Finding our Place

Well, after a few years of schooling, I think I have finally found the "umbrella" we belong under. I have read so many books over the years on homeschooling, from Classical (which I do LOVE the Well Trained Mind) to Unschooling. I was loaned a copy about a year ago of
"A Charlotte Mason Companion" but I was too busy then to have time to read and soak it in. I ended giving the book back finally deciding I had NO time to sit through yet another homeschooling book.

During this time I have been trying the Classical Approach to our homeschool and trying to get into a schedule and lifestyle that would work for our family. I created a schedule a few months ago that was pretty strict. We did well on it for about two weeks and then we were back to "normal" (normal for us anyway). It seemed that I just couldn't fit myself into the mold of the schedule I was setting up for myself.

The thing I LOVE about homeschooling is that with Educating at home you can do what best serves YOUR family and YOUR children. I am a night owl and this frustrated me. After 9 years of being in a job where I worked many many late nights I just have issues with raising early. I use to fell guilty about this. I use to worry that if we weren't dressed and ready for "school" at 9am then I would be seen as a slacker.. or lazy. Well. I have finally come to terms with my natural sleeping patterns and I have decided its OK if we don't start "school" until 10. or 1030.
(although if consider the children eating breakfast, doing chores, and then having time to jump rope, roller blade, or play basket ball part of school (nutrition, home economics, and PE.) .. then we actually DO start school at 730 am :) What matters is if we are actually getting it done. .. and we are.

Two weeks ago a sweet friend who home schools loaned me "A Charlotte Mason Companion" and now I have time to read it :) I have to admit that Charlotte Masons philosophy is so much more my style. I have been teaching my children the "CM" way for years and didn't realize it. !
I LOVE this book and it is so nice to fell like I finally found my place in the homeschool world!

So.. with that said.. here are a few things I am starting next week with the kids.. and looking forward to it.

Spelling: I am going to give CM's method of spelling a try. I bought small notebooks for the children today and we will begin using spelling words we glean from their readings as their spelling words.

Nature study: We will go on nature walks twice a week. Today I also bought scrape books for each of the children. These nature journals will be filled with their sketches, descriptions, Latin scientific names and specimens that will be dried or wax papered.
"Charlotte’s image of the nature walk included the mother sitting on a large blanket and sending the kids off to find what they can find. They would return with their finds, or describe what they had seen to their waiting mother. This might work well for you. Others may use a blanket as a “home base.” I cannot help but walk with my children and find things. I don’t want to miss anything on our nature outings, and my enthusiasm is contagious. Either way is fine, I believe."

Below is an image of a home schoolers nature journal. I have placed the link below for you to see more of these pages. She has some great ideas on her site! Isn't the artwork below fantastic!

Images of a Home schoolers nature journal

Composition Books: I will have the children begin writing two days a week in their composition books. These will be used for their narrations. The younger children will probably do this orally and I will write it down for them to copy. I will also no longer be as strict on their handwriting books.. but will make sure they do some form of copy work everyday (probably scripture) to count as their handwriting.

Lap Books: My children love to color, paint, draw, and create. I have decided to have the children create "lap books" on subjects we have covered. Wonder what lap books are? heres are two links:
Lap books: (great pictures)

What is a lap book?
A lap book is basically an educational learning tool made from a folder and meant to take the place of worksheets.

Lap Books & links to "mini books"

Some we will do next week .. Ants (coming from our study of ants this past week) and Speed of Sound and Speed of Light.. I think the kids will LOVE doing this!


These are the changes I have decided to make so far.. and I think it will fit nicely with what we already do. We love our History (story of the world) so we will obviously continue with that but I will probably have the kids to lap books or narrations in their composition books for History as well as their workbook pages and maps they currently do. We love our Bible readings.. and are looking forward to getting those Israelites out of the desert! I hadn't realized it but all the books we have been reading since starting homeschool have been ones that are NOT considered "twaddle". .. so we will continue with those as well.

I plan to continue to educate throughout the summer as it is just a way of life for us. I also have problems with getting through our history in the few "schooling months" because we get caught in a time period and want to stay there for weeks. Its ok.. I have decided if it takes us two semesters and a summer to get through our history . .. and if we are loving it.. then its OK! :)

I also what to mention.. even if you have NO interest in schooling the Charlotte Mason way.. you should read this book. It will make you feel so wonderful and encourage you as a parent! She has such wonderful quotes in this book.. here are a few quotes and links as well:

Great CM site I found just today

Site #2


"The parent who sees his way- that is, the exact force of method to educate his child, will make use of every circumstance of the child's life almost without intention on his own part, so easy and spontaneous is a method of education based upon Natural Law. Does the child eat or drink, does he come, or go, or play- all the time he is being educated..."

"The object of children's literary studies is not to give them precise information as to who wrote what in the reign of whom? -- but to give them a sense of the spaciousness of the days, not only of great Elizabeth, but of all those times of which poets, historians and the makers of tales, have left us living pictures. In such ways the children secure, not the sort of information which is of little cultural value, but wide spaces wherein imagination may take those holiday excursions deprived of which life is dreary; judgment, too, will turn over these folios of the mind and arrive at fairly just decisions about a given strike, the question of Poland, Indian Unrest. Every man is called upon to be a statesman seeing that every man and woman, too, has a share in the government of the country; but statesmanship requires imaginative conceptions, formed upon pretty wide reading 'and some familiarity with historical precedents. "

"By the saying, EDUCATION IS AN ATMOSPHERE, it is not meant that a child should be isolated in what may be called a 'child environment,' especially adapted and prepared; but that we should take into account the educational value of his natural home atmosphere, both as regards persons and things, and should let him live freely among his proper conditions. It stultifies a child to bring down his world to the 'child's' level" (Mason 1923: preface).

So.. heres to finding our place.. and enjoying every minute of it!