Classical Writing Primer Resources

Primer Resources & Literature

Welcome to the Resources webpage for the Primer series. Here you will find links to relevant resources both free and for purchase from our Amazon partnership. Just below, there are links to resource pages for each book. Beneath these you will find a list of resources that are common to all three Primers. We expect to be adding to this page as we find other resources which may be relevant. You will definitely want to bookmark this webpage and check back frequently!

Primer—Autumn Resources & Literature

Primer—Winter Resources & Literature

Primer—Spring Resources & Literature

General Elementary Education Resources

The ABC's and All Their Tricks is a very helpful reference tool for phonics and spelling. Home Education is Charlotte Mason's classic work which inspired many of the ideas in the Primer series. Both are highly recommended teacher resources.

General Picture Study Resources

Ambleside Online

This site has many wonderful helps, but the Art Study section is invaluable, including ideas for picture study and links to many art resources.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The National Gallery of Art

These museums have excellent online resources for picture study and art appreciation.

Artchive
Web Gallery of Art

The series Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists by Mike Venezia is helpful for introducing children to artists. This series is available at many libraries, or you can buy the books through the links below.

General Nature Study Resources and Links

Anna Comstock's classic nature study text is an excellent resource for doing nature study with children. There are many lessons for all ages in this classic text. This is an excellent resource and one we highly recommend that you have on your shelf, but the full text is also available online here.

Handbook of Nature Study Blog

This is a blog with fabulous ideas for using Anna Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study. You will enjoy perusing the whole site–it's jam-packed with gorgeous pictures and wonderful nature study lessons. Highly recommended.

Good quality colored pencils are the best choice for this age group. Colored pencils offer more control and precision than crayons. The student does not have to apply too much pressure to apply color, and blending colors is accomplished easily. Lesser quality pencils can be used, but test them carefully before you buy to make sure that the color is applied without too much pressure.

If you would like to begin a nature journal for your child, you will need a sketch pad. Look for a sketch pad with heavy paper and a lay-flat binding. The link above is for a 9x12 pad, but a 5x7 pad is a good choice for this age also. Here is a nice short guide for getting started with nature journals.