Hymn Study: He Leadeth Me

We sang this hymn during October (it was scheduled for September, I think!) and I never did post this... until now. :) I figure it's nice to have all this in one place, so I'm posting it anyway.


He Leadeth Me:



Click here to Listen, Download [ Real Audio | Mp3 ] and/or Print [ Lyrics | Sheet Music ].



Helpful Links:
Hymns in public domain (in both word or pdf formats): http://hymnchords.net/
English Hymns in the Commons: http://musicasacra.com/english-hymns-in-the-commons/

Folksong: The Ash Grove

Because of furlough and moving, we started this school year off late, but we're not really even trying to catch up.  So even though The Ash Grove is supposed to be the folksong for October according to the AO Folksong schedule, we're quite fond of doing things at our own pace. We're singing Ash Grove right now! 

I put together a page for our Family Music Book and thought y'all might like to use it too.  Here it is, another fine Fisher Academy printable: The Ash Grove! 


Here are the chords for guitar:
Part A
G--|G--|C--|D--|G--|C--|D--|G--:||
Part B
G--|G--|Am--|D--|G--|G--|D--|D7--|
G--|G--|C--|D--|G--|C--|D--|G--||

Helpful Links:
My favorite Ash Grove link from Music-for-music-teachers.com
Youtube for sing-along (lyrics are on the screen & he sings quite slow, so it's easy to keep up!)
Lively musical rendition with bagpipes
Guitar Chords

Holiday Links... oh no!

So, you know how you almost get tired of Christmas music by the time Christmas actually rolls around as it has actually become the background music to all of life in the months of November/December; it's playing in every store, on every radio station, in the house, in the car, while every single person alive seems to be humming one of the tunes because they can't get them out of their heads?! Well, I have a feeling it's going to seem the same with holiday related blog posts. It's already begun. Everyone is posting about Holidays. Already. I promise to do my best not to contribute any more to the sheer inundation unless absolutely necessary.  This is my one frivolous holiday post... 'kay?  The following links are just some fun stuff I've seen lately (and only the beginning since we haven't even celebrated Thanksgiving yet!!), and mostly because I wanted to announce the The Holiday edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival!!

A Peruvian turkey
In the States you choose your turkey by going to the store that has the lowest price per pound and rummaging in the freezer section for a clean plastic covered prepared "bird" with a weight appropriate to the number of guests. It probably even comes in a bag with a handle to carry it home.  In Tarapoto, you choose your turkey like this...



My parents-in-love perusing the options :)

Thanksgiving last year in the jungle w/ Micah's parents 

and the Martijn and Martine family! 

Featured Holiday Links!! 
**On Thanksgiving in the Common Room!** This blog is A WINNER at the HSBAwards 2011!
The Holiday edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival

On Simplicity:
Unwrapping the Holidays
O Christmas Tree
Serenity for Little Ones during the Holidays
Plan Your Peaceful Christmas
Simplifying the Holidays: Focus on Giving

Christ-centered Holidays:
Stuff.
Christ-centered Christmas Dialogue
3 simple practices for a peaceful advent

Food Related:
I'm taking pies to our Thanksgiving gathering. I'll use this pie crust recipe and maybe make this cheesecake?!  I'll be making pumpkin pies for sure... I'm not so sure I'm brave enough to try something SO new when I don't even have an oven!!  I'll be borrowing one to cook at least 2 pies!! :) hilarious.
Here are some more Thanksgiving recipes for future reference, since I'm quite sure you've already got your menu planned by now!!  Don't these pumpkin pops look AWESOME!?!  I'm tempted not to use any of my canned pumpkin puree for the pies and use it all for these!!  Oh so tempting.

Source: onecharmingparty.com via amy in peru on Pinterest

Check out this free e-book!!

Source: comfyinthekitchen.com via amy in peru on Pinterest

Craftiness:
I am not crafty. This is the ONLY even remotely crafty thing we're doing this year.
It's an 'I'm thankful for...' paper chain!  So much fun. :)



Source: silverboxcreative.com via amy in peru on Pinterest

And the winner is...

I love contests.
I love giving things.
I want to do it WAY more often.
It's really pretty easy and really really fun!! ;)

So. There were 8 entries and the number drawn at random.org was #3!!  The third comment was Penney Douglas'!  Yay, Penney!  You'll want to send me an e-mail because you've won this really fantabulous Metropolitan Museum of Art 2012 Page-a-Day Calendar to put under YOUR Christmas tree!!

Thanks to everyone for playing!  :)  We will have to do this again sometime!

Enjoy the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival: Holidays!

This Week In History: Links for 11/21

My good friend Nancy wondered out loud in the comments of this post, if I knew of anywhere online where Current Events articles might be gathered on certain news headlines from varying viewpoints... I don't. There should be! Until I find one, or as I am able, I'll be posting our links as I accumulate them!  :)

image courtesy of: ba1969

This week's links:
A Greek Tragedy: Ending the Entitlement Mentality - Chuck Colson
What is a tax increase? - World Magazine
Panel set to fail to cut deficit $1.2 trillion - Associated Press via yahoo
Video: Explain it to me: Super Committee @ cnn.com

Unwrapping the Holidays

Traditions are like gift wrap.
Every time a couple leaves and cleaves, a new family is formed and they begin to dress up their own traditions, including those special traditions focused around the holidays. It may be difficult to create your own style if you are a family that lives close by both sets of parents, having to share time between families on holidays. Yet, living far away has it's challenges too! Matter of fact, living in another culture, a different hemisphere and far away from grandparents and other family has deeply impacted not only how our family celebrates the holidays, but how we think about them.

First of all, holidays come wrapped in all different colors and sizes in other countries. For one, in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas is during summer... and it's HOT! (just stop and think of how many North American traditions have to do with being cold outside!) Thanksgiving is hardly heard of here in Peru while I think New Years is bigger here than in the US. Easter, Mother's Day and Independence Day are quite popular in Latin America and are celebrated with much ado. Even birthdays are made special, in that the birthday girl is so lucky she gets to prepare a meal for all her visitors! (I, the Queen of October 19th, admittedly have trouble with that one!)

Now, I grew up probably similar to the majority of you, thinking that the winter holidays were all about family, turkey, eating as much as possible, Christmas trees, decorations, lights, prettily wrapped presents (and lots of them!) and having a day full of as many pleasant things as possible. Well? Isn't that what most of us thought, or maybe still think? It is certainly what commercialism would have us believe. However, as a grown up I've certainly had a Holiday or two that were not all they were wrapped up to be! How often do we realize, that many people in the world have nothing and do nothing on our “most important days of the year”. I know, it seems exaggerated, but it's true.

Somehow, our experiences have taught us that Holidays are more than all that.
But if Holidays are not all about traditions, then what?

Our families are far away, the cranberry sauce comes airmail if at all, and there's absolutely NO hope of a white Christmas... until recently, turkeys weren't to be found before the middle of December, and in the early years, unless you brought or made your own decorations, including your own artificial tree (a somewhat recent luxury), you'd be out of luck there too. So, if holiday fun is based solely on the external, we should go cry in the corner every year during the holidays. But we don't. And here's why: that would be ridiculous. Oh, that and we've realized that holidays are a lot more than just the pretty wrappings. Sure, there can be a whole lot of fun involved, and over the years we have had some really special holidays here with our 'missionary family'. But, what we find under all that gift wrap is, that certain days are special because for us they have deeper meaning.

The treasure of Thanksgiving is a whole season to give thanks to God for all He has given us. The rest is the curly ribbon on top! And sure, we want to be thankful all year round, but having one day when we can REALLY remember... this is good for us! The same goes for Christmas, we unwrap the Gift of the God who keeps His promises, His Son who will someday come again! Of course we want to remember Him every day of the year, but why not be extra doubly reminded at Christmas?! Sure, we can do all of this without a whole lot of poof and floof. But, truth be told, all of us know that a little floof here and curly ribbon there is not going to hurt anyone. :) The floof simply serves to remind us...


Notice Stove Top stuffing, the pumpkin, olives and cranberry?! My mouth is watering. Whoever sent it a couple years ago, may they be forever blessed!

So, bring on the turkey and twinkly lights and the presents or whatever floof you've got and let's remember...

GOD is very very good! :)

Giveaway... only 3 more days!

Don't forget to submit your Holiday posts to the upcoming CM blog carnival... 

and comment here to win a 2012 Art Calendar!

The deadline for carnival submissions is Monday @ 5pm. 

Winner will be announced November 22!

{For more details see this post!}

Current Events: Our Method

Did you know that 1.73 people die while 4.13 are born every. single. second?  In the same fraction of time, 73 items are ordered over at amazon.com, and 50,000 e-mails are sent by yahoo alone.  In an age when it is virtually impossible to stay current on what is happening, as we are constantly inundated with information available on the instant from every corner of the earth with most anything you could possibly think of being googled at any hour of the day...

How does one discern what really matters? 

How do we remain current and not waste a ton of time?

Current Events. This year marks the first time I have put today's world in the hands of my older children. They've read books, they've talked with grown ups, but this is the first time they themselves will come face to face with the world as presented through the media. It isn't a safe or pretty place. In particular, because of the nature of the internet, and folly being only a mouse click away, it is vital that they not be left to their own devices or be given too much liberality when it comes to sifting through the headlines.

Dealing with Time and Developing Discernment. 

With so much information at their fingertips, how are they to know what to read? Obviously, if they pick something that simply isn't important, all is not lost; discernment will come with time. There is the good, there is seemingly a lot more of the bad, there is the appropriate and an unfortunate amount of the inappropriate. Someday, they will choose. all. by. themselves. EEK! At some point in time they will probably read things I'd rather they hadn't. Can we just come to terms with that? (no, believe me, I'd rather not)

In the meantime, I will try to teach them how to go about the choosing. After all, we are in the world, even if we are not of it. An understanding of which might just be the key to developing proper discernment. :)

However, with one computer, our main concern at this point is time. And all of our news sources online as they are, we don't have a lot of time to spare :)


The time factor:

• Limiting time. This is a tool that I use as a grown up ALL of the time. I commonly limit the time I have to finish a certain task. I take 30min to read in the morning. We start school at 9am, for example. It is when I do NOT limit my time that I end up wasting hours upon hours getting super side-tracked or just plain lazy. A timer with a LOUD and annoying beep is a very helpful tool for practicing self control ;)
• Limiting the sources was also a big help.  Limiting them even more will be even better. For now. In this way, I can use Masterly Inactivity, instead of hovering, pestering, or generally showing myself as a control freak. :)
• They might also find that following a certain interest over the course of several weeks would be very interesting - discoveries made within a certain branch of Science, political issues, war and it's outworkings, a particular country in the news, etc. 

The discernment factor:

• I thought that narrowing the selection would be a good way to keep them from being overwhelmed with the flood of information as well as time limits (they had 2 sites to choose from). It worked alright in that regard. But even with the limited choices, how were they to discern for themselves what items were worth their time? This is a big deal. I find that for myself, sensational headlines often draw my attention much quicker than the world happenings that really are affecting history.  
• For now, I will be their discernment filter. I will choose for them. As we go along, I will dialogue with them about what is worthy of their time and what clearly is not. Later on, I will ask them to join me in deciding what news is pertinent for them to read. When I see a maturity and responsibility in this, I'll be happy to simply guide their choices. How long does this process take? Hah! I could foresee it being within a year's time, or several... it absolutely depends on the student!

So for now, here's what we do:

1. I can usually tell, from family conversation about what is happening in the world and knowing my children well, what will interest them. Based on what the news is, I've picked 4-5 articles for them to choose from (this way I can print them off!).
2. I like to add an article about the same event from more than one viewpoint/news source. I would love to always have a conservative print magazine (World) to compare with the more liberal media. 
3. At some point, once we have some experience with this subject under our belts, I will graduate my kids to selecting their own articles from well-known and trusted sites. This will probably not take place until we have more than one computer between the 7 of us ;)
   

The links for this week:

Wall Street Protestors Decry “Gilded Age” : 
Better Late Than Never : 
Occupy Portland Summary : Protesters march, begin to fill Pioneer Courthouse Square :
Occupy Portland: Photo Essay :
Occupy Movement Reaches Critical Stage :

Editorial Cartoons at World Magazine :
Food Stamps Surge :

Upcoming CM carnival on Holidays?! & A Giveaway?!

Okay so if you've been paying attention, you may have noticed there's been a slight change of theme... okay a dramatic change!  Yep. We're changing themes for the upcoming carnival, and to celebrate, I'm going to give away your first gift of the season!  *Read on.

Please join us at the upcoming CM blog carnival sharing about Holidays at Your House!  
Carnival will be hosted in the Piney Woods... talk about fitting for the season!

Doesn't this little guy look festive?No, he is not included in the giveaway. 

You might want to post what Charlotte Mason-y things you do during holidays... maybe you could teach us about how Charlotte Mason might have had us use our holidays.  You might post about whatever holiday traditions you have in your family!  If you have a favorite holiday post you'd like to direct us to... do it!  It's up to you :)  Seems to me that you could include Thanksgiving and/or Christmas holidays! Or any other holiday during the months of November/December for that matter!  The only stipulation you must keep in mind however is, that this is a Charlotte Mason blog carnival!  Which of course we all know just makes it that much better fun! ;)

Or, of course, if you just want to post what's going on in your CM world, please do.**
As always, themes are completely optional.

*Now, here's the really fun part!  Submit a *Holiday-related* post to the upcoming CM blog carnival and you will be halfway to earning one entry in my drawing to win this really fantabulous Metropolitan Museum of Art 2012 Page-a-Day Calendar to put under YOUR Christmas tree!!  Did you know that usually in the past these awesome calendars have already sold out at amazon by this date!? Get yours for free here!  ;)  In your *Holiday-related* post, mention this contest and link to this post to earn your entry in the drawing.

It's as easy as that: Submit your Holiday-related post, include a link to the contest & then leave a comment here to tell me you did it!  :)  Fun.

You can submit your posts here! :: http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_2378.html

Earn an extra entry by liking my page on fb (see sidebar).
Earn an extra entry if you become a brand new follower of this blog (leave separate comments for each).
In order to qualify for the extras, you have to have earned your first entry - see above.


Upcoming CM Blog Carnival :: Holidays - 11/22
Optional Reading:
CM volume: v5, p109ff :: A Happy Christmas To You!
PR articles: Holiday Amusements

You can submit your posts here! :: http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_2378.html

PS. This IS your friendly bi-weekly blog carnival reminder!
If you'd like to receive regular reminders by e-mail about the carnival, please send an e-mail to charlottemasonblogs@gmail.com. :)


**We love ALL CM-related posts EVERY carnival!! However only Holiday-related posts will qualify for the giveaway this time :)

Are you a missionary, lady?

If you are a missionary, lady, have I got news for you! Another very nice missionary lady is having a giveaway just for us other missionary ladies on her blog! I hardly dare tell you for fear of a stampede, that she's going to send one of us a holiday care package with Thanksgiving AND Christmas goodies in it!!  Sound too good to be true?  Check out Mrs. John in Ghana's most amazing fun idea!

To work on this week...

y7:

Shorter Readings

(divide up longer readings over several days – will help with concentration (read for understanding vs. to finish the reading), and will improve narrations (narrate after each section of the reading vs. trying to remember all the way back to the beginning)

Vary Activities

(read for 20-40 min; do nature study, read, or sing hymn, etc. - this will help with quality of concentration, overall brain function, as well as help each study serve as a source of variety and delight)

y2:

Get Work Done B4 Lunchtime

(alternating reading and doing, finish all school related tasks early with exception to the mommy-read books which may be read at quiet time or bedtime)

Start Bedtime Readings at 7:30pm

(if not, this just doesn't get done... everyone is too tired (including mommy ;)

Our Combined Year 1/2 with Ambleside Online!

The early Pioneer father looked out into the unexplored valley below him, as (today in this blog post) you and I will be gazing over the brink of a historic year for our homeschool (as you may come to notice, we're also learning about similes today ;). As a mother hen scurries around gathering her chicks like a mad woman... oh. wait, those things might not be dissimilar enough to be a true simile... ;) and no, most days are NOT in the mad woman category, anyway.  (only about every other... ;) just kidding OF COURSE)




This is the year that we have officially added Siah (7yo) into the AO rotation, and he will be doing not only y1, but y1 & y2!! Oh yeah! {high five} Well... not really both years. He'll be doing a combination of the two years in order to be able to slide up to y3 next spring with Bria. I'm very excited about that for lots of reasons. We shall see to those in this post.

Reasons for Combining:

• When I contemplate having all 4 children (someday 5) in separate AO years with our travel schedule/lifestyle, I begin to shake like a whole forest of leaves... under heavy storm!
• Because I combined the two older boys from the beginning, it's as normal as bread for breakfast in our house to share years.
• Siah was a much earlier reader than his brothers were and will be able to read many of his books independently this year (thus justifying for me, helping him along in y3 at 7.5yo). - I do not normally recommend this. I like to have a nice young 7yo at in y1! But, I think it's going to work for us. I plan to modify when necessary.
• Siah has become a very good narrator under the unofficial tutorship of his older siblings.
• Bria had her y2 abruptly interrupted by a long furlough, so she's perfectly set up to do a combined year with Siah (she'll read some books from the second half of y2, that I've decided he won't have to read, while he's listening to the books she's already heard).
• I can keep them together on the booklist, but at their own levels in math, copywork, dictation, etc.

Here's a sneak peek, click the link to see the whole thing.

Here's the proposed schedule, we're currently in week 4. :)

Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival: Religious Studies {vol 1}

Welcome to the November 8, 2011 edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival!

blog carnival:  where like-minded bloggers come together and share posts on along a common thread. 

~ that's my very own definition ;)

Our common thread is also our friend and mentor, Charlotte Mason. :)  There are many encouraging posts once again this time around the carnival.  Please stop by the different blogs and make sure to say hello!  The carnival will be taking on it's beloved rotation around the blog-o-sphere once again as several volunteers contacted me saying they'd love to host us, so I'm excited we'll be going a-visiting!!  Please see the schedule page for information about the when and what of upcoming carnivals. :)









It's time again to grab that cuppa somethin' good and enjoy the rich variety and beauty in CM homes around the world!  Enjoy!

A living education is...

nak presents Science Narration Journals & Walnuts Plumping

Tiger's Mum presents Degas and the ballet

Cindy West presents Fungi Study

Laura Grace Weldon presents Fun Theory  

Michelle presents The Charlotte Mason Method Inspires Me 

Richele McFarlin presents Teaching Shakespeare to Young Children








Jimmie presents Thirteen Ways to Reuse a Page a Day Art Calendar

Pamela Jorrick presents Art Every Day Challenge

Kelly @ The Homeschool Co-op presents Self-Control, NutureShock, Tools of the Mind & Homeschoolers

Barb-Harmony Art Mom presents Our October Bird List and Sparrow Study Using the Handbook of Nature Study

AnnieKate presents Mother Culture

{  About a year ago, several regular carnival bloggers agreed that we might add optional themes for those bloggers who would like some added inspiration on what to blog about, an idea for further CM study, and/or in order to have a place of reference for the future when looking for specific CM topics. I've really enjoyed having the topic, but have also worried that many people have perceived it as a limit to the carnival instead of an enhancement.  Please know that the theme serves only as a suggestion, not in anyway a limit!  }

Some religious studies:

Brandy@Afterthoughts presents Bible Lessons, CM-Style {Part I} & Bible Lessons, CM-Style (Part II)

Nadene presents Memory Verse Cards for Victory, Prayer & Purity | Practical Pages & Memorizing Scripture the Simply Charlotte Mason Way (free printables!)

Nebby presents Psalm 24  

Amy Dumas presents The Closest of All Relationships

Barb presents Habit: Remembering The Thoughts Of God








The next CMBCarnival will be:

Book of Centuries/Timelines (a form of vitality) - 11/22
(to be hosted at our favorite online treehouse!!)
Suggested Reading:
CM vol.6 p169-180 & vol.4 p.36-38
Parent's Review articles: The Book of Centuries & The Teaching of Chronology

PS. Be on the look out, because we have a few giveaways planned for some of the upcoming carnivals!! ;)

It's my party and I'll vote if I want to! ;)

Wow! I think it is SO fun that someone(s) nominated this blog for the Homeschool Blog Awards!  Thank you :)  I'm so excited about one nomination in particular: Best Homeschooling Methods...  I wholeheartedly agree!  A living education as advocated by Charlotte Mason herself is the BEST!  Join with me and make her principles famous?! 

I've made the difficult decision to vote for myself oh, I mean, Fisher Academy in Best Homeschooling Methods category!! (We've also been nominated for Best Nature Study, and Favorite Homeschool Mom - hah! you guys are too much! seriously. I laughed out loud on this last one. I'm flattered though :)

Here's why:

1. Charlotte Mason is the BEST and I want her method of delightful, living education to be famous!!
2. It's fun to win stuff!!
3. There are so many great blogs, it's probable I won't win anyway, so I might as well get one vote!! ;)

You can vote for Fisher Academy or any number of my friends' wonderful blogs here (I counted at least eight CM bloggy buddies on there, so we have a good chance of winning between us!):





You can only vote for Fisher Academy in one of the following categories...
Best Homeschooling Methods Blog
Best Nature Study, and Favorite Homeschool Mom

Have fun, and enjoy the party!! ;)

Folksong: Aiken Drum

The Van Tutt Family Singers has performed the AO Folksong for September for your viewing enjoyment! It's a little late... but I'm sure that's okay ;)





This is the modern (silly) rendering of a more traditional folksong. See the AO Folksong page for more information about this year's folksongs :)

Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival: Language Arts {vol 1}

Welcome to the latest Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival!

In this edition, we'll be looking at the place of Copywork, Dictation and Composition in a CM education.



Copywork: (also known as transcription)

"The earliest practice in writing proper for children of seven or eight should be, not letter writing or dictation, but transcription, slow and beautiful work... Transcription should be an introduction to spelling. Children should be encouraged to look at the word, see a picture of it with their eyes shut, and then write from memory." v1 p239

Dictation:  

"Here the object aimed at is to let the child get a correct picture of the word, and the passages to be dictated (not words without their context) are therefore carefully prepared, so that no misspelt word shall leave its impress on the brain."  Mrs. Franklin

Composition:  (also known as narration! v1 p248 & v6 p191)

"Oral composition is the habit of the school from the age of six to eighteen." v6 p270

Are you ready? Grab your cup of tea and spend a while with us looking at the following aspects of a Living Education...

Clara presents Does using the Charlotte Mason method of teaching writing through copywork, dictation, and narration really work?

Jennifer Mackintosh presents Wildflowers and Marbles: Considering - Charlotte Mason and Our Approach to Language Arts.  *She's written a series, so make sure to look for the link w/in the post! :)

Sarah presents What Composition at This Age? posted at All That's Goood.

Queen of Carrots presents A Few Ideas for Copywork.




"The child can simultaneously with reading make up words with loose letters, and copy them so that spelling, dictation and reading can go hand in hand." Mrs. Franklin in The Home Training of Children.


Lanaya presents Perfection in Letter Formation.

Barb presents Copywork and Dictation in High School? Simply Charlotte Mason Giveaway! - She's giving away two copies!

Traci Brooks presents Composition Comes By Nature.

amy in peru presents Narration, just a part of the whole & Copywork: an assignment




We will continue a supervised copywork lesson once a week even in year 7, until I notice we've regained mastery over some laziness that has seemed to creep in once again.


Amy Dumas presents Dictation - It Really Works! posted at Ambling.

Nancy Kelly presents My Calendar of Firsts.

4sweetums presents What Tools Do You Need to Homeschool?.

Jimmie presents Q & A: Did Charlotte Mason Espouse Notebooking?.




In the picture above, the boys are copying from an electronic version of Spelling Wisdom Book 3, and here Bria's using Book 1. Her attention has improved significantly over the last 2 weeks of school! I'm so proud of her! ;)

Tricia Hodges presents Tree Reflection: A Pastels Tutorial.

Cindy West presents The Study of a Twig.

Andrea @ Mosaic Ideas presents Mosaic Ideas for All Ages.

Kelly @ The Homeschool Co-op presents What Really Makes Our Kids Happy?.



The next CMBCarnival will be:

Religious Studies - 11/8
Suggested Reading:
CM vol.3 p137ff & vol.6 p.159-169
Parent's Review article: A Boy's Religion & The Development of the Religious Instinct in the Child

Submit your posts here!

Would you like to submit related photos or art to the upcoming carnival?  In keeping with the theme, I'd love to use other CMer's things, if your items are chosen, full credit will be given.  If you are interested, please send an e-mail to: charlottemasonblogs (at) gmail (dot) com.

Narration, just one part of the whole.

Can I just say that I didn't really believe that narrating, dictation and copywork were enough to teach my kids how to write? Well, it's true. I had my serious doubts in the beginning.  I admit it...  until somewhat recently, I always supplemented.

Don't get me wrong, we have always narrated. We started copywork and studied dictation at the corresponding appropriate ages. But I didn't believe. I didn't really think that could possibly be all.

Well, somewhere along the road, I became a believer. Some of us must see to believe :) My boys are finally old enough, or is it that I've finally been on this living education road long enough to trust that Charlotte Mason knew what she was talking about? Whatever it is, I love her. Our home and school are SO much more enjoyable because of the influence of her thoughts and experience.



image courtesy of uffizi_c

I could say more, but time would fail me... so I'll just link to some highlights!

A quote from Elsie Kitching clearing up some misunderstandings of CM's use of Language Arts, applies in our day as well:

'I had a letter from the Headmistress of a large Secondary School the other day, in which she said, "I do not think there is any difference between our use of narration and yours, except that we have it by way of composition the next day, and you have it immediately." I could only answer that there was a very great deal of difference. Compositions may always be set on subjects, taken from the work, which have been narrated. This is not the repetition of the child's first effort of attention, but a fresh effort to use his mind in another way. The composition probably calls for a summary, or a portion of what the child has read, in depicting a character or in discussing the pros and cons of any point, with illustrations from the general reading of the week.

May I say that Miss Mason's Method is at present suffering from the prevalent idea that her Method is narration, and chiefly the narration of English. Her Method covers the whole of a child's school life, in fact the whole of his life; the habit of narration is the means by which we all make anything our own to which we give full attention.

It has been said, on the other hand, that the one effort of attention and the one narration implies that the child must never do anything a second time, which is again a very much mistaken interpretation of Miss Mason's teaching. The second time may, as I have said, come in the way of composition later on; it probably comes again in the end of term examination, and certainly, if the child is interested, frequently in after life. There are also in the upper Forms the interesting sidelights which one book or subject throws upon another, sometimes covering the same ground from another point of view.'

Helpful links:
AmblesideOnline's Language Arts Scope and Sequence
AO notes on Language Arts
We Narrate and then We Know
AO narration page
An Advisory member's narration journey.
Some helpful answers to common questions on narration.
Some Notes on Narration - a Parent's Review article
AO copywork page

One of our own copywork lessons at Fisher Academy
A dictation lesson from the Parent's Review

Nature Study at the beach!

My birthday wish: Nature Study, with my watercolors, at the beach.
Yeah, really. I'm that serious. It's SO awesome!
And my wonderful family loves it too!

























Not all wishes come true... but this day, all of mine did! ;)

Check out Pam's AWESOME step by step encouraging post to just 'do nature study'!

Our Year 7 with Ambleside Online!

I never thought this day would come. Didn't I? Javen and Cullen are growing up. I cannot believe it. Or can I? This summer was one of marked change in them, and still more upon returning to Peru. I'm so impressed with them lately. It has been so fun to begin to share more 'grown up talk' with them over the last several months. I love it. But still, it makes me feel so old.



Ah, yes. Year 7.

This is the year that the transition becomes most noticeable, from elementary-ish school level to the higher studies. It is clearly reflected in their weekly checklist. They've got a lot of interesting things to do this year. They're excited, I'm excited; we are ALL excited.

Because I tend to think more clearly in ink or type, the plan of our first term follows. :)

This year we'll be continuing to concentrate on:
The habit of attention. Strengthening the will.

"The student may be compelled by a necessity which he recognises, or stimulated by compitition: the latter is a poor broken reed, and the former he will rightly try to escape, unless he has somehow come to regard his study as a duty--the "something which has to be done, whether it pleases anybody or nobody":--otherwise he will detest and resist atoms and molecules as strenuously as accidence and syntax, or any other subject that can be laid before him."

R. L. Leighton, Head Master, The Grammar School, Bristol

AOy7, Term 1

Gospel of John.  Commentary by VanRyn, or in the absence thereof, Tasker's.

Book of Centuries will accompany and mapwork is to follow the history readings: Birth of Britain, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, King Alfred, The Brendan Voyage. We'll use an ancient map of Brittania, a map showing Britain as part of the Roman Empire, and a modern map for Brendan Voyage and for Map Drill (specifically UK).

We will be using Ourselves as our own family book club reading. We will meet weekly to discuss (preferably over tea :).  I'd like to do a map of Mansoul as we go along... we'll see.

Plutarch's Lives, Poplicola - read aloud (use Anne's AO study guide). I'll probably mostly look at the study guide myself and only address things if/when they come up. With discussion questions, I hope to help them to observe in order to outline a character sketch at the end of the term. **They REALLY love Plutarch!**

Whatever Happened to Penny Candy
Current Events: Student News Daily and World Magazine's Top story. Weekly, make an entry in written narration notebook, "This Week in History."

Literature for the first term includes: Watership Down, The Once and Future King, English Literature for Boys and Girls, Age of Chivalry, Ivanhoe

All readings will continue to be narrated as in all years of a CM education. This first term of y7, I will require weekly:  

• 1 or 2 - written narrations from their choice of readings (gently edited);  
• 1 - science lab book entry;  
• 1 - 'This Day in History' narration/blog post (self-edited). 

In addition to these, there will be one supervised copywork, several commonplace notebook entries, and one or two studied dictations. This pretty much means they will be writing every day, maybe more than once! This is a huge jump from last year.

Poetry: Daily reading from Lord, Alfred Tennyson and/or The Timeline of English Verse.
Grammar of Poetry: one lesson/week
Grammar: one lesson/week using Our Mother Tongue.

Recitation: We'll have one (15min) lesson every couple of weeks to practice, go over pronunciation, presentation as outlined here. They'll go over their selection daily. They may choose from Last Words of Chaucer, Lady Clare, Sir Galahad, Henry V's prayer before Agincourt, or part of Locksley Hall.  If they have something good that they'd much rather do, by all means I'll allow it! :)

Shakespeare: We'll first finish reading aloud Romeo & Juliet (by the boys' request) and continue with Henry V.  I am encouraging them to come up with creative narrations of this reading, such as dramatized narration, comic strip, etc.

Math – Continue MEP y6 math – 1 lesson/day. In Tarapoto, finish Life of Fred Decimals - 30min/day,  continue with Live of Fred Pre-Algebra.
Apologia's Physical Science – (use science lab book for narrations – spread a lesson over 2 weeks). Read this article on the necessity of keeping a science lab book.

Nature Study - This year we'll be once again shooting for almost daily entries (minimum 2/week). This will depend greatly upon how often we make time to get outside... it being seriously more difficult here in Trujillo on the fourth floor! Entries may include any of the following: sketch an object w/ watercolors, monthly tree observations, maintaining bird & plant lists, recording phases of the moon, etc.  Read: Lay of the Land.  Read: an article outlining Nature Journals.

Folksongs:  follow AO rotation + specific to year 7,  Bold Robin Hood and the Pedlar, The Three Ravens, The Outlandish Knight. Watch youtube videos here and here.  Here's a post illustrating why folksongs are so valuable.
Hymns: He Leadeth Me, Dear Lord and Father of Mankind & He Hideth My Soul
(see AO hymn page for lyrics, links and midi files)

Composer Study: Mozart. All of his music can be found free online here. I have the Opal Wheeler book, which I plan to use as well as simply listening to the music whenever we think to.
Artist Study: Fragonard. We'll use this book, read this biography and look at these prints.
The Story of Painting.
Music: Guitar and Singing practice, 15min/day (would love to pay for lessons?)

Latin: Getting Started with Latin. 2-3 lessons/week.

"It follows that we must look elsewhere to find grounds for preferring one study to another, or, indeed, for requiring the young to study anything beyond those elements which have become necessaries of life for civilized mankind. The only safe ground is educational value: the worth of study as the means of suppling and strengthening the intellect, over and above that moral value which belongs to all forms of work."

R. L. Leighton, Head Master, The Grammar School, Bristol

At home, we speak English and Spanish. The kids are learning Spanish without even trying. As for lessons, we do read to them in Spanish, and they narrate back. We sing in Spanish at home and at church. Our friends speak Spanish... etc. But apart from that, we are not pushing formal lessons at this time.

French:  The Easy French
(Unfortunately, this will only happen sporadically; ideally, in Trujillo, as we have native-speaking French friends here. There is even a French Club! But, seeing as this first term, we will be concentrating on regaining our routine after furlough and before traveling again, we have to postpone the more intense study of French for another term at least.) In the meantime, I'm looking forward to looking over Anne's posts on their French studies.

"The language chosen should differ widely from the mother-tongue of the student, because sharp contrasts, as of black ink on white paper, more readily fix the attention and stick in the memory. It should also be at least equal to the mother-tongue as an instrument of thought, and it should be capable of stimulating the mind of the learner by introducing him to new ideas and unfamiliar ways of looking at the world around him. Finally, as it is not to be an end in itself, but a means of awakening the intellect to a consciousness of the delicate differences and shades of meaning conveyed by slight variations of expression, it should be a language which will not be required to be employed with the glibness of every-day intercourse." 

Health: We will begin with Fearfully & Wonderfully Made when we arrive back in Tarapoto (the book is there!)

Another couple of things new and exciting to this year (y7) are the Commonplace Notebook and the Book of Centuries. Read this article for the merits of starting your own Commonplace Notebook, and here for your BoC.

Work: continue with chore list.
Physical Education: Run with Mom & Dad, 3x/week. Soccer in the park with neighborhood kids, 2x/week.
Handiwork: Sand and paint tables.

Free Reads: 30min/day as a suggestion. Please plan accordingly to finish by end of year.

Notebooks:
Nature Journal
Copywork Notebook (technically, this is being phased out, soon to be replaced by Commonplace)
Written Narration Notebook - all written narrations, including 'This Week in History'
Commonplace Notebook - to take down memorable quotes, living ideas as stated by other authors.
Book of Centuries
Science lab book - pretty informal at this point.
Math Practice Book
Personal Journal (personal/spiritual, private)

Helpful Links:
This plan is based almost exclusively from the AO Year 7 recommendations: See here.
Would you like to see this plan for yourself? Download here.
I've created a handy-dandy checklist to hang on the fridge for AOy7, term 1. Download here.
Can I just say that I love how Naomi approaches scheduling?! Read about her schedule here.

Some nature study inspiration.

As I have been home from church today with a sickly little, I have had some extra time for scouring the web for school stuff this Sunday.  I've gotten a LOT done, but in the last hour I got a little sidetracked looking again for nature study inspiration. Here are some links I (re)discovered featuring all kinds of ideas for adding interest to being outside...




Mind you, not everything mentioned in the following links is something we would do even if we could, but nonetheless there are many ideas to choose from.

Interpret all of the following links in light of this first one, Is Your Nature Study Living or an Educational Activity?

ChildlightUSA post by Art Middlekauff on creating intimacies with nature, As For Knowing the Thing Itself.

I've found the observations in the following post to be true to my own experiences with my own nature study book, Nature Study and Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain:

"Careful observation enhances the student’s brain by increasing neural pathways. First, observation vastly increases knowledge about the subject being studied. It is only through looking that students will realize red maple leaves typically have three large points, two small points, and jagged edges. Observation also trains the mind to pay attention to and realize the importance of details."

Pretty much everything you might like to know about creative ways to incorporate nature study! 

This is an EXCELLENT post... 19 can-do Nature Walk Variations

Nature Study option for urban dwellers at REI?

Free watercolor tutorials for your nature study book!

Do you have any not to be missed online resources for nature study?  Do share!  ;)