I thought I'd share this blurb from a Charlotte Mason education site, and a Wikipedia article that I found very concisely summarizes much of the CM approach.
As I've surveyed common home educational methods, I see value in the systematic rigor of classical education for subjects such as phonics and mathematics. I am drawn to the way in which project-based learning can train a child in his ability to mature a vision into an executable project, to anticipate and organize needed materials, to trouble shoot problems, to persist in long-term efforts, to argue / brainstorm / communicate with others, and to follow a project through to completion. And I can see a rich use of language, love of literature, deep understanding of our cultural history, and solid character development stemming from Charlotte Mason's methodologies. I suspect, like the majority of families who educate their children at home, that we will end up employing an "ecclectic style," combining the strengths of more than one approach.
In the meanwhile, as we explore the process of learning at home, we are trying out another early elementary approach for a while. Five in a Row is a series that is perfect for kindergarten. It's essentially a series of unit studies, which I find to be fun, though probably not a good long-term approach for us. But for kindergarten, it may prove to be a delight. Each week a quality children's book is used from which lessons on language, math, science, social studies, and art are drawn. This week we're delving into Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. I've read the book numerous times, but would not have previously thought to lead into discussions about the flexibility required of Mike Mulligan as he and Mary Anne faced obsoleteness with the introduction of diesel diggers. I had not before thought much about the stewardship he displayed in his careful maintenance of his steam shovel. We talked about the age of the steam engine and the changes that came about with the introduction of diesel engines. We set up a tea pot, watched steam turn a pinwheel (okay, kind of... it didn't turn as well as I'd envisioned), and went on to review the water cycle since we had steam on hand, cooling it into a glass to create condensation clouds which then rained back down on us.
Another highlight of the week was a trip to NASA's Homeschool Day. We enjoyed seeing more of NASA's space exhibits than we had had a chance to see this summer, and the kids extensively explored replicas of the space shuttle and Skylab. The kids participated in a great art workshop held by NASA just for occasion that looked at lines and shapes in the geography of planets, reflecting on the origins of these patterns and then encouraging the kids to study photographs of the planets and depict what they see in their own piece of art (actually, a great example of a narration in the Charlotte Mason's methods). A group called Mad Science Houston had numerous tables of science experiments and demonstrations for the kids to visit. We visited presenters teaching on gravity, inertia, potential v. kinetic energy, and static electricity. There was also a an impressive temporary exhibit on the inventions of DiVinci. The machines they had on display for the kids to manipulate were amazing, and I can't wait to get into a book on DiVinci that I picked up this week to follow-up on that great exhibit. I just wish we could have visited for an hour a day all week instead of 5 hours on one day, because there was so much the kids saw and enjoyed that it will be impossible to digest it all! I never intended we stay so long, but both big kids really enjoyed it, and Jonathan very sweetly thanked me on the way home for a fun day at NASA.
We are already learning so much as we home school. I don't mean about science, math, or reading, although Jonathan's definitely learning those. What we will take away from this year is primarily what we are learning about ourselves -- how we learn, when we learn best, when the smaller kids need the more focused attention, what our community has to offer in hands-on and experiential learning, and how the rhythm of our day affects the children's play, interactions, and attitudes. I am learning to harness Jonathan's (endless) creative vision for projects to support him in maturing the skills needed to successfully execute his projects. I am learning that a 5 or 7 minute lesson in phonics is plenty, and that there are ways to teach and expect sustained attention without holding a child hostage who has already "checked-out" from a math lesson. I'm learning that spending this year developing habits and routines for myself, with clear expectations and encouragement for the children, may very well save my sanity, or at least my voice. And it is so neat to already see little fruit from what we are learning. I've seen the kids really connect with and enjoy the poetry we've added to our mornings in a way I had not anticipated from children so young, and I was warmed and delighted to notice Jonathan singing Amazing Grace while playing with Legos and setting the table after adding a rotation of hymns to our morning.
In all our experimenting and trying out new ideas, I am trying to keep in the forefront of my mind that my children, at ages 8 months, 3 years, and 5 years, need very little formal education right now but will thrive on creative play, time outdoors, and stories that inspire character. My days are not easy right now, and schooling is definitely a sizable addition to my responsibilities at home, but overall we are really enjoying this year of learning together.
This photo has nothing to do with homeschool, but it's something I shot this week, and this post looks bland, so I'll add it here :) *
* For the record, I have a much better command of grammar than is apparent from my impressive string of run-on sentences ;)
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