Nature study is one of those aspects of the Charlotte Mason method that is often mentioned but rarely studied in-depth. Just what, exactly, did Charlotte mean by “nature study”? We’ve been combing her writings and compiling her comments, and a beautiful picture is unfolding! Over the next few weeks we will share that beautiful, encompassing […]
When to Do Nature Study
If you bring up the subject of “when to do nature study,” different moms have different ideas in mind. “Yes, how old should my child be to start nature study, and how long should we spend outside?” one mom asks. While another mom says, “This will be helpful; I’ve always wondered which seasons of the […]
Nature Study in a Nutshell
“OK, I’m convinced that nature study is a great thing! We’re ready to go outside and do nature study! . . . Uh, . . . what do we do when we get out there?” Here are some of Charlotte’s key descriptions of how to do nature study. (more…)
The Secret of the Nature Notebook
“Where do I find a nature notebook?” “What does it look like?” “How do we go about creating a nature notebook? Is there a template somewhere?” Questions like these cross my desk regularly. So let’s reveal the secret of the mysterious nature notebook. (more…)
Nature Study, Plus . . .
As wonderful as Charlotte Mason-style nature study is, it does have its limits. Charlotte was aware of those limits, and she did not use natural study exclusively. As we researched her comments about nature study, we discovered that she supplemented that foundation with three things: living science books, object lessons, and nature projects. (more…)
Natural Object Lessons
When I hear the phrase “object lesson,” I think of several little presentations that I watched when I was a child. In those presentations the speaker would perform some kind of attention-grabbing trick with an object and then use that trick as an illustration to teach a moral lesson. Let’s make it perfectly clear right […]
5 Great Nature Projects
During the past few weeks we have been sharing that there is more to nature study than just spending time outside. We’ve looked at Charlotte Mason’s ideas about why to do nature study, when to do nature study, what nature study looks like, and how to keep a nature notebook. And most recently we’ve been […]
Do’s and Don’ts of Nature Study
We’re approaching the end of our series on nature study. We hope you’ve enjoyed the posts and learned a lot from them. As we start wrapping things up this week, we want to share some of Charlotte’s counsel to parents. Here are ten do’s and don’ts that will help you guide your child in nature […]
New Nature Study Book
We’ve had a great time doing this nature study series, and we’re excited to announce our new nature study handbook: Hours in the Out-of-Doors: A Charlotte Mason Nature Study Handbook! Hours in the Out-of-Doors compiles and organizes Charlotte Mason’s comments on nature study. (more…)
Nature Study Bonus Features
Our children love to make their own movies and explore the various aspects of filmmaking. They have found that the bonus features on movie DVDs offer many insights about how films are made that they can try to emulate. Those little extras can add a lot! As we wrap up this series, we wanted to […]
