The Old Schoolhouse - March 2012

lessons. My students have a lifetime ahead of them in which to observe and discover—to become self-educated in their leisure, so to speak. My job is to allow their feet to walk the paths of wonder, to see that they form relations to various things, so that when the habit is formed, they will carry an appreciation for nature with them throughout their lives.2

Miss Mason’s students took a nature walk
once a week and kept a nature journal.
Your students can too.

remedy. We can share in the newness of our children’s sense of wonder. We can take nature walks and lead our children to record their findings in a nature journal. A drawing, along with the field guide’s Latin name of the finding, a verse of a poem, or a short written observation can be done once a week. This record keeping of firsthand observation will fill a journal with a good many personal entries by the end of a calendar year. No matter how simple the drawings and entries are, it will be an impressive journal in true scientific style. And unlike a workbook, it will become a keepsake. Miss Mason’s students took a nature walk once a week and kept a nature journal. Your students can too. Insects (a boy’s favorite), wildflowers, birds, mushrooms, garden plants, clouds, trees, mammals, etc. are not secretive but will reveal themselves only to those who take the time to look.

During the morning’s lessons the children listened to me read about the woodpecker. I’d like them to learn to recognize the drumming of its beak and have a chance to observe its unique hopping slide up a tree trunk. But I know that not all of what they will learn about God’s creation will conveniently fit into my

Home educators know Karen Andreola by her groundbreaking book A Charlotte Mason Companion. Karen taught her three children through high school— studying with them all the many wonderful things her own education was missing. The entire Andreola family writes product reviews for Christian Book Distributors. Knitting mittens and sweaters and cross-stitching historic samplers are activities enjoyed in Karen’s leisure. For encouraging ideas, visit her blog: www.momentswith mothercultureblogspot.com.

Endnotes:

1. Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason, page;148.

2.;Pocketful of Pinecones—Nature Study With the Gentle Art of Learning by Karen Andreola, page 115,;page;75.

I leave you with a paragraph from my book, Pocketful of Pinecones. In it Carol takes nature walks with her children and guides them in keeping a nature journal. At first she teaches more by courage than confidence. Quite soon, however, she finds nature study to be a pleasant aspect of their home education efforts. Her thoughts are my own—written for my fellow home teacher to instruct and hopefully inspire her to do what she has it in her heart to do with her children.