Loving and Learning in the Nest
Learning through play is such an important topic right now, especially as play is being driven out of kindergartens, preschools, and basically childhood! When "academic standards" start to become the norm for children just barely out of diapers, play becomes a luxury.But some of us aren't content with cultural norms. Some of us, who are intent on following research and child Read More
We lament that children spend most of their time inside. We weep that their main form of occupation, and in some cases, interaction with others, comes from screens. We wonder what the world will look like when a whole generation has floated through their days, half-asleep, seemingly unaware of a sunset or insect. So what is to be done about it? We train children to see, to find joy and Read More
One thing I love about giving my kids lots of time to play is that they come up with the most fun imaginative play scenes! May's Idea Nest nature study topic is ponds, but I only had to read one of the featured books before they started creating a pond in our backyard. It didn't involve a flood or an excess of water, thankfully. Although I had planned to offer different materials for pond Read More
One thing that I think is important to recognize in the Charlotte Mason community is that delayed formal reading lessons doesn't translate to a lack of learning in the early years. There were many skills, including the ABC's and building short words, that Charlotte Mason expected children to learn in the early years. Children will also acquire literacy skills through the environment, a box of Read More
In March's Idea Nest, we'll explore the wind. Wind is something that is so magical for children, yet we often forget that we can study it because it's invisible. When Miss H was not quite four, we made paper kites and took them outside to fly them on a windy day. For Spring Tinkergarten two years ago, we made hand kites to explore the wind. It doesn't take anything elaborate to get your child Read More
