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Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool, also blogs about motherhood at Steady Mom
We are currently inhaling all things Little House, in preparation for our upcoming site tour this summer. Every day we learn something new about Laura and the Ingalls family, and for this homeschooling mama it’s a dream come true.
In a few months our family will be visiting three Little House sites: Pepin, Wisconsin; Walnut Grove, Minnesota; and De Smet, South Dakota. If you want to take a sneak peek and visit them virtually–as well as all the other Little House sites, make sure you check out the virtual field trip I created earlier this year.
Right now we’re rereading all of the books–one each month–and creating our own unit study to go along with them. This has sent me on a search for the best books, sites, and resources to help us learn more, and I thought I’d share my discoveries with you.
If you’re looking to get the most out of Little House, here are the resources we’ve been using:
The Little House Guidebook
This book contains beautiful colored photographs from each of the Little House sites. Designed for those who plan to visit, it includes information about the history of the site, how to find it, and what to do at each spot.
Having read this title myself, I think anyone who loves the idea of touring these locations would enjoy it–whether or not you actually make the trip. Pair this with my virtual field trip and you’ll feel like you just stepped into the prairie.
The Prairie Primer
I first heard of this unit study curriculum years ago and loved the idea behind it. It’s a nine month unit study based on the Little House series. This year I bought a used copy.
The Prairie Primer includes ideas and potential assignments/projects that connect many different subjects to Little House–including science, writing, and history–basically everything but math and spelling/grammar.
My kids have enjoyed the discussion questions for each chapter, but we haven’t used the rest as much as I anticipated.
Like many unit studies, it suits a certain type of person/family well–one who enjoys preparing activities and pulling together different threads. The Primer comes from a conservative Christian perspective, so keep that in mind as you determine if it’s a good fit for you and yours.
My idea of a good unit study is to read books, then read more books, then discuss, then watch some YouTube clips, then bake something =), but I know many folks who rave about this resource.
We Love the Prairie Primer
This blog was created a few years ago by a mom who was following the Prairie Primer curriculum with her kids.
She embedded many YouTube clips that go along with the various chapters of the books – and we’ve enjoyed watching some of them. It’s saved me the work of finding appropriate clips myself–she also includes crafts and other ideas.
Little Passports USA edition
I’ve been raving this year about our Little Passports subscription–we’ve had fun learning about different countries around the world through these monthly packages delivered to our door. And when it comes to our upcoming Little House trip, our USA edition of Little Passports has been an excellent resource to add on.
Each month we receive a packet that highlights two different states–it just so happened that the first one featured Wisconsin–while we were reading Little House in the Big Woods! That gave us plenty of good direction for extra study as we learned about the state.
The Little House Cookbook
If you love both Little House and cooking/baking, this book is a must-have! We’ve had it since the first time we read the series a few years ago, but this year we have used it more than ever.
Not only does it have recipes for almost every dish mentioned by Laura, it also includes them in the style and manner that they most likely would have been prepared during her time. We’ve made butter, pumpkin pie, hasty pudding, and more, and have learned a lot along the way.
Who Was Laura Ingalls Wilder?
This book was just published at the end of 2013, and I bought a copy a few weeks ago. It’s a short overview of Laura’s life–with interesting text boxes that highlight historical information and facts that coincide with the time period in which she lived.
We read a few pages each day and it adds another dimension to our study of her life. As a side note, all three of my kids like the whole “Who Was” series–look for these titles at your library.
Laura Ingalls Wilder Country
I was on the fence about buying this book–did we really need another book about Laura’s life? The answer – yes!
This oversize paperback goes into detail about “the people and places in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life and books” and features gorgeous color photographs of the landscapes as well as photographs and momentos of the Ingalls/Wilder family through the years.
Think of it a bit like a Laura scrapbook–a must-have for serious Laura fans and students.
Little House Paper Dolls
I don’t know if I can genuinely consider paper dolls a part of our unit study, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to mention these. In Little House in the Big Woods, Laura describes how Ma made paper dolls for her and Mary to play with. We gave this set to Trishna (age 10) for Christmas and she loves them.
The dolls actually stand up and have different clothes, furniture, and a fold up indoor/outdoor cabin as a backdrop. Adorable!
And if you’re the crafty type, take a peek at the Little House Crafts Book for ideas to go along with your readings. (I can’t give a personal recommendation on this one, since I am decidedly not the crafty type–LOL!)
It’s impossible not to feel inspired in our homeschool these days. Our days are far from perfect, mind you, but I love what we’re studying so much–and enthusiasm is contagious.
I hope this list points other Little House fans in the direction of inspiration and love of learning as well–enjoy!
“As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful.
They are the things that fill our lives with comfort and our hearts with gladness — just the pure air to breathe and the strength to breathe it; just warmth and shelter and home folks; just plain food that gives us strength; the bright sunshine on a cold day; and a cool breeze when the day is warm.”
~ Writings to Young Women from Laura Ingalls Wilder – Volume One: On Wisdom and Virtues
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