Elementary-aged children need lots of activity. So as desirable as reading is, intermix it with trips to the state park for a nature walk to observe how many different kinds of birds you can find, as well as their various songs. Curriculum providers will often have bird guides that you can utilize if you are learning with your children. You can also observe the ground as you walk to see the different animal tracks that may be there. 

The state park will not only provide physical activity, but having the children plan the picnic lunch will help them think about the different food groups and making wise choices as far as their eating habits are concerned. 

Teaching young children to value and appreciate nature and their surroundings helps to instill in them the desire to take care of these resources.

Unit studies are another useful tool to use in your homeschool. This type of curriculum allows you more flexibility, more hands-on activity and most often incorporates books that you can find at your local library, thus saving you money. 

Types of unit study curriculum are: Beautiful Feet Books, Greenleaf Press, KONOS, Weaver Curriculum, Tapestry of Grace and do-it-yourself books. Quite often it is a break from the normal routine to just take a subject that one of your children has expressed an interest in and study that. There are no hard, fast rules; just be spontaneous! Buy a folder, research book titles, go to the library, grab some paper and brainstorm with your kids! 

They will love the change of pace. Homeschooling elementary-aged children in the natural setting using their innate curiosity makes lessons much more interesting to them. 

Next time we'll talk about Math, Home Ed at an early age and History!