~ A Day in the Life of Our Kindergartner... and her little brother ~

Teacher: me, mom!

Students: Elli and her two-year old brother

Reasons I choose to homeschool: I've always wanted to be a teacher, and know in my heart that I'm the first and most suited teacher for my children. I want to instill in them a love for God, good books, and learning about the world around them... Not because they have to, but because they want to. 

My method: I appreciate a classical education, and absolutely love the writings of Charlotte Mason.

I am excited to share what our homeschool day looks like, even though each day is different from the last around here! I have a lot left to learn about homeschooling, but I'm happy to relay what I've learned thus far. My kindergartner turned five in November. I've basically been doing school/educational activities with her since before she turned two. So the preschool, pre- K, and now K have been good practice for us both. We live in Brooklyn, NY and I don't start reporting grades or anything until next year, so that's all still foreign to me. Since I'm not a stickler for an exact schedule, I'll give approximate times and activities. Hoping to run a tighter ship by first grade, but yeah... we'll see. 

When my daughter was in Pre-K, I made up this nice schedule board with times (and even pictures of clocks so she see the times on them!) and when we would eat and sleep and do schoolwork and blah blah blah... and then baby brother came along! When his nap times started to change or went from two to one, I think that's when the chaos started. To put it another way, we no longer have that poster up. 

This year I settled for a simple school calendar ($1 section at Target!), which has helped tremendously. We just move the " today is..." sticker each day, and our usual "school days" are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with Monday being a prep and/or catch up day, and Friday being my day to prepare for the Sabbath (we are Messianic believers.) We are using My Father's World as our primary curriculum, and I sometimes add to it as well. A typical day/week looks like this:

6:00- 6:30 a.m. Toddler usually wakes me up :)

between 6:30- 7:00 a.m. Elli usually wakes up

7:00 -8:30 a.m. waking up, eating breakfast, (sometimes) getting dressed...(if it was up to the kids, they would probably just live in their pajamas... and in the winter, I'm the same way!)

8:30- 10:00 a.m. If there are errands to run, we leave the house to do those. If there's laundry to be done, I like to start it early because we live in an apartment building and the washers are in the parking garage, and there's only three of them. If the kids are playing peacefully together, I leave them alone and wash the dishes or something else that needs to be done in the kitchen. Also, I may be preparing what schoolwork we will do later on. I try to buy groceries on Mondays when my husband is home, (especially in this cold, nasty weather) so I can shop alone. I won't go into here what shopping in Brooklyn with two kids is like, even in nice weather... (In case you're thinking I'm being selfish with my time, I'm really just an introvert trying to steal a few moments of solitude throughout the day) :)

10:00- 11:30 a.m. Monday is usually library day. I do a lot of searching for school books and putting

books on hold online, so sometimes we simply have to pick up books from the desk. Little brother has story time there at 11:00 a.m. so we try to get there early to look at books beforehand. Fortunately for us, the library is literally half a block from our home, so it's very easy to walk to. If we didn't make it to the library, we're most likely out shopping with my husband or recovering from a busy weekend. On some Tuesdays or Thursdays (in nice weather), we would get together with a friend for a joint activity (they also have a kindergartner who uses the same curriculum). The weather has been cold and wet lately, but last month we made it to the American Museum of Natural History during our study of dinosaurs! A nice perk of living and homeschooling in NYC! As she gets older, I look forward to visiting many more museums in the city. AMNH is great because it has a Discovery Room for kids, where they can touch everything and participate in fun activities.

                                         

In warmer weather (because frankly, I hate being cold), we frequent parks and a new natural

playground in Prospect Park that is made entirely of fallen trees (from hurricane Sandy).

After beginning to read through Charlotte Mason's volumes on homeschooling last summer, I have tried to incorporate as much nature study as possible, and I'm really anxious for warmer temperatures so we can get outside more. We are in the middle of a three week farm animal study, so we were planning to visit the Queens County Farm Museum this week (because the temps got up to the 40s.. woohoo!) but there is still snow on the ground, and I found out that it would hinder us from getting close to the farm animals. We'll wait until the weather warms up... a lot!

11:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. If the kids are playing peacefully together, I leave them alone. They always come to the kitchen when they're hungry anyway. :) I'm preparing lunch during this time. If they are not playing peacefully (either now or earlier in the day), then I may get out our sensory bin. They both love it, but especially the toddler. Of course, it is extremely messy. I have decided that it's worth the mess if it keeps Judah's busy little fingers occupied. Otherwise, he's probably rummaging through my closet now for his father's shoes and rolling suitcase, which are some of his favorite toys. It's amazing how messy small children can be, and mine successfully turn our small apartment upside down on a daily basis. Since we are learning about farms right now, the bin is full of oats, split peas, rice and some beans. I've also tried potting soil (fun, but don't close the lid up with any kind of moisture in there... yuck!) sand from the beach, floral water balls (found at craft store in floral arrangement section), barley, pasta, flour, and water (of course).

12:00 p.m.- 1:00 p.m. Lunchtime! We eat most of our meals at home, and I usually just pull up my Ikea stool and sit at the kids' table with them! Why? Because my table usually looks like this, especially on school days:

Living in a small, city apartment, organization has been a challenge for me. Believe me, organization has never been one of my strong points. I used to think I was organized, but having children tends to bring out the blatant reality that I'm not! Most of our actual "schoolwork" is done at the dining room table, and mostly when my two year old is sleeping (in case you were wondering if I had forgotten what this post was supposed to be about!) Although I am more of a morning person and would rather do school in the morning, it usually proves much easier to do in the afternoon when the little destroyer is asleep. When we do choose to do the "sit-down" work in the morning, I try to distract little brother with the sensory bin, or my ipad, or busy bags (to see my Pinterest board on busy bag ideas, click here.) But it's hard enough for a five year old (and me) to concentrate on the written work without a curious toddler getting into everything, so for now, naptime works. :) 

1:30 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. ish Helping Elli with her schoolwork. My Father's World for kindergarten is very simple and straightforward, but can be redundant (and even boring... shhh) for scatterbrains like me. I choose to supplement my own stuff and ideas that I've found on Pinterest, etc. Because I've always wanted to be a teacher, and I spent a year and a half being a substitute preschool teacher, I have quite the collection of e-books and e-workbooks on my computer from Scholastic Teacher's Express that I either got for free or spent maybe $1 on. I have way too many, though, and after reading Charlotte Mason, I have restrained myself from giving my daughter so many worksheets (which she actually really liked in Pre-K.) Now we simply do writing practice on the worksheets that came with the curriculum, on dry erase boards, chalkboards, and even in salt. I will admit that I am a paper fiend, so I had to stop printing out so much stuff! I know that kindergartners don't need worksheets to learn. In addition, I'm starting to think that my daughter is more of a kinesthetic learner than I thought. She definitely recalls things that she has seen on TV or heard about, but she doesn't enjoy sitting still and writing on worksheets anymore. That's probably typical for her age, but I would like to incorporate more moving and learning activities. 

I don't stress about her finishing all the MFW worksheets every week. If you're not familiar with the My Father's World curriculum, it basically focuses on a weekly letter and the corresponding aspect of God's creation (animals, rocks, water, etc.) and something about God we can learn from that aspect (from a nest, we learn that "God takes good care of me,"etc.) We practice writing letters and numbers, counting, letter sounds, sounding out simple words, sight words, reading lessons (Charlotte Mason style)

I have tried to utilize every available space in our apartment for education without making it look like we live in a preschool, ans sometimes to no avail! Our hall closet serves mostly as my arts and crafts and school supply storage.

 We also use a storage cabinet and bookcase next to our dining room table for school storage. Immaculate, isn't it? ;)

It's been great having a large metal front door for one reason: it's magnetic! I printed and laminated sight word cards from www.education.com and attached magnets. I also use the door for little brother's activities.

Although my daughter has a nice desk in her bedroom, it doesn't work for school if her brother is sleeping in their shared room. For now, she uses it occasionally for art or coloring. She'll use it more when she's older.

3:30 pm- 4:30 pm Little brother is usually awake by now, which means school time is over! Some days I allow Elli to play educational games on my iPad (which means that the toddler then must have a turn of his own), or they watch some television. We watch mostly nature/science related shows like Curious George and Peep and the Big Wide World, which they both enjoy. I am cleaning up the school stuff (sometimes) now, or just watching television with them if I'm tired! Or trying to sneak into my bedroom and blog for a few minutes at a time whenever I can... to keep me sane. :)

Since I have mentioned the iPad, let me just say that it was been a wonderful educational tool for us. Since I feel that she's too young for written math in kindergarten (Charlotte Mason's suggestion), I do allow my daughter to play math games for fun. Also, she loves music. I have recently discovered an iPad app called Kinderbach, which teaches young children the very basics of music and playing a keyboard at a slow pace. This isn't a free app, like most of the ones we use, but she really enjoys sitting down with the iPad and the coloring sheets that I print out to go along with it (included with the app), and having her "music lesson." This lesson is also usually done when little brother is asleep, because he wants to do it too if he's awake!  She sits at the dining room table, within earshot of me (usually while I'm having my own party at the sink full of dirty dishes that never goes away), so I can help her when she needs it. It also teaches some rhythm, so she gets to bang (quietly) on a pan with a wooden spoon.

4:30 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. We eat dinner pretty early, so by 4:00 p.m. or 4:30 p.m., I am at least starting to prepare it. The school day is over, and everyone's energy is winding down by now. Dinner, cleaning up, some family fun time, baths, and getting ready for bed take up the remainder of our day.

between 7:30 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. Kids are usually in bed. Dad is finishing up his ministry work or relaxing. I am usually exhausted and useless by this time at night, so I try to read or blog... or veg out and get ready for bed! :) 

It's been a busy day for us, and some days run smoother than others. All days don't look like this, and to be honest, there are days when we accomplish very little...and watch movies! However, I know deep down that homeschooling is in our lives to stay, and I pray for the strength I need to make it through another day. As an introvert myself, it is extremely exhausting to pour myself (the good, the bad, and the ugly) into my kids all day long.... being watched, being followed around, teaching, mediating, disciplining, being asked countless questions, answering them for the 15th time.... it has a way of wearing us down. (I'll be posting in the near future what homeschooling is like for an introverted mom like myself.) 

With all that said, I love homeschooling, and wouldn't change it for the world. It allows me to be myself, providing the freedom and flexibility I need to teach them what I know to be important. It also allows them to be themselves, providing the pace and security that they need to thrive. 

I know I will never regret spending too much time with my kids, even when the apartment is constantly a mess, the hamper is constantly overflowing with dirty laundry, and the sink is constantly full of dirty dishes... 

~And there you have it, a day in our life. ~  

Thanks for reading! ~Joanna~

My Year(s) with Charlotte, Part Three: ~Pay Attention, and that goes for you too, Mom!~

                              

First of all, I had to get real with the title of this series, because "Summer with Charlotte" was just NOT going to happen... the summer has long gone (it's now winter), and I have made it through maybe two of her six volumes. I'm still digesting and re-reading the information in those two! Although I began this post in the summer, it has been lying dormant along with my other unpublished posts since then. After recently sharing with a mom's group about my struggle and desire to become a gentler mom, I returned to this post because Charlotte's method of forming habits in children is very gentle, and that's why I love it. 

 A  favorite topic of mine in Charlotte Mason's writings has been her treatment of forming good habits in our children.  This post will focus mainly on the "habit of attention," but first I would like to share directly from her work how Charlotte suggests we help a child form a good habit. I am impressed and touched by the gentleness involved, and I think there is much wisdom in trying to avoid "friction" with our children.  

(I apologize for having to use pictures of the texts as quotes, but I cannot figure out how to copy and paste anything from the Kindle app on my phone, and this is better than typing them all out. Hopefully, they are legible.) It's long and tedious, I know, but it's worth reading:

                           

                             

                      

While this is more her "formula" involving the forming of physical habits (which she makes sound easy, doesn't she?!), she also spends a good amount of time on the more difficult and perpetual task of forming mental habits, one of the most crucial being the habit of attention, "because the highest intellectual gifts depend for their value upon the measure in which their owner has cultivated" this habit. Charlotte gives no single formula for helping children develop this habit, but rather gives many examples of how mothers can advance it on a daily basis.

                   

Before I go into these examples, allow me to digress and mention why I added us "moms" to the title of this post. If we don't cultivate our own habit of attention, we won't be able to help them with theirs! When I think of mothers of small children (myself included), the one adjective that always comes to mind is: distracted. We are always distracted... by our children usually, but also by our housework, homeschooling duties, hobbies, desires, and whatever else we allow ourselves to succumb to. 

Noticing the importance that Charlotte puts on children attaining this habit of attention really convicts me that I have to work on it in myself as well. In fact, this is not the only habit she mentions that I need work on, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there! :) With G-d's help and grace, we can develop and improve these good habits in ourselves. As an example, I have noticed that although I enjoy reading and I read fast, I don't always retain what I read, because I have not thoroughly paid attention to all of it. With Charlotte Mason, I have had to read these sections at least twice, and sometimes more. She uses some lofty (British) English, and her wit and even her sarcasm can be hard to discern and follow at times. I have found reading it several times over very helpful. I am still only on volume two, but I really want to understand her, so that's okay. 

                            

The same exercises that CM suggests for children can be used by us to increase our power of attention. CM gives examples, such as piquing a child's interest in something as simple as a daisy. A mother could say:

                         

I think it is very natural for a mother to do this, whether she knows why she is doing it or not. After reading a book called "Nature Spy," my four-year-old has decided she wants to be one. With us being on an extended road trip, we have had many opportunities to visit parks and even stay on 45 acres of farmland with a garden on it, where we spotted all sorts of insects and plants we don't see in Brooklyn. I have been documenting the findings with pictures. 

                           

                            

                            

                           

We have also been collecting some natural objects to take back home. These will go in our "nature center" I plan to create in our Kindergarten homeschool space. Being a lover of nature, I have always pointed wildlife out to my daughter. I am pleased to say that she is now pointing it out to me! In our travels, she has spotted a snake and a small green anole lizard before me! :) 

                    

Another example that CM suggests which may not be so commonly done, is asking a child to survey a (real, outdoors) familiar landscape...

                    

...and then close their eyes and tell you what they see, practiced frequently until they can "see" everything with their eyes closed. Adults could certainly benefit from this exercise. CM makes the interesting point that the reason our childhood memories of places tend to be foggy or unclear is because we never took the time to really "see" them when we were young. I want my children's memories to be clearer than mine are. CM speaks of taking mental pictures, which makes us more likely to remember what we saw. This also comes into play in her mention of reading and spelling, and I have since been telling my daughter to "take a picture" with her mind when I show her new words. 

The reason CM places so much importance on raising children who know how to pay attention lies in the fact that she is always trying to look ahead to their "after life" (by which she means their 'after school' or adult lives). I have gathered that one of her primary goals in educating children is to make them independent, self-compelled learners. That is definitely what I desire for my children. The habit of attention goes far beyond being able to observe nature. Children need this ability in order to learn anything really. As CM illuminates, children's minds are "slaves to association" insomuch as when they hear one thing, they instantly associate it with something else they know. CM explains it like this: In the

This makes it a challenge for children to develop the habit of attention, but its something they must develop nonetheless. (Am I holding your attention? Just checking...) I know that my mind tends to wander all.the.time, so I am in the same boat as my children sometimes! CM has some more methods to help us and them learn to focus. Short lessons, interesting books to read, not allowing children to "dawdle" over any lesson or daydream when they should be doing math, and always giving a set amount of time in which they must complete their work are a few she lists. 

With my 5-year old daughter now a homeschooled "kindergartner,"  I am realizing how difficult it is to homeschool, period. Trying to incorporate CM's methods into modern-day NYC presents its own additional challenges. However, as CM would challenge us to do, let's "work wonders" and make it happen anyway. It seems easier to form and accept bad habits than to turn them into good ones (in our kids and ourselves). Forming good habits is hard (but important) work, because it leads to good character as our children grow.

My Summer with Charlotte: Part Two ~Go Ahead, Learn about Nature~

In searching for a kindergarten curriculum, (which I finally...(painstakingly) decided could be a good thing to have!), I was told many good things about My Fathers World. But it wasn't until I looked online at their website that I fell in love. I saw a Butterfly Garden, an Ant Hill set, and other things country folk may take for granted, but hey, we live in Brooklyn!! ;) We can't have pets, we live surrounded by concrete, and my daughter loves butterflies (when we happen to see any!) I, on the other hand, grew up in South  Florida...with a back yard full of citrus trees, plants, dirt, reptiles, and bugs. I loved being outside and barefoot. We didn't have much money, but some of my fondest memories are of climbing trees, making leaf and dirt burritos, and spending time with dirty dogs and stray cats. 

My two little New Yorkers don't experience this "back yard living" on a daily basis. While there are some "patches of nature" here and there, we have to walk the several blocks to the park to fully experience any natural expanse. And even then, "nature" in Brooklyn is anything but "untouched." Still, we do what we can (and am now inspired to do much more.) We do a lot of "bird-watching" (out the window, beyond the fire escape), we have a few houseplants, we go to the zoo, we have made a bird-feeder and planted seeds, we play with dirt, sand, snow, and I try to encourage as much exploration as possible when we are out for walks, etc. After reading Charlotte Mason's (I will call her "CM" for short) take on the importance of children being outdoors, I dare not make excuses for not exposing them to nature. "Oh, you live in the city?" she says... Get the kids on a train and go to the country once a week! While the suburbs of New Jersey are a far cry from the English countryside she speaks of, we do go there fairly often. Closer to home, Prospect Park is like a mini-Central Park, complete with a lake and a zoo! We definitely need to spend more time there!

To steer myself back to the point I was trying to make here, I fell in love with My Father's World curriculum because it seemed so nature-oriented. A nature lover myself, I've always tried to incorporate it into my lesson plans, as it is my favorite kind of information to convey. Imagine my joy when CM stated outright that learning about nature is the most important thing children can learn about during the first six years of their life. I agree. By nature, we mean the world around us as G-d's Creation. Because G-d created everything with a plan and purpose, children's observation of nature leads to much more than learning certain facts about bugs and leaves, but it sets the foundation for many future subjects of study: science, logic, cause and effect, social relationships, and actions and consequences just to name a few.

CM's suggestions include allowing children to explore nature, (mostly on their own, unless they need a little "push" to get their curiosity involved, or if they ask a question), to run, to be noisy, to get dirty, and just simply spend many hours "out-of-doors." She gives examples of methods a mother can use while they are outside to further their learning. She can send them to a particular area, asking them to return to her ready with a description of everything they observed. This is to strengthen their habit of attention. The younger children will follow (and learn from) the older ones, as they frolic along behind. If a child seems bored or uninterested in the nature around them, perhaps all they need is a small tidbit of information about a tree or plant, or they need that tiny ladybug pointed out to them. CM advises, however, mothers not to lecture or intervene too much in the children's interactions with nature, as the goal is for them to form relationships with what they see and experience. She basically says that mothers talk too much (which is true at times, even for quiet ones like me!) It is a mother's tendency to want to share everything they know about something all at once, but it is better to give the children space and answer their questions as they arise. Then, the children will remember and relate to that information. As CM puts it, children are always fascinated by "things," but sometimes "words" can be a bore. Therefore, it is most beneficial to teach them something about a rock when they are holding it in their hand, or when they have just become interested in that tree over there. 

To clarify, it is more in the child's mind that they are out in the open to simply play and have fun, but to the mother, the day outside is never one spent without purpose. As CM puts it, "there is much to be done and much to be prevented" during this time. The children will have periods of  releasing their energy, practicing their skills of observation, narrating to their mother, learning countless new things, taking mental pictures of landscapes until it becomes a habit, getting to know all the trees, plants, and living creatures in the environment, collecting things, and even stopping to draw a flower or other object as they see it. The children must, however, remain engaged in these "lessons" and negativity must not be tolerated, but turned into a "joyous temper" so that all benefit from the fresh air. The mother will have a method, and the children will enjoy learning without even realizing it! It is a day well spent. In fact, CM states that for the first six years, the majority of a child's days should be spent like this, "a quiet growing time" in their "passive receptive life." Hey, I'm all for it! I definitely have to work on my time management, so that we are able to spend these hours outside. But I agree with CM when she says that mothers will "work wonders" in this area when they realize that it is what's best for their children. If you are beginning to think she is sounding eccentric or strange, google "nature-deficit disorder" like I just did, and realize that there is a growing concern for children who don't spend enough time outdoors. Depression, obesity, and behavior problems were just a few issues I noticed. There are also movements I have seen that try to counteract this, like "outdoor preschools" or "forest kindergartens." By the way, they look pretty amazing! But CM knew what she was talking about way back in the early 1900s, and you don't have to send your kids to an expensive nature preschool to do what's best... just turn off the TV and  take them outside! 

For the next week, my family and I are in New Jersey, and we have discovered an amazing park nearby called Duke Island Park. I definitely have plans to go there as often as possible this week, as there is a great trail that winds through the woods and alongside a river! Our first trip was a short one, being in the heat of the afternoon and with one child under the weather, but even then we saw a caterpillar, worms, butterflies, dragonflies,  and countless trees and plants we don't see close to home. I am excited to go again for some time well spent in nature. 

My Summer With Charlotte: Part One~ Just Be Mom~

                                       

Stop trying to be a Teacher. Be a Mother who teaches. 

Given the fact that I have always wanted to be a teacher, I think I was trying too hard to act like a teacher. I frequent teacher blogs, teacher websites, teacher's pins on Pinterest... And while they can be useful at times, and there are great ideas to be found, I came to the realization that I am not a teacher, but a mother. Granted, teaching is woven into the very fabric of being a mother, among other things, but all the cute classroom and "teacher stuff" doesn't always apply to homeschooling. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it doesn't matter if my daughter has a cute classroom or cool school supplies... what I most want most for her is to love learning. All children have a passion for knowledge, but we adults have the power to either extinguish or excite it. I don't want my dreams and desires to get in the way of her education. So, in the Charlotte Mason method, less is more, and quality is more valuable than quantity. Short lessons that capture their full attention is the way to go. And mothers are the best teachers, because they have full access to their children, know them best, and have the constant dedication and attention required to nurture their education. Education here encompasses every aspect of life: habits, dispositions, tendencies, their will, and their relationships with people and with G-d. CM not only has me excited about homeschooling, but she really forces me to consider my interactions with my kids, and how I can be a better mom for them. In addition, she has re-ignited my own desire for learning, because in order to teach passionately, you need to know something about it!

One of the first (and most powerful) thoughts I read of Charlotte Mason's was her striving to teach like Yeshua (Jesus) did, and using three quotes from the Gospels to advise mothers. In teaching our children, we should not "hinder" them, "offend" them, or "despise" them. She goes on to explain these three in further detail (you should really read it yourself!) Suffice it here to say that by offending them, an example given is not teaching them obedience or a sense of "duty," literally putting a "stumbling-block" before them for the rest of their lives. To despise them is to have a "low opinion" of them, which CM believes far too many adults do. Here she insists that children are persons, fully capable of understanding just about anything, and to treat them (and their wrongdoings) as trivial is very detrimental. Correct them on their first offense, and don't allow bad habits to be formed. Lastly, to hinder them is to "overlook" or "make light of" their "natural relationship with Almighty G-d." Children will turn to G-d if not discouraged from doing so just as naturally as the "flowers turn to the sun." There is a whole portion about gently presenting G-d to the soul of your children, and makes the wise point that simply sharing with them about some things that G-d has done in your life (those aspects of G-d that you have truly experienced and can speak about with passion and conviction) is worth more than all the Bible stories and rote memorization you can teach without emotion. I'm sure I will devote another post to this section,it is so beautifully written, you really must read it for yourself. While CM begins with these "commandments" of what not to do, she goes on to offer so many wonderful ideas of what to do. In fact, she paints mothers in such a magnificent light, I often find myself completely lost in her marveling, and I keep going back to read sections again and again.  

The aspect of CM's teaching philosophy that really captivated my attention was her treatment of mothers. Although I haven't read anything that says she had any children of her own, her descriptions of motherhood are just beautiful to me.  Gently guiding and goading in the right direction, tenderly taking advantage of every teachable moment, being the child's loving ally to remind them to do their best and do what they must do... All without harshness, impatience, or nagging. Let's be clear, I am certainly not there yet (and if CM indeed did not have any children, perhaps that's why she puts it so matter-of-factly and makes it sound so easy!) but I am in love with her view of motherhood. My goal is certainly to be that loving ally, tender teacher, gentle guide, and patient parent, and I do believe it to be attainable. Granted, the English gentlewomen CM speaks of (with their nurses and maids and cooks) had more "free time" to frolic in the grass than most of us modern-day "stay-at-home-moms" ever will, but so much of what she says still resonates loudly today. 

If you are unfamiliar with her writings, this will give you an idea of what a Mother is, in Charlotte's eyes...(and I'm sure I'm leaving some out)...

She will do everything in her power to make her children's lives easier...not by spoiling them, but by instilling in them good habits and useful talents that will be helpful, and not harmful. By getting to know her children fully, she will be able to either encourage and develop, or misdirect and eradicate their tendencies. She will "work wonders" to get them outdoors and into nature for as many hours as possible each day, even if she lives in the city. :) While outside, she will leave them free to run and roam, observe and investigate...as she remains watchful and attentive to answer their questions (or to commit to finding the answer together), or to simply spark their curiosity. To practice the habit of attention, she will ask them to describe a natural setting or narrate a story she has just read to them. She will understand how they learn, and will place before them countless opportunities to learn. 

She will patiently teach her children to read, however long it happens to take... unrushed. And she will read to them, not what CM calls childish "twaddle" about nothing, but classic stories of adventure that will fuel their imaginative power, and that are not "dumbed down" in order to stretch their minds. She will also read them Bible narratives, as much as they are ready for, which will introduce them to G-d and morality. She will not keep her faith in G-d to herself, often praying aloud or praising Him in front of her children, so that they too will understand what it means to live in His presence. 

~Now, who wouldn't want a mom like that...~

To download free e-books based on the teachings of Charlotte Mason, visit 

www.simplycharlottemason.com

"A Thinking Love" is a condensed version of all CM says about mothers, "The Way of the Will" is about character training and raising your children with a strong (as opposed to weak) will, and "Education is..." is another great introduction to CM's views on education.

My summer with Charlotte (Mason): The Intro

Meet my new BFF! ;) No, but seriously, since I began reading Charlotte Mason's six volumes on homeschooling a few weeks ago, I have been enthralled, encouraged, and challenged. 

I am very grateful to be reading it now, the summer before my daughter begins Kindergarten at home. I have been "playing school" with her since she was probably two years old, and trying to nurture her love for learning. We just completed a (partial) year of Pre-K and are super excited to go forward! 

While I was never really intimidated by the thought of homeschooling my own children, I really didn't know how I was going to go about doing it. My tendency in Pre-K was to come up with an over- complicated lesson plan for each week, and just try to get through as much as possible, so I felt like we were accomplishing something. No doubt, my daughter learned something, but Charlotte Mason was just who I needed to tell me to slow down, simplify, and allow my daughter to absorb what she is learning. This is how she will truly love to learn, and indeed, learning should be fun and effortless for a child. They were born to learn! My job is to give her opportunities to learn, to inspire, and to guide her learning. 

If you are interested in an introduction to homeschooling and Charlotte's methods, go to www.simplycharlottemason.com and download the free e-book "Getting Started in Homeschooling." I am reading it now, and love the way it starts by giving five different approaches to homeschooling, Charlotte's being the fifth. I was unaware of all of these approaches until I read this. I was basically "winging it" before I discovered Charlotte Mason's writings, and I love her because she fills me with joy, encouragement, and the conviction that I am the best teacher suited for the job of educating my children. Many of her methods were in my mind and heart already, but I couldn't fully express them, and wasn't sure if they would be sufficient. Thankfully, she has given me renewed confidence. 

As I read more and more of her writing, I am more and more excited to try her methods! This summer provides our family a unique opportunity, as we are embarking on an eight-week long road trip... Leaving the concrete jungle of Brooklyn, New York, and heading south as far as the panhandle of Florida. We look forward to learning all kinds of things along the way, especially geography and nature study, and no textbooks allowed! :) 

Please join me on this journey. I will be continuing this series, and also posting pictures and stories from our adventures on the road. As my children are only ages four and one, your prayers are appreciated as well! 

~Joanna

What should small children know about G-d?

Recently a friend (and mother of a three year old) asked me how I teach my two-year old about Yeshua. My answer was that at this point, we mostly read her Bible stories about Yeshua and tell her about Him as opportunities arise in daily life. Little ones learn (and believe) what they see, so ultimately everything that she will learn about Yeshua will be from watching us. However, this question stayed close with me and caused me to ponder the question of how to teach her about G-d in her homeschooling in a way she could understand, and that I could build upon as she grows. 
In my pondering, I thought about what is traditionally called the Shelosh Esrei Middot or the "13 Attributes of G-d's Mercy" as taken from G-d's proclamation to Moshe in Exodus 34:6-9. It proved very helpful both in reminding me who G-d is, and as a guideline to use in teaching my daughter about Him. The Biblical text states:
"And the L-RD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The L-RD, The L-RD G-d, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation." (KJV)

The following was taken from the website www.hebrew4christians.com in their parashah teaching on this portion of Scripture. "According to traditional interpretations, the thirteen attributes are articulated as follows:  The L-RD - I, the L-RD, am the merciful Source of life The L-RD - The repetition of G-d's name indicates that G-d is merciful to a person after he has sinned and shown teshuvah (repentance) El - G-d the Mighty: G-d is the rightful Judge Rachum: G-d the compassionate, merciful to the poor and downtrodden Vechanun: G-d is gracious and generous even to the undeserving Erech Apayim: G-d is slow to anger and patient in waiting for our repentance; Verav Chesed: G-d is abundant in kindness to both the righteous and the wicked; Ve'emet: G-d is truthful and faithful in carrying out promises; Notzer Chesed La'alafim: G-d extends kindness for a thousand generations, taking into account the merit of our worthy ancestors Nosei Avon: G-d forgives iniquity, defined in the tradition as wrongful deeds committed with premeditation; Vafesha: G-d forgives transgression, defined as wrongful deeds committed in a rebellious spirit; Vechata'ah: G-d forgives sin, those wrongful deeds that were inadvertent; Venakeh: G-d will cancel all punishment for those who are truly repentant."  You can read their full teaching here. Based loosely on these 13 attributes, I came up with the following "13 Things I know About G-d" craft to do with my daughter as an introduction for her: I used a circle traced from a bowl on a paper plate to make the center of our Sun. (I could only come up with either using the Sun or a flower as two possibilities for this because I wanted a center and ways to display the attributes around the edge.) I printed this on yellow card stock, cut it out using the same size circle and glued it to the paper plate, and then also printed the attributes and cut them out (there is a clip-art picture next to each one to help little eyes  visualize the attribute, but they would not paste into this post. Email me at why_b_messianic@yahoo.com and I will gladly send you the original Word document!) 13 things I know about G-d! He: is Ruler of the World      gives us everything we have    doesn’t get angry easily      is good to everyone    keeps His promises    remembers the good things we do     is forgiving      is kind    is loving     is holy       is One      gives life     made everything     The 13 Attributes were then glued to large Popsicle sticks that we painted yellow and glued around the circle to make "the Sun". (I made it a point to say that the Sun is not G-d, but G-d made the Sun.) Of course, for very young children, these attributes still need further explanation, and as parents we can use illustrations from our lives to clarify them and also make use of comparisons. In addition, I will make a point to add that "Yeshua is G-d" as we talk about Him, even though that may prove difficult to explain. This week, I introduced the concept that G-d is love, and next week look forward to our theme of "mitzvot & chores," which will lend itself to the "G-d remembers the good things we do" attribute. This will also be a great opportunity to teach what mitzvot are, and that they should be seen as acts of love and obedience and never as trying to earn favor (or salvation) from G-d. We will also learn about rewards & consequences. With Rosh HaShanah approaching, these concepts will be very important for our children to know amidst the popular understanding that our good deeds need to outweigh our bad ones and that we can actually work for salvation.  I will continue to post on the individual attributes as we expound upon them in weekly parashot, as this will be an evolving (and never-ending) lesson. Children learn a lot through songs as well, so I will be gathering songs that can help teach these attributes. (Please share any that you know!) Because Psalm 145 also mentions several of these attributes, I like to sing the chorus of Shane & Shane's song "Psalm 145," which you can hear by clicking here.  A book that we have and like is "My Little Golden Book About G-d," which talks about some of G-d's attributes. It also helps little children by making comparisons, such as comparing G-d's love to the strong arms of a daddy's hug or loving kisses from a mother, which makes it much clearer to a child. I will look for other books as well, and appreciate your recommendations.  While this version of the attributes is meant for very small children, you can tweak it and include all of the 13 attributes for older children, which I plan to do in the future. I think that this is a good starting point for the little ones, though. It is my hope that you find the concept helpful in teaching your children as well.