It wasn't long after making the decision to homeschool that I stumbled across the Charlotte Mason method of education. It was actually one of the things that made me feel comfortable about the decision to educate our children at home because it was everything I longed for as a child but struggled to find in my cookie-cutter schooling. It also reminds me so much of my beloved Grandmother. So much so that I tend to picture my "Merdi" in my head when reading CM's writings. They both were passionate about good books, children and education being about living not dry, dull lessons.
With a few years of homeschooling under my belt I'm confident to say that we've found our niche with a combination of classical studies with a Charlotte Mason approach.
One of the things that really drew me to the CM style was the emphasis on time spent outdoors and nature study. I don't know if it was just the age of my kids though, but I have really struggled to institute the nature study part of our homeschool.
Physically, we are set. Beside our back door hangs our three Ugandan bags. Each with a drawing book, magnifying glass, binoculars and sketching pencils. All crisp and new and totally unused.
I've just finished reading the section of CM's original writings on the importance of nature study so I decided that today was the day. We put aside books and housework, grabbed our bags and headed out into the sunny spring day.
I think this new little footbridge is going to become a favorite spot. All the thrill of a bridge with none of the worry of falling into the pond.
Sun! After months of grey and rain.
It's still very early spring here. The kids decided to investigate the slime growing on the water. I'd never really looked at slime that closely before. It's actually quite neat. How the threads are strung together, trapping air so it doesn't sink.
We looked for signs of growth to come. Only the dandelions out so far.
We took time to look for the beautiful that we might otherwise overlook.
I don't know if they learned anything in particular today but I hope that we can do this more often
I hope that what they come away with is the habit of slowing down and seeing what is all around them.
Seeing the beauty in the world
in the obvious
and even in the slime.
