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Elizabeth
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We've taken a lovely trip down a garden-themed rabbit trail. There are so many wonderful books to read on garden themes--and lots to do too! Please post here with your book suggestions and ideas to add.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Louise
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Dear Elizabeth,
As usual FANTASTIC!  We too are fully into garden projects. I will be looking forward to visit this thread often to share ideas.
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Louise, mom of 11
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JennGM
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This is great! I can't believe the coincidence...I was piling up all our books we've been reading on gardening and to post today. I had them in my hands when I read your post. Now how can I match this?  I'm not even going to try! My humble little list....
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Jennifer G. Miller
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stefoodie
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Thanks for all the wonderful ideas! We got stuck at rabbits, squirrels and birds after the kids spied these in our garden. After reading your post I think we need to venture further...
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stef
mom to five
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Elizabeth
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JennGM wrote:
| This is great! I can't believe the coincidence...I was piling up all our books we've been reading on gardening and to post today. I had them in my hands when I read your post. Now how can I match this? |
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Jenn,
The Lois Ehlert books are particularly appropriate for really little folks.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Christine
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Elizabeth, this is wonderful! The only thing I would add is poetry. Cicely Mary Barker's little Flower Fairies books are perfect for this purpose (they are Peter Rabbit style ~ published by Frederick Warne, too).
Dawn, initially made me aware of Cicely Mary Barker. My daughters' ballet teacher made me aware of the little books. My girls will be dancing in Flower Fairies this June. One will be a forget-me-not, the other a sweet pea. We will be giving them Flower Fairies of the Garden and Flower Fairies of the Spring after the recital.
Edited to add: There is also a Flower Fairies Tea Party book that I hope to use this summer for a birthday party.
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Christine
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Elizabeth
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Christine,
So far, the only poetry we've done is here. They've memorized and tomorrow we're going to work on sopying, mounting and embellishing with quilling. I'll post pictures when we have some!
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Christine
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Elizabeth, I look foward to seeing the pictures. You and Alice are true inspirations!
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Christine
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Dawn
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Elizabeth, I love your wonderful, inspiring post!! I was feverishly writing down all the titles when I finally just printed off the post in its entirety!
Perfect timing for us too, we're so often out in the garden these days (math, what's that?  ). Butterflies and fairies are particularly big around here right now. Love the quilling poetry idea, too. Can't wait to see the pictures! 
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JennGM
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Elizabeth wrote:
JennGM wrote:
| This is great! I can't believe the coincidence...I was piling up all our books we've been reading on gardening and to post today. I had them in my hands when I read your post. Now how can I match this? |
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Jenn,
The Lois Ehlert books are particularly appropriate for really little folks. |
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I'll have to get those next time at the library. They also have a it on cd and a DVD of the Rainbow book. Thanks for the wonderful tips.
I posted our little book list of gardening...different approach, as mine is a little younger.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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lilac hill
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Elizabeth wrote:
| We've taken a lovely trip down a garden-themed rabbit trail. There are so many wonderful books to read on garden themes--and lots to do too! Please post here with your book suggestions and ideas to add. |
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This question is a bit off topic, so move it if you wish, and maybe I ask it because we have a DD#1 home for college ; PA homeschool law requires an evaluation, portfolio and log to be turned in by June 30th  ; and DD#2 finishing public high school at the beginning of June so our calendars run at a different pace BUT, do you school/rabbit trail/nature notebook/unit study throughout the year?
Even without college and public school I was ready to be "done" about now. I find that we are winding down. Finishing projects, starting outdoor projects, attending ball practices and just plain playing. I know DD#3 does not have the energy or patience for new rabbit trails and honestly, I am tired too.We both seem to be needing independant projects. The nature books I love are out and sometimes thay get read by everybody; my nature finds are shared but in an "observing" way (as in "WOW MOM, so glad your orioles are back but I do not think I want to sit here watching with the binoc's as the happy couple goes in an out!- sometimes is is a trial being the only one who loves nature in a household ); we do read aloud, play piano, listen to music, take more hikes and bike rides, and have people over as often as we can to enjoy the back porch; and I read more and write more and have time for the tea and quiet observing. All the above is done in a very relaxed manner though.
I respectfully ask the following question, and know that I am in awe of the wonderful posts here describng activities and learning that is going on.
So I guess the question is-how do you keep/have/maintain the energy or interest in finding the books, links, copywork? How do you keep your children enthused? By now I kind of feel used up.
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Viv
Wife to Rick (7/83), Mom to dd#1(6/87), dd#2(1/90), and dd#3(6/94) in central PA.
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Elizabeth
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lilac hill wrote:
| So I guess the question is-how do you keep/have/maintain the energy or interest in finding the books, links, copywork? How do you keep your children enthused? By now I kind of feel used up. |
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I don't. I'm not high energy. Right now, I'm really no energy. When I tell you that absolutely all I'm doing is staying home and keeping this household running, I really mean it. In the past week, I've driven to the midwife and two soccer games (that was our time to listen to the audio book). That's it. It's been this way since January 1st. And since I moved from heaving to contracting without missing a beat, I'm thinking that God is trying to tell me that this is the way I'm to live.
This is a perfect example of a low-energy unit, though (with the notable exception of moving 40 cubic yards of dirt )Notice some things: All the books are picture books except The Secret Garden and the book to go with it and the craft book.
The history (just a little) is contained in Inside The Secret Garden. The crafts are simple in that book and totally self-contained in the Klutz book.
It's pretty much a reading unit to go with something you'd be doing anyway (gardening). Picture books are bedtime stories here. So, what I've done is take somehting I'd do anyway: bedtime stories, and key it to the content I want to impart. "Pick any story you want; just choose it from the garden basket." Most of the story and the content learning has happened in my bed bewteen 8 and 9 every night. In the morning, they do. They draw or they take pictures and blog. I sit outside and watch them dig or plant or haul dirt (I discovered the contractions when I attempted to DO some of this with them).
I did spend a lot of time digging up books this time. But my plan for the near future (the rest of the year?) is to use the Real Learning booklist and Cay's Catholic Mosaic. I'll continiue to blog about literature-driven, fairly relaxed trails.
Your daughter is older than most of my children. I think a booklist, along a theme, with a craft book or two thrown in, is just fine for the enitre summer. Wehn you put together the stack of books, just keep in mind that something related to art is nice and something related to nature is nice, etc. But if it doesn't fit for this particular period, don't force it. You can pick it up on the next go 'round. Actually, I think this is the preferred method of learning! And in the summer, it requires the shade of an oak tree and an unlimited supply of juicy peaches.
I can't recommend blogging enough for her. I think setting up private blogs for children has the potential to change the way we teach writing. Give her a blog and let her figure it out. It's easy to set up, if you keep it very simple. Let the girls set it up this summer while they're together (Typepad has a great deal for unlimited number of blogs.) Let her post photos (you can password protect the blog). Require that she call you when she has a draft. Sit down together and edit (perfect way to get a little, meaningful grammar lesson into every day) and then she can post. Instantly, she's published! Her sisters have a way to see what's happening at home, to comment, and to encourage her. You can widen the circle to grandparents, godparents, other children blooging whom you trust. This is incredibly gratifying for a child. Warning: you may have to compete for computer time.
The plus for you is that you will have continuous, running records of her activities, much of it academic. Now, you copy, paste into a Word document and print, organizing by the subjects you've already chosen to file electronically on the blog, and you are well on your way to a very impressive portfolio.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Elizabeth
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Christine wrote:
Dawn, initially made me aware of Cicely Mary Barker. My daughters' ballet teacher made me aware of the little books. My girls will be dancing in Flower Fairies this June. One will be a forget-me-not, the other a sweet pea. We will be giving them Flower Fairies of the Garden and Flower Fairies of the Spring after the recital. |
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What a sweet idea! Books after recitals; I'm definitely tucking that one away for future use .
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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lilac hill
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As always Elizabeth you can put things in perspective
I have not been picture booking and missing it so even though DD#3 is almost 12, we will get back there.
It has always worked before, why did I "forget" how well it worked, even for DD#2 who is 16 and likes to eat her AM cereal with a few picture books on hand (BTW, DD#1 who is almost 19 does the same thing!)
We have done the kind of "unit " you describe so well. I hate when I leave the happy place of a real learning home.
It is my secret wish to return to childhood and live the real learning lifestyle. I had the great books part and plenty of them but some of the activities I read about entices me.
BLOGGING-exclamation point! , question mark?.
Definately something to think about.
Just because I love paper, pencils, gel pens...
You may have a great idea for DD#3. With WriteGuide and the structure of daily writing for a month we made great progress. DD#3 loves to create,organize pictures, and plan color schemes her unscrapbooking mother is a great disappointment! and setting up and maintaining a blog might be just the thing, especially for our out of state cousins and her college sister (I have found they do not communicate well on the phone)It might give her a chance to be published.
And honestly, I never realized that there was such a thing as a private blog, one suitable for children. I know--obvious to many but the info about blogs kind of overwhelms me so I just read a few and leave it at that!
When I return from the FCL conference  in Lancaster this weekend, I will search out some info and maybe get the girls moving on a neat project.
And please know that you have my prayers for your contracting preganacy. I will add your intentions to my prayers to St. Gerard . DH's neice is expecting twins in September--she is already on bedrest and her twin girls' size is responding positively and my brother and his wife are expecting a little boy in October--such gifts.
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Viv
Wife to Rick (7/83), Mom to dd#1(6/87), dd#2(1/90), and dd#3(6/94) in central PA.
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Kelly
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VERY nice, Elizabeth , and I like the idea of blogging for the big kids. Like Viv, I had skipped the posts about blogging (being the computer challenged person that I am) but suspect this might be just the thing for the older set. For a quick education in blogging, do you have any suggestions beyond the "Attention bloggers" thread? I really have no idea how to do such a thing, though I suspect my dc do
Kelly in FL
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hereinantwerp
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GARDENS--
How exciting!!--
Last weekend we moved and I have my first garden ever! Dh and I bought our first garden hose, clippers, etc . . .. My energizer-bunny 6 yo (you really, truly, CANNOT tire this boy out) has been outside every chance he can get, running, digging, this is such a relief after years in small apartments! My baby girl loves it out there too, just loves--dirt. I have been out pulling weeds and poking around instead of unpacking, though I'm pretty clueless what to actually do, guess I'll figure it out as I go--thankfully dh knows more about this than me though he's busy much of the time.
SO--If someone knows of a really great, all in one volume, perfect garden book for absolute beginners, preferably with a lot of pictures, please post and tell me!
And I thought I'd share that I have this wonderful looking craft/project book called "Nature Smart." It is a reprint combining some older books called Nature Crafts for Kids and Ecology Crafts for Kids, one of the authors is named Gwen Diehn. I was browsing it the other day. This book looks so wonderful, the projects just really neat and worth doing. I am hoping to "schedule" one activity per week from this book next year. I am normally not good at scheduling and accomplishing hands-on things, but as I said these projects look so terrific. There is also a lot of interesting, well-written text to read about different nature topics, I was learning quite a bit myself just browsing through it. I am hoping to do better with the CM/nature study thing and hoping this can be a good way for this.
(I have not been on here for a long time b/c of the move--have done no school for over a month for the same reason. Pretty exhausted and hoping to get back in the swing of things this week. A garden unit sounds wonderful, if only I had access to all those great books!  )
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Angela Nelson
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Cheryl M.
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Elizabeth - I am so inspired by reading this thread alone! I think my almost 11 year old daughter will enjoy having her own blog this year. Thanks for all the info.
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ladybugs
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Elizabeth wrote:
I'm not high energy. Right now, I'm really no energy. When I tell you that absolutely all I'm doing is staying home and keeping this household running, I really mean it. In the past week, I've driven to the midwife and two soccer games (that was our time to listen to the audio book). That's it. It's been this way since January 1st. And since I moved from heaving to contracting without missing a beat, I'm thinking that God is trying to tell me that this is the way I'm to live.
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My first and fourth pregnancies were excruciatingly difficult. I was violently ill 24/7. I totally understand what you're saying here, Elizabeth.
God Bless you!
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Alison
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We have also been bitten by the gardening bug! Its still winter here but relatively mild! Our children have especially enjoyed making fairy houses and I have managed to mulch nearly all the gardens with chicken manure! I have pictures on my blog please feel free to leave a comment there . I am being really brave posting because my blog is far from a work of art(sigh!) and I haven’t yet had time to figure how to make it easier to read!
Alison in Adelaide
http://homeschoolblogger.com/Aliadelaide
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lapazfarm
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Alison, as I commented on your blog, you have some wonderful ideas to share! I LOVE the post about how you do geography in your homeschool. And your garden looks lovely and so kid-friendly!
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Theresa
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Down the Garden Trail
