My daughter's first college mid-terms are upon her and I'm happy to report that she is both loving equine studies and doing splendidly! You might remember she's been my "horse girl" for the last 10+ years - and that passion for horses flowed right into her major in college. In Homeschooling a Horse Lover and Homeschooling High School: Student-Led Courses, I shared a little about how we specifically tailored my daughter's high school science courses to do three things... Meet our state's college-bound requirementsBe well-roundedAllow for specialized equine study I'm asked quite often what exactly her science transcript included. So, here's our version of high school science with a ... Read More
Charlotte Mason Was Right About Nature Study
(This post contains affiliate links and links to my business website.) Charlotte Mason was a very wise teacher. I've been pondering her thoughts about nature study lately and have to say...she was right! My children are living proof - as are so many children of families who make nature study a priority. Just what exactly was she right about? Oh, so many things. I've taken some time to pull together several of her thoughts about nature study that have rung true in our home. 16 ways Charlotte Mason was right about nature study | Eli wanted to know everything about this exoskeleton | 1. Nature study is important. "Nature knowledge is most important for young children. It ... Read More
Why Nature Journals Are Important
(This post contains affiliate links and links to my business website.) If you've been around here much, you know the importance I place on nature study. The real-life science lessons that offer a consistent "lab" experience are unmatched compared to simply studying the same topics from a textbook. But, just as important, nature study reaches so naturally into other academic areas that it's priceless for gently integrated learning. Today I'm focusing specifically on the nature journal and how it enhances learning through all subjects. There is no need to take a nature journal on every single nature walk, but make time for it frequently and see for yourself the wonderful learning that ... Read More
Gearing Up for Nature Study!
Spring! Spring is almost here! In Kentucky, we've had an unusually long, hard winter - like many of you. I know we're all ready to burst outdoors for nature study as soon as the weather permits. Boy, do I have some good news for you! I've just released a brand new book of more than 100 (yes, one-hundred) nature study ideas! Once the weather breaks, you could take learning outside for the next 100+ days if you wanted to. :) Introducing... 63 pages, e-book $8.95 Each of the 100+ nature walk ideas is accompanied by several extension ideas, too. So I guess I could really say there are 300 or 400+ nature walk ideas included! The suggestions are easy to implement, fun for your ... Read More
Nature Study: It’s All Here
Since I'm kind of known as "the nature lady", I've written about nature study more times than I can keep up with. If I can't keep up with it, how could I possibly expect you to do so? So…I've decided to round up all the important nature learning posts in one handy spot. It's all here! Nature Study: Start Here This post thoroughly explains the why's and how's of studying nature - whether you're a Charlotte Mason homeschooler or not. Next Stop: Nature Study Ideas Warning: This post is HUGE and can overwhelm even the veteran NaturExplorer! If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed, you might be better off to start with a NaturExplorers ... Read More
Interest-Based Ocean Study
(This post contains affiliate links.) Interest-Based Rabbit Trails After our early autumn trip to the beach, Eli was immensely interested in beach life. When I found him pouring over one of our souvenir attraction maps, I knew it was wise to capitalize on his enthusiasm. So...a quick, delight-directed ocean study started immediately. Map Skills: I just let him explore the souvenir map. We talked about things we remembered seeing, where we stayed, how far the attractions were from us, why all those businesses would be there, our favorite memories, the difference between the bay and the ocean, and more. Collage of Memories: Rather than keeping piles and piles of brochures as ... Read More
Christmas Nature Study: A Red, Green and White Walk
(This post contains links to my business website, Shining Dawn Books.) Christmas Nature Study Some people love to spend the month of December "Christmas schooling" - which means taking a break from the regular lessons of school and spending the time doing lessons and activities that celebrate Jesus, the reason for the season. I've written Nature Study Through the Holidays: Advent to help you enjoy precious learning time that is fun, educational and points directly to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Today, I thought I'd give you a peek into one of the many, many lesson ideas within the book. A Red, Green and White Walk Week One of Advent focuses on Hope. The dreary days of ... Read More
Must Have Nature Study Supplies
Not every nature walk has to be an ordeal of bags packed full of supplies. However, there are some supplies I've found us grabbing time and time again that either make our walks comfortable or fruitful. I've gathered those items together in a little list for you. This post contains affiliate links. Cindy's Top Ten Nature Study Supplies 1. A sketch book Your sketch book/nature journal/nature notebook can take any form you wish. We've used everything from a three-ring binder filled with notebooking paper to clipboard storage boxes. My personal favorite tends to be a spiral-bound, hard-cover notebook of artist quality paper. The hardcover keeps the pages looking nice and gives you ... Read More
Why Love Nature Study? Oh, So Many Reasons!
Welcome to Day 7 of the 10 Days of Homeschooling blog hop! You can find the previous posts on my Charlotte Mason Series here. Why Love Nature Study? I've been so excited to write about nature study because it's become such a rich, exciting time of learning for our family! I've been a nature lover from the time I was a child, but had no idea how much something as fun as nature study could reach so deeply into every single realm of science. Nor did I realize that God would reveal Himself to my family in such a powerful way as we find Him during nature walks. Can you tell I'm pretty passionate about nature study? Early on, I used to be a CM homeschooler who added nature study to the ... Read More
Inventors and Inventions Unit Study
Gotta Admit... I was somewhat dreading this unit about inventors and inventions because the topic seemed rather dry and dull, but I was in for a pleasant surprise once we dove in!! The A Journey Through Learning lapbook was an outstanding spine. I had never used one of their lapbooks before, but it won't be the last one! It was put together in a very organized, simple to implement way - refreshing!! We also completed some of our own inventions using ideas from the Inventions Thematic Unit (Thematic Units) book. The kids LOVED creating their own inventions. I've put together a little slideshow of our lapbooks and inventions.... Inventors and Inventions Unit ... Read More