Why can't we just let children be CHILDREN?

Why can't we just let them be little?

There are many ways in which our public schools fail to educate children. We are failing to cultivate wonder in children.

My heart sank this week as I read about a kindergarten gun control walkout in Connecticut.

What has the world come to when we use five and six-year-old children as political pawns?

Have we become so SELFISH that we are willing to sacrifice our precious children on the altar of "making a point"?

It appears so.

Let Them Be Little: The Crime of Vanishing Childhood

The irony in this is that the more we remove "childhood" from our children's lives, the less capable adults they will become. When we force our children to bypass childhood we fail to realize the detrimental effects this will have on them in later life.

Parents are fooling themselves if they believe schools are going to preserve and nurture childhood.

I was once among a large number of trusting parents who believed the public schools had my children's best interest at heart - or maybe I should simply say the interests of the public schools are misguided. As I watched my kindergarten student participate in "Just Say No" week (the anti-drug campaign) - when she had no idea of what drugs even were, I wondered why political agendas were part of her school day.

I was so conditioned to just ACCEPT these things as part of the public school's duty to children. I didn't question what the public schools did. They were the AUTHORITY on education. We just sent our children to school - the teachers had their job and I had mine.

Then one day I started getting an uneasy feeling about all of this. A friend loaned me some homeschooling books. The principal at my child's school didn't appreciate me asking so many questions about the WHYS of what they did. The idea of homeschooling began to take a foothold in my mind.

Finally, we abandoned the ideal of public school and decided to just let our children be LITTLE.

Three Ways Homeschooling Lets Our Children Be LITTLE

Homeschooling gives children time to discover the world.

Children learn best through DISCOVERY.

Plopping them in a sterile environment with worksheets and prescribed activities leaves no time for a child to explore and wonder.

If we are trying to teach our children about birds - and most of all, how to APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY of birds - setting up a bird feeder and observing beautiful birds is of much more value than reading about birds in a textbook. As small children are going about their daily work of PLAYING, they may stop at intervals to admire the birds at the feeder. They will ask their mother, "What bird is this?", which can lead to discovery, which makes a memory, which then cements that knowledge.

“Of the evils of modern education few are worse than this - that the perpetual cackle of his elders leaves the poor child not a moment of time, nor an inch of space, wherin to wonder - and grow.”

— Charlotte Mason, Volume 1, p. 18

A no-twaddle bird study put together by the parent is of infinite value and allows our children to learn in an unrestricted environment. It challenges them to learn more, builds an appreciation of all things beautiful, and serves as a building block in a lifetime of knowledge of the natural world around them.

Giving our children permission to indulge in these things is a gift.

Homeschooling gives children time with their parents and siblings.

How very old-fashioned and un-evolved of me to suggest children should be home with their mother (or father) all day!

It certainly isn't in vogue to suggest the family be the primary unit of socialization and support, is it?

I have seen first-hand how happy and healthy children are when they have the security and being with family all day. Time with family builds security, self-confidence, and happiness.

This time at home with parents and siblings allows our children the space they need to PLAY, EXPLORE, and LEARN.

How much more valuable is a walk in the neighborhood with the family than sitting through a "Just Say No to Drugs" presentation?

We love to use the buzz words "quality time", but I would argue that TIME with our children is important - not just set aside time we deem as "quality", but giving all of our time to our children in their youngest years.

I cannot measure the learning that took place on our walks (especially in the fall) when my children were young. I look back on this now and am so thankful we just LET THEM BE LITTLE!

Jump in leaf piles. Get muddy. Collect bugs. Play make-believe baseball games by yourself in the backyard. Snuggle with mom.

Homeschooling Preserve A Child's Innocence

But they will have to function in the "real" world one day, so why are you sheltering them now?

Isn't this the most tired argument you have heard? I grow weary of hearing people say this.

I am, however, long past caring what others think about the way we educate our children.

Am I going to protect and shelter my children? YOU BET!

Elementary age children have no business:

worrying during active shooter drills
taking part in sex education
participating in political agendas
and a myriad of other things!

Childhood is virtually passed over when a child takes on so many things they aren't emotionally or physically capable of handling.

I vividly recall a day when my child was in third grade (our last year in the public schools) - there was an escaped convict on the loose in our area. They were searching cars on the main road near our home. The elementary school was locked down. I remember being so concerned about my daughter that day - I knew she would worry.

Wouldn't it have been so much easier to have had her at home - safely in my care with our doors locked and her being none the wiser - than subjecting her to worry?

I will fight tooth and nail to preserve my children's childhood and to LET THEM BE LITTLE.

“The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind.”

— Patrick Rothfuss

If you are interested in more homeschool encouragement, please visit the page I have dedicated to that subject.

It is important to let our children be LITTLE. We owe it to them, and ultimately our society will benefit if we give our children everything they need and deserve in their younger years.

My greatest desire is to equip and encourage you in the homeschool journey. Please leave me a comment if I can help you in any way!

Your first steps into the concept of nature study begin with your first walk outdoors. Why?

Because nature study is about observing. At its core, nature study is meant to incite delight and joy in your children as they begin to take in the beauty of God's Creation. They get to know it on a "first-name basis," as it were.

In our previous bird talk, we introduced a gentle way to jump-start your study, along with some tools. This little jumping off point required direct interaction with our feathered friends.

While this is perfect for your hands-on learner, what about the student who wants a more ethereal approach to the study of birds? What if you need to deepen your study of the birds?

I want to equip you with the tools your children need to discover the beautiful world of birds. I love Charlotte Mason's words - these particular ones always inspire me:

Living Books

A living book, one of the cornerstones of the Charlotte Mason method, is defined as, "... usually written by one person who has a passion for the subject and writes in conversational or narrative style. The books pull you into the subject and involve your emotions, so it's easy to remember the events and facts. Living books make the subject “come alive.” - Sonya Schaffer.

If you have any students like my own daughter, you can relate to my use of a living book to pique her interest in anything out of doors. Since I needed to find a creative way to introduce her to science or nature subjects, I counted on living books to do this.

Living books draw us back to the original reason we looked at the study of birds.

Why are we studying birds? Because God told us to. And why did God tell us to? I believe He wanted to reveal to us those greater lessons of life. The ones that can form the character. Those little lessons, line-upon-line, that increase our trust in the Father.

Recommendations:

"The Bird's Nest," by Christopher Von Schmid | This living book for ages 6-11, teaches the principle of trusting in God even when telling the truth could get you in trouble with man. Just as God cares for every detail about our bird friends, the Lord cares for us. Makes a great read-aloud. Available from Lamplighters, Grace and Truth Books, and Amazon.

"The Burgess Bird Book for Children" | Moving beyond strict memory-work, the Burgess Bird Book introduces birdie facts in story form. Children are introduced to relatable characters. These characters have a subtle story-line woven through the interview of the characters. Be sure and get the book with the illustrations. You (or your older children) can trace these illustrations from the books for color pages, too.

"The Boy Who Drew Birds" | A personal favorite in which a simple question and passionate curiosity led a young John James Audobon to a lifetime pursuit of the study of birds. He wanted to know if the birds that frequented his family farm would return the following spring.

"John Muir, Friend of Nature" | The biography the nineteenth-century naturalist, explorer, and writer, who was influential in establishing our national park system.

Living Music

While I'm not sure living music is a term, we can certainly apply the definition of a living book to that of music. Music as a form already lends itself to the concept of "living" vs. "dry." However, with music, it's more difficult to remove the subject quality.

All music does indeed tell a story.

It's just that not all stories told with music lend themselves to the good and the beautiful since they don't all call us towards an awe of nature or the Creator. For that, we turn instead to the masters in classical music, the music nature provides, and perhaps historical music.

Squilt, Classical Music Inspired by Birds | Nature has inspired some of the world's greatest composers. Whether you share these pieces just for their intrinsic musical value or incorporate them into a study of birds in your home, school, or co-op, we think they're a charming addition to any child's music appreciation repertoire!

"Birding by Ear" | This isn't music in the traditional sense, but the music the birds provide. A fun way to help train the ear to recognize birds, sight unseen.

Hymns That Mention Birds | From Lee's Bird Watching page, "We have many Christian Hymn Writers who have written fantastic songs. The hymns below are the ones that I have found that mention birds or fowls in some way or another." This fun little resource includes the link to the hymn in public domain along with identifying the keywords or phrase relating to birds.

Key Persons

Knowing the key persons and their role in any subject creates friends for us in our learning. Consequently, we can begin to feel that we know key persons in a study by spending time on the very things they were passionate about. What did they like? What drove their passion? Where are they from? What was their family like? How did their faith play a role in their life? What is their legacy?

John Muir | A brief online biography can accompany a picture study or living book read, such as, "John Muir, Friend of Nature."

James Harriott | Not strictly a birder, James Harriott was a veterinarian whose love of animals finds him included in our list of key persons for study. If you find your students enjoy studying animals, I recommend his series and the biography of the vet.

John James Audobon | Also known as, the American Woodsman, his passion for the study of birds has created a national treasure of art.

Alexander Wilson | The first individual who attempted to paint and describe all the birds of North America.

Picture Study

To begin a picture study habit with your children, start with introducing the artist. First of all, provide them with a biography of the artist and resources to living books. In our own home, we also chose one or two pictures from a single artist. I then created enough biography and artist information in my teacher preparation, including the type of art produced, to springboard their own study through observation and living books. Picture study was another avenue towards deeper learning.

You can play a game (though I'm not sure Ms. Mason would call it a game), where the children study the picture silently for about five minutes. Next, turn the image over and try to recall as many details as possible. Students who aren't keen to share verbally can attempt to sketch out what they recall about the picture.

In addition, the entire Audobon collection can be found here. You can also do a search for images of birds found in the Bible.

Mr. Wilson's bird plates can be found here.

Word Study

While you read through your living books, make a note of words you'd like to know more about. A word study involves not just noting the actual definition, but defining the keywords in the definition. Also, if you want to take it a step further, you can study how the word is used in Scripture. This helps you gain God's mind about the word.

Here are a few to get you started:

ornithology
study
call (relate to a bird call)
nest
observe
park

Putting it All Together

When I began this study of birds, I was surprised by just how much information there was about birds, how to study them, and ways to study them. If you'd like to make a cohesive unit study out of the information in the three posts, Why Watch the Birds, Classical Music Inspired by Birds, and this one, here are some suggestions.

Don't worry about a right way to do it. Just dig in. Let your children lead the way. Birds are an easy delight-directed study. Just observing the birds can be fun, so pack a picnic and have a birding day.
Begin with the Word Study elements of the articles. This lays a strong foundation for understanding and results in a God-perspective on the study. Finally, move into the autobiography and picture study, weaving living books throughout, and then sprinkle in the music.
Start with the music. Study the pieces, the bird sounds, and the hymns. As a result, you will have a well-rounded music appreciation course.

Regardless of how you choose to study the birds, you can be sure that God will reveal little truths along the way.

The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon (Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12)Audubon's Birds of America Coloring Book Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling, The The Camping Trip that Changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and Our National Parks John Muir, Friend of Nature. (Discovery Book)Audubon: Painter of Birds in the Wild Frontier Audubon: Painter of Birds in the Wild Frontier Every Living Thing: The Warm and Joyful Memoirs of the World's Most Beloved Animal Doctor (All Creatures Great and Small)Handbook of Nature Study The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton W. Burgess (April 23 2003)Fifty Favorite Birds Coloring Book (Dover Nature Coloring Book)Channel Craft Audubon Bird Call and Bird Identification Cards Bundle Birding by Ear: Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guides(R)) [Audio CD]The Bird's Nest (Rare Collector's Series)Audubon's Birds of North America: The Complete 500 Paintings by John James and Sheila Buff [ntroduction]. Audobon (1990-05-03)Twelve Audubon Bookmarks (Dover Bookmarks)John James Audubon: The Making of an American American Dictionary of the English Language (1828 Facsimile Edition)Alexander Wilson: The Scot Who Founded American Ornithology Bird Life Stories Latin for Bird Lovers: Over 3,000 Bird Names Explored and Explained Colore Watercolor Pencils - Water Soluble Colored Pencils For Art Students & Professionals - Assorted Colors for Sketch Coloring Pages For Kids & Adults - Vibrant Colors For Drawing Books - Set of 72 Artist's Choice Sketch Pad ,75 sheets, Pack of 2 Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You