Musings: Charlotte Mason, some thoughts.

When I first began homeschooling back in the day, I remember reading lots of books about Charlotte Mason and her methodologies on educating youngsters at the turn of the century in England. So much of it resonated with me because of her focus on honoring the child's imagination, respecting their abilities and limits, and filling their lives with the beauty of nature and literature.

Over the years, I've dabbled in many strains of homeschooling. But Charlotte's ideas always sound appealing, even if I'd never actually implemented them full-force. I find when I re-read about her, my spirit sighs, and the heaviness I sometimes feel about teaching my kids what they need to know falls aside....making room for the lovely parts of home schooling. Reading books together, watching birds, writing stories, memorizing poems, copying interesting quotes and decorating the pages, playing in the dirt, appreciating the arts, learning together. I also notice most of the books I've acquired as my 'classics' are those recommended by Ambleside Online, which is a free curriculum meant to incorporate books and schedules for those implementing a Charlotte Mason method.

Classical education dovetails nicely with CM, as she was a stringent believer in teaching Latin, focusing on excellent literature, studying history chonologically, etc. The Latin Centered Curriculum, which I've been using since the summer is extremely CM-friendly...in fact, they recommend many of the same books. I'm hoping to add more narration, more nature studies, and less formalized writing a la CM to what we're already doing with LCC.

So, there you have it.....more tweaking. And what else is there to do on a rainy afternoon I ask you?

Moments: Unthinkable

This is a drawing by a child in a Darfur refugee camp.

Kinda makes writing curriculum choices seem a bit....moot. Today will be art appreciation day instead.

Please. Help.

Moments: It's official. We're going again!

We get to visit The Mouse again this year, courtesy of my dh's company....only downside is the oldest 3 kiddos can't come along. :o(

We'll be staying at an off-property resort called Windsor Hills in a 3 bed/3 bath townhome with our own heated pool! See this beautiful place here.

Surely there's some great homeschooling moments in store for us again in sunny Florida this January! Nothing is as educational as going to Mickey's place....

Mumblings: Someone in marketing wasn't wearing their thinking cap.

NOT the clothes I wear. (Disclaimer: This post has absolutely nothing relevant to homeschooling...but you're prolly used to that by now.) Anyway, I ventured out to a local discount retail clothing department store last night, in need of some winter attire. So as I slash my way thru racks of clothing packed tighter than sardines, I keep noticing a certain brand on the labels. In fact, my husband noticed it on another shopping excursion (because most husbands have nothing to do while their lovely wife sets up habitation in the dressing room EXCEPT notice labels). It says "Sag Harbour".

Now I ask you (as my husband asked me), what woman in her right mind (or over a size 14) would ever want to wear clothing labelled "Sag Harbour"??? Like I need reminded???? What kind of hip name is "Sag Harbour" anyway? (Not that the clothes are hip, they're not.) Maybe that explains why so much of their product line ends up in a deep discount store......hmmm. I would love to write this company and remind them that even though Christie Brinkley is their fashion model and looks oh so attractive in their digs, she'd look as good in saran wrap and sea shells too. Not to mention Christie doesn't know the term 'sag' as it relates to the rest of us, and probably won't in this lifetime. As the classic line in 'Singing in the Rain' goes, so I say: "What 'd ya think I am, dumb r somthin'?"

If I ran the corporation which produced this line of clothing, I'd have fired the goofball who suggested that brandname within a fraction of a nano-second. If only I ran the world......

*sigh*

Musings: A Noiseless Patient Spider

A noiseless patient spider,
I mark'd where on the little promontory it stood isolated,
Mark'd how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
It launch'd forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,
Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.

And you, O my soul where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
Till the bridge you will need be form'd, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.

~Walt Whitman

Mumblings: Why God Made Moms

Got this in an email forward...too cute not to pass along, although I don't know that these were from 'real' 2nd graders. Still worth a laugh. (And we could all use some o'dat, eh?)

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions...

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother & not some other mom?
1. We're related
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home & dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Moments: It truly is a 'Right Start'

Talk about a Right Start! Ok I will....

I just love this math program. My boys just love this math program. I've decided that from now on math is done on the floor, seeing as the program is completely maniputative based. I'm understanding math for the first time myself!

This program is based on the asian methods of teaching the base 10 system of math, done primarily thru the abacus. I'm just amazed at the logic of it....my boys are learning to mentally compute huge numbers by picturing the abacus in thier minds' eye. Fabulous!

Here is the website. It can get pricey, but you'll use the manipulatives over and over. Your kids will think it's 'game time', not 'math time'. I highly recommend this program. It fits with visual, kinethestic and auditory learners. It works for hares AND tortoises. It's FUN!

Misadventures: American Public High Schools

This article is a sobering look at what kind of students the public high schools of America are turning out. Here is an excerpt:

"Writing skills were singled out by survey respondents as especially lacking, as 72 percent of incoming students were viewed as deficient in basic English writing skills, including grammar and spelling, especially when applied to written workplace communications such as memos and reports.
While 58 percent of responding employers said that critical thinking and problem-solving skills were very important, 70 percent rated recently-hired high school students deficient in these areas."


This is so sad. It sounds like a great piece of writing to wave in front of our public-schooling counterparts while repeating the mantra "I told you so, I told you so, I told you so". Granted I've homeschooled mainly because I don't have much faith in the institutionalized schooling options in the US, and this article fits nicely in my arsenal of weapons to use when confronted with homeschool nay-sayers. But I've decided that tooting the homeschool horn in the face of millions of children who are released into society basically illiterate is at best cocky...at worst it's prime evidence of a shocking lack of love for our neighbor.

Pulling my kids out of public school was so easy. I never again had to think about what was going on with the majority of young people inside the hallowed halls of our country's classrooms. It wasn't my business anymore. It was so easy to look down my nose at the horrible system, to rise above the masses as proof of the superiority of homeschooling.....until I had to put my kids back in the system. Funny how your perspective changes when you must embrace that which you have been so adamantly against.

I don't want to be known for what I'm against anymore. I want to be known for what I'm for. I'm for children getting a quality education no matter where they're schooled. I'm for teachers getting paid WAY more than they do currently. I'm for communities coming together to spread their talents and abilities so that no schools are left out. I want to see our schools succeed. Not just because my older kids attend public high school, but because I want to be a Good Samaritan, not a Pharisee.

Homeschoolers are going to need to grabble with depressing articles like the above because we are part of the community, regardless of how stringently we strive to protect our little offspring from the 'scary world'. I want my kids to go out and be agents of good, of kindness, of mercy in that world, not isolationists hiding behind their superior educations and supposedly fail-safe morality. Until this movement can embrace ALL the children of this generation with grace, mercy, compassion....until it stops pointing fingers, defending itself, and fighting for its 'rights'......we are no better than the aristocracy of by-gone England. The 'us against them' paradigm must be eradicated completely. If not, children will continue to suffer.

So although I've ranted and raved against the public schools only days ago (and I still shake my head and spit when I think about what my daughter went thru), I won't take my kids out of their school. Separating and isolating my family from the 'village' surrounding us will never bring a Goodly Kingdom of Love. Trying to find a 'good' school in the area isn't an option either...what of all those left at the 'bad' school? They just aren't my concern anymore?

There are many things to fear about the public schools, but the response should not be to simply abandon it, shake our finger at it, and forget the millions of other kids still working their way thru. What could happen if the homeschool families went to local school board meetings or PTA meetings and offered to tutor at-risk kids? What if they rallied politicians for better schools? What if they were active proponents of ALL children getting a quality education? Methinks we wouldn't need to defend ourselves anymore. Why can't we all work together? Why must it be 'them' at all. Why can't it be 'us'?

Musings: The technical term is 'tweaking'

We're nine weeks in and the unavoidable end of the honeymoon with new curricula has come. Now comes the time when what you were sure you loved when you bought it is tested. It's also the time I usually begin rethinking what will stay a part of our curricula and what will be resold.

I've bought and sold materials for 10 years now. I've sold and re-purchased the same materials over and over ( and over). I've come to realize my first instincts are usually spot on. I'm drawn to simplicity, to no-frills-get-it-done, with lots of cool read-alouds. But I hate getting bogged down in the details. I'm a whole to parts learner myself, so the grammar stage is generally infuriating to me....I teach the details best when I've got the whole picture in mind. This steers (or should steer) my curriculum choices most of the time.

So my season of reevaluating has brought some surprising conclusions...firstly, that most of what I purchased for the year is working. Secondly, those that aren't huge hits will probably be fine for the duration. Thirdly, reading and writing, math and memorywork are still the best 'core' of our school. Slow and steady wins the race. And lastly, it's fun to add a little spice or change up completely now and then, so long as the 'core' stays consistent.

In practical terms, here's what will be changing. G will drop spelling. (Lemme hear a Woot Woot!). G is adding History Odyssey. G will finish Prima Latina, but switch to a different type of Latin (to be announced). Teaching Textbooks will replace Saxon 7/6.

For the boys, things are staying the same. Hopefully we'll add some more science to what they get at the Learning Garden and what we read in our Nature Reader.

For everyone, we're decreasing the quantity of memorywork, while focusing more on the quality. This means longer selections of poetry, scripture/worthy quotes, and Latin & Spanish vocabulary. We're also continuing with our geography study, artist study, and US Presidents. I'm still amazed every day at how much information my kiddos can collect in their wee brains!
(Several days ago while shopping at Meijer, my boys and I were meandering in the frame/prints area. Suddenly my 5 year old S, yells out "It's Van Gogh! It's Van Gogh!". And he was right, except it wasn't a print we'd studied yet....in other words, he's beginning to recognize the attributes of Van Gogh's work! He's since picked out Cassatt's work as well. I'm so pleased!)

All this doesn't mean I don't frequently have to stuff my fingers in my ears and loudly sing "La La La" when I hear others discussing the newest, greatest way to teach this-and-such. I'm still extremely impressionable when it comes to which curriculum is 'best'. That's when I have to remember it's not the curriculum, it's the teacher (and environment).

So, for once, I finally feel I've found a good balance in our homeschool. It only took 10 years. This year I've decided the honeymoon has been extended.
Tra La La.

Moments: Beautiful Music

I just recieved my email update from Bead for Life, a non-profit organization helping the impoverished in Uganda. The beaders just finished their CD project and I hurriedly went to the friendly Paypal shop to order mine.

I will be hosting a Bead For Life weekend openhouse the first weekend in November. Please consider stopping by if you're around Fort Wayne IN to learn about this incredible opportunity to bless women and children who are learning to support themselves thru making these beautiful beaded products. A run-down of exactly where the profits go can be read here. Do peruse the site for inspiring stories and hear some of the songs on this page. (there are 3 songs available to hear, just click on one in the upper right green box.)

I'm excited for the chance to let my blessings be a blessing to mamas across the world!