![[The River Houses]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/arms-icon-100x100.png "The River Houses"){kind=icon}
![[William Wordsworth Commemorative Stamp (1970)]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/wordsworth-stamp-1970-89x150.jpg)
On William Wordsworth’s birthday, why not introduce your homeschool students to the famous Lake District of England, a region that has inspired writers and visual artists for more than 200 years.
🗓 QUICK FRESHES for Homeschool Families – Week of 6 April 2025
![[Weekly Homeschool Almanac]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/calendar-generic-150x88.png)
Great homeschool teaching tips and wonderful little lessons for the week ahead, including: American Revolutions, April poems, splendid speakers, cute birds, leonine stars, opening salvos, Nicaraguan rivers, a toast to the plow, and more!
🌎 🇺🇸 SUNDAY STATES: Minnesota, the Netherlands, Niger, and More
![[Minnesota State Bird & Flower]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/minnesota-stamp-1982a-96x150.png)
Take a homeschool tour of the U.S. states and the countries of the world with the River Houses. This week: Minnesota, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, and Niger. Open up your atlas and almanac and follow along with us!
🖖 HOMESCHOOL HOLIDAYS: Happy First Contact Day!
“Sure on this shining night / I weep for wonder wand’ring far alone / Of shadows on the stars.” (On this day in the year 2063, in a remote area near Bozeman, Montana, a Vulcan survey ship will make first contact with the human race. Perhaps some of today’s homeschoolers will be there to see it.)
🔭 WATCHERS OF THE SKIES: Homeschool Astronomy for April
![[Homeschool Astronomy]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/emoji-telescope.png)
Our homeschool review of the educational wonders that you and your students can watch for in the northern hemisphere night sky during the month of April.
🦅 FRIDAY BIRD FAMILIES: Larks and Swallows
![[Homeschool Science & Nature Study]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/birds-larks-150x94.png)
Come along on our homeschool tour of North American birds and pick up some great science and natural history lessons along the way. This week: the terrestrial Larks and the aerial Swallows.
📸 PHOTO CHALLENGE for April: “Meadows” and “Camelids”
![[Homeschool Photography Icon]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/camera-flash-emoji-150x150.png)
Calling all homeschool photographers! The Wikimedia Commons Photo Challenge is a great way for enthusiastic homeschool photography students to develop their skills and gain some recognition for their work. This month’s themes are “Meadows” and “Camels, Alpacas, and Llamas.” Take a look!
🇺🇸 WEEKLY AMERICAN HERITAGE: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
![[Homeschool American Heritage]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/america-250-150x120.jpg)
For America’s 250th anniversary, discover the history and landscape of the United States. This week: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park in California.
🍝 HOMESCHOOL HOLIDAYS: The Annual Spaghetti Harvest in Switzerland
The annual spaghetti harvest in Ticino, Switzerland, is one of Europe’s great cultural traditions. Every well-educated homeschooler should know about it!
🖋 ☔️ WONDERFUL WORDS: “Whan that Aprill…”
“And smale foweles maken melodye / That slepen al the nyght with open ye / (So priketh hem Nature in hir corages).” (Our ancient homeschool poem-of-the-week, from Geoffrey Chaucer, for April showers.)
📚 LEARNING THE LIBRARY: The Technological 600s
![[Dewey Decimal System]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/dewey-decimal-classes-150x79.jpg)
Explore your local library and the whole universe of knowledge with our homeschool tour of the Dewey Decimal System. This month: the Technological 600s.
🗓 ☔️ 🌸 HAPPY HOMESCHOOL APRIL from the River Houses!
Happy homeschool April! Here are some little lessons, teaching traditions, and wonderful educational opportunities you and your students can watch for this month.
🏡 WELCOME! (Pinned Post)
![[The River Houses]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/emoji-house-with-garden-150x150.png)
First time visitor? We post a wide range of easy-to-use educational ideas and “little lessons” that will enrich your homeschooling schedule all through the year. Please subscribe to our free homeschool newsletter! (It’s just one message a week with no spam.)
There’s a wealth of wonderful material here on our website — everything from homeschool astronomy to books and libraries to language and literature to geography, natural history, homeschool calendars, and more. The materials we’re developing are going to become the foundation for a new type of homeschool network made up of friendly local groups called “Houses” (just like in Harry Potter). Make yourself at home! 😊
🗓 QUICK FRESHES for Homeschool Families – Week of 30 March 2025
Great homeschool teaching tips and wonderful little lessons for the week ahead, including: Spaghetti harvests, April poems, alien visitors, famous painters, American authors, Dewey decimals, Burmese rivers, a toast to long life and prosperity, and more!
🌎 🇺🇸 SUNDAY STATES: California, Myanmar, Nepal, and More
![[California State Bird & Flower]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/california-stamp-1982a-100x150.png)
Take a homeschool tour of the U.S. states and the countries of the world with the River Houses. This week: California, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, and Nepal. Open up your atlas and almanac and follow along with us!
🦅 FRIDAY BIRD FAMILIES: Crows and Jays (Part II)
![[Homeschool Science & Nature Study]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/birds-crows-ii-150x104.png)
Come along on our homeschool tour of North American birds and pick up some great science and natural history lessons along the way. This week: the garrulous and gregarious Crows and Jays (Part II).
🇺🇸 WEEKLY AMERICAN HERITAGE: Ice Age National Scientific Reserve
For America’s 250th anniversary, discover the history and landscape of the United States. This week: Ice Age National Scientific Reserve in Wisconsin.
🌸 HOMESCHOOL HOLIDAYS: Visit the Cherry Blossoms in Washington, D.C.
On March 27th in 1912, the city of Tokyo presented a gift of 3000 cherry trees to the United States to line the banks of the Potomac River and other sites in Washington, D.C., where they and their successors may still be seen today.
🎨 HOMESCHOOL ARTS: Introducing William Morris (1834–1896)
![[William Morris Stamp (2011)]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/william-morris-stamp-2011-150x142.jpg)
Take a few homeschool minutes this week to learn about William Morris, one of the great artistic polymaths of the nineteenth century, on the anniversary of his birth.
🗓 QUICK FRESHES for Homeschool Families – Week of 23 March 2025
Great homeschool teaching tips and little lessons for the week ahead, including: Cherry blossoms, famous farmers, delightful designers, amazing magicians, picture books, land deals, great writers, Mozambican rivers, a toast to honesty, and more!
🌎 🇺🇸 SUNDAY STATES: Wisconsin, Mongolia, Mozambique, and More
![[Wisconsin State Bird & Flower]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/wisconsin-stamp-1982a-99x150.png)
Take a homeschool tour of the U.S. states and the countries of the world with the River Houses. This week: Wisconsin, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, and Mozambique. Open up your atlas and almanac and follow along with us!
🖋 🌱 WONDERFUL WORDS: Nothing Gold Can Stay
“Nature’s first green is gold, / Her hardest hue to hold.” (Our ephemeral homeschool poem-of-the-week, from Robert Frost, for his birthday and for the first signs of spring.)
🎵 HOMESCHOOL MUSIC: Happy Birthday Bach!
![[Bach Stamp (2000)]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/bach-stamp-2000-147x150.jpg)
Take a few homeschool minutes to introduce your students to a tiny musical masterpiece by one of the world’s great composers, Johann Sebastian Bach, born on this day in 1685.
🦅 FRIDAY BIRD FAMILIES: Crows and Jays (Part I)
![[Homeschool Science & Nature Study]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/birds-crows-i-150x99.png)
Come along on our homeschool tour of North American birds and pick up some great science and natural history lessons along the way. This week: the Crows and Jays (Part I), garrulous residents of town and country.
🐦 HOMESCHOOL NATURE NOTES: The Great Backyard Bird Count in Review
![[Great Backyard Bird Count]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/gbbc-poster-2025-115x150.jpg)
Last month’s Great Backyard Bird Count has entered the history books. More than 800,000 people from around the world participated! Were you and your homeschoolers among them?
🗓 🌷 SPRING IS HERE! (Astronomically Speaking)
![[Equinoxes & Solstices]](https://riverhouses.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/equinox-solstice-150x100.png)
Spring is here! If you’re in the northern hemisphere, that is. If you’re in the southern hemisphere, fall is here! Happy March equinox to homeschoolers everywhere!
🇺🇸 WEEKLY AMERICAN HERITAGE: Effigy Mounds National Monument
For America’s 250th anniversary, discover the history and landscape of the United States. This week: Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa.
