The Bee Academy

Saved by a museum!

2009-10-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

I've been nervous about what would happen if I ever wasn't completely prepared for the next day by the time I went to bed the night before.

Well, today I found out.

I got home from a get-together at a friend's house at about 10:30 last night, and decided to just go to bed with the intention of getting up early (5:30) to plan and put it all together. Yeah, right! I dragged myself out of bed at 6:30, and was NOT prepared when it was time to start school. The bummer thing about it, too, was that it would have been a virtually distraction-free day since it was raining this morning.

Oh well. Lesson learned.

By 8:10 in the morning I could tell that we were in for a rough day if I didn't think of something QUICK! I called up a friend who suggested something called Kidscape. She'd heard about it, and suggested I look it up on the Internet and see if it would be a good solution to my problem. I checked it out and it looked great!

I told the kids we were going to leave at 10:00 to go do something really fun, and that the house had to be straightened up and everyone had to be neat and tidy. We left a few minutes late, but I wanted Rachel to get a good nap in before we left. At least we got the house from trashed to tidy in that time.

It turned out that this Kidscape thing was a hands-on exhibit in the county museum. The museum had several adult-style exhibits documenting the history of our county, with kid-friendly hands-on exhibits peppered throughout.

Did I mention it was totally free?

We made it to the first hands-on exhibit, and David and Drew were just getting into it when Spencer informed us in no uncertain terms that he was hungry and he wanted to go eat. I had packed a picnic lunch with this in mind so we trooped back out to eat feed and water everybody. It was a chilly, wet, and windy day so instead of sitting outside like I had originally planned, we put the backseat down in our van and had a picnic in the back. It was actually really fun. I made PB&J sandwiches while we munched on hummus & carrots and chips & salsa. Thankfully I'd thought to bring plates for everyone so I didn't end up with a horrible mess in my car. Even Darcy got in on it all, though she wanted to crawl around and help herself to the food a bit more than I was comfortable with. She's becoming quite an independent little thing!

After everyone was feeling better, we trooped back in and proceeded to have a marvelous time. The first hands-on exhibit was an old-time cabin with a big cookstove, dry sink and water pump, wooden food, and a butter churn. The kids had a wonderful time "making" pies (very cute how the museum did it, too - they had a pie dish, cut circles out of craft foam for the top and bottom of the pie, and had bean bags made from apple and cherry fabric for the inside - I'll have to remember that for Christmas!), frying bacon and eggs, and baking cookies. Darcy "set" the table for dinner. Outside in the "yard" was a little garden with wooden veggies they could plant in little holes, a chicken coop with chickens and eggs, and a clothes line with pins to hang the laundry up with.

After they tired of that, we went on to the next exhibit, though this one didn't hold their attention as well. It was basically baskets of rubber vegetables that they could pretend to play store with, but the idea wasn't as interesting to them as running ahead to see what else the museum had. :)

Also, we had a little diversion at this point. Spencer loves to re-fill my water bottles for me, and he had a little trouble with my latest one (it's rather big). He brought me back the bottle half-full and told me he'd spilled some water on the floor. I told him to show me, expecting to find a little bit of water spilled. No, there was quite a flood on the floor that he and I cleaned up together. I'm glad he told me or I'd never have thought to check, and someone might have gotten hurt by slipping in all that water.

Anyway, we zoomed on through most of the rest of the exhibits until we got to the Kidscape part. It was awesome! There was a little theater with a stage, curtains, theater seats and an entire backstage room filled with props! There was a bookstore with lots of books from the county library that you could "check out" with a little scanner that beeped, and several bean bags in the corner to get cozy in. There was a room FILLED with cars and trucks and trains and little cities to play in. There was a park with a mini-golfing range (two holes, two clubs, and LOTS of balls), a painted pond with fish and fishing poles and a Wii to play baseball on.

There was a doctor's office with babies to play with and weigh, lots of doctor toys to play with, and a wooden person to operate on, complete with hinged doors on his chest to open him up and take out the heart, lungs, liver, stomach, and intestines. There was even a little door on his leg so you could operate on his bones. Apparently this guy was my husband and Drew the Doctor was unable to save him. He died several times while we were there. So sad. I cried lots of fake tears.

The last room was a boutique with boxes and boxes of beads and pipe cleaners to make jewelry with, magnetic "paper" dolls to change clothes and play with, and rows and rows of craft materials like stickers and glue and feathers and puff balls to make random things with. IT WAS AWESOME and the kids had a blast!

I'm so glad I wasn't prepared this morning. The kids and I had such a fun time doing something we probably wouldn't have gotten around to for a very long time, if ever. Now we're going to have to make sure we go LOTS of times before the exhibit closes in January. Next time we'll bring friends, too.

Though, now that I know what happens when I'm not prepared, I'm not going to bed tonight until everything is in place for tomorrow.

And what do YOUR children do when you aren't supervising them very closely?

2009-09-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

Apparently mine find crickets, pull their antennae and feet off and throw them in spider webs.

I think we need to have a talk about the sanctity of life.... ALL life!

Divvying up the chores

2009-09-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

I think that the only way to have any home, but especially a homeschooling home, run smoothly is to make sure that Mom's not doing all the chores. When we started our school year, I laid out cards with jobs on them, and had the kids pick which ones they wanted. I told them we'd be switching things up in a month or so.

The month has passed, and we changed jobs around today. Of course, it means that I'll have to teach each child new chores, but I'm hoping that'll mean that everyone gets good at everything, even if it takes a few rounds of chore-divvying.

I've got the usual cooking, heavy cleaning, doing laundry, and making sure the house runs smoothly.

Spencer is in charge of taking out the trash, sweeping and mopping the kitchen and dining room floors, and sorting the dirty laundry.

David is in charge of cleaning the hall bathroom, clearing the table, and vacuuming the living room and family room rugs.

Drew is in charge of unloading the dishwasher, setting the table, and straightening up the living room and family room before they get vacuumed.

They're all supposed to make sure their room stays clean... even though it usually isn't. The trouble with having three boys in one room is that they all use the "I didn't do it" line on me.

Darcy is in charge of being adorable and learning how to use a cup properly. :)

Unlike last time, I posted everyone's jobs on the refrigerator tonight so I don't forget who is supposed to do what. Otherwise I end up doing everything anyway, which is exactly NOT the point!

I'm back in the saddle again

2009-09-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

After a much-needed rest, we are ready to get going at homeschool again tomorrow. I'm not so exhausted anymore, and the kids seem to be itching for structure again. Good! I'll give it to them.

Tomorrow is going to be our one normal day of the week. We should have time to get all the boxes done for all the kids. Then Spencer has an overnight sleep study appointment tomorrow night, and that will mess with Wednesday. Then a friend is coming over to teach me how to make books on Thursday (we're going to make little books for the boys to use as their nature study journals), and two occupational and speech therapists are coming over on Friday to evaluate Darcy for in-home therapy. All in all, we'll be lucky to get full days in for the rest of the week, but at least we'll have tomorrow.

Time out

2009-09-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

We've been taking it easy on the homeschool front for the past three days. I'm tired, the kids are thrilled, and hopefully we'll all come back on Monday with good attitudes and a desire to get back to work.

Hopefully.

In the meantime I'm going to get lots of sleep.

A friend on mine has a great idea on this topic. She and her kids do homeschool for three weeks and then take a week off to do other things. I think that's a great idea. Three weeks is enough time to get some good things done, but not so long that you're pooped before you get to the end of it. Maybe we'll have to try something like this.

The value of habit

2009-09-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

I'm reading an e-book called "Masterly Inactivity" by Sonja Shafer. I've come to a section on the importance of good habits in children. Here are several quotes from Charlotte Mason's books. The first one comes from Volume 1, page 97.

"Habit, in the hands of the mother, is as his wheel to the potter, his knife to the carver—the instrument by means of which she turns out the design she has already conceived in her brain." - Charlotte Mason

"There is nothing that a mother cannot bring her child up to" (Vol 1, p. 105). - CM

"The mother who takes pains to endow her children with good habits secures for herself smooth and easy days" (Vol. 1, p. 136). - CM

I think that one of the challenges of being a good parent is being consistent enough with my own habits to positively influence the habits of my children. Of course there are many things I want my children to be doing on a regular basis without me having to remind them. The problem is, am I doing these things myself on a regular basis? Am I being a good example? Am I expecting my children to do these things, and then following through to make sure there are natural consequences if they don't?

Take, for example, the making of one's bed in the morning. One might argue that there is not point in making a bed when you wake up because you're just going to get back into it when you go to sleep. I would counter that by saying there are many reasons to make your bed:

#1 - It looks nice, and makes the whole bedroom look cleaner because of it.

#2 - It is much more comfortable to get into a neatly made bed than one where the sheets and blankets are all topsy-turvy on each other.

#3 - It reinforces a habit of cleanliness and neatness, and it is much easier to have the Spirit of God with you when your home is clean and neat.

So, how do you create this habit? How do you instill the desire for neatness in a child? How do you encourage a child to do things without being asked? Do they eventually pick up on it and start doing it themselves?

I've got kids in all areas of the spectrum in regards to this question.

Spencer refuses to sleep in a bed, and instead insists on sleeping inside a sleeping bag spread out on his bed. I know he needs the weight of the bag to be able to fall asleep and stay asleep. And yet, it's hard to learn how to make a bed when you aren't actually sleeping in one.

Drew is still quite young and sleeps on the top of the bunkbed. He never makes his bed unless I go in and start making it with him. I don't mind doing that, but I haven't been very consistent in doing it.

David is the only one who consistently gets up and makes his bed without being asked, and that is only within the past couple of weeks. He is getting increasingly more responsible and thoughtful as he gets older, and he is doing better at doing most things I've asked him to do on a regular basis. What made the difference? I have no idea.

What does all this have to do with homeschool? A lot, actually. What is homeschooling, and parenting for that matter, if not the opportunity to teach your child on an intimate and daily basis, not only the academics needed for him to succeed in life, but also the life skills he'll need. Good habits are crucial. After all,

Sow a thought, and you reap an act.
Sow an act, and you reap a habit.
Sow a habit, and you reap a character.
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.

As President Dieter F. Uctdorf wrote in this month's Ensign,

"We are living in a great season for all women in the Church. Sisters, you are an essential part of our Heavenly Father’s plan for eternal happiness; you are endowed with a divine birthright. You are the real builders of nations wherever you live, because strong homes of love and peace will bring security to any nation.... Though we often speak of the influence of women on future generations, please do not underestimate the influence you can have today."

They are tall marching orders, but I think I'm up to it. As a matter of fact, I think we all are.

Fall is here and we're going to enjoy it!

2009-09-15T19:57:00.001-07:00

I love Fall in the Midwest! It's my favorite time of year because it is pleasant enough to be outside, the weather is superb, and everything is still so pretty.

As I worked with David today, the outdoors were calling to me. He went outside to find something to tell me about for nature study, and soon called me outside to see what he'd found. He'd caught a butterfly from one of our flowering bushes in the front yard. Of course it flew away as soon as he opened his hands, but he took me to the plant to show me more.

The plant, and all of its bright yellow flowers (I thought it was a Black-eyed Susan, but I checked and I was wrong), was covered with all kinds of insects. There were bees flitting around with full pollen sacs, butterflies tasting the flowers' nectar with their long proboscises (a new word I just learned but apparently David already knew from Kindergarten last year - those Magic School Bus books are pretty cool!), what looked like flying ants, and various beetles crawling around. As I sat there watching them for a minute, I was suddenly consumed with an overwhelming desire to throw schoolwork out the window for the day and enjoy the moment.

So we did!

It was wonderful, and the kids were delighted. Drew and Darcy joined us while Spencer rode his bike up and down the street, and we all had a marvelous time. Darcy was especially funny because she was trying to stand up by the bush and pick the flowers apart. It was darling!

David and Drew started pulling petals off the flowers and putting them Darcy's hair. Suddenly Drew cried, "Mom, there's a bug in Darcy's hair!" Sure enough, there was indeed. It was a little green inch worm that David pulled out and held in his hand. It was so interesting to watch it scrunch up its body to inch forward. He wanted to keep it in a jar inside, but I warned him that it would die if it wasn't able to stay outside and be near its home. I was glad he agreed; he caught a cicada last week and stuck it in a jar and it died and got VERY stinky. Yuck!

All this led me to start thinking about what my priorities should be right now. After all, there will be PLENTY of time for schoolwork when the weather gets nasty and we're stuck inside day after day. Why not take it a bit easy with the academics part of homeschool and just enjoy the life part for a little while?

So we are.

I just re-did the boys' boxes for tomorrow, and I'm taking it down to the bare minimum (I still want to maintain a semblance of a routine and consistency, at least for Spencer's sake). I've moved our history/Bible readings to bedtime and am reading the Book of Mormon and a chapter book then, too. Our daytime work was been reduced to each of them reading the Book of Mormon, working on some scripture memorization (surprisingly easy!), hearing me read stories to them, some copywork and writing practice, poetry, and some math. I'm going to keep the math fun by mostly playing math games for the next little while so the kids can polish up their facts without realizing they're doing it. *hink hink hink!*

Anyway, it feels right to be doing this. I want to leave as much time as possible free during the day for us to go on walks/bike rides, play outside, discover what's going on around us, and enjoy the delightful weather before winter sets in. It seems like the snow and cold is a long way off, but these months fly by so quickly.

So does childhood, for that matter.

Tomorrow's plans and a few recommendations

2009-09-13T18:50:00.001-07:00

I know I've talked about this on my other blog, and now it's time to shout the good news on this one.

I love, love, LOVE Sue Patrick's Workbox System. In a nutshell, it is a system that allows you show a child all of their work for the day in one fell swoop. They can clearly see what is expected of them, where the fun things are, where the challenging things are, and they can see how much of it they have left. This little description doesn't do justice to the system, though.

We've been doing the workbox system since we started school in August, and it has made a huge difference in the amount of work we get done, the cooperation levels, and the kids' excitement for what they are doing. Also, it keeps me organized, and that is crucial! I couldn't do what I do without it.

I wanted to share what we're doing tomorrow because I'm so excited about it. It's not really anything different from what we do anyway, but it's just so satisfying knowing that I'm helping my kids learn such great stuff everyday.

Just so you know, if you're new to my blogs, each of my kids has 12 workboxes. It may seem like an awful lot, but they certainly fill up fast!

Spencer

1 - History - read Genesis 6:5-20 and narrate (This is challenging for Spencer because his reading comprehension skills are so low. PDD and it's attendant challenges make processing information difficult, but I'm sure that he'll get better at it with practice.)

2 - Science - We're decorating the covers of their science notebooks today. Our science stuff is coming from 106 Days of Creation from my favorite Charlotte Mason website. I love the fact that so many different facets of science will be presented in the context of the creation. Over the course of the next year or so, we'll cover light, color, atmosphere, weather, geology, plants, astronomy, animals, the human body, and health. I think it'll be fun, and a really good foundation in science.

3 - Book of Mormon - I'm having each of the kids who can read already read a few verses each day. I remember watching my sister learn to read during family scripture study when we were kids, and I want that for my kids. Besides, if they can read the scriptures, they can read anything!

4 - Scripture memory - We'll start learning Moses 7:18, and practice Moses 1:39, which we learned last week.

5 - Charlotte's Web - I think one of the best ways to help kids learn to love good literature is to expose them to it early. What better way to do that than have them practice their reading in good books?

6 - Poetry - We're going to start work on memorizing Robert Louis Stevenson's 'My Shadow." Charlotte Mason believed that a child's brain craves the opportunity to memorize and recite, and can start doing it at an early age. Spence has already proven he is perfectly capable of recitation; now I want it to be something more useful. ;)

7 - Copywork - This is another area where Spence struggles, but he's getting better. He's going to start copying "My Shadow," which hopefully will reinforce the memorization.

8 - Math - I've decided to go almost back to the beginning with him in math because I'm so confused about what he does and does not really, truly know. Charlotte Mason advocates doing math with manipulatives in the early years to help kids understand math from a concrete perspective, rather than a mostly abstract one. We're doing RightStart math with all three boys. All of them are in the same book; they're just starting at different places.

9 - Reading - I'm going to read "Stone Soup" to him and he'll narrate it back to me. Charlotte Mason is BIG into narration, and again I'm hoping this will help with his reading, and listening, comprehension. It certainly can't hurt!

10 - Reading - He's going read the poem "Rover" from the 3rd McGuffey Reader. I checked them out from the library, but I can already tell that I need to own them!

11 - Piano practice

12 - Handicrafts - Charlotte Mason advocates teaching children things they can do with their hands and learn to be proficient at. If there is anything that I am perfectly qualified to teach, it is sewing! I think I'm going to start by having Spencer learn how to sew buttons on fabric. We'll start slowly, and work up to bigger and better things.

For together time, we're going to start reading "The Children's Life of the Bee" by Maurice Maeterlink. It's from Interlibrary Loan and we can't renew it, so we'll have to read fast!

David

The first 4 boxes are the same as Spencer's

1 - History

2 - Science

3 - Book of Mormon

4 - Scripture Memory

5 - Reading lesson - I love "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons." I'm using it for both David and Drew, though they are in different parts of the book. It is a basic, no-frills, easy to understand and implement reading program, and it is working great for our family.

6 - Reading - He's going to read from McGuffey's 1st Reader.

7 - Poetry - We're studying Robert Louis Stevenson, and I'm going to read "The Land of Story Books" to him.

8 - Copywork - David is doing very well in this area. His copywork will be 4 short scriptures that I picked out for him.

9 - Math - Same book as Spence, just a few lessons behind.

10 - Reading - I'm going to read "Katy and the Big Snow" by Virginia Burton and "A Butterfly's Life" by I-can't-remember.

11 - Cursive practice - The other day David asked me to teach him cursive. I told him that he could learn one of two ways: the D'Nealian method which would be easier and have him writing in cursive sooner or the Spencerian method which would take longer, but help him have truly beautiful handwriting. He chose the Spencerian method and is starting to work through some copybooks I have. I'm impressed! At this point he's still practicing strokes, but eventually he'll learn to write the letters and have beautiful penmanship.

12 - Piano practice

Again, we'll be reading "Bee" together and I'll be beginning to teach him sewing, too.

Drew

He is just starting Pre-K/Kindergarten. I'm not making much of a distinction, and honestly I'm leaning towards Kindergarten. Some of his work is similar to the other boys', but most is different.

1 - History

2 - Science

3 - Book of Mormon - At this point I'm doing all the reading.

4 - Scripture Memory

5 - Reading lesson - Same as David, just nearer to the beginning of the book. He's doing VERY well!

6 - Reading - I'll be reading "The Little House" by Virginia Burton. I've loved this story since I was a small child, and I'm thrilled to be able to share it with him.

7 - Reading - I'm reading a Magic School Bus book on volcanoes to him. He is fascinated with volcanoes and lava, so I'm indulging him.

8 - Poetry - I'm reading him some nursery rhymes that I loved when I was small. We had these great books when I was growing up called "The World Treasury of Children's Literature." I read them constantly, and I bought them for the kids last year. Love them!

9 - Writing - He's practicing G, H, and I in capital letters.

10 - Math

11 - Letter practice - A friend recently gave us the Hooked on Phonics stuff, and so we're using it as supplemental material to our other reading lessons.

12 - Piano practice

Again, we'll read "Bee" and start on sewing for him.

I'm excited about all this, and though it may seem like an enormous amount of stuff to do, the kids get through it in a reasonable amount of time and enjoy it, too.

I hope you all have a fantastic day tomorrow. I know we will!

Trying some new things

2009-09-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but we are trying out a few things around here.

Spencer LOVES to play on the computer, to the exclusion of almost all else if I let him. He also loves to watch General Conference on TV. He will willing spend all day doing this. I'm NOT kidding.

David and Drew LOVE to play on the Playstation for hours at a time. Even though the games are innocuous (or so it seems), I've hated this because I consider video games to be an utter and complete waste of time. Unfortunately my sweet hubby and I don't always see eye to eye on everything.

I'm determined not to let them anymore. I've been reading "Meet the Challenge: Using Love and Logic to help children develop attention and behavioral skills." It talks about how TV and computer games can seriously hamper kids in the development of their attention skills.

Spencer has issues with attention and my other two have had some behavior issues in the past. After reading that section in the book last Saturday night, I begged my husband to agree with me to completely shut down the computer and TV for a month. I knew I'd have some complaints, but I also knew it had to be done.

We're a week into this experiment, and I am seriously impressed. All of my kids are calmer, happier, and easier to get along with. David came up to me the other day and told me that he likes that the TV is off because it leaves room for other things. I think I had to go find my jaw after it fell off onto the floor.

Spencer is sitting down and doing puzzles again for the first time in months. He has a gift with puzzles and used to sit down and do 300 piece ones in about 45 minutes. As he spent more time on the computer over the past few months playing innocent games on sites like starfall.com. sightwordswithsamson.com, and jigzone.com (all wonderful websites with great, useful little games and puzzles on them), I've noticed that he'd stopped doing regular puzzles. If he poured them out on the table, they'd end up sitting there forever while he drifted from one activity to another.

This is unacceptable.

I grew up in a house where TV was a very occasional treat. It was never just on during the day, and we certainly didn't spend hours in front of it. My sisters and I spent hours playing outside using our imaginations or curled up reading books. As I've looked back, I have to say that I've been extremely impressed at the childhood my parents gave me because they were so right on in so many respects. Their attitude towards TV was a big one.

I intend to adopt their attitude. For the next month, the TV and computer are totally off. Jon and I turn the computer on only after the kids go to bed. This is a bit of a problem for me because it means that my email-checking and blog-reading/posting opportunities have gone way down, but maybe that's not such a bad thing.

My kids have (mostly) quit asking me about it and seem much happier without it.

I'll be reticent to allow my kids to use them again, especially Spencer, because I've liked the results of our experiment so much already. I want to make sure that we find something that will work for everyone. It will probably some variation on time limits that I will make sure we enforce. I don't want to go back to where we were. I like where we are and where we're going too much.

What I'm striving for

2009-09-12T21:47:00.000-07:00

I got this from www.simplycharlottemason.com. I love how simple it all is. It is what I'm striving for in my homeschool.

What methods did Charlotte Mason use?

Charlotte Mason’s methods are gentle, simple, yet amazingly effective. Some homeschoolers use all her methods; others use some of her methods along with some from different approaches. Below is a list of her wonderful methods of teaching for each subject. Detailed descriptions are given following the chart.

Basic Principles for All Subjects - Short lessons; the habits of attention and perfect execution; varied order of subjects
History - Living books; narration; Book of Centuries
Geography - Living books; narration; map drill
Bible - Read aloud; narration (discussion for older students); memorize and recite regularly
Math - Manipulatives; a firm understanding of why
Science - Nature study and notebook; living books; narration
Foreign Languages - Hear and speak, then read and write
Writing - Copywork for handwriting; oral and written narration for composition
Spelling - Prepared dictation
Grammar - Not formally studied until older than ten
Art - Picture study for art appreciation; handicrafts; nature notebooks for drawing and painting
Music - Music study for music appreciation; any instrumental instruction; singing
Literature - Living books; narration
Poetry - Read aloud and enjoy frequently; memorize and recite occasionally (include Shakespeare)

Living Books

Probably the most well known of Charlotte’s methods is her use of living books instead of dry, factual textbooks. Living books are usually written by one person who has a passion for the subject and writes in conversational or narrative style. The books pull you into the subject and involve your emotions, so it’s easy to remember the events and facts. Living books make the subject “come alive.”

Narration

When you ask a child to narrate, you’re asking him to tell back in his own words what he just saw, heard, or read. The narration can be oral or written or drawn — whatever. Because the child must think through the information and determine how to present it, mixed with his own opinion and impressions, this method of evaluation requires a much higher thinking level than mere fill-in-the-blank or answer-the-posed-question-with-a-fact methods. When requesting a child to narrate, word the question in an open, essay-type form, such as “Tell all you know about _____” or “Describe _____.” (See more ideas for narration.)If a book you’re using gives a list of Discussion Questions, first ask the child to tell you all he knows about what was just read, then use only selected questions to cover any information he omitted.

Short Lessons

Charlotte advocated short lessons for younger children: fifteen or twenty minutes at the most. These short lessons are part of training children in the habit of attention. Children can get a lot accomplished in fifteen minutes of complete attention (so can adults). Along with the short lessons should come a large variety of subjects, alternating the quieter, concentration-intense subjects with the louder, less-concentration-intense subjects and those that allow for physical movement and exercise.As children grow older, the lesson time should lengthen to thirty or forty-five minutes.

History

In Charlotte’s philosophy of education, history is the study of people’s lives, not just dates and events. Read a “living” biography or two about a key person in the time period you are studying. Whenever possible, use primary sources such as diaries, journals, letters, or speeches that the person wrote. Repeat the process with other key people and your child will gain a firm grasp of that time period in history. Feel free to fill in gaps with reference books, but try to use living biographies as your main books.Enter key people’s names and events into a Book of Centuries, which is like a timeline in a book. You can make your own Book of Centuries using our free download.

Geography

Just as history is the study of people in time, geography is the study of people in places. Charlotte advocated learning about people in their surroundings, not just dry facts about locations, exports, and weather descriptions. Many living books teach geography. You can also simply locate on a map or globe the geographical setting of any of the living books you read together in any subject.

In addition, Charlotte planned for a ten-minute map drill session once per week. We do map drill like this: Give each child a blank map of the region you are studying and provide a detailed and labeled map of the same region. Instruct the child to label a few areas of the region, being careful to copy the names correctly from the detailed map. The next week, give the child another blank map of the same region and instruct her to label as many areas as she can remember. Once she has labeled all that she knows, display the detailed map and check for accuracy, then have her label a few more areas carefully. Continue this routine each week, and over the course of the year she will become quite familiar with the regions studied using this gentle method.

Copywork

Copywork is the method Charlotte used to teach and give practice in handwriting skills. As the child carefully copies a noble poem, a Scripture passage, an inspirational quotation, or the lyrics to a hymn, he also absorbs grammar and punctuation rules. Copywork lessons should be short with an emphasis on giving one’s best effort rather than hurrying to fill the paper with words. Keep a child’s copywork in a dedicated notebook, journal, or tablet. You’ll be amazed at how much the child’s handwriting improves over time with short, concentrated effort every day or so.

Dictation

Dictation is the method Charlotte Mason used to teach spelling and reinforce grammar and composition skills to her students. For a dictation exercise, give the child a copy of a selected passage and instruct the child to study the passage until he is sure of the spelling of all the words and knows of all the capitalization and punctuation. When the child is ready, dictate the passage one line or sentence at a time, saying each line or sentence only once and pausing while the child writes it. Be on the alert to catch any misspelling and correct it immediately. Start with short passages for younger children and progress to paragraphs and pages for older children. Charlotte started using dictation exercises with children around the third or fourth grades. Our Spelling Wisdom books will save you a lot of time and make this method quite easy to do.

Nature Study

Charlotte took her students on the original “field trips” by spending one afternoon per week outside in the fields, meadows, and woodlands. This time outdoors provides the setting for nature study. Encourage children to look carefully at various aspects of nature around them and to enter their observations in their individual nature notebooks. Their entries can include pencil sketches, descriptions, watercolor paintings, or chalk drawings. Instruct children to draw what they see, not what they think something should look like. Be sure they label each entry with its name, location, and date observed. Use field guides to help identify children’s findings.Nature study lays the foundation on which future science lessons will build. The complexity of the child’s nature notebook entries can develop with the child.

Grammar

Since grammar is the study of words, not of things, it is a difficult concept for young children to grasp. Charlotte recommended postponing the formal study of grammar until the child reached the age of ten. Consistent practice in narration, dictation, and copywork lays the foundation for grammar study. Gentle, introductory exercises, such as those found in English for the Thoughtful Child, Vol. 1, can be used before age ten. Once formal grammar study is begun, it doesn’t take long for the finite rules of grammar to be learned.

Math

Charlotte emphasized the importance of children’s understanding math concepts before ever doing paper and pencil equations. They should be encouraged to use manipulatives and to think through the whys and wherefores of solving word problems—in other words, how math applies to life situations.Several math programs adhere to these methods; we recommend RightStart Mathematics, Math-U-See, or Making Math Meaningful. No matter which program you use, do not move on to the next lesson or concept until the student has mastered the current one.

Bible

Children should hear or read the Bible every day. (Note: Charlotte was careful to omit sections that described inappropriate sexual conduct when reading to young children from Old Testament accounts.) She gave children credit for being able to understand passages directly from Scripture, and she assigned several large portions to be memorized and recited each school year. Our Scripture Memory System can help you with this important aspect of your child’s education.

Poetry

Read and recite poetry aloud frequently, enjoying the poem together. You can read poems about nature, the seasons, holidays, and life events. Or you can focus on the poems of one poet for a few weeks, reading a biography about that poet sometime during those weeks. Occasionally assign a poem for dictation or recitation.

Recitation

Occasionally assign a poem or a passage from a classic book to be memorized and recited. Charlotte believed that “all children have it in them to recite; it is an imprisoned gift waiting to be delivered” (Home Education, p. 223). You can read aloud the poem or passage once or twice a day, and the child will probably have it memorized after a few days. Or you can print a copy of the poem and give it to the child to use for copywork and/or dictation. Because recitation is the training ground for public speaking, coach the student to speak beautiful thoughts beautifully — with clear enunciation and expression.

Shakespeare

Charlotte advocated the use of Shakespeare in all grade levels. When studying a Shakespeare play, you may want to first read together the narrative in a book like Tales from Shakespeare or Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare in order to get a good idea of the plot and characters. After that introduction, assign various people the roles in the play to read or dramatize. Concentrate on one Act or Scene at a time, and spread out the reading over several days. If possible, watch a video or live performance of the play you’re reading.

Picture Study

Art appreciation was one part of Charlotte’s “spreading the feast” before her students; and her method, as always, was gentle and inviting. Display a picture and mention the artist who created it. Have children look at the picture until they can see it clearly in their minds’ eye. When all children are ready, turn the picture over or close the book and ask them to describe the picture. When their narration is finished, display the picture again and notice together any new aspects. Summarize any accompanying information if desired, but be careful not to interfere with each child’s forming his own relationship with the artist’s work. This study is not a lesson in art criticism. Display the picture in a prominent location in your home so children can look at it throughout the week.Continue to study works by the same artist for several weeks until the children become familiar with that artist’s style. If possible, read a short biography about that artist sometime during your study of his or her work.

Music Study

Music appreciation is done in much the same way as art appreciation. Simply listen to the music of one composer at various times throughout the week. Tell children which composer you’re listening to. You could play the music in the vehicle while running errands or play it at home in the background during a meal. Be sure to begin the CD or tape at different songs to make sure the children have a chance to hear more than just the first selection.Continue to listen to pieces by the same composer for several weeks until the children become familiar with that composer’s style. If possible, read or listen to a short biography about that composer sometime during your study of his or her work.

Hymn Study

Select one hymn to sing together until all have learned every stanza. If possible, sometime during the learning of the hymn, read together its history. Children may also use the lyrics of the hymn for copywork, dictation, or recitation.

Foreign Language

Since Charlotte Mason lived and taught in England, French was the logical foreign language to learn. Your foreign language choice may be different, but her methods can still be used. Make sure the children hear the language as a living language, spoken by a national every day. They should learn about two to six new words daily while still keeping the old words in use. They should be quite familiar with the language’s sounds and accent before they ever start reading or writing it.

Handicrafts

Charlotte thought that lessons should be completed in the mornings, leaving the afternoons free for outdoor exploration, exercise, and handicrafts. Handicrafts are products that the children can build or produce with their hands. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to do a particular handicraft; find someone who does and would be willing to teach your child (and you too) one-on-one. Then provide the materials and plenty of time for your child to be industrious and creative. Our list of potential handicrafts may be helpful.

A new endeavor

2009-09-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

I love blogging. I've been at it for years. However, I realized recently that I was putting way too much personal information on my old blog, and that the time had come to make it private.

However, I have gained so much insight and help and life-changing direction by reading other people's blogs, and I hope that in some small way I have done the same for someone else.

I recently began the journey of homeschooling my 4 kids, and I have gained an incredible amount of knowledge and wisdom in the last few weeks. I'd like to be able to share that without having to hide behind a "Sorry, this is blog is private" sign.

So, I'm starting a new blog. This one will be about our adventures in homeschooling, but I'm going to be much more careful about keeping my personal information to myself.

That said, I think the hardest thing about starting a new blog is coming up with what to call it. Since I've been mulling this idea around in my head for a while, I've been thinking of a name, too. Let me explain the significance behind the name, if you care to know.

The Bee Academy is namedusly because I want my children to learn to be industrious, hardworking, honest, helpful, kind, and all that. I read a great poem the other day called "Boy Wanted" by Frank Crane. Here it is in all it's inspiring, and slightly daunting, glory:

Boy Wanted - by Frank Crane

This "Want Ad" appeared in the early part of this century.

Wanted — A boy that stands straight, sits straight, acts straight, and talks straight;

A boy whose fingernails are not in mourning, whose ears are clean, whose shoes are polished, whose clothes are brushed, whose hair is combed, and whose teeth are well cared for;
A boy who listens carefully when he is spoken to, who asks questions when he does not understand, and does not ask questions about things that are none of his business;
A boy that moves quickly and makes as little noise about it as possible;
A boy who whistles in the street, but does not whistle where he ought to keep still;
A boy who looks cheerful, has a ready smile for everybody, and never sulks;
A boy who is polite to every man and respectful to every woman and girl;
A boy who does not smoke cigarettes and has no desire to learn how;
A boy who is more eager to know how to speak good English than to talk slang;
A boy that never bullies other boys nor allows other boys to bully him;
A boy who, when he does not know a thing, says, “I don’t know,” and when he has made a mistake says, “I’m sorry,” and when he is asked to do a thing says, “I’ll try”;
A boy who looks you right in the eye and tells the truth every time;
A boy who is eager to read good books;
A boy who would rather put in his spare time at the YMCA gymnasium than to gamble for pennies in a back room;
A boy who does not want to be “smart” nor in any wise to attract attention;
A boy who would rather lose his job or be expelled from school than to tell a lie or be a cad;
A boy whom other boys like;
A boy who is at ease in the company of girls;
A boy who is not sorry for himself, and not forever thinking and talking about himself;
A boy who is friendly with his mother, and more intimate with her than anyone else;
A boy who makes you feel good when he is around;
A boy who is not goody-goody, a prig, or a little pharisee, but just healthy, happy, and full of life.
This boy is wanted everywhere. The family wants him, the school wants him, the office wants him, the boys want him, the girls want him, all creation wants him.

This is what I want for my boys, and even for my daughter (modified slightly, of course.)

And now I think I'd better introduce you to myself and my family. Remember, the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

I am Kelley. This is my real name since I figured it's pointless to give myself a different one seeing as you can see it on my profile anyway. If I could give myself a new name, it would be Grace because I can certainly use more of that particular trait in my life.

Anyway, I am a 31-year-old mother of 3 sweet boys and a darling daughter. My boys are 9, 7, and almost 5. My daughter is almost 15 months old.

We have homeschooled in the past, but it was more of an unschooling experiment since I really didn't have a clue of where I was going with it at the time. We have been homeschooling in earnest, with a written plan and a definite direction, for about 4 1/2 weeks. It is truly the hardest, most time-consuming thing I've ever done in my life, and yet I hope to be able to continue at it for as long as my children live under my roof. I love it. I absolutely love it. I love being able to spend lots of time with my children, teaching them what I know and learning from them and their excitement and enthusiasm.

I've discovered that the more time I spend with my kids, the more time I WANT to spend with them and that is a wonderful feeling!

Anyway, my oldest son is Spencer. He has some disabilities that make homeschooling, and parenting for that matter, a bit more difficult than it might otherwise have been, but he makes my life infinitely better for it. He is so amazing and I marvel at the way his mind works and how in tune he is with the Spirit. I can honestly say that most of the major course changes in my life since becoming a mother can be attributed to him and his special, amazing needs. I wouldn't take his disabilities away even if I could because of how our family has grown as a result of them.

My middle son is David. He is an amazingly responsible, intelligent, handsome young man that I feel honored to be the mother of. I am awed by how strong he is, how kind he can be, and how often he steps up to the plate to help me when I need him to. I absolutely delight in teaching him because he is so humble and teachable. Our one-on-one times together are truly the highlight of my day, and I am so grateful to have him as my son.

My youngest son is Drew. He is 4 3/4 going on 12! He is a ball of energy and spirit and fun. I've loved his deep belly laughs since he was a baby, and he is constantly reminding me to laugh, too. He has so much courage and spunk, and absolutely nothing seems to phase him. I am amazed at how smart he is, and it is really fun to watch him devouring knowledge as fast as he can get it. He has a pair of beautiful blue eyes that are really fun to watch because you can practically see the mischievous wheels in his head turning through them. He is a delight and I love him dearly.

My beautiful daughter's name is Darcy. She is the sunshine of my life and the apple of my eye. I waited a long time for a little girl, and now I'm making the most of it. There is nothing better in my day than to hold her, tickle her, and make her laugh. It is hard to put into words how very much I adore her. She had our whole family wrapped around her little finger the moment she was born, and she is the princess of our family.

My sweet husband is named Jon. I am in awe of him. He works so hard to take care of our family, and I am so very grateful for that. His work makes it possible for me to stay home, and that is a gift so precious that it is hard to put into words. He is my best friend and I thank God every day for him.

Welcome to my new blog. I hope it helps someone someday, because I know that I have been helped enormously by what I've read at other people's blogs. It will be predominantly about homeschool, and I will add links and ideas as I get them.

And now, it seems, that I am hour later getting ready for bed than I had intended. Oh well, as a fellow blogger and homeschooler once said:

As for finding the time, I have 3 methods for squeezing in blogging
time:
Ignoring my children
Ignoring my house
Ignoring my sleep.

I couldn't have said it better. :)