It’s a cool, crisp Fall day as we meander down the river trail. Pumpkins are strategically placed along the trail for us to find and decorate. There are some big ones and some little ones to fit everyone’s taste. We find a sunny spot, spread out the blankets and begin our masterpiece. We use permanent … [Read more…]
To all of you who are having fun with natural learning – thank you! A special thank you to those who have sent me pictures and thoughts to share. I know it strengthens all of us when we have a community and we can all contribute. Wendy wrote: “The boys made a candy dispenser out … [Read more…]
One of my cute subscribers sent me these pictures of her children building their own Rube Goldberg machines after watching the video from my post: “Begin with No end in mind!” They were so cute I had to share them! Little miracles are always awaiting the dedication and love of sweet parents. Though naturally … [Read more…]
Why do I love using pass-along stories? It’s a very quiet activity (in the beginning) as each student concentrates on what to say next. There is a whole lot of writing going on and everyone enjoys it. There is laughter, enthusiasm, and fun! Finally, the subject matter, which in today’s case was Hernan Cortes and … [Read more…]
Our excursion today was to a local university museum of art as well as the science building on campus. The children in our group range from ages 2 to 10. I’ve taken many children to many museums over the years! While some love to spend time carefully walking through and observing, most of them walk … [Read more…]
There’s something irresistible about playing in sand – just try it and see. It quickly coaxes the shoes off our feet and brings imaginations to life! Our cooperative recently enjoyed a beautiful day in the sun at the Sand Dunes just an hour drive from home. There was plenty of jumping, digging, sledding and sunbathing. … [Read more…]
Our observation today took us up the canyon where the ground was covered with autumn leaves. After a prayer, a song and some mind math, we found that one of the boys had gone home from last week and researched a little bit more about animals. He discovered that if you come across a Gila … [Read more…]
Today we opened with this beautiful song. I like this version because the kids can see the words and sing along – which many of them did. We had a discussion about the talents they are recognizing in themselves that perhaps they hadn’t noticed before. It was quite profound. After mind math and math we … [Read more…]
“And so we discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being.” —Maria Montessori Continuing our observation this week we went to “Wild Wonders,” a refuge for animals that are sick, injured or orphaned. The great thing about Wild … [Read more…]
With sixteen kids in our class from age 14-18 we have a ton of fun! It can get a little bit crazy, but it is always wonderful! So how does natural learning, with a cooperative-style class and high school age students, look? One never knows for sure! Beginning with prayer and some beautiful thoughts is … [Read more…]