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Over the past few years, Montessori 3-part cards have gained a lot of attention and popularity across the educational world. In fact, we even include them in many of our programs at The Gentle + Classical Press! While they may seem similar to flashcards, they actually are so much more. Montessori 3-part cards are a simple tool at first glance, but they provide a wide variety of practical applications - which are all fully adaptable to how each child learns, thinks, and plays! However, many of us simply might not know how best to utilize this beautiful educational tool in our homeschool. I know when I first saw them online, I was really unclear on what you actually do with them.
We long to provide a way for moms and children to engage education in a way that is fun, inspires wonder, and cultivates play. (Psst: You can read more about that here, and grab two full FREE units while you’re at it!) Gentle + Classical Preschool is a full-year preschool program. It is a blend of Charlotte Mason and classical studies. The BEST part? The Teacher’s guide is absolutely FREE.
We could talk about SO many of our whys with what we included in the curriculum but today we want to talk about our ABCs. As many preschool curriculums do, each unit has a letter of focus. However, we don’t begin with “A” but instead with “L” - why is that?
We are very "sorry, not sorry" for adding a new option to your pile for next year ;). If you're still exploring options, we wanted to make sure you have a FULL wealth of knowledge about how our Nature programs work, by getting your hands on it... legit.
That's why we compiled the first TWO units of Nature Volume 2 into a sample, just for you!
The preschool years seem to be filled with such “gray area”. Do our 2, 3, and 4-year-olds just need to play, or do they do school work too? What should they know before kindergarten? Do they need to know anything?
We love nature-focused unit studies around here. After much searching and pre-reading, we found a few very favorite reptile books that have been a hit with our kiddos.
Before we share the book list, we want to share a completely free resource you might enjoy….
Morning Virtues offers FLEXIBILITY, but, we don’t want you to just take our word for how much we love Morning Virtues, we want you to try a month on us! So, we are offering Morning Virtues: Courage free.
We often hear the question “what do I do with my toddler while we homeschool?” or even just a general “What do I do with my toddler?” Trust us, we get it - and it is an absolutely valid question. Of course, every family and situation is different, so all of the ideas we discuss today may not work for your family, but we long to help get the brainstorming wheels turning.
Check out a few ideas we have compiled below using our FREE list of Skills and Activities Checklist. We are hopeful this is helpful in creating a plan for your curious two-year-olds.
What a joy it is to explore the animal world and stand in awe of the creatures God has created! There are so many unique animals with different abilities, habitats, and features we don’t even know about! We have created this FREE Polar Animals fun pack to give you and your children then chance to explore the world of polar animals. Learn about the Orca whale, penguins, narwhal, and more! The recommended ages are preschool through 4th grade - but let’s be honest— no one is too old to enjoy the world of polar animals!
Are you in the season of reading instruction? It’s one of the most daunting aspects of home education and can feel overwhelming. But rest assured, when all is said and done, most of our children will learn how to read without too much of an issue.
There are so many aspects to learning to read, and if there is one kink in the chain, your child can struggle. Let’s take a look at a few areas students can struggle with when it comes to reading.
There is nothing like cozying up on a cold winter day with a cup of coffee, light music in the background, and something to keep your mind busy and off the long cold winter days. We designed this free Winter Fun Pack to add a little “spice” to your days, and to especially help your little ones in getting the wiggles out in a way that might be a little more productive and wholesome than just climbing the walls!
In a curriculum from the 1890’s, Charlotte Mason outlined a list of “attainments” that she believed were a challenging set of skills and knowledge that a well-educated child of 6 would do well to have. This list of skills is not for a child to hav e mastered BY the age of 6, but r ather to be challenged with AT the age of 6. This means that the following list of attainments are not a “kindergarten readiness” list but instead would be considered Miss Mason’s “kindergarten” program.
My little guys love ocean animals! As a child I had a deep desire to become a marine biologist. I mean, who doesn't want to swim with dolphins and closely observe whales?
Over time, the Lord had different plans for me, but that doesn't mean I don't still love ocean animals. As a matter of fact, Volume 2 of Nature (release: Spring 2022) is allllll about oceans and shorelines.
I don’t know about you, friend, but when spring hits at our home, we are out the door like a flash! School is a little harder to do when warmth, sunshine, and fresh air await us outside. (We will momentarily pretend like muddy ground, wasps, and pollen-apocalypses don’t accompany it!)
What are some milestones that I need to look for in my child’s behavior or abilities?
How do I know he’s ready for school?
How long should she be able to pay attention?
How much time should we spend on “school”?
My child doesn’t do ________, is that ok?
What are some ways that I can engage my child in a meaningful way during our busy days?
These are all questions I’ve asked over the years and questions I hear daily from busy, concerned homeschooling moms who want to make sure they’re doing best for their child.
Valentine’s is usually a “love/hate” kind of holiday for most. Some people are tired of commercialism while others adore the special focus on love and romance this time of year.
I’ll say that I squarely fall into the middle. I’m not one for “mush” but I absolutely love to take time to make sure that my family knows just how important they are to me. We have very simple, candy-centered traditions around our house.
Even if you don’t love V-day, I find that late Jan-February is typically one of the hardest seasons in homeschooling. And when you layer a year-long pandemic on top? Sheesh. So anything that can bring some light and joy into our lives as we suffer through the long stretch of gloom and cold of this generally abysmal month- well, I’m all for it!
There are truly a plethora of ABC flashcards available on the market these days- I even have four sets in my own shop. Once upon a time, this set was in my own shop as well.
But can we really have too many beautiful options? In the early years of education, flashcards become a staple in our homeschool and in our schooling space…
My Instagram feed is filled with gorgeous nature tables, muddy rainboots, and wild and free children. This speaks to my heart in an unimaginable way. While I may often get too busy to truly spend the hours out of doors that I would like... and sometimes the complaints about the heat just wear me down (we live near Satan's armpit), I know deep in my soul that being surrounded and immersed in God's creation is as close as we can get to touching him on this earth.
When I first began reading Charlotte Mason's own personal work (and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT, start here), I was slightly put off. I almost felt as if she worshipped nature. But I knew I had to be missing something important, so I pressed further in. Through prayer, I realized that Charlotte was passionate about nature because she was passionate about the Creator of nature. She knew that being immersed in Creation was a sneak peak into eternity and into the heart of our Father in Heaven. Our task as mothers is to simply help our children become thoroughly acquainted with Creation, capable of truly SEEING it with clear observation.
St. Patrick left an amazing legacy on the isle of Ireland that hasn’t been quickly forgotten by the Irish in over one thousand years! Each year, we celebrate his gift of Christian mercy, love, and compassion on March 17th.
After researching and learning about Ireland over the past 2 months for this issue of On Mission, I can see why St. Patrick loved it so. Even after escaping from captivity as a slave there, his heart could not be separated from the land or the people. God called him back- to HIS CAPTIVES- to preach the Good News.
“Do not let the endless succession of small things crowd great ideals out of sight and out of mind.” -Charlotte Mason
I have no idea how many books I’ve read in my life, but I can promise you that they have shaped who I am and the way I live- drastically. The way I speak to my husband, the way I teach or discipline my children, the way I pray and seek the Lord- have all been shaped by books.
Books are powerful because words and ideas are powerful. Allowing someone else’s ideas into the most intimate places in our heart is a precious thing- a thing we must always approach with discernment.
Charlotte Mason tells us that ideas build upon ideas. And so the ideas that we develop are often rooted in the ideas that we have received from others. We receive ideas through conversation, articles, books, music, movies, television shows, and even our social media feeds.
I’ve been exceedingly shocked by the enthusiasm and reactions from the very-popular Preschool Morning Binder. And of course, as my own little kiddos get older, I knew we would need a slightly more advanced version of this great tool. Beyond that, since Level 2 of The Gentle + Classical Preschool is for ages 4-6 years and is a full Kindergarten program, I knew that most of us would want a morning activity binder perfect for our kiddos who are 5-7 years old.
So what is a Kindergarten Morning Binder?
There are literally close to one million free printable planners available on the internet. Search Pinterest, and you’ll find out that I’m not exaggerating by much. However, I can never quite find THE ONE, ya know? They’re either kind of functional but not pretty, the website has one million and one ads and pop-ups and feels like spam, or they just don’t quite suit my needs… I am forever a tinkerer.
We are annual zoo members and have been for years. Our kids have always treasured days at the zoo, and when the weather isn’t sweltering, I always have too. I feel like it’s an excellent opportunity to get out of the house and do a little roamschooling.
I wanted to create a tool for us (and for you!) that would serve our whole family. I have babies from 2 up to high school freshman, so it’s not often we do anything or learn anythign that EVERYONE can enjoy and benefit from. However, the zoo is definitely an excpetion to that. Furthermore, with this zoo explorers pack, that’s even more true than ever.
I received a text from a sweet friend last night, one who is in the thick of her first year or two of homeschooling. As she'd spent many sleepless nights cradling and nursing her newborn infant recently, thoughts and concerns flooded her mind over the progress of her 6-year old daughter's reading.
Anyone who has been in the thick of homeschooling for one year or 10 remembers those days well. Not one of us is impervious to fears, second-guessing, unmet expectations, and the torture of comparison. What follows is a version of my response to her concerns, that she and I agreed, should be shared with you as well.
If it’s not apparent by all the fall/Thanksgiving posts on my blog (like this free packet, this printable calendar, and this act of kindness kit), I REALLY LOVE THE FALL SEASON. One of my favorite aspects of fall is obviously the weather. Living in central Alabama means that we deal with insufferable heat and humidity most of the year. We are very much a “2-season” state. Our fall and spring generally area about 2 weeks long, but OH how glorious they are!
Since our fall season is so short, we like to take full advantage and spend as many hours out of doors as possible. Even on 10 acres, my little ones can somehow manage to grow bored with the scenery. I find that a sure-fire way to keep them engaged with exploring nature is to start out by directing, guiding, or employing them in some way. Then, once their creative and observational skills are all fired up, they’re happy to engage with nature and explore on their own for hours at a time.
Who doesn’t love smores? Even with gluten, dairy, and corn allergies in our home, we’ve managed to still enjoy them. They’re a fall staple in our home, and we enjoy them immensely. A few years ago, I was thinking about s’mores and had a brainstorm for a random act of kindness. What if we chose several friends whom we love and packed s’more baskets up just for their families?
We decided to do just that! They were extremely popular. We got found out pretty quickly (despite our excellent ninja-skills), but we continued to do them each year. This year will be our 4th year and we are so excited to get them packed up and ding-dong-ditch them next week!
I am so so so excited that you have found Thanks-GIVING For Your Whole Family! The fall months and the holiday season have always been near and dear to my heart. I love the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings- cool crisp air, pumpkin pie scented candles, marshmallow-loaded hot cocoa, a crackling fire, and all of my loved ones close at hand.
Obviously, this means I also love Thanksgiving. I get to spend time with family, and there’s always a good football game. In celebration of Thanksgiving and anticipation of Christmas, it’s generally my goal that November would be filled with acts of service that demonstrate our gratitude and worship.
A couple of years ago, I developed a schedule of thanksgiving celebration in which our family focuses much more on genuinely giving than just saying how thankful we are (which, there’s definitely nothing wrong with that!). I am convinced that it creates the perfect space in our hearts to enter into worship in December.
Sometimes you just need a few visuals to help your students get the full picture. This year, we are using a living books science curriculum from Beautiful Feet (read a review here) for my 6th grader, while my older daughter is utilizing Sabbath Mood for her 9th grade Biology 1. Both programs are beautiful, thorough and engaging. But around here, we love a great display for visual reference as well as notebooking pages.
Notebooking pages are so simple. Honestly, it’s kind of silly. Why do those engage better? I have no clue. But they DO. When my girls have a topic-specific notebook page, they just get more “into” it. Maybe it feels more official than plain old notebook paper?
Our entire educational endeavors surround two things in our home- nature and books. We spend our days either outside or with little ones in a lap, perusing our latest library haul. Fall is a fantastic time to make a sweet connection between those two loves. What better than a stack of books that speak to the changing of the seasons- from miserably hot to crisp and cool. Fall brings a much needed change here, after a long, humid summer and begins to usher in the excitement of the holiday seasons.
I have two things to share today. First, the book recommendations. Some are favorites in our home and others were highly recommended by Life, Abundantly readers on Facebook.
Down below the book recommendations though, you’ll find a DELIGHTFUL FREE download that includes 11 pages of super sweet, really adorably worksheets created for the K3-1st Grade crowd.
I llooooooveeeee organization. I will also quickly admit that I’m not the best at “maintaining” said organization, but I am a PRO at setting it up. I have learned, over the years, with a lot of failure, that simple works best. I’ve also learned that no organizational systems matters a lick if you don’t have the self-discipline to utilize the system. Being a self-proclaimed scatterbrain AND perfectionist, wrapped all into one, creates a very interesting dichotomy that I’m confident my family total loves (not at all).
As we approached this school year, I had a vision in mind for bringing the spreadsheet system I’ve used for years into a real life, adjustable, very visible, attractive wall system. (If you’re curious about how I use a spreadsheet and generally plan our days, check out this detailed post and free spreadsheet.) I am probably the most “out of sight, out of mind” person you’ve ever met. It frustrates me immensely, but I also just accommodate this insufficiency with various tools, like my phone alarm and calendar.
I was browsing Pinterest the other day, looking for some printable activities to use alongside explore birds with my preschooler. I wanted a fun, bird-themed opportunity to review basic math and counting skills that fit the season. Our yard is freshly filled with birds in the early spring, and there’s really no better time of year to pull our feathered friends into our homeschool time.