Books · Nature Study · Uncategorized

New and Upcoming 2023 Nature-Based Books for Children

Earlier this year I shared about my favorite nature-based books for children from 2022 and I thought it would be fun this year to go ahead and share my favorites for the first half of the year. There are so many notable picture books this year that celebrate nature as well as children spending time… Continue reading New and Upcoming 2023 Nature-Based Books for Children

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Spring Ephemeral Woodland Native Wildflowers

Early Spring | Photo Credit: Tim Street Photo & Design Spring ephemerals are the first wildflowers that bloom in spring on the forest floor, before the tree canopy has even begun to emerge. "Ephemeral" means lasting for a short time and is aptly applied to these special spring wildflowers, for they disappear (i.e. complete their… Continue reading Spring Ephemeral Woodland Native Wildflowers

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Children’s Books to Celebrate World Wildlife Day

March 3 is World Wildlife Day. It is a United Nations International day to celebrate all the world's wild animals and plants and the contribution that they make to our lives and the health of the planet. I thought I would take the chance to share a few of my very favorite children's books that… Continue reading Children’s Books to Celebrate World Wildlife Day

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Ecology With Kids Publishes March 7th!

If you have seen my previous blog post on The Kitchen Pantry Scientist series, you'll not be surprised to hear I'm very excited for the newest addition to the series: Ecology With Kids. I'm very excited about the ecology topic and think children will love this one.The scientists featured are some of my very favorites:… Continue reading Ecology With Kids Publishes March 7th!

Books · Uncategorized

Best Nature-Based Picture Books of 2022

If you've followed my blog for any time you'll know I absolutely love nature-based picture books! This past year was a great one for introducing new nature-based narratives with beautiful illustrations to inspire children to grow their love for the natural world and get out and explore and enjoy it as well. Most of the… Continue reading Best Nature-Based Picture Books of 2022

Curriculum · Uncategorized

History Quest is Not Just for Homeschoolers

History Quest as Interest-Based Chapter Books History Quest is a chapter book series and curriculum for elementary aged children from Pandia Press that our family used for several years of homeschooling. We used History Quest: Early Times when my children were in First Grade and Kindergarten and then History Quest: Middle Times when my children… Continue reading History Quest is Not Just for Homeschoolers

Curriculum · Uncategorized

All About Reading Level 2 – Curriculum Review and Lesson Example

Why We Used All About Reading As of January this year we are public schoolers, but while homeschooling I used All About Reading to teach both of my children to read. My oldest completed Levels 1-3 and my youngest went about halfway through Level 2. I shared a detailed look about Level 1 when I… Continue reading All About Reading Level 2 – Curriculum Review and Lesson Example

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Deep Dive: Thoughts on Our Transition from Homeschooling to Public School

I shared in January how we decided to switch to public school mid-school year and I was met with a lot of encouragement and support but also lots of questions! All excellent questions, but I know many of you want more details and I am happy to take the time to share. I think a… Continue reading Deep Dive: Thoughts on Our Transition from Homeschooling to Public School

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Climate Change and Earth Advocate Books for Children

There's no way around it: This is a hard topic for kids. It's a hard topic for all of us. I think it's important to understand the readiness of your child, not just by age, when discussing big issues like this. In my personal opinion, often climate change books aimed at children are either (a)… Continue reading Climate Change and Earth Advocate Books for Children

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Celebrate National Poetry Month with Nature Poetry for Kids

April is National Poetry Month and I am excited to share a number of favorite children's books that celebrate poetry inspired by nature. There are so many benefits in reading poetry with children or in children reading (and writing) poetry on their own: building literacy skills, gaining a fresh perspective on life, celebrating creativity, and… Continue reading Celebrate National Poetry Month with Nature Poetry for Kids