“Slow and steady wins the race.”

— The Tortoise & The Hare/Aesop's Fables

I love that quote, don’t you? It was always quite applicable to our homeschool efforts, as well.

Small things, done with diligence and over time, can yield great results.

Copywork and memorization were key components in my children’s education, especially in their younger years. One thing I WISH we had done more was memorizing long poems - poems that would stick with my children long into adulthood. (I memorized O Captain, My Captain in 6th grade and can probably still recite much of it for you!)

To that end… I have an idea for you, and I think it will work marvelously in your homeschool.

Sara Coleridge wrote the poem The Garden Year. It first appeared in her 1834 book Pretty Lessons in Verse for Good Children. Written for young readers, the poem captures the cycle of months through vivid imagery tied to seasonal changes, offering both learning and delight. Sara Coleridge, daughter of poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, was known for her literary talents and contributions to children's literature. The Garden Year reflects her ability to blend poetic charm with instructional value, making it a staple for teaching children about the passage of time and the beauty of nature.

(You can view the entire book online at the Internet Archive.)

How to Use The Garden Year

This poem is a lovely family project. Children as young as Kindergarten and as old as high school can benefit from memorizing together.

Print The Garden Year packet. Put the poem printable in a prominent place so your students can always see it.
Memorize one stanza each month. Use the corresponding copy work for that month as well. If you have a Morning Time, recite and copy the stanza daily. (You may want to make multiple copies of the copy work, saving your child’s best sheet for their final booklet.)
Add a new stanza each month, repeating the previous month’s stanza(s).
At the end of the year, children can recite the entire poem and have a keepsake of their work!

It’s really that simple.

There will be tremendous value in memorizing and writing this beautiful poem. It’s one of those things that everyone can look back on at the end of the year with a sense of accomplishment.

Simple Music Appreciation For the Year

Because music appreciation is my thing, I have created a straightforward plan for monthly music appreciation. It includes one piece a month with a YouTube playlist.

Visit SQUILT Music Appreciation to download that addition to The Garden Year.

Give your children a poem and TWELVE pieces of great music this year!

I hope you enjoy these freebies for the New Year! I found in my years of homeschooling that less is more and simple is best, and I’ve designed these resources with that in mind.

Happy Learning!

I want to share a story with you - a story about my life and a valuable lesson I learned as an adult. As we approach the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, I feel this story is important to tell.

I never grew up with an appreciation for Dr. King. I wasn't taught about him in school, and really never even knew much about him until I moved to Atlanta in 1996. Isn't that a shame?

The area where I was born and raised was not very diverse. Ok. It wasn't diverse AT ALL.

(One of the reasons I'm so glad we homeschool is because we can let our children be exposed to diverse people and situations - they don't have to be stuck in the same 4 walls each and every day!)

As I went to college I began to encounter more people different than me, but when it came down to it, I functioned and lived with people who looked just like me.

When I was 24 my life and perspective broadened, and I am so thankful it did.

Learn About Martin Luther King, Jr. - Free Quotes & Copywork Printable

I began a teaching job in a 100% African American school in Atlanta.

This was no ordinary school, either.

It was fashioned after the schools started by Dr. Marva Collins. It was a strict, rigorous environment, with wonderful parental involvement and student success. It has consistently been one of the highest performing schools in our state.

(I bet when I said 100% African American you didn't quite expect that description of the school, did you?)

This is how prejudices and assumptions still run deep, even among people who claim they don't have a prejudiced bone in their body. It is my hope and prayer that we can abolish this in our children's generation.

I learned quickly how much Dr. King meant to so many people.

I heard 100 Kindergarten students recite the ENTIRE I Have a Dream Speech.

I became friends with a teacher who remembered sitting in the back of the bus riding to downtown Atlanta, and not being able to use the same bathrooms as whites.

I watched a classroom of children dramatize Rosa Parks being unwilling to move to the back of the bus. I will never forget the little girl that played Rosa... I can still see her fiery attitude as she planted herself in the front and would not move.

I was changed in many ways during my time teaching in that elementary school.

I thank GOD for the opportunity I had to be "the minority".

Most of all, I learned that we are not that far removed from racism. It is just a generation away (sometimes not even that far) and that is truly sobering.

I believe it is our duty and responsibility to teach our children about Dr. King. As homeschooling parents we have the opportunity and freedom to teach our children about anything we want. Teaching them about Dr. King is IMPORTANT.

We've studied about Dr. King each year in January, and I encourage you to do the same.