I have NO time for a thoughtful post. I'm just quick stashing these in case they need to be found later.
Of course, if it ends up like other stashes, I won't remember that I stashed them at all and forget to even look here...
Anyway.
I used these links this last week in our intro to Fra Angelico studies. Yes, we're still in Term 1 and just starting artist study. Never mind that technically, the first term was supposed to be done before Christmas break...
F.l.e.x.i.b.i.l.i.t.y is the name of the game around here.
Massacre of the Innocents, Fra Angelico
It had been a few minutes after passing out the prints so they could get an overall sense of the artist's style of work, when my seven year old spoke up about her painting. She said in a completely nonchalant way, "Mom, mine looks like it's about bunch of people trying to kill babies. Could I have a different one?"
It was funny.
You know, funny in a not funny way. Kinda.
Nevermind.
Thank you for joining us at the February 2015 edition CM Blog Carnival! In the last edition, during the month of January, you all shared 30 posts! Fun! Everyone's participation is much appreciated! Now, wouldn't it be a kick to see if we could gather up as many or more gems this time around? The more shared, the more there is to read. The more there is to read, the more to think, communicate and learn about. And that's what we're doing this for!
Readers may want to check back again near the end of the month for the latest additions. Also, bloggers, please feel free to link up any additional posts to the linky below, or if you would like yours to be considered as a feature in the next carnival, you may also submit it by e-mail anytime between now and the end of the month.
Whoever you are, blogger or reader, will you consider sharing some bloggy love this month by posting lots, reading lots and/or commenting lots this month?! Well, I know you're busy. So, how 'bout just a little?! ;)
Way back last month, in the reminder e-mail for January's carnival , I tossed the idea out for Nature Study in Winter as one of the optional writing prompts. I know that for many of you who live in northerly climates it's REALLY hard to get outside during the cold months. It may have been my secret scheme to get you out there...
Of course, it's easy for me to say. Look what our winter looks like... :)
Now keep in mind, posts do not have to be on the writing prompt in order to be featured. That happens kind of arbitrarily, I admit. However, it just so happens to have turned out that way this time... and I think you'll be glad. February Feature: Nicole at A Sabbath Mood Homeschool has submitted a post that I think, really, REALLY will be an encouragement to you all in your naturally frosty educational endeavors. Her theory is that, yeah, it's tough to get out there. After all, it is COLD! But she found some ideas of Charlotte Mason with which to motivate us, ourselves as well as our students. Here's a quote from her post:
"In Home Education Mason says "The real use of naturalists' books at this stage is to give the child delightful glimpses into the world of wonders he lives in, to reveal the sorts of things to be seen by curious eyes, and fill him with desire to make discoveries for himself.” (Home Education, pg 64)
Maybe what we need, in order to improve our motivation toward winter nature study, is to read some of what was written by the great naturalists who have gone [into the snow and cold elements] before us.""
Does that pique your interest? Do you think she means simply using books INSTEAD of going outside in winter? I guess you won't really know unless you check it out. I'm pretty sure you WILL be encouaraged.
Speaking of Nature Study in winter, several bloggers this time around submitted posts on the subject, and shared below are some of their slightly more appropriately wintry photos. :) Wanna do a scavenger hunt? See if you can find where these are posted...?
There are SO many great posts this month on such a wonderful variety of subjects. Scroll on down to the linky below to check them out. I think you'll find enough to last at least a couple of sittings.
Enjoy!
Until next time...
More opportunities to hang out together throughout the month: (Feel free to link your blog post to more than one link up where applicable!)
Do you host a CM related blog link up?
Please e-mail information to:
charlottemasonblogs (at) gmail (dot) com
::
Check out all the posts for the month here:
As you may remember, we've recently made some changes to the CMBC* in order to make it easier for everybody to enjoy and participate. They are outlined below:
1 CMBC post / month.
CMBC will host a linky that will remain active throughout the month(so you can add more posts!).
CMBC will have a permanent home and only go visiting for special occasions(as decided by the poll results)
All posts submitted to the CMBC by e-mail before the deadline will be linked to AND one or two will be featured every edition (with a photo & intro), selections will be made at the hostess/editor's discretion. (Every post will be linked (in the linky), but not every post will be featured with a blurb. This will save the hostess a LOT of time!)
this month of getting back into the scheme of things has not included a regular getting back out into nature and things. sadly.
we're still traveling. currently, we're on the coast of Peru, but haven't made it to the beach. yet.
hopefully tomorrow. and if we get out, i promise to share pictures.
'til then, have a peek at some Very Interesting Nature reads?
and do share your nature studies with us in the linky below?
we're feeling somewhat nature deprived as all we've really seen lately has been on the go. go. go.
Top 20 New Species Discovered in 2014!
Be sure to check out one found ONLY IN PERU!
Oh, and the Very Long Insect. Second longest in the world to be exact.
Snag a button if you wanna! :)
Come back and share your nature studies with us this month!
The {Nature Study Monday} link up is for ANY nature study-ish blog post written at any time during the current month. Which means, when you submit your link, it will show up in every. single. {NSM} post. during the whole month! Oh, and be not confused, feel free to link up on any day, be it Monday or not!
Isn't it fun to be back here together again?!
Ah... the CM Blog Carnival. Thank you all so much for your participation this time around. There are so many fun opportunities listed below to hang out together via blogs!
We have a grand total of 20 posts! That's like having 20 of you, and all your friends, over for tea.
Seriously, what FUN! See what happens when we don't get together for a while?!
We have so much to say!
As you know we've been considering some changes to the CMBC in order to make it easier for everybody to enjoy and participate. We'll talk about that at the end. First, let's just enjoy one another's company. :)
Reflective and Inspirational posts:
Angela from Learning to Live shares her Homeschool goals for the new year, she mentions many different areas where she has already seen some improvement with her young children, as well as a few where she's still looking. What a fun stage she is at with her girls!
Liz Cottrill at Living Books Library shares some timely inspiration in Living Up to the Call. A very good read for the beginning of a new year which so often coincides with flu season!
Dawn at Ladydusk shares 2015 Homeschool Changes: Philosophy Changes, in which she announces she's becoming more and more drawn to Charlotte Mason, and plans to keep studying (via Karen Glass' book!) and applying her principles. Yay! Welcome, it's such a wonderful way of life.
Deanna at Love Adopted shares Beginning Ambleside Year 0 ~ Our "No" Curriculum-Curriculum Overview and Some Advice Along the Way. She's an experience homeschooler starting over with her littlest two using AOy0 and boy is it a jam-packed post! I for one enjoyed reading it in parts, there is so much sweetness there.
Nancy at Sage Parnassus shares TWO posts, (see Slow and Beautiful Work below) and Simple Living in the New Year! Both are beautiful reminders to live simply and deliberately in a crazy busy world. Also encouraging are her personal responses to comments. Thanks, Nancy!
Patti Lofgren at School Days Scrapbook shares Powerful Spiritual Themes in Chronicles of Narnia and (John Constable - Salisbury Cathedral From the Meadows, see below).
Rachel at In the Magpie's Nestshares 15 Things I Wish I'd Known 5 Years Ago; good things to think about that are also simple to apply. We all keep improving as we go along, don't we? Thanks for sharing!
Celeste at Joyous Lessons shares TWO posts, (see An Introduction to Keeping Company below) and What We're Reading :: January. Her love of books shines through in this post, as she shows what her children (7 under 9yo!!) are reading.
Ann at Learning as we go shares Habit Training for the Long Haul, where she reflects on the importance of habit training now AND later both for students AND moms.
Tammy at Aut2bhomeincarolina shares her Reflection about Term 1. She summarizes what has passed and talks about how far they've come. Check out some of the pictures of things they've studied!
Instructive posts:
Denise from Let's Play Math shares a math post 2015 Mathematics Game with us this month. Here's what she says about it, "Here is a fun puzzle that challenges each player at his or her own level, a chance to help our children glimpse 'the beauty and truth of Mathematics.'"
Cindy West from Our Journey Westward shares with us Easily Add Poetry Recitation to Your Homeschool. She's added poetry and recitation to her son's weekly activities. She's added some video of him reciting to her post so we can see just how sweet he is.
Brandy at Afterthoughts has shared a whole entire series of posts (LUCKY us!), Let's Talk About Notebooks, that I had been wanting to read for a while. Thanks to the carnival, I've finally made time! Among the posts, Brandy shares some very practical tips for getting it done and also a super inspiring guest post by Tammy with tips for reluctant notebookers. Leah Boden shares a refreshing post 5 ways to get your child to engage in the Charlotte Mason method. A lot of what she talks about might be classified as 'atmosphere' and she says it well. And the pictures...! You'll see.
Nadene at Practical Pages shares her post Refreshed Daily Themes in which she talks about how she and her daughter worked together to add new interest to their daily plans. She's even made a printable if you're interested!
Nancy at Sage Parnassus shares Slow and Beautiful Work, in which she inspires us to take a look at the how and why of Charlotte Mason's ideas for copywork.
Patti Lofgren at All Things Bright and Beautiful shares her latest post, John Constable - Salisbury Cathedral From the Meadows and (Powerful Spiritual Themes in Chronicles of Narnia, see above). She talks about their current studies on Constable, Mendelssohn and Elizabeth Browning, and also has some book recommendations for art/music study.
Carol at Journey-and-Destination shares Authors for Teens - Part 2: World War 2. She highlights a bunch of books that she recommends for teen readers. Reviews like these are a great help for those of us who have little time or no library access!
Mama Squirrel at Dewey's Treehouse shares Faith and art lessons, on the day of Epiphany (Lydia's Grade Eight). She adapts lesson plans from the PNEU to apply in teaching art lessons for her daughter. She blogs almost every day, so make sure to take a look around. Her blog is an absolute treasure trove on Charlotte Mason education!
More opportunities to hang out together throughout the month: Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival linky!! Please feel free to continue to submit your blog posts throughout the month by linking them up in the linky below. That way, if you forgot to submit a post by e-mail before the deadline, you can do it NOW! We still want to hear from you. :) ALL Charlotte Mason educational posts are welcome!!
Celeste at Joyous Lessons shares An Introduction to Keeping Company in which she invites us to share what we're writing in our commonplace books, nature journals, book of centuries, etc. I LOVE the idea of a link up for notebooking and hope to participate when I can. Click over to read more about what she's planning. The first link up is posted here.
Nature Study Mondays:: LINKup will begin again this month here at Fisher Academy, check back soon.
Please e-mail a link to CM related blog link ups to: charlottemasonblogs (at) gmail (dot) com,
We'd like to feature them here at the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival!!
Share more posts throughout the month here:
2015 CMBC changes*:
1 CMBC post / month.
CMBC will host a linky that will remain active throughout the month(so you can add more posts!).
CMBC will have a facebook page to announce posts ("like" it to receive reminders/announcements via facebook).
CMBC will have a permanent home and only go visiting for special occasions(as decided by the poll results)
All posts submitted to the CMBC by e-mail before the deadline will be linked to AND one or two will be featured every edition (with a photo & intro), selections will be made at the hostess/editor's discretion. (In this edition, I decided to briefly feature EVERY post submitted, since it's our first time back, but in the future, every post will be linked (in the linky), but not every post will be featured with a blurb. It'll still be good, you'll see. And, it will save the hostess a LOT of time!)
Look for the CM Blog Carnival here, sometime tomorrow!
And we'll talk about some of the little adjustments we'll be integrating too.
Can't wait!
See you soon!
P.S. I had hoped to post it today, but my day ended up MUCH more full than I expected with a family lunch date and ministry meeting that stretched past dinner time.
Currently, we are reevaluating the CMBC to examine how we can improve it; to make it more blogger-friendly and to encourage more blogger/reader participation. It's always most interesting and insightful when there are a variety of posts.
Based on a preliminary poll on facebook, we will continue the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival in 2015!
The first edition of the year will be posted on January 14th.
Please submit your posts now.
ALL posts in relation to a Charlotte Mason education are welcome.
Up until now, the routine we've followed has been: A reminder e-mail is sent out. Bloggers submit their Charlotte Mason educational blog posts by e-mail to charlottemasonblogs (at) gmail (dot) com. The links are collected and forwarded to the hostess who previews, arranges and introduces each carnival submission in a blog post of her own. She then sends back the link and the carnival is publicized. This is a somewhat labor intensive process for some involved and we'd like to make it worth everyone's effort.
I'd really like to hear some thoughts about how we can improve and encourage more participation. The general principle certainly applies here: the more the merrier!
Please answer the following questions (check all that apply) and share any comments you might have below.
Ways to help spread the word about the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival:
Use the CMBC logo in the sidebar of your blog and in your carnival posts.
wait, while i have your attention:
will all my fellow bloggers & readers take a few seconds to fill out some poll questions about the charlotte mason blog carnival!?
there are two polls.
together, it shouldn't take more than 2 minutes of your time. i'd really appreciate the feedback while deciding how the carnival should proceed this upcoming year of 2015.
feel free to take both polls, or the most applicable one... pretty please?!
while we're figuring that all out please feel free to submit ANY posts by e-mail to the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival as soon as possible to: charlottemasonblogs (at) gmail (dot) com
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now about that AWESOME 2015 ART calendar!!
as the deadline to let me know you were interested being at midnight last night, i realized i couldn't fairly draw a name on january 1st, while there was still time left to leave a comment... so that's why you didn't hear from me yesterday! maybe you thought i had forgotten! don't worry, we're all good now. heheh.
the winner is:
congratulations!! i KNOW you'll love it!!
please send me an e-mail or fb msg with your mailing address so i can get that on it's way!
i just happen to be giving one away. like i do every year. because i love this calendar.
this year, unlike other years, unlike ever before in my life come to think of it, i actually got to go to NYC and SEE the art! in the museum. where it lives. yep, we got to spend two whole days at the Metropolitan Museum of Art! it was definitely top o' the list of places we wanted to visit and it did not disappoint.
ahhh. so much fun.
now to be considered in this drawing, you don't have to be a regular reader of this blog, you don't even have to really do anything in return. you just have to want one. simply enter a comment on any post here at fisher academy's blog BEFORE midnight on 1/1/2015. that way, i'll know you're interested. i'll do the drawing on new years' day.
oh, and if you're dying to get one of these and wanna increase your chances, new likes on our facebook page during december, will get an extra entry. because that just makes for more fun for some people. :)
OR if you just can't wait and want to be SURE to get one. buy yours now, by clicking HERE.
we love turning the pages of this art calendar every day. it's a page-a-day, so there's a unique piece of art or history for each day of the year. sometimes it's ancient weapons or armor, sometimes it's a painting. it's fun! it comes in handy for discussions about art study, for book of centuries illustrations, and even copywork (my young kids use it to copy the date!).
Have you seen Yesterday's Classics e-book bundles? A LOT of books that Ambleside Online has recommended for decades and AOers have been enjoying for just as long, are included, conveniently and beautifully formatted into e-books!
For those of us who live overseas, this is a HUGE treasure trove of books we don't have to lug around, which really means only one glorious thing... we have MORE room for other books in our suitcases!
Not only will you have more room, you'll have more book money 'cause with these bundles you end up paying only 50 cents a book!
Yes, many if not most are available somewhere online for free, but NOT always in an easily navigable or beautifully illustrated format. I do like free, but I also like convenience sometimes.
Just think, by searching garage sales for 15 years, you might find these kind of prices.
Honestly, I may already own the majority of these in book form. And maybe I did lug every one of them overseas (hardcover, too! eek! the weight!!) since we've been using AmblesideOnline long before Yesterday's Classics bundles existed. But, even if you don't travel much, if you have multiple children like I do, and you can afford it, I think the convenience of having the book in electronic format is worth it. If for no other reason, it is SO nice for each kid to have their own copy on their kindle!
can you believe more than six months have passed without a word from Fisher Academy?
heheh. and see? the world is still turning. :)
i bet you've had some interesting moments in this past half-year! i would have loved to have shared those with you. unfortunately, furlough kind of snuck up and held me hostage. i had no idea beforehand that six months across the US and Canada, in a van, with a family of 8, including a baby, would be so busy! HAhAHaHAHaHAhAh!
whoa, was i naïve! my expectations having been ever so slightly unrealistic, i thought writing a minimum of blog posts would be no big deal.
um... wrong.
keeping our family's loose ends together and stitches tight proved a gargantuan task! :)
i do sincerely apologize for not keeping up with communications here... it became pretty evident early on, the first week to be precise, that i would spend all my energy keeping up with our super packed itinerary alone. we were SO blessed being able to spend time with SO many people. we hardly had time to sleep!
regardless, i feel pretty bad that i just up and kind of disappeared without even a word. :(
i hope you'll forgive me.
one of the countless things that has become crystal clear to me over these past months is
that as much as we'd like to DO everything and BE everything... we can't.
we only have 24 hours in each day. likely, only 16 of those are awake hours.
we blink and 6 months happen. well, almost. life goes by very quickly. there are only 365 earth blinks times 70, give or take, in a lifetime. i know that you know this. but you may not have thought about the fact that we only get about 25-30,000 days. total.
at least half of mine are already spent.
at most, i only have 900 days left with my oldest boys in the house. i don't have time to mess around. i've got to live fully. today.
we only have time for one day at a time. the day the Lord gives.
we don't have time to do what everyone else is doing, or what everyone else might like for us to do. when it comes down to it, we don't have time to do what we'd like to do each day!
and until the day turns, we don't know what unexpected events will come around that corner demanding our immediate attention.
so just like that, six months pass.
it was about all i could do to keep up with my 100mph husband who laughs at the idea of turning down an invitation! (He makes a good missionary).
first, we drove from Texas to Northern Alberta. i know, right? there aren't enough letters in that sentence to give it the weight it deserves. let me just say it again. we drove from Texas to Northern Alberta. that is a LONG way, folks. not only that, we meandered.
from there, we traversed over mountains with glaciers and then pretty directly across to the west coast, hitting Washington, Oregon and California. after a couple of months like that, having seen our families, we drove halfway back across the continent. we stopped a handful of times along the way of course before flying the other half to the east coast of New Jersey. did you catch the latest heavyweight? coast. to. coast. let me reiterate. we drove the height, half the width, half the width again and then flew half again of North America.
and on our way, we spent a lot of moments with really neat people. i am really thankful for all of that.
i only really regret not having time for writing and posting pictures & updates.
do forgive me, and i'll love you forever. :)
phew. thanks for letting me get that off my chest.
i have a few more posts coming off the stacks VERY SOON, in which we need to talk about:
Snag a button if you wanna! :)
Come back and share your nature studies with us this month!
The {Nature Study Monday} link up is for ANY nature study-ish blog post written at any time during the current month. Which means, when you submit your link, it will show up in every. single. {NSM} post. during the whole month! Oh, and be not confused, feel free to link up on any day, be it Monday or not!
When it comes to education it's important to keep a balanced view of things. This is true because, all areas of life demand that we keep a balanced view. It's the way it is. Years ago when Charlotte Mason promoted the now well known motto 'Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life', none of these thoughts were 'new'. The emphasis of atmosphere in education wasn't original to her. Neither were these: 'Education is a Life' or 'Education is a Discipline'. These thoughts have all come and gone again and again. Taken individually, none is complete. Alone, each tends to one extreme or another.
As important as each aspect is, for example, atmosphere is not enough. It isn't enough to have a beautiful classroom, the best equipment and the picture perfect teacher with influence and knowledge to boot. If that were ALL there were to education, boredom, laziness, a lack of both curiosity and power of attention would be inevitable. Externals can only take you so far.
On the other hand, 'education as life' would tend to complete exhaustion. It be a literal case of too. much. information. One can only do so much learning without coming back round to the same ennui (n :a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.) Over much internal pressure will cause explosion! The brain reverts to a vegetable state in order to survive.
Similarly unbalanced, education with discipline (habit development) as it's primary focus, teaches the acquisition of character traits like 'subjects' meant to turn out a certain 'product' over-compartmentalizes our complex natures 'producing rather one-sided men'.
Any one of these mottoes taken alone is insufficient for summing up education because by itself each tips the balance to one extreme or another.
“Our nature craves after unity.” (p155)
Which is why Charlotte Mason proclaims, Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, AND a Life. All three.
When it comes to curriculum, it must be wide, varied, and balanced. It must be a feast of living ideas; from the past and present, from first-hand sources, from 'REALLY good books' (I really love that she emphasizes good books with the word 'really'. I really do.).
This is the way things are. As persons fashioned after an infinite God, we are complex beings. We must consider ALL our intricately interwoven parts when we think about educating persons. We can't afford to go to one extreme or the other. Balance. Education must be the Science of Relations:
“A child should be brought up to have relations of force with earth and water, should run and ride, swim and skate, lift and carry; should know texture, and work in material; should know by name, and where and how they live at any rate, the things of the earth about him, its birds and beasts and creeping things, its herbs and trees; should be in touch with the literature, art and thought of the past and the present I do not mean that he should know all these things; but he should feel, when he reads of it in the newspapers, the thrill which stirred the Cretan peasants when the frescoes in the palace of King Minos were disclosed to the labour of their spades. He should feel the thrill, not from mere contiguity, but because he has with the past the relationship of living pulsing thought...”
“He must have a living relationship with the present, its historic movement, its science, literature, art, social needs and aspirations. In fact, he must have a wide outlook, intimate relations all round; and force, virtue, must pass out of him,whether of hand, will, or sympathy, wherever he touches.” (p161-2)
:)
This post is based on my own thoughts about Chapter 14 in Volume 3, School Education by Charlotte Mason. The topic, A Master Thought, is May's topic for the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival 2014 Schedule. If you'd like to read other posts on the subject, be sure to read all the May editions.
If you'd like to share your post with the upcoming carnival, find out how here. Find links to past CMBCarnivals here.
time at the beach. sea gulls. shells. tides. colorful sunsets. and more.
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new-to-us flowers on the coast.
Snag a button if you wanna! :)
Come back and share your nature studies with us this month!
The {Nature Study Monday} link up is for ANY nature study-ish blog post written at any time during the current month. Which means, when you submit your link, it will show up in every. single. {NSM} post. during the whole month! Oh, and be not confused, feel free to link up on any day, be it Monday or not!
When considering Religious Training for homeschoolers, I got to wondering how and when this goes on in the average home. I realized in our house we don't have a formal time set aside called Daily Religious Training, that would be... um, well. Something anyway. Yet, you may have noticed? There is always a whole lot of training going on... whether we like it or not.
Regardless of whether or not we are aware of it, I believe that because we are humans created in God's image, we are religious, aware or unaware, and are being trained for better or worse from the time we're born. In that sense Religious Training doesn't really start in school years. It starts in Mom and Dad and is an integral part of the family culture even before the kids come. Matter of fact, I believe it's less what we do and more of who we are.
Our kids will sense our religion, what we believe and who we worship, whether we verbally lay it all out or not. We either show reverence toward God or we don't. We love Him or we don't. We serve Him or we don't. We may find that we show more reverence for Science or Nature than we do God. We may love or serve ourselves or some other thing more than God. Not showing reverence or not loving God or not serving Him comes in many different shades. Either way, our kids will know a great deal about our religion, regardless of what we say.
There is much more that could be said about that.
So how would you talk about the Religious Training that happens in your home?
When trying to pinpoint when religious exercise happens in your house, you might consider the following questions:
What place does God have in our home? Do we mention Him throughout the day? In what context? With what attitude? Is He only thought of during mealtime grace or while taking disciplinary action? Do we talk to Him? Alone and with our children? How often? With what attitude?
Do we love Him?
What place does the Bible have in our home? Do we read as a family? In what context? With what attitude? Do our kids see us feeding from it for ourselves? Are we familiar with all its parts? Is it basically seen as a rulebook? Do we understand it and know the stories?
Do we love it?
What holy days does our family recognize? In what ways do we keep them holy?
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There are many other questions we could probably consider when thinking about this Very Important of Topics.
I didn't make time to post more this month, even though I wanted to very much. I have lots of thoughts. Alas, the demands on my present are more than will allow for much time for writing these days. I hope, however, that we might take some time to ponder the questions mentioned above and earmark a few for future thought and action.
This post is based on thoughts on Chapter 13 in Volume 3, School Education by Charlotte Mason. The topic, Some Unconsidered Aspects of Religious Training, is one option for posts advocated by the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival 2014 Schedule for April.
If you'd like to read other posts on the subject, be sure to read all the April editions.
If you'd like to share your post with the upcoming carnival, find out how here.
Find links to past CMBCarnivals here.
Welcome Homeschoolers and fellow Charlotte Mason fans!
Though many of us don't follow the same school schedule, especially those schooling year-round or those living in the Southern Hemisphere, most North Americans are coming into the home stretch this schoolyear. I hope you've all had a productive year meeting challenges head on and coming out having learned something useful!
"But why do we, through our institutions, so equally mistrust young students that we attempt to deceive them with a bit of "pease" instead of the real food that is so readily available?"
"Can you step back in your misty memory and recall some of the fantastic imaginings of your childhood, some of the absolutely unbelievable things you used to unhesitatingly believe? There really was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, a jolly old man in a red suit that slid down the chimney, and a monster under the bed, wasn't there?"
Nebby talks about reading comprehension and it's place in a CM education and asks us 'Where does it fit in?'
Celeste relishes in Laurie Bestvater's wisdom from her recently published book The Living Page.
In her post The Charlotte Mason Method, Megan walks us through an inspiring quote by C.D. Lawe, "The purpose of education should be to lead a child into the fullest, truest, noblest, and most fruitful relations of which he is capable, with the world in which he lives."
Based on years of experience, Tammy looks at this month's topic through the lens of an autistic family. Beautiful in Its Time is an insightful read for all of us as we care for others in our community.
In her last couple of posts Patti has been inspiring our artistic side by highlighting the works of Jacob von Rueysdale, Georg Philipp Telemann and A.A.Milne.
I hope you've enjoyed this edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival!
Please consider sharing your blog posts with us in a future edition!
See the CM Blog Carnival Schedule page for a list of dates and topics for the whole year (in progress).
By subscribing to the Carnival Announcement/Reminder list you can stay up-to-date and never miss another carnival. Plus, you'll receive handy dandy monthly ideas & links pertaining to the current topic... for free! ;) oh wait, it's all free! heheh.
Also, please encourage your bloggy AND non‐bloggy friends, who love Charlotte Mason and/or those who are newly interested, to visit the CMBCarnival, the more the merrier!! :)
If it had been up to Mya our 6yo, we would be calling our new little Ellia, 'Fantastic'...
Because, obviously, she IS.
A couple of weeks ago during our family think tank putting all possible baby names on the table, her's was BY FAR the best suggestion.
Her other suggestion, Snowflake as a close second... :)
Fantastic. It's the perfect name really.
Imagine getting to introduce yourself, "Hello, I'm Fantastic!" That would be seriously awesome.
I do almost wish we could have done it.
Either way, we've had almost two full weeks now of regular stuff with a whole lot of fantastic on the side! :)
1) In the clinic. Yikes. I do NOT take much pleasure in having taken and now posting these pictures in the So Very Soon After Birth look I'm sporting, but hey... my kids all look REAL good. :)
2) We have this really cool tradition of celebrating each child's birth day before leaving the birth center with a birthday party complete with cake. Micah brought *Black Jungle Cake*, an appropriately named and typically yummy Peruvian chocolate cake. He had it inscribed with, Feliz Dia de Nacimiento Fantastica! {Happy Birthday Fantastic!} The doctors and nurses were amused. We did LOTS of things that were new to them... fun.
3) Outside the clinic. Gotta love the security bars on the outside AND the dirt roads... :)
4) No carseats required. Though we would have gotten one if we could have bought one. No carseats even for sale in our city!! A friend from Trujillo is sending one soon! ;)
LOVED the moments spent relishing in the first couple of days...
We are new to CM. How do you go about doing a nature study without mommy having to research so much. Between the internet and books there is so much info out there! Is there a self contained book that we could get?
A:
Way back when I started doing nature study, this was my secret (though I didn't realize the genius of it back then) AND actually, it's what I still do...
1) Get Out.
2) Look at Stuff.
3) Love it.
It's that simple... and get this... it's contagious.
At first glance this answer may seem to sidestep the question. You might say, the question was about research.... Yet, regardless, I still hold it's the best response. Further down, I'll tell you why. After that, I'll tell you about which book I recommend. But wait, no skipping ahead. ;)
'Kay. I'm about to share some really great news you can relax about... Are you ready? Set. Go.
Nature study is not just about finding names for things. It's not all about making lists or drawing pictures of those things either (though those things are great extensions!). To do nature study, we actually don't need to have very much book knowledge or other materials to get started OR even to keep at it.
You see, nature study is not really an *academic* pursuit.
It's more than that. WAY more.
Nature study is about seeing. It is building acquaintances over time with the things we see. It's about getting to know something good. Through regular nature walks we build intimacies with divinely crafted wonders, great and small. By doing this we are actually doing so. much. more. for our kids, for ourselves, than we can even imagine.
Many amazing artists, brilliant scientists and regular joes (like me and those smarter than me) have touted the influence that spending time outdoors as a child has had on the inspiration for their field of work. Somehow, I doubt that many would be referring to time spent as a child researching nature study. I suspect, that the majority are referring to time spent being in nature and having loved it for its own sake.
There have been many studies on the life-giving effects of time spent outdoors both for children and adults, which I will leave you to research for yourself if you are interested. My point here being, the benefits of nature study are going to be gained not ONLY by looking stuff up in books or on the internet, doing drawings or making lists. These benefits will be experienced with time. Because of this, I think it is highly important that we try to relax on the research, especially at first, and really just revel.
Now. Obviously, part of what makes nature study feel rewarding (instead of humiliating) is knowing the names for things. Many of us feel ripped off having grown up with no. nature. knowledge. whatsoever. But don't stress and don't rush. Believe me, over time, if you make those 3 easy steps above a priority, you will come to know about things, if you stick with it. What is more, you'll learn a whole lot of things you never expected! You see, books can't tell you how you'll feel about the first hopefully tenacious shoot of the daffodil in the spring or how even though it was your first love of spring, when it shrivels, it's okay because over there are the tulips, and across the way are the bushes and trees with their sweet tiny green buds and the sun and the dew and everything is starting to wake up and there's new life everywhere... The book knowledge, yes, eventually, because it's nice to be able to talk about our new found friends with mutual acquaintances. But first, the intimacies, these are what we really want to nurture. :)
In summary, when just beginning one should spend lots of time (months?!) simply getting outside, with the priority of opening eyes and hearts to nature. After some time (err on the side of too much rather than too little), you and your kids will begin to recognize some birds and plants and whatever other by sight. Next, you'll probably notice those same things in other areas (roadside, friends' houses, etc), and THEN is the time you might look for the names of those new acquaintances in a book or by asking Someone Who Knows.
Of course, there may be no harm done in using books sooner if you really understand the purpose of them! But, I really think it's THAT important to instill a love of nature in you and your kids BEFORE instituting any activity that might give off scent of *schoolwork*.
:)
Still, the question remains. Once one has all their priorities straight as regards nature study, where should one begin when using books and other resources? Is there one go-to resource?
I continue to suggest Handbook of Nature Study by Ann Comstock as the best all-in-one resource. Yes, it's huge. Yes, it's intimidating. Still, it is by far the most comprehensive and helpful resource for parents and teachers that I've seen yet. There are a lot of resources that may be newer and flashier (and smaller), but I will venture to say this is the absolute best go-to reference for beginning to teach (and continuing to teach) nature study. Use it as a teacher reference. Read the Intro and you'll see what I mean. It's rich!
Other sources for nature study inspiration may be found reading biographies of naturalists, people who have LOVED studying nature, such as Rachel Carson or John Audubon. There are many others but these are pretty widely accessible.
Also, I highly suggest that everyone visit their local nature centers and talk to real-live nature enthusiasts. They'll most likely be by far the best resource for identifying birds, plants, animals, geology, geography and more for specific regions. They'll also be able to steer one toward the field guides that will serve best in one's specific area.
And yes, as you go along pick up a few field guides relevant to your area. By the time you've done all the above, I doubt you'll have to ask anyone which books are the best ones!
You can do it!! ;)
Snag a button if you wanna! :)
Come back and share your nature studies with us this month!
The {Nature Study Monday} link up is for ANY nature study-ish blog post written at any time during the current month. Which means, when you submit your link, it will show up in every. single. {NSM} post. during the whole month! Oh, and be not confused, feel free to link up on any day, be it Monday or not!
This coming Monday, the next edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival will be posted! Hopefully, you have already sent in a blog post to be featured in the carnival next week, but if not, you have two days left!
Please join us by submitting a post, or just reading along. Posts are due by 4/7 before 5pm EST. Send the link to your post in an e‐mail to: charlottemasonblogs (at) gmail (dot) com. *Remember, you are welcome to share an older post (written by you or someone else) that goes along with this month's topic, we'd love to read it again!
As always, we gladly receive all Charlotte Mason inspired blog posts! Bloggers vary widely in their gifts and experiences, which means, we can all learn from each other. We hope you'll share with us!
Below, you will find an optional topic, a thought provoking quote and several ideas for those who need a little writing prompt or who would like some direction for further study. :)
**Announcement**
I completely failed to send out the e-mail announcement for the last CM Blog Carnival!
I did have an-ever-so-slightly-busy week... but still. ;) If you missed the last edition because of my negligence, please don't hesitate another moment, go read it now! :) **
If you'd like, please feel free to grab the logo for your
blog's sidebar or to include in your post.
The optional topic for discussion during the month of April is:
Some Unconsidered Aspects of Religious Training - Chapter 13
Several thought (and blog post) provoking quotes & ideas (read the entire chapter online here):
"It is a very sad fact that many children get their first ideas of God in the nursery, and that these are of a Being on the watch for their transgressions and always ready to chastise." v3,p145
"The importance of reverent attitudes isa little apt to be overlooked in these days. We are, before all things, sincere, and are afraid to insist upon 'mere forms,' feeling it best to leave the child to the natural expression of his own emotions." v3,p141
Authority in Religious Education & How it Works.
The Habits of the Religious Life: of Reading the Bible, of Praise, of Sunday-keeping.
Habit of the Thought of God.
Reverent Attitudes & Regularity in Devotions
Inspiring Ideas of the Religious Life.
The Fatherhood of God, the Kingship of Christ, our Saviour, the Indwelling of the Holy Ghost.
Please see the CM Blog Carnival Schedule page for a list of dates and topics for the whole year (in progress).
By subscribing to the Carnival Announcement/Reminder list you can stay up-to-date and never miss another carnival. Plus, you'll receive handy dandy monthly ideas & links pertaining to the current topic... for free! ;) oh wait, it's all free! heheh.
Also, please encourage your bloggy AND non‐bloggy friends, who love Charlotte Mason and/or those who are newly interested, to visit the CMBCarnival, the more the merrier!! :)
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