For those of you who have been scrolling through this blog looking for more nitty gritty about nontraditional education (I do hear you), I've put together another photo journal that covers various things that I captured on camera over the past few days. And for my sweet friends who are brand new to this thing called organic learning and new to homeschooling in general, I do know it can feel overwhelming to dive in. But, take heart. Like anything, it is a process, and it's just one step at a time. Every child is unique. Every family is unique. Every school year is unique. So, just say a prayer and walk on.
What about those who have already committed to a more traditional boxed curriculum for the year but really would like to implement some of the aspects of organic learning? I understand where you are. Been there. My advice? Do what works best for your children. If they are in love with that boxed curriculum and cannot wait to get going every day with their textbooks, then cheer them along (and yay for you). But if you or your children would really like to add some more spark to your days, you don't necessarily have to throw your (expensive) boxed curriculum overboard if you're not ready to. (On the other hand, if you want to, let me give you permission to let go of the guilt. Sell those textbooks and move on. Again, been there.) So, if you want to simply "start somewhere" in adding an aspect of organic learning, I'd recommend adding living books to your life. That way, you can still stay in as much of the boxed curriculum as you want BUT are also adding in a very rich aspect of learning that you and your children will surely get hooked on.
See this child? He's reading a living book about Pocahontas. A textbook description of Pocahontas would be a couple of paragraphs giving dry facts about her. Textbooks aim to give a concise description, and usually it is followed by review questions that test what a child "learned." (I call this spit-out-and-forget...and oftentimes very boring to boot!) But a living book, on the other hand, invites the reader into an intriguing account of the life of Pocahontas. It pulls a reader into her world, shows him all things around her, captures the essence of that time period and ushers him through the events in her life. When he finishes, he has met Pocahontas. He has set out on an adventure with her. He has learned from her. And he remembers her. (And, yes, he chose to dress in a costume for this reading. Did I mention that he has an older sister who makes historical costumes??)
So that is my little piece of advice for those of you just venturing into these nontraditional waters: Add in living books whenever you can. A great place to find suggestions for living books is on Simply Charlotte Mason's book finder.
Now, on with the photo journal so that you can see this nontraditional education in motion...
While I was reading one day, they broke out the Civil War puzzle. This is loaded with visual facts about the Civil War.
They wrangled Daddy in to help with the puzzle one evening.
Here's where learning definitely leaves the confines of books. D spent 24 hours marinading chicken in his grandpa's secret BBQ recipe, which he measured ingredients and mixed himself. Then after 24 hours of marinading as well as making a glaze, he asked his Daddy to help him grill. He made the comment that, because Grandpa Jerry wasn't there to help him, he really had to read the directions thoroughly and be confident in what he remembered from having helped him grill this same chicken recipe one time in Dallas. No textbook could accomplish this lesson. (And it was insanely yummy chicken! He did an awesome job.)
And while brother grilled, HB read a book about Tad Lincoln (one of President Lincoln's sons). This is not "required reading." She's just very interested in the Lincoln family, Abraham Lincoln's presidency and the politics of that time period. She is wanting to write a play based on this book, so she uses her extra time to dig into the book and often relays interesting stories to us about Tad's escapades. She has written one play that was performed on stage a year ago. She has a second play that she has been in the process of writing for some time. And this will be her third play to write. She calls herself a playwright. I love that. I fully expect God to use this gift for something awesome.
BBQ chicken was finally finished, and everyone was happy with D's success. Did I mention the chicken was amazing?! In a state where BBQ is a first language, I was quite a proud momma to see one of my children rocking it so well on his first try.
I'm not sure what was going on in this photo, but they all look like they were up to something!
Back to our learning loft for this one... One day this week we were reading a couple of books about the Mayflower voyage. I set up this blanket to mark out the space measuring 3' x 5'. And our whole family crammed onto the blanket to get a good visual of how the Mayflower families had to travel. Really, did you know that each "lucky" family was given a 3' x 5' space to live for the SIXTY-FIVE days that it took them to reach the New World?! This is probably a lesson my children will never forget as we squished into that tiny space and discussed the logistics of how in the world we'd manage in the cramped quarters (then add in the seasickness, vomit, diarrhea!). Would we be adventurous and courageous enough to do that?? Or would we have been one of the families who stayed in England?
Looks like the Pilgrims are getting a bit restless already! 3' x 5' is really tiny!!
While I read, they are often busy with quiet projects of all kinds. Here are some photos of some of what they did this week while I read...
T set out to make an invention.
He keeps this box full of many random tidbits that come in very handy when a boy decides he needs to invent something.
And the cool thing? His invention worked this time, and he was beyond thrilled! He created a machine that picks up metal pieces with a magnet.
Can you see all kinds of science discussions leaping from just this one experiment!
HB tried a new (very involved) hairstyle she had pinned on Pinterest. All the while, she was listening to our reading and interjecting thoughts here and there.
And G has discovered the practice of cutting paper into teeny tiny pieces. A mess! But oh so good for those developing motor skills.
D tried his hand at a multi-level card house while he listened to me read aloud.
And HB drew, which is one of her passions.
T spent some time drawing, discovering that he's pretty good at it.
After our read aloud time, I often go downstairs to get lunch ready while the children continue working on various things. Today, D called my name, and when I looked up, I saw him holding his Pocahontas book and telling me one exciting part of it. Incidentally, this is what Charlotte Mason termed "narrating," where a child tells back to a parent what he has just read. I find that my children do this without me asking them to most of the time, simply because they tend to love the books and want to share them with me (that and the fact that they've been narrating for the past 7 years, so it's just part of regular life around here).
While I was sorting laundry (seriously, does that job ever get finished??), my 2 youngest children were busy with a fun project of their own making. Can I just say again that I LOVE organic learning? I could NEVER plan these wonderful things that they come up with on their own. Having the freedom to develop connections with things they learn has created such an ongoing flow of learning activities that they initiate. So, I walked into the kitchen to find T and G under the kitchen table. They explained to me that they were pilgrims who had just built a house in the New World. It was a very primitive house, such as a pilgrim would have.
T explained how they had traded with Indians in order to get fruits and vegetables.
What a creative pilgrim's house! This is the outside of it.
And on the inside, T shows me how he can lift the flap in order to see out. Very practical.
I walked around the corner only to run into a pilgrim hunting for food.
And back to his house after his hunting trip...
Okay, I had to laugh at this historically inaccurate part. :) Here the pilgrims decided to fast forward in time and find a general store to restock on some much-needed goods.
What a truly engaging way to learn about the pilgrims! It's more than a page in a textbook...and more than one of those overused coloring sheets with the pilgrim in the big hat and boots with big buckles. This is an entirely different way of learning. They soak in a living book filled with living ideas, and then they so often will (without a single suggestion from me) recreate what they just read (the younger children in pretend play, and the older ones in projects of various kinds). They BECOME those pilgrims, and years down the road, they will remember it.
THIS is learning. And we are hooked.
