I am so very excited that Lauren Hill of Mama’s Learning Corner is here today! I had the privilege of being with my friend Lauren on two different occasions even though we live states apart. She is even better in person! Don’t miss all the wonderful resources she has on her site. Keep up with her on social media – you will be blessed.
One of the many joys of homeschooling is the ability to follow my children’s interests. I’m so grateful that we have the freedom to learn, study, and read about the things that my kiddos find fascinating.
While I generally have our subjects and studies planned out, I do leave ample room for going down rabbit trails of learning. Rabbit trails are some of our best homeschool moments!
Several months ago, my 8 year old son was fascinated by Benjamin Franklin. This was a grand opportunity to read several biographies and find some hands-on activities to add to our school day. He and I both learned so much!
My son has always been a child that loves hands-on activities and worksheet-style learning. He seems to nail facts and ideas down in his brain if he works on a lapbook or in a workbook.
In the Benjamin Franklin worksheet packet I created, he enjoyed pondering what his 13 Virtues would be (like Franklin!). He also loved the biographical page, describing the highlights of Franklin’s life. He’s a boy that enjoys being creative, but also loves facts.
My 3 girls (ages 6, 4, and 2) are fascinated by birds. They love to watch them, make up stories about their nests, and feed them in our backyard.
So this past spring, it seemed only natural for us to study and read all about birds.
We made bird feeders out of peanut butter, sat on the porch and listened for different bird calls, and read and read some more about their new fascination.
My oldest girl is still an early reader and my two littles are certainly not readers yet, so only my son worked on the fun bird printables that I created for this study.
While we much prefer hands-on activities and reading good-quality books, worksheets and printables certainly have their place in our homeschool. I always try to make worksheets fun by making them into a little book, which makes them seem more special. I currently use a binding machine, but I’ve put them in 3-pronged file folders in the past and I’ve also 3-hole punched them and used yarn.
Do worksheets or printables have a place in your unit studies? If so, how do you incorporate them?
Lauren Hill is the homeschooling mama to 4 little ones, ages 8 to 2 ½. In her free time (ha!) she creates worksheets and printables for Preschoolers – 2nd Graders. If you are interested in downloading themed worksheet packets, stop by Mama’s Membership Area for sample pages and see if it would be a good fit for your family.
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