Using BFB's Early American History

Today Jessica from jessicalynette.com updates us on how things are going with our Early American History for Primary grades! Love this window into their homeschooling experience. Check it out! 

It’s been a while since I posted about our journey through Beautiful Feet Books for our history. I didn’t mean to take such a long break, it’s just that when you are a part of the journey – living very much in the moment of it – it can be hard to sit back and reflect upon the journey. Especially when Spring is in the air and our history involves sitting in the sunshine, reclining in a hammock, and delving into beautiful stories that feed the soul and imagination – all while educating the mind. It doesn’t feel like work.

{term 1 with Beautiful Feet books and Term 2 with BFB can be read following their respective links – this is a combo of term 3 and 4}

There is something about this gentle manner of learning that makes it hard to talk about … As if any embellishments on my part might complex the wondrous beauty and simplicity that BFB has pulled together. We have, and are, thoroughly enjoying this journey through early American history with our new found friends – Grimalkin the cat, the brave boy from The Matchlock Gun, little George whom wished to know what George Washington ate for breakfast (a fantastic story!) and many others.

Beautiful Feet Books for Early American History has been a wonderful fit for us – and it has been so neat to see the history we read “come to life” around us through various events.

I have been thankful for other tools that have helped to reinforce the learning – while we aren’t quite at the civil war we were able to watch a reenactment of Sherman’s march. And weeks ago while in Savannah we saw a rail tie like what Sherman was doing to the tracks – Sherman’s Bow tie as they are famously called. These visuals will be powerful learning aids when we reach this part in history.

Layers and layers and layers – that is (in my opinion) a wonderful way to learn. And these BFB give such a deep layer of character and, when the books are illustrated, beautiful visuals, too.
More layers – they learned how girls would roll bullets during the revolutionary war; 

They got to see the actual canons George Washington gifted the city of Savannah: 

Last week we had a particularly windy day. I brought out our kite and as we were struggling to get it up in the air (we never did succeed) my nine year old commented that he wished he had a key. And then he bemoaned the fact that, even if he had a key, there was no lightening flashing across the sky. It made me laugh (and make a mental note to closely supervise kites and stormy weather) – but Benjamin Franklin made his mark in the minds of two boys. 

Thank you Jessica! Love how your travels and adventures are lining up with what you're learning. So fun when that happens. 

We would love to hear what you think! Chime in below in the comments section and share your thoughts. Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Pinterest pages.  To learn more about Beautiful Feet Books, click here.

And if you've enjoyed this, please feel free to share using the buttons below!

BFB 2016 Convention Schedule

Meeting you, our wonderful supporters, is always such a pleasure for us and it's one of the main reasons we do conventions. Being able to interact with you in person and hear your stories always gives us more energy to press on and continue the work we do. So, we're excited to be exhibiting at five homeschool conventions throughout the country and hope you can attend and stop by our booth. 

This year we will be at the following homeschool conventions, arranged by state.

California:

The Great Homeschool Convention

Where: Ontario, CA

When: June 16-18, 2016

Register here.

CHEA

Where: Pasadena, CA

When: July 7-9, 2016

Register here.

Florida:

FPEA

Where: Orlando, FL

When:

Register here.

Ohio:

The Great Homeschool Convention

Where: Cincinnati, OH

When: March 31-April 2, 2016

Register here.

Texas:

The Great Homeschool Convention

Where: Fort Worth, TX

When: March 17-19, 2016

Register here.

Can't wait to see you!

We would love to hear what you think! Chime in below in the comments section and share your thoughts. Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Pinterest pages.  To learn more about Beautiful Feet Books, click here.

And if you've enjoyed this, please feel free to share using the buttons below!

Book Review: Teaching from Rest by Sarah Mackenzie

by Rebecca Berg Manor

For a little background information, I grew up helping my parents run Beautiful Feet Books from the time when it was a fledgling little bookstore run out of our playroom. This was the mid-1980s and homeschooling was starting to take off in California. It was still a little "freakish" and we definitely worried about truancy officers showing up at our door. It was the days of pioneer homeschoolers forging new ground and taking all sorts of risks. Homeschool conventions were scrappy and there were not a lot of curriculum options outside of Abeka and BJU and Saxon Math. I think I was eight when I first attended a homeschool convention to sell books with my mom, Rea Berg. It was the first of dozens and dozens of conventions that I would work throughout the years. From California to Massachusetts, New York to Florida, I grew up talking with homeschooling parents of all stripes: box curriculum devotees, unschoolers, classical, Charlotte Mason, etc. I also worked for many years answering phones at the BFB offices chatting with moms as they worked through their curriculum decisions. These brave (mostly) women have always had my utmost respect. In speaking with them I've seen their hearts, heard the stress, witnessed the sacrifices they're making for the sake of their children's education. At the time I was not a mother myself, but I was given the gift of seeing examples of the sort of mom I hoped to be. And in all those conversations there were always mothers who were clearly overwhelmed by the task they had undertaken. It's a huge responsibility and I tried to assure them, in my youthful way, that it was all going to be OK. I always wanted a book that I could recommend to those moms needing a little more assurance. Thanks to Sarah Mackenzie from Amongst Lovely Things, I now have a book that I will recommend to every homeschooling parent I meet: Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakable Peace.

This short (it's a mere 80 pages) is so chock full of wisdom and assurance I can see myself returning to it again and again. It's brevity, while a gift to busy moms, belies its depth and substance. Within its covers are spiritual guidance, practical application, and a whole lot of love. Reading it is like meeting with a spiritual advisor, one whose honesty and kindness shakes you out of your stupor while assuring you of your status as a loved friend. Mackenzie clearly has a passion for assuring other moms of their ability to "order a child's affections and teach him to love that which is lovely"–the true goal of a character-oriented education.

Mackenzie's approach to rest is deeply rooted in her faith and you can see her heart for God as she writes of surrendering our ideals (maybe idols would be a better word!) of productivity, success, and earthly approval, in order to allow us to see these little people entrusted to us as image bearers of their Creator. Choosing to remember that what is most important does not show up on a standardized test is a discipline for many moms, myself included. Sarah gently reorients our focus back to where it ought to be; resting in the knowledge that these children are not ours, they belong to a sovereign God who loves them more than we can even imagine. Our role is to be faithful to the task to which we've been called. There is something so reassuring in this and it provides the freedom to teach out of joy instead of fear. This passage provides a practical example of how this would work itself out:

"When my child does not understand a math lesson, it should not disturb my peace. After all, God intends that study and work involve challenges that we face and overcome, so we expect difficulties from time to time when teaching our children. Now it's time to troubleshoot, problem-solve, and come alongside her. When she doesn't understand the day's lesson, it isn't a setback; it's just God showing us our marching orders for the day. My child doesn't need me to fret and fear; she needs me to love and guide her with grace." (Mackenzie, 6)

Such a refreshing way of looking at the setbacks, frustrations, and trials that are inherent in childrearing! There is so much more in this book that I'm not even touching on; my copy is full of highlighted passages, underlining, stars, scribble exclamations of agreement. I cannot help but see this book as anything but a gift from one mother to another, an encouragement along the pilgrimage of motherhood. Thank you, Sarah!

All images from amongstlovelythings.com

We would love to hear what you think! Chime in below in the comments section and share your thoughts. Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Pinterest pages.  To learn more about Beautiful Feet Books, click here.

And if you've enjoyed this, please feel free to share using the buttons below!

Medieval History Update!

Audria's back with another update on her family's journey through our Medieval History: A Literature Approach for Advanced Intermediate and Junior High. I have so enjoyed following her as she and her children explore this fascinating time period and seeing how she uses the flexibility of the guide to personalize it to her children. When I was writing it I had no idea that someone would draw inspiration from the assignments to create an authentic medieval village using Minecraft! I love hearing about the adaptations and creative applications. So, here's Audria:  

We’ve just wrapped up weeks nineteen through twenty-four of Beautiful Feet Books’ Intermediate Medieval History covering from the 1290’s to 1400 or so. The book selections for this session were some of our very favorite of the study so far. The books are so wonderful, in fact, that my younger crew abandoned their history studies and insisted on listening in with their older brother. I just modified a few of the assignments to suit the younger kids so they could participate with their older brother. This is what happens when you read quality books aloud! Everyone joins in the fun…

In the first book, Adam of the Road, we learned about minstrels, heraldry and even more about medieval society. I found a fun heraldry prompt on Pinterest for my crew to dive into. The kids enjoyed making their own symbolic shields and I was so pleased with the results that I put their projects in a safe place. So safe, that I cannot remember where…(please tell me that I am not the only one who does this!)

The European World resource book.

At this time Oldest came up with his own history project for the rest of the study. He is using Minecraft to build a medieval city. For the past six weeks he has been building locations from the books. He even added one of the medieval Robin Hood ballads to the tavern he built to represent the Canterbury Tales. I wasn’t sold on this Minecraft build since the BFB guide includes several projects as well. It seemed more like an excuse to play video games to me at first. However, after watching how much research he put into each addition to his city I lost my skepticism. After the first week the middle two joined him on the project. The three of them are working together, checking out medieval history books from the library and learning so much on their own just so they can build their city. I’m pretty sure this is what is referred to as “delight-directed learning”…the sweet-spot of home education. I sincerely believe the quality literature and discussions prompted by the guide led to my children’s curiosity to learn more on their own.

Illustration from The Canterbury Tales Adapted by Barbara Cohen

The next part of the study was on The Black Death and John Wycliffe through the book Morning Star of the Reformation. We found this book to be just a wee bit preachy in favor of Fundamentalism. For us it sparked a discussion on world views, respecting other’s beliefs and the importance of reading and understanding the Scriptures in our own language. The book does provide a rich portrait of a clergyman’s life and the description of The Plague and its aftermath on a culture is vivid. Oldest then gave us a presentation on The Plague aided by a nice map and website references in the guide.

Read aloud time is cozy time! 

In our next book, Crispin: The Cross of Lead, we learned just how difficult and harsh life could be for the common people. Thus far into the study this is probably my favorite book. It really captured the importance and hold the Catholic Church had on the medieval mind. We could feel the beginnings of political and religious unrest unfolding in society. The kids were just heart broken over the unjust cruelty shown toward Crispin and his mother.

The Minecraft tavern!

Our last two weeks for this section of the guide was on Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales. The book provided by BFB is beautiful! The illustrations are just gorgeous! We also read Chaucer: Celebrated Poet and Author, Life on a Medieval Pilgrimage and anotherCanterbury Tales adapted by Geraldine McCaughrean. All three books were recommended by BFB. The kids, to my surprise, really enjoyed the Canterbury Tales and the Chaucer biography. The guide gives several websites on pilgrimages and suggests the student write a report. Since we were reading a book together on the subject I did not give Oldest the assignment. After we read the book I told the kids about the two pilgrimages I went on many years ago. My first pilgrimage was to the Ava Maria Grotto in

Horse from Adam of the Road

Cullman, Alabama. My second pilgrimage was to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows during my time with the Franciscan Order. I’m pretty sure that my kids think I’m weird…

We’ve been studying Shakespeare this term as well. We wrapped up our Shakespeare unit by reading and watching Hamlet since the story occurs during the late Middle Ages (1300-1499 or so). Hamlet is not a part of the BFB study at all but it does fit in nicely. We watched the Mel Gibson movie. It was pretty good and on Netflix.

Hamlet

Right now Oldest is writing his own Canterbury Tale. For most of the written assignments in this study I have accepted first or second drafts with oral discussion. For this assignment we will be going through the entire revision and editing process which takes about a month for us. Once his story is completed and if he gives permission I will share it here in the blog.

We spent a great deal of time discussing religion, justice, the unfairness of the feudal system and the breakdown of society due to the plague and the Little Ice Age. These conversations led to the kids understanding the importance in literacy and the ability to think critically as a defense against tyranny. If only it were so simple as their sweet idealistic hearts believe. Oldest then made a comparison of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages to Sharia Law today. Now that, is a chilling thought…

We have about nine weeks remaining for this study. Our tradition with history studies is to have a feast. In the next few weeks we will be researching recipes and final projects to share.

Medieval Market Square

At the end of March and first of April Oldest and I will be hanging out at the Beautiful Feet Books’ booth at the Great Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati. If you are going then please stop by and say “Howdy!” We’d love to meet you! Beautiful Feet Books will also be at the Great Homeschool Conventions in Texas and California as well this year.

Thank you Audria! 

We would love to hear what you think! Chime in below in the comments section and share your thoughts. Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Pinterest pages.  To learn more about Beautiful Feet Books, click here.

And if you've enjoyed this, please feel free to share using the buttons below!

The Role of Beauty

I'm continuing in my reading through Teaching from Rest by Sarah Mackenzie and although this is a book that could be easily read in an afternoon or two, it's so rich, convicting, and inspiring, I've been taking my time with it. I highly recommend it to all parents, regardless of whether you're going to be homeschooling or not. I'll be delving more deeply into this wonderful book soon, but when I came across the line above, it definitely echoed something that has been central to our philosophy at BFB. We believe that artwork can be just as important as the words of a children's story in imparting both a valuing of beauty as well as a love of story. 

In the 1980s when were were just starting out we were dismayed to see that many many beautiful books were being dropped by the big publishing houses and thus was birthed our desire to preserve a fading literary legacy. 

We'd love to hear who are your favorite authors and illustrators? I've recently discovered The Seven Silly Eaters and adore the illustrations in that treasure. My two-year-old love the pictures in the Obadiah series by Brinton Turkle as well as the funky colorful pictures in Cynthia Rylant's The Relatives Came.  I can't wait until he's old enough to introduce him to the d'Aulaires' books. 

What about you? Which books do you remember from your childhood? Which ones do your children love?

We would love to hear what you think! Chime in below in the comments section and share your thoughts. Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Pinterest pages.  To learn more about Beautiful Feet Books, click here.

And if you've enjoyed this, please feel free to share using the buttons below!

Celestial navigation makes a comeback!

Anyone who has read the classic Carry On, Mr. Bowditch knows a bit about celestial navigation. I remember being enthralled with the story of Nathaniel Bowditch and his breakthrough discovery in navigation. It was the culmination of learning about the heavenly spheres of Copernicus, Galileo, and the brave men who sailed the seven seas, guided only by the stars, moon, and sun.

Today most navigation is done via GPS, SATNAV systems, and other electronic means. But, the U.S. Navy is bringing back celestial navigation! In an era of increased security risks, it's important to have navigators who can steer ships without the help of global positioning systems. You can read or listen to an NPR report on this new, but ancient, trend in sailing. 

And if you haven't read Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, I highly recommend it. It's an engrossing story of a remarkable young man and his diligent work in navigation. 

Lookout GPS, the sextant is coming back! 

We would love to hear what you think! Chime in below in the comments section and share your thoughts. Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Pinterest pages.  To learn more about Beautiful Feet Books, click here.

And if you've enjoyed this, please feel free to share using the buttons below!

You asked! World Map now available!

Many of our studies incorporate map work and in recent years we've heard from many of you that you wished we offered a world map that could be used with our medieval, ancient, and modern studies. Well we now do! We worked with an artist to develop a beautiful world map printed on heavy-duty cardstock.

With outlines of the continents, this map allows your student to fill in political and geographic boundaries as required by each study. A generous 36" x 24" there is plenty of room for adding illustrations and personal touches.

Check it out here.

We would love to hear what you think! Chime in below in the comments section and share your thoughts. Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Pinterest pages.  To learn more about Beautiful Feet Books, click here.

And if you've enjoyed this, please feel free to share using the buttons below!