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SaraP
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| Posted: Oct 11 2006 at 10:36am | IP Logged
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My oldest is just 5 so unstructured, delight directed learning is very much the way of things for us right now. But 5yo DS is also so enthusiastic an interested (like most kids, I think) about any variety of subjects and I want to feed that as much as I can.
Last month he was into the solar system and we checked out every picture book on the topic in the library system, visited the planetarium and painted paper plates like each of the planets. . . no problem, great fun and we all learned.
Now he is interested in explorers (a la Christopher Columbus), but history is not my forte and I am finding many of the books coming from the library objectionable. One is very heavy on evolution, another harps on 'inflicting' Christianity on native peoples. Others are just too much for a sensitive 5yo (those Aztecs were brutal).
Does anyone have suggestions as to how to put together a booklist on the fly (before the child loses interest)? Where do you look when you are starting down a new rabbit trail? How do you avoid the objectionable books?
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Mama to six on earth, two in heaven and two waiting in Russia. Foxberry Farm Almanac
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Jen L.
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bump
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Jen
dh Klete,ds (8/95),dd (12/97), dd (11/00), and ^2^ in heaven
"...the best state in which to glorify God is our actual state; the best grace is that of the moment..." St. Peter Eymard
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: Oct 12 2006 at 11:52am | IP Logged
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I always start with MacBeth's booklists (her geography page lists some explorer books), the list in the back of Real Learning, and a search on this board. I look through the Our Father's House and Emmanuel Books catalogs too. Nothing objectional should come up with those lists.  I also look through my old Sonlight catalog and I search our library database. Often I look up the library books on Amazon to get a feel for the book. At the library I pre-read/skim books before I give them to the kids and I browse the craft book section for good hands-on stuff.
Some possibilities for the explorer theme are the d'Aulaire books, Jean Fritz books, A picture book of Christopher Columbus (David Adler), Ship Ahoy! and Follow the Dream (Peter Sis), The Great adventure of Christopher Columbus : a pop-up book (Jean Fritz. Illustrated by Tomie dePaola). I think "explorers" is a harder topic to find appropriate books at a 5yo level. Hopefully the next rabbit trail will be easier! 
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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Leonie
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I tend to use what we have on hand - in our home library, on the internet or in the public linrary. And gloss over any unsuitable things.
For booklists, I often peruse the Sonlight catalogue or do an internet search for themes/booklists on a topic. I am always amazed at what I find!
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Leonie in Sydney
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Willa
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I tend to do some basic preparation ahead of time. I keep lists of resources and books on various subjects that seem like they might ring a bell with my kids. That way when they get interested in something I have a head start.
I also look for booklists already made by people and companies I trust, as Janette said.
With younger kids I read the books to the kids and select the bits I think will be of interest and not objectionable. When my second son was young I could even get grown-up books on his topics and then he would browse through the pics and I'd read him the captions and discuss anything that did not make sense.
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Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
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Kelly
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Flying by the seat of my pants is my middle name!  You can quickly throw something together by accessing Enchanted learning-they have a whole thing on Christopher Columbus this week. Also, the d'Aulaires have a lovely book on Columbus..
Google images on Columbus and print pics of paintings of Columbus for your children to color or highlight, likewise maps or other paintings pertaining to Columbus.
Listen to Dvorak's "New World Symphony". Another idea-listen to Hesperion's recording "Music for the Spanish Kings" to hear the music Columbus himself might well have heard in his day.
Sail toy boats on a pond. Compare how boats changed from the time of Columbus to the 1700s. Take a tape measure and walk out how large (or in this case, SMALL) the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria were. Your kids will be amazed.
Memorize Rosemary and Stephen Vincent Benet's poem (or one or two stanzas of it) on Columbus, or find another Columbus poem, or write your own.
Write a pretend story about sailing with Columbus-or let your little ones dictate. Illustrate it. Have them make a list of supplies they would have to bring for the long voyage-and remember, no refrig!
Draw-Write-Now has an issue on Columbus, with instructions on how to draw nice boats, figures, palm trees and so on, as well as easy copywork and dictation. I think that's in Book Two.
Study maps and look at the globe to see how far he travelled. DRAW maps-do salt dough maps (always a crowd pleaser with the younger set).
Use the internet, you'll find boatloads of Columbus material out there!
Have fun.
Kelly in FL
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: Oct 13 2006 at 8:02am | IP Logged
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WJFR wrote:
| With younger kids I read the books to the kids and select the bits I think will be of interest and not objectionable. When my second son was young I could even get grown-up books on his topics and then he would browse through the pics and I'd read him the captions and discuss anything that did not make sense. |
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Yes! I meant to say that too. We often use books just for the pictures and I explain without using the written text (which is often too long to hold my 5yo's attention anyway). And if you're looking at the book together, it's very easy to skip the objectionable paragraphs or whole sections.
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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SaraP
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Thank you all and, Kelly, I am very impressed . . . you've just gone and planned the whole thing for me! 
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Mama to six on earth, two in heaven and two waiting in Russia. Foxberry Farm Almanac
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Kelly
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Hang around this board long enough, you'll be amazed how much you learn. I know I've learned so many how-tos from this gang.
Kelly in FL
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4Real Forums : Across Time and Place
Topic: flying by the seat of my pants
