Feathers in Our Nest

Five Things for First Time Homeschoolers to Know

Aliesha — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 13:41:40 +0000

Is this your first time homeschooling? Are you approaching this year with trepidation, mixed with excitement? Here are five things I would love for you, as a first time homeschooler, to know before you start this year!

Homeschooling is not the same as doing school at home

As a homeschooler, you can educate your child (or grandchild) in an intimate setting: your home! You can read on the couch. Do math outside. Practice piano in the middle of the morning. Do your science reading after dinner. You don’t need to replicate a classroom in your home, and you don’t need to structure your day in blocks the way a school does. You have freedom to customize your schedule to your child!

Some structure is, of course, good. Your children shouldn’t wonder if they’ll be doing schoolwork today or not. But the way in which you go about learning will look different (in all the best ways) from a traditional classroom. As the saying goes… “not all classrooms have four walls.”

The most important thing you can do is foster a love of learning

Children are naturally inquisitive and love learning about topics that interest them. As their primary educator this year, your job is to cultivate that love of learning, by encouraging them to learn more about the things that interest them.

So if they want to learn more about the moon, or a slug they found outside, or architecture (aka LEGOs), or photography, dig in! Fan that flame! Check out books from the library, plan a field trip, or throw a theme-party. Support your child’s interests and they will blossom into a life-long learner!

Never underestimate the power of a good read aloud

Books are magical. They transport you to other worlds. They unleash the power of the imagination. They bond your family together. Books breathe life into your day. They teach. They inspire. Books make our lives richer, fuller.

If you don’t know what to do next, pour everyone a cup of tea, and pick up a good book and read it out loud.

Some days will be hard, but that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong

I’m sure this comes as no surprise to you, but some days of homeschooling are downright hard! We’re flawed people and we’re going to have conflicts to work through, attitudes to address, and curriculum that needs to be thrown out the window. Not every day will be Instaworthy.

Ask any seasoned homeschooling parent and they will tell you that there are days when homeschooling is a challenge. So if you have one of those days this year, please know that it’s completely normal! But the good days outnumber the bad ones by far, and you will see fruit not only in your child(ren)’s life, but also in your own life as well.

It’s okay to take it a year at a time

You don’t need to enter this year of first time homeschooling with a vision to homeschool K-12. It is completely acceptable to commit to one year at a time, seeing if homeschooling is a good fit for your family and if it is bearing fruit in the lives of your children.

Embrace this year as a gift! Know that even if this is the only year you homeschool your child(ren), this will be a beautiful, sweet memory of learning together around your dining room table!

Happy learning, friends!

For more resources about homeschooling, click here.

Feel free to pin this post and share with a friend!

The post Five Things for First Time Homeschoolers to Know appeared first on Feathers in Our Nest.

Sullivan Street Bread

Aliesha — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 12:02:52 +0000

Every time I pull a loaf of this Sullivan Street Bread out of the oven, I am compelled to take a picture, because, despite making dozens of loaves, I still can’t believe I made it. So fancy!

Maybe bread-making seems daunting to you. This recipe reminds you how simple it can be! Minimal ingredients you have in your pantry combine to create a warm, crackling loaf. Your home will smell like a bakery.

This recipe comes from one of my favorite books. I just re-read it and it’s as good as I remember!

It does take some time. I prefer a 24 hour rest of the dough, but you need at least 12 hours. So prepare the dough the day before you want to eat the bread. Good things take time, sometimes.

Sullivan Street Bread

Ingredients
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp. yeast
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups warm water

Method
Mix together dry ingredients. Add warm water and stir until shaggy. Lightly coat a bowl with olive oil. Place ball of dough into the oiled bowl, turning once. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Rest for 12-24 hours.
After that, punch down dough and turn a few times. Rest for 15 minutes.
Lightly sprinkle a clean flour sack towel with cornmeal or flour. Shape dough into a ball and tuck it in (folding the towel over it). Let rest for 1-2 hours.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees, with your Dutch oven preheating inside.
Place your ball of dough into your very hot Dutch oven and put the lid on. Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
It’s done! Let cool before slicing, or tear into now it if you’re impatient.

If you’d prefer visual instructions, I have saved a highlight on Instagram showing this recipe step-by-step!

And if you’re looking for a simple whole wheat bread recipe, this is my tried and true recipe! I skip the wheat gluten and dough conditioner, so it’s only six ingredients! Perfect every time.

ALIESHA CALDWELL IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR SITES TO EARN ADVERTISING FEES BY ADVERTISING AND LINKING TO AMAZON.COM.

The post Sullivan Street Bread appeared first on Feathers in Our Nest.

Our Homeschool Morning Playlist

Aliesha — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 20:24:10 +0000

Before we began our current homeschool year, I decided we needed a special homeschool morning playlist to help set the tone for our day! The kids just say, “Alexa… play Homeschool Morning” while they are eating breakfast. The music plays throughout our morning routine to help guide our hearts and uplift our spirits at the start of each new day.

It’s amazing how these truth-filled songs have impacted the spirit of our home in the mornings! And the kids have memorized most of these, which brings me so much joy as I hear them singing along while we all go about our morning chores!

I wish I were fancy enough to share a Spotify or Apple Music playlist, but I don’t use those platforms so I don’t know how to do that, haha!

Here’s our playlist we listen to each morning:

If you click here you can see our homeschool morning playlist on Amazon music (there’s a 30-day free trial for unlimited streaming of songs on your devices, if you aren’t a subscriber)!

What songs help get your day started off right at your house? Whether you homeschool or not, I’d love to hear what songs make up the soundtrack to your home!

The post Our Homeschool Morning Playlist appeared first on Feathers in Our Nest.