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Review: The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks

September 5, 2013 by Selena Robinson 8 Comments

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own. See our disclosure policy here.

Good morning everyone! We got the chance to review a wonderful ebook that we’re sharing with you guys today.

When you’re homeschooling kids who are active learners, you find out pretty quickly that they need to take several activity breaks throughout the day. So when the book “The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks” by Heather Haupt was released, we were super excited to read about how we can make those breaks better for our kids.
The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks Review: Look! We're Learning

We were already using a brain breaks system before this. I based it on a picture I saw on Pinterest. I just grabbed colored popsicle sticks and wrote different movements on them “Run in place for 30 seconds”, “Do 10 toe touches”, etc. And the kids could stick their hand in and grab whichever one they wanted. So I knew that brain breaks are a great way to help children regain their focus.

But here’s why I liked Heather’s book and system better. First, she begins the book with a scientific explanation of why all of us need brain breaks, not just kids. It turns out that periodic physical activity actually stimulates parts of our brains for learning. So moving around isn’t just good for kids – it’s necessary to help them learn effectively. That was very enlightening to me.

Within the book, Heather includes several printable brain breaks of her own and these are not the typical kid exercises either. They’re silly enough to make the activities fun, but they also include helpful training in balance work, coordination, and focus.

The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks Review: Look! We're Learning

Pooh selected “Popcorn Pops” as his brain break activity. We weren’t sure how to do those, but “The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks” has full-color illustrations of several of the exercises and written descriptions of all of them, which helped us figure out what to do.

The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks Review: Look! We're Learning

Basically, you crouch down to the floor…

The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks Review: Look! We're Learning

And then explode out into a star shape. (Like a popcorn kernel popping.)

The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks Review: Look! We're Learning

Roo picked the “Beanbag Balance Race” activity. Can you tell he was excited?

The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks Review: Look! We're LearningHe and Tigger loved racing one another with beanbags on their heads! At first, Roo got frustrated because he kept looking down, which naturally made him lose his beanbag. Eventually, he got the hang of it.

We loved working with “The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks”! If your kids are active learners, I highly recommend this book to help you break up the monotony of the school day and to help them refocus their minds on learning!

Pick up your own copy of “The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks” below:

Filed Under: 2013-14 Curriculum, Book Reviews, Curriculum Reviews, Homeschooling with ADHD

The Living History Series: Otis Redding

September 3, 2013 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

This post contains affiliate links, which help to support this site. Thank you!

Good morning everyone! Thanks for stopping back by to see us this week! Before we go any further, I have an announcement to make about Look! We’re Learning!

We’re going to be cutting back to sharing posts two or three times a week for a while. I’ve just started college classes and…what a difference a decade makes! I remember being so much smarter before I had kids! So I’m taking a mini-break from blogging five days a week until I get my footing with my classes. But don’t worry, we’ll be back to full strength with a 10-day series on African History in October, so stay tuned for that!

In the meantime, we’re continuing with our Living History series and this month we’re focusing on a largely unsung soul musician – Otis Redding. Both Jay and I realized that we know almost nothing about his life and career, so that’s our next historical figure. We’ll be spending some time learning about his musical style, his songs, and his personal life during September.

Surprisingly, there are no children’s books about Otis Redding’s life, so we’ll be adapting the following books for use with the kids:

The Otis Redding Story by Jane Schiesel


Otis!: The Otis Redding Story by Scott Freeman

So far, I’ve found a few comprehensive websites about his life, accomplishments, and untimely death. If you’d like to follow along with us, feel free to check out these resources.

Helpful Links:

The official website of Otis Redding’s life and work: http://otisredding.com/

Biography from Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/otis-redding

The Museum of American Soul Music biography: http://www.staxmuseum.com/about/artists/view/otis-redding

Biography from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: http://rockhall.com/inductees/otis-redding/bio/

Full biography on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otis_Redding

Be sure to stop back by during the last week of September to see how we learned about Otis Redding with our family!

Filed Under: Homeschool Curriculum, Living History Series

Simple Straw Bead Necklace Craft for Kids

August 30, 2013 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

If your kids are anything like mine, they’re always asking for the necklaces in the 25-cent machine at the grocery store. You know those fake gold necklaces that turn your neck green? Yeah, those.

I got tired of saying “no” over and over again, so I thought we’d come up with a simple jewelry craft that the kids could make and then wear on their own. That’s when we found this simple straw bead necklace craft and it was a perfect alternative! Plus, it didn’t turn their neck green, which was a plus. 🙂

Read on to see how to make these with your kids! And don’t miss my list of super easy preschool crafts you can make in just 10 minutes!

Make some simple jewelry with the kids with this fun straw bead necklace craft!

Simple Straw Bead Necklace Craft for Kids

This week, we jumped into the great book The Arts & Crafts Busy Book: 365 Art and Craft Activities to Keep Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy and found a super easy craft for kids of all ages: straw beads! And yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like.

Here’s what you need to make this craft:

  • Plastic drinking straws
  • Colored tissue paper
  • Glue
  • Yarn
  • Scissors

Straw Beads: Look! We're Learning!

We passed out tissue paper to the kids. They chose their own colors. Surprisingly, Roo picked blue as his new “favorite” color. He’s been hung up on red for years.

Straw Beads: Look! We're Learning!

Then we spread glue over the paper. At first, we used glue sticks and they worked somewhat, but we ended up reinforcing them with liquid glue. So, to save yourself some time, use regular glue in the first place.

Straw Beads: Look! We're Learning!

After that, you just place the straw at one end of the paper…

Straw Beads: Look! We're Learning!

and roll it up tightly. We ended up adding a bit more glue to the very end of the paper just to make sure that the ends stayed closed.

Straw Beads: Look! We're Learning!

Cut the straw into small pieces with a pair of scissors to make stringable beads. Have the kids string the beads onto a length of yarn, tie it around their neck, and you’re done!

Straw Beads: Look! We're Learning!

Roo adored his necklace. He wore it the rest of the evening.

Straw Beads: Look! We're Learning!

Pooh fiddled with his most of the day afterward, but he’s asked to wear it everyday since.

Straw Beads: Look! We're Learning!

Tigger just loved her necklace! Right now, anything even remotely girly is a big hit with her.

Simple Straw Beads: Look! We're Learning!

Have you tried this straw bead necklace craft? How did it go? Share your experiences in the comments!

Easy Straw Bead Necklace Craft for Kids

Don’t miss these other craft ideas!

These DIY Pop Up Thank You Cards are a perfect craft for kids to make and share with loved ones!

This edible play dough dairy free recipe is perfect for kids who love sensory play but avoid eating dairy! It's super sweet and soft for play!

This easy DIY pinwheel craft is a fun way to study wind with the kids!

Plus, see more crafting fun on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!


Filed Under: Crafts Tagged With: crafts, crafts for kids, easy crafts, easy crafts for kids, easy kids crafts, straw beads, straw beads craft, straw beads craft for kids

Living History for Kids: Nelson Mandela Unit Study

August 29, 2013 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

Hi everyone! It’s the end of the month, so it’s time to share our living history unit for this month! Our Living History figure for August was Nelson Mandela.

We began by reading the book Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom with the kids to give them a background about Mandela’s life and experiences. We talked a lot about what apartheid was and why it was so unfair to black people in South Africa. We all agreed that it was a good thing that apartheid no longer exists. The kids were also surprised to learn that a similar policy was in place in the United States until a few decades ago.

Following the lead of the Teacher’s Guide for “Long Walk to Freedom”, we decided to make a timeline of the crucial events in Mandela’s life. To get all the kids involved, we had the boys write the years and Tigger write the notable event that occurred that year.

Learning About Nelson Mandela: Look! We're Learning!

Our timeline highlights were:

1918 – Mandela born

1925 – Started school

1937 – Went to college

1944 – Joins the ANC (African National Congress)

1948 – Apartheid begins

1956 – Charged with treason

1960 – ANC banned

1964 – Sent to prison

1990 – Released

1994 – Elected President

Learning About Nelson Mandela: Look! We're Learning!

After our timeline was complete, we began discussing the Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded to Mandela for his work in behalf of equal rights in South Africa. We asked the kids what qualities they thought a person needed to have in order to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Here’s what they came up with:

Learning About Nelson Mandela: Look! We're Learning!

Pooh said the person must be loving, Roo said that the person had to show respect, and Tigger said that the Nobel Peace Prize recipient should serve others. Then we asked them who they thought deserved to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Pooh said that he thought Jesus should receive it. We couldn’t agree more!

Tigger did some research on who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 and then we made our own Nobel Peace Prize. The kids added their own decorative touches. Pooh drew a fox, Roo drew a person with “a lot of legs”, and Tigger added the ASL sign for “I love you”. I guess those things are somehow related to peace?

Learning About Nelson Mandela: Look! We're Learning!

We enjoyed learning about Nelson Mandela with the kids this month!

Filed Under: Homeschool Curriculum, Living History Series

Our 2013-14 Homeschool Schedule

August 26, 2013 by Selena Robinson 9 Comments

Earlier this month, I shared some pictures of my favorite homeschool planner. In that post, I mentioned that I have to write my schedule in pencil, because I change it so frequently. Well, it’s two weeks later and I’ve already overhauled it once. 🙂 I go through this every year, because it’s one thing to put a schedule down on paper and another to actually try it.

So…without further ado, here’s our homeschool schedule for 2013-14 (for now):

Our Homeschool Schedule - Look! We're Learning!

Monday

8:00 am – P.E.

8:30 am – Breakfast

9:00 am – Math

9:30 am – Reading

10:00 am – Language

10:30 am – History

11:30 am – Geography

12:00 pm – Break for lunch and play

2:00 pm – Homework and unfinished projects

Our Homeschool Schedule - Look! We're Learning!

Tuesday

8:00 am – P.E.

8:30 am – Breakfast

9:00 am – Math

9:30 am – Reading

10:00 am – Spelling/Handwriting

10:30 am – Science

11:30 am – Art

12:00 pm – Break for lunch and play

2:00 pm – Homework and unfinished projects

Our Homeschool Schedule - Look! We're Learning!

*By the way, my husband drew this on the board. I can’t draw like this to save my life.*

Thursday

8:00 am – P.E.

8:30 am – Breakfast

9:00 am – Math

9:30 am – Reading

10:00 am – Language

10:30 am – History

11:30 am – Spanish

12:00 pm – Break for lunch and play

2:00 pm – Homework and unfinished projects

Our Homeschool Schedule: Look! We're Learning!

Friday

8:00 am – P.E.

8:30 am – Breakfast

9:00 am – Math

9:30 am – Reading

10:00 am – Spelling/Handwriting

10:30 am – Science

11:30 am – American Sign Language

12:00 pm – Break for lunch and play

2:00 pm – Homework and unfinished projects

As you can see, we have the same basic routine on Monday/Thursday and Tuesday/Friday. The only change is the 11:30 am topic. We only have “school” four days a week, because we use a loose year-round schedule. By the time noon comes around, our kids are pretty wired and it’s best to get as much as we can done before lunchtime.

After the 11:30 am class, the boys are finished for the day. Tigger gets a break to give her some time to move around and relax. If we have any work from the morning that’s still in progress or if she has homework to complete, we’ll begin working on those at 2:00.

How do you schedule your homeschooling days? Do you have to make adjustments to your schedule during the year? Do you even bother with a schedule at all? Let us know in the comments!

This post is part of the iHomeschool Network “Not Back to School” Blog Hop! Visit our fellow bloggers and link up your own posts by clicking the image below!

NBTS Blog Hop Calendar: Look! We're Learning!

Filed Under: 2013-14 Curriculum, Homeschool Curriculum, Homeschool Planning

Our Homeschool Reading List for 2013-14

August 22, 2013 by Selena Robinson 7 Comments

Good morning everyone! We took a much-needed Internet break yesterday but we’re back today with our homeschool reading list for this year!

We’ve always encouraged early reading in our family, so regular family reading sessions are pretty normal around here. With this school year, though, we wanted to branch out into more varied kinds of writing and into books that deal with more serious topics so that we could stimulate discussion among the kids.

Our 2013-14 Homeschool Reading List: Look! We're Learning!

This is not a complete list of all the books we’ll be reading this year. These are the books that we’ll be focusing on for unit studies by adding activities, field trips, and discussions. Stay tuned to see how we base our lessons on these and other great books!

For Tigger:

1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
2. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
3. Donavan’s Word Jar by MonaLisa DeGross (Trophy Chapter Book)

4. Ernestine & Amanda by Sandra Belton
5. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (Sterling Illustrated Classics)
6. Another Way to Dance by Martha Southgate
7. The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
8. The Boxcar Children Books 1-4 by Gertrude Chandler Warner
9. Chevrolet Saturdays by Candy Dawson Boyd (A Puffin Novel)
10. What Color Is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

For Pooh and Roo:

1. Rap a Tap Tap: Here’s Bojangles – Think of That! by Leo and Denise Dillon (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Books)
2. Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra by Andrea and Brian Pinkney
3. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
4. Africa Brothers And Sisters by Virginia Kroll and Vanessa French
5. Coming Home: From the Life of Langston Hughes by Floyd Cooper
6. The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
7. Masai and I by Virginia Kroll
8. Max Found Two Sticks by Brian Pinkney (Reading Rainbow Book)
9. Kelly in the Mirror by Martha Vertreace
10. Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom Abridged by Chris Van Wyk
11. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. (Classic Board Books)
12. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
13. Lola at the Library by Anna Mcquinn
14. For the Love of the Game: Michael Jordan and Me by Eloise Greenfield (Trophy Picture Books)
15. Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad by Pamela Duncan Edwards
16. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
17. The Best Bug to Be by Dolores Johnson
18. Horton Hears A Who! by Dr. Seuss
19. Alvin Ailey by Andrea Pinkney
20. Pass It On: African American Poetry for Children by Wade Hudson

Do you work from a reading list with your kids? Are there any books in particular you’re looking forward to this year? Feel free to share them with us in the comments!

Filed Under: 2013-14 Curriculum, Homeschool Curriculum, Unit Studies

Review: Reading the Alphabet Early Reading Program

August 20, 2013 by Selena Robinson 13 Comments

I received a copy of this program in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own. See my disclosure policy here.

Reading the Alphabet Review: Look! We're Learning!

Good morning everyone! Today we’re sharing a review of a fabulous early reading curriculum called “Reading the Alphabet” created by Becky at This Reading Mama. Becky’s website is dedicated to early reading curriculum for preschoolers and this program does not disappoint!

I decided to try the program with Roo, because he’s learned basic phonics but he still struggles with reading words on his own. One of his biggest problems is that he’s extremely active, so a typical reading workbook or approach doesn’t keep his interest long enough.

And that’s where Reading the Alphabet is different from many of these programs. There are so many hands-on activities that reinforce phonics skills that little ones don’t even have time to get bored!

The first week of the program focuses on letter T and the sight word “A”. The program includes links to printable activities and instructions, which makes it simple for parents to know what we need for each unit. There are also unique printable activities that have been created exclusively for this program and, when I say the curriculum is full of activities, I mean it is LOADED with activities for kids!

Reading the Alphabet Review: Look! We're Learning!

Roo began by making a couple of Letter T books. I put the first one together for him and then he made his own by arranging the pictures to match mine.

Reading the Alphabet Review: Look! We're Learning!

There’s his Letter T book. He even went through and colored the pictures to match the one I printed.

Reading the Alphabet Review: Look! We're Learning!

He was so proud of his book that he asked to look at it for the rest of the evening. He actually cried when it was time to put it away.

Reading the Alphabet Review: Look! We're Learning!

Both books feature sight words and CVC words that relate to the Letter T or the sight word “a”. On this page, Roo actually sounded out and read the word “top” by himself. (Happy dance!)

Reading the Alphabet Review: Look! We're Learning!

Another of the printable activities in Reading the Alphabet is a set of printable pocket chart labels with matching pictures. These labels and pictures are the same as those used in the Letter T book, so it was great for reinforcing the words Roo had just learned. He had fun matching up the labels and pictures!

Reading the Alphabet Review: Look! We're Learning!

After we completed the pocket chart, we printed a set of pattern cards that highlights those same picture words. First, we played a game of concentration with them, so he could match them up and say the words aloud again.

Reading the Alphabet Review: Look! We're Learning!

Then we used them to make simple math patterns: turtle, top, top, turtle, top…., etc. Once he had completed all the patterns I assigned him, he decided it was time to have me guess the patterns he created. They were…interesting, to say the least.

Reading the Alphabet Review: Look! We're Learning!

Roo followed a maze using the sight word “a”.

Reading the Alphabet Review: Look! We're Learning!

And he loved finding the word “a” in among other letters!

He was so disappointed when I told him it was time to stop. He kept asking when we would do more of the program. That’s when you know a curriculum is worth your time! We’ll be working through the entire curriculum with him during the year and posting about our progress along the way!

Reading the Alphabet Review: Look! We're Learning!

At This Reading Mama, you can view the program week by week for free or you can buy the complete Reading the Alphabet curriculum for just $10 and receive bonus material! Or you can enter the giveaway below for your chance to win the program free! Just complete the giveaway widget to enter:

Entry-Form

Filed Under: 2013-14 Curriculum, Homeschool Curriculum, PreK Homeschooling

Our 2013-14 Student Photos

August 19, 2013 by Selena Robinson 5 Comments

First Day of School Picture Day: Look! We're Learning!Back to school means first day of school pictures! I still find it hard to believe that these kids are big enough for 3rd grade, kindergarten, and pre-K, but they are!

First Day of School Picture Day: Look! We're Learning!We printed these adorable First Day of School Printable Cards from Three Dinosaurs.

First Day of School Picture Day: Look! We're Learning!

Roo’s first year of school! He’s so excited about learning to read!

First Day of School Picture Day: Look! We're Learning!

Pooh’s first year of actual schoolwork. He’s more excited about looking like he’s “doing school” than anything else.

First Day of School Picture Day: Look! We're Learning!

Tigger’s an old pro by now. She’s excited about learning American history and science this year.

First Day of School Picture Day: Look! We're Learning!

Every year, we try to get the kids something new. We were superbly broke this year, so they just got new notebooks. The great thing about kids, though, is that they love just about anything as long as it’s new. The boys were thrilled to have real notebooks, instead of tot writing paper. Tigger got her very first binder with a few Lisa Frank folders.

First Day of School Picture Day: Look! We're Learning!

And one final shot with their backpacks. As you can see, Pooh is really into this “I’m cool” phase. I’d like to say it’ll pass soon, but I think we may have another 10 years or so of that stage.

This post is part of the iHomeschool Network “Not Back to School” Blog Hop! Visit our fellow bloggers and link up your own posts by clicking the image below!

NBTS Blog Hop Calendar: Look! We're Learning!

Filed Under: 2013-14 Curriculum, Family Life, Homeschool Planning

Simple DIY Pinwheel Craft for Kids

August 16, 2013 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Windy days are made for pinwheels, am I right? Remember getting a pinwheel at the county fair or the book fair at school (my favorite place ever) and running outside to watch it turn in the wind? As a child, I could stare at a pinwheel turn for hours. They were just mesmerizing.

I had never made a pinwheel myself, so I thought the kids would enjoy learning how to make one as an easy spring craft. Like a lot of our projects, this DIY pinwheel craft is very simple and only requires a couple of supplies. If you like this activity, don’t miss our easy spring toilet roll butterfly craft!

This easy DIY pinwheel craft is a fun way to study wind with the kids!

DIY Pinwheel Craft

To make this pinwheel craft, you’ll need the following:

  • Lightweight 12 x 12 scrapbook paper
  • Pencils
  • Push pins
  • Scissors

DIY Pinwheel Craft: Look! We're Learning!

To get started, all you have to do is cut the paper into squares and then make a diagonal cut toward the center on each corner.

Actually, I didn’t even cut the paper into squares. I did the old school thing where you fold the paper in fourths and then tear it. (I know I’m not the only person who does that, am I?)

DIY Pinwheel Craft: Look! We're Learning!

After you’ve made the diagonal cuts, take each cut and fold the right corner toward the left so that the end lands in the center of the paper.

You don’t want to actually “fold” by making a crease in the paper, because you need the paper to remain curved in order for the air to move through it. So you’re really just pulling the corners toward the middle here.

DIY Pinwheel Craft: Look! We're Learning!

Once you have all the corners folded toward the center, just hold them down with one hand and then stick the push pin through with the other.

Make sure you catch all the corner ends and don’t stick yourself! I pushed the pin through first and then stuck the end into the pencil eraser.

DIY Pinwheel Craft: Look! We're Learning!

And we’re done! The kids were so excited to try them out that they sat at the table trying to perfect how to blow across the sails to move them properly for about 20 minutes afterward.

Easy DIY Pinwheel Craft for Kids

I will say that these are not the most permanent pinwheels you can make, so if your kids get a little rough with them (like ours did), you’ll have to put them back together. But you just have to push the paper corners back down and re-pin. Easy peasy!

DIY Pinwheel Craft: Look! We're Learning!

If you enjoyed this spring activity, check out our other spring learning ideas!

Get ready to welcome warmer weather with these fun spring crafts for kids to make!

50 Spring Books for Kids

50 Free Spring Printables for Kids @ Look! We're Learning!

And get more ideas on my Spring Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

Filed Under: Crafts Tagged With: crafts, crafts for kids, diy, diy pinwheel, diy pinwheel craft, diy pinwheel craft for kids, kids crafts, pinwheel craft, pinwheel craft for kids, spring, spring crafts

Our 2013-14 Homeschool Room

August 12, 2013 by Selena Robinson 14 Comments

Good morning! It’s another new week here at Look! We’re Learning! and we’re ready to get started!

I’m fully engulfed in the “back to school” spirit and I’ve been sharing our homeschool plans for this year recently. Last week, we featured our homeschool curriculum choices for 3rd, K, and PK. Today we’re sharing pictures of our homeschool room for this year.

Our Homeschool Room: Look! We're Learning!

 Our Homeschool Room

We don’t really have a dedicated homeschool room (as much as I wish we did). So we have to make do with what we have, right? 🙂

Our Homeschool Room: Look! We're Learning!

As you can see, our homeschool room doubles as our dining room. If you’ve seen our previous post about homeschooling in a small space, then you already know our basic setup. We did make a few changes this year, though.

Our Homeschool Room: Look! We're Learning!

We’re keeping our reward coupon system this year, but we’re going to make a few changes to it. We’re not exactly sure what our basis for handing our Play Bucks will be yet. I’m leaning toward adapting it to their schoolwork, but we’re undecided for now.

One thing we did decide on was the need for a better daily schedule. We’ll be sharing our detailed schedule in a couple of weeks, but we’ve already instituted a simple picture schedule to give the kids a heads-up on what we’re doing each day.

To make it, I just downloaded the free workbox tags from Homeschool Creations and then laminated them and added velcro. That way, we can just add and remove subjects based on what we’re doing that day.

Our Homeschool Room: Look! We're Learning!

The long wall in the room houses our picture world map, our chalkboard, our fruitage of the spirit “tree”, and a beautiful piece of artwork we picked up recently.

Our Homeschool Room: Look! We're Learning!

Isn’t that beautiful? We bought it at the Liberated Minds Homeschool Expo. The title is “Plant Da Seeds And They Will Grow” and it’s by an artist named Jah Peeps. I love how the “tree of knowledge” is supplemented with books about topics such as love, wisdom, and truth.

Those are several of the core values we try to instill in our children. It was very moving to me that, when the children receive that kind of foundation, they feel comfortable in life – just like the picture shows.

Our Homeschool Room: Look! We're Learning!

Here’s a close-up view of our picture world map. We love this map because it’s full of pictures that automatically capture the kids’ interest. They ask questions on their own: “What’s that animal?” “What’s that building?” It gives us a simple way to stir up enthusiasm for geography.

Our Homeschool Room: Look! We're Learning!

I still keep all of our books for the year in a crate next to the bookshelf. These are the same books we featured in our homeschool curriculum post for last week, along with our first read-aloud. Can you guess what it is by looking at the author? (We’ll be sharing our reading list soon.)

Our Homeschool Room: Look! We're Learning!

One change we made was to designate one wall as our themed chart space. We’ll be rotating out charts through the year that relate to the topics we cover.

Our Homeschool Room: Look! We're Learning!

Fractions are coming up soon.

Our Homeschool Room: Look! We're Learning!

As is a discussion on the properties of light.

Our Homeschool Room: Look! We're Learning!

We still keep most of our supplies in our bookcase. Our basic homeschool tools (binding machine, laminator, and pencil sharpener) are right on top.

Our Homeschool Room: Look! We're Learning!

The top shelf holds dry erase markers, chalkboard erasers, pencils, pens, and some art supplies. We also have most of the books in the Core Knowledge Series and my trusty homeschool binder. The second row is where we keep individual workboxes that we’ll be using off and on during the year and a basket with several of the Children’s Busy Books. (Look for us to share some of our activities from those in the future.)

Our Homeschool Room: Look! We're Learning!

The last shelf is where we keep more art supplies: paints, crayons, brushes, etc. On the right side, I keep our homeschool records in a portable filing box. We’ve never been visited by any truancy officers or school district representatives, but I like to have our documents ready in case that happens.

And that’s our homeschool space! It’s small but we make it work! We’d love to see pictures of your homeschooling rooms! Feel free to tell us about them in the comments!

This post is part of the iHomeschool Network “Not Back to School” Blog Hop! Visit our fellow bloggers and link up your own posts by clicking the image below!

NBTS Blog Hop Calendar: Look! We're Learning!

Big Book of Homeschool Ideas

Filed Under: 2013-14 Curriculum, Homeschool Planning

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