1. Fight fallacies.
2. Plan on ways to get the most out of the literature you read as a family.
3. Visit Mt. Rushmore — virtually — and celebrate its authorization (March 2).
4. Begin a course in Latin.
5. Start thinking about evaluation techniques.
6. Celebrate the first transmission over the telephone (March 10).
7. Begin thinking of fun ways to incorporate geography next year.
8. Watch our country grow!
9. Celebrate Maine becoming a state (March 15).
10. Spring cleaning:  Organize all of those free eBooks!
11. Wear the green during a St. Patrick’s Day unit study (March 17).
12. Plan fun activities with your preschooler.
13. Find time — free!
14. Plan your evaluation interviews.
15. Celebrate the launch of the first Vanguard satellite (March 17).
16. Liven up the place with classical music.
17. Celebrate the birth of Bach (March 21).
18. Develop your young investor.
19. Celebrate the birth of Fanny Crosby (March 24).
20. Think of ways to add music appreciation into the mix next year.
21. Inspire your young children to write — before they can.
22. Celebrate the birth of Edwin Drake and the first oil well (March 29).
23. Learn how to play the harmonica.
24. Visit the Eiffel Tower — virtually.
25. Help them remember to love.

• coordination,
• concentration,
• mental acuity,
• enjoyment,
• relaxation,
• an appreciation of hard work,
• a foundation for any future lessons or interest in any other instrument, and
• a gift to share with others.

Joseph Hoffman, Director of the Hoffman Academy of Music in Portland, Oregon, also believes every child should have “a quality education in playing the piano.”  To fulfill this mission, he offers free quality piano lessons online at FreePianoLessons4Kids.com.

The lessons use the “Hoffman Method” which I have developed based on my Kodaly training. Not your “old-fashioned” approach to teaching piano, the Hoffman Method uses singing, solfege, movement, and experience-/discovery-based learning to create well-rounded, versatile child musicians. In addition to learning how to play songs on the piano, my video lessons teach how to read notes and rhythms, correct playing technique and posture/hand position, how to dictate melodies and rhythms, how to transpose, music theory, improvisation, and composition.

Joseph Hoffman, FreePianoLessons4 Kids.com

Some Charlotte Mason educators will be familiar with solfege, or sight signing.  The Kodály method attempts to teach music using more natural methods and teaching music as a whole.

Music must not be approached from its intellectual, rational side, nor should it be conveyed to the child as a system of algebraic symbols, or as a secret writing of a language with which he has no connection. The way should be paved for direct intuition.

Zoltán Kodály

This is reminiscent of Dr. Ruth Beechick’s methods in teaching language, or Charlotte Mason’s ideas of educating the whole child.

If this sounds like something your family might be interested in, try a few lessons.  See if this method will work for your family.  The video lessons are completely free.  There are support materials that can be purchased, but particularly in the beginning, these are not necessary.  There are currently 45 free lessons posted with the 50th scheduled for December 2012.

You’ll also want to read his tips for parents where you’ll find great ideas for listening to good music together, enjoying performances, inspiring instead of requiring, practicing, the careful use of praise, and other inspiring tips.

Also of interest are helpful links.  There are some real prizes in there; for example, the music of Jon Schmidt – a personal favorite!

You can read a bio of Mr. Hoffman at the Hoffman Academy of Music.

William Tell Told Again by P.G. Wodehouse gives the legend new life. Apparently written for the daughter of a friend, Wodehouse retells in prose an earlier picture book illustrated by Philip Dadd told in verse. The story stays close to the legendary events, while humor takes center stage. This can be a good option for moms with sensitive children.

William Tell Told Again is in the public domain and available as a free download.

Suggestions

• Read a different version of the legend for comparison. You’ll find a couple of options below.
• Have your child write a humorous version of a different legend; perhaps “King Alfred and the Cakes” or “The Blind Men and the Elephant.”
• Listen to the “William Tell Overture.” How does the music fit the story?
• Read the original verse version. What is the rhyme scheme? (ababcdcd)
• Re-write a humorous poem into prose; perhaps “Casey at the Bat” or “The Spider and the Fly.”
• For a challenge, re-write the humorous version of a legend you chose above into poetry. Keep the ababcdcd rhyme scheme, if desired. You may also want to add illustrations like those in the book.

Additional Resources

William Tell Told Again
Formatted to show the original poetry and illustrations inline.

The Story of William Tell
Brief telling for younger readers taken from Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin.

William Tell
Longer retelling for older readers taken from Heroes Every Child Should Know by Hamilton Wright Mabie.

Introduction to Music Unit: William Tell Overture: Finale
Three lesson plans to go along with the Classics for Kids show linked to above.

Stapleless Book
Interactive that helps you make an 8-page illustrated foldable. Helpful for the last activity above.

The Apple and the Arrow by Mary and Conrad Buff
A much more serious version that finds its way on many homeschool reading lists told from Walter’s (William Tell’s son) point of view and with a focus on character. Newberry Honor winner.

The Apple and the Arrow Unit and Lapbook
Very nicely done 59-page download to go along with the book – but can easily be used with William Tell Told Again. Includes unit plans and foldables.

William Tell’s Never Miss Apple Cake
OK.  This is an admitted stretch!  But oh, so yummy!

Amidst our pinning, and re-pinning, liking, and thumb-uping – we don’t want to lose focus of the wee things:

• the wee hands that grab, caress, hug, pull, make and find things we didn’t know existed.
• the wee eyes that watch our every move.
• the wee feet that run faster than we can keep up with.
• the wee hearts, that need our attention to guide them to the Shepherd that will guide them through life.

You’ll find our Educational Bucket List – 6 To Do Each Day at our HomeHearts site.  Let it start your mind thinking about those elements you want to include in your child’s day each day.  Build your own.  And keep it in front of you daily to remind you of those wee things….

1. Listen to audio books. There is nothing better than a good read-aloud shared by the entire family.  When you can’t spend the time to sit down and enjoy a good book, take advantage of the fact that you are already all sitting down together in the car to listen to one!
2. Role play.  Use the opportunity to role play with your children what you would expect them to do in certain situations; such as becoming lost at a store, being asked a question by a stranger, or breaking something in a store.
3. Read signs.  Is your child a relatively new reader?  Can he read some of the signs you are passing?
4. Narration.  Has your child read a good book lately?  Have him tell you the story in his own words.  For an older child, this time can lead to great discussions!
5. Play add to the story.  Mom starts, “Once upon a time _________.”  Then the child contributes; then mom contributes; and on and on until…  (these stories are rarely finished!).  Fill in that blank with a specific adventure to encourage interest.
6. Play “A is for _____.”  The blank can be any object; birds, flowers, vegetables, fruits, or animals, for example.  Each person must name one of those objects that starts with the next letter of the alphabet when it is his turn.
7. Sing.  Every family has their favorite car songs.  What are yours?
8. Listen to a sermon or Bible story.  Many ministries offer podcasts or other digital downloads of their teaching materials.
9. Practice math.    Calculate gas mileage.  Calculate how long it will take to arrive at the destination.  Count the number of cars in a train as you wait to cross a railroad crossing.  Estimate how far to an object you can see in the distance.  (This one is great for adults, too!)
10. Map it.  Particularly if you will be on a long trip, provide each child with his own map to trace the trip.

Additional Resources

Alcazar Audioworks Samples
You can download a few selections from Alcazar Audioworks at no charge. Their audio books are very well done. The readings are clear and crisp, the voices entertaining and soothing, and the characters nicely portrayed. The selected samples below are full stories available at no cost.

1. Selections from Mother Goose, The Best-Known and Loved
   Contains Little Bo Peep, Little Boy Blue, Rain Rain Go Away, The Clock, and Old Mother Goose set to music.
2. Peter Rabbit from Beatrix Potter: Selections From
3. The Blind Men and the Elephant from 50 Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin
4. Abraham Lincoln from Four Famous Americans by James Baldwin
5. The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County from Mark Twain – Lesser Known Short Stories

Teaching Safety to Your Preschooler
Scroll down to the heading, “Safety Rehearsal” for role-playing ideas to get you started.

Classics for Kids
Great music site with podcasts of their show available for download.

MapMaker Interactive
National Geographic resource with all types of tools to help you make maps for your children to mark.  Print and bind or place in a notebook for travel.  They can even decorate the binder for the trip.

1. The Iditarod
2. The Eiffel Tower
3. Montana
4. Webster’s American Dictionary
5. Maine
6. Australia
7. The Horse
8. Napoleon
9. Johann Sebastian Bach
10. Mt. Saint Helens

1. Handwriting Worksheet Creator – Free
2. 100 Editable Lapbook Templates – Free
3. Interactive Writing Tool – Free!
4. Create Your Own Worksheets – Free
5. Cloud Chart – Free
6. Free Beginners’ Latin Tutorial
7. Monthly Art Appreciation Lessons – Free
8. Streaming Classical Music – Free!
9. Electoral College Tools – Free
10. Scientific Method Experiment Sheets – Free

1. Learn How to Play the Harmonica
2. “Taking the Frustration Out of Math”
3. 10 Helps for Nature Study
4. 10 Evaluation Interview Questions
5. 16 Prewriting Activities
6. 5 Tips for Memorizing Scripture
7. 6 Ways to Get the Most from Your Literature-Based Studies
8. 8 Writing Activities for the Younger Student
9. 6 Ways to Evaluate Progress
10. 10 Steps to Build a Better Speller

1. Learn how to play an instrument.
2. Spend some time with Winnie-the-Pooh.
3. Learn to draw.
4. Play outdoor games.
5. Visit the ocean.
6. Learn about bees.
7. Go on a nature walk.
8. Fold paper into useful objects.
9. Consult the Handybook for summer pastimes.
10. Create a rhyme.
11. Enjoy Peter Rabbit and friends.
12. Listen to the birds (no longer available as a free resource).
13. Time something.
14. Write a limerick.
15. Explore bugs.
16. Make 25 different types of chocolate chip cookies.
17. Enjoy a family read aloud.
18. Cloud watch.
19. Complete a story.
20. Develop a new interest.
21. Learn to code.
22. Start a pizza garden.
23. Read a story from history.
24. Build and fly a kite.
25. Enjoy a mini-unit as a family.
26. Have fun with bubbles.
27. Brush up on your algebra.
28. Make a solar oven.
29. Create a sun print.
30. Make a summertime brochure detailing the fun things you did over the summer!

Miss Maggie from An Old-Fashioned Education has done the work for us. She has created a directory of free online resources organized to assist homeschool families.

I needed to develop a plan of organization and determine which elements to teach in which grade.  This site serves as my main organizational system.

This wide array of books are categorized by subject and broken down further by reading level where appropriate.  Subjects include (and there are many, many areas of interest mentioned):

American History
Anthologies
Arithmetic
Art Appreciation
Bible & Religion
Biography
Canadian Interest
Canadian Teacher’s Manuals
Character & Etiquette
Christian Classics
Civics & Government
Classic Literature
Composition
Creationism
Drama & Public Speaking
Economics
Emergency Preparedness
Fables, Fairy Tales & Nursery Rhymes
Fiction for Boys
Fiction for Girls
Folk Songs & Hymns
Geography & Social Studies
Grammar & Spelling
Greece & Rome
Health
Helps for Mom & Dad
Historical Documents
Historical Fiction
Holidays
Home Economics

…and that just takes you through the H’s!

An Old-Fashioned Education combines living-books and older, more structured texts.

…I’ve discovered that they have a few advantages over modern books.  First off, they have high expectations for their readers.  These books haven’t been dumbed-down to a lower standard or watered-down to politically correct pabulum.  Since most children will perform according to their parent’s expectations, it is vital that we maintain high educational standards. These books help parents achieve that goal.

Also, since most of the books are available in simple text format, I can open them up in my favorite word processing program and tweak them to suit my fancy.

And DIY Homeschoolers are all about “tweaking”!  As Miss Maggie goes on to explain, that may mean using or printing a few exercises, a few pages, a chapter or editing out elements that would not be appropriate for a sensitive child.

She adds that in older books “morality is based firmly upon the Holy Inspired Scriptures.” They provide a balance to today’s fast-paced lifestyle by providing examples so that “children are able to form a firm, biblical foundation, allowing them to become less reactionary to society’s current ills.”  And finally, old texts have stood the test of time.

You can read the entire philosophy behind An Old-Fashioned Education on the home page.

As if sifting through the online offerings itself weren’t enough, Miss Maggie also offers a free, full Christian Homeschool Curriculum available for those desiring further help in pulling together a plan.  Suggested books and a 40-week schedule are available per age group K-11. (The 40-week schedule is currently not available for grade 12.)

Whether you are looking for a math supplement, classic literature for your older student, great biographies, composition help or a no-cost/low-cost curriculum for all of your children, you will find something useful at An Old-Fashioned Education.