Winter Birding With Your Preschooler

The air is cold and crisp, but not too crisp. It’s sunny out, and it’s perfect weather for birding. Before we go back to our usual deluge, we’ve been able to spot a lot of birds who cluster around our backyard feeder. We’re intermittent bird feeders in the summer, but winter birds can usually depend on us. My daughter and I love to watch them, especially after the first snowfall comes and the birds leave tiny footprints on the snow. Some of the birds in our area migrate to warmer places for the winter, while others move down from the … Continue reading

Homeschooling Philosophies: The Charlotte Mason Method

There are a variety of home schooling philosophies, ideas about educating children and thoughts about how children learn best. This month, I want to take some time to explore some varying philosophies. I firmly believe that before making a commitment to a particular curriculum, it is worth your effort to explore different philosophies and decide for yourself what will work for your children and your family. Charlotte Mason is interesting in that she readily admitted that her philosophy continuously evolved. She never claimed to have finished writing any book and claimed that she was learning along with her students. She … Continue reading