Tuesday, June 4, 2013

It Feeds

Enjoying some river time ~ and it counts as school!

That's one of the things I love most about a Charlotte Mason education. It feeds me. It feeds my children. There are seasons of life that are more stressful than others, and I've found that I increasingly look forward to the schooling part of the day during those times. The poetry, Bible reading, songs, paintings, history and science and biography readings, even mathematics and copy work all provide calm yet meaningful nourishment for my mind. There is always something that takes my mind off of stressful worries of life and gives me good in its place to contemplate. The quality of the chosen books is probably the part that feeds my mind and soul so well. The books are not dry. They are not merely facts drained of life. They aren't read hurriedly so that the child can spend most of his time writing out answers to the questions that are asked at the end of the chapter. They contain ideas that we discuss which engages my brain as well as the child's. They are books I look forward to reading. I'm just finishing up reading Winnie the Pooh to one child, and I'm chomping at the bit to read it again to the next child, even though he's at least 2 years away from being ready for it. I'm excited to do school with the kids. It fills up my soul. It feeds.

4 comments:

  1. Nicely put! I love the books, music and nature study of a CM Education in particular. I love that we aren't reading just to get it over with. And I especially love watching them make the connections between everything.

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    1. I make so many connections myself! But I do love to watch my kids as the light goes on in their heads. And we can do it at their own pace too. My youngest is catching up to my 7 year old in the area of alphabet sounds, (and she is beyond my 11 year old in narrating; my 11 year old learned to read much more readily than her 7 and 9 yo siblings; and the 9 year old will soon surpass everyone in math) but they are both making connections at THEIR pace. I love that we can take time to do that and not push them beyond their limits.

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  2. I so completely agree with you. That's basically what my post for the carnival was about as well--how homeschooling becomes a pleasure in so many ways not just for the student but also for the teacher/mother. I am learning so much, emjoying so much--and we're not even into the really meaty stuff yet in the upper years. Loved your thoughts here!

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    1. Can't wait to read your post then, Celeste!

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