Education, Parenting, Relationships, and Christ: Patterns for Life

Patterns for Life: An Orthodox Reflection on Charlotte Mason Education

by Lisa Rose and Laura E. Wolfe

Kansas Dad and I don't often buy each other gifts, even for Christmas and birthdays, but on a date night he noticed me eyeing this book and deciding not to buy it. He snuck back to the bookstore and bought it for me. I hadn't wanted to spend so much money on a book about Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education because we are nearing the end of our homeschooling days. 

I cannot tell you how glad I am Kansas Dad went back for it. This book is not only my favorite Charlotte Mason book ever, but honestly a book I think might be the best parenting book I've ever read. I now recommend this book repeatedly in my Charlotte Mason groups and think any new Charlotte Mason family should read it and Know and Tell as early in their homeschooling journey as possible.

The authors of this book are Orthodox, but their understanding of Charlotte Mason's philosophy and how it intersects with a life of faith is a Catholic one. Catholic readers will probably understand most of the religious references, more than Protestant ones, but I think the book is valuable for all Christians.

The authors believe there haven't been many books that clearly explain Charlotte Mason's ideas for modern readers. You can now easily find her original writings. One of my favorites to recommend is Karen Glass's Mind to Mind, in which she abridges Charlotte Mason's most important book, Towards a Philosophy of Education. There have actually been quite a few books written on Charlotte Mason's methods, most of which I've read, but I agree that Rose and Wolfe have done it more thoroughly and more beautifully than any of the others.

Modern society's methods and goals for education flow from and lead to a consumerist mentality that is completely at odds with the Christian ideas of the human person and the goals of a Godly life. The authors see Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education as an ideal alternative. In the first half of the book, they explain Charlotte Mason's philosophy of the human person and education. In the second half of the book, they show how that philosophy leads to methods we can employ as parents and educators. They also address some timely difficulties like the use of technology by our children and in our homes.

They spend a significant amount of time explaining the difference between the system of modern education, which the authors reject, and the "patterns for life" they have found in Charlotte Mason's philosophy shaped by their faith.

We want the instruction manual that tells us the exact steps to take, the exact books to read, the exact curriculum to use to produce the products that we want. That is precisely what Charlotte Mason refuses to give us. Instead, she models a slow, deliberate, and compelling way to think about our children, and this is why she differentiates between a 'system' of education and a 'method' of education. (pp. 17-18)

Charlotte Mason recognizes that children are "born persons." They have been created as unique individuals with the capacity to learn and grow. Honoring their dignity means the way of education is one of relationships and love.

As we focus on relationship, we also begin to understand that education happens from the inside out. The discovery and cultivation of relationships draws out of a person his or her own contribution to the connections formed; it brings out the music that always exists in the child as a unique person. A child's mind is the instrument of his education and as such is already functional. Our job, as parents and educators, is to help the child learn how to use this instrument to the best of his ability, how to keep it in tune, conforming to the pattern set forth for its use, all the while remembering the purpose of letting his particular melody sound forth. (p. 19)

One of the aspects I appreciate most about this book is the nuanced explanations and examples. They explain and model the ideal, but also encourage us to be compassionate with ourselves when we think we have failed.

There is a treasure in our hearts: the picture of a perfect homeschool day, the perfect homeschool week, the perfect homeschool year. It is precious and longed for. But it rarely, if ever, actually materializes. You must keep this in mind when you read these pages, or any parenting or education book for that matter. We are clay in the Potter's hands, not a finished project. And even when we are broken, He continues to work with us to His glory. (p. 156)

They also hold firm against the influencers and curriculum providers who lead us to believe their way is the best way for everyone. God has called us as individuals and families, and his will for our lives and those of our children may not be the same as his will for others. 

Rose and Wolfe have an intimate and thorough understanding of Charlotte Mason's philosophy and methods. They admire her and show how we can follow Mason's precepts today, but they do not idolize her or take all of her statements as Truth. They have carefully considered every aspect and clearly articulate areas where Mason's understanding was incomplete or where we have simply learned more about how the world works and how to be in relationship with one another. 

I whole-heartedly recommend this book. It's everything I ever wanted to say about Charlotte Mason and home education today.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Kansas Dad bought this book for me. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

Narration for Every Child: Know and Tell

Know and Tell: The Art of Narration

by Karen Glass

Anyone who wants to understand and follow Charlotte Mason's philosophy in education today, in a home or in a school, should read this book. I selected it for our book club a few months ago and read it over a few days myself. Three friends have already borrowed and read it as well.

It begins with an explanation of what narration is and how the practice integrates ideas and knowledge in a mind. She quotes Charlotte Mason extensively, but a reader would need no prior introduction to Ms. Mason to appreciate and understand the author's assertions.

To make an art of narration, we begin with children's natural interest and ability to tell about something. We accustom them to tell accurately, consecutively, and fully. In due time, we encourage them to write narrations. They begin by learning to write the same thing they would have said in an oral narration, and when that becomes natural, we teach them to take what they have written and shape it into familiar forms of writing, such as essay.

Ms. Glass explains the difference between narration and the kind of assessment we find in many classrooms today.

The usual kind of test with predetermined right and wrong answers is essentially contrived to discover what children do not know, rather than what they do. 

Rather than asking children to figure out what someone else (a teacher or textbook publisher) thinks is important in a text, narration requires a student to read, comprehend, and incorporate knowledge into their own understanding of a book or text. It is deceptively simplistic to ask a child, "Tell me what you remember about this reading." In reality, it is incredibly challenging and rewarding.

I've been reading and living the Charlotte Mason philosophy, at least in part, for almost a decade. There was not very much in the early chapters that I had not already read or learned, but I have never had a source in my hands that outlined everything as clearly and thoroughly as this book. A newcomer to Mason's methods will glean from these chapters a rich understanding of narration in its ideal form.

In later chapters, Karen Glass provides examples and explanations of exactly how to implement the methods of narration from the youngest children to the most experienced in high school and college.

The examples are taken from real narrations by real children. Some of them are magnificent, but some of them are much less impressive. I have had children give what can only be described as "abysmal" narrations; including the struggling narrators in the examples is a great asset to teachers whose children are early in the journey or struggling narrators.

Consistently requiring narration is difficult, but essential. Reading or listening alone is only the beginning. The narration is the work of learning.

It may be difficult to accept at first, but what a child recalls in any single narration is of small importance in the greater scheme of nourishing the child's mind...What a child takes in and makes her own will be unique for each one.

There's an excellent graphic on page 85 that shows a spectrum of the skills of oral and written narrations aligned with fourth through seventh grades, providing a clear picture of the expectations a teacher should have and the goals as children perfect their narration gradually over the years. Ms. Glass even provides word counts, which help immensely when trying to determine a long-term goal for a student in a years-long process.

There are also specific chapters in the book addressing beginning narration with older children, narration and special needs, and narration in a classroom.

After reading this book, I intend to adjust our homeschool narrations. First of all, we're going to add exams. (I actually added a few at the end of the year last year.) Ms. Glass explains that narrations are for the child, not the instructor, and therefore can be great advantage in learning.

[The] real value lies in the children's mental effort to think back and relate again the material they have learned. It is the process, not the product, that is most valuable, although the product--the collected narrations of a child who has attended to his work--can be impressive.

There's also another wonderful resource in the book: a table a student can use to record briefly what happens in each chapter of a book as he or she reads in, providing the scaffolding for a longer narration at the end and guiding a thoughtful understanding of the basic events in the book. I intend to use this chart for the books I ask my children to read that are more challenging or thought-provoking but from which I don't require regular narrations.

On page 100, Ms. Glass has written a note to students, explaining narration and how integral it is. I intend to copy this and share it with all my students next year. There's another such explanation on page 127 on introductions and conclusions. My daughter may be ready for this page sometime in the coming year, but I intend to share it with my high schooler at the beginning of the year.

I have a commonplace book and my children receive two books at the beginning of sixth grade, one for copying poetry and one for prose. (They decide which book is which and whether a quote is poetry or prose.) I'm not sure I've every really explained the purpose of the books, though, other than to say it's for copying quotes of things they like, so we're going to talk about that as well.

Encourage your students to appreciate a well-written sentence as they would appreciate the brushwork of a fine painting or the enchanting flourish of a musical composition.

Over the page few years, I've used a variety of writing and composition programs and resources. With this book in hand, I feel much more confident in my ability to guide my children as they read and narrate and write and I feel more confidence in their abilities as well. The chapter entitled "Becoming a Writer" is going to be the backbone of our writing curriculum from now on and will be mainly implemented in the high school years. I'm certain I'll struggle as we make this adjustment, but Karen Glass has outlined a simple but profound plan that covers everything we need.

I will be returning to the processes and strategies outlined in Know and Tell for years to come. I recommend it to anyone and everyone interested in Charlotte Mason's ideas and philosophy and I'm sure you'll see me repeatedly refer to it in the Mater Amabilis™ facebook discussions.

I purchased this book myself and have received nothing in exchange for this review. The link to Bookshop is an affiliate link.

Proverbs, Shakespeare, and an Education of Connections

I was feeling disappointed toward the end of our school year, when I realized my grand plans for Shakespeare would not be realized. We would not read Henry V. We would not even read As You Like It. Instead, we would barely finish memorizing the passages from Henry IV, Part I from How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare.

First Son surprised me in the last weeks of school, though. We were reading through some passages of conversation between Falstaff and Prince Hal quoted in How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare where Prince Hal says:

Thou didst well, for wisdom cries out in the streets and no man regards it.

Immediately, First Son announced, "That's in Proverbs."

And we all learned on the following page:

And here we have another one of those remarkable epigrams that Shakespeare drops into the dialogue like an extra piece of candy that we didn't expect. It is an allusion to Proverbs, 1:20:

Wisdom cries out in the streets and no man regards it.

"How did you recognize that?" I asked First Son.

"Oh, I just remembered it."

Somewhere, at some time, in our years of reading Scripture or in the hours he's spent in classes or at adoration in our parish, that bit of Proverbs nestled in his mind, ready to be sparked by a bit of Shakespeare.

We will begin next year with As You Like It and hopefully make it through that play and Henry V, but if we don't, I will console myself that my children are storing up what we do read somewhere in their hearts and minds. Perhaps someday, years from now, they will be reading or listening or watching and will recognize an allusion to Shakespeare. Perhaps they may even remember fondly the dramatic scenes re-enacted by such illustrious action figures as Darth Vader in the role of Macbeth.

Like Pearls Slipping off a String: Anne of Avonlea

Anne of Avonlea

by L. M. Montgomery

My ten-year-old daughter recently finished the Anne series. I started along with her, but don't have as much time to devote to reading as she does. Of course I read all these books when I was a little girl, but they have a new sweetness to me as an adult.

Saturday proved an ideal day for a picnic...a day of breeze and blue, warm, sunny, with a little rollicking wind blowing across meadow and orchard. Over the sunlit upland and field was a delicate, flower-starred green.

Why, oh why, is nature study not like that? We can't even manage a nature walk imbued with that kind of softness and peace. I think there must be a difference between a group of elvish teenage girls and my raucous thirteen-, ten-, eight-, and six-year-olds.

Anne is seventeen and working full-time as a one-room schoolhouse teacher, supporting her aunt and distant relation six-year-old twins, but her thoughts are far different from what we expect of modern teenagers. Perhaps they shouldn't be.

In the delicate, white-browed face beside her, with its candid eyes and mobile features, there was still far more of the child than of the woman. Anne's heart so far harbored only dreams of friendship and ambition, and Mrs. Allan did not wish to brush the bloom from her sweet unconsciousness.

Anne of Avonlea, when Anne is teaching school, prompted questions in my mind about the kind of life we're living each day in our homeschool.

"After all," Anne had said to Marilla once, "I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string." 

Anne's days are ones of hard work compared to our modern ones. She didn't have dishwashers or washing machines or vacuum cleaners, but how lovely they seemed to be. They are imaginary, of course, but I can't help feeling I could improve our days by focusing more on peace and relationships rather than activities and screens.

Perhaps she had not succeeded in "inspiring" any wonderful ambitions in her pupils, but she had taught them, more by her own sweet personality than by all her careful precepts, that it was good and necessary in the years that were before them to live their lives finely and graciously, holding fast to truth and courtesy and falsehood and meanness and vulgarity.

Kansas Dad reminds me all the time that we are creating this kind of environment for our children, a much different one from that found in most homes, but it's difficult not to see the room for improvement. Anne of Avonlea provided some much appreciated encouragement and inspiration.

December 2016 Book Report

Three Short Novels by Wendell Berry - link to my post (purchased used at a library book sale)

Simon Brute and the Western Adventure by Elizabeth Bartelme is recommended by Connecting with History for American History. After consulting with the publisher (Hillside Education is just wonderful), I decided to read it aloud to the whole family and enjoyed it right along with them. It's a delightful novel of historical fiction based on the life of Simon Brute, a French priest who travels to the colonies to be a missionary to the Native Americans, though he spends most of his life teaching and as a bishop. He is a humble and dedicated man who loved and served God and His people. (copy purchased from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts)

Chaplain in Gray: Father Abram Ryan by H. J. Heagney is recommended by Connecting with History for American History at the time of the Civil War. It is only recently published (a reprint of a previously out of print book) by Hillside Education. It follows the adventures of a Confederate priest who became famous for his poetry. I appreciated reading a story aloud to the family that helped to alleviate the tendency to view all Confederates as perpetually in the wrong. It doesn't really explain why someone who didn't own slaves would fight for slavery (Rifles for Watie did that rather well, for older readers) but it did engender compassion for the people of the Confederacy. (copy purchased from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts; it's not on the site yet but she'll order it for you if you ask)

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson is a classic I had never read. The Audible version was well-read and enjoyable, though the story itself is even darker than I had expected. (free Kindle version and audio book purchased at a discount)

Classics of Russian Literature with Professor Irwin Weil from The Great Courses (purchased from Audible) covers the classics of Russian literature in 36 lectures. It has inspired me to fill in the substantial gaps in my own reading. The professor seemed knowledgeable and was entertaining. I loved listening to him quote in Russian. (purchased from Audible)

Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakeable Peace by Sarah Mackenzie is a very short book, easy and accessible for the harassed homeschooling mom. I don't think it covered anything I hadn't already seen or read (being a slightly experienced homeschooling mom at this point), but it was pleasant listening to the author's chatty voice. It's also useful to have a reminder of what's really important and encouragement to ensure our days are centered around a life of faith together first while also managing the more traditional academic educational stuff. This would be an excellent book for a young homeschooling mother with little ones who is feeling a little overwhelmed. (purchased Audible book)

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy - link to my post. (from a member at PaperBackSwap.com)



Books in Progress (and date started)

• Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. 2 (sixth edition) (August 2014)
• Transforming Your Life through the Eucharist by John A. Kane (June 2016)
• The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton with my book club (September 2016)
• Between the Forest and the Hills by Ann Lawrence (October 2016, with the children)
• The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis (October 2016)
• The Wright Brothers by David McCullough (November 2016)

The italic print: Links to Amazon are affiliate links. As an affiliate with Amazon, I receive a small commission if you follow one of my links, add something to your cart, and complete the purchase (in that order). I like to use the little I earn on the blog to purchase birthday and Christmas gifts (usually books). Thanks!

Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks - another affiliate link.

Any links to RC History and PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.

Other links (like those to Bethlehem Books) are not affiliate links.

Loops for the Good, the True, and the Beautiful on the Range

I'm trying something new this year: loop scheduling. I read about it first at Amongst Lovely Things and after some consideration decided it might be the perfect solution to our Friday-problem. Our problem was that there seemed to be a day or two of the week that was always being "missed." Fridays, for example, seem to be the day-of-choice for organized field trips. Mondays or Tuesdays seemed to be appointment days. Given a few of those weeks in a row and I'd find us woefully behind where we wanted to be in something like Shakespeare (scheduled for Fridays) but comfortably moving along in other subjects.

I've developed loop schedules for my preschool student (Second Son) and my first grade student (Second Daughter), both of whom need plenty of "you-and-me" time. (The independent work seems to get done even when we're running around like crazy, so no loops for that yet.)

I call our main loops the Cultural Loop and the Listening Loop. After reading this post over at Wildflowers and Marbles (a fantastic blog, but be prepared for serious food for thought!), I realized these loops include the Good, the True, and the Beautiful of our homeschool plans. Other than our read-alouds, these are the subjects around which we gather at the dining room table, often with food or handicrafts in front of us.

Second Son not memorizing Shakespeare

The Cultural Loop
Fairy Tales
Poetry
Picture Study
Shakespeare


Every day, we begin our lesson time with morning prayer and read a psalm. Then I see what's next on our cultural loop. We started the year with Fairy Tales. On the second day we read some Poetry. On the third day we did a picture study. On the fourth day we memorized some lines from a Shakespeare play. Then, we started all over again. If we have time for our cultural loop five days a week, we double up on one of the subjects. If we have a bunch of appointments or illness or craziness, we may only get through two or three of the subjects but no single subject is suffering from a lack of attention. Or, rather, we're not suffering from a lack of any one subject week after week.

The Listening Loop (2015-2016)
Composer Study
Science Songs (not during Advent)
Making Music Praying Twice
Folk Songs (not during Advent)
Patriotic Songs (not during Advent)
Songs of the Liturgical Year (Advent, Christmas, and Lent only)
[updated later to add links to the posts for each playlist]



Using my awesome speaker, I'm able to fill our home with beautiful and sometimes playful music from my laptop, but we don't always have time for listening. On days when we're all working on chores at the same time or are all at the table with busy hands but available ears, I'll check my list to see what's next and start a playlist. If we don't finish the playlist before it's time to move on to something else, I make a note of where we stopped and we pick it up again the next day we have time. The only one that doesn't always fit into the schedule as neatly is Composer Study. If the scheduled composer study for the week is listening to the composer's music on Spotify, we often do that during dinner instead of during the school day, so we might listen to a bit of it every night.

We're a few weeks into our second term of the year, and I love the loop schedules. If we're home and at the table, we always have a bit of the Good, the True, and the Beautiful to share together. If all goes as planned, I'll share our listening loop playlists over the next week or two.

November 2015 Book Reports

Editha's Burglar by Frances Hodgson Burnett is the story of a little girl who confronts a thief and foists upon him her own treasures in a courageous effort to prevent discomfort to her mother. It's a short book and sweet in its way. First Daughter (in third grade) will probably want to read it. (library copy)

The Diary of John Wesley Powell, Conquering the Grand Canyon edited by Connie and Peter Roop is an abridged and edited version of Powell's diary of his first expedition through the Grand Canyon. The editors claim to have remained faithful to Powell's meaning when adapting the text. From what I can tell, his writing would have been well served by better editing before his original book was published, so I wouldn't be too wary of sharing an edited version with my children. This book was created for young readers and I would expect First Daughter (in third grade) to be able to read it easily. I am considering reading this aloud to all of the children in anticipation of a hoped-for trip to the Grand Canyon ourselves. The natural world is portrayed in glorious and exciting language and the real risks of the expedition are clear. (library copy)

Francie on the Run by Hilda van Stockum is the second book in the Bantry Bay series. I read the first, The Cottage at Bantry Bay, aloud to the children last year. The one finally made it to the top of the pile. Though my mother's heart stopped at the thought of a six year old boy wandering Ireland, his adventures lead him to kind and generous hosts and all turns out well. I loved reading in my pale imitation of an Irish accent, too, and the children did not complain. They all loved Francie! (purchased Kindle version directly from the publisher)

Good Poems ed by Garrison Keillor is a book Kansas Dad and I picked out with a gift card on a visit to a bookstore on our anniversary. Oh, how exciting we are! I enjoyed reading the variety of poems selected. Well-known names like Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are mingled with new poets. A book like this is a good one from which to read a poem a day, which is what I did. (purchased copy)

Laudato Si -- On Care for Our Common Home by Pope Francis in an encyclical which teaches the important of being good stewards of the earth and how that stewardship is intertwined with care for all people, most especially the weak, the manipulated, and those trapped by poverty. We read this with the adult education class at our parish. (copy provided by our parish)

Don Camillo and His Flock by Giovanni Guareschi, translated by Una Vincenzo Troubridge - Read my review. (inter-library loan copy)

The Education Of Catholic Girls by Janet Erskine Stuart - Read my review. (free Kindle version)

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare - I have the Shakespeare Made Easy version. I like these editions because I can read the play as Shakespeare wrote it without interruptions unless I want to check my understanding. Then I can glance at the other page to see a contemporary version. Often I turn to the modern words for the comic scenes. The puns and allusions are the most difficult to understand. The children are memorizing lines from Twelfth Night right now with How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare. (received in a swap on PaperBackSwap.com)

In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden - Read my review. (library copy) 


Books in Progress (and date started)

• Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol 2 (sixth edition) (August 2014)
• For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay (January 2015, with my Start Here book club)
• Humility of Heart by Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (February 2015)
• Towards A Philosophy of Education (Charlotte Mason's Original Homeschooling Series) by Charlotte Mason (May 2015)
• George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War by Thomas B. Allen (November 2015) 
• Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen (November 2015)
• The Long Christmas by Ruth Sawyer (November 2015)
• The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi (November 2015)
• The Nature of Kansas Lands edited by Beverley Worster (November 2015)

The italic print: Links to Amazon are affiliate links. As an affiliate with Amazon, I receive a small commission if you follow one of my links, add something to your cart, and complete the purchase (in that order). Links to PaperBackSwap could give me a referral credit if you follow the link, establish a new account, and post ten books. Links to RC History are affiliate links. Other links are not affiliate links.

These reports are my honest opinions. 

Challenges and Encouragement: The Education of Catholic Girls

The Education of Catholic Girls by Janet Erskine Stuart

Originally written in 1912 (with an imprimatur), this book speaks to the educators and parents of Catholic girls, though much of the content applies to all Christian students, male and female. There are chapters on religion and character, Catholic philosophy, lessons and play, mathematics, natural science, English, modern languages, history, art, manners, and higher education of women.

The sections focused on mathematics and science are the ones most likely to seem outrageous to modern readers. As a woman with a degree in cell biology and genetics, I believe the author's discouragement of women and girls studying such subjects is incorrect. Men and women all contribute to the glory of God and many women may do so in math, science, and engineering. Yet finding a balance between the blessings of intellectual abilities and what it means to be a woman, how that might shape our families and our lives (because there are differences between men and women), is a challenging struggle. One of the most important reasons she presents for her hesitation in young women pursuing higher education is that "an atmosphere for the higher education of girls has not yet been created in the universities." I believe universities still lack such an atmosphere. Many women who successfully maneuver through sciences do so by bravely sacrificing their respectability as scientists to serve their families or reluctantly sacrifice service to their families (or a family at all) in order to compete in what is still a field dominated by men and a set of expectations nearly unchanged since the publication of this book.

Let us admit the author is incorrect in some of her assumptions regarding the intellectual capabilities of girls and continue reading regardless.

The early chapters focused on faith, specifically the Catholic faith. Many faith-filled and well-meaning materials for children are, in fact, childish. Mother Janet rejects simplifications. (I think Charlotte Mason would agree.)

The best security is to have nothing to unlearn, to know that what one knows is a very small part of what can be known, but that as far as it goes it is true and genuine, and cannot be outgrown, that it will stand both the wear of time and the test of growing power of thought, and that those who have taught these beliefs will never have to retract or be ashamed of them, or own that they were passed off, though inadequate, upon the minds of children.

For this reason, I love the Faith and Life books for catechism for our homeschool. They are not exciting and lack a story or narrative (other than the narrative of creation), but they are clear and precise at every level. There are no simplifications or glossings in even the earliest books that must be clarified later on.

The habit of work is another necessity in any life worth living, and this is only learnt by refraining again and again from what is pleasant for the sake of what is precious.

Another aspect of this book was the encouragement to develop our own characters, knowing that as educators our very persons and daily actions are more important than any "subject" we teach.

We labour to produce character, we must have it. We look for courage and uprightness, we must bring them with us. We want honest work, we have to give proof of it ourselves.

I declared this year the Year of Nature Study in our homeschool and therefore took careful notice of the sections on nature study. Week after week, we go out for a nature walk and week after week, I am doubtful we have learned anything of value. Perhaps we have...

The object of informal nature study is to put children directly in touch with the beautiful and wonderful things which are within their reach. Its lesson-book is everywhere, its time is every time, its spirit is wonder and delight.

Our walks are certainly "informal." A friend and I have a small co-op for nature study, among other things. I commented to her our nature walks are more Last Child in the Woods than Handbook of Nature Study, but at least we're there.

How little we should know if we only admitted first-hand knowledge, but the stories of wonder from those who have seen urge us on to see for ourselves; and so we swing backwards and forwards, from the world outside to the books, to find out more, from the books to the world outside to see for ourselves.

Repeatedly this year we have read something and then encountered something similar or related in our nature walks. Rivers and Oceans (which is outrageously expensive so use this link instead) and Rocks, Rivers and the Changing Earth come to mind.

One must know the whole round of the year in the country to catch the spirit of any season and perceive whence it comes and whither it goes.

We have also been visiting a few of the same places to acquaint ourselves with them through all the seasons.

The outcome of these considerations is that the love of nature is a great source of happiness for children, happiness of the best kind in taking possession of a world that seems to be in many ways designed especially for them. It brings their minds to a place where many ways meet; to the confines of science, for they want to know the reasons of things; to the confines of art, for what they can understand they will strive to interpret and express; to the confines of worship, for a child's soul, hushed in wonder, is very near to God.

The author's thoughts on recitation and memorization struck me as well. I wrote about our own poetry memorization years ago, and have continued to ponder its worth. Mother Janet believed there is a value to recited poetry aloud (even when not memorized) because the sound of his or her own voice saying beautiful words outside his or her normal vocabulary expands the student's repertoire. In her experience, recitation leads to a desire for memorization. Memorization then leads to a love of reading and the formation of a literary taste. She cautions, however, to choose pieces wisely.

But it is a matter of importance to choose recitations so that nothing should be learnt which must be thrown away, nothing which is not worth remembering for life. It is a pity to make children acquire what they will soon despise when they might learn something that they will grow up to and prize as long as they live.

Reading aloud is eloquently supported.

Their first acquaintance with beautiful things is best established by reading aloud to them, and this need not be limited entirely to what they can understand at the time. Even if we read something that is beyond them, they have listened to the cadences, they have heard the song without the words, the words will come to them later.

A final quote:

A "finished education" is an illusion or else a lasting disappointment; the very word implies a condition of mind which is opposed to any further development, a condition of self-satisfaction.

Overall, I felt challenged and encouraged as an educator, of boys and girls, by reading this book.

An Atypical Perfect Homeschool Moment

I glanced around the table and realized I was living one of those elusive moments - a boy working diligently on his math with math-rich games flourishing on either side of him. It was so unusual in its perfection, I had to take a picture.

This, ladies and gentlemen of the blog, is an ideal homeschool moment, so rare I almost tingled when I realized what was happening.

It degenerated into chaos shortly after this picture was taken.

The children pictured claim no memory of such an event.

First Son's Life

This video shot by Second Daughter exemplifies daily life during the school year for First Son. Doing something fun, then suddenly remembers he has less-fun-work to do. (She recorded this in February, but I just got around to watching it.)

If Gru Were a Shakespearean Actor

Last summer, I read and reviewed How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare. You can read that post here.

During the school year I began reading How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare with the children. We memorized passages and I read from the chapters, slowly and discussing it as we went along. We only memorized four passages, the ones selected from A Midsummer Night's Dream, but they responded with absolute joy. All of my children (11, 8, 6, and 4) can recite some lines from the play. The three older ones can recite many lines from the play. My two oldest know the plot and, what's most important, love the play.

I absolutely recommend this method of learning Shakespeare with your children. As evidence and for your amusement, I'd like to present First Son, performing as Gru as a Shakespearean actor.

"Bottom's Dream" (Passage 3 in the book)
First Son as Gru as Bottom, other three children as Minions
 

The Minions did their jobs well. I've actually heard him do an even more convincing Gru performance; he was a little nervous with the camera running.


"Theseus and Hippolyta" (Passage 4)
First Daughter as Theseus and First Son as Gru as Hippolyta (using his Most Magical Fairy Princess voice from Despicable Me 2)

They all think this voice is hilarious. I'm sorry you can't hear it very well. I have a new camera (yay!) but it doesn't come with those fancy microphones that real movie sets have.


"I Know a Bank" (Passage 1)
Second Son wanted to recite. First Daughter agreed to help him.

"Captain of our Fairy Band" (Passage 2)
Second Daughter's favorite passage

"Lord, what fools these mortals be!"
Second Son

This phrase has become common in our house. When chaos reigns, I will often say it and capture the attention of all the little ones in hearing.

I had meant to read A Midsummer Night's Dream before last school year and did not. I'm reading it now. It's a delight to come to a passage we memorized or read together.

Memorize Shakespeare with your children. You will not regret it.

The links to Amazon above are affiliate links. My original review copy was provided free by the publisher in exchange for an objective review. This post contains my honest opinions and recitations by my zany kids.

A New Page

I realized a few days ago that our 2014-2015 books and resources were never published. I started the page and then forgot all about it. I've finished it and posted them here (and in the list under School Books and Resources on the right).

I'm sure you've all been waiting and wondering about them. Now you can relax.

On the plus side, I was able to update it with the modifications I made after the school year started.

First Day of School Pictures

These are a few weeks old now, but it seems like the blog would be incomplete without them.

Second Son is four years old and will mostly be getting into trouble. I have Making Music Praying Twice (not an affiliate link) for him, though I don't intend to start until Advent. He'll be in my Level 1 Catechesis of the Good Shepherd class and listening to family read-alouds like The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh.

Second Daughter is six and will be in kindergarten this year. She has a late July birthday so we waited a year to start formal school. She's very excited to learn to read!

First Daughter is seven years old (soon to be eight!) in second grade this year and is most excited about preparing for her First Reconciliation in December and her First Communion in March.

First Son is ten years old and starting fifth grade. He'll be learning about the human body this year and starting a writing course of study. He'll also be in the first cohort of Level 3 students in our parish's Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. So exciting!

The first day of school was a little rough, but it's been better since then. Let's hope it's all uphill the rest of the year!

July 2014 Book Reports

God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah by Joanne Williamson will be a history read-aloud for us next year. There are a few battle scenes that might be a little scary for the girls (who will be 6 and 8) but I think they'll be alright if I talk through them. This book is excellent and I'm looking forward to reading it with the kids. (purchased copy, I believe I bought this directly from Bethlehem Books. They have great sales so if you are interested in their books request their emails or follow them on facebook.)

Uncle Tom's Cabin
by Harriet Beecher Stowe is a classic. It was interesting to think about how it would have been like to read it when it was first published and contemplating what it might have to say to us today. (I don't have any great insights to share; it was just thought-provoking.) (playaway from the library)

Still Life with Dirty Dishes: poems
by Ramona McCallum is a book of poetry by a Kansas poet with young children. A great many of the poems seemed to reflect my own life and I enjoyed the book tremendously. The title poem is still my favorite. You can read it online here. (library copy, purchased after I requested it)

The Smart Martha's Guide for Busy Moms by Tami Kiser (inter-library loan)

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton surfaced in my searches for books set in Africa for First Son to read this upcoming year. I read it myself in eighth grade but couldn't remember much of it, so I thought I'd refresh my memory even though it's not one I would ask him to read. It's heartbreakingly beautiful. I listened to most of it and loved the reader's interpretation in the the audio version. (audio CD from the library, library copy for the chapters on one of the discs which wouldn't play for me)

Burning for Revenge by John Marsden, the fifth book in the Tomorrow series, which I'm reviewing for another website. (library copy)

The Idea of a University by Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman (Kansas Dad's copy from a library sale, which I managed to almost destroy)

Champion: A Legend Novel by Marie Lu is the third book in the Legend trilogy. It managed to be better than the second book and a much better ending than the Divergent series. I read this to review on another site. (library copy)

Walk Me Home by Catherine Ryan Hyde was predictable, but sweet, a nice book to read over the summer. (borrowed for free from Kindle Owners' Lending Library, since replaced by Kindle Unlimited, which is not free)

How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig (a review for Blogging for Books)

The Sense of Wonder by Rachel Carson (library copy)

A Little Way of Homeschooling by Suzie Andres (library copy)


Books in Progress (and date started)

• Open Mind, Faithful Heart by Pope Francis (January 2014) 
• The Education Of Catholic Girls by Janet Erskine Stuart (February 2014)
• Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift (February 2014)
• A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller (April 2014)
• A Whole Nother Story by Dr. Cuthbert Soup (July 2014)
• 101 Famous Poems ed. by Roy Cook (July 2014)
• The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story by Craig G. Bartholomew and Matthew W. Goheen (July 2014)
• Genesis: The Book of Origins by Albert Mary Joseph Shamon (July 2014)

Book Review: A Little Way of Homeschooling

A Little Way of Homeschooling by Suzie Andres

This is Suzie Andres’s second book, building on Homeschooling with Gentleness. In the first book, she presented arguments supporting her belief that unschooling is one of many methods of homeschooling acceptable and appropriate for Catholic families and she described a little how that looked in her own family.

This book expands on the theme by presenting chapters by eight Catholic families that unschool and five Catholic families that incorporate some aspects of unschooling. Many of these families are large or deal with illness or disability, a nice complement to Suzie’s own small family of two boys so far apart that the first one was going off to college as the second one started school.

I do not have an unschooling personality. Even the thought of it makes me a little anxious. I like my year planned out in advance with readings for each day in nice neat (and very large) Excel spreadsheets. It’s good for me to read this sort of book to remind myself that planning to the exclusion of listening to my children could foster disenchantment with learning and faith. In the most extreme cases, it could damage our relationships with each other.

One of my favorite quotes is from Cindy Kelly (who writes on her blog here)

When I was a teenager and in college, I only knew one thing: how to play the game. I knew that if I got A’s and pleased professors, I would advance, and I did. I wish I had known that while it is fine to play the game, the game is not the goal. The goal is finding God’s will for me and my place in the world.

If our goal is seeking God and his will for our lives (and it is), then our homeschooling choices should point toward that goal.  To that end, I have been thinking even more carefully about what we’ll be doing next year.

One revelation I had while reading was the thought that textbooks are written to fit the traditional school year. Of course I knew that before, but I suddenly realized the math book had lessons for the whole year not because they were all appropriate for the student but because they had a certain number of days to fill. I don't want our lesson plans to be like that. So I wrote lesson plans but I will be discerning as we go whether the lessons we do each week are leading us to God or if there is something better we could be doing with our time. I have a lot of history on our schedule this year and we might spread the readings out more even if we don't finish it all. I don't have any grammar on our schedule this year, but First Son will be doing some more writing and I will try to teach him a little grammar as we go along. Or not. We'll see.

At the end, the author reminds us that the beautiful words we read are only a part of the women who wrote them:

We are just like you, wondering what in the world we will put together for dinner tonight. We are just like you, and not entirely sure of ourselves. We may write long books and thoughtful Internet posts proclaiming the goodness and freedom of unschooling; at the end of the day we still lie in bed exhausted and wonder if our children are learning what they should.

Much of the book describes following the Little Way of St. Therese and the example of St. John Bosco, a great teacher of orphan boys in the 1800s. These thoughts are most fitting for Catholics, though both of these saints have insights into human character that many non-Catholic educators would find interesting if not enlightening. For example, Don Bosco writes:

It is certainly easier to lose one’s temper than to be patient; threaten young people rather than reason with them. I would say that it better suits our lack of patience and our pride to punish those who resist us, rather than bear with them firmly and with kindness.

The booklists at the end are excellent, divided into categories on St. Therese, unschooling, Catholic homeschooling and general homeschooling, education, and more.

It was a joy to read this book and I highly recommend it. As a side note, Hillside Education did a wonderful job printing and binding this book. It's beautiful.

Book Review: The Sense of Wonder

The Sense of Wonder by Rachel Carson, with photographs by Nick Kelsh

This book's brief text is lavishly illustrated by nature photographs. Published posthumously, it encourages the reader to step outside with young people, even very young people. For those of us who hope to infuse nature study into our homeschools, it's a short book full of inspiration.

I sincerely believe that for the child, and for the parent seeking to guide him, it is not half so important to know as to feel. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow. The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil. Once the emotions have been aroused--a sense of the beautiful, the excitement of the new and the unknown, a feeling of sympathy, pity, admiration or love--then we wish for knowledge about the object of our emotional response. Once found, it has lasting meaning. It is more important to pave the way for the child to want to know than to put him on a diet of facts he is not ready to assimilate.

I emphasized that last sentence. I believe it's true: that to be outside even without a guide book or any knowledge of the plants or bugs or birds, is more important that to sit inside and read about them. I'd much rather sit inside myself, though, and therefore I must fight this lethargy year after year.

The lasting pleasures of contact with the natural world are not reserved for scientists but are available to anyone who will place himself under the influence of earth, sea and sky and their amazing life.

Book Review: How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare

How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig

I had read glowing reviews of this book on other blogs and glanced through the book enough to decide I wanted to try it with the kids next year for our Shakespeare studies. I was thrilled to find the new paperback version available at Blogging for Books and requested it immediately.

Ken Ludwig has written a fantastic book for all parents interested in sharing Shakespeare with their children. These are exactly the methods he used successfully with his own two children, now young adults, though he was not a homeschooling dad. Instead, they delved into Shakespeare in their free time on weekends and in the evenings. Though the strategy is memorization, the true strength of this method is how understanding the meaning of the passages, their context within the plays, and the genius of Shakespeare's language is intertwined with the passages.

...I became convinced that the way into the subject--the way to introduce someone to Shakespeare for the first time so that it doesn't feel daunting and yet has real integrity--is to memorize it. First a few lines, then whole speeches.

The books is designed for the parent to read first, then share the passage and information with the children. Links are provided for resources as well, pages to print as memorization aids and recordings of Shakespearean actors reading the passages, for those of us unsure of pronunciation. The author explains every passage so anyone, even someone who feels daunted by reading Shakespeare themselves, can understand the meaning of the selections.

What I love most of all about this book is the example the author has given us of how to share a passion with children. Mr. Ludwig's delight in Shakespeare and his awe of Shakespeare's abilities permeate the text so much that I found myself delighted and awed as well at all the same things. It seems impossible to present Shakespeare in such a way and not foster a love of language in our children.

This is not a course of study. There are not explicit lessons for each week and day of the school year, but I think a homeschooling parent can easily adapt this book for homeschooling. I intend to simply start at the beginning and work our way through the passages. When we've memorized one (myself included!), we'll move on to the next. (My oldest two will be in fifth grade and second grade, but I think the book can be used with children of any ages, though some of the later passages are more appropriate in content for older children.) I anticipate years of enjoyment from the 25 passages in this book (and a bonus 26th and lists in the back of additional passages to explore and memorize). I will probably also introduce some of his recommended books for children every once in a while. At the end of the book, it's not about being able to pass a test on Shakespeare or incorporate quotations into college writing papers, though you might be able to do that; it's about building a foundation of Shakespeare in a child that will foster a desire to learn more for the rest of his or her life.

This book is also a gem for anyone interested in Shakespeare. I never studied any of his plays after high school and have seen very few of them performed. I would hardly know where to start now given the plethora of books and movies and performances. The appendices in this book include annotated lists of books for children, books for teachers and parents, films, and audio recordings. After finishing the book, there was nothing I wanted to do more than start reading, watching, and listening to all of his recommendations.

You can read more about the book here and more about the author here or on his website.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review. The opinions above are my own.

May 2014 Book Reports

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson is a book I never read when I was younger. It's a compelling look at sibling rivalry between twin girls, one of which seems to be more favored by everyone, written from the point of view of the other. The resolution seemed inadequate when I first read it, partly perhaps because I read the last two-thirds of the book very quickly. I think it's also the kind of book that benefits from thinking about it for a while after reading it. (library copy)

Conquest: Book 1, The Chronicles of the Invaders by John Connolly and Jennifer Ridyard is the first of a planned trilogy in which a superior (but not vastly superior) race of aliens, one startlingly like humans, conquers Earth and tries to subdue it, so far unsuccessfully. A young Illyri, Syl, becomes embroiled in the politics of her race and the battle for freedom by the humans. Written for young adults, the book contains hints of plenty of classic and cult science fiction like Battlestar Galactica, Dune, and even Stargate. So far, it's pretty enjoyable and I'm looking forward to reading more. (library copy)

Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling is the story of a lazy obnoxious rich boy who topples over the side of his fancy steamship and is picked up by a fishing dory. He spends the season cod fishing until the boat is full and they can head back to land, learning much about how to be a man and the value of work. It's a good book, but even I found the language difficult to follow at times, so I'm not going to assign it to First Son just yet. I think I'll just leave it on the shelf. The copy I have is an old one with lots of illustrations, notes, and definitions on the sides of the pages, so it's a good one, but I couldn't find the edition on Amazon. (purchased discarded library copy)

Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez (with Kristin Ohlson) is a memoir of an American woman who volunteers in Afghanistan and then returns later to start a beauty school. Some of the language was a little crass for me, which is more intrusive when listening to the audio version rather than reading it. My main problem with it was that, despite the author's insistence that she loved the Afghani women, she was constantly condescending to them and, in particular, to their beliefs. Obviously, things like stoning are unacceptable, but short of that, I think she could have been more understanding. She also marries a man she barely knows with whom she cannot even talk because they speak different languages. (She apparently does not make an effort to learn any languages herself.) Finally, at the end it seemed like one woman's horrible story after another and was overwhelming rather than uplifting. (playaway from the library)

Anna Hibiscus and Hooray for Anna Hibiscus! by Atinuke are easy reader books about a young girl who lives in Africa (Amazing Africa) with her parents, twin brothers, grandparents, aunties, uncles, and cousins. She is rich and greatly loved and their family is sweet and wonderful. The poverty of the city outside their compound is in the first book a little and the main subject of the last chapter of the latter book. These are great books about Africa because they show some of the contrast in many large African cities today - wealth and poverty, technology like cell phones and texting but inconsistent electricity. Her whole family works to make Africa, and the world, a better place, including little Anna who must do so by going to school. These books are a bit too easy for First Daughter, but I think I'll put them on her list for next year when First Son is also reading books set in Africa. There are a bunch of Anna Hibiscus books, but these are the only two our library has. (library copies)

Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat is the hilarious book of the misadventures of Billy and his two owls, Wol and Weeps. There's a tremendous amount of descriptions of the wildlife and prairies of Saskatchewan as well. I was considering it for First Son to read next year, but think instead I'll offer it as possible summer reading. It's enjoyable enough for summer! (library copy)

Darkness Be My Friend (The Tomorrow Series #4) by John Marsden was reviewed for another website. As I said last month, I'm reviewing the series but it's not really worth your time. (audio CD from the library)

The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son by Lois Lowry (library copies)

A Gift from Childhood: Memories of an African Boyhood by Baba Wague Diakite is written by an artist from Mali who now splits his time between Mali and the United States. His book gives a wonderful glimpse into live in a village in Mali with his grandparents and then a large city where he lives with his mother. At the end of the book, he is a grown man who marries a woman from Kansas (including a favorable description of her hometown and family). First Son will be reading this next year for his African studies. This is not a Christian book and the references to African beliefs, but nothing that would preclude me from sharing this with my son. (library copy)

Waiting for the Apocalypse: A Memoir of Faith and Family by Veronica Chater is the fascinating and heart-breaking memoir of a family uprooted by their parents' refusal to accept Vatican II. I have been thinking about it deeply since I read it, trying to discern what (if anything) I should draw from it. I think most of all, it was a reminder to me to love my children unconditionally, even when they make mistakes. I think, too, it speaks to a balance between sacrifices for the sake of our faith and needlessly endangering our families. (library copy)

Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan is the story of a young girl orphaned by influenza in 1918 after living her entire life in Africa with her missionary parents. After a journey to England, she perseveres in following her dream and her heart back to the land she loves. This could be a good book for the fifth grade MA study of Africa, especially for girls. (library copy)

Tankborn (Tankborn Trilogy) by Karen Sandler is the first in a series for young adults set far into the future on another planet. It the context of GENs (genetically modified creatures), it explores what it means to be human, caste systems, racism, and how to do right in the face of great wrongs. The last chapter is the weakest, but it could be an interesting series. I am reviewing this series for another website. (library copy)

Blue Sea Burning (The Chronicles of Egg) by Geoff Rodkey is the third and final book in the Chronicles of Egg series, one of my favorite middle grade series, though I would recommend it for older students in that range due to some romantic interests by the main characters in addition to some pretty violent actions. It was an exciting and satisfying end to the series, though, especially since it leaves room for the characters to continue to grow. (library copy)

Homeschooling with Gentleness by Suzie Andres (inter-library loan)

Clementine's Letter by Sara Pennypacker, pictures by Marla Frazee (library copy)

Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology by Eric Brende (library copy) 

A Little Maid of Old Philadelphia by Alice Turner Curtis is a sweet little book set in the time of the Revolutionary War. I think First Daughter will love reading this with our American history studies next year in second grade. It's part of a series and, if she likes, I'll let her read the rest without pre-reading them myself. (free Kindle book)

The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure is a meandering book of the author's fascination with the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I thought it would be interesting as we've been listening to the books again ourselves. While it does give some information about what life was really like for Laura, it's more a book about the people who become obsessed with the stories. I listened to the audio book and quickly tired of the performer's rendition of the people in Kansas and Missouri; I found it quite demeaning. I was also frustrated at the condescending attitude toward those who might want to learn how to make something from scratch or be self-sufficient for their own sakes, while the author could do those things just because she read them in the book. She equates everyone who wants to make their own butter, for example, with those who anticipate the end of civilization as we know it. I'm sure there are some crazy people out there and the author probably met a lot of them, but I was pretty offended by her attitude by the end of the book. (playaway from the library)

Love in a Time of Homeschooling: A Mother and Daughter's Uncommon Year by Laura Brodie (library copy)

Books in Progress (and date started)

• Open Mind, Faithful Heart by Pope Francis (January 2014) 
• The Education Of Catholic Girls by Janet Erskine Stuart (February 2014)
• Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift (February 2014)
• The Idea of a University by John Henry Cardinal Newman (February 2014)
• A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller (April 2014)
• Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton (May 2014)
• Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (May 2014)