Curriculum Spotlight – Zeezok Music
The Zeezok Music Appreciation program comes in many pieces and the program is so versatile. My favorite thing about this program are the books about the composers. These books, by Opal Wheeler, are living books at their best. Each story is captivating and some of them include short pieces of music that a young aspiring musician can try to play on a keyboard or piano. With details about their character and life, these are read-alouds that are the perfect addition to your morning basket. They are about a grade 3 reading level so they can also be used for independent reading. But you don’t need to just read the books and plink out the tunes on your own. You can also purchase a thumb drive that contains all the music referred to in each book. And if that wasn’t enough, you can purchase a Student Activity Book, a Coloring book, and another thumb drive with files to create a lapbook. The question is, how much is too much? Well, how much time do you want to spend studying music? I have been teaching through the Student Activity Book One. It contains about 4 lessons for each reader. The lessons repeat their content for each reader, so you know what to expect. Each set of lessons starts with comprehension questions, a lesson that points out good character traits shown by the composer, and some activities like mapping the composer’s travels, or recipes to make food from their time and culture. It spends time talking about music theory and music styles because there is a difference between classical and baroque music. It introduces the instruments of the orchestra as well as how different kinds of orchestras are arranged. The Student Activity book is quite an in-depth study of music, not just composers. It’s not exactly a living text, but it is hands-on, and it often refers to the files on the thumb drive for the Lapbook activities. There are two Activity books, Book 1 covers Bach, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, Mozart, Paganini, and Handel. You can purchase the complete study here. Book 2 covers Chopin, Schumann, Wagner, Foster, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and MacDowell. Quick Facts: Living books about composers for any age. Add the music thumb drive to play the music referred to in the books. Make it a full-year study of composers, music styles, and orchestra by adding in the Student Activity and Lapbook. Book 1 is for Grades 2-4. Book 2 is for Grades 5-7. The Activity books are flexible in that you can choose to skip a certain aspect of study and not miss out on the rest of the course. (i.e. the character study is a bit long and boring and irrelevant). by Hester VanBraeden Hester is a second-generation home-educating parent who is keenly aware that her own education is not complete, and comfortable that it probably never will be. She has many years of experience with children, books, and curriculum. She loves to travel to worlds and times beyond the present with her children through many books. Hester and her husband have four children and live in the lower mainland of BC.
Family Life Novels
The Vanderbeekers Series The Mitchells Series The Penderwicks Series The Fairchild Family Series
Love and Friendship Book Stack (Ages 8-12)
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew Heidi Old Mother West Wind The Hundred Dresses Chu Ju’s House Archer and Zowie The Penderwicks The Boxcar Children Charlotte’s Web Beezus and Ramona Cupid and Psyche
Advent Book Calendar
How does your family celebrate the waiting? Advent has a long and interesting history with various traditions popping up throughout. Advent means “coming” in Latin. Today Christians use the season of advent to celebrate the coming of Jesus into the world and it is also symbolic as the church waits for Christs’ return. It is common to light a candle and read from the scriptures on the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Day. There are numerous ways that a family can use this season to teach their children about Christ’s birth and his return. I encourage you to develop traditions that mark this time. The traditions can be used to draw you away from the overwhelming pace that is so typical of this season. They will remind you and your family about the joyous anticipation that awaits believers. This package will take you through 24 days of Advent with a wonderful 25th book to open on Christmas Day. Each book has been carefully selected to help kids think about waiting and preparing. It includes classic tales of the season, from the real story of Saint Nicholas, The Nutcracker, and of course the tale of a Grinch who stole Christmas. It ends with a beautiful book that tells the story of Christmas using art masterpieces and texts directly from Scripture. This package will have a little something for everyone to revisit every year. Package includes: The Littlest Watchman Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening The Little Fir Tree Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend White Snow, Bright Snow The Little Drummer Boy The Christmas Story Christmas around the World The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey The Mitten Christmas Day in the Morning The Little Match Girl The Nutcracker (W/CD) Christmas in the Big Woods Papa Panov’s Special Christmas Katie’s London Christmas The Polar Express An Orange for Frankie The Miracle of St. Nicholas How the Grinch Stole Christmas Snow Good King Wenceslas ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas A Promise Kept
Some Books are Keepers: a reading list for homeschool moms
Keep-er /ˈkēpər/noun a book that has worn edges, dog-eared corners, and pencil markings because it has been poured over many timessimilar meanings: treasure trove, gold mine, cache Some books stay with you. They linger in your thoughts, whispering wisdom long after you’ve closed the cover. These are the ones you don’t just read—you live with them. They gather coffee stains and pencil marks, and they quietly shape the way you see the world. The books listed here are all keepers. Many of them belong in your “to periodically review” pile, because there’s simply too much truth, beauty, and goodness to be absorbed in one sitting. Classics for the Mind and Soul Mere Christianity — C.S. Lewis A Christian classic that has stood the test of time. Lewis brings the deep truths of the faith to the level of everyday thought, with logic, humility, and grace.👉 You’ll love this if you need your faith strengthened in a rational, heartfelt way. Pride and Prejudice — Jane Austen A timeless literary classic full of wit, wisdom, and romance. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy never fail to charm, convict, and delight.👉 You’ll love this if you enjoy clever conversation, moral insight, and a satisfying story that reminds you how humility and love go hand in hand. Classics for the Homeschooling Heart For the Children’s Sake — Susan Schaeffer Macaulay A foundational book for Christian homeschooling families. This is the heart behind the Charlotte Mason approach…education as a life, not a checklist.👉 You’ll love this if see your child as a person, not a project, and your home as a place where wonder and wisdom meet. The Well-Educated Mind — Susan Wise Bauer A guide for mothers who don’t want to stop learning. Bauer gently walks readers through how to read great books with depth and confidence.👉 You’ll love this if you dream of a second education for yourself—one that enriches your mind right alongside your children’s. Books that Nurture Motherhood and Home Mere Motherhood — Cindy Rollins A beautiful, candid memoir from a veteran homeschool mom. Rollins invites you into her story of laughter, loss, and grace-filled perseverance.👉 You’ll love this if you’re weary and need a reminder that God’s faithfulness runs deeper than your daily mess-ups. The Life-Giving Home — Sally Clarkson An invitation to craft a home that nourishes both body and soul, through the rhythms of the seasons and the rituals of family life.👉 You’ll love this if you long to create a home that feels like a refuge—warm, purposeful, and centered on Christ. Cultivating a Mind of Beauty 30 Poems to Memorize (Before It’s Too Late) — David Kern, Ed. A delightful collection that makes poetry approachable again. Perfect for families, homeschool mornings, or quiet personal reading.👉 You’ll love this if you want to fill your home with beautiful language and teach your children to treasure words. On Reading Well — Karen Swallow Prior A thoughtful exploration of how great literature shapes virtue. Prior shows that good reading isn’t just enjoyable—it’s transformative.👉 You’ll love this if you believe books can shape character and want to read with moral imagination. The Age of Martha — Marcia Mosto A gentle call to rest in a world that values busyness. Moston helps women rediscover the contemplative life amid their daily duties.👉 You’ll love this if you long to slow down and listen at Jesus’ feet. For the Joy of Reading Aloud The Read-Aloud Family — Sarah Mackenzie A modern classic for families who want to build connection through books. Mackenzie offers practical tips and rich encouragement to make reading aloud a way of life.👉 You’ll love this if you want to reclaim family time from screens and fill your home with stories that spark imagination and faith. Some books are meant to be kept. Fill your shelves with these keepers. by Adrianne Curwen Adrianne is a wife to a public-school educator/administrator and a homeschooling Mama to seven children. She believes that we have a unique opportunity as homeschoolers to design individualized education that suits giftings, interests, and passions. She and her husband have used a blend of registered homeschooling, enrollment with independent DL schools, and participation in public trade school programs to design individualized programs for their children. She is passionate about using as many read-alouds, picture books, novels, and conversations to educate her children, but also gets excited by the amazing homeschool-designed curriculum that’s out there. Adrianne is thrilled by her new role at Classical Education Books and is grateful to have an opportunity to learn something new. She is grateful, every day, for her saviour, Jesus Christ, and has no greater joy than when she sees her most important mission field walk with Him.