Book Stacks – Katie Books
Subjects that are seen as “extra-curricular” can be the first to slide when life gets busy and sadly, I am guilty of this. You don’t have to look very far to find research that will encourage you to make art a regular component of your homeschool life so I encourage you to think through how you will work it into your days. We have a selection of art curriculum that you can work through with your children but also consider taking the time to introduce your children to famous artists and their work. We have used several of these Katie books; they are a fun way to introduce your children to the art world. Add a package of watercolour pencils, paintbrushes, and a new watercolour art book and you have the ingredients for making beautiful homeschool memories. Katie and the Mona Lisa Katie and the British Artists Katie and the Waterlily Pond Katie’s Picture Show Katie and the Bathers Katie and the Starry Night by Adrianne Curwen Adrianne is a wife to a public-school educator/administrator and a homeschooling Mama to seven children, ranging in age from 7 to 23. She believes that we have a unique opportunity as homeschoolers to design individualized education that suits giftings, interests, and passions. She and her husband have used a blend of registered homeschooling, enrolment with independent DL schools, and participation in public trade school programs to design individualized programs for their children. She is passionate about using as many read-alouds, picture books, novels, and conversations to educate her children but also gets excited by the amazing homeschool-designed curriculum that’s out there. Adrianne is thrilled by her new role as Communication Specialist for Classical Education Books and is grateful to have an opportunity to learn something new. She is grateful, every day, for her saviour, Jesus Christ, and has no greater joy than when she sees her most important missions field walk with Him.
Spring Book Stack
It’s March and I live in British Columbia so when I look out my window it’s spring. I have a favorite season but overall, I simply get excited about the changes that all the seasons bring. A new season naturally brings changes to weather, wardrobe, and activities but I like to purposefully exhaust as many changes as possible right down to the resources we use for our homeschooling: pumpkin picture books in October and Christmas books in December. Now is the time to scour your shelves for all things spring and we’ve compiled a stack of resources that would make great additions to your springtime learning. Coloring Books Don’t let the fact that these are coloring books fool you, they are full of more than just coloring. Your children will learn a lot as they read through these pages and be inspired to learn more. They are a great starting point for some springtime learning. Forest Animals My First Book About Backyard Nature Backyard Nature Coloring Book Picture Books You might still need a blanket but these picture books about nature would make great read alouds as you sit outside enjoying the change of season. I have to be so purposeful to get outside in the winter months but that all changes once springtime rolls around. We eat outside, read outside, and work through our morning time routine outside. Wangari Maathai Stellaluna The Gift of the Tree The Rainforest Grew All Around We’re Sailing to Galapagos Have You Seen Birds? Wonders of Nature Novels and Nature Stories All of the reading here has a spring/nature theme. Use the links below to see a full description of each title. The Penderwicks in Spring Come To My Tomorrowland The Burgess Bird Book for Children Outdoor Secrets Jack’s Insects We hope you are excited about the appearance of spring, but we also know that the events of life can cause the darkness of winter to take root where it is not welcome. Know that the CEB team is here to help you navigate through your homeschooling journey no matter what season you wake up to today. by Adrianne Curwen Adrianne is a wife to a public-school educator/administrator and a homeschooling Mama to seven children, ranging in age from 7 to 23. She believes that we have a unique opportunity as homeschoolers to design individualized education that suits giftings, interests, and passions. She and her husband have used a blend of registered homeschooling, enrolment with independent DL schools, and participation in public trade school programs to design individualized programs for their children. She is passionate about using as many read-alouds, picture books, novels, and conversations to educate her children but also gets excited by the amazing homeschool-designed curriculum that’s out there. Adrianne is thrilled by her new role as Communication Specialist for Classical Education Books and is grateful to have an opportunity to learn something new. She is grateful, every day, for her saviour, Jesus Christ, and has no greater joy than when she sees her most important missions field walk with Him.
Book Stack – Gail Gibbons Solar System
Gail Gibbons books are a favourite amongst homeschoolers and this trio is packed with information and great pictures. We’ll be adding to our Solar System unit this year with some colouring pages, notebooking pages, and of course constructing the solar system is a classic homeschool activity. We’ve used balloons, lego, or playdough over the years but I’m planning to try using painted rocks next. Also, there are some pretty cool apps that you can download onto your phone to make looking at the night sky pretty exciting. It all starts with reading aloud to your children; a foundation that can’t be understated and really can stand on its own. The Planets Stargazers The Moon Book by Adrianne Curwen Adrianne is a wife to a public-school educator/administrator and a homeschooling Mama to seven children, ranging in age from 7 to 23. She believes that we have a unique opportunity as homeschoolers to design individualized education that suits giftings, interests, and passions. She and her husband have used a blend of registered homeschooling, enrolment with independent DL schools, and participation in public trade school programs to design individualized programs for their children. She is passionate about using as many read-alouds, picture books, novels, and conversations to educate her children but also gets excited by the amazing homeschool-designed curriculum that’s out there. Adrianne is thrilled by her new role as Communication Specialist for Classical Education Books and is grateful to have an opportunity to learn something new. She is grateful, every day, for her saviour, Jesus Christ, and has no greater joy than when she sees her most important missions field walk with Him.
Geography Picture Books – Book Stacks
Tough choice here….. Travel through history. Circumnavigate the globe in Magellan’s World, then voyage around the bottom of Africa in A Long and Uncertain Journey, see your way through the impenetrable fog and crushing ice in Beyond the Sea of Ice, and finally, travel from Montreal to the Gulf of Mexico via the Great Lakes and the Mississippi in Despite All Obstacles. by Adrianne Curwen Adrianne is a wife to a public-school educator/administrator and a homeschooling Mama to seven children, ranging in age from 7 to 23. She believes that we have a unique opportunity as homeschoolers to design individualized education that suits giftings, interests, and passions. She and her husband have used a blend of registered homeschooling, enrolment with independent DL schools, and participation in public trade school programs to design individualized programs for their children. She is passionate about using as many read-alouds, picture books, novels, and conversations to educate her children but also gets excited by the amazing homeschool-designed curriculum that’s out there. Adrianne is thrilled by her new role as Communication Specialist for Classical Education Books and is grateful to have an opportunity to learn something new. She is grateful, every day, for her saviour, Jesus Christ, and has no greater joy than when she sees her most important missions field walk with Him.
Love & Friendship Picture Books Book Stacks
Rikki Tikki Tavi Velveteen Rabbit Frog & Toad Together Guess How Much I Love You Saint Valentine The Monkey & The Crocodile The Owl & The Pussycat
Introducing CEB’s Book Stacks
Whether books are the foundation to your child’s learning, something you use to supplement curriculum, or you simply value what books bring into your home, CEB’s Book Stacks are something we’ll be pulling together on a regular basis to help you educate your children. Making Memories Themes are fun and a key ingredient to making memories. I use them regularly in life and book themes are no exception. I pull out all the fall-themed picture books off our bookshelves every September, we have a bin of Christmas books that gets hauled out in December, and I love finding books that coordinate with the other things we have going on. Our trip to an ocean cabin included a bin full of ocean-themed activities: picture books, puzzles, games, and coloring sheets. What stuffies do you bring on an ocean vacation? Well, the mermaid and sea star of course. During our family read-aloud time of The Green Ember, it just made sense to find picture books about Rabbits. This year my plan is to purchase books about bacteria, viruses, and pandemics. Boundaries Help Creativity Themes introduce boundaries. We don’t often think of boundaries as enhancing creativity or opening up our world, but they do. A few years ago, we had a fun and creative time planning our meals for Valentines’ Day when we decided that everything had to be red. And there was that year we had silent reading themes: Mondays were for science, Tuesdays were for history, Wednesdays were for fiction, and Thursdays were for bible stories. This was a good strategy to encourage reading outside of the “go-to” genre. Books are a Curriculum Complement Homeschool Mamas have a special relationship with books. We know that there is a heap of learning that can be pulled out of living books. I find myself leaning more and more on books particularly in the primary years. It’s such a sweet and gentle way to learn. I encourage you to weave living books into your curriculum where you can, especially when you notice a child being drawn into a particular topic. Benefits of Living Books -spark curiosity -are a delight -present facts as part of a storyline -lead to greater retention -are exciting -are whole books -draw a reader in -make the subject matter come alive Immersion Immersing a child in a topic is a great way for them to learn. This Winter Book Stack has so much to offer. Snow is Falling, Snowflake Bentley and Snowman-Cold=Puddle are all science books. Robert Frost’s Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening is a poetry book, Winter on the Farm is a social studies book, and Snow is a Language Arts book where you can introduce your children to what it means to write lyrically. I love how the pictures in Owl Moon capture the feeling of a winter’s night and White Snow Bright Snow captivates the delight children feel when it starts to snow. Katy and the Big Snow is a sweet fictional account in which your child can share in Katy’s shining moment experience, The Mitten is a traditional Ukrainian story, and in Brave Irene, you’ll be sending your child out on an adventure as the main character faces a snowstorm. How fun would it be to have these books on hand for the next snow week? Add a snowflake craft and you’ll have a week to remember. I hope you enjoy this Book Stack. We can’t always add the book suggestions that you all have. We sure love to hear about them though and add them to our Wishlist. by Adrianne Curwen Adrianne is a wife to a public-school educator/administrator and a homeschooling Mama to seven children, ranging in age from 7 to 23. She believes that we have a unique opportunity as homeschoolers to design individualized education that suits giftings, interests, and passions. She and her husband have used a blend of registered homeschooling, enrolment with independent DL schools, and participation in public trade school programs to design individualized programs for their children. She is passionate about using as many read-alouds, picture books, novels, and conversations to educate her children but also gets excited by the amazing homeschool-designed curriculum that’s out there. Adrianne is thrilled by her new role as Communication Specialist for Classical Education Books and is grateful to have an opportunity to learn something new. She is grateful, every day, for her saviour, Jesus Christ, and has no greater joy than when she sees her most important missions field walk with Him.
