The Book List

April 26, 2010

As every homeschool year draws to a close, I like to recall all of the read-alouds that we have done. The read-alouds alone make homeschool worth it to me, but of course the kids have learned a lot of math and some history and science, too. Not to mention Latin.

Anyway, this year we set about finishing the Little House books as read-alouds. When we read aloud, the kids and I take turns reading, of course.

We read On the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years and the First Four Years. We also read both Penderwick books, which the kids absolutely loved -- The Penderwicks and The Penderwicks of Gardam Street. We just finished The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis And we read saints stories, some of the Gospel readings and the occasional story from The Book of Virtues.

Two of my favorite math add-ons this year were the I Hate Mathematics Book. And Penrose, the Mathematical Cat.

On their own, the kids have discovered favorite authors. Olivia loves Beverly Cleary and Joey seems fond of Eleanor Estes of The Moffats fame.

They both did book reports this year, as well. Olivia on Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and Little House in the Big Woods. She currently is reading Lassie Come-home - her last assigned book of the year.

Both of Joey's book reports were on historical fiction. The Childhood of Famous Americans story of the Wright Brothers was one of them.

When I remember all they've read, I'm pretty sure they are getting a decent education.
If I were to change anything in the coming year, it would be to increase the Catholic content of my homeschool. I am going to use some book recommendations from the free, online Charlotte Mason curriculum - materamabilis.org