Finding Your Pace with Harbor + Sprout

Hi H+S family, Danielle here! Does the idea of deviating from your schedule or not getting through your lessons planned for the day make you a little (or a lot) anxious? If so, this is the post for you. We're here to help take the pressure off of homeschooling so you can dive deep into learning without missing the natural connections that take place all along the way!

As I was piecing together the Nature Study section of our Beekeeping Unit, I found myself thinking that we may very well spend a full week on just one of the four included Nature Study lessons without yet beginning any of the other 32 included lessons on other subjects, let alone the supplemental activities. This was a freeing thought. Fancy sitting in these stunning lessons for as long as you're all engaged and loving it! This is the beauty of homeschooling the H+S way.

The value and rich content quality of H+S unit studies stops me in my tracks every time I piece together a unit. Each unit, priced at $22 for subscribers or $30 purchased individually, comes out to 600-700 pages on average and includes:

• A handbook with the following:
• Printing Helps
• Table of Contents
• Planning Pages (both blank and prefilled)
• An extensive book list of complimentary (but not required) titles
• An explanation of our leveled learning system
• Lesson plans
• A unit recipe
• A hand-illustrated Character Kit with original art by Stephanie Groves for each unit
• 4 Science lessons
• 4 Nature Study lessons
• 4 Language Arts lessons
• 4 Writing lessons
• 4 History lessons
• 4 Geography lessons
• 4 Music lessons
• 4 Art lessons
• 4 Math lessons
• An extensive supplemental section including:
• Nature activities with a focus on open-ended early learning
• Wellness/Quiet time activities and ideas
• A bilingual element
• Language Arts/Writing supplement with extra literacy activities

Nearly every lesson also includes an idea for a craft, activity, or tactile application. These lessons are engaging learning at its finest and each unit is full of activities, content, and memories waiting to be made. One unit could last you a month, or it could last you 3. And any way you choose to do it is right because it works for YOU!

Some lessons are easily completed in a day's time. However, there is always and forever the option to expand on these lessons and explore the topic further if it's caught the attention of your learners. Other lessons interlaced are so loaded with richness and content that it would be a shame to rush through and skip over just to check it off, so consider this your reminder to take it as slow as you'd like. We developed the 4-week structure in order to offer a suggested layout, but we encourage you to set your own rhythm with your family and above all, don't rush through the joyful adventure!

One of the things we love most about H+S is the freedom it offers for you to put your own spin on each lesson and activity. We've given you all the tools you need to print, prep, and enjoy your units with materials, lesson plans, and ideas while leaving plenty of open-ended space for you to roam with them in any way you choose. We love to see the unique journeys these units take each family on, all while fostering an environment for deep-level learning to take place! 

We encourage you to sit deep in your lessons, soak them in, and enjoy ruminating in the world of knowledge, exploration, and adventure. You are on no timeline besides your own and there is so much to discover!

xo, Danielle and the Harbor + Sprout Team