Living Math

I found that some of the 'Living' Math Activity Books require too much preparation with little results.

Charlotte Mason's Original Homeschooling Series vol 1 pg 262
"It is quite true that the fundamental truths of the science of number all rest on the evidence of sense but, having used eyes and fingers upon ten balls or twenty balls, upon ten nuts, or leaves, or sheep, or what not, the child has formed the association of a given number with objects, and is able to conceive of the association of various other numbers with objects. In fact, he begins to think in numbers and not in objects, that is, he begins mathematics. Therefore I incline to think that an elaborate system of staves, cubes, etc., instead of tens, hundreds, thousands, errs by embarrassing the child's mind with too much teaching, and by making the illustration occupy a more prominent place than the thing illustrated."

"Dominoes, beans, graphic figures drawn on the blackboard, and the like, are, on the other hand, aids to the child when it is necessary of him to conceive of a great number with the material of a small one; but to see a symbol of the great numbers and to work with such a symbol are quite different matters."

I do like reading Living Math books to supplement our Math program.

Here is my list: LIVING MATH BOOKS

Presently I am using Math-U-See with the Little Guy. He LOVES it!

Music Appreciation

In 1897 Charlotte Mason overheard one of her teachers exposing her own child to great music.It was at that time that Charlotte realized that music could give joy and interest to all.
I like these c.d.s with biography and music.They are only $2.98 on Amazon!I pick one composer for the term, three composers each year.I have a scheduled time, once a week, to listen to the c.d. together,Just a few tracks at a time.I have my children narrate back to me.It takes only 20 minutes or so.Each day we listen to the composer's music for a short time, as we go about our business.I only point out the name of the piece as it is playing. We also like the Opal Wheeler biographies.

(I found this whole collection at a garage sale for only$15.oo!)
I think exposure to the best music is important for children.

Exams, Charlotte Mason Style

"The examinations are not to be a burden to the children, but a pleasure."


"I should have liked to be asked to say what I knew. They always tried to ask what I did not know. When I would have willingly displayed my knowledge, they sought to expose my ignorance." From: My Early Life, Winston Churchill.

Our Exam Year 5 Term 1

Readers

In my previous post, I posted Charlotte Mason's words on 'Causes of Failure'.
one of which was on the use of readers:
"the use of 'Readers,' which, however well selected, cannot have the value of consecutive works."
So, what is a reader?
I think, Charlotte might be speaking of simple three and four letter word books that are quickly read and finished in a matter of a few minutes.
How can we make sure that we pick the type of book that Charlotte would approve?
Here are some guidelines to follow that I found throughout her writings:
1) "We take care that the sentences make sense."
2) "Even for their earliest reading lessons, it is unnecessary to put twaddle into the hands of children."
(now we will ask ourselves 'What is twaddle?')
I believe twaddle can be summed up as silly, worthless, trivial, and weak.
A good book should make the reader thirst for more.
3) "I should never put him into words of one syllable at all. The bigger the word, the more striking the look of it, and, therefore, the easier it is to read, provided always that the idea it conveys is interesting to a child."
I think what Charlotte is saying is this:
that a reader should not be limited to easy words.
In fact, Charlotte Mason tells us that John Wesley's mother taught him to read the bible at age
five.

I like the Veritas Press Primers that have 'living' stories.
I also like Billy And Blaze by C.W. Anderson
Ambleside advisory suggests these:
Frog and Toad readers by Arnold Lobel
Little Bear readers by Else Holmelund Minarek
George and Martha series by James Marshall
Frances books by Russell Hoban
Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant
Free online beginning readers by Harriette Taylor Treadwell
A primary reader: old-time stories, fairy tales and myths retold by children By Emma Louise Smythe (I like this one.)

Charlotte, herself, suggested Mrs Gatty's Parables from Nature for beginning readers.

I think that it is important that even while children are learning to read,
they can enjoy good stories and well written books.
You can find much on the subject of beginning reading in Volume 1 page 199-226 of Charlotte Mason Original Homeschooling Series.

Causes of Failure

Charlotte Mason's Original Homeschooling Series Vol 3 pg 242
To sum up, I believe that our efforts at intellectual education commonly fail from six causes:
Causes of Failure.––

(a) The oral lesson, which at its worst is very poor twaddle, and at its best is far below the ordered treatment of the same subject by an original mind in the right book. (The right books exist, old and new, in countless numbers, but very great care is necessary in the choice, as well as much experience of the rather whimsical tastes and distastes of children.)

(b) The lecture, commonly gathered from various books in rapid notes by the teacher; and issuing in hasty notes, afterwards written out, and finally crammed up by the pupils. The lecture is often careful, thorough, and well-illustrated; but is it ever equal in educational value to direct contact with the original mind of one able thinker who has written his book on the subject? Arnold, Thring, Bowen, we know, lectured with great effect, but then each of them
Vol 3 pg 243
lectured on only a few subjects, and each lecture was as the breaking out of a spring of slowly gathered knowledge. We are not all Arnolds or even Bowens.
(c) The text-book, compressed and re-compressed from one or many big books. These handbooks are of two kinds––the frankly dry and uninteresting, which enumerate facts and details; and the easy and beguiling. I think we are safe in saying that there is no educational value in either sort of text-book.
(d) The debauchery of the mind which comes of exciting other desires to do the work of the inherent and fully adequate desire of knowledge.

(e) In elementary schools, the dependence upon apparatus and illustrative appliances which have a paralysing effect on the mind.
(f) Again in elementary schools, the use of 'Readers,' which, however well selected, cannot have the value of consecutive works.

Habits

Charlotte Mason's Original Homeschooling Series vol 1 pg 136
"The mother who takes pains to endow her children with good habits secures for herself smooth and easy days; while she who lets their habits take care of themselves has a weary life of endless friction with the children."

You can see our
'TO DO' document HERE.

Restlessness

The Original Homeschooling Series by Charlotte M. Mason
Volume 4 - Ourselves is
Charlotte's character curriculum written to children to teach morals and self-control. Book 1 is for children ages 12-16, Book 2 is for high school students.

Chapter 3, Part I, Vol. 4
Chapter III Esquires Of The Body: Restlessness And Rest
Restlessness makes the Body Strong.––I hardly know by what names to call the two Esquires of the Body whom I am now to introduce to you, but both are good body-servants. Perhaps Restlessness and Rest will do as well as any. You have noticed that a baby is seldom quite still when he is wide awake: he is kicking his legs about, or playing with his fingers or toes, or crawling, or clutching or throwing something down or picking it up, or laughing, or crowing, or crying. Little boys and girls, too, cannot bear to sit still long at lessons. They want to run into the garden and see what their pet frog is doing. When lessons are over a good romp is delightful, or a race, or a good deal of tumbling about head-over-heels. Later, people want to play cricket or football, or to ride bicycles, or climb mountains. They think they do all these things just because it is fun; but, really, good Esquire Restless will not let them alone, but gives them an uneasy feeling if they are not pretty often doing something which is rather hard to do and rather tiring. He is playing the part of a faithful body-servant. He is helping to make Mansoul a strong and wiry body, able to swim and ride, to jump and run; able to walk far and to hit true and to do every service that the Prime Minister may require. In fact, the business of Restlessness is to strengthen and harden the muscles which Hunger feeds.

I find that a short outing in the morning, before school, helps with the restlessness that Charlotte speaks of.

Occupied

"Boys ever delight in being occupied in something for the youthful blood does not allow them to be at rest. Now as this is very useful, it ought not to be restrained, but provision made that they may always have something to do. Let them be like ants, continually occupied in doing something, carrying, drawing, construction ad transporting, provided always that whatever they do be done prudently."
-John Amos Comenius - (1592-1670)


(Charlotte Mason spoke of Comenius when she said:
"At any rate that GOLDEN RULE of which Comenius was in search has discovered itself, the RULE, "WHEREBY TEACHERS SHALL TEACH LESS AND SCHOLARS SHALL LEARN MORE.") Love that!

Enjoying Nature

Charlotte Mason's Original Homeschooling Series
Out-Of-Door Life For The Children vol 1 pg 61
"Let them once get touch with Nature, and a habit is formed which will be a source of delight through life. We were all meant to be naturalists, each in his degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things."


"The child who does not know the portly form and spotted breast of the thrush, the graceful flight of the swallow, the yellow bill of the blackbird, the gush of song which the skylark pours from above, is nearly as much to be pitied as those London children who 'had never seen a bee'.''

"Uses of 'Naturalists' ' Books.––The real use of naturalists' books at this stage is to give the child delightful glimpses into the world of wonders he lives in, to reveal the sorts of things to be seen by curious eyes, and fill him with desire to make discoveries for himself."

Our time outdoors with nature is a daily habit, and a constant delight.
Come see: Sunny Nature.

Relations

Charlotte Mason's Original Homeschooling Series
Vol 3 pg 79
Chapter 8 Certain Relations Proper to a Child

There are specific things that children must form relations with, and Charlotte describes each of them.
1. The fields of science are all interesting to children if they are allowed to discover them firsthand, rather than from textbooks.

2. Children must also be free to run and play, experiencing the natural world and natural laws.

3. They should have intimate knowledge of the properties of mediums such as clay, water, sand, paper, wood, food, metal, leather––from handling them in play and craft-making.

4. The child should be on friendly terms with the wild creatures that enter his yard––birds, animals, insects.

5. More important than these are a child's relations with other people, not only his family, friends and countrymen with whom he must learn kindness and compassion, but people of other times and cultures, whom he will meet in books. Literature, languages, history, art are all studied to help the child see his relation to people across time and space. .. education must bring these people alive to the student.

Exposure to a multitude of ideas is necessary because we don't know which idea will spark a child and lead to great deeds later.