What is your mission or purpose in these cultural studies?
I have always loved to travel and to learn about a country’s art, music, famous people, landmarks, handicrafts, animals, and don’t forget, FOOD! I wanted the same thing for my kids.
My purpose is to provide the next best thing to living in a foreign country: an immersive cultural experience through books, videos, and easy activities. I created these cultural studies for my own children to experience other countries from the comfort of our home.
I started reading picture and chapter books to them, which led to searching for videos to dive deeper into various topics. Their creative minds love to explore through drawing and crafting, and we would do simple activities using art supplies we already own.
What types of books are used in your studies?
A living book is a well-written book by a person who has passion for and experience in the subject matter. We learn and remember best through stories, so I developed this study with Charlotte Mason’s philosophy in mind, specifically that of learning directly from living books.
“A Book A Day” uses multiple “spines” or authors to learn about other cultures. Instead of one textbook reflecting the research of one author, I present a diverse range of living picture books preferably written by people who are from or lived in that country.
Where needed, I have written short summaries at the elementary level to explain history or background that will help your child understand the culture. These usually arise from the questions that my children and I have while we read the books. The reference books and websites that I have gleaned information from are listed at the end of the study. I also like to include the fun and interesting information that I come across while researching!
What is the age range for your cultural studies?
The short answer is ages 5 to 12.
I have been doing these cultural studies with my children from the time my youngest was 3 until the present, where my oldest ones are 10. Most of the picture books are appropriate for the preschool age; I have marked books that a parent should pre-read, just in case it is a sensitive topic for your child or if the content is more appropriate for mid-elementary and up. The videos are all appropriate for all children (a very few are specified for older elementary).
In “A Book A Day,” I include a list of relevant chapter books at the elementary and middle grade level. I often pre-read them, and then I hand these chapter books to my older children for optional reading. Many of the same cultural topics are reinforced this way. It makes me so happy when I read a picture book and they get very excited to share that the same thing was mentioned in the chapter book, often in greater depth.
Because of this exposure to a variety of illustration techniques through these wonderful picture books, my children all enjoy exploring different mediums of art, including drawing and painting. By using beautifully written and illustrated picture books, even my oldest children and myself can learn and enjoy while reading along as a family.
Do I have to buy all of the books?
I find most of my books through my local library system. I place them on hold and pick them up at the library branch closest to me. Some states have an Interlibrary Loan program that you can use to check out books from other library systems throughout your state. Older books are available to read online at archive.org and in my units, I make a note of this. If I find multiple books about the same subject, I list them all to increase your chances of finding one of them at your local library.
Books on YouTube
This is a controversial topic about whether the readings of books on YouTube are in violation of copyright law. If the author or publisher has given their permission for the video of the reading of their book, I feel comfortable including those links for you. You may read more on the argument for or against copyright violation and the fair-use law.
Do I have to print the whole unit?
I totally get it. One can go broke having these digital downloads printed and bound! Even printing at home can become costly with the amount of paper and ink, not to mention having to keep track of physical papers. If this sounds like you, we are in the same boat!
The table of contents is handy to print and check off as you go through the unit. Otherwise, I suggest looking through the whole file on your computer and only printing the consumable pages that you and your child are interested in completing. Bookmark the webpage of videos so you don’t have to look for it in the file every day.
I have purposely kept the color imaging in the unit to a minimum in order to save your color ink if you are printing at home. Printing in grayscale is always an option, as well!
Do I have to follow the weekly schedule in the table of contents?
I feel strongly that these immersive world studies should fit your family’s schedule and not become a burden. Being flexible with these cultural studies is a great opportunity to follow your child’s areas of interest. You could do the study more quickly or slowly than suggested, and pick and choose the activities that resonate with your child.
With all of the included information, you should not need to do much planning. My goal is for these to be “open and go” for easy flow into your homeschool routine.
How do you fit this into your day?
- Picture books at breakfast or lunch
- Enrichment activity during lunch or snack time
- Video for some down time after lunch
If any children are not interested in the book, video, or activity, I do not require them to stay or participate. Not every activity will appeal to every learner, and that is okay. Some days we are busy with other things and might only read the book and do the video or activity on other days.