Sonlight Homeschooling Blog

Nov. 23, 2018

Extension Activities for Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh is one of the Read-Alouds from History / Bible / Literature A Intro to the World: Cultures. But it's more than that to me. It's a childhood favorite and one that I love introducing to my children each time one of them reaches that level. It's a classic for so many reasons, not the least of which is that it can be appreciated on so multiple levels—enjoyed by a six-year-old and simultaneously enjoyed by an adult on yet another deeper level.

The stories can be a bit of a tongue-twister at times, and there are a lot of characters to keep straight, but when you can push through, you are rewarded with an incredibly fun story about the most precious of characters.

While reading and discussing is always plenty when it comes to a great book of fiction, sometimes a family wants more! We like to add extra activities inspired by our Read-Alouds, and here are the ones we did, chapter by chapter, through Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne. I hope they inspire you to your own enrichment activities as you enjoy this classic.

In Which We are Introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh, and Some Bees, and the Stories Begin

One interesting aspect of this novel is that it is a story within a story, told to Christopher Robin about his stuffed animals.

Your children might have their own menagerie of stuffed animals and dolls they play with on a regular basis. My two youngest girls certainly do! So after reading this chapter, we held a tea party for their stuffed friends.

We feasted upon Italian bread with peanut butter, and in honor of Pooh’s adventures, fresh honey alongside our juice. I blew up two balloons and tied them to the handle of the pitcher with festive yarn. During tea, we took turns making up stories about my girls’ own animal friends.

When my older son enjoyed Winnie the Pooh, we modified the tea party idea. We called the event elevenses and invited his favorite cars to snack with us.

In Which Pooh Goes Visiting and Gets Into a Tight Place

Pooh is delightfully enjoying his honey in this chapter, and my two girls were so excited about the tea party from the day before, that we decided to have another one. We had leftover bread with honey, toasting the bread this time.

During tea we had a talk about table manners:

the correct way to invite oneself over to a friend’s house (call and ask first)
what to do if one is hungry while out visiting (take small portions, wait before asking for seconds, not eating too much, and eating more at home if they are still hungry)
proper table manners that we might be more relaxed about at home
sitting up straight
the correct way to decline food they don’t like

In Which Pooh and Piglet Go Hunting and Nearly Catch a Woozle

In this chapter, Piglet and Pooh are following tracks, hoping to see what type of creature could be at the other end. We tried tracking of our own. I hand drew four different shaped tracks and made about 20 or so of each track type.

I then took a safety pin and pinned one track shape to four different stuffed animals. I then hid the animals and used the remaining tracks to create trails leading to each animal. Once they followed the various tracks and found the animals, I hid them again in different areas, and had them try to guess which animal would be on the other end based on the track shape. They spent the next hour or so hiding the animals again and again, and then helping the other to track them down.

In Which Eeyore Loses a Tail and Pooh Finds One

Since Eeyore is a donkey, we played the party classic Pin the Tail on the Donkey.

Also in this chapter, Owl finds a scrap of cloth which he uses as a bell-rope. I quickly grabbed a few items around the house: a hanger, a shower curtain ring, a long thin strip of cloth, and a small cardboard box without a cover. I asked my girls if they could come up with different ways to use each item. I got a lot of very silly answers, a few interesting answers, and a couple of extremely creative but workable answers, as they practiced using their brain power to think of ways to repurpose various items.

In Which Piglet Meets a Heffalump

It appears Pooh never does find out exactly what a heffalump is or what one looks like, and sadly, neither do we. My girls really wanted to know what one would look like, so for this chapter's craft, we created our own heffalumps. We finished by hanging our heffalump art and having another snack of bread with honey.

In Which Eeyore Has a Birthday and Gets Two Presents

Pooh and Piglet didn’t have much time to prepare for Eeyore’s birthday and yet managed, as good friends should, to come up with two heartfelt gifts on short notice. I had my girls quickly look around the house and come up with a present to give their father before he came home. I left all the choices up to them, only stipulating that I wasn’t going to buy anything. We really had no reason to celebrate, but it’s always fun to show someone you appreciate them. One of my girls found some scraps of cloth and cut out shapes and glued them to cardstock to make a card. My other girl found a box, put two of her small toys in the box, and wrapped it up.

In Which Kanga and Baby Roo Come to the Forest and Piglet Has a Bath

For this chapter we made fabric pockets for pretend Kanga and Roo play. Using some large fabric scraps, the girls drew a large pocket and cut out two shapes. Lining them up, I stitched along three edges, and flipped the pocket inside out. Then, I helped the girls hand sew straps to the pocket to make apron-type strings. Tying the pockets around their waists, they used the pouches to carry their "babies," pretending they were Kanga carrying Roo.

History / Bible / Literature A

In Which Christopher Robin Leads an Expedition to the North Pole

This chapter begs for a nature walk, so that’s what we did, in search of our own North Pole. About 20 minutes into our walk, we found a pole which my girls insisted was the same pole Pooh had found. Happily, we propped it into a standing position and left it there for others to find. We hiked a ways longer, had a short snack, and began the return trip home, waving at our pole as we passed.

In Which Piglet is Entirely Surrounded by Water

I was kind of stuck for ideas on this chapter, and asked my older children to help come up with some. My one son was no help. He suggested we try flooding the house, and I wasn’t quite willing to do that for a craft project. Instead we decided to once again get out our large tub, fill it with water, and practice finding things that a small toy could float to safety on. I gave each girl a LEGO figure and had them try various items to see which items would help them float the best.

In Which Christopher Robin Gives Pooh a Party, and We Say Good-bye

We finished up our study of the life of Pooh by having our own tea party, which was remarkably similar to our tea party of the week before. We had more bread with honey with banana and dried fruit slices, in honor of Pooh, with milk. We talked about the things we liked in the book, and then sat back and watched the movie.

After the Book

Winnie the Pooh has been produced in several audio versions you can listen to, including one endorsed by the original Christopher Robin. There are also several different movies and cartoons you may want to enjoy.

We went on to read The House at Pooh Corner, and then we will delve into the poetry of A. A. Milne in When We Were Very Young and Now We are Six by the same author, having loved them from our first few times through.

To find out more about Sonlight's unmatched Read-Alouds, and our complete book-based homeschool programs, order a complimentary copy of your catalog today.

Tagged activities, crafts, extensions, hands on, HBL A, kindergarten, literature, reading, winnie the pooh | Leave a comment

Nov. 21, 2018

Homeschooling with a Toddler in the Mix

By Bethany Weathersby

Over the years I’ve had many people ask how I manage to homeschool when we have a baby in the family. That’s a breeze, as far as I’m concerned. Babies sleep a lot, are held a lot, and stay in one spot when you put them down. Getting homeschool done is a cinch with a baby in the house!

Toddlers, on the other hand, are awake a lot, move a lot, and talk a lot. Needless to say, they can wreak havoc on our best laid homeschool plans. Here are four things our family has done to ensure both a productive school day and a happy toddler.

1. Make the Most of Nap Time to Homeschool

Whichever parts of homeschooling work best with the least amount of distraction are the ones you should do while your toddler naps.

Which subjects require your most focused attention?
If you have at least two school-aged kids, which student needs the most help from you?

Perhaps that means nap time looks the same every day—a predictable routine that guarantees everyone’s work gets done. Or maybe it means taking it day by day, using that uninterrupted time for whichever need is greatest at the moment.

Nap times will decrease in frequency and length over time, so make the most of this opportunity for uninterrupted productivity while you can. It teaches your older kids how to focus on a task when there’s limited time to get things done and gives you the freedom to interact with your toddler later in the day.

2. Enlist Siblings to Help

A sibling doesn’t have to be much older than the toddler to be helpful in keeping the youngest family member entertained. When our third and fourth kids were little, we’d assign the two and three older kids specific time slots to play with the toddler. The time of day and length of time we chose for each pairing was strategic, doing our best to set everyone up for success. The older sibling’s job was simply to keep the toddler occupied with something safe, fun, and quiet enough to not be a huge distraction to the kids doing school work. Depending on the age spread and how the day was going, sometimes I told them how to spend their time and other times I let them figure it out on their own.

I love how this approach gave me a chance to work with one kid at a time, allowed various sibling pairs to nurture their relationships, and presented opportunities for the older kids to make a positive difference in the flow of our days.

3. Include the Toddler When You Can

It’s not always realistic to get everything done with your toddler out of the way, so look for ways to do school with the little one in tow. One great option is to read a Read-Aloud at breakfast or lunch when they’re happily restrained in a high chair.

Another option is to have the toddler snuggle on the couch while you read to an older sibling. Just give your toddler a stack of picture books, letting them know they can quietly look through their own books while you read a chapter book to the older kids. If the schoolwork requires only a little bit of your attention, then let the toddler hang out with you and just answer questions from your students as needed.

There’s a time for being solely focused on school work, which necessitates minimizing of distractions from a toddler, but it’s equally important to include them whenever possible. That’s how they learn not to be disruptive. As a bonus, their siblings learn to focus amid distractions, and you get to soak up time with all your kids at once.

4. Exclude the Toddler at Times

At some point in family life, a child has to learn to entertain themselves, something which may need to happen sooner in a homeschooling family in order for school work to actually get done. There’s no one right way to go about this, as there are countless factors to consider that vary from one household to the next. But the point is simply to teach your young child to keep themselves busy doing something appropriate while you teach your other kids.

Whether you get five minutes a day or an hour, a solid chunk of time or little snippets, this gentle toddler training will be helpful for your whole family. It’s easy for the youngest kid in the house to assume they’ll constantly be entertained by other family members, so it’s good for them to learn how to be content with solitude.

The Caveat of Homeschooling with a Toddler in the Family

Although I’ve spent time explaining how to work around toddlers, it’s also really important to make them just as much of a priority in your day as your older kids. Read books, sing songs, and play with toys. Go for walks, give bubble baths, and laugh together. Those toddler years can be hectic, which is why you have to be proactive in choosing how to manage your school responsibilities. But toddler years are equally precious and short-lived. Don’t get so caught up in minimizing the negatives that you fail to maximize the abundant positives.

Curious to see what this type of family-inclusive education might look like for you? Go to SmoothCourse to explore your options.

Tagged family, Homeschooling, scheduling, Time Management, toddler | 2 Comments

Nov. 19, 2018

How After School Reading Develops Emotional Intelligence

By Jen Brimhall

We often praise living books for their academic value—as well we should! But what is often overlooked is the emotional intelligence our children develop from exposure to great literature.

Though my children attend public school now, we often read books from Sonlight’s Read-Aloud list as a family in the evenings. Currently we are reading Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. And while they are learning plenty of navigation, geography, and history through the novel, they are growing in emotional intelligence, too.

1. Reading Helps Children Feel for Others

Living books spur the imagination and help our children experience emotion:

love
sympathy
anger
jealousy
excitement
fear

Emotions spill from the pages of every living book.

These books make us feel the emotions the characters are feeling. This experience is key! Often we are so wrapped up in our own lives, we forget to feel for others. We forget to see from another perspective. We fail to experience empathy.

Living books help us feel deeply for others, making it easier for us to recognize and honor the feelings of those around us. When we are immersed in a great book, we are able to see the whole picture of a situation, something which is more difficult in real life.

For example, in Carry on, Mr. Bowditch, we feel crushed as Nat’s father is hard on him, as family members die, and when Nat is unexpectedly sold as an indentured servant. We also feel his tender love for family members, his passion for learning, and elation at his success.

When we discuss the books we read, I further encourage this tendency to step into the shoes of a character. I ask my children, “How would you feel in [such and such] situation [from the book]?” I see emotion flicker across their faces as they mentally place themselves in another's circumstances.

2. Reading Helps Children See Cause and Effect Clearly

As we watch how the main character reacts to events and emotions in his or her life, we can clearly see cause and effect. In Carry on, Mr. Bowditch we see how Nat’s father’s alcoholism and depression affect his family. Conversely, we see Nat’s refusal to give into despair during difficult times and how his hard work pays off. We even see how math can save lives!

As a parent, I deeply appreciate the discussions that these books facilitate after school. My children are easily able to recognize the consequences of a character’s actions, and this translates well into real life. We go over “what if” scenarios in the book, and then when the time comes for decision making in real life, my children are able to think more clearly about the possible results of their own actions.

3. Reading Provides Positive Mentors and Role Models

Through the great books they read after school, our children have mentors and positive role models. For example, Nat Bowditch provides a great lesson with his personal motto, “Sail by ash breeze.” This reference to hard work is something we can all apply to our lives.

Because we have enjoyed this book together as a family after school, when something is hard in our home, we can use Nat's phrase. We say, “That’s okay. We can just sail by ash breeze.” When faced with a challenge, I've asked my children, “I wonder what Nat would do in this situation?”

Reading living books after school can be an inspiring time together for families. These books fire our imagination, develop empathy, show us the consequences of actions, and provide positive role models. I am so very grateful to have these friends and mentors in our home.

As you look for great books to add to your after school reading stack, consider these family favorites. I added some of the lessons that my children and I gleaned from reading them.

The Family Under the Bridge: looking beyond appearances, compassion
Little Britches: hard work, responsibility, love
The Land I Lost: appreciating other cultures and talents
Johnny Appleseed: The Story Of A Legend: gentleness, trust, love, giving, simplicity
Adventures With Waffles: friendship, acceptance, mourning, family
Charlotte’s Web: friendship, sacrifice
The Aesop For Children: common sense
Banner in the Sky: fear, adventure, sacrifice, love
James Herriot’s Treasury: the gift of animals
The Hundred Dresses: guilt, bullying, poverty awareness
The Witch of Blackbird Pond: appreciating different customs, friendship, superstition

To find out more about Sonlight's unmatched Read-Alouds, order a complimentary copy of your catalog today.

Tagged afterschooling, books, emotional, enrichment, intelligence, maturity, reading, wrad | Leave a comment

Nov. 16, 2018

You Want Me To Talk to My Kindergartener About Nazis?

By Heather Mills Schwarzen

Although it’s been a decade and a half since I first unboxed History / Bible/ Literature A Intro to the World: Cultures (HBL A), I can still remember my awe as I familiarized myself with each book. Some titles I knew well; I was thrilled at the prospect of reading favorites like My Father’s Dragon and The Story of Doctor Doolittle to my children. Some, like Cappyboppy and The Apple and the Arrow, were new to me but eventually became favorites among my crowd.

The Case Against Reading Twenty and Ten to a Kindergartener

But one title me shudder: Twenty and Ten. I remember cringing at the cover art—young children tucked into a hole, horrified at the presence of a Nazi officer. I scanned the text on the back—French refugees hiding Jewish children and set the book aside. I’ll look a bit more closely before reading that to them, I told myself.

The next day, I logged in to the forums*, hoping to find wisdom from veteran homeschool moms. The book, I saw immediately, was divisive. Many homeschooling parents found much to love in the story, which had been first published in the early 1950s. Others, like me, were less inclined to introduce our young children to the concepts the book covered:

children separated from their families during a catastrophic war
food shortages
evading the Nazi regime
the death of Jews

It felt more than a little heavy to read to my second grader, let alone my kindergartener! I shelved the title and didn’t look back.

Reconsidering Twenty and Ten for Young Children

When I found myself back at HBL A with another grouping of learners, however, I had a different take. Having delved quite deeply into WWII with my high schoolers in Sonlight 300, I was better prepared to answer any questions that may have arisen through reading Twenty and Ten, as well as being more aware of how pivotal stories like this are to helping young children lay the groundwork for the truth that sin is real, and it has consequences.

I dove into the Read-Aloud and didn’t regret it.

Did it require setting a scene for my children as we read, reminding them of the events of the day? Absolutely.
Was there an element of very real peril? Without a doubt.
But were my children scarred? No.

As a matter of fact, the dialogue opened was full of real-life application of the Scriptures we try so hard to hide in the hearts of our little ones!

Discussing Good Versus Evil with the Help of Twenty and Ten

The book Twenty and Ten confronts us with a stunningly horrific period of history, as told through the eyes of children. But it also allows us to face the uncomfortable realities of our modern world. In reading the book, I realized that I need not fear age-appropriate conversations with even young children about difficult matters whether they are the persecution of Christians around the globe or what life is like under the brutal North Korean regime.

The Bible is full of stories that lay bare the struggle between God’s goodness and grace, and Satan's evil and depravity. The tale of French children harboring their Jewish peers as they flee Nazi atrocities is just another chance to talk about God’s sovereignty and the good works for which we were created.

I’m so grateful that Twenty and Ten was included in a program designed for younger children. I believe it lays the foundation for a softening of hearts towards those in need, and reminds our children that Satan does prowl about like a roaring lion, seeking to destroy. It’s a painful story in many ways, but it’s the kind of pain that bears fruit. Reading it with your children will, I believe, open the doors to the kind of education that enriches not just the mind, but the heart as well.

*The forums are now replaced by a Facebook group just for Sonlighters. You are welcome to join us there! It's a great place to discuss concerns about books, share teaching tips, or get a boost of encouragement from mother parents who know what you're going through.

Tagged books, difficult, HBL A, kindergarten, reading, Sonlight, twenty and ten, war | 1 Comment

Nov. 14, 2018

Seven Reasons to Celebrate Picture Books

By Sarita

At Sonlight, we believe picture books are a vital, wonderful part of a child's education. So to celebrate Picture Book Month in November, here are seven reasons to snuggle up with your children and read a picture book right now. We believe all our lives will be richer for it.

1. Picture Books are a Chance to Connect

While adults often find pleasure in picture books (who doesn’t love the hilarious hippos George and Martha?), it is best to enjoy them with eager children. And picture books don’t expire. You may find yourself intending to read to the 4-year-old, and the 10-year-old wanders in to join you. Treasure these moments! What a gift!

2. Picture Books are Masterpieces of Storytelling

Rather than sprawling tales of 800 pages, you get a moving story in several dozen pages, often with only a few words per spread. One of the true masters of the craft, Robert McCloskey, tells an astonishingly intricate story about One Morning in Maine. How he manages to interconnect teeth, feathers, clams, spark plugs, and ice cream . . . it’s a wonder!

3. Picture Books Build Vocabulary

They are more challenging to read than early readers, so don’t stop reading them too soon! Many have advanced words and story-lines that would discourage a beginning reader. In fact, one study found that kids books use more rare words than adult television. So turn off the tube and read some good picture books. For example, James Herriot’s Treasury for Children has some of the most incredible language imaginable. Don’t miss it!

4. Picture Books Are Greater than the Sum of Their Parts

The written word interplays with the illustrations, creating something unique and precious. You might be able to recite the entirety of Horton Hatches the Egg, and it would be a cute enough recital. But without the illustrations of steadfast Horton, and disgruntled Mayzie, and attendant animals . . . you’d be missing so much. Watch for those bits of genius, and enjoy.

5. Picture Books Offer a Range of Art

Watercolors and whimsy, a cartoony style or a detailed drawing, bright colors, muted, black and white.... If you are facing gray November days, find some cheery picture books to boost your spirits and offer a visual feast. And if you can find Goldbug on every page of Cars and Trucks and Things That Go, so much the better!

6. Picture Books Help us Make Sense of Life

If your spouse ever wonders what you do all day, you can offer If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and feel at least partly understood. If you want to explain to your children the wonder of reading, try The Bee Tree. For a gentle look at loss, read Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs. For an inspiring tale of perseverance, read Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel. Expand your children’s (and your spouse’s) idea of the world.

7. Picture Books Provide Ongoing Value

Although many Sonlight customers keep their Sonlight books for future grandchildren, and many Sonlight students don’t want their parents to part with their books, the program that enjoys the most continual use is the picture book program Sonlight Preschool. Parents report that their children take these books out regularly from ages 2 to about age 8 (and sometimes beyond). With great art, and great story lines, excellent vocabulary, and the wonder of connection, it’s not hard to see why!

Curious to see what an education filled with great picture books might look like for your family? Go to SmoothCourse to explore your options.

Tagged books, picture books, reading | Leave a comment

Nov. 12, 2018

Extension Activities for James Herriot’s Treasury for Children

By Veronica Soto

I love to supplement the literature-based approach of Sonlight with hands-on crafts and extension activities. Besides the Hands-on History kit available for purchase, I like to add on even more projects inspired by the great books we read. I find that besides keeping my daughters happy, creative, and busy, the fun we have inspires their own book-based pretending during their free play time.

James Herriot’s Treasury for Children is one of my favorite books from Sonlight's History / Bible / Literature A. Besides the delightful collection of stories, each page has beautiful illustrations. The lovely art and the heart-warming stories of pets and farm animals inspired these extension activities, projects, field trips, and learning activities listed below, organized chapter by chapter.

I hope you enjoy them as much as my daughters and I did! These ideas will probably inspire your own creative activities based on whatever craft supplies you have on hand and what interesting locales you have in your community.

Chapter 1 Moses the Kitten: Enact the Chapter

I bought kitten stuffed animals from the dollar store for acting out the story of Moses the kitten. First he was lost and abandoned, then found by my little girls, and finally taken home to be cared for and cuddled. I had my girls practice a few times, and when their father got home, we put on a little play to narrate the story.

Chapter 2 Only One Woof: Charades

In this chapter, Gyp the dog manages to live without vocalizing. We had a short talk about muteness and why some people can’t speak. Afterward they practiced communicating without speech. I gave them a variety of situations to express without words:

needing help
being hungry
wanting to take a nap
feeling lost or lonely

Although we had several false starts, eventually they were able to express themselves without saying a word.

Chapter 3 The Christmas Day Kitten: Draw a Picture

For chapter three, one of my girls came up with a simple activity. She suggested we draw a picture of a Christmas gift suitable for a cat.

Extension Activities for James Herriot’s Treasury for Children

Chapter 4 Bonnie’s Big Day: Pretend Pet Show

In chapter 4 of James Herriot’s Treasury for Children, Bonnie wins an award in the pet show. My activity was an at home pet show, complete with awards.

Instead of actual animals, I improvised with photos I found online of children with animals or pets. My girls had to judge the animals in the photos, arrange them in winning order and award the two blue ribbons (also simple paper crafts) they felt were the best.

Later that afternoon, they grabbed their own stuffed animal menagerie and began lining them up, awarding ribbons to their favorite pets. They did this imaginative book-based play several times, with my 6-year-old taking special pains to make sure that each animal won at least one award.

Intro to the World: Cultures History / Bible / Literature A

Chapter 5 Blossom Comes Home: Making Butter & Safety Pointers

When it came time to read this story, I poured half and half and a dash of salt into a glass jar. I had my girls take turns shaking the bottle as we read chapter 5. I told them to keep shaking it until the liquid turned solid.

When our story was done, our container was still sounding rather liquid, so we spent some time talking about safety, namely what to do if you are lost. We discussed these actions:

looking for someone safe to ask for help (someone in a uniform, or a woman with small children in tow)
waiting and not wandering around because their father and I will always start looking for them in the last place we saw them
staying calm and trying to think and pray, instead of crying and screaming
memorizing mom and dad's telephone numbers and full names
never going away with strangers
always sticking with their buddy or sibling, so they are never alone

When we finished this talk, we opened our container and discussed dairy products. I had my children compare the bit of half and half in the bowl, tasting and touching it, comparing it with the butter we had just made. We then spread our butter over cinnamon rolls and had a snack with milk.

Chapter 6 The Market Square Dog: A Trip to the Market

We live in Mexico, and almost every day, the tianguis are open, so we have a nice open-air market to visit all year-long. We took my girls to the market, and gave them each 20 pesos (about $1.50 USD) to spend. On our trip, we even managed to see a dog in the market, just like in our story.

If you have an open-air market of any type, including a farmer’s market, take the time to take your children on a quick field trip. Look at items you normally don’t peruse and experience it through fresh eyes by paying attention to all the surrounding sights, being careful to look for any animals. Or you might enjoy going to a kennel or a dog pound, pet store, or anyplace new or interesting where an animal might be walking about.

Chapter 7 Oscar, Cat About Town: Decorate Hats

The hat-making competition in this story from James Herriot’s Treasury for Children inspired own hat-making project. At the dollar store it was a cinch to find cheap straw hats, ribbons, fake flowers, and hair bows. After we read this chapter, I put my 5- and 6-year-olds to work, making their own hats for our competition.

When w judged the hats, one of my girls won the award for most creative hat, and the other won the award for using the most decorations. Printed paper blue ribbons were the prize!

Chapter 8: Smudge, the Little Lost Lamb

This chapter would have been a great time to visit a petting zoo, but we didn’t have time for a trip like that when we read this story. Maybe you will!

Instead we made our own lambs from these simple craft supplies:

paper and foil
tape
glue gun
cotton balls
toothpicks or matchsticks
small googly eyes
scissors

We rolled paper into a ball shape for the body of the sheep, taping down the edges to help it hold its form. Then using a cold glue gun, we glued cotton balls over the surface of the ball to create the sheep's fleece. Toothpicks formed the legs, and construction paper scraps became the head. We glued on the eyes, and our little sheep were complete to run and play as little sheep do.

After the Book: Even More Extension

James Herriot also wrote several other books, and although many of them are for adults, if your children love animals, they may enjoy hearing you read them as long as you’re willing to edit out some long passages or sadder details. There are also two movies and a TV series about his adventures as a country vet. My girls found them hard to sit through as they are geared toward an older audience, but a true animal lover might enjoy them.

If you love hands-on crafts, take advantage of this easy to use kit with 9 projects and nearly all needed supplies.

Tagged activities, crafts, extensions, field trips, hands on, HBL A, James Herriot’s Treasury for Children, projects | Leave a comment

Nov. 9, 2018

Back to the Basics–An Alphabetical Guide to Homeschooling