This is how we Unschool...

We do not “do school” – we are students of life and we learn what we want to. We are growing into ourselves as we learn and we love it entirely.  

We employ a combination of methods in our homeschool based firmly on the Bible and based loosely on the teachings and findings of Charlotte Mason, Ruth  Beechick, and John Holt - but at the end of the day – our homeschool is uniquely our own and no one else’s opinions or directions hold as much weight as our very own in conjunction with God’s will for our lives. We seek to know what He would have us do in this life and we seek any and all wisdom that would align with His goals for us.

He gave us our passions and we fully explore them!

We primarily use notebooks/journals in our homeschool to aid us in learning and to teach us proper studying. We have math journals where we record our mathematical observations of the world around us. We have study journals where we fine-tune our reading and writing skills to record the fascinating things we study. We prayerfully study whatever fancies us day to day.  Sometimes we collaborate and study together and sometimes we are on journeys of our own. We also keep nature journals where we express our fondness for creation.  We study God’s Word together as we seek to live our lives according to His will. We also keep prayer/life journals.

 

**When I say “we” above I am including myself. My children have these notebooks/journals (math, study, nature, prayer) and so do I. I have a math journal, and a study journal, and a nature journal. I am still learning. I am still clay in my Potter’s hands and it’s important to me that my children understand that we are NEVER done learning. There is ALWAYS something new to learn. So I keep journals alongside them and it blesses me daily.

Sometimes we use textbooks, most times we don’t. We love our local libraries and we frequent discount bookstores. You can often find us at the local park playing ball or just running around. We love to catch bugs and name them before we release them. We revel with each other when one of us makes a cognitive connection to the world around us in our daily doings. We see things most do not in our daily lives because we are looking. We learn things it takes others ages to learn because we are eager. We own our knowledge and we enjoy sharing what we learn with others.

Everyday is filled with life and love in the Lakeside Schoolhouse – our home sweet home – that is actually not by a lake anymore but we kept the name anyway because… we can! 

Let the Nature Journaling Begin!

I got a new library book today!! I am so excited to dig into this book! I have already read the first chapter which inspired me to grab a sheet of paper right away and draw the little guys on my back porch. There are like 3 or 4 Leopard Geckos that live behind the light fixture. <3 I used to keep Leopard Geckos in a cage as a kid and so I love them a lot. Now, having them as neighbors is awesome.

I don't know if I will be drawing a lot in my nature journal... I may just take pictures. I'm not very good at drawing. When I was in 1st or 2nd grade as a kid I loved to color and draw! But I distinctly remember the crushing moment when all the love I had for art was bulldozed over by this teacher of mine. We don't need to get into the details... :) I'm over it and have decided to add art to my list of self education pursuits. :) I definitely have gaps in art appreciation and application that need filled. :)

Anyhow this book is amazing. HIGHLY recommend it!! The series is called the Amateur Science Series and so far I know of three books in the series. The Amateur Naturalist is the one I have now. I have read The Amateur Geologist (Which is also amazing!!) Next on my list to aquire is The Amateur Meteorologist.

The Amateur Geologist book does have an old world/evolution view point. (you know millions and millions of years...) The value in this book supersedes any bending I had to do around that aspect though. I'm not sure about the view point in either the one I am currently reading or the one I haven't read yet ... but so far, these books are amazing and worth it for anyone looking to journal these different genres of nature.

The authors in this series seems to absolutely love their area of expertise and it bleeds through the pages. Their words make you excited and they make you want to literally jump up right away and get started! I did with the geologist book and am finding myself doing it again with this one.

Some of the first exercises in this book include keeping a list of your non human neighbors -even if you don't know their names, so you can find out later, investigating bird feeding preferences (which is next on my to-do list), investigating ant lion diggings, investigating wooly bear caterpillar wanderings and so much more... just in the first chapter!!

See if your library has a copy of this book immediately... :) I promise you this book will pose questions in your heart that you just have to answer.  I would even go so far as to say this book might motivate a reluctant jr high or high school student to get up and love on some nature. :)

Let me know if you read it too! :)

Happy Reading!!

Seasonal Nature Table

Our Nature Table

One way I am trying to involve my children in nature study is with this awesome nature table I created in the corner of our sunroom.

Although we unschool, we do have a school room. My kids and I like to have a designated place of engagement. Think of it like your husband's man cave or your craft room... This is where we keep all the things that inspire our creativity! 

Anyway.. This table was on my neighbor's lawn one day in her giveaway pile so I snagged it! I folded up a cheap, white shower cutain and stapled it over the top. The kids pained fall colors on it and we picked out some store bought decorations for fun.

Throughout the fall we will be collecting things from outside and placing them on the  table. Sticks, rocks, and lots of accorns adorn table as of now and the space is proving to be quite awesome and engaging for the whole family! My sons are really loving finding things all over the place to save and bring home! 

Do you have a nature table? Or somewhere you or your children display your findings from the out of doors? What do you keep there? 

Share with me!! I'd love to see!! 

Tree and a Free Kindle Book!

"I think that I shall never see

A poem as lovely as a tree. 

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the Earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray..."

from the poem Tree by Joyce Kilmer

He wrote this poem in 1913 and it was probably his most popular poem. His work is often criticized as being simplistic... and "they" are entitled to their opinion but since I can't write poetry AT ALL and his Poem Tree inspired me to seek out a tree...  and study it... well I'll give the rest of his poetry a shot. :) So far I am enjoying reading it every now and then! Sure glad it was free for Kindle!

His book is free on kindle here!! 

Enjoy!! :)

As for the tree in my photo above... I took that out on the Bayou! I live in Southern Louisiana now and this place is beautiful. Swamps are beautiful. So many birds and trees... ahhhh :) I could sit out there all day and gaze.... if it weren't for the gators I KNOW are waiting for me to stick a toe in the water!! HAHA! 

The tree in my picture is a Cypress tree. And it is beautiful. <3 She is going in my nature notebook. And if I ever muster up the ability to paint her... I will share with you. :) 

My Nature Journal: The Beginning

Do you have a nature journal? Do your kids keep one? I can't get my boys to even blink an eye in the direction of keeping a nature journal. Why? Because they would {winey voice} "have to wriiiiteeee!!"
-or draaaaaaw
-or paaaaaaiiiiint
-or whatever other thing they would need to do with their hands to record their own account of God's Glory in a treasured notebook.

So I decided that I am going to start one. :) A big one! A family sized one! And they can help but... this is for me. Maybe they will catch the bug someday.

I am very inspired after reading this book Wild Days: Creating Discovery Journals by Karen Skidmore Rackliffe that I bought from a friend in TX for $5 last year and only just recently picked up to read. It's wonderful. I'll admit.. I envy other people's children just a little bit when they create such beautiful nature notebooks. And she shows lots of examples of her children's journals in this book.  But then I realize... my boys have nothing to go by when we bring paper and colored pencils outside to sketch. They don't like drawing. And they don't like sitting still... :) They are still young. But anyway... this book is a great resource on nature notebooking and one I know I will reference many times.


Another wonderful book that was given to me in curriculum trade off between me and another homeschooler friend was The Nature Study Idea Book by Mary E. Woodis. In here you can find all kinds of ideas for study. The cover says even a high schooler could be interested! It has readily available poems and Scripture you may be inspired to write in your journal. Tool kit instructions for different kinds of study like geology (rocks) and ornithology (birding). And the conversational way she writes is like having a really good friend sitting next to you and explaining all the exciting adventures you are about to have with your nature journal. I love it!

Check these two books out... they are fairly inexpensive for the amount of value inside.

Anyway... so this notebook of mine that I am going to start... I'm gonna do it right in front of my kids. While they play at the park. Outside in the backyard. On the porch. I am going to cary it with me and treasure it. And show them what I am doing inside. I'll let them help me if they wish and hopefully this will inspire them to create their own! :)