Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival 3-30-10 Edition

Wow! This is an incredible edition for me this month. They are always good but this one has really touched on things I'm thinking about.

Here it is at Jimmie's Collage.

God is a Sanctuary

"Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come." Ezekiel 11:16

Banished from the public means of grace, we are not removed from the grace of means. The Lord who places His people where they feel as exiles will Himself be with them and be to them all that they could have had at home, in the place of their solemn assemblies. Take this to yourselves, O ye who are called to wander!

God is to His people a place of refuge. They find sanctuary with Him from every adversary, He is their place of worship, too. He is with them as with Jacob when he slept in the open filed, and rising, said, "Surely God was in this place," To them also He will be a sanctuary of quiet, like the Holy of Hollies, which was the noiseless abode of the Eternal. They shall be quiet from fear of evil.

God Himself, in Christ Jesus, is the sanctuary of mercy. The Ark of the Covenant is the Lord Jesus, and Aron's rod, the pot of manna, the tables of the law, all a re in Christ our sanctuary. In God we find the shrine of holiness and of communion. what more do we need? O Lord, fulfill this promise and be ever to us as a little sanctuary!

C.H Spurgeon

Read A Daily dose of Spurgeon

Interesting Thoughs on The Wind and the Willows

"One can argue over the merits of most books, and in arguing understand the point of view of one's opponent. One may even come to the conclusion that possibly he is right after all. One does not argue about The Wind in the Willows.
The young man gives it to the girl with whom he is in love, and if she does not like it, asks her to return his letters. The older man tries it on his nephew, and alters his will accordingly. The book is a test of character. We can't criticize it, because it is criticizing us.
It is a household book; a book which everybody in the household loves, and quotes continually; a book which is read aloud to every new guest and is regarded as the touchstone of his worth.
But I must give you one word of warning. When you sit down to it, don't be so ridiculous as to suppose that you are sitting in judgement on my taste, or on the art of Kenneth Grahame. You are merely sitting in judgment on yourself...it is you who are on trial."
A.A. Milne

Read it online here for free: The Wind in the Willows and listen for free here at LibriVox. This movie has been recommended to me but we haven't seen it yet: The PBS/Masterpiece Theatre version.

Evolution in Education and the News

Saturday, March 6, 2010 this was in the news: Top home-school texts dismiss Darwin, evolution.

Two responses on Monday, March 8th: Apologia and Creation Based Science Curriculum, who were included in the article, and Darwin Has A Pity Party by a homeschool mother.

If you are interested in this further you could look into the Origin of Species project at The Way of the Master or check out Apologia's Science Curriculum.

Vote at MSNBC Newsvine.com.

Update: A second response from Apologia.

Scripture Memory System

I recently went to a homeschool workshop put on by Sonya Shafer from Simply Charlotte Mason. During the workshop Discipleship Is... she explained her Scripture Memory System which we have already started and I LOVE! It is a gentle, enjoyable and effective way to successfully memorize scripture. My purpose in this post is to give you some visuals and mention a few tips that Sonya pointed out.

I have taken pictures of the four steps you will do once you have established your routine, whether you do this once a day or at each meal or whenever.

Step One: The 1 Daily tab, read this every time.





Step Two: The 2 Odd/Even Tabs, read from a card behind one of these two tabs depending on the day, since today is Jan. 30th we will read the card behind the even tab. Read this after you read the Daily verse.





Step Three: The 7 Days of the Week Tabs, you pick the card behind whatever day of the week it is. since today is Saturday I chose the card behind the Sat. tab. Read this after you read the Odd/Even verse.

Step Four: The 31 Dates in the Month Tabs, you pick the card behind the tab of that particular date, today is the 30th so I pulled the card out from behind tab number 30. Read this after you read the day of the week verse.

And that is it. It shouldn't take more than 5 - 10 minutes. One of the things that Sonya mentioned was to take turns reading the cards. For example there are 4 of us using this system, today ds2 reads the cards, tomorrow ds 3 will read, Monday ds1 will read, Tuesday I will read and then we start over again. The person reading the cards states the reference of the verse by himself, then everyone reads the reference again with him, then we all recite the verse, then the reference again, for a total of three times saying the reference. Do not spend time trying to learn the first sentence or first few words of a verse, say the whole verse(s) every time.

Think of the way you read these verses. Quote beautiful words in beautiful ways.

Lastly she advises that this is a spiritual discipline, don't force it. You can always keep practicing if, for whatever reason or another, they aren't.

I hope this encourages you to be diligent with your scripture memorization and I also hope that you will enjoy it as we are.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit. Psalm 51:12

Beginning to Create Exams

Here is the master sheet where I start each year's exam questions. I tweak it (leave out things or add things) depending on the year and student.



AO Year __ Term __ Exam

NAME * SCHOOL YEAR * Grade __ * DATE OF EXAM



BIBLE
1. In your own words, tell about your favorite character that you read in your Bible reading this term.
2. In your own words, tell about your favorite event that you read in your Bible reading this term.


WRITING (handwriting and cursive)
Write 2-4 lines of a poem that you memorized this term.
Copy a sentence into cursive.


DICTATION/SPELLING
(read sentence or paragraph for child to write)


COMPOSITION FROM LITERATURE
1. Describe your favorite scene or character from the Shakespeare play you read this term.
2. Tell a story about --
3. Tell a story about --


GRAMMAR
Underline the subject and circle the predicate in the following quote:
(Text to be included)


HISTORY
Include Century Book (timeline)


GEOGRAPHY
Include Map Notebook


NATURAL HISTORY/SCIENCE
Include Nature Notebook


READING SKILLS
Father or friend to select a passage for student to read aloud.


ARITHMETIC


FOREIGN LANGUAGE


PICTURE STUDY
Describe your favorite picture from this term's picture study.


SINGING
Sing this term's folksong and a hymn, which the father may choose from the three learned this term, in front of parents.


HANDICRAFTS
Show some work in handicrafts from this term to someone outside your family.


COMPOSER STUDY
Describe your favorite story from this term's composer study.


CITIZENSHIP/GOVERNMENT
(Plutarch)

Ambeside Online Year 02 Booklist - Modified

I have taken the Ambleside Online year as my core and then tweaked it a little bit depending on what books I already have and what I've gleaned from others.


http://amblesideonline.org/02bks.shtml and http://higherupandfurtherin.blogspot.com/2006/12/year-2-program-and-booklist.html

*Term 1, **Term 2, ***Term 3, no * means book will be read through all three terms

BIBLE:
New Testament - reading from the Bible and Children’s Bible
Tiger and Tom by JE White
*Wisdom and the Millers by Mildred Martin
** A is for Adam by Ken Ham
***George Muller by Benge and Real Heroes Wear Jeans by Tim Hansel

HABIT TRAINING
Laying Down The Rails
**What the Bible says about being a Girl/Boy publ. By Pearables

HISTORY
TERM 1
An Island Story ch 22-32 (1066-1189, Harold II Henry II)
Lief the Lucky by D'AulaireA
Child's History of the World by Virgil Hillyer ch 47, ch 49-53, 1000 AD Charlemaigne, Vikings Peter the Hermit; 800-1100
TERM 2
An Island Story ch 33-50 (1189-1399, Richard I Richard II)
A Child's History of the World by Hillyer ch 54-57 Richard I-John I Magna Charta, 1189-1215
TERM 3
An Island Story ch 51-61 (1399-1553, Henry IV-Henry VII)
This Country of Ours ch 2-5 (Columbus, 1492-1497, Henry VII)
A Child's History of the World by Virgil Hillyer ch 58-61 (Marco Polo-Joan of Arc; 1275-1456)

AMERICAN HISTORY
TruthQuest Vol 1

HISTORY TALES AND/OR BIOGRAPHY
Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula (selected chapters)
* ** The Little Duke by Charlotte Yonge
*** Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley

GEOGRAPHY
* **Tree in the Trail by Holling C. Holling
** ***Seabird by Holling C. Holling
** How we Learned the Earth is Round by Patricia Lauber

NATURAL HISTORY/SCIENCE
The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock
The Storybook of Science - finish in the summer
Explore Creation with Botany (2nd half)
* What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs (spend 6 wks)
* ** The Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton Burgess
**Christian Liberty Nature Reader #2
*** Pagoo by Holling C Holling

MATHEMATICS
Math U See
**The King's Commissioners by Aileen Friedman (ILL)
Math computer game CDs
Math Songs CDs

POETRY
* Walter De La Mare
**Eugene Field and James Whitcombe Riley
*** Christina Rossetti

LITERATURE
Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb
Pilgrim's Progress Book by John Bunyan
Among the Farm Yard People by Clara Dillingham Pierson
The Children’s Book of Virtues edited by W. Bennett
* Teddy's Button by Amy LeFeuvre Written in: 1890
** The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
*** Robin Hood by Howard Pyle (this book may be continued into the summer if necessary to finish)

ADDITIONAL BOOKS FOR FREE READING - these are books that no child should miss, but rather than overloading school time, these can be read during free time. No narrations need be required from these books. Parents should explain to students that historical fiction, while often well-researched, is still fiction, and contains the author's ideas of how things might have happened.(Books with asterisks pertain to that term's historical studies)
Heidi by Joanna Spyri (J SPY)
A Wonder Book by Nathaniel Hawthorne (292 HAW)
Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne (808 HAW)
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney (J SID
Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales
Pied Piper of Hamlin by Robert Browning
Abraham Lincoln by Ingri D'Aulaire
Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit (J NES)
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers (some versions say "revised" because P.L. Travers revised chapter 6 herself in 1981 to get rid of some rather nasty racist things.)
Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry (J F HEN)
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle (J PLY)
Chanticleer and the Fox - Barbara Cooney's is one version (E CHA)
Along Came A Dog by Meindert De Jong (Clarkesville-J DEJ)
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli (J DEA)
The Matchlock Gun by Walter D. Edmonds
Twenty and Ten
A Lion to Guard Us

Art/Drawing
from nature and from history/literature tales
I Can Do All Things


Children's Play
Literature SelectionThe Children are writing and directing the play as a present to the adults on Christmas Eve.


Copywork and Cursive
Transcribe (copy) simple phrases from Bible, Poetry, GW Rules, and Literature
Pictures in Cursive Primer by Queen Homeschool


Grammar/Spelling
Language Lesson by Queen Homeschool and Spelling Wisdom by J. Fulbright

Examinations the Charlotte Mason Way

If it wasn't for Linda Fay I would still be struggling to do exams. Here is the link to read what she says http://www.charlottemasonhelp.com/2009/07/examinations.html.

I also received help for some of these questions from http://www.amblesideonline.org/ExamAOExams.shtml and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AOExams/?yguid=374109584.

One more recent blog post that got me motivated to work on and post my exams is http://ohpeacefulday.blogspot.com/2009/11/charlotte-mason-and-exams.html.

Barb at Harmony Art Mom wrote a good post about Exams with more links:
http://harmonyartmom.blogspot.com/2010/01/charlotte-mason-style-exams-resources.html

Charlotte Mason Method

Here is a blog that is doing a great job of introducing readers to the Charlotte Mason Method of homeschooling.



Simply Charlotte Mason: http://simplycharlottemason.com/home/blog/



Here are the introductory articles.



A System or a Method?: http://simplycharlottemason.com/2009/07/16/a-system-or-a-method/


Making the Transition to the Charlotte Mason Method: http://simplycharlottemason.com/2009/07/22/making-the-transition-to-the-charlotte-mason-method/


Stage 1, The Basics: http://simplycharlottemason.com/2009/07/29/transition-to-cm-basics/


Stage 2, Once A Week: http://simplycharlottemason.com/2009/08/05/transition-to-cm-once-a-week/


Stage 3, Check Up: http://simplycharlottemason.com/2009/08/12/transition-to-cm-check-up/


Stage 4, Add In: http://simplycharlottemason.com/2009/08/19/transition-to-cm-stage-4-add-in/

Hymn - And Can It Be That I Should Gain?

St. Peter Freed from Prison by Pier Francesco Mola

Written by Charles Wesley http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biorpcwesley.html

(Listen here on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQeIGbKqiw8 )

And can it be that I should gain

An interest in the Savior’s blood?

Died He for me, who caused His pain—

For me, who Him to death pursued?

Amazing love! How can it be,

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Amazing love! How can it be,

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:

Who can explore His strange design?

In vain the firstborn seraph tries

To sound the depths of love divine.

'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,

Let angel minds inquire no more.

Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;

Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above

So free, so infinite His grace—

Emptied Himself of all but love,

And bled for Adam’s helpless race:

’Tis mercy all, immense and free,

For O my God, it found out me!

’Tis mercy all, immense and free,

For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,

Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;

Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;

My chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

My chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Still the small inward voice I hear,

That whispers all my sins forgiven;

Still the atoning blood is near,

That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.

I feel the life His wounds impart;

I feel the Savior in my heart.

I feel the life His wounds impart;

I feel the Savior in my heart.

No condemnation now I dread;

Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;

Alive in Him, my living Head,

And clothed in righteousness divine,

Bold I approach th’eternal throne,

And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Bold I approach th’eternal throne,

And claim the crown, through Christ my own.