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The beautiful picture that unfolded as we studied Charlotte Mason’s writings about Nature Study.
So far in this series we’ve talked about all the great benefits that we and our children can gain from doing nature study. We’ve also addressed Charlotte Mason’s encouragement to get outside one half-day per week, all year round. That…
Have you ever noticed that the question When? has many facets? For example, if a person asked, “When should we go to the park?,” the reply could be any number of things. The person asking might be a mama who…
If you had asked me, “Why do nature study?” when my children were young, I would have replied, “To get them outside and burn up some of that energy” (that we all wish we could tap into now at our…
On a recent conference trip to the Seattle, Washington, area, we had a couple of free hours on Thursday morning before we had to set up our booth. The weather was beautiful that day: high 70s and sunny. (We found…
(The Naturalist’s Notebook: An Observation Guide and 5-Year Calendar-Journal for Tracking Changes in the Natural World Around You by Nathaniel T. Wheelwright and Bernd Heinrich, Storey Publishing, 2017.) I’ve discovered something about nature study. It’s not a static activity. By…
We hear a lot about nature study as one of Charlotte Mason’s key methods. And it is a key activity for learning. The question is sometimes asked, though: Is nature study all you do for science? Let’s talk a bit…
Thousands of you have enjoyed our free video resource, SCM Answers Your Questions. We’re glad those short, informal recordings have been encouraging. And we thought it might be helpful to add some more videos to the series, answering more of…
Charlotte Mason used a two-faceted approach to teaching science that was very effective: systematic studies and spontaneous discovery. The systematic studies were accomplished through reading and narrating living science books. The spontaneous facet was added through doing nature study. :…
I’ve often wished I had a personal nature guide who could accompany me on my nature walks. It’s not that I want someone to do the observing for me; that would steal my own joy of discovery. What I want…
(Editor’s Note: I’m happy to present another very helpful nature study article from my friend, Karen. She’s a wealth of nature study ideas, and I’m sure you’ll find much to encourage you from her thoughts on how to do nature…
(Editor’s Note: I’ve learned so much about nature from my friend and coworker, Karen Smith, over the years! She is my nature go-to person. I know you will enjoy this practical and encouraging reminder from her on an important basic…
We mentioned last time how helpful it is to have some resources to assist you in making new acquaintances and getting to know them better in nature study. Today we’re happy to announce two new resources designed to do just…
We talked last time about the benefits of spending time outside—how it cultivates reverence for God, respect for others, and renewed focus on life. Some of you may have felt annoyed at the reminder. Some of you avoid spending time…
The promise of spring is in the air. Lately we’ve had a few days that were warm enough to invite us outside for a refreshing walk. Here in Georgia I’ve even spotted the first brave daffodils in various yards, turning…
Pocketful of Pinecones is one of my favorite books to read in the springtime. It is such a gentle and uplifting story, with so many Nature Study nuggets woven throughout, that you can’t help but be inspired to get outdoors…
In the midst of yet another cold front and winter weather advisory, I wondered what nature lovers during Charlotte Mason’s day did for winter nature study. So I turned to The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady to see what…
Last weekend the neighbor’s daughter came over to our house to deliver a message. We could tell she was a bit uneasy at our front door. She kept glancing over to the large spider web featured between two pillars of…
It seems that more and more homeschoolers are using audiobooks. It makes sense when you think about it, especially for those of us using the Charlotte Mason Method. We read a lot of books, and we keep an ongoing list…
Usually the question goes something like this: “Nature study is a great idea, but I don’t know the names of the flowers and trees and birds, myself. What should I do?” I know, I faced the same situation. But SCM…
There is one question we see a lot when talking about elementary science lessons: “But is it enough?” Charlotte Mason used nature study and living science books with narration to teach science in the younger grades. We CMers want to…
