I often get asked how we do nature study. In my previous post, I shared three simple steps to incorporate nature study into your homeschool day. Because there will always be gaps in a child's education, teaching them how to learn is so much more important than what they learn. Research skills are vital for success, and … Continue reading 50 Amazing Nature Study Resources
We wandered down the gravel road, past the fields that were so familiar to my dirt-stained hands. Past the first irrigation pond, then more crops, then a small forest. At the back pond, we stopped and watched the tadpoles resting quietly beneath the surface of the water. This—all of it—was why we had come to … Continue reading How to Incorporate Nature Study into your Homeschool Day
Midnight had come and gone. We stumbled through the darkness, our flashlights barely illuminating the trail through the woods. The cold seeped through my winter coat and into my bones. Ahead of us, a long net stretched down the path and into the blackness. “We got one!” someone cried. Carefully, he untangled the little bird … Continue reading Nature Study: What’s the Big Deal?
There are fingerprints on the television. And on the walls. And on the windows. Tiny little fingerprints made by tiny little hands. And there are crayons buried in the couch and storybooks tucked behind the cushions. I’m going to miss this someday—the messes, the spills, the child-marks left everywhere. Yesterday, I held the littlest one … Continue reading My Beautiful Mess
The sun is just starting to push its way above the horizon, and last year’s fallen leaves are etched in frost. The woods quiver with birdsong, a crescendo that rises as the light becomes more brilliant. We wander slowly down the dirt trail, my friend, my daughter and I. Listening. Absorbing. We met at a … Continue reading The Promise of Life
It’s almost autumn. The mid-afternoon sun is hot, and in the orchard, sleepy cows rest in the shade of an apple tree. Although the tree is old and gnarled, its leaves are still green and plump fruit hangs red. Near the fence, thistles are bursting with wisps of seed waiting to be caught in the … Continue reading (Almost) Autumn Hikes and Room to Breathe
The breeze is tinged with the perfume of blossoms—white blossoms brushed with the lightest blush of pink. In the thick of the apple branches, there is a flash of flame-orange, and the unmistakable song of an oriole rings through the air. Down below, a profusion of forget-me-nots is on full display in the garden. Spring … Continue reading Out on a Limb
