Karen Smith shares some of her favorite living science books for grades 4–6.
Favorite Living Science Books for Grades 1–3
Karen Smith shares some of her favorite living science books for grades 1–3 that will give your child a gentle introduction to the wonders of God’s Creation.
Nature Walk or Nature Study?
In a Charlotte Mason Homeschool, we know we should do nature study once a week, or is that a nature walk once a week? What’s the difference, anyway? Let’s figure this out. Joining me today is my longtime friend and co-creator of Simply Charlotte Mason, Karen Smith. Karen is my go-to person for anything nature […]
Nature Study and Science: Is There a Difference?
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 about how nature study and science fit into a Charlotte Mason education. Charlotte taught her […]
Teaching Science: Subject by Subject, Part 12
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. (more…)
Two New Nature Companions
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 that: The Pond and Stream Companion and Learning about Birds with Thornton Burgess. (more…)
New Audiobook of Outdoor Secrets
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 of more books that we hope to read when we have a little extra time. […]
New Living Science Book: The Outdoor Secrets Companion
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 believe that those methods will accomplish what is needed during the elementary years, but for […]
Hands-on Learning in the Charlotte Mason Method
Many people equate living books with the Charlotte Mason method. And that’s well and good. Living books are a big part of her approach, as we’ve discussed during recent posts. But a Charlotte Mason education is not based just on books; it is also based on “things.” (more…)
Outdoor Secrets Nature Stories
“Once upon a time, not so very long ago, there stood in a large orchard a beautiful Apple-Tree. All through the long winter it had held out bare branches. The March sun whispered to it that spring had come. But the cold March winds were not a bit polite, and would say: ‘No, it hasn’t.’ […]
Enthusiastic Response to Jack’s Insects
Wow. We never dreamed we would sell out our first print run of Jack’s Insects within four days of its release. But that’s what happened. Quite the enthusiastic response! (more…)
Jack’s Insects
Several years ago I heard about an intriguing living science book that Charlotte Mason had used in her schools. The book was called Jack’s Insects, and I looked everywhere for it. I couldn’t find it anywhere — online or off. So I kept it on my watch list and went on about my schooling. Imagine […]
106 Days of Creation Studies
What do you get when you put together 1 school year, 3 students in first through sixth grades, 50 Bible passages, 15 simple science experiments, 18 living books, and 20 nature study ideas? 106 Days of Creation Studies! (more…)
