Clubbin'

To round out our homeschool experience, we participate in a few kids' clubs.  One is Awana.  Awana stands for Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed.  It comes from 2 Timothy 2:15, which says, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."  It is a program for elementary-aged kids and it focus on Scripture memory and Bible-centered activities such as games, Bible lessons, and singing.  She can earn awards for her vest by memorizing Bible verses.

Wearing her Awana Sparks vest

My daughter has also joined a girls' club called Keepers of the Faith.  It is a lot like Girls Scouts, but it is Biblically-based.  It is training daughters to become godly women.  She can earn badges that focus on outdoor skills, keeping a home, serving others, Scripture memory, handicrafts, etc. We LOVE it so far and can't wait to learn even more as we go.  

Instructions on earning her first badge, her sash, her handbooks

Blinded Me With Science!

Today was a super-fun, super-sciency (that's a word, right?) sort of day.  After her regular school work, we experimented with the effects of baking soda on different liquids and recorded our observations.  In most cases, the baking soda caused changes that resulted in carbon dioxide gas bubbles fizzing or foaming.

Materials ready for Fizzing Foam Science Experiment

Recording data after observing reactions

Adding baking soda to vinegar/soap mixture

Foamy fun!

Ahhh!!  Look what happened!

After that, we went to a local park and my daughter sketched and painted things into her nature journal.  We use the nature journal to appreciate the beauty in the things that God made and then we go home, research them and learn more about them (growth, eating habits, habitat, properties, etc.).  On the way there, she wanted to sketch some cows eating in a field.  So we made a quick pit-stop.

Sketching cows

Once we reached the lake in the park, she decided to do the lake in watercolors.  As she worked, I read to her from a beautiful poetry collection called A Child's Book of Poems. She really liked "Wynkin, Blynkin, and Nod" so we read that one several times.

 

working in her nature journal

We ended the afternoon with a long nature walk along the boardwalk.  It was such a relaxing day.  We both really enjoyed every bit of it!

holding her bag of nature walk treasures

Nature Study

A fun part of a Charlotte Mason education is nature study.  Today, my daughter captured a small lizard in an insect study box (it has air holes and the lid is a magnifying glass).  She drew a picture of it in her nature journal and then we went online to identity our lizard as a Brown Anole Lizard.  We learned about his origin, diet and defense mechanism.  After sketching him and studying him, we let him go (don't worry...we only do catch and release here!).  I think she was disappointed because she really wanted to keep him for a pet. My motto for nature study is, "Nature stays outside in nature."  So no new pet lizards for us!

Studying her lizard

Sketching the lizard in her nature journal

Ta da! Showing off her captive

It's nice to meet you, Ms. Mason!

I have been reading a lot of books recently about different models of education.  And my goodness, are there a LOT!  Some primary options are Traditional, Classical, Unschooling, Unit Studies, Montessori, Independent Study, Eclectic, Umbrella Programs, and my new favorite...Charlotte Mason. 

Charlotte Mason was a British educator who lived during the 1800's and early 1900's.  She devoted her entire life to children and their education.  Her revolutionary methods have influenced many educators, based on her belief that children were intelligent beings who could be challenged and educated with living ideas.  The hallmarks of a Charlotte Mason education are: copious reading, nature study, humanities studies (art, poetry, music, literature, history, Bible, foreign language), copywork and narration, handicrafts, and above all else, a Christ-centered focus.  A Charlotte Mason education has a structured morning and an unstructured afternoon.  She believed that the books used should be what she calls "living books".  Living books are defined by the Simply Charlotte Mason website as "[books] usually written by one person who has a passion for the subject and writes in conversational or narrative style.  The books pull you into the subject and involve your emotions, so it's easy to remember the events and facts.  Living books make the subject 'come alive'."

This all sounded very much like the kind of education I'd like to give to my daughter.  So we are starting to slowly incorporate more and more of Charlotte Mason's educational practices into our homeschool. Today was a lot of fun!  We had a tea time together in the afternoon where we listened to Classical music and discussed what a waltz was, the four orchestral stringed instruments, and learned a little about Mozart's life.  My daughter told me that Mozart was probably her favorite "musicaller" (musician!).  Ha!  It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.  And on a side note, my heart is happy that my little one loves Earl Grey!  

Ready, Set...Homeschool!

Well, we started our home school about a week ago and so far, everything is going fine.  Today was especially fun.  We learned about Van Gogh's life and painting style.  We talked about the chunky paint strokes, bright colors and swirls that he liked to use.  Then, it was time to make her own painting in the style of Van Gogh.  We added glue to the acrylic paint to thicken it up and then used a fork to scrape some extra "swirls" into it.  She LOVED it!

Back from the Blogging Dead

(I've removed all previous blog posts because I want this to primarily be a homeschool record for our family.)

World's. Worst. Blogger.  Not that it matters too much since I have two followers.  Or maybe I used to 4 years ago, but now, who knows.  

So the little munchkin from the previous blog entry with the glasses is going to be 5 next month! What in the world?!  

Here's my little girl dressed up as Goldilocks for her preschool's Fairy Tale Parade.

I decided to start writing again primarily to document our homeschooling "adventures". We discovered an awesome "umbrella school".  For those of you who may not be familiar with that term...no, it is not a school where children are taught to make or use umbrellas.  ;-)  Here's an explanation I found online: An umbrella school is an alternative education school which serves to oversee the homeschooling of children to fulfill government educational requirements.  Basically, they can do anything from just keep attendance records and grades to teach classes, do field trips and extra-curricular activities, and everything in between.  

I will home educate Monday through Thursday.  Fridays, she will go to chapel, then two workshop classes (for fall semester, it will be Music and American Holidays), break for lunch, and then go to a school co-op led ballet club.  So much fun!

Here's a list of the curriculum we're using:

Reading/Writing/Phonics - A Beka
Math - Math-U-See
Science - STEM and DK
Art - Usborne
Literature (Read-Alouds) - Mary Poppins, Runaway Ralph, Little House in the Big Woods, Charlotte's Web, Heidi, The Boxcar Children, exerpts from Where the Sidewalk Ends (I have others if we get to them, but these will be the definite ones we get to)
History/Bible/Computer - eclectic 
Supplement - Five in a Row

I'm terrified that I'm going to mess this up in some way. Either by messing up my child or by overlooking something crucial she was supposed to learn.  Or possibly overlooking some state requirement that allows me to continue home educating.  But I'm trusting God and trying to take it one day at a time.  He has already provided in amazing ways.  Two months ago, I knew I needed a computer and a copier/printer. I prayed and chose to not worry about it.  I figured maybe we could catch some amazing sale later.  God had better plans.  He provided a (much nicer than I could ever afford) Mac computer and an HP copier/scanner/printer in excellent condition FOR FREE!  Both were randomly given to us by people who didn't even know we needed them.  The Lord completely provided!  I'm still in awe of the way He worked this out for us.  Such a blessing!  

So now I will have to trust him one month, one week, one day, one hour and even one minute at a time.  I just have to walk out in faith and obedience.  He'll take it from there.