My Little Robins

Loving and Learning in the Nest

What Exactly Did Charlotte Mason Mean by “Unit Study?”

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My title is a trick. Yes, I’m going to talk about Charlotte Mason and unit studies, and try to figure out what exactly she wanted us to avoid. But Charlotte Mason didn’t actually use the term “unit studies,” unless in some document that I haven’t yet seen (and there are many of those!) But I think that the actual term is relatively new, and in Towards a Philosophy of Education, she referred to a ‘concentration series’ when describing  what not to do.

I’ve written about Charlotte Mason and unit studies before, but I’m back-tracking a bit here. It occurred to me that Charlotte Mason moms might not all be on the same page when it comes to what actually qualifies as a unit study. When we want to avoid making connections for our children, how far do we go? If doing a series of crafts and activities centered around one topic is a unit study, is visiting a farm when reading Charlotte’s Web also a unit study? If it’s Christmastime and we read a book about Christmas, does doing Christmas crafts make it a unit study? If we present several books around the same topic, is that a unit study?

(If you aren’t quite sure why Charlotte Mason thought unit studies weren’t valuable for children, check out my earlier post, or read Parents and Children, pages 255-256)

What Qualifies as a Unit Study in the Charlotte Mason Philosophy?

So, are we to avoid silly, unrelated crafts, or do we go all the way to the end of the spectrum and avoid any books, any materials that are related by a time-period or topic?

There seems to be some disagreement in what qualifies as a unit study. But thankfully, Charlotte Mason gives us a little blurb that clarifies.

If one is to find the principles of unity and continuity in the ideas presented to the soul, this is all good and well. But if we believe that this unity and continuity should originate from the soul, or the person himself, this tempting unity may result in the collection of heterogeneous and unassimilated information.” School Education, page 60

Let’s unpack this a little. This little sentence is tucked away in School Education, where Charlotte Mason is talking about current thought in educational theories. like the Herbartian model, where information is presented to the child in a way which interests them. She calls the creation of lessons around a central topic, “…a tempting scheme of unity and continuity.” Here, she described a study of books–not the living ideas inside the books, but the physical attributes of books through object lessons, crafts like book-binding, and, maybe, briefly touching on the contents of the books. Children spent an entire month exploring the one concept of books, and, in her scenario, every single class was taken up by the study of books. Not the study of actual, living books, but the study of the physical concept of books. Imagine what the rest of the day would look like. Math worksheets with little pictures of books on them. Science lessons where books were weighed and measured. The history of the Gutenberg press.

After giving all of these examples, she gives the passage I mentioned above. To paraphrase, “If we find the united principles in the ideas presented to the soul, that’s fine.” Here, we are presenting ideas to our children, and the ideas may be united by principles. Charlotte Mason said that this is acceptable, that it respects a child as a fully capable learner. What she cautioned to avoid is stated in the second half of the phrase, which I paraphrase as, “But if we think the ability to unite and connect ideas comes from another soul, this tempting presentation of information relies on an external source and does not become a part of the soul.” The second part of this passage is missing something. It’s missing ideas. Topics are connected, not ideas, by the efforts of a teacher, not the child. I imagine others will interpret this phrase differently. You can read Ambleside Online’s interpretation of that passage here. 

Avoiding Connections, and the Holy Spirit

My last year pf teaching at public schools, our district unveiled this big plan that teachers should create unit studies for their classes, integrating math, history, science, reading, grammar, etc. I was a lost puppy. I dipped a toe in unit study creation, but since my principal was not entirely on board with the district’s initiative, I was able to continue the (mediocre) methods that I used before.

When I went to teach at a school using the Charlotte Mason philosophy, one of the first things I heard was that we were not to create unit studies. These were an encroachment on a child’s ability to learn. I was pretty excited that this wasn’t something to worry about anymore. But, this doesn’t mean that we never read two books about a topic at my new school. When we studied birds, we read science books about them, made bird nesting boxes, and cross-stitched birds. We memorized Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem, What Does Little Birdie Say? and we visited the Audubon society. These things were part of the curriculum, and were not considered to be unit studies by the very well-informed, Charlotte Mason following founders and administrators of my school. It never occurred to me that some people would call these experiences a unit study.  (I wrote about how we study birds in the early years here.)

I think the difference between a unit study and learning about a topic is the approach. You see, in the passage I mentioned above, the first approach, that was “well and good,” contained ideas. Living books, living experiences are used. This is what I did as a Charlotte Mason teacher. It seems to me that some people are afraid to allow anything to connect. But this is how the Holy Spirit instructs us. If we get too caught up in not connecting anything for our children, then we will miss the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our homeschools. My class and I were studying Alfred, Lord Tennyson that semester. He had a poem about a little birdie, so we read it and memorized it. Our handicraft was cross-stitching that semester. Cross-stitching something lovely from nature seems like a beautiful way to honor God’s creation. Should we make sure that we don’t cross-stitch birds while learning about them in order to avoid connections? I don’t think so.

Related: The Complete Charlotte Mason Preschool Guide

Avoiding Inanities

I think Charlotte Mason’s purpose for illustrating the problem with ‘concentration series” is not that we should avoid connections, but avoid inanities. She said:

The children who are capable of and eager for a wide range of knowledge and literary expression are reduced to inanities; a lifelong ennui is set up; every approach to knowledge suggests avenues for boredom, and the children’s minds sicken and perish long before their school-days come to an end…” Towards a Philosophy of Education

If I wanted to, as an adult, learn about a time period in history, I would read living books about it. I would read fiction and non-fiction on the same topic, and maybe find information online. An historical site would be important to visit. I might attempt to make a recipe that was important to the time period, or listen to music from it. This does not insult my personhood. No one is making connections for me. I am simply seeking out the lovely and the relevant.

Of course, the decision of how to educate your children is not between you and me, or even you and Charlotte Mason. It’s between you and the Holy Spirit. In my home, while I will try to avoid the inane connections, I don’t think that learning from several sources and experiences around the same topic is an any way missing the Holy Spirit’s call for our homeschool.

When people say, "Charlotte Mason didn't agree with unit studies," what exactly applies here?

 

 

Making Tracks in the Snow, or, Habit Training

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If you’ve been hanging around with My Little Robins for awhile, you may have heard me make this analogy before. And, if you were a fourth grader in my class several years ago, you heard this analogy, too, that I made up to help you understand synaptic pruning and other concepts of habit training. I think this analogy is helpful, and I wanted to flesh out the similarities between habit training and walking in the snow. 

Today is a snow day for local schools, and we are celebrating it in our own way, with blanket forts and tea parties. Yesterday the air became frigid, dropping well below zero overnight, and layers of light, dry snow covered the ground. Our Wednesday plans were cancelled, and instead of staying inside, we braved the cold weather to play in the snow.

I loaded all of the children into my car, complete with a sled, all of their snow gear, and a bundler for the baby. The park with a slightly sloping “sledding hill” is within walking distance, but little legs get extra tired walking in the snow. When we pulled into the parking lot, I searched for signs of others. There were no tire marks in the parking lot, no little footprints near the hill. A part of me was disappointed that we were the only ones enjoying this crystal blanket. What were all of the other children doing? Do other people think it’s too cold to be outside right now? I was sad that we were literally the only ones enjoying this beautiful, although cold, day.

But there’s one thing that I always love about being the first one out in fresh snow.

The untouched beauty of the white snow blanket.

Knowing that no one else has set foot here today. 

I love it when we are the first feet to press down the powder.

Making our mark. 

I watched as my toddler got out, a little unsure of his mother’s sanity for bringing him outside on such a day. He stayed by the car for a moment, then picked up his yellow boot high, holding it timidly above the fresh snow. He placed it down, hard, repeating the dramatic process several times. With over six inches of snow, each new step was hard-fought. The snow covered the top of his boots and I could see him thinking and planning each subsequent step carefully. He walked forward a bit, and then, gaining more confidence, walked in a circle, making a whimsical little loop of tiny boot prints.

He saw me smiling at him, and then he turned around retracing his steps, this time more quickly, more confidently. He had already pressed the tracks into the ground, and this time it was much easier. Had he turned back to retrace his steps again, he would have sailed by at his fast toddler pace.

Charlotte Mason Habit Training

And in my son’s exploration of the snow lies a secret of habit training. At first, we start off awkward and flailing. It is difficult to form a new habit, and it feels unnatural. We are, after all, fighting our nature. But, as we repeat the new habit again and again, it gets a little bit easier each time. We are no longer flailing, we begin sailing.

“For a habit is a delight in itself; poor human nature is conscious of the ease that it is to repeat the doing of anything without effort; and, therefore, the formation of a habit, the gradually lessening sense of effort in a given act, is pleasurable.” Home Education page 121 (affiliate link).

The process that our brain undergoes during habit training is called synaptic pruning. We strengthen the synaptic connections between neurons when we practice a new habit, and we weaken the connections between our former way of doing things. Like the snowy path, repeating the steps only makes the pathways stronger and clearer. Those trudging, stumbling motions become fluent, our new nature.

When you start to build a new habit, either for yourself or for your children, remember that it only gets easier. Remember that the unnatural, fighting piece of it is only temporary, until your brain, and your body, can catch on.

 

 

Charlotte Mason called habit training "laying down the rails," but I think another good analogy is making tracks in fresh snow.

Kids’ Advent Calendar Handicraft

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When I think of the word “handicraft,” I think of a project that my kids and I have made together that won’t go into the trash after a couple of weeks. Unlike those little cardboard Advent calendars filled with sub-par chocolates that the grocery store sells, I wanted to make a way to celebrate the season that we’d use year after year. This simple Advent calendar is magnetic and therefore space-saving: just put it up on your refrigerator or other magnetic surface, and when January rolls around, stack the jars and put them away. Kids will love helping you make this, and will especially enjoy revealing a surprise every day.

Advent calendars are often used as a way to merely count down the days until Christmas. But if we thoughtfully consider how what we want to put inside each little jar, an advent calendar can help children focus on Christ at Christmas. You can tie this into other advent traditions, like the Jesse tree or acts of kindness.

Related: 100 Handicrafts for the Early Years

(I’ve used affiliate links to share how to make this handicraft. You can read more about my policies here.)

Kids Advent Calendar Handicraft

I was able to find magnetic spice tins at the dollar store. There were two in each pack. The lids are clear; which kind of ruins the surprise, but if you’ll stuff the containers with Bible verses, the clear lids won’t be a problem at all. We also found the number stickers at the dollar store, except they aren’t very sticky. You can either make sure you buy high-quality stickers, or paint the numbers on with acrylic paints.

To avoid the inevitable fight about who gets to open each door, I bought three different colors of stickers, one for each child. They will know what color sticker they are, and hopefully this will help stop arguments. If it’s not a red day, they’ll have to wait.

Materials

  • 24 or 25 small magnetic spice tins, available at a dollar store (there were 2 in each package)
  • A magnetic surface for your spice tins- this can be a new, clean cookie sheet, or your refrigerator door! You could also use a square piece of wood big enough to fit the 25 tins, and hot glue them on. But that doesn’t save much space, does it?
  • Acrylic paint, in a color of your choice
  • Hot glue gun and sticks
  • Decorative scrapbooking paper, or colored tissue paper
  • Number stickers (optional) I used three different colors, one for each of my children
  • 25 small pieces of paper with Bible verses, acts of kindness, etc., OR small trinkets

Directions

  1. If you chose to use a wooden board, paint it in a color of your choice. If you have a metal pan or are using the refrigerator front, skip this step.
  2. Place the stickers on the tins. This is a great thing for little ones to help with, and a fun by-the-way activity to help reinforce their understanding of numbers!
  3. Measure how big the window is on top of the tin lid. Cut a circle out of the decorative paper so that you can glue it, pattern side up, under the lid. This will hide the passages or objects you put inside the tins. Because I was short on time, I chose to stuff each tin with a little bit of tissue paper to hide the treasures inside.
  4. If you are using a wooden board, hot glue the tins onto the board. If you are using a magnetic surface, arrange the tins how you’d like them. Be prepared to arrange them over and over again, because little ones love playing with these tins!
  5. Open one tin each day to see what’s inside!

 

Things to Put in Your Advent Calendar

Kids Advent Calendar Handicraft

You Are Not A Miracle Worker

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There’s a Charlotte Mason quote that’s often used when delving out expectations to a homeschool mom, or when an exhausted, overwhelmed mom says that she can’t possibly fit one more thing into her already over-crowded life. This is the part of the quote that is often mentioned:

mothers work wonders once they are convinced that wonders are demanded of them…” Home Education, page 44

It’s used as an encouragement, but I can see the tired mom’s shoulders dropping at the utterance of these words. She already has a million expectations resting on her, but somehow she’s supposed to live up to a million and one. If you are that exhausted mom, take a deep breath as we examine the textual and cultural context of this quote.

Related: The Complete Charlotte Mason Preschool Guide

Charlotte Mason’s Context

While this quote often is shared when a mother is worried about All The Things that she has to do once formal lessons begin, it’s actually referring to outdoor time during a child’s early years. I once heard a pastor say that every verse in the Bible, except for two, has a verse behind it and in front of it. This is the case with Charlotte Mason’s volumes, too. When we look at the context, we’ll see that she’s not at all talking about doing All The Things.

Here are the sentences before the line in question:

And long hours they should be; not two, but four, five, or six hours they should have on every tolerably fine day, from April till October. Impossible! Says an overwrought mother who sees her way to no more for her children than a daily hour or so on the pavements of the neighbouring London squares. Let me repeat that I venture to suggest, not what is practicable in any household, but what seems to me absolutely best for the children; and that, in the faith that mothers work wonders once they are convinced that wonders are demanded of them. A journey of twenty minutes by rail or omnibus, and a luncheon basket, will make a day in the country possible to most town-dwellers; and if one day, why not many, even every suitable day?” Home Education, page 44

Looking at the context, we can see that Charlotte Mason is telling us that 1) we should get our children outside four to six hours each day 2) that it seems impossible, but it’s possible 3) and that if we can make one day in the country possible, we can make every day in the country possible. She is not telling us that when we feel like we cannot possibly do more for our children, we should stretch ourselves because we are capable of wonders or miracles.

Related: Moms, We Are The Home Atmosphere

Cultural Expectations

When I hear the outward expectation to work wonders, I can’t help but think how different expectations are today than they were in Charlotte Mason’s day. Mothers of today face so many pressures, not just from inside the home, but from out as well. It’s argued that most people of the Victorian Age did not have nannies and housekeepers, but I think it’s safe to say they had more help. People often lived close to or with family members who could share in childcare duties and help with chores. Even if they did not have hired help, Charlotte Mason said that women of the educated class would not want to be with their children all the time:

Very likely it would not answer for educated people to have their children always about them. The constant society of his parents might be too stimulating for the child; and frequent change of thought, and the society of other people, make the mother all the fresher for her children.” Home Education, page 18

I am an educated woman. I am with my children ALL the time. The hours that I get to myself are few and far between. This is a cultural difference. So, when we are “expected to work wonders,” most of us are running on three cups of coffee and feeling overwraught. When we’re feeling stretched in every direction, we are already making wonders happen because we are doing the majority of the work of child-rearing by ourselves (I am not trying to discredit helpful husbands! Even with a very loving and very helpful husband, I am on my own ten out of twelve of my children’s waking hours!)

There’s running an entire household, but we also have more external commitments. Even if we are intentional about not being too busy, we still have to do things. Church things, social things, obligatory things. Friends, we have A LOT on us right now. Don’t let an out of context quote make you feel like you have to do more things.

Related: Why My Kids are Out of Control

You are Not a Miracle Worker

The literal meaning of “to work wonders” is to perform miracles. But friend, you are not a miracle worker. I am not a miracle worker. There is only one Miracle Worker, and we are not Him. I often hear people quote Phillipians 4;13: “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” This soothes my anxious thoughts about working wonders or miracles. I don’t have to strive to DO more. What I should be striving for is a greater dependence on Christ. He gives me strength, He works through me. But, like my pastor friend taught me, Phillipians 4:13 also has context. In verse 12, Paul says, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” 

This verse is in the context of contentedness. 

We can endure trying circumstances, even feel content in them, through Christ who gives us strength. I can feel certain that I am doing “enough” for my children. I can feel content with trusting the Holy Spirit, the Divine Educator, to guide me in making educational decisions for my children, instead of relying on external expectations.

So, the next time you see this Charlotte Mason quote about working wonders, I pray that you will take a deep breath, and feel content with the beautiful quiet growing time that you’re giving your children.

 

Charlotte Mason said that mothers can work wonders when they know that wonders are expected of them, but this quote is often taken out of context. You are not a miracle worker.

Early Years Math By The Way

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In Home Education, Charlotte Mason’s volume that is the most important to us as moms with very young children, she does not think that preparing children for math before the age of 6 is necessary. This is a little concerning to many modern parents, including my husband, who wants our children to appreciate math. Charlotte Mason believed that no specific subject should take precedence over another.

But education should be a science of proportion, and any one subject that assumes undue importance does so at the expense of other subjects which a child’s mind should deal with. Arithmetic, Mathematics, are exceedingly easy to examine upon and so long as education is regulated by examinations so long shall we have teaching, directed not to awaken a sense of awe in contemplating a self-existing science, but rather to secure exactness and ingenuity in the treatment of problems.” Towards a Philosophy of Education, page 231

Even without weighing the scales heavily in favor of math in the early years, we CAN address it during the early years. 

Charlotte Mason described in detail how to teach a child early reading skills (letter names and sounds, beginning word blending, etc.) before formal lessons. She said that these methods should be child-led, and that they should seem like a game to the child. I believe that this gives us a good idea of what early years math should look like. When our children are ready, we can introduce math skill through play.

Charlotte Mason Early Years Math

Number Sense

Counting does not mean much without the numbers relating to objects. Young children who can count might think that they’re reciting a song or rhyme, without knowing that there is a reason numbers appear in order and that they represent different values. This doesn’t mean you should avoid counting, but it does mean that if your four year old can’t count to 50, it’s probably nothing to worry about. What’s more important than counting is number sense. Number sense is an understanding of values, where numbers fit in the grand scheme of things, and how numbers are used in the world. These are some of the playful, child-led ways that we’ve learned number sense.

Inchimals

This math toy was gifted to us by a thoughtful family member. There are 12 different blocks, from 1 inch to 12 inches long. Each inch is identified with marks, so that one side of the block looks like an unmarked ruler. The other side has an animal or insect on it; the largest block is a giraffe, while the smallest block is a ladybug. The ends of the blocks have either the number of dots that relates to the size of the block, or the numeral.

I’ve been asked a few times how I use these in our home. I’ve avoided answering this question because I really just try to follow my children’s lead. But, here are a few ways we’ve played with Inchimals.

  • Count the dots and inches
  • Put the blocks in order from least to greatest (smallest to biggest)
  • Find the block that falls in between two numbers (for example, Which block comes between five and seven?)
  • Demonstrate simple addition problems
  • Make the animals talk to each other, which has nothing to do with math, but sure is fun!

Other number sense ideas

There are other ways that you can gently help your eager-to-learn child develop number sense.

  • Count steps when you walk up them, seconds when you wait, etc.
  • When you’re reading a story, count like objects on the page (example: Count all of the trees on this page.)
  • Play hopscotch
  • Count backwards when a timer is almost up
  • Put dot stickers on a piece of paper, and cross out each sticker as you count it. This is also great for fine motor skills! (Miss H did this when she wanted to learn, and counting immediately clicked!)

Money

Being able to actually count money is something that should occur long after a child learns to skip count by 5’s and 10’s. But, playing with pretend money is realistic play that little ones love. I focus on counting the units with little ones instead of counting the values of, say, nickles. We have this cash register and it has been lots of fun! It came with money that my children love playing with.

  • Play “store” together; designate prices, and dole out pretend money
  • Sort coins by size and color, and eventually name and value
  • Give your child a dollar or two to spend at the store (Target dollar spot!)
  • If your child shows interest, help him or her run a lemonade stand or other entrepreneurial endeavor. Miss H often sets up “art galleries” at home, prices all of her art work, and sells it to family members for a few cents each.

Related: The Complete Charlotte Mason Preschool Guide

Measurement

This IS an area that Charlotte Mason addressed in Home Education.

the first idea of distance is to be attained by what children find a delightful operation. A child walks at his usual pace; somebody measures and tells him the length of his pace, and then he measures the paces of his brothers and sisters. Then such a walk, such a distance, here and there, is solemnly paced, and a little sum follows–so many inches or feet covered by each pace equals so many yards in the whole distance. Various short distances about the child’s home should be measured in this way…” Home Education, page 73

Although younger children won’t do any sums to discover inches and feet, they can still use their bodies to count paces, hand widths, etc.

  • Measure objects with hands or feet (i.e how many hands long is this chair?)
  • Grab different sized items and decide which are longer or shorter.  (Like we do with Inchimals!)
  • Walk across your backyard or another area outdoors and see how many paces it takes to get from one end to the other
  • Bake something delicious together. Help your child level out the measuring cups. (I don’t mention fractions, I just discuss how many scoops we need.)

Patterns

Nature is a beautiful place to identify patterns. If you pay close attention, they can be found in many areas of creation. Just spending several hours outside each day, like Charlotte Mason recommended,

  • Identify patterns in nature, fabric, and pictures
  • Use nature objects to make different patterns
  • When organizing books, clothes, etc., come up with a pattern to use- if this doesn’t drive you crazy!

Geometry

For young children, geometry means a focus on shapes and spatial skills. Like colors, children will probably begin to identify shapes without much prompting. In the grand scheme of things, knowing the vocabulary word for different shapes

Logic

There are many developmentally-appropriate ways to introduce logic to young children.

  • Play Tic-tac-toe, Connect 4 , checkers, and other games requiring strategy
  • Allow your child to participate in solving everyday problems instead of stepping in and solving them
  • Play the “What’s Missing?” game. At a restaurant or the dinner table, remove one item while your child isn’t looking, and ask them to figure out what’s missing.

There’s no need to worry that delaying formal lessons will mean a future delay in math. There are plenty of natural, playful ways for your child to experience early years math without any pressure or workbooks.

Delaying formal lessons does not mean that our children won't learn any math concepts until they are six.

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