Piney Woods Homeschool

Why do we teach children about history (or literature or any of a number of subjects)?  What is the best way to teach these subjects?  How do we know if we have taught them successfully? In Consider This:  Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition , Karen Glass explains the choices facing all of us who have the responsibility of teaching children.  When we choose to present or not present certain topics, even more so when we choose to present topics in particular ways, we are making philosophical choices whether we know it or not.  These choices have a profound effect on the way each child views the world. Karen explains that today's preferred methods of teaching resemble the old story of the blind men and the elephant, as we present children with disconnected bits of information without ever showing them the whole.  Without that view of the whole, children do not come to care about the subjects of their studies or to care about the process of learni...

I've blogged about different aspects of this process at different times.  Here are the key posts, all in one spot!  (Updated in January 2020) Sample Term Schedules - See a sample (for each AO year I've scheduled so far) of the schedules I create for my own family. How I Scheduled Year 3 - Walk through the process of planning Year 3. How I Scheduled Year 4 - Walk through the process of planning Year 4. How I Scheduled Year 5 - Walk through the process of planning Year 5. How I Scheduled Year 5 (Another Version) - Walk through the process of planning Year 5. How I Scheduled Year 6  - Walk through the process of planning Year 6. How I Scheduled Year 7 - Walk through the process of planning Year 7 for an 8th grader. How I Scheduled Year 10 - Walk through the process of planning Year 10. A Natural Reward - Guest post at Afterthoughts. Planning Our Ambleside Year   - What resources to pull together at the start of the year. Chart Format Example - See a s...

Today we transformed a diaper box into a Road Trip Treasure Chest by covering it with pages from a worn out picture book.  Inside, we stowed interesting items, bundled in groups of four similar items, which will make their appearance during our next long road trip.  For a long trip (more than 3 hours), every 100 miles we get out a bundle of items.  Each time it's a different child's turn to pick first from that bundle, but each child gets an item from each bundle.  (Unless that child has seriously misbehaved during the previous 100 miles.  In that case, no item from that bundle.) This provides frequent changes in activities, something interesting to look forward to, and regular opportunities for logical consequences to reinforce helpful behavior. What do we have in our treasure chest?  I gather items all the time, from stores, garage sales, thrift shops, bookshelves and toy bins at home--anywhere! small chalk boards with chalk and eraser magne...