When asked to tell his life story, Meindert DeJong wrestled to find something interesting enough to record. To most of us, the events of his life are far from ordinary. He basically described his life as divided between the writing part and the non-writing part. I contend that the non-writing part made the writing part remarkable. His simple storytelling is… Read More Hungry for a Good Story?
Though summer weather has been upon us for awhile, the official calendar summer begins tomorrow. I pause today on summer’s eve to reflect about summer. Growing up in a place where winter meant harsh weather, the prospect of the coming summer was a glorious promise – sunshine, warmth, beaches, freedom from school, leisure. Do you remember the bliss of “school’s… Read More Summertime: Pace or Space?
Atticus Finch. What a father. Even as a child I admired him deeply after meeting him in the pages of To Kill a Mockingbird. Quiet, resolute, insightful, his battle for justice for the oppressed was awe inspiring. Scout learned the most valuable lessons in life about loving your neighbor as yourself under his gentle management,… Read More Father Stories
One of the workshops I attended at the just concluded Childlight USA Conference in Boiling Springs, North Carolina was on writing. The presenter discussed how children learn to write and why they write, which gives us insight into guiding them in their writing education. The main contributing ingredient to those who excel in the craft is a rich background and… Read More The Girl Who Loved Storytelling
Installment H, concluding Book II of Volume 4: Ourselves, is now available as an MP3 Download. Please visit our Charlotte Mason Audio page for more information.
Concern with character building is a recurrent theme in homeschool circles. Just recently I read a mother’s request for suggestions of books that would help her teach character. I’m personally doubtful that any workbook will provide material that can convey the virtues and strength of character parents desire their children to exhibit, let alone produce… Read More He’s the Man
When you begin digging for treasure from the “Golden Age of Children’s Literature” you might miss this author, but when her books are unearthed and opened, there is gold. In fact, a friend once confessed that in sorting through piles of old books she had acquired, she gave away a whole batch of Hilda van Stockum’s books and later… Read More Discovering Hilda
Installment G, continuing Book II of Volume 4: Ourselves, is now available as an MP3 Download. Please visit our Charlotte Mason Audio page for more information.
Spring is in full bloom. Flox, iris, and even the delphinium are bursting to beautify our borders. Honeysuckle is sweetening the air. Strawberries are ripe for picking and mouth-wateringly delicious. In the vegetable garden, the peas are flowering and the potatoes are up. Every night we have enormous salads because the greens are so lush and prolific that we… Read More Books in the Garden
Boys are commonly viewed as having trouble in school. It is true that they often are slower to read. I have half boys and half girls and I would say the generalizations are not unfounded, but my years with this library have shown me an interesting phenomenon. Boys overwhelmingly are the most enthusiastic investigators and most… Read More Thank You, Mr. Bulla