Biography Fra Angelico was born just a hundred years after Giotto in a nearby village. His parents called him Guido, and that was his name until he joined the Order of Dominican monks at a nearby convent. From that time until his death, he was known as Frate Giovanni (Brother John). Today, he is known … Continue reading Fra Angelico 1385-1455
Mom! Where’s my (insert book or supply here)? Is your homeschool day continually delayed because everything isn’t prepared and at hand? Sometimes the problem is that someone didn’t return an item to its home; other times, I haven’t prepared. Either way, a little time spent getting things together will improve the situation. Schedule Time In … Continue reading Preparing to Teach: Homeschool Edition
I struggle with perfectionism. I keep things tidy and craft meals and sentences with care. I like correct answers, excellent grades, and jobs done all the way. So, as you can imagine, my sinful heart needed teaching about which things are important and which are not. So, God gifted me a husband who is my … Continue reading Done is Good Enough
Since homeschooling happens in the real world while our real lives are going on around us, we often face disruptive events which throw us off stride and threaten to derail our entire educational process for a time. Younger siblings, home-based businesses, and household emergencies all can disrupt our planned school day. However, we know that … Continue reading Dealing with Disruptions
Nature study can be as simple as a short walk in the neighborhood or as elaborate as a week in a National Park. Don’t make it hard. Just go outside. This month, spend some time outside every day that is reasonable and observe what beetles s you can find in your own yard and around … Continue reading Nature Study: Beetles
Fables are short stories that have a moral. Aesop who lived in Greece from 640-564 BC, gathered many ancient fables into a collection to share with his community. We’ve chosen a few for you this month, and they are linked at www.hsok.org/beauty. Read some or all of them with your students and talk about the … Continue reading Aesop for October
Let’s explore the ancient world. We’ve chosen folk tales, myths, biographies, and documentaries from different continents, and we have maps for you to download and trace or fill in also. This month we have all sorts of information about ancient Egypt for you! Map Study: Map Study is very simple. Print off a map. Label … Continue reading Life and Times of Ancient Greece
Hymns are beautiful truths poetically told, hung on a rhythm, and held in a melody. This makes them memorable. Hymn study is extremely simple. Sing the hymn once a day. We’ve provided you links to different versions to enjoy as well as a link to download the sheet music for the hymn. Some of this … Continue reading Be Thou My Vision
Composer Study is simple. Pick a composer to listen to over a period of time. Every once in a while, play a composition by him or her. Listen to it. Think and talk about it. This month, we are listening to compositions by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, who composed for church choirs and orchestras. Biography: … Continue reading Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina 1525-1594
Picture Study is simple. Look at the picture with your children for a few minutes, and then talk about what you saw. Try to remember as much about the piece as you can. Enjoy the beauty of it. Art is not a chore; it’s a pleasure. Beginning our Ancient Beauty theme, we’ve chosen some pieces … Continue reading Jan Van Eyck (1395-1441)
