Weekly Homeschool Roundup - 1/10/20

Happy New Year!

It’s time for us to jump back into the weekly homeschool roundups. I’ve missed them!

So many homeschool families find it a bit painful to get back into the swing of things after the Christmas holidays - our family is right there with you!

We didn’t have the opportunity to ease into things - it’s been full steam ahead this week. It HAS been difficult, but at the same time it has been productive and it does feel good to be back into our normal routine.

We’re in our second semester of 9th grade (Classical Conversations Challenge 1), which is a very intense semester. Grant has his normal load of schoolwork, plus he will be doing Teen Pact in February and has a couple of piano competitions.

The huge time hog is BASKETBALL, and if my son didn’t love it so much we wouldn’t be doing it.

Especially for the teens, having a physical outlet is a necessity. I believe it makes the rest of life so much easier when our children are getting the exercise they so desperately need.

Anna is back at college, in her second semester of freshman year. It’s hard to believe last year at this point we were in the thick of college admissions, etc… There has been an exponential amount of growth in her life and I’m so pleased for her!

Life gets quiet with just one child at home. I guess this is easing us into what life will be like in a few years when we have no children at home.

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Let’s move on to the five good things for this week - I hope you can use a few (or all) of them in your own homeschool!

• Muffin Cup Math

  I shared this little tidbit on Instagram and Facebook this week - it sure helped with math when my kids were younger.

• Have You Read These Books?

  My love for Modern Mrs. Darcy is no secret! She inspires me to read and provides so many book suggestions. I love her list of books you should have read in high school that are totally worth reading now. .

• Parcheesi

  Our family had a minor obsession with this game over the holidays. I had never played before, but my husband used to play a lot when he was little. There is something about this game I really like (maybe the fact that it doesn’t take as long as Monopoly?) - it’s great for all ages and involves quiet strategy. If you incorporate games in your homeschool you need to add Parcheesi!

• Broadway Musical for Kids

  At SQUILT Music I shared a list of 15 Broadway Musicals that are good for children. January is the perfect time to watch musicals with your kids. It helps break up the monotony of the month and provides some excitement. We always have a month of musicals in SQUILT LIVE! each January and it’s a huge hit!

• Read-Aloud Tracker

  This episode of Read-Aloud Revival, along with the free printable read-aloud tracker, is wonderful. Reading aloud is one of the things that created the most memories and provided the most calm in our homeschool. It’s important. Make time to read aloud to your children!

It is my hope that your homeschool is happy and productive in 2020 - and I am thankful Homegrown Learners can play a small part in your life.

Come back each Friday for 5 good things!

And, if you have a good thing - leave it for me in the comments below!



Best Audiobooks of 2019

Audiobooks played a HUGE part in my reading life in 2019.

In my previous book post, I detailed favorite fiction and nonfiction reads, and in this post I will list my favorite audiobooks. Sometimes a performance on audio can make for a truly wonderful literary experience - giving you a deeper experience than the physical book.

Driving, folding laundry, walking the dog, cleaning up around the house - those are all the perfect time for an audiobook. As a busy homeschool mom audiobooks have been a literary gift, and, with the number of apps and options for listening, there is no reason an audiobook cannot be easily accessible.

Sources of Audiobooks

I love my two local libraries and most often can find good audiobooks through their systems.

When, however, I cannot, I use Libro.fm. I love that each download helps support a local bookstore of my choosing, and I love the Libro.fm app.

If you’d like to try Libro.fm you can do so by clicking here and you will receive your first month FREE!

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10 Best Audiobooks of 2019

84, Charing Cross Road

This book - from 1970 - is the true story of a bookish friendship and correspondence between the author and the owner of a bookstore in London. This satisfied my bookish heart and made me smile. I think the audio was very well done. There is something about hearing letters read aloud that makes the experience that much better.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Sissy Spacek is the narrator - the end. I tell everyone now that they MUST listen to the audio of this rather than read the paper book!

My son is reading this for Challenge I, and I wish I could convince him to listen to the audio!

Once Upon a River

This British novel was beautifully narrated. It’s a mystery and you might think it’s a bit dark at first, but with all of the twists and turns there is a hopeful ending. The author’s beautiful prose just need to be “heard”.

The Dutch House

Wouldn’t you love it if Tom Hanks kept you company on a long car trip? Well, that is what happened when I listened to The Dutch House a few months ago. I had no idea he was the narrator, so when the book started in the car I practically squealed with delight.

Not only one of my favorite audiobooks of the year, but also probably one of my favorite books in general.

Echo

This audio knocked it out of the part for several reasons: it has gorgeous music and it was an experience I shared with my son.

It is a touching, magical story about several lives that come together during and after WWII - and it is all centers around a harmonica factory that we are introduced to in the beginning of the story.

If you need a great listen with your kids - this is it! (That’s coming for a mom/music educator!)

Symphony for the City of the Dead

This is another YA book. I listened to this one on my own and it was completely fascinating. I knew a bit about Shostakovich and his political influence in Russia, but this book taught me so much.

It is about the Siege of Leningrad and the role played by Russian composer Shostakovich and his Leningrad Symphony. Again, the music in the audio was wonderful.

Ginny Moon

My sister recommended this one to me - she knows my tastes well! This book was about a young girl (Ginny Moon) who is autistic. It gave me a good insight into what goes on in someone’s head who has autism. I wouldn’t recommend this for teens, though - there were some language and questionable situations involved.

All in all, however, I LOVED the book.

The Sun Does Shine

This is another book that kept me company on a long car trip. It was a HARD listen, because of the injustices that were blatantly obvious through the telling of Anthony Ray Hinton’s story.

Spending so many years in death row when he was innocent - and all of the prejudices that were in place that kept him there unjustly - made my blood boil.

It helped HEARING his words - somehow made it all that more powerful. This is a necessary listen.

The Mother-in-Law

Ooooh… at the outset, it seems like your typical mother-in-law, daughter-in-law conflict, but then as you go beneath the surface it is so much more.

I never would have expected the twists and turns in this book - that literally had me lying in bed at night with my earbuds in just so I could finish!

Ordinary Grace

I saved the best for last.

Set in the Midwest in 1961, this is the story of a family and three murders that changed their life one summer.

William Kent Krueger, a Christian author, weaves so much beautiful faith into his story - it IS his story. How do you remain faithful to God when he takes your daughter? How do you remain faithful when he takes your only child? I found myself crying, smiling, and enriched by this book.

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Get One Month Libro.fm For FREE

Don’t forget - if you are interested in trying Libro.fm, use this link to receive one month for free.

I would recommend starting with Ordinary Grace or Echo (with your kiddos!)

Do you use audiobooks - either in your homeschool or your own personal reading?

Tell me about it in the comments below!