I love books that transport me somewhere new, and Smith’s “Number 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” series does just that. I get this urge to visit Botswana after reading these stories, and imagine I could go there and visit the characters. There are twenty books in the series, and the earthy groundedness of Precious Ramotswe will remind you of all that is good and decent in humanity. The second blog…
Modern Copywork Series: Frances Mayes and Under the Tuscan Sun
Copywork is, to me, one of the gems of the Charlotte Mason education style. There are variations, with people staying faithful to the stricter and religious guidelines while many choose to modernize. I remember reading in Charlotte Mason groups of the opinion that ‘most of what has been published since 1980 has been twaddle’, or dumbed down, lesser-quality writing. But I love books and I love SO many books…
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Homeschool Workbook and Calendar
In case you missed it, I published a book this year! In April Chinese Herbal Medicine for Beginners hit the shelves. Writing it was a lot of fun and work, and I totally want to do it again. So… I am self-publishing a series of homeschool books. The first is a print edition that is homeschool workbook, planner and academic calendar all in one. Section 1 is a…
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Low muscle tone: how taekwondo can help with neurodiversity
A taekwondo class may seem THE place for the naturally athletic and sports-gifted… but maybe it’s an even better place for those who aren’t. Why? Did you know that taekwondo is an excellent sport and exercise for kids with low muscle tone and other motor challenges? The format and nature of teaching is helpful in that it offers repetition with consistent structure and organization. (1) Did you…
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What does nature study have to do with Giving Tuesday??
After all the shopping and eating over Thanksgiving weekend, the energy shifts from Black Friday and Cyber Monday to Giving Tuesday. I’m not a big shopper (unless it’s a bookstore!) so we usually avoid most of the hubbub. But I love Giving Tuesday! This year my kiddo is old enough I’m incorporating our chosen charity into our homeschool topics for the month, covering citizenship, botany, geography, ecology and language arts…
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The Songs of Trees: 7 ways to use this AMAZING living book in homeschool
The Songs of Trees: non-fiction prose that reads like poetry at times. I’m normally a pretty fast reader, and this book made me slow down and enjoy how he uses language, as well as the message he expresses. For budding botanists and tree-loving kids, here’s a description of a maple tree. “Lime yellow flowers dust the maple tree’s canopy. Peppercorn-size bells hang from filaments at the tip of almost every…
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Nature study as a mindful activity, part 2
I love nature study, and I love mindfulness, and I love living books. Here’s a quick review of a book that will incorporate all three! It’s called The Global Forest. It’s format is in shorter chapters, so you can pick and choose easily what you might read aloud to the kiddos. A living book, beautifully written, the author Diana Beresford-Kroeger is not only a botanist and medical biochemist, she has…
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Nature study as a mindful activity, part 1 of 3
Nature is one of the best teachers of mindfulness. To be alone or quiet in nature is a reminder of that we are part of a whole that is much bigger than us. Nature nurtures us, makes us healthier, resets our nervous system. Cultures have always known this, but science is backing it up with studies showing the benefits of activities like “forest bathing.” Question: Have you ever gone out…
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CM Nature Study and mindful curriculum
We did it! Last month our family took a CM nature study vacation, planned specifically to get us out of the house and away from electronics. Living in Florida, I’ve found that being in nature is considerably different than in places with a colder winter to kill back kudzu and killer mosquitos and fire ants 🙂 I’m a transplant to this two-season environment, one of them (the hot, humid season)…
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Copywork with a mindful theme
Copywork: it’s one the concepts I love best about Charlotte Mason style education. I agree that having kids start writing on their own at too young an age doesn’t teach them good writing, and can enforce mistakes they are making. Charlotte Mason used Biblical scripture in her copywork, so I’m collecting sources of copywork that I find more suited to a secular education style. I wanted to begin a collection…
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