beauty.

Source: pinwords.com via amy in peru on Pinterest

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 :)

a 12 year old boy's tribute to a CM education

At sixteen days short of turning the big 13, this morning, my most dramatic son said to me, "Mom, did you read that e-mail I sent you? I think you'll laugh." He and his brother who are only 13 months apart have been playing with this online program making movies...
choose the genre, the actors, the setting, choose background music, and then type out the script.  Pretty fun, huh?!

Growing impatient, "Mom, I can't wait for you to read the e-mail, I made it just for you!" Javen sang out in his most winsome tone.
Could I resist? Here's what I found in my inbox that made me laugh out loud:




It's also available HERE.

Einstein: "Hello, my hairy friend. When was the last time you looked at the dictionary?"

Harry: "What's a dictionary?"

Einstein: "Hast thou not heard of the great thing called Education, poor soul?
[begins to swing his hips, adding a most delectable spin...]

I've watched it again and again, and laughed. every. single. time... and I can't help it if I am still a little teary.

guest post by Bria...

happy Birth Day Mom I Love you

{I came to the computer to get started on my post on first reading lessons (stay tuned) and that is what I found already written here... see my post over here for more of this girl's sweetness today}

 

CM Blog Carnival! Hooray!

I don't know anyone who wouldn't love a CM carnival!  Well, besides my uncle Ron, and maybe my father-in-law's friends... well okay, maybe I'd better say, I know a LOT of people who LOVE a good CM carnival, so how 'bout let's have one!!





There are SO many sights at a carnival like this one, the ferris wheel of habit training (it goes round and round...), the nature study exhibit (perhaps the most popular!), the popcorn stand (or shall we say biscuits and tea?), the artist and composer tent, karaoke hymns, the hands-on booth ... you name it!  You know what you came for!  So, I'm totally curious, what's your favorite part of the carnival?  Please leave me a comment!

Now, I figure that from the carousel we'll each be able to spy out the different sights as we go around... you gals have gone and posted SO much this time around, and I have the feeling this is going to be so FUN you're surely not gonna wanna stop!  So, seeing as the carousel is about to start, find your favorite animal, climb aboard and let's get this show on the road!  :)

Make sure that at each place you stop, if you enjoy what you've read, leave a kind note...  it's the best kind of fun to be among friends :)









*Nancy gives us a chart for looking at training the will  "...20 adults met to discuss our reading of Charlotte Mason's Towards a Philosophy of Education, Chapter 8, "The Way of the Will"... " Of course, everyone wants something practical, something to apply right away, something to use..." So head on over to her place and get the chart!  The Way of the Will Chart posted at Sage Parnassus.

*Scripture memorization in big chunks... "I'm sure we've tried memorizing things before but with this year being our first year using Charlotte Mason methods, we're memorizing scripture."  Be inspired!  Contessa presents Scripture In Pictures

*Nebby questions the good of testing...  "a kind of mental exercise, like lifting weights for the mind. The time limits imposed by a testing environment force the student to concentrate and to perhaps be more systematic and diligent in their thought processes..."  Testing in Homeschool

*Deborah Jean relishes in memories of early CM days...helping us mothers of yet young ones relax in CM methods :)..."It's no wonder I fell in love with Charlotte Mason's gentle learning approach for the elementary ages." ...  Busy Hands, BUSY WORK or both? 








*Shirley Ann talks about the beauty of Artist study as passed down from one generation to the next, and showcases some blooming beauties and how they relate to taking off in reading.  Hello Vincent. AND Spring Blooms and Late Bloomers

*Mama Squirrel presents a reflective post on Listening. You'll definitely want to head over and read this: Don't talk over the music posted at Dewey's Treehouse.

"...for of the evils of modern education few are worse than this - 

that the perpetual cackle of his elders leaves the poor child not a moment of time, 

nor an inch of space, wherein to wonder - and grow."

*Robin has found a relatively painless way to learn new birdsong!  Hilarious.  Creative Nature Study: How to Let Bird Song Wake You Up - Crack the Egg


*Pamela talks about nature study for city-dwellers... "So, one of the things I am always super grateful for when we spend any amount of time in a big city is finding the little refuges where nature has a little bit of space to do her thing, and so do we. Thank goodness people in the past had the foresight to set aside some land for parks before the sprawl of civilization took it all over."   Check out her post here: Trees in the City 

*Melissa's starting and customizing their book of centuries  "...starting at Creation and learning the truth of history from the Bible is one of the greatest gifts I can give my children. From the beginning of time, God's love for us is evident and that continues to be the common thread throughout the course of time.." Book of Centuries...givin' it a go! 







*Becky's CM basics, Living Books, Narration, Art, Composer, Poetry.
"Lots of homeschool parents look into the Charlotte Mason method and get overwhelmed.  Here are 5 easy ways to make the CM method part of your busy day..." 5 Ways to Add a Little Charlotte Mason to Your Routine

*Jeanne talks about how all of life is a classroom, a must read. "How different things are from those first heady days when I was first learning about homeschooling. The book work set me up to succeed, but it was the actual doing that made me a homeschooling mum, not the reading about it."  Learning about learning posted at A peaceful day.

*Nadene talks about motivation!  Very good tips.  All of us have some of those months days, grab some good ideas to turn things around!  Turning those frowns upside down ? Motivation! posted at Practical Pages.

*Penny makes Artist studies a matter of everyday conversation...
Excellent (and easy) idea!  Making an art placemat

*Phyllis shows First Reading Lesson in Pictures!  Nice and easy :)
All Things Beautiful: First Reading Lesson Charlotte Mason Style









*Phyllis does nature walks... just right.  She reminds us of how Charlotte advised was the best way for spending time outside. All Things Beautiful: Taking a Nature Walk

*Anna encourages us not to be afraid to offer our children wholesome foods. CM talks about the importance of balanced nutrition in Vol. one.  For Pure Pleasure: Assume the Best

*Jennifer has talked about her Book of Centuries project and it looks GREAT!  She also made some VERY nice timeline book pages/BOC for purchase. Now Complete! Jewish Book of Centuries (Charlotte Mason style) 

*Laura Grace Weldon is a writer mom pondering education at the grass roots level  :)  Asking questions: Mom Knows Nothing


*Jimmie gives us a CM summary post... perfect for those just starting out to get a handle on some of the basics: Implementing Charlotte Mason Basics posted at Jimmie's Collage.


*Tricia shows us an EXCELLENT idea incorporating, art, cooking, multi-generational learning... and pretty photos :) Pastels Tutorial: Hot Chocolate

*Rachel presents a hands-on feet-on activity for a picture book: Fun Learning Activities for Preschoolers and Kids » Blog Archive » Purple Toes: The Book & Activity


*Makita hopes to show some progress on Copywork, one of those constants... cheer her on at: Copywork Revisited!

*Lynn gives us some images of autumn in Signs of Autumn.

*Need handicraft ideas? Susan has one! Stitching Life: Maple Leaf Handicraft.







*amy in peru shows one way to teach map drills. Hey!  that's me!  You're in the right place!  ;)  Map Skills: What we do posted at Fisher Academy International ~ Teaching Home.

*amy in peru inspires us how to make Nature Study a high priority: Nature Study: One of the Constants here at Fisher Academy International ~ Teaching Home.

HAHAHAH!  It's such fun to talk about myself in the third person :)

OOh... and one last post:

*Richele shares more nature study nitty-gritty facts! More Mechanics of Nature Study!

Alright, time's up!  After the carousel has come to a complete stop, please step off and exit straight to the beach, for some good peace and quiet!  Though I love a good carnival as much as the next mom, I do enjoy the peaceful putting into practice part the best ;)  I hope you've found something you enjoyed! 

It's been so much fun, let's do this every month...

no wait, how 'bout every two weeks! ;)

See you around next time friends... 

So, what's YOUR favorite ride at the CM blog carnival?  

Is there something in particular you usually come to see?

sketch tuesday: R

Hurry!  If you finish up your sketches early this morning, you could still get them in for this week's sketch tuesday slideshow!  The theme is 'starting with the letter R'.
E-mail your sketches to Barb HERE.

Here are ours:





Obviously, in an ideal world, Barb prefers that we submit our sketches before Monday... but if you're like I was at first and you keep forgetting 'til the last second, well, Barb's so nice! ;)  Just get them in right now, and then next week, maybe you'll remember earlier.  The way I remember now is, I make it a Sunday afternoon {quiet time} suggestion... but today the kids beat me to it and brought it up today before I even had a chance to mention it :)

sketch tuesday: float

I LOVED the theme this week.  Lily pads are one of my FAVORITE floating things EVER.

One of the reasons I love Monet is because he painted lily pads...

One of the reasons I love the botanical garden in Trujillo is because of the lily pads...

and I SO loved making my sketch of lily pads!

I must say that interest has been somewhat waning on the whole sketch tuesday thing, because I refuse to make it a forced thing with my kids.  But this week, the two older boys really spent a good amount of time on theirs... what a worthwhile way to spend a quiet part of the morning!

{check out all the other entries here}

Nature Journal Inspiration

Nature study has changed my life.  Not simply because I now know more about toads, turtles, birds, insects and plants than I ever thought I would (though I am very glad for all that).  I'm not even referring to the hour each week to go outside and complete some kind of assignment (though there's absolutely nothing wrong with that...)  Neither am I talking about nature walks, or making regular entries in a nature journal. 

After several years of nature study, I am different because I have been awakened.  I can see.  And I am absolutely smitten by the beauty I've discovered.

That's what nature study has done to me.  

"In the early years we are not to teach nature as science, we are not to teach it primarily for method or for drill: we are to teach it for loving - and this is nature study.  On these points I make no compromise."

LH Bailey

There is nothing quite like a sense of wonder when it comes to discovering the minute alongside the grandiose beauty in the world around us.  Oh such delights are waiting for us!

When we discover something wonderful... wouldn't we like to remember it?  A nature journal is great for that! The emphasis is on the experience, the enjoyment of nature, observation and asking questions, not so much on the recording.  What we record in a journal is only the outward sign of the inward workings  ;)

"A field notebook may be made a joy to the pupil and a help to the teacher.  Any kind of blank book will do for this, except that it should not be too large to be carried in the pocket, and it should always have the pencil attached."

Anna Comstock

Here's how we started:

I actually made our own first books.  I didn't have very high hopes of finding anything of very good quality in the small mountain town in Peru where we lived in those days.  Plus, I didn't want to spend a lot of money if the boys weren't even going to use them.  Also, I would have been hesitant to let them mess them up if they had cost me a lot of money... I'm annoying like that.  :)  So, we made our own, and they've become real treasures to us for more than just the fact that they are homemade.


Can you seriously believe that these pictures are from 2005?!
I just knew they'd come in handy one of these days!! ;) heheh.

So, the books belong to the kids.  They decorate the outside, and they do all the drawings inside... with no criticism, no corrections... all theirs. For a LONG time, they weren't really into making entries.  I didn't fuss.  I just pulled mine out, and likely as not, they'd appear with theirs some time later as well.






Just recently actually have we graduated to store bought journals.  I bought them from Miller Pads and Paper.  They are perfect.  Not necessarily for watercolor, but definitely for sketching.  Charlotte Mason emphasized giving the children quality art materials, but I didn't always have access to quality.  Nor did my budget always allow for it.  But one can never go wrong with a sturdy blank book and a set of good colored pencils.  Just last year we ventured into watercolor for a bit, and now are back to the pencils until we can learn some more.  We had a few too many really satisfying sketches ruined by a bit too much water!  I'm hoping to learn more about dry brush very soon (yes, Richele, I need to review your post again ;)

"Too much have we emphasized drawing as an art; it may be an art, if the one who draws is an artist; but if he is not an artist, he still has a right to draw if it pleases him to do so.  We might as well declare that a child should not speak unless he put his words into poetry, as to declare that he should not draw because his drawings are not artistic."

Anna Comstock

Helpful Links:

One of our nature study posts from about 4 years ago!  hah! the kids are so small!  :)
Bloggy friends who've posted on their nature journals lately... Pebblekeeper, Barb, and Richele
This officially my first Outdoor Hour Challenge post, I believe.  Hooray!
Simple Nature Journal squidoo
HONS - free online in many formats here.

I snagged the following AWESOME link from Megan over at Contented Sparrow (check out her inspiring post first!) then... Vintage Nature Readers Galore!  Check them both out :)

So how 'bout it?  Are you inspired yet?  

Go ahead, pick up a notebook and some pencils and head out to see what you can see, see, see!
Oh, and if you get a chance, I'd love to hear all about it!

sketch tuesday: roadtrip

Okay, so I know that today is NOT tuesday.  But admittedly, I'm all messed up.  My husband being a missionary/preacher he is always SUPER busy on weekends and so has declared, that Monday being our family day, we will not do school but rather have a break and school Saturdays instead.  Hmmm.  Well that does toss things up a bit.  We are so used to our schedule and the days that correspond neatly to the subjects that we normally tackle on them... and yeah.  We're messed up.

But, my kids feel proud to see their stuff up here on my blog, even if it IS wednesday...  and I thought, here's a chance to remind you all about getting your sketches ready because this time you have 2 weeks to get your sketches ready!  Barb will be taking the week off, but you can send your sketches in any time so start thinking about it now!!  :)

Here's ours from last week:

Go here for more information on next week's theme: Sketch Tuesday: Gone Wild-Everglades

sketch tuesday: sticky

See the Sticky Slideshow :)

Find out more about next week's Sketch Tuesday

sketch tuesday: desserts

So, here we go again!  Another Sketch Tuesday!!  

Stay tuned because we're working on a Peruvian culture post that we'll post later this week!

Here's a clue... I'm made of wood, a nail and string... I fly spinning through the air... if I miss I might get hit with a machete...

WHO AM I? 

sketch tuesday: airports

My kids are really getting into this... I love it, because it is easy art... no cajoling, no bribery, just kids who want to see their art hung up next to someone else's.  They spend time making something they can be proud of, I scan it and send it off.  It's as simple that.  Hooray for Barb, creator of Sketch Tuesdays!

See the slideshow here

Sketch Tuesdays

Our contribution to this week's Sketch Tuesday!

Artist Study: Monet {part one}

Monet is my favorite.  He's french.  I have a french friend.  Perhaps one day I'll go to France.  Perhaps one day I'll speak French.  Perhaps.

Until then I'll admire his art.  Especially these pieces:

One of my favorites:


I guess they're all my favorites.  :)

I love how he paints the same thing but in different lights... ahh.  so beautiful.

Here's a page that shows some of the different views of the Japanese bridge.

This one is Javen's favorite:

The following selections are chosen by the AmblesideOnline Advisory:

2009-2010 TERM 3
Claude Monet (1840-1926) French Impressionist (Biography or here)

1. Terrace at St. Adresse, 1866, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
2. Women in the Garden, 1866, Musee d'Orsay, Paris
3. Jean Monet on His Hobby Horse, 1872, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
4. Woman with a Parasol: Madame Monet and Her Son, 1875, National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. (see slso here)
5. Tulip Fields in Holland, 1886, Musee d'Orsay, Paris
6. The Waterlily Pond, 1899, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey (more here)

(The above is copied from the AO site under this term's Art Study) 

Our Artist Study:

I've posted HERE on how we do Artist Study.  I'm learning all the time.  How do you do it?  I'm all over any helpful hints you might have!!


A few interesting links:

This term we are SO spoiled because Jimmie has done all the work for us with her lovely squidoo lens on Monet.  Jimmie is a wonderful lady with an eclectic approach (primarily CM) to her one child homeschool in China.  I really don't have anything at all to add as far as teaching resources.  Thanks Jimmie!

Thumb through the complete works of Monet.  I love this site to get a real feel and quick overall look at the complete collection of his works.  You can see them as thumbnails, click for larger view (easiest if you set the option to see 96 pictures per page). (www.claudemonetgallery.org)

If you happen to be traveling to France anytime soon :) (heheh)  There are a couple interesting links for you.  You'll want to buy this book (you'll probably want to buy it anyway after you read the reviews) and you'll also want to plan your guided tour to Monet's garden at Giverny.

Timeline of painting at Giverny, from Monet's moving to the property until now.

Activities:

Cool coloring sheet for making Monet reproductions. (www.funnycoloring.com)  Here's the real painting to use as a coloring guide.

Hands-on Art project HERE.  (www.kids-educational-activities.suite101.com)

Our thoughts: 

Javen: "What I've noticed about Monet is that in all his paintings there is almost always shrubbery.  If there isn't shrubbery then there's sky.  Sometimes there's shrubbery and sky."

Do you haiku?

We made our first group attempt at writing poetry today.  We started with haiku.  It isn't very hard to do relatively quickly, but certainly difficult to do well! 


I illustrated it to my kids making up a haiku of my own showing how to count the syllables:

five syllables start

seven go in the middle

five more finish it.

Here's my first attempt:

Sun shining outright

his rays consume the dew drops

waking up the earth.

HOW-to Haiku 
This site has some good simple tips and several printable worksheets (if you're into that :)


Will you Haiku... too? 
Participate in a contest!  It ends this weekend on Sunday, March 7th.  Click over there to read our entries... Amy, Javen & Cullen.

PS. I'm really sorry I didn't get this up in time for you to work on your entries!!!  My computer has gone out... read here and here.

I wholeheartedly agree...

"Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and
supreme experience if only one had a coloured pencil
long enough to draw on the ceiling."

--G.K. Chesterton

I found this quote on Dewey's Treehouse 
Image courtesy of Dragon Art.

Thoughts on Copyright

So, what can a person say that has never been said before?

What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there a thing of which it is said,
"See, this is new"?
It has been already
in the ages before us.

Ecclesiastes 1:9

A discussion of copyright led us to a little bit of research as to what's okay to copy and what's not.

According to US law, anything written "privately and originally" after 1989 is pretty much safely protected whether or not the author has registered a copyright. Legally, you may not copy someone else's stuff and they could come after you, unless you are just commenting on it, making fun of it, teaching it, etc, and then you can only use short and attribuited "quotes" from the original work.

This seems like an amazing piece of legislation to me. Nowadays there is SO much being written and blogged and in other ways communicated, that how can one know or better yet, prove that what one writes is one's very own? I can sit here and type this entry about copyright, but I've just come from several websites explaining copyright. Who's to say that some of what I'm thinking wasn't because of what they wrote... what if what I say sounds a lot like what they said, even though it's been through the mill and spit back out again? Would that be an infringement of copyright? What if someone is thinking the very same thing as I am and writes it on their own blog at this very moment? After all, someone has said, great minds think alike!

Sheesh. I don't get it. How does anyone write anything that hasn't been said or thought of before, and perhaps somewhere written down? Once they do write something, how do they prove to the world that it is original to them... are there any original thoughts?!

We started looking into copyright laws and I ended up perhaps a little foggier than before.

Here's what we did learn though:

1) All copiable (written, digital, photographic, printed, tape recorded, etc) information created after 1989 -1978 according to other sources, is copyrighted unless expressly noted that it is in the public domain.

2) Yes, one may never actually be called to attention by the author themselves or punished by law, but it IS still very much a matter of respect for others and of the law.

3) We should still be creative... but, honestly... not taking advantage of another's creativity, yet learning from it. Always giving full credit where credit is due.

4) Copyrights can expire. 70 years after the death of the author, the copyright expires. (But I remain foggy about whether widows, kids, grandkids, executors can renew?)

Maybe I've brought up a question or two that remain unanswered that have piqued your curiosity... Go for it! Research it for yourself.

A few links to explanations of copyright:

10 Big Myths About Copyright explained
US gov't site for Teachers and Students
Brief intro to Copyright by Brad Templeton
US gov't site on copyright
The Copyright Website

Amy