each book. Both Gabriel and Gracie were able to describe the setting of The Little Red Hen from the first illustration. We talked about how the setting is progressive and in Harold's imagination. This lesson also came from the manual.

Science: Moon

The moon follows Harold through the story and I could have easily planned a 'Moon Unit' to go along with our 'row. However, there are other FIAR books that have more emphasis on the moon so we will study it in depth while 'rowing' another book. I did want to touch on the moon a little bit so we casually talked about the different phases and what the moon is made up of. They put a space puzzle together and found the moon and pointed out the craters.

Role Playing: Picnic

Our time with Harold and his purple crayon wouldn't have been complete without a simple picnic lunch with nothing but pie! They didn't seem to mind that it wasn't lunch time or the fact that there was only one pie instead of nine! :)

Our first week of school brought all of us joy and laughter. I had very low expectations but still expected them to be met. Gabriel's favorite thing we did all week were his reading lessons. Ah, music to my ears!

This coming week we are hopping over to Australia! 

Revised Curriculum: Part One

I shared our curriculum choices for this school year a few weeks ago. I felt great about the decisions we made and I was ready to dive into our first year of homeschooling. I had my list and I checked it twice. My Amazon cart was full with books to be 'saved for later' along with a never ending wish list of children's books.

But, a week ago my husband asked me if I had everything I needed for homeschooling.

Yes. Sorta.

I had the Five in a Row books I needed for the first four weeks plus a few more for later in the year...

Let me give you a back story:

...For the past two years I have become slightly addicted interested in scouring the children's book section at thrift stores. (I know some of you are nodding in agreement because you do it too!) I have had booklists in my head, in my phone, scribbled on an index card and I have called home on many occasions to see if I already had a particular book in a series. It is like a treasure hunt to find living books and especially the books from FIAR. Since my son was two years old I have been collecting Before Five in a Row books as well, making it a total of three and half years of FIAR book hunting...

Fast forward to last week and I can completely understand why my husband was so terribly puzzled with how few books I had for school. What were all these books I had found? Where did they go? Why do I still need more books?

All valid thoughts and questions that made me stop and really think...

What books do I have? Why do I need so many more books for this year? I have a shelf full of other FIAR books just begging to be 'rowed'!

In my original post I shared that we would be 'traveling around the world'. I was looking forward to 'rowing' books by country and creating a few units on my own using non-FIAR books. As I was thinking about the above questions I had an 'A Ha'! moment.

I have known for a very long time that my personality type would not work well using a boxed curriculum. I would feel too restricted by the teacher's guide and then go off on too many rabbit trails to make it worth the cost and materials. I am ok with that! I know many families who use a boxed curriculum and thrive. If you have read my previous posts you know that we use Charlotte Mason's methods for education as our main resource. I love the freedom I have to use her methods as a guideline and still personalize it for my children and myself as their teacher. In other words, I am not stuck in a box.

I realized that I put myself in a 'FIAR box'. I have had it in my mind, for well over a year, that we would 'travel around the world' with FIAR for the first year. The following year we would either start Year 1 of the CM history cycle or continue with the rest of the FIAR books that we didn't use this year.

Can I tell you that God has been so gracious to us as I have prayed about and planned our homeschool year. I have been given countless items from my sister (a former FIAR mom) and other resources from family and friends. I have been able to search and find used books that cost next to nothing. I have evaluated and reevaluated what we are doing this year to be the best steward of our time and finances that I could be. God has blessed that over and over again. He gently made it clear to me that I was restricting myself to only use books that were set in a foreign county, plus a few from the US, when He had already provided my family with more than enough books to use this year.

Why did I feel the need to buy 20+ books, even if they were used, when I have over 20 other FIAR books? I have no clue. :) I am thankful for a God who cares about my children's education even more than I do. A God, who cares about our budget and finances and wants to see us thrive this year.

So, what does this mean for our school year? Well, I scrapped most of my FIAR plans a week before school started. I took a deep breath and pulled out all the FIAR books I had along with the BFIAR manual as well as Volumes 1 and 2. Within 30 mins I had our entire year rescheduled and I am even more excited now for what I have planned.

I'll share our new plans later this week along with a look at our first 'row'. (Hint: We learned about the color purple :))

Homeschooling 2015-2016

As I have been preparing for our homeschool year to begin next month, these words remain in my mind, making sure that whatever I provide for my children is "wholesome and nourishing".

After spending countless hours researching curriculum, reading reviews, scouring catalogs and pinterest, I always came back to the same principles and ideas found in the writings of Charlotte Mason:

To train my children in the use of good habits and build a biblical foundation. To read aloud living literature and enrich their atmosphere with handicrafts, art, music, and poetry. To provide many opportunities to explore and gain an appreciation for the wonders of God's creation. When they are ready, gently begin to introduce reading, writing, and math through informal activities.

Kindergarten Curriculum:

Bible:
Memorize scripture throughout the year using the Scripture Memory System
Unwrapping The Greatest Gift - Ann Voskamp
We will read and discuss one story a week leading up to the week of Christmas when we will read the last five stories each day.
Coloring Pages for each story

Habits:
The habits of Attention, Obedience, and Truthfulness will continue to be our main focus this year.
A Child's Book of Character Building Volume 1
Living Books
Various Games
*I will share more about habit training in detail soon!

Reading/Language:
I thought about purchasing Delightful Reading from simplycharlottemason.com but I am going to hold off and apply CM's reading instructions on my own.
Language and Thinking for Young Children - Ruth Beechick
Vocabulary Building Notebook
Homemade Word Books
Word Search

Math:
Calendar
Family Math - Stenmark
Counting Bears
Manipulatives from around the house
Cash Register

Handwriting:
Handwriting Without Tears - Kindergarten (Thanks to my sister!)
Homemade Books
Family Mailbox
Writing Wednesday (write letters or cards to family and friends)
Journal Entry (Fridays only)

Social Studies:
Five In A Row Volumes 1 and 2 (FIAR)
Follow along as we travel around the world and visit places near and far!
AUSTRAILIA: Katy No Pocket (Before Five in a Row)
FRANCE: Mirette on the High Wire and The Glorious Flight
ITALY: Papa Picolo and The Clown of God
SPAIN: Ferdinand
Christopher Columbus unit study
ENGLAND: The Tale of Peter Rabbit
UGANDA: Beatrice's Goat (Not a FIAR book)
THANKSGIVING: Pilgrims First Thanksgiving, A Pioneer Thanksgiving, and Cranberry Thanksgiving
CHRISTMAS: Unwrapping the Greatest Gift, Truth in the Tinsel, "Christmas Around the World"
CANADA/ARCTIC: The Very First Last Time
RUSSIA: Another Celebrated Dancing Bear
GERMANY: A New Coat for Anna
SCOTLAND: Wee Gilis
PERU:
INDIA: Monsoon Afternoon (Not a FIAR book)
CHINA: The Story of Ping
POLAND/ISREAL: Mrs Katz and Tush
EASTER: A Sense of the Resurrection
JAPAN: A Pair of Red Clogs and Grandfather's Journey (San Fransisco)
NEW ENGLAND: Night of the Moon Jellies
KANSAS: Climbing Kansas Mountains
NEW YORK: Little Red Lighthouse
OHIO: Lentil
SOUTH: Down, Down the Mountain

Other Resources:
Usborne Animal Atlas
World Map
Map Skills through hands-on learning

Science:
Nature Study:
Birds
Clouds
Trees (Leaves)
Trees (Acorns)
Trees (Pine Cones/Needles)
Trees (Bark)
Ice/Snow
Buds/Sprouts
Tadpoles
Butterflies

Usborne Book of Science Activities Volumes 1 and 2
Berenstain Bears' Big Book of Science and Nature

Poetry:
Favorite Poems Old and New
Now We Are Six
Sing a Song of Popcorn

Music, Art, Hymns:
Listen to classical music as well music from the countries we will be "visiting"
Picture Study using an assortment of art books as well as books from FIAR
Learn one new hymn every month

Handicrafts:
Lacing
Beginner Carpentry Skills
Weaving
Painting
Clay Sculpting


WHEW!

Now to restock the craft supplies and we are ready to begin!

REVISED CURRICULUM: PART ONE
REVISED CURRICULUM: PART TWO

A Quiet Growing Time

“In this time of extraordinary pressure, educational and social, perhaps a mother’s first duty to her children is to secure for them a quiet growing time, a full six years of passive receptive life, the waking part of it spent for the most part out in the fresh air” (Vol. 1, p. 43)./i>

My children's days are filled with wonder and excitement, curiosity and observation, laughter and some days lots of tears. They spend most of their days at home, learning alongside me. We take long walks and leave plenty of time to stop and stare at a flower just beginning to bloom or a wiggly worm after a summer rain.

We don't accept every playdate invitation or participate in all the events our community has to offer. We pick and choose based on what is best for our whole family mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.



"Secure for them a quiet growing time, a full six years of passive receptive life"

When I read this quote by Charlotte Mason I envision a boat rocking in the water, strong waves crashing into it. But, even though that boat is being pushed and pulled in different directions it is not going to stray bc at the bottom of the sea is an anchor holding it secure.

Somedays I feel as if I am living on that boat when it comes to my children's early years of learning. Our culture tells us we need to be doing more. More sports, more lessons, more playdates, more formal preschool. I am striving to keep that anchor deep in the sea, to secure a quiet growing time for my children, all the while the waves of outside pressure to do more comes crashing in.



I have to be intentional with each day. I have to look at the bigger picture and not just the momentary joy an activity may bring. I know my children's limits and sometimes I nudge them, other times I push them and then we all regret it.

Charlotte Mason didn't encourage formal academics until a child was 6 years of age. The more I read her words the more I have to agree with her.
History lessons will always be there. Math worksheets with always be there. Copying the same letter over and over again will always be there. You know what wont always be there? The carefree days of childhood.

The one thing I consistently hear from veteran homeschool moms is that if they could go back to the beginning they wouldn't have done as many activities, and they would have spent more time snuggled up on the couch reading good books aloud to their children. That is just what we are going to do this year!

Simple. Gentle. Steady. Quiet. Secure.