Select books written on one topic in the subject area being studied. A full curriculum can also be purchased for homeschooling with living books, but it is not required to strictly follow the living books theory.
Choose books that reflect the time period when studying history and literature. For instance, when studying Egypt, require the students to read books about pyramids or King Tut. Also select fictional books that go along with the topic being studied. These give students more of an engaging narrative about what they are learning.
Read books aloud to children of any age to help students with comprehension and vocabulary.
Ask the child to narrate, either verbally or in writing, what he has learned from the book. This method replaces traditional fill-in-the-blank or multiple-choice exams, because it requires a child to share what he has actually retained. Children also begin using such skills as sequencing, sorting and connecting different facts when asked to narrate.
Place a photo of a piece of art in front of a child. Ask her to study the photo and describe what she sees. Follow the verbal explanation by asking her to write a short story about what she sees in the photo.
Assign the child the task of transcribing a poem or short piece of literature to help improve narration and grammar. Another option is for a student to copy a list of words several times to improve handwriting skills and spelling.
Move class outdoors during a science or nature lesson. Explore the surroundings, and have the child identify plants, insects or birds in their natural settings.