Simple Wonders

In this episode Nicole Williams and I discuss why you should be studying nature (hint: it's the foundation of all STEM skills, but that's not the most important reason...), how to teach it to different ages, and what kind of book and resources you’ll need.

Nicole is the most knowledgeable person I know on the subject and I know you’re going to come away feeling excited and equipped to begin studying nature with your kids!

Nicole Williams, a leading expert in Charlotte Mason homeschooling, is the author of the 27-book Living Science Curriculum, founder of Sabbath Mood Homeschool, host of A Delectable Education Podcast, and has over two decades of experience educating and inspiring thousands of parents and teachers. 

Nicole’s Website:

https://sabbathmoodhomeschool.com/

A Delectable Education Podcast

https://www.adelectableeducation.com/

Special Gift for Listeners!

https://sabbathmoodhomeschool.com/sw/

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In this episode I get to chat with my friend and fellow homeschool mamma, Havalah Turner. 

Grammar and writing can be terrifying subjects for homeschoolers. We either overdo it with stacks of worksheets, or we don’t teach it all.  

But there is a better way!

Writing is simply putting thoughts down on paper, and grammar is playing with words and finding the clearest and most beautiful way to convey those ideas.  And in this episode we talk about exactly that – how to encourage your kids to write down their ideas (i.e. narrations!) and some ideas of how to teach grammar in a way that is playful and useful. 

Some topics we cover: 

Grammar instruction, Copia, The Writing Revolution, The Brave Writer, Institute For Excellence in Writing, Know and Tell, written narration, composition. 

Links

The Writing Revolution by Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler

Know and Tell by Karen Glass

But How Do You Teach Writing? By Barry Lane

The Writing Thief by Ruth Culham

Grammar Matters and Should Be Taught Differently

Teaching Grammar in the 21st Century

Playing With Words: AKA Grammar | However Imperfectly

“In this time of extraordinary pressure—educational and social—perhaps a mother’s first duty to her children is to secure for them a quiet growing time" -Charlotte Mason, Home Education

(03:10 - 04:35) Early Childhood Development Priorities

(07:48 - 09:53) Analyzing Trends in Early Childhood Education

(11:50 - 13:41) Parental Attachment Impacts Child's Mental Health

(18:17 - 20:25) Sensory Development in Children

(25:47 - 27:12) Balancing Formal Lessons With Child-Led Learning

(28:08 - 29:11) Importance of Quiet Growing Time

(34:47 - 36:07) Benefits of Outdoor Play for Children

(42:41 - 43:39) Early Years Development Guide and Activities

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How do I teach handwriting?

My child has dyslexia -- will Charlotte Mason's method work for him/her?

How can I encourage a reluctant writer?

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In this episode I invite Penny Gardner to help me answer these questions and more!

Charlotte Mason taught handwriting, grammar, spelling, and writing through a simple method called "copywork." We discuss why this is such a powerful tool and how to make it more appealing for reluctant writers. We also discuss if CM's method works for kids with dyslexia.

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Penny Gardner has over 20 years of experience homeschooling her six children who are now adults. After teaching her own children at home, Penny worked in public and charter schools, with a Level 2 Utah teaching license. She spoke at homeschool conferences and created Italics, Beautiful Handwriting for Children. She participated in the 2011 Summer Writing Institute, part of the Central Utah Writing Project. She then taught summer writing camps on the BYU campus for 10 years.

You can find her handwriting curriculum and her other resources on her website https://pennygardner.com/italics/https://pennygardner.com/italics/

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In this episode I have a conversation with Julie Ross, founder of A Gentle Feast. We discuss the different ideas of teaching reading (AKA "The Reading Wars"), the pros and cons of each, and the research on reading. We also discuss why Charlotte Mason's method of teaching reading was so ingenious and effective!

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Julie has been teaching for almost two decades in various educational settings including public elementary school, private Christian school, and a university model homeschool academy. She was the co-founder of two of those schools utilizing my expertise in curriculum and organizational leadership. She created the scopes and sequences for these schools and created my own original curriculum for several classes. She has a B.S. in Elementary Education from Penn State University. She created A Gentle Feast because that’s what she wished she had when she first began homeschooling her children.

When she’s not busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or reading, she can be found painting Goodwill furniture or buying more books on Amazon.

The Feast Life Podcast

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LINKS

PATREON

INSTAGRAM

WEBSITE

Every parent and teacher should have a philosophy of education, or a set of principles, that drives their behavior and choices.

Do you know what yours are?

In this episode I go over Charlotte Mason's 20 principles (or 19, in this case) that she spent decades considering and applying. I have found so much peace and confidence in considering and adopting these principles as my own. As an end to season one I'm sharing these principles along with my own "narration" or paraphrasing of what they mean.

If you don't have a conscious set of principles that guide your behavior and choices then you will failure from overwhelm, confusion, and lack of direction. Consider the following principles in this episode and use them as a starting point for your own.

Do you agree with each one? If not, why? Which ones will you adopt? How will this principle affect your future choices?

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LINKS

Family Travelogue Videos

20 Principles

How Children Succeed by Paul Tough

The Marshmallow Experiment

Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown et al

Unselfie by Michele Borba

Punished by Rewards by Alife Kohn

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LEARN MORE

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Charlotte Mason said that lessons should be based on living books and real things. But how do we use these materials once we have them?

Create activities? Quizzes? Lectures?

In this episode I discuss what we do with books and real things -- three methods that are time-tested and backed by science. Along with some teaching and learning methods that are frequently used, but aren't actually effective.

Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown

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If you've been in the homeschooling realm for long you've probably heard the term "living books."

This is a term coined by Charlotte Mason, and has become extremely widespread, for good reason. Living books put the flesh on the dry bones of fact. Mason boldly stated that "

"no education seems to be worth the name which has not made children at home in the world of books, and so related them, mind to mind, with thinkers who have dealt with knowledge. We reject epitomes, compilations, and their like, and put into children’s hands books which, long or short, are living.”

 (Charlotte Mason, School Education, p. 226)

Today I'm speaking with book enthusiast Amber O'Neal Johnston of Heritage Mom all about living books -- what they are, why they're so important, and how we can use them build a rich heritage in our homes.

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Amber O’Neal Johnston is an author, speaker, and worldschooling Charlotte Mason mama who blends life-giving books and a culturally rich environment for her four children and others seeking to do the same. She recommends we offer children opportunities to see themselves and others reflected in their lessons, especially throughout their books, and she’s known for sharing literary “mirrors and windows” on HeritageMom.com and @heritagemomblog (IG). Amber is also the author of A Place to Belong, a guide for families of all backgrounds to raise kids to celebrate their heritage, community, and the world.

LINKS

Redeeming Reader

Stories of Color

Which skills do my children need to succeed in life? 

My house is in complete chaos. How can I make my days smoother?

My child’s behavior isn’t meeting my expectations. What can I do? 

Paula Tough, author of How Children Succeed, was curious what kind of influences or conditions made some children do better in life than others. Charlotte Mason asked a similar question in her day: Why do some children never really succeed in life while others flourish?

Is it intelligence? 

Parents affluence?

Level of education?

Through they’re extensive research both  authors discovered this same answer: character traits like self-discipline, empathy, and positivity are more influential than anything else. Even more than intelligence. 

That’s why Charlotte Mason made habits the second instrument of education in her twenty principles. 

By "education is a discipline," we mean the discipline of habits, formed definitely and thoughtfully, whether habits of mind or body.” (Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education)

In this episode I discuss the big idea of discipline -- why good habits are essential, which ones to focus on, and how to set boundaries in your home.

If you enjoy this podcast and would like to support my work, you can now do so via PATREON. For $5 a month you will receive exclusive content--like mini episodes, articles, and videos--while making it possible for me to continue providing content ad-free.

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@simplewondersacademy/featured