Monday, September 29, 2014

A Family History

Today our Wisconsin rep Kathy shares the history of her family's journey to home education as well as a surprise connection to Charlotte Mason! 

“In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.”
                                                                                                           Alex Haley

Kathy Alphs
Every homeschooling family has a story to tell of how it all began. For our family, our homeschool journey begins in the past. My maternal grandmother, Daisy had graduated from the sixth grade at the one room country school in her small rural town. Gram was not content to be known as a “sixth grade graduate.” She had higher aspirations. She had her eyes set on obtaining a high school diploma. In the mid 1900s if you were seeking higher education, there were two options: 1. Move to the nearest city which had a high school and board with relatives. 2. Study for four years and sit for the yearly high school examination. My grandmother chose the latter.

In the pursuit of this goal my great grandmother, Mary, decided to “home educate” my grandmother because in reality, it was the only option available. She acquired a copy of Charlotte Mason’s book Home Education and read through it voraciously. After finishing Home Education Grand Mary constructed a yearly lesson plan for my grandmother using the knowledge and insight obtained from Charlotte Mason alongside the Montgomery Ward and Sears catalogs from which she ordered. Gram’s days were structured with short lessons in the morning and outdoor time in the afternoon
Charlotte Mason
For four years, Grand Mary and Gram followed Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education of living books, narration, habit training, short lessons, handwriting, dictation, poetry, Shakespeare, Plutarch, grammar, foreign language, art, music appreciation, handicrafts, nature study, outdoor education, Bible, history, and geography. The day to sit for the yearly high school examination finally arrived. Gram walked into the classroom with a positive attitude, determined to do her best. After the day of testing was completed she returned to her rural community and its way of life. A month later, the examination results arrived in the mail. Gram had the highest overall score in the group, plus she passed the examination of the first attempt. As an adolescent, I remember Gram sharing this story to encourage me while I was going through a particularly difficult time. After her passing, while going through her belongings, the high school diploma was discovered. Time had discolored the once white stationary paper to a cream colored tint, but the black italic lettering remained unaltered. As the diploma was passed around, I was able to share her story with the family members who were present.

Through the teachings of Charlotte Mason, Gram developed an insatiable appetite for learning and discovering. Her “love of learning” enriched the lives of those within her sphere of influence. When I stop to think about this particular quote from Charlotte Mason, “The question is not—how much does the youth know when he has finished his education—but how much does he care? And about how many orders of things does he care? In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set? And, therefore, how full is the life he has before him?” I think back to this incredible, articulate woman and her passion for learning.

This is the first portion of how our family’s homeschooling journey begins in the past. Please allow me to share with you the second portion of our story. My paternal grandparents, Elliott and Lola, were descended from Brits who left England during the reign of King George III. They came to the colonies as masons and evolved into plantation owners, slave traders, and tradesmen who eventually migrated north.

While doing research on our family tree several years ago, I was able to trace our ancestors back to England. While going through the family tree, there was one name which stood out from all the others: Charlotte Mason. I had always felt a “connection” to the teachings of Charlotte Mason through my maternal grandmother, but here was the proof that I am actually related to her. My husband and daughter weren’t surprised when I gave them the news. They always had an “inkling” Charlotte was somewhere on my family tree.

Next time, I will be sharing with you my “light bulb” moment which led our family to pursuing a Charlotte Mason Education.

Bibliography
Mason, Charlotte. “The Original Homeschool Series School Education” pp. 170-171. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers Inc. 1989.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Hear Rea on the Sociable Homeschooler

Rea Berg will be speaking with Vivienne McNeny, the Sociable Homeschooler tomorrow! The podcast airs at 12 central and you can access it here. Vivienne and Rea will be discussing the power of great literature and how to channel that power to shape our children's lives and character. Do not miss!

Friday, September 19, 2014

Free Shipping Offer!

As you settle in to your new school schedule, maybe you're looking for something to occupy your kids during down times, car rides, or while you're working with a sibling. Your Story Hour audio dramas are just the ticket! Put them on when your kids are playing, doing chores, or just needing to be occupied while they wait for something. Uncle Dan and Aunt Sue are the narrators who bring historical stories to life with a combination of music, dramatic acting, and great sound effects. And we're currently offering free shipping on of their collections! Maybe you know someone who would like these for Christmas! Great time to stock up!


Patterns of Destiny (12 CD Set)





















Enter "FREESHIP" in the coupon code box upon check out. Offer expires at the end of September.
Free shipping valid until September 30th for US residents only. Free shipping method USPS Media Mail. Can not be combined with any other offers. Use good for retail orders only.

Monday, September 15, 2014

The Incredible Ways Children Learn

Photo: Alamy
This week I have been listening to the TED Radio Hour podcast and I want to share a specific broadcast with you. As educators and parents, I think you'll find this absolutely fascinating and encouraging. You are all probably back to school, settling into schedules, past the first-week blues, and maybe you're excited about where this year is going to take you and your family. Or maybe you're in desperate need of some encouragement. Either way, I think this podcast will re-energy the weary and strengthen the resolve of the enthusiastic.

Entitled Unstoppable Learning, and drawing from five different TED talks, host Guy Raz digs into the absolutely incredible way babies and children learn. The latest science shows that even while babies are in the womb, they're taking in, assimilating, and processing information. One little factoid that I loved was when babies are born, they cry in the accent of their mother's language! Babies have already learned how to adapt to the culture and family into which they are born. Wow!

The look of wonder in a baby, a window into
their brilliant minds.
The first years of a child's life are critically important in their lives, but learning does not stop there. Sugara Mitra talks about his experiment in placing a computer into a wall in a slum in Delhi. He placed it at a height children could easily reach and left. And what were these children doing on this computer? Via remote desktop, Mitra was able to observe what the children were doing with this new object of fascination. With no training on how to use a computer, young children were teaching themselves how to use it. They figured out how to use the character map because the computer had no keyboard. And the real kicker is that the computer operated in English so these unstoppable learners taught themselves English in order to be able to teach themselves how to use the computer! These are children living in desperate conditions, without access to the luxuries of tutors, specialized education programs, even basic school supplies. And yet, that thirst for knowledge is unquenchable when given an outlet for development. Mitra pushed his experiment further. He developed a proposition: with access to a computer, would Tamil speaking children in a village with access to a computer programed in English be able to teach themselves about DNA replication? Without teachers, without adult supervision, without computer training of any kind, these children in an Indian village did in fact teach themselves about DNA duplication. And so Mitra saw something that has been observable but often ignored: children do not need to be taught how to learn. Teaching is not about training children to learn. Children begin learning in the womb. As educators, it's often more our role to set up an environment that provides fertile soil for the growth of that inherent learning ability. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is step out of the way!

Our entire philosophy is built around this idea: children are natural learners. They do not need to be taught to be curious, interested, or explorative. Every parent knows that babies and toddlers are the most curious creatures alive. This ability does not magically cease to exist when they enter school, but sadly it seems to wither in the confines of a classroom, rigid schedule, lifeless textbooks, and arbitrary standards. We've found that educating children via a philosophy that allows for more personalization, less rigid evaluation, and a broader definition of "learning" allows this inborn skill to flourish. Our study guides are not strict to-do lists. They do not contain a lot of tests. They're structured around fantastic stories and literature. We encourage parents to take part in their children's learning process, to discuss ideas and events, to channel curiosity into critical thinking. So if you find yourself bogged down in a curriculum that has endless checklists and fill-in-the blank worksheets, consider taking a step back. Seek to encourage joy in exploration. The learning will come. And take a bit of time to listen to the podcast, it's a great reminder that sometimes we just need to let go of our expectations and allow children the freedom to be their curious selves.

We would love to hear what you think! Chime in below in the comments section and share your thoughts. Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Pinterest pages. To learn more about Beautiful Feet Books, click here. And if you've enjoyed this, please feel free to share using the buttons below.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

American and World Modern History for Intermediate Grades!!! Sneak Peek!

It's almost here! At BFB our office is humming with activity as Rea, Jon, and Josh work round the clock to finish our BRAND-NEW study guide: American and World Modern History for Intermediate Grades. This long-awaited guide follows up our Early American History for Intermediate Grades and spans the time period from the beginning of the Civil War, right up through the 1990s! We're currently putting the final touches on it and the electronic version will be available for download this coming Friday. Hardcopies will be ready to ship in a couple of weeks. 
To whet your appetites for this exciting new study, here's some sample pages and excerpts. This guide covers one of the most exciting periods of history, a time of extreme change, scientific advances, unprecedented social change, and exciting innovation. It was also the bloodiest period in the history of the world. This study will guide students deep into the intricacies of history, allow them to get to know the heroes and heroines who changed the world, along with the villains who gave the world a glimpse of pure evil. 


The booklist for this guide is amazing! Featuring stories of non-stop action, heart-wrenching heroism, devastating loss and incredible bravery, this study appeals to all of us who love a good story. Showing that history is story, you can forget about dry textbooks and lifeless facts. Throughout the study guide you'll find author spotlights to help fill in the background for some of the 19th and 20th centuries' best writers. There are also call-out boxes to draw attention to some of the most fascinating historical figures studied in this course, people like Gladys Aylward, George Washington Carver, Frederick Douglass, The Wright Brothers, Alvin C. York, Eric Liddell, Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, Jackie Robinson, and others.

From the southern United States to the shores of Normandy. From the banks of Kitty Hawk to the villages of Korea. From President Lincoln to President Reagan. This guide bounds through time and place, leaping continents and cultures while following the progression of history.

And for you literature lovers out there, here's the book list. As we wrap up a few details, a title or two may change so keep that in mind.




Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt
The Perilous Road by William O. Steele
Carver: A Life in Poems by Marilyn Nelson
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor 
Theodore Roosevelt by Genevieve Foster
Sergeant York by John Perry
The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy
Gladys Aylward: The Little Woman by Gladys Aylward and Christine Hunter
Rascal by Sterling North
The House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert DeJong
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop
The Little Riders by Margaretha Shemin
War Boy: A Country Childhood by Michael Foreman 
Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi
Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Water Buffalo Days: Growing Up in Vietnam by Huynh Quang Nhuong

Check out the pack here!


Are you as excited as I am? This Friday, we'll be posting the link to the study guide!

We would love to hear what you think! Chime in below in the comments section and share your thoughts. Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Pinterest pages. To learn more about Beautiful Feet Books, click here. And if you've enjoyed this, please feel free to share using the buttons below.

Friday, September 05, 2014

History Spotlight: Ancient Ethiopian Churches


BBC Travel has a fascinating account of a journey to visit the ancient Christian churches of Ethiopia. These frescoed buildings are tucked away in thousand foot cliffs and require a physically (and mentally) challenging climb up hundreds of feet of rock. The caretakers guide visitors up heart-poundingly precarious sheer rock faces. Due to their isolated positions the churches are stunningly preserved and feature Orthodox frescoes. 

Click here for more photos and an account of a journalist's pilgrimage to see these amazing sacred sites. 



All photos from: http://www.bbc.com/travel/slideshow/20140814-in-ethiopia-an-adrenaline-filled-act-of-faith