Archive for April, 2007

Handicrafts – Sewing & Embroidering

{ April 28, 2007 @ 11:20 am } · { handicrafts }
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I am trying to get my dear daughter away from cut-n-paste crafts and into real handicrafts. Right now we have 4 of the Winky Cherry books and kits – My First Sewing Book, My First Embroidery Book, My First Doll Book, and My First Sewing Machine Book. Each of these books you can buy as just the book, but I do recommend the kits since everything you need is inside (sans the stuffing — got to go buy some more of that!).

Yesterday morning she wanted to sew. She loves to sew the little felt stuffed animals that you learn how to make in the 1st book – My First Sewing Book. She made a red and yellow unicorn and we used red yarn to give it a mane and tail. She loves it, and she loved making it. Later, when “school” was “over” for the day she wanted to embroider.

Now, she’s only embroidered one other time, so this was her first time embroidering a picture like this. I posted it over to the left (it needs to be ironed, as you can see!). I think that’s pretty good for a 6-year-old’s 2nd time ever embroidering. She made many mistakes, and got frustrated, but through it all we talked about how mistakes are for learning. She was quite proud of her craft and so am I!
Charlotte advocated the child’s learning handicrafts. In her day, those handicrafts could help to support and enable the child as he or she grew to adulthood. So we have expanded the list to include life skills, which are likewise important in teaching children to be industrious and preparing them to manage their own households someday.

Four succinct points should be kept in mind when selecting handicrafts and life skills

  • The end-product should be useful. The children should not “be employed in
    making futilities such as pea and stick work, paper mats, and the like.”
  • Teach the children “slowly and carefully what they are to do.”
  • Emphasize the habit of best effort. “Slipshod work should not be allowed.”
  • Carefully select handicrafts and life skills to challenge but not frustrate. “The children’s work should be kept well within their compass.

(from Simply Charlotte Mason)

A Plan!

{ April 27, 2007 @ 8:02 pm } · { planning }
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I so wish I would have done Ambleside Online or Higher Up & Further In’s schedule for Year 1 last year! But I didn’t, so this year I am combining some of AO’s Year 1, Year 2 and some of Higher Up & Further In’s Year 1, Year 2 and my own things I want to cover. Do you think me brain is exhausted? Whew! So here is my schedule …

If you have any questions (I have had a few) then please let me know!

Blessings :)

Zoology 1: Flying Creature of the Fifth Day

{ April 27, 2007 @ 12:39 pm } · { planning, science }
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I am on a planning roll! Well, our state conference is next week (YAY!) and I am wanting to get most of my planning done so that I know what I need/want to buy. I began my planning for science yesterday and I finished this morning. I thought I would also share those files with you in case you are trying to figure out how to plan Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. All the schedules that I have found online are for 28 weeks, but I wanted to stretch it out the entire 36 weeks.

Zoology 1 was written by Jeannie Fulbright and I really like her. I like her writing and I have enjoyed hearing her speak as well. I hope these help you out some :)

You can also find pre-made (by Jeannie) notebooking pages here. Also, there are insect flashcards (for lesson 13) and notebooking pages without writing.

Just to answer a question you may have on the plans I made … Why jump from Lesson 1 to Lesson 9? Lesson 9 begins insect study and this should be done while it’s still warm outside :)

I plan on ordering the Zoology 1 kit from Creation Sensation, as well as the Bird Field Guides (I think – I have one and I might find others I like elsewhere – I do want to get Birds, Nests and Eggs), the Build-a-Birdhouse Kit (since it meets the specifications in Zoology 1) and the Painted Lady Butterfly Larvae. You can see a complete list of supplies included in the kit here.

I will also be ordering Ladybug Larvae from Insect Lore (BTW this is a great site with games to play, things to learn and, of course, a place to shop!)

Happy Planning!

Simply Charlotte Mason

{ April 26, 2007 @ 3:09 pm } · { Charlotte Mason, websites }
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Have you seen Sonya’s site yet? It’s simply called Simply Charlotte Mason. Here are the goodies you’ll find:

  • Her blog
  • Parenting Tips
  • Info about getting started and FAQs
  • A CM Bookfinder
  • Books Sonya has written (i.e. Laying Down the Rails: A Charlotte Mason Habits Handbook – can’t wait to get my hands on this; and Spelling Wisdom)
  • A CM Organizer
  • Curriculum Guide w/ suggestions
  • Schedules
  • Timesavers

Thanks for all your work Sonya!

Truth Quest American History for Young Students 1

{ April 26, 2007 @ 10:24 am } · { history, planning }
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My dear husband is happy, I think ;) … every time he calls me and asks, “What are you doing?” my response is, “Planning.”

I am excited that I am done … with history at least. So, I thought I would share my history plans with you. I have searched and searched for some help with planning Truth Quest and didn’t find much, so if you are also searching I want to share in order to help you.

These also have the era, our artist, composer, poet and read alouds (which correspond to our history schedule) listed, as well as the extras we’ll be using along with the given topic, if any. I haven’t listed the spine, because I know that we’ll be using This Country of Ours (TCOO), since it’s free online (these are 2 separate links that take you to 2 different sites, each with a free copy of TCOO).

AHYS1 Term 1
AHYS1 Term 2
AHYS1 Term 3

I have it broken down into terms because that works best for me for planning. Each term is 12 weeks long. Each week has the topic(s) listed along with the corresponding section # in the Truth Quest guide.

I plan on putting more files here on my blog to share, so I’ll let you know when I do :)

*pdf creation courtesy of PDF online – convert to pdf for free!

TruthQuest

{ April 24, 2007 @ 1:52 pm } · { history, planning }
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It came in the mail yesterday … my brand new copy of TruthQuest American History for Young Students 1 – Exploration to 1800. When bedtime came around I got cozy in my PJs and under the covers and began to read through the guide. What a wonderful resource!!! I’ve already learned something in my reading that I (*blush*) did not know … the Puritans and Pilgrims are not the same people. Did you know that? I didn’t, I’m sorry to say. Anyway, it’s a wonderful smorgasbord of delightful living literature on just about every aspect of America from the exploration to 1800. I am so excited to sit down today and begin my real planning (I was waiting on this to arrive). Hope you all have as much fun planning as I do :)

Blessing!

How Can You Tell If You’re Having Fun?

{ April 19, 2007 @ 12:10 am } · { outdoors }
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Q:
How Can You Tell If You’re Having Fun?

A:
There’s mud involved!

American History & Systems & Methods

{ April 18, 2007 @ 12:19 pm } · { Charlotte Mason, history, planning }
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I ordered TruthQuest American History for Young Students 1 yesterday. I hope it gets here soon as I have been really wanting to get my hands on it. I have been drawn to it for some time now. For whatever reason I want to dive into America History next year.

The other night I began writing out our schedule for next year using Ambleside Online’s (AO)Year 1 & 2 and Linda Fay’s (HUFI) Year 1 & 2. But with my desire for American History it just wasn’t meshing together quite right. AO doesn’t even really cover American History yet and some of the books I like in HUFI Year 2 don’t really go with the topics of Year 1. And since I don’t want to start American History in the middle (Year 2), I think I will have to pull my own history and literature together. But that’s okay … I like planning :)

It’s funny, I was reading some of Charlotte Mason’s writing yesterday about Systems & Methods of education (Home Education, Some Preliminary Considerations). She said the following:

Method a Way to an End.––Method implies two things––a way to an end, and a step by step progress in that way. Further, the following of a method implies an idea, a mental image, of the end of object to be arrived at. What do you propose that education shall effect in and for your child?

A System easier than a Method.––A ’system of education’ is an alluring fancy; more so, on some counts, than a method, because it is pledged to more definite calculable results. By means of a system certain developments may be brought about through the observance of given rules.

System––the observing of rules until the habit of doing certain things, of behaving in certain ways, is confirmed, and, therefore, the art is acquired––is so successful in achieving precise results, that it is no wonder there should be endless attempts to straiten the whole field of education to the limits of a system.

If a human being were a machine, education could do no more for him than to set him in action in prescribed ways, and the work of the educator would be simply to adopt a good working system or set of systems.

But the educator has to deal with a self-acting, self-developing being, and his business is to guide, and assist in, the production of the latent good in that being, the dissipation of the latent evil, the preparation of the child to take his place in the world at his best, with every capacity for good that is in him developed into a power.

Though system is a highly useful as an instrument of education, a ’system of education’ is mischievous, as producing only mechanical action instead of the vital growth and movement of a living being.

I realized that I was looking at AO schedules and HUFI schedules as systems and trying to implement them as such. But they are just helps that some precious ladies have made to assist us to see the big picture, put it all together and navigate the CM method.

Freedom … that’s what a method allows. And that’s what I desire in our homeschool. That’s one of the reasons that I like the CM method so much. But I do need to get it into my head – METHOD, not system. What do I propose that education shall effect in and for my child? That’s the question and the answer to that question will lead my planning. I like freedom …

Oxygen & Sunshine

{ April 17, 2007 @ 7:16 pm } · { Charlotte Mason, art, outdoors }
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Charlotte Mason talked about how important oxygen and sunshine were for a child. Today we spent the afternoon soaking up both on this glorious day that the Lord has made. I thought I would share some pictures of what we did today …

We got this idea from Family Fun Magazine’s latest issue. I took a sheet (all I had was a fitted sheet) and hung it up on a make-shift clothesline. Then DD took her watercolors and went to town. She had a lot of fun. I’m trying to teach her that art is more than just the finished work — the process is also very important and should be enjoyable.


She decided to call this “Haphazard Art”. She likes to name her paintings. The other day she made a mess with black paint and named it “Artistic Mess” … a great name, by the way. I’ll have to take a picture and upload it here.
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My littlest DD decided that she wanted to get in on the action too. Of course, as of yet she has no idea how this works, so she thought she would “paint” my camera :) …

And here’s the final work of art. I think it’s pretty neat.

She’s wondering how we’ll hang it …
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And we finished off the afternoon with grape fruit juice popsicles. Yum …

Now we’re enjoying our daily quiet time. It’s a good day …

Blessings!

It’s Coming Together

{ April 16, 2007 @ 11:54 am } · { Charlotte Mason, planning }
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Next year is really coming together! YAY! I am excited about it all and want to sit down and plan out the year already. Last night I wrote out all the subjects and what I would be using or wanting to cover for each one. Being a planner by nature I find this fun :) I hope to have my year 2 booklist and schedule done sometime soon and then I will post it. In the meantime, if you are really wanting to use Charlotte Mason methods and are just intimidated by it all, I found this site – http://www.livingbookscurriculum.com/ – it says “Literature-rich curricula inspired by the work of Charlotte Mason”

Enjoy!

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