“A Year of Tales” Curriculum Review

We have been using “A Year of Tales” since the beginning of the school year and we thought it was time we shared a review.  If you follow us on Instagram then you probably know how this is going to go, spoiler alert…we adore it!  This curriculum is designed for Kindergarten to Grade 3, but we easily adapted it to include our fourth grader.  Each week begins with a new tale to enjoy together and then we discuss a character trait to coincide with our lesson.  

The character studies are displayed on a beautiful full-page format. We tend to pin it up on the wall for the week to help us remember what quality we are working on.  Honestly, each trait has been introduced exactly when our family has needed to work on it the most.  

Throughout the week, we are introduced to related fables and poems.  We often will copy a few lines from each or look up more works by the authors shared.  We love that we can chase the sparks as they are lit.  There is so much room for exploration and discovering new passions in this curriculum. Each week also includes a beautiful scripture that relates to the tale.  

We absolutely love studying the illustrations found in our weekly tales. Better yet, we love to try and replicate them with watercolors or pencil crayons.  Beatrix Potter shared such whimsy in her art, there is simply no one like her!

“Drawing Cute Animals” by Ai AkiKusa

Throughout this curriculum we are often encouraged to play together.  We love the sensory bin and “small world play” ideas that are shared.  There are also many suggested handcrafts that often keep us busy and inspired for days on end.   

Each week includes a suggested book list to help us keep on theme and chase a few sparks.  Every single book has been a hit!  We often find ourselves rediscovering books on our own shelves that blend into our studies perfectly. 

We love that picture studies are included.  All of the art work shared is so rich and beautiful! We have loved learning about new-to-us famous artists and their works.

Each lesson includes vocabulary and spelling words related to the tale. We discuss them together and then I create a special list just for our fourth grader, who is ahead in her spelling and vocabulary.  This curriculum requires that you add in your own Language Arts and Mathematics which works out perfectly for teaching multiple grade levels.  We recommend The Good and the Beautiful.

Each week also includes a fun recipe to encourage creativity in the kitchen.  We’ve loved trying new things and appreciate that healthy ingredients were selected when possible!

Each week ends with a themed nature walk and a sweet tea party, complete with a unique tea! We love reviewing our week together and enjoying looking back on what we have learned and created with our studies.

There is also a beautiful geography unit that can easily be included weekly but we find our days full enough and have decided to forgo that option. We love that we can use this curriculum daily or weekly, we can jump around to tales that catch our eye, we can use it briefly in the morning or we can dive in for a full day of fun, it’s adaptable for any style! If you are looking for something to encourage family-learning, connection and adventure, character and nature studies..this is it! Have a peek at “A Year of Tales” and the newly released “Preschool Tales“, you won’t regret it! 

 

Here are a few of our favorite “Beatrix Potter” resources:

The World of Peter Rabbit – Complete Set by Beatrix Potter

Saving the Countryside by Linda Marshall

Beatrix Potter and her Paint Box by David McPhail

Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life by Marta McDowell

The Art of Beatrix Potter by Emily Zach

Beatrix Potter a Life in Nature by Linda Lear

A Celebration of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter

The Beatrix Potter Coloring Book by Beatrix Potter

Who was Beatrix Potter? by Sarah Fabiny

 

Are you a Beatrix Potter fan?

Sue 

“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,

an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to

earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”