Welcome to The Homeschool Edit, a monthly list of homeschool resources curated by me, your friendly homeschool parent. Each month, I’ll share my favorite books, websites, and other resources that I’ve found helpful in our homeschooling journey. Whether you’re a beginning homeschooler or a seasoned pro, I hope you’ll find something here that inspires you!
Thanks for stopping by!
It’s the end of February, and I’m sure many of you are ready to be done with this month, this season, or even this entire year. Another doozy, don’t you agree?
Well, if you’re looking for tips on dealing with the winter blues or the blues in general, check out my latest article The February Homeschool Blues: How to Survive the Season.
What we’ve been studying
February is one of those weird months where you know it’s short but for some reason, it lasts FOREVER! Cue the project that keeps on keeping on – The Hero’s Journey. I was hoping we’d be done a week or two before March so we can move on to something new, but my son is still at it. And even though he may be still into it, I’m completely done and have taken a back seat while he finishes his project.
Resources he used:
- FlipaClip: Cartoon Animation – My son recently wrote a script about how Dr. Grant in Jurassic Park follows the Hero’s Journey story arc. Instead of finding movie clips to use in his YouTube video, he’s opting to make an animation using an app called FlipaClip. He’s loving it so far, but recently commented on how challenging it was to draw all the different scenes he needs.
- Enter the Apple Pencil – In order to animate better and faster, my son decided to buy himself an Apple Pencil to use on his iPad. It definitely helped him draw details and cut his mistakes in half, and he says it was well worth the investment. Now we just need to find him an iPad cover that has a secure Apple Pencil holder.
- To keep himself on track with his animation, we purchased this Blank Storyboard notebook that he’s able to use with other projects as well.
What we’ve been reading
The Hero’s Guidebook – Bookshop.org | Amazon
A great resource to help your kids understand the Hero’s Journey story arc.
Tales from the Odyssey, Part 1 – Bookshop.org | Amazon
Mary Pope Osborne retells Homer’s Odyssey for the kids. If you’ve read the original story, you know that it’s not kid-friendly!
Tales from the Odyssey, Part 2 – Bookshop.org | Amazon
The second book in the series!
Bart Simpson: Prince of Pranks – Bookshop.org | Amazon
The twaddle reading continues.
The Sounds Around Town – Bookshop.org | Amazon
Such a fun picture book.
Secrets of American History, Revolutionary War: The Founding Fathers Were Spies! – Bookshop.org | Amazon
My middle son really loves this series of easy readers.
Japan – Bookshop.org | Amazon
We’re learning Japanese, and the kids are always eager to learn more about the country.
Frozen Worlds – Bookshop.org | Amazon
We haven’t had a chance to visit the snow this year and I think we’re all eager to experience some seasonal weather.
Submarines and Submersibles – Bookshop.org | Amazon
Can you tell my younger kids like nonfiction?
The LEGO Movie: Calling All Master Builders – Bookshop.org | Amazon
I’m thinking we need to buy this book because I don’t think this is the first time we’ve checked it out.
What we’ve been listening to
- Wow in the World – A classic in our household!
- Thrawn – Have you watched Star Wars Rebels? If you’ve seen the last season of the series, you’ll be familiar with the villian Thrawn. We were curious to know more about him and found a few trilogies or series of books about him. I wasn’t really sure where to start since cannon has changed after Star Wars was bought out by Disney, so we opted for this series that gives his back story.
Useful stuff!
Have you seen the online history classes from Carrier Shell Curriculum? Founder Christine Echeverri has expanded her offerings and now has a World History class, an Early American History course, as well as her signature class California Out of the Box. All three courses are literature-based and are live online classes that meet weekly each semester. Classes last about 75 minutes and involve hands-on learning and lively discussions about the books the kids read. Next school year, I’m looking forward to signing my son up for the Early American History and Geography course.
Beautiful Feet Books has a two-part Around the World in Picture Books curriculum that I’m considering for my little ones. It includes nature study, poetry, art, folktales, history, and more. Part 1 focuses on Asia, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica while Part 2 covers South America and Europe.
Are you interested in starting a YouTube channel? My friend Gillian Perkins, YouTube extraordinaire and fellow homeschool mama, is offering a free workshop with tips on how to gain 1000 subscribers and get monetized within 3 months. Her workshop is only available for a limited time, and you can sign up with this link.
On my nightstand
Raising Critical Thinkers – Bookshop.org | Amazon
I’m so excited to read this, especially since I’ll be meeting Julie up in San Luis Obispo in April.
Project-Based Homeschooling – Bookshop.org | Amazon
I’ve always been drawn to Project-Based Learning and looking forward to seeing how I can better apply it to our homeschool.
The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos – Bookshop.org | Amazon
We just finished this book for my book club and got to zoom in with the author.
The Devil in the White City – Bookshop.org | Amazon
I’m rereading this book for my book club and am looking forward to our zoom meeting with Erik Larson. I’m even more excited that they’re finally making this book into a Hulu series with Keanu Reeves in talks to star in it. I really hope it happens.
What I’ve been listening to
- Atlas of a Lost World – To be honest, I put this book on because I thought it’d help me relax and fall asleep, but instead I stayed up most of the night engrossed in this travelogue that intertwines archaeology and the arrival of the first people to North America.
- Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne, from Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest – I put this one on for my husband, and again, stayed up way too late listening to the stories from Easy Company.
- Alone on the Ice: The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration – Most people have probably heard of Shackleton and his adventure in Antartica, but do you know who explorer Douglas Mawson is? His survival story is pretty epic and sadly went unnoticed by the media since he was on a science expedition and not out to “bag a pole” like Shackleton.
- Undaunted Courage – I obviously have a thing for explorers. This books goes deep into the history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, with most of the focus surrounding Captain Meriwether Lewis. My ultimate dream is to take the kids on a roadtrip following Lewis & Clark’s route to the west.
Happy homeschooling!
Xuan Klevecka is a Southern California-based homeschool mom, wife, and sometimes purveyor of vintage goods. She’s an Enneagram 5w4, a lover of good food, and a former middle school history teacher. You’ll either find her looking at road maps and daydreaming about her family’s next epic adventure or perusing recipes and cooking up a feast for the brood.
