Mechanics & Literature: March 2023
March’s Dart, Arrow, and Boomerang selections show characters who let curiosity and the desire to know the truth propel them toward powerful new discoveries. Your family will be entertained and enlightened as they explore
- writing,
- mechanics,
- and literary devices with these stories.
This month’s Quill rocks! Use it to make memories that sparkle like gems! Explore rocks, stones, and minerals as your child practices early reading, writing, and math skills.
[This post contains Amazon affiliate links. When you click on those links to make purchases, Brave Writer receives compensation at no extra cost to you. Thank you!]
Rocks Rock
Are you ready for an earth-shattering time exploring one of nature’s oldest toys? The March Quill (Rocks) is ready for you!
In this Quill we’ll have a fine old time with timelines; curate a gneiss collection of vocabulary words; set our senses sizzling with an exploration of imagery; engage our fine motor skills with the oldest writing materials on the planet; sharpen our sorting skills; and weigh in on a unique standard of measurement.
Note: You can use any rock picture books you have in your stacks or find at your library.
Some suggestions:
- A Stone for Sascha by Aaron Becker
- Bok’s Giant Leap by Neil Armstrong, illustrated by Grahame Baker Smith
- The Stone Hatchlings by Sarah Tsiang, illustrated by Qin Leng
- If Rocks Could Sing: a discovered alphabet by Leslie McGuirk
- What Can You Do With a Rock? by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Katie Kath
- A Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals (Peterson Field Guides) by Frederick Pough
Get the Quill.
Egg Marks the Spot by Amy Timberlake
Your entire family can join Skunk and Badger on a rock-finding expedition! Surprises lurk behind every boulder!
Have you ever started reading a book about mazes and gotten lost in it? Oof, sorry, we couldn’t resist! That’s because this month’s literary device is puns. Author Amy Timberlake has loaded her story with puns that will make you giggle and groan! Explore how this wacky wordplay works.
We’ll also:
- explore, investigate, and scrutinize some synonyms,
- keep an ear out for onomatopoeia,
- consider commas and colons in dialogue,
- embark on a Skills Tracker Scavenger Hunt,
- zig and zag through an exploration of verbs,
- give a list a nice big hug with parentheses, and so much more!
Get the Dart.
A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll
Award-winning, neurodivergent author Elle McNicoll has written a story of the historical European witch trials and of a contemporary neurodivergent protagonist who is intent on setting the story straight. We’re confident this book will give your family lots to talk about!
March’s literary devices are alliteration, consonance, and assonance. We’ll explore the ways these devices make writing flow and provide a dash of pizazz!
We’ll also:
- ponder how pronouns help you and me,
- advance our understanding of adjectives,
- activate our imaginations with action words—verbs,
- tune into interior monologue,
- capture clauses with commas,
- play with plural nouns, and so much more!
Get the Arrow.
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
Put on your seatbelts and settle in for a wild ride! This month you’ll join Professor Lidenbrock, an adventurous geology professor, as he sets out on a journey to the center of the earth!
In this Boomerang, we’ll:
- get acquainted through characterization,
- turn over translation ups and downs,
- ponder punctuation fashions over time,
- embark on an epic journey through a subterranean fantasyscape,
- inquire about science and research,
- wrestle with a resolution and so much more!
Get the Boomerang.
For ages 15-18, check out the Slingshot.
