 Did you know that in the early days of the founding of our country, that children weren't sent to school until they learned to read? Where did they learn that? At home, of course! So you can see, that homeschooling is the natural way to educate. Reading wasn't taught by experts, but by parents, because learning to read isn't hard unless you make it so. The Founding generation was highly literate!
Children of at least average intelligence can learn to read if proper methods are used. It only makes sense to use phonics, since English is a phonetic language. Each letter or combination of letters corresponds to one of only forty-four sounds in English. For two or three decades now, schools have been passing kids along who cannot read, and since most are NOT homeschooled, who is at fault here? It is the most basic job of schools to teach children to read! The reason so many cannot read (and as a result, they hate to read, understandably) is because they use faulty methods, which go by a variety of names. They might ask kids to use strategies, such as looking at pictures or noticing the first letter or two of a word or the shape of the word or to learn a gazillion sight words. What a difficult way to read! Reading is NOT a guessing game. There are sounds and orderly rules. Even the exceptions are the exception. Throwing in a smattering of phonics into the mix is not helpful and only leads to confusion. Even worse, it hinders their ability to read. Only phonics must be used. A couple of good programs are Spalding and the Orton Gillingham systems. Orton Gillingham also claims to help dyslexic kids. There is abundant research backing up phonics as the most effective way to teach reading. If you would like to learn more about how the decline in reading has happened and what can be done, I suggest listening to every episode of the podcast, "Sold a Story." In the first three years (K-3rd grade) kids are taught to read, ostensibly, and after that they are expected to read to learn. If they didn't learn to read by then, they will have an incredibly difficult time learning in school. (Fortunately, you are a homeschooler and don't have to allow that to happen to your children.) Nine out of ten high school dropouts were struggling readers in third grade. Students who don’t read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. This will alter their career trajectory profoundly. High school dropouts are already not eligible for 90 percent of jobs and cost the economy an estimated $272,000 over their lifetime. (Read the full report from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions) I find it very inappropriate that more school districts want to monitor homeschoolers when their own track record in this area is abominable. Furthermore, the fact that reading scores and reading ability in government schools is in the tank, is educational malpractice. Yet, they continue to graduate high schoolers who cannot read! Here is their own report showing that fewer than a third of the (4th and 8th grade) children are proficient readers. And it continues to decline! What they don't adress is why. So I am asking, "Why don't they explain the methods they are using? Why don't they use effective methods? They exist. These are questions that demand answers. All other learning hinges on reading, so make this your educational priority. Aren't you glad you homeschool?   I have used the quote below to introduce my topic. The bold print is my own to emphasize one of the benefits of nature journaling. https://www.freelancewriting.com/journal-writing/nature-journaling/ by Dr. Ruth Wilson "I’ve been keeping a nature journal on and off over the past twenty-five years and have found it helpful in deepening my connection with nature. By journaling, I’ve become more observant of the sights, sounds, scents, and feel of what’s around me in the natural world. I notice, for example, not just the fact that I’m walking through a forest or a grove of trees but that individual trees have unique characteristics—some have leaves shaped like stars, some have seeds that rattle in the wind, and some have bark as smooth as sanded wood. I like to record these observations along with unusual or surprising sightings, like a porcupine in the branches of a cottonwood tree or a family of quails in our backyard. One day, my surprise was finding a hummingbird’s nest with the tiniest eggs I’ve ever seen. I date my journal entries and find it interesting to compare my observations of particular places and things in nature from one season to another and from one year to another." A wealth has been written on journaling in general and nature notebooking in particular. It is a common activity in those following a Charlotte Mason-styled approach to education, but it did not start with her. Before photography, the natural world was recorded in pencil and paint. It was a way of documenting explorations and discoveries. Consider the incredibly detailed Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, who recorded plants, animals, rivers, maps, Indians, and experiences or John James Audubon whose classic work The Birds of America depicted the fowls of America. The “Father of the National Parks,” John Muir kept a nature journal of his many nature travels. With all that a busy homeschooling family must do, why should you consider spending time on this activity? One benefit of keeping a nature journal is that it will increase patience and skills of observation. Keeping a nature journal can be done when you feel inclined or on a more regular basis. That is up to you. I do find, though, that making a time for journaling will make it more likely to happen. Also, allow for those spontaneous opportunities to drop everything and grab the notebook. For example, a bird might fly into view for a brief few moments. That opportunity isn’t going to wait until your kids finish their math lesson.  What if you and your kids can’t draw? Whatever we practice tends to improve over time, so I wouldn’t be judgmental about yours or your children’s efforts. Do have some quality supplies, at least the basics: a couple of sharp pencils, erasers, colored pencils, a sketch pad. Later, you can add in some watercolors or acryllics. Your nature sketches can become the basis for more full-blown artworks. Did you know that you can BUY inspiration! Yes! Art journalists need inspiration and a beautiful classic journal to invest in is Edith Holden’s, The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady. Inside, she has drawn and painted what she sees each month in her English countryside and she has added notes of explanation. Why not pattern your nature notebooking after hers for one year? How does your landscape change from season to season and month to month? Another idea is to choose a theme. Perhaps your family will draw birds , insects, leaves, mushrooms, or animals? A trip to the zoo is a fun place to draw. We did this with our nature notebooks one time and I learned two things that made an impression on me: 1) Most people hardly look at the animals for 15 seconds! 2) When drawing a zebra, I had never realized that their mane isn’t all black or all white, but alternates, just like the stripes on their hide. To keep things fresh, change the media from time to time. Some kids really like pencils; others quickly tire of that. Try markers or pen and ink. Use colored construction paper with pastels or chalk. Some good resources for delving into this fun and educational activity: Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Leslie Walker Nature Drawing: A Tool for Learning by Clare Leslie Walker Wild Days: Creating Discovery Journals by Karen Skidmore Rackliffe Nature journaling combines art, science, and writing in one. It facilitates family togetherness. It’s a good use of your time!  |
Renee MetcalfWhere will you find me when I am not teaching? For your reading pleasure!
May 2025
Topics
All
|
RSS Feed
Photo from jofo2005
