Designing a home-centered life: learning, exploring, and creating with our five littles
"The only thing I feel really sure of having accomplished today is that I taught Cliffie Wright that A is A. He never knew it before. Isn't it something to have started a soul along a path that may end in Shakespeare and Paradise Lost?" - Anne of Anne of Avonlea Isn't it something? How exciting that we're able to teach our children to read! I … [Read more...]
"Understanding the classical sciences allows each of us to appreciate the beauty and harmony of the cosmos while equipping us to participate in the investigative process." (p.179)I believe that understanding the sciences is important to all students, but is especially beneficial to the believer. We know the creator of the extraordinary … [Read more...]
"Classical educators want children to memorize a lengthy world history time line over an extended period of time that stays with them forever." (p.165) Are you seeing a pattern here among classical learning? It's so important to lay a strong foundation for our little scholars to build upon. With a basic timeline memorized, our children can … [Read more...]
Oh boy, is this a weak area of mine. I've often felt lost in my own county (okay, even the mall), because I am lacking a mental map. My husband on the other hand loves maps and is great at geography. He easily forms mental maps of new areas. Think those characteristics are connected? Yeah, me too. Like my husband, we want our littles to … [Read more...]
"The classical model for math emphasizes memorizing facts for speed and accuracy, and discussing numeracy, operations, and laws for understanding." (p.131, The Core) I can remember reciting addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division tables with my class from simple wall charts in my elementary school growing up. My teachers shared … [Read more...]
When I first started teaching my children to write, I think I truly forgot that "Writing is very hard to do well." I found myself so removed from learning it myself that its challenge was forgotten. While it is hard to do well, The Core provides a simple plan to teach it well. Continuing today with the At Home with The … [Read more...]
I'm making some progress in understanding classical education and supplanting the modes of traditional education in my mind. I can tell, because I'm *starting* to be able to converse with others about classical education without looking at my notes. : ) Good, right? I'm also beginning to form ideas of what this will look like for our family over … [Read more...]
This upcoming year will be our third year notebooking our memory work. There are a lot of variations to notebooking. You can use it in much the same way as workboxes or lapbooks, but for us it's a simple way to review and collect our memory work. In years past, I've printed worksheets for my littles to complete each week. But this year I'm … [Read more...]
"Over the past three decades I have spent homeschooling and working with homeschooling families, I have recognized the power of a confident parent." This quote from Leigh Bortins in The Conversation, has me saying, "yes, yes, YES!" In only five years time, I have found the same to be true. With standardized testing, re-enrollment, and … [Read more...]
We're on the final stretch of our Classical Conversations year. One of my guys is aiming for memory master status, but still needs to fine-tune some of the memory work. We're relying on what's tried and true by practicing using these simple methods for memorizing: 1. Making flash cards. He handmade flashcards today for John 1 in … [Read more...]