The Secret Lies with Charlotte.........

Mini Review

2010-01-07T07:06:00.000-08:00

Don't let my daughter's look fool you, she isn't terribly studious. LOL She just likes her new glasses.

A friend let my borrow her IEW TWSS DVD's. I have only watched the first disc so I have only a mini review. The dvd itself is only mildly interesting, but the concept of KWO or keyword outlines and then rewriting from them is great. I think it is a great help with narration. I know for my boys I am having them make those KWO and then narrate back to me from them, It seems to be helping them give more complete narrations.

With dd we are just getting into them and she is slowly starting to write from them.

So far I think these has been very helpful and I wish I would have tried it sooner, but at least it isn't too late. One thing that I like about using just TWSS is that I can take passages from what I am already using, thereby reinforcing what we are already learning and laying a good foundation for writing later on down the road.

Honest Scrap award

2009-12-28T09:25:00.000-08:00

A new Internet friend of mine nominated me for the Honest Scrap Award. Thanks for thinking I am worthy Kathy. Unfortunately my computer skills can't make it pretty but I'll try. I am suppose to list ten honest things about myself.

1. I can not tell a lie.....no matter what. I am serious. My truth telling frankness gets me into trouble all the time. This sort of goes along with the fact that I can't keep a secret if you ask me a direct question about it. I am an open book. So don't ask me how you look unless you want the honest truth. LOL

2. My spiritual gifts are knowledge and exhortation. Basically I am a know it all and will tell you all about it. I question everything and ask the hard questions all the time.

3. I love to be alone or at least quiet. I grew up an only child with parents who were too busy for much time with me, so I can be alone very well. I love to go to the beach or hiking where things are quiet and I can hear God better.

4. Winter is my favorite season. It is soooo beautiful and silent. Living on busy street makes everything noisy in the summer, especially Harley Davidson motorcycles gunning their engines up the hill. Hiking and sledding in the winter are some of my favorite pastimes.

5. I am not easily embarrassed, much to my children's disappointment. Just wait until they are teenagers.

6. Sock knitting is my favorite hobby and I have enough yarn to knit at least 90 pairs. I am going on a yarn diet for 2010.

7. I am a serious foodie. Hubby and I love to cook together and I bake all the time. We make gourmet food as a way to celebrate events. My children eat just about anything and put hot sauce on their food sometimes.

8. I never wanted children when I was growing up and even married my husband and told him I didn't want any. He was smart and knew I would change my mind. Actually the Lord grabbed my heart and changed my life. Being a wife and mom is my favorite thing to do. I just wish I could get paid to do it.

9. Wrestling my children is one of my favorite things to do with them. I get down on the floor with them more then DH does. (he has back issues). Recently turning 40 hasn't stopped me either.

10. I used to be an atheist, but the Lord hit me in the head with a 2 x 4 known as the truth. I studied physical anthropology for a while in college before dropping out and then returning to become a nurse. (being a nurse is a good job for those who have spiritual gifts of mercy and compassion....I don't have either). So I am well versed in evolution.

I don't read many blogs so I don't really have anyone to nominate.

We will return to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.

Keys

2009-12-13T05:15:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share something from my favorite homeschool book of all time, The Easy Homeschooling Companion. This book has encouraged me and pushed me to do a better job in my parenting and homeschooling. I have written notes all over this book and hightlighted so much in it. I have even spoken with the author, Lorraine Curry a few time via internet.

I like this little section that I am going to share so much that I printed it and put by my desk to help me stay on track.

Keys
1) Consistent Schedule
2) Unfailing Faith
3) Positive Words
4) Diligent Optimism
5) Bold Determination

Faith is such a big part of success. Translate that faith into uplighting and positive words. Optimism results from living each day in faith-in assurance that all will turn out well, that each child will fulfill his potential. Determination is never allowing for failure. It ties all the other keys together. It is the character quality that says, "I will never give up."

It helps to me to stay on track when I focus on these things in our homeschooling. They help to shape my attitude, which seems to need a lot of work.

She also has another two books and one is the first book to this one, Easy Homeschooling Techniques and Easy Homeschooling Curriculum is the third book. I have an article in the third book but it is edited horribly. Techniques and Companion are by far the best books. A word of warning though, she is very KJV oriented and it shows through....lots. I didn't mind all and I am not KJV only. I would only buy the third book if you like the first two.

Ta Ta For Now
Christy

Exhortation......to myself mostly

2009-12-01T14:28:00.001-08:00

When most people bring home leftovers after Thanksgiving dinner, we like to buck tradition and bring home a pet. We brought home a black kitten to torment our older cat and delight the children. His name is Bram which means raven in Gaelic. Our daughter picked it out. Of course, he is too funny and keeps us off track sometimes.

You know something is up when you read something in two different places and it pricks you. Mostly, I figure it is the Holy Spirit trying to get my attention. In two different Charlotte Mason books, I have read about being diligent and consistant in getting our work done. Reading it twice has really made it stand out to me and thought maybe someone else might want to hear it too.

I was just thumbing through A Charlotte Mason Companion and decided to read a chapter at the very end of the book. I think it is the second to last chapter. It is about two different families experiences with CM during the 50's and one during the 30's. One of the woman described that she felt part of their success was in that they always did their work first and that they did the whole program of work. They wouldn't let too many interuptions happen. I sometimes let my extended family interupt us too much. Since the children aren't at school all day we must not be doing much at home. Of course, if I quit answering the phone that might help also. How many times do I maybe let something slide? Maybe I rationalize it by saying just this once, when really it has been more then once. That has really made me think that I don't want to stay on my slipperly slope after the holidays. I want to be a little more protective of our school time and enforce getting our work done more.

Another book I have been reading through also hit with a very similar concept. Catherine Levinson's book, More Charlotte Mason Education, also brought up point that hit home with me. She said that we always have this nagging sense of guilt when we know we haven't done a good job homeschooling. I must admit that I have feel that before. Homeschooling takes time, no matter what anyone else says. On days when I don't have other commitments I feel like I have time to slow down and help someone with a problem or deal with a discipline issue without trying to just sweep in under the rug, because we must rush. Does anyone else ever feel this way?

I know with the holidays I feel this way more often and lately everyone else seems to really need me, but I know I should tighten up the reins of our homeschool more. I plan to pull us in after the new year. No sense trying before then.

I highly recommend both books. More Charlotte Mason Education is very practical and deals with high school issues and over buying of curriculum and other "fun" topics. A Charlotte Mason Companion will give you warm fuzzies about CM like you have never felt before. It will inspire you, but it isn't the most practical. Both books have their place in a will stock Charlotte Mason collection.

Writing

2009-11-21T05:22:00.001-08:00

Yup, a picture of my oldest modeling a hat I just knit.

Let's talk about writing and CM. This is probably my personal weakest area and my hardest to teach. Now that things are going a little more smoothly with school I can start focusing on trouble areas.

CM recommends just doing written narrations. No actual writing instruction until they reach high school age. This a teaching that really requires trust on my part if I want to try it that way, but it is sooo hard. The oldest can write, sometimes very well and sometimes not so well. Of course, when the extended relatives view her writing I get the "look". You know the "look", the one that says you aren't doing a good job teaching writing and you're ruining my grandchildren. To be honest I am not sure I can this method and I would love to hear if someone else had gone this route with success. I do have this resource, http://www.lulu.com/content/1944866 , which I should try to utilize more first.

Over at Harmony Art Mom she shared a blog post on teaching writing using IEW and I am not going to link IEW. It was pretty compelling to me as she has older children and they seem to be doing well. IEW is expensive and it seems very work intensive on my part. Would I use something like that? What about what CM says? I will admit that I am tempted. I would welcome anyone who has advice on this topic.

Another aspect of IEW is cost. I know for our children's educations we should spare no expense, but well that is a consideration. As it is, next year's stuff is already close to a thousand dollars between LBC and Saxon math. My husband works a blue collar job and we aren't made of money so, yes, cost is a big factor for things. He is willing if I think they really need it. I just don't want to waste money. Perhaps someone with experience here will share their thoughts with me on this topic of writing.

Different Charlotte Mason curriculums

2009-11-15T11:41:00.000-08:00

I was thinking today after church about why I like LBC and why I didn't go with making up my own using the planner from Simply Charlotte Mason. I really thought making up my own would be great and so freeing, but underneath it all I like structure. There are other things going on in my life and I don't want to reinvent the wheel be spending all of my time planning. Tweaking is a whole lot easier then just starting from scratch.

If I made up my own, I would have to choose the books. Now I love to choose books, but most likely I would choose to many. I have done that before and overwhelmed the children. What if we would have missed a great book? Oh no, that can't possibly ever happen. Can you see me eyes rolling? After the books are chosen then I have to divide out the pages to be read each day. Lots of work. A few years ago I tried to make up my own and I spent way too much time planning. It was all I was thinking about. I just stopped after realizing I was becoming obsessed and order a complete non-CM style program, My Father's World. It was very good and everyone really enjoyed it. It was planned out for me and I could spend just teaching the children, but we grew out of it and my heart longed for CM again.

With LBC I don't have to choose the books. They did and I think they did a great job of mixing older books with current books. Ambleside's choices were just too dry for us and Simply Charlotte Mason was a little to slowly paced for me. LBC has a sample schedule of what you might want to cover in a week and they may say, read half of such and such a book. Well, it is up to me to plan the day out or the week out. It meets me half way, between being really planned out and being free form. I have added a few things and I have lessened a few things. I added a few more projects for the boys in third grade and few more books. Sixth grade for DD seems to be just right. After our first week with it, I can tell she likes it, even though she won't admit it. She keeps talking about what she is learning. I LOVE that. I am only guiding her and going over math with her. The books are doing the teaching. Let me say that again, the books are doing the teaching. I have more time to do other things. CM says they really don't begin their education until they start reading their school books for themselves. The boys aren't that independent yet, but it is nice to spend some more focused time on their educational needs.

Anyway, with LBC I have a nice framework to start with and can add and subtract a little, with out taxing my brain and still feel like I have customized it for the children.

Singapore Math

2009-11-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

We have used Singapore math for almost a year and a half now and I have to say, It just isn't for us. There isn't enough review and when I can't understand what they are asking how am I suppose to teach to my children. Mostly the lack of review just frustrated my dd and is now really frustrating my boys.

I moved DD over to Saxon 7/6 which a friend had given me an old edition of and it she has really taken off with it. I am able to help over the rough spots. Math isn't really my thing, so I need to understand it before I can teach it.

Not enough money to move the boys to Saxon yet. G started crying while trying to do Singapore 2B review today. He is very good in math and can do several difficult problems in his head. Singapore should be great for him, right? Wrong! I think today I am just going to get some third grade math books from the grocery store and just do the basics until next spring when I can buy Saxon 4/5 for them.

I think Singapore introduces some concepts in math a little early. Last year we were really stuck on borrowing in subtraction. I am sure it is a great program, but just not for us. I avoided Saxon because it was textbookish, heck it is a textbook, but at least my limited mind can understand it and I can help them understand it.
Off to piano lessons.

Being Double Minded

2009-11-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, I can occassionally be double minded. I have decided to return to LBC after much thought. All of the reasons I want to use it are still the same. My dd needs to read independently her school books. We will still read aloud some fun books and stories, but the mental effort must be her own. My boys need more one on one with me and their school work. I believe as parents we need to be raising our children to leave us and follow God's direction for their lives, not ride on our coat tails. So, yes, I am returning to a more Charlotte Mason styled school.

I am feeling very peaceful about this.

Let's see, DD will be doing a full grade six from LBC and the boys will be covering just the American history aspect of grade three and then full fourth next year. No on and I mean no one in this house can do any more ancient history.

I am also looking forward to doing nature study again which has always been a highlight for our home. Everyone really gets into it. We will be following along with Handbook of Nature Study.

Let the good times roll.

Life has gotten in the way

2009-08-11T04:46:00.000-07:00

It seems life has gotten in my way and this summer turned out to be busier then I expected. I hope to back into the swing of things by the middle the Sept. and possibly not even until October. I have two trips in September and some more major activities left in this month. No wonder winter is my favorite month.

Habits for our School year

2009-06-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I have finally chosen what habits we are going to work on this school year. I wanted to choose more academic type ones because the usual ones will always be there. They I won't have as much time on these and the sooner they are established the better.

For our first 8 weeks it will be reading and remembering. They need to read more for themselves and then remember it. Of course, the remembering will be in the form of various styles of narrations. They will be written, oral, drawn, or acted out. I want focus on encouraging the children to make extra efforts here. These will be habits that are needed all of their lives. Reading it once and then remembering.

The next 8 weeks will be, thinking and accuracy. Thinking is more then just saying, "I don't know", because most of the time my children do know, they just haven't taken the time to think about it. (Especially after I have been asked what is for dinner many....many times) They need to think things through. I don't want to always give them the answer. This goes back to the remembering. Accuracy goes hand in hand with everything else. Are you sure you are right? Maybe you should check again, especially when it comes to math. How many times is it the basic facts that are wrong? These tie in very well with the habits learned in the previous eight weeks.

This time it will a be a little different but still fit in well. Finishing what we start and use of time will be the focus. Use of time is something a dawdler needs help with, I have one of those. We work before we play. That is a great motto for almost any area of life and good habit to start. School should be done before playing. Use of time is also for me too. Now, not every moment needs to be productive but how much time are we wasting cruising the internet. I am guilty here of not always using my time well. Finishing what we start is something to really consider. Charlotte said, "If it was worth starting, then it is worth finishing." This one requires some thinking because not everything needs to be finished. How often do we let our sense of perfectionism keep us at something? Piano lessons leap to mind here. My dd takes fairly intense piano lessons. She is not sure she wants to keep on, but I "know" she does because she keeps learning new pieces on her own and plays for her own enjoyment. She just doesn't like the practice part. So I am helping her finish what she has started. This can also apply to me and my strange curriculum hopping. I should stay with what I started with MFW. Now there will be times when we must quit and change, but we really need to evaluate when that is.

I only have one for our last section and that is self-control. I am not going to talk much about it because we all need to have it. One thing I have done to help my children with it is a little word picture. I remind them that they have a castle, their body. They can not control anyone else's castle. Who is in charge of the castle? Usually a king or queen and when the castle is out of control, the king or queen must take charge and do what is right. Sometimes the jester takes over or those unruly peasants, but the king or queen must win the day.

It would be great if anyone has any comments to share them.

Spooked

2009-06-20T05:16:00.000-07:00

I confess that the grass is NOT greener on the other side of the fence. While I was writing up my schedules for using LBC it suddenly dawned on me that they were looking an awful lot like my Ambleside Online schedules looked. While AO is a great program and I soooo wanted it to work, it didn't for our family. In fact, it made me dreaded getting up in the morning and having to do school. So when LBC started to look like AO I was totally spooked and almost started to panic. LBC is a wonderful program and maybe if I would have started it when I had wanted to 2 years ago things would have been different.

I put everything down for a day or two and talked to DH and an online friend. DH reminded me of what our goals for our children are in one talk and then a friend said that my DD said that she doesn't like changing curriculum so much. My friend was totally surprised. When I questioned DD about it, she said, "It is like buying a new house and not living in it very long." Wow, I totally convicted and it hurt. Not more then a couple hours later DH says that we should go back to My Father's World. I felt like David when Nathan came to confront him about what he had done with Bathsheba. The lights in my head and heart went on and I knew he was right. So we will be returning to MFW using Rome to Reformation.

I still plan on reading more CM and Laying Down the Rails . In fact, I want to share more about the habits we are going to be focusing on very soon. Confession is hard and that was why I hadn't posted, but I also wanted to be transparent and share with others that the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence. Charlotte Mason still has a lot to offer even if I won't be using a curriculum that follows her methods in a more purist style. Habits are worthwhile in any setting.

Habit plan

2009-06-18T10:13:00.001-07:00

I have decided to focus on the habits of reading and remembering for our first eight weeks of school. I also have other habits lined up, but I am not ready to share quite yet. A big change has happened in our homeschool and I am not quite ready to annouce it yet, perhaps tomorrow.

Doesn't the boy look cute?!

The Beach

2009-06-10T05:24:00.001-07:00

There is nothing like the beach. It calms and refreshes the soul. This is part of the beach is near my house, the section called the dog beach. You can bring your dog to swim here. It is awfully nice if your clean up after it too. Further down the beach is a huge expanse of wide sugar sand beach for people who just want to lay out and swim. We like to come here after DH gets out of work and relax or cool off. My children are fond it also.

Structure

2009-06-03T11:16:00.001-07:00

To thine own self be True! Well, that is the kicker isn't it? I know myself fairly well. While I enjoy spontaneous things, spontaneous homeschool never works out well for me. Structure is really a must for me.

Over the years I have learned that without a daily schedule, too little gets done. I remember when I used to use a unit study curriculum. I never really understood what was age appropriate for my children in activities at that time, and so I got frustrated, and then nothing happened. No schoolish type stuff ever happened. It was during this time that I learned something important about myself, I am not a natural homeschooler. That was quite a blow to my ego. I really wanted it to all come naturally and to not need to rely on any curriculum and just do my own thing and my children would turn out to be genuises. As usual God was laughing at me.

After a time I found My Father's World ,which had a daily schedule and I actually followed it and I had the best year of homeschooling ever. Everyone made progress and including me. At the end of the day, I felt good about what was accomplished. No nagging guilt that I should have done more, or no worrying about was I pushing too much work. It just seemed to be the right balance. That was two years ago and my children had the nerve to grow more and have their needs change.

With their changing needs, came new curriculum, Living Books Curriculum . My daughter has to read more on her own. My boys don't need to tag along, they need to do their own work. So now I have seperated them agian in school. It is taking a serious time investment, but I am writing up daily schedules for all. So each day they will know what they need to accomplish. It will also help them to develop as independent learners.

Having a daily schedule or even a list of things that need to be done, makes the end of day so much more peaceful. I have peace of mind knowing that good balance was done in their work. I can concentrate on them and what they need help. Not with racking my brain thinking about what needs to be next. Structure and schedule are the framework of my day, upon which the rest is supported.

May I encourage you to have a plan for your days. Charlotte would be pleased I think.

I like this quote, "If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail."

How about this one, "Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness." by Jean de La Bruyere.

"Nine-tenths of wisdom consists in being wise in scheduling time." Teddy Roosevelt

Frogs and Princes

2009-05-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

Nothing like hunting for frogs and tadpoles with my princes and princess. Of course, everything went into the nature journal. We almost missed that turtle in the pond. He was a big boy.

Reading and Remembering

2009-05-16T12:53:00.001-07:00

I have come upon some more greats sections in my book Laying Down the Rails, Reading for Instruction and Remembering. They really go hand in hand. Let's start with Reading for Instruction. One without the other is totally pointless otherwise.

1. "During your child's sixth through twelfth years, concentrate on cultivating this habit of reading for instruction."

There is so much here under this one point. Here is a CM quote, "The most common and monstrous defect in the education of the day is that children fail to aquire the habit of reading." This was really convicting for me that I was wondering if I had made life a little too exciting for my children. There wasn't enough down time for them to read or even enough boring moments to make reading seem attractive. Perhaps there were too much TV or video games or too many activities. My children have come to ask me what we are doing today and where are we going. If we are always going and doing then there isn't time to read or be reading. I had to look at how we were spending our time. I needed to make more time for them to read and more appealing.

2. "Read aloud to your older children only occasionally."

This one hit me right between the eyes with the force a semi! Listen to this quote, "......give him the habit of being read to, and he will steadily shirk the labour of reading for himself; inded, we all like to be spoon-fed with our intellectual meat, or we should read and think more for ourselves...." I have been reading almost all of our school books to my dd who is almost 12, there by enabling her to be shriker. She really hasn't gotten into the habit of reading for herself. It has only been lately that she has really started to read books herself. It is also one of the reasons we changed curriculum as I was teaching all of the children together and then because the boys were younger I would read all of the books aloud. I could tell she wasn't getting as much out of it as if she would have read it to herself. When she has to read the books herself, then she has to "own" that knowledge. She has become responsible for the information in the book.

Does this mean I won't read aloud anymore, of course not. I just won't read aloud as much and maybe we can read more books for pleasure. Which in turn will probably save my voice more.

The next sections is, Remembering, which fits in so nicely with reading for instruction. I am only going to higlight a few of the points.

1. Cramming for a test does not assure remembering and knowing.

I have so been there and done that. Hasn't everyone done that and how much do you remember later?

2. Link each lesson to the previous one in a mental train.

This one is easy to do by asking about we have read yesterday. Here is a quote, "Let every lesson gain the child's entire attention and let each new lesson be so interlaced with the last that the one must recall the other; that, again, recalls the one before it, and so on to the beginning"

Both of these habits go hand in hand, otherwise what is the point of reading for instruction if we can't remember it. We have this opprotunity, since we homeschool, to avoid the cramming for tests and not being able to recall the information. I have a nephew in college who was telling me that he was up very late the night before to study for a history test. When I asked what kind of history test all he could tell me was American history from 1900. Do you think he remembered anything that he crammed for. Sadly, no, I don't think he did. This is what we want to advoid.

One thing that I really like in this book, is that at the end of the chapters are questions. No, not comprehension questions, but more application style questions. I'll leave you with this one.

Am I improving in finding various kinds of links between subjects of lessons- whether similarities, differences, or something else?

You really need to read this book. It has changed my homeschooling for the better.

Out of Chaos, Comes Order

2009-05-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

Well the room is mostly done. the color on the walls is called White Raisin. My DH was able to paint both the living room and our school room with just 2 gallons and that was even giving the living room a double coat.

The books are not arranged on the shelves the way they need to be...yet. In fact the whole prospect overwhelms me. Where did I get all of these books? Of course, I plan to give the Living Books Curriculum there own shelves, but otherwise I am at a loss for organizing them.

I think we will put up our timeline on the wall behind the love seat. I still need to sew up the carpet at the top of the post there. We wouldn't want any concrete showing through.

It looks like such a different uncluttered space then before. I hope and strongly pray that we will continue down our Charlotte Mason path. Remember .... the secret lies with Charlotte. (Did no one get that reference to the National Treasure movie?)

Chaos Reigns

2009-05-06T10:06:00.001-07:00

Yes, chaos is visiting my house. I have finally moved everything away from the walls so that my DH can paint them. The room hasn't been redone in 7 years or since DH built it for me. The boys were just a year old. It is taking me quite a while to mud the holes since there are so many from

all of the battles that young boys can have.

There are so many books. Just when I think the children weren't listening during reading time they surprise. As we were taking books from the shelves, they were saying, I remember when we read that book or this book. I turn my back to do something for a minute and I come back they are all reading. I can't get them to read normally without assigning something and here they are reading the one time I want them to be working. At first I was sarcastic, saying " Oh now your reading." Then it reminded me that even if I don't think they are listening, they really are. They remember books we read years ago, like Wind in the Willows. The boys were five when we read that.

Speaking of the boys, now look at them. They are eight. Would you believe they are twins? Don't tell, but they even wore camo underwear. Now Dh might be a bit upset since they are dressed like army when everyone knows the best are MARINES. Marines aren't soldiers, they are Marines. There is a difference I am told. Yes, DH was a marine.

The Habit of Attention

2009-05-02T07:13:00.000-07:00

I have been rereading Laying Down the Rails, which talks about habits while using the words of Charlotte Mason. Run......don't walk to buy this resource.

I will only highlight a few of my thoughts and ideas that I have gleaned form this book so far. There are many to be had here and I even wrote notes in the margins while I was reading. I only do that if the book is really good.

1. "The habit of attention is of first importance because all other intellectual gifts depend on it."
This is soooo true. Let me show an example from my life. When I was in nursing school we had to maintain a certain grade point. Well, I have never been one for home work or studying outside of class so I wasn't always a top student. Now if I paid attention during class, I did just fine on a the tests. Toward the end of my nutrition class I needed to score a 90% or better on the final exam or I couldn't continue on taking nursing classes. I spent about 3 hours the day before the test just reading the textbook, which was terribly boring, in which I paid close attention to. The next day I finished the test before anyone else and then proceed to get the highest grade on it, a 96%. ( Don't ask me to remember any of it because it was almost 20 years ago that I took it)Now I am not saying to make myself look good, in fact, it probably does the opposite for me. Paying attention in whatever task is at hand has always paid off well for me.

So I know if works well for me, that it can work well for my children. I have seen it.

2. "Homeschooling becomes wearisome when your child is constantly thinking about something other than his lessons"

I am not allowing any discussion not pretaining to the task at hand during school. You know what I mean, your reading your devotional with the children and little Connor (one of my boys) pipes up with, wasn't that a great play I made in baseball, which then quickly turns into an action replay. Or we get, "can I ask a question," "what's for lunch or how much school do we have left?" Now they aren't allowed to ask questions or talk about anything other then what we learning about, for that moment. We can talk about the material and they can ask questions of it, just not other stuff.

3. "Captive your child's interest in an object; help him look at it long enough to get a real aquaintance with it before moving on."
This was another quote that really jumped out at me. Here it is in the first paragraph. "She must see to it that he does does not flit for this to that, but looks long enough at one thing to get a real acquaintance with it." We as moms know how that is, because we do it. How many times has your child tried to get your attention to look at something they drew and you just glanced at it and said, looks great honey? Most of this one was pertaining to picture study, but I still think it can apply in other areas as well.

These are just some of the ideas that really hit home for me in the chapter, The Habit of Attention. I can not recommend this resource highly enough. Laying Down the Rails

New beginnings

2009-04-30T05:06:00.000-07:00

If we are to have new beginnings, we must show where we started. Here is where I am starting. In my terribly messy school room in our basement. I am starting here because we are going to paint it a sunny yellow. There is only one small window in it and since I live in the frozen north without lots of bright sun in the winter, I thought this would help. Mostly though, to help us start fresh again.

I am also returning to my first love of home schooling, Charlotte Mason. I have been drifting away from her method of education for a last few years. One of the things that renewed my love of her method again was her teaching of the whole child. Not just stuffing them with facts like a Thanksgiving turkey in order to make us as parents look good or to make sure we were getting it all in. God made them complete in Him. We are merely coming along side of Him. We are not to trample on them with our personality.

My children have been showing me lately that they aren't me. What a shocking revelation....at least to me. How dare I think they should be me! God made them different and He has different plans for them and I must let my plans for them go. In letting of my plans for them, I need a method to follow that speaks making them who God wants them to be and that is where Charlotte and her "secrets" come in.

Of all the educational methods out there and there are many, only Charlotte Mason's truly takes into account respect the child. Who they are and where they are at. So like Jesus, who accepts us where we are at.

I am so excited to be rereading so many of my favorite Charlotte Mason books and using a much more CM style of curriculum. We are starting our new CM journey with LBC or Living Books Curriculum .

I am starting in a messy and chaotic place in which I hope to tranform in to a sunny place of learning. So we have some outward changes that will hopefully mirror inward changes as well.