Early on I learned that nature journaling was a significant aspect of a Charlotte Mason education. It caused the children to stop and pay attention and really look closely at a natural object, helping develop the attention while also creating a store of knowledge to draw from, not to mention creating living memories and connections. […]
Learning to Draw and Paint Read More »
Time in nature and nature notebooks have become all the rage over the last decade – far beyond CM circles. Perhaps in response to Charlotte Mason’s influence in our culture, or maybe a repercussion to the effects of industrialization and the unnatural detachment of children from nature. Whatever the case, it is fascinating to be able
Nature Notebook from the CMDC Read More »
Here are some nature journal entries from YR6 as we attempt to transition to Special Studies this year. Whether we are doing what CM truly intended or not, is hard to know. And I sometimes have to squelch the comparison bug that peers its ugly head when I see what others are doing. But as I read
YR6 Nature Journal Entries Read More »
A quick post on my observations this week. I have no idea what this plant is… But look at the beautiful way it seeds – suspended between two wings while the holding frames move further and further apart. I’ve never seen a plant that seeds this way; such a beautifully imagined process and the orderliness
Nature Observations June 6, 2013 Read More »
I have a backlog of photos from this month’s nature days so this will be more of a photolog than a blog post. Lots of interesting things to see! This is a firewheel flower my son found that had an unusual extra flower growing out of the side of it. This set of pictures is
Nature Study Co-op Photolog February 2013 Read More »
While it may not seem like much… to this doting mother it is clearly the first sign of poetic expression! An unprompted journal entry – sweet rewards for this mama who is stepping out in faith that this way of educating our children does in fact produce fruit. (And yes, I did get permission to
Here’s my almost-nine-year-old’s nature journal drawing from this morning – salvaged from the trash can after being torn out of his nature journal, crumpled up and put in the trash. I thought it was one of his best paintings. Unfortunately, jumping in the waves all day, getting too much sun, and staying up late
Crumpled Up Attitudes Read More »
My, this blog is sorely neglected lately! I have a million thoughts in a day to share and always good intentions to do so, and then of course real life ends up taking precedence. Let’s see, I thought I’d post about grammar a while back to tell you how I was caught completely off guard
How do we teach our children about the world around us? In our efforts to ensure that they gain knowledge, do we hasten to sit our children in front of what they must learn, have them draw and label all the parts of it, and then explain at length how such and such part enables
An Invitation to Wonder Read More »
After all, what is the chief sign of growing old? Is it not the feeling that we know all there is to be known? It is not years which make people old; it is ruts, and limitation of interests. When we no longer care about anything except our own interests, we are then old, it
Nature Study, The Elixir Of Youth Read More »