Combine assignments!

Many families focus on core subjects at the elementary level: English, math, history or geography, and science.  Usually, families must pour most of their energy into English and math.  Let’s combine more subjects!  For example, don’t make handwriting practice a separate subject.  Instead incorporate handwriting into lapbooks, composition, math reasoning, or spelling.  Practice cursive writing with a story.  Use science to add more reading.  Have you heard of Start with a Book?  Look at Bug Studies and Weather Wonders for inspiration.   Head to the library and borrow an armload of books on bugs or weather.  Create a simple journal; there are templates in the packet.  Better yet, make your own book.  Work as a family to create a lapbook.  Make sketches and add art!  Last night, Rob and I subbed for the high school Confirmation class.   They are studying the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.  Bible lessons are great for combining assignments.  We read from the Bible and reviewed the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit with this cryptogram and then did some art with this crayon resist craft.  See?  We added a bit of art seamlessly.  Combine and conquer.