28 Fantastic Poetry Books for Kids Who Don’t Like Rhymes

28 Fantastic Poetry Books for Kids Who Don’t Like Rhymes

  

Reading Time: 2 min 1 sec

 There is something magical about poetry books for kids. Poetry can spark your imagination, let you envision worlds the eye cannot see, and it can stir your heart with its powerful emotion.  Poetry strips away time and space and allows you to experience the world in whole new ways.   

 

The thought of poetry can strike most of us with feelings of inadequacy. Why does poetry have to feel so complicated? We were all taught that within poetry is this hidden message that if you are reflective (and brilliant) you will be able to grasp its meaning.  It doesn’t work. I reflected the fool out of more poems than I can count and I still walked away scratching my head.

 

                         Why does something so beautiful need an army of interpreters?

 

So, I staged a revolt.  I knew that if I waited until I felt confident, I would NEVER introduce my children to poetry. So, we started out our poetry journey by taking small steps. Even though I promptly made a ton of mistakes, I learned a couple of things along the way. 

 

Set yourself up for success by starting with picture books written in rhyme.  Not only are the pictures mesmerizing but the cadence of the words makes it a very easy read.  After you feel confident, add beautiful poetry books for kids that are short, funny, and relatable.  Here is one of our favorite poems called The Naughty Four O’Clocks by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

 

“There were some naughty flowers once, who were careless in their play;

They got their petals torn and soiled

As they swung in the dust all day.

 

They went to bed at four o’clock

With faces covered tight, To keep the fairy Drop O’ Dew

From washing them at night.

 

Poor Drop O’Dew! What could she do? She said to the Fairy Queen,

“I cannot get those Four O’Clocks, To Keep their faces clean.”

 

The mighty Storm King heard the tale; “My winds and rain,” roared he,

“Shall wash those naughty flowers well, As flowers all should be.”

So raindrops came and caught them all

Before they went to bed, And washed those little Four O’clocks

At three o’clock instead.”

 

Flowers who are tricked into taking a bath? What could possibly be more captivating than that? 🙂  The poem is simple, imaginative. and colorful.  It struck delight in the hearts of my children. You can check out this article to find out my requirements for choosing beautiful poetry books.

 

My goal is to help my children fall in love with poetry. To accomplish that objective, I want to remove all the stumbling blocks that might interfere. Does that mean that my children will never be able to appreciate the finer nuances of poetry?  No, but it does mean that in the early years we are intentional about establishing a strong foundation of curiosity and delight.

 

Here are twenty-eight suggestions to help you get started in developing a love of poetry for kids in your homeschool.  These are all books that we have read together and enjoyed. 

1. Favorite Poetry Books For Kids 

2. Picture Poetry Books For Kids 

3. Short Poetry Books For Kids 

4. Poetry Books For Older Kids

1. Favorite Poetry Books For Kids

 

2. Picture Poetry Books For Kids

 

 

3. Short Poetry Books For Kids

4. Poetry Books for Older Kids   

 

Are you wondering HOW do you actually get started homeschooling? Join our community of moms who want to invest in the lives of their children through homeschooling. I also created a 10 Tips to Finding Excellent Curriculum form to help you on your journey. 

 

 

 

What about you? What are your favorite poetry books for kids? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest! 

How To Inspire A Love Of Poetry In Your Children

How To Inspire A Love Of Poetry In Your Children

  

Reading Time: 4 min 57 sec

This month in prep for Valentine’s Day, we will be talking about the ins and outs of children’s poetry. Have you ever felt intimidated at the thought of teaching poetry to your children? Me too! I have found that though I love the idea of poetry, actual comprehension and enjoyment has escaped me most of my life.

 

Poetry can feel like a dreaded acquaintance. You know, that person who tries to impress us with their vast knowledge of the complexities of the English language? After every conversation, you walk away feeling exhausted, the frustration of “why don’t you just say what you mean?” still spinning in your head.

 

I blame Anne of Green Gables among many others with my fascination with poetry. In the opening scene of Anne of Green Gables, the mini-series, you see her walking through a forest quoting The Lady of Shallot, with such rapt attention, that you can’t help but be intrigued.

 

                                        “There she weaves by night and day                                                                                            A magic web with colors gay.                                                                                                  She has heard a whisper say,                                                                                                  A curse is on her is she stay                                                                                                      To look down to Camelot                                                                                               She knows not what the curse may be,                                                                                          And so she weaveth steadily,                                                                                               And little over care hath she,                                                The Lady of Shalott.”

-Alfred Lord Tennyson

Poetry gave Anne a voice, a way of embracing beauty in an otherwise dreary existence. She showed us that beautiful words woven together could spark imagination, and produce great emotion in the hearts of its readers.

 

Several years ago, I knew I wanted to introduce my children to the art of poetry, but I had absolutely no idea how to go about it. I had made a lot of mistakes. Looking back, I feel bad for my poor children (don’t worry this story has a happy ending) after all the shenanigans I put them through.

 

Years later, despite our misadventures, I now have children who love poetry, to the point where they are starting to write their own. WIN! When it comes to kid’s poetry here are four-time tested ways to help your child embrace a love of poetry.

 

1. Know Your Audience

2. Consistency Is Key

3. Golden Resources

4. Spark Wonder

 

 

1. Know Your Audience

 

The wonderful thing about poetry is that it is not age-specific. Meaning, you can start by introducing your baby to poetry right now! 🙂 Children have a natural appreciation for the cadence of poetry.  All you have to do is listen to them playing hopscotch or jump rope and you will know what I mean.

 

When I decided that we needed to add poetry into our homeschool day, it was full speed ahead. I started reading poems aloud several times a week. The books I chose were excellent, age-appropriate, and beautiful… for another child.

 

You see I had failed to consider the uniqueness of my children.  I was in such a rush to introduce them to the finest pieces of poetry, that I forgot that beautiful words, at this age, mean nothing, if they aren’t interesting, or if they aren’t understandable.

 

Poetry should be enjoyed, it should spark a memory of laughter, delight, and imagination.  A huge red flag that something is wrong is when it becomes just another thing to check off the to-do list.

 

I had to stop and realign my expectations with my goal. The goal was to develop  a love for poetry, not read all the classics before the age of seven. 🙂 So that meant, focusing on funny, short, poems that centered around topics that were interesting to them. We also read a lot of picture books that were written in verse form which eased our transition into more formal poetry. 

 

 2. Consistency Is Key 

 

One way to set yourselves up for success is by choosing a time when your children are most engaged to explore poetry. We focus on poetry one day per week and then sprinkle it in whenever we have time. That consistency has been an integral part of developing a love of poetry.  The children know what to expect and it becomes a natural part of our rhythm as a family.

 

I have also found that giving them something to do with their hands really helps them pay attention. We either utilize Poetry Tea Time (more on that later) or I pull out fidgets, coloring books, or K-nex as a way to keep those little hands busy.

 

I would encourage you to ask yourself a couple of questions:

 a. Do I have any unrealistic expectations when it comes to poetry?

b. What topic(s) most enthrall my children?

c. What is the best time (time of day/day of the week) to introduce my child to poetry?

 

3. Golden Resources

 

When you are first starting out, poetry can feel like a chore, until you find the right resource.  I started reading so many poetry books only to put them down because they didn’t meet our requirements.  I cannot stress this enough, sparking a love of poetry in your child is more important than finishing a resource.

 

Here is what we were looking for in a poetry book:

a.) Short poems (one page in length)

b.) Understandable rhyme

c.) Captivating Illustrations

d.) Interesting or fun topics

 

That doesn’t sound that complicated but we went through a huge stack of poetry books before we found one that truly fit us.  For instance, the series Poetry for Young People is amazing (we love it now) but not the best fit for early elementary age children. 

 

The day we found a poetry book that fit our family it was like a light bulb went off. My children wanted to read it EVERY SINGLE DAY!

One of those books is Laura Ingalls’s Wilder’s Fairy Stories. It is by far my favorite poetry book for kids.  It is a small collection of fairy poems with beautiful illustrations. This is a must have for our personal library! The words are so captivating that my children instantly fell in love with this book. 

4. Spark Wonder

 

One of my favorite ways to include poetry in our weekly rhythm is through Poetry Tea Time. This is a magical time that sparks wonder, delight, and amazing family memories.  Each week, we gather together to eat yummy food and drink hot chocolate as we read and discuss poetry. The addition of snacks fosters the idea that reading poetry together is special.   

 

Poetry Tea Time can be as formal or informal as you desire. When my kids were younger, they would arrive in full costume, ready to participate in a formal tea.

I have hosted Poetry Tea Times for penguins, pirates, knights, and princesses.

There was a time when I never really knew who was going to be showing up to tea. And by celebrating poetry through pomp and circumstance we have created lifelong family memories. WIN!

 

I make a conscious effort to read poems slowly and with emotion. At the end of every reading, we take a couple of minutes to wonder about the poem. We might wonder about the characters, the setting, the author. We might talk about a word or phrase that caught our attention, what emotions the poem sparked, and what we might add to the story.

 

This is an organic discussion, meaning I never drag it out, some conversations last three minutes others last longer. I have found that when my children enjoy poetry, they take the lead on diving deeper into what we are reading.   They have memorized, recited, illustrated, and wrote stories that are based on the poems they have enjoyed.

 

When you take the time to know your audience, set realistic time limits, find those golden resources, and spark wonder you might be surprised at how poetry isn’t intimidating at all. 🙂

 

You can grab your own copy of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Fairy Poems for your collection here.  It is a book you will be reading to your grandchildren. 

Are you wondering HOW do you actually get started homeschooling? Join our community of moms who want to invest in the lives of their children through homeschooling. I also created a 10 Tips to Finding Excellent Curriculum form to help you on your journey. 

 

 

What about you? What are your favorite ways to foster a love of poetry in your home? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest! 

100 History Books That Will Delight Your Kindergartner

100 History Books That Will Delight Your Kindergartner

  

Reading Time: 1 min 3 sec

 

You might be asking if there are 100 history books that will delight your kindergartner? It might be hard for you to imagine history as delightful if your primary introduction was through textbooks.  Let’s face it, it’s pretty hard to get excited about historical events when they are reduced to a paragraph of dry facts.

 

We all want to make learning engaging and FUN for our children. We want to spark their imaginations, engage their emotions, and inspire them to explore and learn from the events and lives of the men and women who shaped our world.  What better way to make that happen than through captivating picture books?

 

What I love about picture books is that history comes alive through their engaging storylines and beautiful illustrations. Picture books spark wonder and encourage your children to imagine themselves participating in actual events.  You feel the bitter cold of Valley Forge, your mouth waters at the smell of the first thanksgiving, you hear the urgency of the Gettysburg Address, and your body aches as you travel the nation for women’s right to vote.

 

Your entire family, no matter their age, can learn something new and get inspired to dig deeper into events that shaped history.  Picture books can be the gateway to new worlds. 

 

Here is a list of 100 History books that will delight your kindergartner. I hope that you will enjoy diving down rabbit holes and experiencing the amazing lives of men and women throughout history.

 

100 History Books

 

5. The House That George Built 

6. I Am Amelia Earhart 

7. Dangerous Jane

8. The Iridescence Of Birds: A Book About Henri Matisse

9. Friends for Freedom: The Story of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglas   

10. If You Spent a Day with Thoreau at Walden Pond  

15. Gingerbread Liberty! How a German Baker Helped Win the War

16. I Am Albert Einstein

17. I Am Jane Goodall

18. Around America to Win the Vote-Two Suffragists, A Kitten, and 10,000 Miles

19. Mesmerized! How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery

20. The Girl Who Thought in Pictures- The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin  

25. This First Thanksgiving Day  

26. Thank You Sarah The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving  

27. A Turkey for Thanksgiving

28. Lewis and Clark  A Prairie Dog for the President

29.  Stealing Home-Jackie Robinson Against the Odds

30. I am Sacagawea 

35. Moonshot The Flight of Apollo 11  

36. Nadia The Girl Who Couldn’t Sit Still

37. The Wildest Race Ever-The Story of the 1904 Olympic Marathon 

38. Margaret and the Moon

39. I am George Washington

40. Virginia Wolf

45. Seabiscuit the Wonder Horse

46. All That Trash-The Story of the 1987 Garbage Barge 

47. I am Abraham Lincoln

48.  Knit your Bit-A World War 1 Story

49. Maya Lin-Artist-Architect of Light and Lines 

50. Independence Cake

55. Uncle Andy’s Cats

56. Julia, Child 

57. Bloom-The story of Elsa Schiaparelli   

58. Sky Boys- Built the Empire State Building

59.  Becoming Bach 

60. Who Says Women Can’t be Doctors?   

65. A Big Cheese For the White House- A True Story 

66.  The Hatmaker’s Sign-A Story about Benjamin Franklin

67. Queen Victoria’s Bathing Machine 

68. Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers

69. Miss Todd and Her Wonderful Flying Machine

70. The Hole Story of the Doughnut

75. How Kate Warne Saved President Lincoln  

76.  Mae Among the Stars 

77. Irving Berlin-The Immigrant Boy Who made America Sing

78. Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor-The Woman Who Loved Reptiles  

79. Noah Webster and His Words

80.  The Man Who Loved Libraries- Andrew Carnegie 

85. Natures Friend-The Gwen Frostic Story   

86. Librarian on the Roof!-A True Story 

87.  Counting on Katherine-How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13

88. Alexander Graham Bell Answers the Call

89. The Girl with a Mind for Math 

90. Paul Revere’s Ride

95. Thomas Jefferson-Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Everything

96. Monet Paints a Day

97. Marie In Fourth Position-Degas Little Dancer

98. Young Mozart

99. George Washington’s Birthday

100. To The Stars! The First American Woman to Walk in Space 

For more amazing ideas, check out this 100 Things: A Treasure Trove of Ideas round-up post compiled by fellow blogger, Eva at Kid Minds. 

 

Are you wondering HOW do you actually get started homeschooling? Join our community of moms who want to invest in the lives of their children through homeschooling. I also created a 10 Tips to Finding Excellent Curriculum form to help you on your journey.

 

 



What about you? What is your favorite history book for children?   Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

 

How to Create A Stress-Free Homeschool

How to Create A Stress-Free Homeschool

  

Reading Time: 3 Min. 8 Seconds

I sat down late at night and did a google search of how to homeschool. I had no idea that there were (what felt like) a thousand different ways to teach my child. Terms like Classical, Montessori, Waldorf, Unschooling, Charlotte Mason, and Eclectic overwhelmed my thoughts.

 

I hadn’t even started researching state laws and I already feel overwhelmed. Why I thought, does this have to be so complicated? I stared at the screen feeling alone, discouraged, and wishing I had someone to help make sense of this mountain of information.

 

Have you ever felt the same way? Have you and your spouse talked about homeschooling but you are not sure where to start? Are you already homeschooling but it’s just not working and you can’t figure out why?  Do you have questions about socialization, curriculum, schedules, and homeschool groups?  Do you worry about how to teach your child subjects that you bombed as a kid?

 

I talk with moms who are overwhelmed, confused, and stressed out after attempting to wade through all of the homeschool information out there.  There are so many different and often conflicting viewpoints that it can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

 

Wouldn’t it be amazing if a veteran homeschool mom could walk beside you on this journey, simplifying all of the information out there into one spot?  Someone who could help you to craft your ultimate homeschool experience while saving you hundreds if not thousands of dollars on useless curriculum, hours of stress and anxiety, and needless work?

 

 

1. Professional Development 

2. What Is Zero To Homeschool? 

3. Why I Love It

 

4. Why It Might Not Be A Good Fit 

1. Professional Development 

 

Many of us are coming from one-income families and we are trying to homeschool on a budget.  We research, research, and research trying to make our resources stretch.  An online course can seem like a luxury.

 

Please, don’t make the mistake of putting your ongoing education at the bottom of the priority list.  As your child’s main teacher, you directly affect your homeschool environment.  When you are confident and operating out of a proactive instead of reactive stance, it changes how you homeschool.

 

Invest in your ongoing education, and save yourself (and your kids) years, buckets of tears, and thousands of dollars trying to piece together a homeschool structure that works.

 

2. Overview of Zero To Homeschool

 

Zero to Homeschool is a step by step online course that empowers moms with the hands-on training  to create a homeschool environment that is tailored to your family’s needs.

 

The course was created by a veteran homeschool mom; someone who answers your questions, encourages you in your role as a teacher, and fills you with the confidence you need to thrive as a homeschool mama.

 

The course is very comprehensive with 8 modules, 59 lessons, and three bonus workshops. The course is self-paced so you can take it at a time that works best for your schedule.

 

It teaches you everything from the importance of deschooling, knowing yourself and your family, homeschool styles and resources, how to plan your homeschool year, juggling home life and homeschooling, and so much more.

 

3. Why I Love It 

I was blown away at how comprehensive the  Zero to Homeschool course is. I kept startling my family, as I went through each module, yelling, “YES!” to each main point.

 

 

I just did Module 3 of Zero to Homeschool and I learned a lot. Now instead of allowing myself to get spread too thin with all the things we could do, I was able to refocus on our family’s key priorities.

 

What I love is that this course is honest about the strengths and pitfalls of homeschooling.  Kelly, the course creator, takes an overwhelming subject and simplifies it into bite-size pieces. I also love that it’s not just lessons but also practical activities that help you apply what you have learned to your homeschool.

 

For instance, she includes follow up questions to talk about the material with your spouse or friend. She also includes additional articles, and e-books so you can dive down deep into topics that might interest you.

 

4. Why It Might Not Be Right For You

  • If your homeschool is doing well. Woohoo! Go You!
  • If you are drawn to a very structured approach to homeschooling.

 

 You can Register and find out more information about the Zero to Homeschool course here! 

 

 

Are you wondering HOW do you actually get started homeschooling? Join our community of moms who want to invest in the lives of their children through homeschooling. I also created a 10 Tips to Finding Excellent Curriculum form to help you on your journey. 

 

 

What about you? What is the #1 thing in Homeschooling that is most challenging for you? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest! 

Amazing And Affordable Curriculum Ideas for First Grade

Amazing And Affordable Curriculum Ideas for First Grade

  

Reading Time: 10 min 32 sec

 

I don’t know about you, but I love planning for a new school year.  It can feel like a treasure hunt as I comb through various places to find just that right tool to help learning come alive for my child.  I have compiled a list of my favorite resources for a Pre-K and 1stGrade student below.

 

As interest-led, eclectic homeschoolers, we seem to thrive on borrowing from all the different homeschooling approaches and blending it up into something that fits our family just right.  (Yes, it does sound like we are the smoothie of the homeschooling community).  

 

I have found that boxed curriculum doesn’t work for my family. I would find a curriculum that I thought would be a good fit, shell out a couple hundred dollars, only to find to out that I loved the math, was “ehh” about the social studies, and absolutely hated the language arts program.

 

I came to understand that I know my child, I know their strengths and weaknesses, I know the vision and values of my homeschool, and I have found that I am the best person to hand select curriculum. By choosing your own curriculum, you also get a lot more control over the price tag.

 

Our goal is to foster a love of learning in our children. We do that by surrounding them with stacks of beautiful books, interest-led unit studies, interesting people, a plethora of games, real-world experiences, and tons of time spent outdoors.

 

We do use some textbooks, but we don’t feel compelled to finish each one for the sake of completion. We watch carefully for signs of burnout, and might switch to a different tool or resource midway through the semester.

 

We also try to “teach” most subjects together as a family (with the exception of reading lessons).  My children are close enough in age that this really worked well for our family. I say “teach” because a lot of what we do is very interactive, so it also fits our Pre-K child’s attention level.  I have never put together a formal teaching plan for Pre-K because I found that they pick up what they need to know just by living life. smile

 

Here is an overview of some of our top affordable curriculum resources for a 1stgrade (and Pre-K) student.  I have only listed the resources that we have LOVED!

 

I hope this serves as some inspiration for your homeschool adventures this fall! Happy Treasure Hunting! 

 

1.    Language Arts

2. Mathematics

3. Science

4. Social Studies

5. Bible 

6. Art & Music 

1. Language Arts 

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

 

This is such a stress-free, zero prep, way to teach a child to read. This book employs the steady, drip, drip, drip mentality. IT WORKS! I love how this book includes not only reading but writing lessons as well.  Worth its weight in gold! 

Poetry For Young People

This is an entire series, that we have used as a part of our weekly poetry tea times. Each book is a compilation of age-appropriate poems from famous poets throughout the years. The Emily Dickenson book was our favorite.

 

Read-Aloud Rhymes For the Very Young

This was a fun book that I would use in addition to the Poetry for Young People series as a part of our poetry tea time.  This book really helped to spark an interest in poetry in my children. They found it very engaging and often hilarious.

 

Cahier d’ecriture-Handwriting

I have always loved the beautiful style of handwriting from France. This book is all in French (you don’t need to know French to use it) and it teaches the fundamentals of great handwriting.  My children have used it a little bit each day and it has so improved their handwriting skills. 

 

 

Story Cubes

 

This is a fun game that uses visual prompts to help foster the imagination and inner storyteller in your child. There are nine cubes with six images on each cube. Each person rolls the cubes and creates a story based on the images. My children have laughed their way through this game.

Reading

 

We read literally hundreds of books, so it would be impossible to list them all. Here are a couple of our top favorites from this past year.

 

A World Full of Animal Stories

 This is a beautiful book full of folk stories from different countries around the world. This book not only sparked great discussions but also introduced the children to different cultures and ways of thought.  One of my children literally couldn’t get enough of this book. Win!

Favorite Audio Books

 

Audiobooks are my favorite way of not only expanding my children’s vocabulary but introducing them to great literature. Children can comprehend far above their own current reading level when they don’t have to take the time to sound out the words. Start small with Curious George, Madeline, or Amelia Bedelia, and transition into longer books like A Bear Called Paddington.  I have found that Audiobooks (when you have young children) work really well in the car when you have a captive audience.

 

Foreign Language

 

YouTube was our friend this year. We loved utilizing a Year of French with Tonton videos.

2. Math

Logic Lollipop Series

 I knew I wanted a supplement to our many logic games. WOW, these books are image-based, fun and perfect for young children. We actually went through the entire series in one year (there are three books) because my children were obsessed with it. LOVE!

 

 

Math Workbooks

We used several math workbooks that I grabbed from our local Dollar store. The workbooks were not necessary (we teach math many different ways) but my kids asked for them, so why not!  They were short, fun and covered the basics of simple math.  You can’t beat $1.00 for a math workbook! 

Life of Fred Series 

Is an amazing alternative to a traditional math book. Written in story form, it follows the adventures of a 5-year-old prodigy named Fred who shows children how math applies to real life.  At the end of every chapter, there are several math questions that pertain to the lesson for your child to answer. My children love this series and beg for more “Fred, Please”!

Games

Here is a list of our favorite math games from this year.

Math Picture Books

(Check out this article for a list of our favorite Math Picturebooks)

  1. Science

The Periodic Table: Elements With Style  

My children wanted to learn more about the Periodic Table thanks to a Magic School Bus Episode on Chemistry. This is a fun book that has one-page profiles for each of the elements. My children loved finding the elements on the Periodic Table each day. Great Resource!

Magic School Bus Chemistry

This kit sparks a love of chemistry. It includes 51 experiment cards and tools, and an observation notebook to record results. You do have to provide some of the supplies. My kids had so much fun conducting experiments. This is a great way to encourage a love of science.

Games

 

Wildcraft

Wildcraft is a group game where players learn how to identify wild herbs. This is a cooperative game where everyone works together to travel to the top of the mountain to collect Huckleberries for Grandma.

Throughout the game, players run into various first aid crisis, and they learn how to identify 27 different wild plants and how they can be used to treat various medical issues.  This a great game that my children have played again and again.

Here are some more of our favorite STEM games.

DVDs

Here are our favorite shows that spark a love of Science. Animated Hero classics has dvds for a number of different scientists.

 

4. Social Studies

Around the World Stories

We LOVE AWS! This 30-minute audio story series focuses on a new country and culture every four weeks. It combines geography, social studies, history and language arts in an engaging format that sticks with your children.

This has been one of the best resources I have ever purchased for homeschooling. My children ask MULTIPLE times a day to listen to their favorite stories. You can choose from three different packages (Europe, Asia and Artist series).  It also includes a parent guide for additional resources. LOVE!!

 

Give Your Child the World: Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book At A Time

 This book is a must-have resource for every homeschooling family. It is an amazing time saving tool that helps you gather the best children’s literature from around the world. It is full of curated book lists that are based on age range (4-12) and organized by country.

Draw Europe

This is a wonderful (and FUN) step by step tool to not only memorizing but learning how to draw Europe. We used this book over a semester and would draw a couple of countries a day. It has been amazing to see how much my child has become familiar with European geography. This is only one book in an entire series on different countries and continents

Games

DVDS

Travel With Kids

We LOVE this series. In Travel with Kids, you follow a family with two little boys who travel all over the world.  Children are exposed to different cultures all from the comfort of home. My children want to travel the world due to this series.

4. Bible

My First Hands-On Bible

I appreciated this children’s version of the Bible because instead of paraphrasing it actually uses Biblical text.  This was a well-loved Bible for many years.

 

Praying In Color Kids Edition

Have you ever heard, “But I don’t want to pray? I don’t know what to say? I’m embarrassed to pray out loud?” This is a revolutionary resource for children who want another try another way to spend time with God. 

The author Sybil Macbeth gently leads children in understanding what prayer is, common prayer problems, how to pray, and step by step of how to pray using art.  Love it!

DVDS

What’s In the Bible Series

These videos are part of a 13-part series that helps kids big picture look at the Bible as a whole. Phil Vischer (the creator of Veggie Tales) pulls out all the stops as he invites kids to wonder, explore and discover the Bible in a whole new way. It is full of fun characters, interesting questions, great animation, and of course fun music.

 

Nest Bible Animated Classics

We have really enjoyed the Animated Bible Classics. These videos are a great complement to devotional time as they allow children to see Bible stories happen right before their eyes. There are thirty-six different stories and they are geared towards ages kindergarten-third grade.

Picture Books

The Boy And The Ocean

 Oh, my word, hands down, probably my favorite Christian picture book. The illustrations are beautiful, the words are life-changing, and what an amazing book to pull out at bedtime.   The story draws parallels between Gods creation and his vast love for his children.

God’s Great Love for You

 This book is all about Gods overwhelming love for his kids told in such an imaginative way. Written by Rick Warren, the book shows a young girl on different adventures discovering God lavish love. The illustrations are adorable and though the book can be read to girls and boys, the book is specifically geared towards young girls.

Shh… God Is In the Silence

This book is a great introductory book to one of the ways that we hear God’s voice in the silence. In a time where we value filling up every available moment with something, this counter-cultural book reminds us that God was in “a gentle, quiet whisper”.  (1 Kings 19:11-12).

  1. Art-Music

The Amazing Musical Instruments

This book is very comprehensive and is a wonderful foundation for understanding the history and sounds of major instruments.

This resource really breaks down the parts of a classical orchestra into bite-size pieces and allows you to really appreciate the contribution of each instrument.  This is an interactive book that comes with a CD-ROM so you can hear different sounds and songs from different instruments.

Impressionism By Linda Bolton

This is a great behind the scenes look at Impressionism. Each artist has one or two pages full of background info, and samples of their most famous works of art. We would focus on one or two artists a day and then supplement with more hands-on activities. Great resource!

 

Games 

Van Gogh and Friends Art Game

This is a fun memory game that focuses on Post-Impressionists.  We use this as a memory game, although it is designed to be played like Go Fish or Concentration.   It really helps the kids learn the names and works of art of the different artists. It covers Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne, Seurat, Rousseau, and Toulouse-Lautrec.

CDS

Classical Kids Series

This is a phenomenal series!  You get to know different classical composers, through a captivating story set to that composers’ music. This series has helped spark curiosity, and a love of classical music in the hearts of my children.  We listen to this series, again, and again!

 

Beethoven’s Wig

This is a great sing-along series set to classical music. The lyrics are filled with facts about the composers and are hilarious.  My children can now identify classical music because of this amazing series.

Kids Meet Composers

This cd covers twenty different songwriters and their most famous pieces. Each song starts with a dialogue between the narrator and children, where you learn some history and fun facts about the composer. This is an amazing resource if you are studying various composers.

 

Picture Books

 

Anholt’s Artists-Laurence Anholt

This author through fun stories brings to life famous artists throughout history. We have learned so much about art and history from this series. I love this series because the author does an amazing job of sparking curiosity, and a love of art in children.

 

Katie and Ella Bella Series By James Mayhew 

James Mayhew is another great author/illustrator that makes classical art, and ballet accessible for kids. They will never see art as boring after growing up reading his stories about the adventures of Katie and Ella Bella.  The illustrations from the Ella Bella Ballerina series are stunning. An amazing resource for helping children engage in and love art history.

Drawing Books

DVD

 

 What about you? What are your favorite ways to foster a love of learning at home?  If you try any of these resources, let us know! Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Workon Pinterest!

 

 

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