Califoregon Living

 I am slowly implementing different elements of the Charlotte Mason structure into our homeschool environment.  The first element is to read from the booklist from Ambleside Online.  Here is the list.  The ones that are bolded are the ones that we have read.  The ones that are red are the books the boys really enjoyed.

Winnie the Pooh series by AA Milne and Ernest H. Shepard

The Little House by Virginia Burton

The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack

The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey

Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

Ox-Cart Man by Barbara Cooney

Stone Soup by Marcia Brown

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

The Story of Little Babaji by Helen Bannerman

Brer Rabbit books by Joel Chandler Harris

Poems and Prayers for the Very Young by Martha Alexander

A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Little Red Hen

The Gingerbread Man

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

Aesop's Fables, such as the one illustrated by Milo Winter

The Real Mother Goose

The Oxford Book of Children's Verse edited by Peter Opie

The World Treasury of Children's Literature selected by Clifton Fadiman.

The Church Mice by Graham Oakley.

Hiawatha by Longfellow, illustrated by Susan Jeffers

Paul Revere's Ride by Longfellow, illustrated by Ted Rand

My Shadow by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Ted Rand

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling

Roxaboxen by Barbara Cooney

The Tale of Three Trees illustrated by Angela Elwell Hunt

Wynken, Blynken and Nod illustrated by either Susan Jeffers or Barbara Cooney
Books illustrated by Beatrix Potter (Meet Peter Rabbit and others)
My Little Book About God illustrated by Eloise Wilkin
Prayer for a Child by Rachel Field, illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones
The Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
Poems to Read to the Very Young pictures by Eloise Wilkin
single-poem books illustrated by Dianne O'Quinn Burke, such as Wee Willie Winkie
My First Bible in Pictures by Kenneth Taylor
Frog and Toad readers by Arnold Lobel
Little Bear readers by Else Holmelund Minarek
George and Martha series by James Marshall
Frances books by Russell Hoban
Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant
Free online beginning readers by Harriette Taylor Treadwell  
Catch Me and Kiss Me and Say It Again by Clyde and Wendy Watson (nursery rhymes)
Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Picture books by Maud and Miska Petersham
Each Peach Pear Plum Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Amie and Anika by Terry Stafford (a La Leche League book)
On Market Street by Arnold Lobel
Picture books by Lucy Micklethwait
Brown Angels by Walter Dean Myers–poetry, we skip two poems, I believe.
I'm Listening, God, Psalm 19 for Children by Elspeth Campbell Murphy
Flossie and the Fox by Patricia McKissack
The King with Six Friends by Jay Williams
Miss Suzy by Miriam Young
Books by Tomie dePaola
In the Night Kitchen (slight nudity) by Maurice Sendak
Jump series by Van Dyke Parks, Malcolm Jones (adaptations of Brer Rabbit)
Year at Maple Hill Farm and others by Alice and Martin Provensen
When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant
Babar books (the originals by Laurent De Brunhoff, not the TV spin-offs)
What Do You Do, Dear, and What Do You Say, Dear by Sesyle Joslin–comical books about manners.
Rose in My Garden by Arnold Lobel
The Man Who Loved Books by Jean Fritz
Ivy Cottage and sequels by E. J. Taylor

The Princess and the Admiral by Charlotte Pomerantz

The Story of Holly and Ivy and others by Rumer Godden

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

The Plain Princess by Phyllis McGinley

Alfie series by Shirley Hughes (very sweet and family friendly)

A House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman

Fool of the World and the Flying Ship by Ransome/Shulevitz

OR The King with Six Friends by Williams (they're similar)

Crictor by Tomi Ungerer

Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain by Edward Ardizzone

The Jumblies and Other Nonsense Verses by Edward Lear (esp one illustrated by Brooke)

Doctor Desoto by William Steig (the best dentist story ever)

Lonely Doll series by Dare Wright

The Sugar Mouse Cake by Gene Zion

Umbrella (about a little Japanese girl in New York City

The Crane Maiden by Miyoko, Matsutani

Two by Two by Barbara Reid (plasticine illustrated Noah's Ark)

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

Yellow and Pink by William Steig (a good argument for creationism)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Read Aloud Bible Stories by Ella K. Lindvall Volumes 1-4

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

Least of All by Carol Purdy

The Real Pretend by Joan Donaldson, illustrated by Tasha Tudor

Miss Spider's Tea Party by David Kirk

A House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman

You Are Special by Max Lucado

The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant

Down, Down the Mountain by Ellis Credle

All the Places To Love by Patricia MacLachlan

Sophie & Rose by Kathryn Lasky

Jan Brett books, particularly The Mitten, The Hat, and The Gingerbread Boy

On Mother's Lap by Ann Herbert Scott

The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant

When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant

Laurie and the Yellow Curtains (an early reader)

Billy and Blaze by C. W. Anderson

I Love You the Purplest by Barbara M. Joosse

Fireflies for Nathan by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim

The Rainbabies by Laura Krauss Melmed

Miss Fannie's Hat by Jan Karon

With You All the Way by Max Lucado

No More Singing by Norman Bonner

The Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown

The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown
Mommy Hugs (also Daddy Kisses) by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben
Angus series by Marjorie Flack

The Three Little Kittens illustrated by Paul Galdone

The Poky Little Puppy by Gustaf Tenggren

Jesse Bear What Will You Wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom

Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag

Andy and the Lion by James Daugherty

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Burton

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward

Billy and Blaze books by C.W. Anderson

Scuffy the Tugboat by Golden Books

Seven Little Rabbits by John Becker (a repetitive counting/rhyming book)

Fingerplay

“Clippity Clippity”

Bible Story

Genesis 13:5-15

The New Bible in Pictured for Little Eyes

Focus: God blessed Abraham

Devotional Activity

Read from ‘My ABC Bible Verses’

Focused on Colossians 3:20, “Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.”

We talked about why it’s important to obey your parents and read a story that was related to this.

Letter Activity

I drew the letter ‘C’ on a piece of paper and the kids glued cotton balls on it.  I gave ‘R’ no guidance and he followed the initial instructions perfectly!

Bible Activity

I had the boys pretend to be sheep.  I was Abraham and offered Lot the opportunity to choose where he wanted to go.  We divided the “Sheep”, and thanked God that we knew He would bless us when we are not selfish.

Music

Played “God Began a Nation”

Read Aloud

A Story About Ping

A Morning in Maine

Fingerplay

“Clippity Clippity”

Bible Story

Genesis 12:1-5

The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes

Focus: Abraham left his home because God told him to.

Math Activity

I wrote each boy’s name in capital letters.  I had them spell out their names in a whisper, a shout, a low voice, high voice, etc.

I cut apart the letters and had the boys reassemble their names.  ‘A’ was able to do his and his brother’s easily.  ‘R’ was able to say each letter, but could not reassemble them once mixed.

I taught the boys their telephone number. ‘A’ can recite it perfectly.  I then wrote out the number and cut the numbers apart.  ‘A’ was able to put the telephone number back together without assistance!

Letter Activity

I pulled out the ‘C’ flashcard and had them repeat it.

Bible Activity

I cut out three pictures of  luggage and had the boys glue them onto the ‘number three’ page. (The luggage represents Abraham packing and leaving the city of Ur.)

Music

Played “God Began a Nation”

Fingerplay

“Noah’s Big Boat”.  I just did the actions and ‘A’ recited it by memory.  ‘R’ followed along.

Bible Story

Read Genesis 11:4-9

The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes

Focus:  The tower of Babel

Math Activity

I had the boys build a tower with blocks and count each time they placed a block.  We were able to get up to 13 before it fell!

Letter Activity

I had each boy trace the letter ‘B’ on the flashcard.

Bible Activity

I had the kids jump up and down next to their stuffed animals and say “I won!  I am the best!  I did it by myself!”  Then, I had them hug their animals and say “thanks for playing with me.  God helps us do our best.”

I asked them which way did God prefer us to act?

P.E.

We went to a community pool that has a terrific kiddie pool.  I played in the water with the boys for 2.5 hours!  More river walk and hike as well.

Fingerplay

“Noah's Big Boat”

Bible Story

Read Genesis 9:8-13

The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes

Focus: The flood was over

Art Activity

I had the boys tear pieces of construction paper.  (Actually, I did the majority of the tearing.  The boys had a hard time getting the hang of it.)  I helped them create the arc of red for a rainbow.  'A' was able to create the remainder of the rainbow with minimal instruction.  I had to guide 'R' where to place the pieces, otherwise it would not have resembled a rainbow at all, (which would have been fine, but I wanted to take this time to teach him to follow directions and pay attention.)

We created this while camping.  What a lovely project to do in nature.

Letter Activity

I drew a large 'B' in the dirt and had the boys walk on it and repeated 'B'.

Bible Activity

We acted out the Bible story when Noah and his family got off of the ark onto dry land.

Music

Sang acappella, “Noah Build a Boat”

P.E.

River walk and hike.  Climbed on large rocks.

Fingerplay

“Noah's Big Boat”

I quizzed that boys on which animals start with the letter 'B', based on the fingerplay.

'A' remembered bears, bison, and baboons

'R' remembered beavers

Bible Story

Read Genesis 7-17-23

The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes

Focus: The rains came for forty days and nights.

Active Exploration

We filled the tub with water and made a list of items that either sink or float.

I had each boy pick an item and asked them if they thought the item might sink or float.  'A' was pretty good at it.  'R' answered 'float' to everything.

The purpose of this lesson was to learn that God told Noah how to build the ark so it would float.

Letter Activity

I had the boys circle the letter “B”, both upper and lower case.  'R' was able to find 9 of the 12, unassisted!  'A' found all 12, and then proceeded to circle the lower case 'd's as well.  I brought this to his attention that they were not 'b's, but praised him that he was so detailed.

Math

The boys drew raindrops that corresponded to each number.  This is way over 'R's head.  'A' can do it, but he needs solid guidance.

Music

Played “Noah Build a Boat”.

Today, per 'A's request, we are playing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as background music.

P.E./Social

Played on large foam boats at the mall.  Tons of climbing and jumping.