Our Little School at Home: Bigger Hearts Unit 1

Bigger Hearts for His Glory - Unit 1

What an incredible week! I admit, I was hesitant, not quite sure if my little guy could handle the intensity of Bigger Hearts for His Glory. Thankfully, he has grown so much that the first week went smoothly! Probably my greatest concern heading in to this guide was that my guy just turned 7 and the written work is so much greater. This is the only HOD guide that I have never used and really did not know what to expect. So far, it has not disappointed!!

Science has always been a favorite around our house, and this week did not disappoint. In One Small Square we learned about high tide and low tide. Jacob actually explained how the moon affected the oceans to his older brother who tried to tell the little guy he was wrong. But no, the notebooking page had set it firmly in his mind and Jacob was ready to respectfully dispute his 16 year old brother. HA! Then, the two science experiments thrilled his little heart. :) Jacob liked "guessing" at why something happens and did not mind if he is wrong. Jacob was excited to make his own waves and even added a notebook page to record the experiment. Our only regret is that we live so far from the seashore with no trip planned for the near future.

For History, we studied Christopher Columbus. I confess, I was amazed at Jacob's ability to orally narrate. He easily recalled the stories and details. He talked all week about how persistent Columbus was in seeking to sail west, how many times he was told no, but he did not give up. Jacob also made his own map. I had seen some of the other kids' maps who have completed Bigger and thought, "Uh-oh, Jacob is not going to be able to do that." Surprise! He did an excellent job.

And this brings me to our absolute favorite thing....Bible study. Jacob is not only memorizing Scriptures, but learning godly character qualities. Persistence tied in so well to the history this week! I am thankful for all the planning and work that the author puts in to this little curriculum, making connections whenever possible. As we were talking about persistence, Jacob continually related it to Christopher Columbus and how many times he was rejected.

Overall, our first week back to school was a huge success. No squabbles, no complaining, no dragging of feet. Our schedule seemed to flow and everything was completed. No Mommy meltdowns here. WOOHOO!! And oh, having had more than a few years that were not like that....I am giving thanks and praise to God that He graciously blessed us with such a great start to our school year!!