Simple Wonders

When it comes to teaching history homeschool parents have a lot of decisions to make -- Should I study US or world history? At what age should a child begin learning about history? There is SO MUCH history, where do I begin? How do I teach it? How do I choose a curriculum or how can I make my own? 🤯 In this video I go over why we should teach history and how Charlotte Mason taught it in her schools. Teaching history to kids of the same age is different than teaching it to a variety of ages, so I share my experience teaching it family-style at home with my 4 kids. There are many ways to approach history, but I've adjusted Charlotte Mason's method to fit the needs of my family. I hope you find answers to your questions and idea to implement in your own home! In future videos I'll share:📚 my favorite living history books📆 the notebooks and "things" we use to enrich our history lessons _________ Click on the link below to watch this episode as a video: https://youtu.be/rRHxNHS9ees AMAZON STOREFRONT https://tinyurl.com/bdhka2ct PATREON https://www.patreon.com/SimpleWonders557?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator WEBSITE www.simplewonders.org #homeeducation #homeschooling #homeschool #howtoteachkidsathome #history #charlottemason

Nature study is a hallmark feature of a Charlotte Mason education, but how do you teach nature study? What plants and animals should you study? What questions should you ask? And what does a lesson look like? In this video I share what I've learned in my 6 years of experience (and counting!) teaching nature study through OBJECT LESSONS. I use Charlotte Mason's methods and the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Comstock. This one book alone is all you need to effectively (and simply!) teach nature study. I talk through my process of picking subjects to study, where and when we do object lessons, what it looks like, and how I use the Handbook of Nature Study. The best part? It only takes 15 minutes of your week to teach an object lesson, and the benefits are well worth it! Studying nature is linked to better mental and physical well-being, as well as honing observation and attention. LINKS ⬇️ AMAZON STOREFRONT  https://tinyurl.com/bdhka2ct YOUTUBE https://youtu.be/ttWZ60Kl8hM PATREON https://www.patreon.com/SimpleWonders557?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator WEBSITE www.simplewonders.org

You've heard about nature notebooking (AKA journaling) or seen some beautiful shots of children's nature journals. But you have reservations... Your kids are not artistic (and neither are you!). It seems so simple, is it really worth my time? How do I encourage and inspire my kids to record in their notebooks? Nature notebooking is your child’s first science notebook. They learn how to wonder, observe, record, and make connections. These skills are essential for success in future STEM subjects. Nature study is truly the foundation of science. But most importantly it develops lifelong learning habits and an eye for beauty. In this video I talk about the principles and how to begin nature notebooking – the supplies you’ll need, what it looks like in real life (I’ll show you samples of my boys’ notebooks), and some troubleshooting in case your child isn’t as enthusiastic as you are! ⬇️ LINKS ⬇️ YOUTUBE VIDEO PATREON MY FAVORITE NATURE STUDY SUPPLIES SIMPLEWONDERS.ORG

Nature study can be a daunting subject, but it doesn't have to be! Simply start with a weekly nature walk around a park, or even around your neighborhood. Charlotte Mason put a lot of weight on the importance of nature study throughout a person's life, and it can be as easy as taking a weekly nature walk as a family and noticing: 1) seasonal changes 2) plants and animals 3) geography In this video I summarize Charlotte Mason's methods and along with some tips and tricks I've learned over the past 6 years of teaching nature study. WATCH YOUTUBE VIDEO https://youtu.be/KV2jm6nJ3eQ ____ AMAZON STOREFRONT https://tinyurl.com/bdhka2ct PATREON https://www.patreon.com/SimpleWonders557?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator WEBSITE www.simplewonders.org

Nature study is one of the most important subjects in developing the mind and heart! For this reason it is my FAVORITE subject to teach. It is one of the reasons I was drawn to Charlotte Mason's method of education. In this episode I briefly discuss the principles behind nature study and how I teach it at home with 3 simple steps -- weekly nature walk, object lesson, and nature notebook. Over the next few episodes I will go into detail about each one of these steps. For now, I hope you get a general idea of what it looks like and (hopefully) some excitement to begin! ____ YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/KdiFG5w6EMA

In this episode Nicole Williams and I discuss why you should be studying nature (hint: it's the foundation of all STEM skills, but that's not the most important reason...), how to teach it to different ages, and what kind of book and resources you’ll need. Nicole is the most knowledgeable person I know on the subject and I know you’re going to come away feeling excited and equipped to begin studying nature with your kids! Nicole Williams, a leading expert in Charlotte Mason homeschooling, is the author of the 27-book Living Science Curriculum, founder of Sabbath Mood Homeschool, host of A Delectable Education Podcast, and has over two decades of experience educating and inspiring thousands of parents and teachers.  Nicole’s Website: https://sabbathmoodhomeschool.com/ A Delectable Education Podcast https://www.adelectableeducation.com/ Special Gift for Listeners! https://sabbathmoodhomeschool.com/sw/ AMAZON STOREFRONT  PATREON INSTAGRAM www.simplewonders.org

In this episode I get to chat with my friend and fellow homeschool mamma, Havalah Turner.  Grammar and writing can be terrifying subjects for homeschoolers. We either overdo it with stacks of worksheets, or we don’t teach it all.   But there is a better way! Writing is simply putting thoughts down on paper, and grammar is playing with words and finding the clearest and most beautiful way to convey those ideas.  And in this episode we talk about exactly that – how to encourage your kids to write down their ideas (i.e. narrations!) and some ideas of how to teach grammar in a way that is playful and useful.  Some topics we cover:  Grammar instruction, Copia, The Writing Revolution, The Brave Writer, Institute For Excellence in Writing, Know and Tell, written narration, composition.  Links The Writing Revolution by Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler Know and Tell by Karen Glass But How Do You Teach Writing? By Barry Lane The Writing Thief by Ruth Culham Grammar Matters and Should Be Taught Differently Teaching Grammar in the 21st Century Playing With Words: AKA Grammar | However Imperfectly

“In this time of extraordinary pressure—educational and social—perhaps a mother’s first duty to her children is to secure for them a quiet growing time" -Charlotte Mason, Home Education "What should I do with my preschool-age kids to make sure they're ready for school?" "Which preschool/kindergarten curriculum should I use?" "My first grader keeps getting in trouble at school. He's so wiggly and disruptive. What should I do?" The Early Years, the stage from birth to six years old, is a special time of immense growth -- both physically, mentally, and emotionally. And because of this they require a totally different educational approach than school-age children. What do young kids actually need from adults and how can we best provide a "quiet growing time?" I'll answer those questions and more in this episode. __ (03:10 - 04:35) Early Childhood Development Priorities (07:48 - 09:53) Analyzing Trends in Early Childhood Education (11:50 - 13:41) Parental Attachment Impacts Child's Mental Health (18:17 - 20:25) Sensory Development in Children (25:47 - 27:12) Balancing Formal Lessons With Child-Led Learning (28:08 - 29:11) Importance of Quiet Growing Time (34:47 - 36:07) Benefits of Outdoor Play for Children (42:41 - 43:39) Early Years Development Guide and Activities __ Become a Patreon Member for only $5/month The Early Years Guide Preschool + Kindergarten at Home | YouTube

How do I teach handwriting? My child has dyslexia -- will Charlotte Mason's method work for him/her? How can I encourage a reluctant writer? ____ In this episode I invite Penny Gardner to help me answer these questions and more! Charlotte Mason taught handwriting, grammar, spelling, and writing through a simple method called "copywork." We discuss why this is such a powerful tool and how to make it more appealing for reluctant writers. We also discuss if CM's method works for kids with dyslexia. ____ Penny Gardner has over 20 years of experience homeschooling her six children who are now adults. After teaching her own children at home, Penny worked in public and charter schools, with a Level 2 Utah teaching license. She spoke at homeschool conferences and created Italics, Beautiful Handwriting for Children. She participated in the 2011 Summer Writing Institute, part of the Central Utah Writing Project. She then taught summer writing camps on the BYU campus for 10 years. You can find her handwriting curriculum and her other resources on her website https://pennygardner.com/italics/https://pennygardner.com/italics/ _____ PATREON AMAZON STOREFRONT  INSTAGRAM WEBSITE

In this episode I have a conversation with Julie Ross, founder of A Gentle Feast. We discuss the different ideas of teaching reading (AKA "The Reading Wars"), the pros and cons of each, and the research on reading. We also discuss why Charlotte Mason's method of teaching reading was so ingenious and effective! _____ Julie has been teaching for almost two decades in various educational settings including public elementary school, private Christian school, and a university model homeschool academy. She was the co-founder of two of those schools utilizing my expertise in curriculum and organizational leadership. She created the scopes and sequences for these schools and created my own original curriculum for several classes. She has a B.S. in Elementary Education from Penn State University. She created A Gentle Feast because that’s what she wished she had when she first began homeschooling her children. When she’s not busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or reading, she can be found painting Goodwill furniture or buying more books on Amazon. The Feast Life Podcast _____ LINKS PATREON INSTAGRAM WEBSITE