Summer Scholé - Taking Learning Outside

I'm a big believer in learning in year round learning.  Of course the type of learning and even the setting can look different, but we shouldn't just turn our brains off during the summer!

In the spring and summer months, I love to take learning outside as much as possible.  If you are looking for ideas for how to have a restful, soul enriching time of learning as the weather warms up,  read on!

Gather Your Group and Find Your Setting

We had a great group last year that was comprised of 4 families.  There were 8 actively participating children, ranging in ages 8 down to 3.

I made a flyer to share with others what our group was about.  I printed these out (1 sheet, front and back) and handed them out to a few families that I thought might be interested in joining us.  In case it might be helpful for you, here is what I came up with:

We picked a very large park to meet at.  It was a place where we could always find a place that wasn't being occupied by others so they wouldn't distract us and we wouldn't bother them =)

The year before, I had families over to my backyard for our summer learning, so don't feel limited by your choices of local parks, just be creative and pick any outside setting that will work for you!

Choose Your Subjects

We settled on covering three subjects each week.  You can choose anything that would be conducive to learning in a group and being outside.  We did poetry, nature study (birds), and art.

Poetry

I led the poetry portion, which I absolutely loved!  Each week I planned a new poem to memorize, a fun way to learn about poetry, and made copywork to send the kids home with so they could practice during the week.  

For instance, the first week, I read a poem called Alphabet Stew.  As I was reading it, I had the children reach into a bag of alphabet tiles and 'mix' them (like a pot of stew) while I read the poem.  Then I read a poem called The Ant and pulled letters out of our alphabet stew to make the rhyming words at the end of each line.  

Another week, we read a poem called Talents Differ.  It is a story about a little girl looking out her window and seeing a bird making a nest and getting ready to lay her eggs.  The poem is a conversation going back and forth between the girl and the bird, so I had the children pair up, one being the bird and one being the girl.  They got to act the poem out while saying their lines.

If you are interested, I could write a separate post outlining exactly what I taught each week.  If you want to read more about general ideas for teaching young children poetry, I wrote a post on the iHomeschool Network blog about that, so check it out!

Art

Another one of the moms led the art section.  She picked out a different artist for each week and brought examples of their work for the children to look at.  She would read a picture book about the artist or share information about their life and style.  Then she had an art project that corresponded to the artist for the week.  The project would mimic the artist's style in some way.  

The children used swirls to make a starry night like Van Gogh, they used wild flowers to create blurry nature paintings like Rembrandt, they used chalk on the ground to make BIG, up close flower paintings like O'Keefe, dipped their hands in paint to mimic Worhol's style, and more!

Nature Study

For the last subject of the day, we got to move around and really observe nature.  Another one of the moms led us in our study of birds.  Each week she would come with information to share about a different type of bird.  She would read the children a story about birds, have the children color a picture of the bird of the week, show them what the bird sounds like, etc.

The first week, she had the children make pretend binoculars using two toilet paper tubes and set them each up with a little notebook, pencil, and a simple one page bird guide.  Then each week after she shared about the particular bird of the week, she would send them to different spots to watch for birds and draw what they saw in their notebooks.  The children loved it and it was such a nice way to encourage a love of nature.

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So what are your plans for this summer?  Do you take a full summer break or do you find ways to keep the learning alive?  I would love to hear what you have in mind!  We are getting ready to have another Summer Scholé time like we did last year and I can't wait!

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This week only, you can find amazing resources at a deep discount to help you with your Charlotte Mason plans for this summer and next year!

Why Restful Learning is So Important

I love classical education.

Over the past couple of years I have been enjoying learning more about more about the classical model from great thinkers like Christopher Perrin (Classical Academic Press) and Andrew Kern (CiRCE Institute).  They talk about how we are re-discovering classical education. I love that because it shows how we are all still learning.  No one fully understands the classical model, but we are becoming better people by the discovery process.

Last year I was honored to be asked to speak to a group of local homeschool moms (ladies from the surrounding Classical Conversations campuses) on the topic of restful learning (scholé).  I want to share with you what I shared with them.  I hope it will be an encouragement to you just as I hope it was an encouragement to them.

Restful Learning in the Homeschool

When someone asks you what classical education is, do you have a good, quick answer?  I have always had such a hard time with that seemingly simple question.  I usually jumble my words getting something out about the trivium, reading good books, and studying history chronologically.

Then, as I began listening to lectures from people like Christopher Perrin and Andrew Kern, I started hearing a definition that was different than anything I would have come up with.  Here is the definition of Christian classical education from the CiRCE Institute website:

Christian classical education is the cultivation of wisdom and virtue by nourishing the soul on truth, goodness, and beauty by the means of the seven liberal arts and four sciences, so that in Christ, the student is enabled to better know, glorify, and enjoy God.

Wow, isn't that beautiful?  Go ahead and read it again =)

The more I have been learning, the more I have been hearing about contemplating truth, goodness, and beauty, and how that is an integral part of a classical education.  That is the part of the definition that I want to talk about today.

When I think about contemplating truth, goodness, and beauty, my mind turns to Philippians 4:8.

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.  (ESV)

Did you notice all the things that we are exhorted to set our minds on?  Things that are:

TRUE  -  NOBLE  -  RIGHT  -  PURE  -  LOVELY  -  ADMIRABLE  -  EXCELLENT  -  PRAISEWORTHY

Each of these things can be summed up as either truth, goodness, or beauty.

The Bible tells us to think about these things.  In other words, contemplate.  Philippians 4:8 tells us to contemplate truth, goodness, and beauty!

So what does this have to do with scholé?

First of all, if you do not already know, scholé is a Greek word meaning 'restful learning.' We actually get our English word 'school' from this word.  It is interesting how far we have come from the original definition!  If we are going to rediscover classical education, we are going to need to redeem the original meaning of school...scholé...restful learning.

Now, this is not to say that we should move school time to the bed and do all of our work laying down!  The point, and my challenge to you, is to make sure that we leave room in our days for contemplation, for restful learning.

Dr. Perrin says that the first step is to surround ourselves with truth, goodness, and beauty. Think back to the garden of Eden.  God is truth, right?  He created each thing and said that it was good.  No doubt this garden was beautiful!  Do you see where I'm going with this?  God created us to respond to this truth, goodness, and beauty.

When we surround ourselves with truth, goodness, and beauty, our soul will be at rest, and our response should be to glorify God.  Isn't that what we want?  Isn't that what we desire from our children?

I was listening to Andrew Kern talk about teaching from a state of rest and he encouraged his listeners to really think about exactly who they are educating.  His answer was that we are educating images.  Images in the sense that our children are going to reflect what we put in from of them.

With that in mind, make sure that you are putting truth, goodness, and beauty in front of your children.  Truth, goodness, and beauty in our homes, in the media we expose our children to, in the books we read, in the memory work we recite, and in anything else you can think of!

Is it true?  Is it lovely?  Is it noble?  These things cultivate wisdom and virtue, and bring glory to God.

I continued my talk by giving some practical idea for how to encourage restful learning in your day-to-day homeschool.  I will save that for another post.  I would love to hear what you think though!

Do you prioritize making time for restful learning in your homeschool?

How do you practically incorporate restful learning in your day?

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Scholé Group Update & Ancient History Activity Ideas

Well, it's definitely fall now!  For us that means that there are more leaves on the ground than on the trees, the air is crisp, and the school year is well on its way.

My scholé group has met 5 times so far this year and we are really enjoying our time together!  We took this week off as a small fall break, so I thought it would be a good time to share a little bit about what we have been doing!  

In case this is your first time here (or if you just need a little refresher!) here is a quick summary of our group:

The Scholé Group of Rochester Hills began this year as a small group of like-minded families who desire to pursue restful learning together.  We have three families this year and are enjoying our small group environment.  We are a young group, with five children ages 4-7, so our meeting times may look a little different than other (older and larger) groups.  Our main goal this year is to develop a love of learning in our children, setting before them a multitude of opportunities to take in truth, goodness, and beauty.

Ancient History Ideas

We have started with ancient history and are moving our way slowly toward the present.  We focus on one people group or event each week.  So far we have learned about Creation, the Flood, the Tower of Babel, the Ancient Sumerians, and we have just begun learning about the Egyptians.  We trace maps, add our events to a timeline, and do activities that help the children grasp what we are talking about.  Here are some of the activities we have done:

Paint cave drawings like early nomads - cut open some paper bags and let the children tell a story with pictures.  They can draw animals, people, or scenes from nature.   

Write in cuneiform like the Ancient Sumerians - roll out some clay (or Play Doh!) and have your child write messages using a stick.  Here are some symbols you can use: Lean How to Write in Cuneiform.

Make a model of the Nile River - We introduced the Ancient Egyptians by talking about the land of Egypt.  The children enjoyed making this model of the Nile River.  We even planted grass seeds in the dirt and had fun watching the 'reeds' grow up along the banks of the river!

Scholé Groups Spotlight

I was honored to be asked to write about my group this month for the Classical Academic Press Scholé Group Spotlight.  If you would like to read more about what we've been up to, head over to the Scholé Groups website!

Starting a Scholé Group - My Plan for the Year

A new school year is here!  I love planning and preparing, so summer was really fun for me.  This year will be different for us than any of our previous years, so I had lots to plan!  I am excited for the changes!

One change from last year is that we will not be a part of a Classical Conversations group this year.  (If you are interested in why, read my post Why I Am Not Returning To Classical Conversations.)  Last year was a good learning year for me as far as figuring out what I want my homeschool to look like and what I think education in general should look like.

One thing that I am learning is that I think there is real benefit to doing some parts of education together, and benefit to doing some parts alone.  By together, I mean with other children/families, and by alone, I mean at home as a family.  Ideally I think I would really like a half-day cottage school type program (that is located 5 minutes from my home, that teaches using the classical model, and filled with wonderful students and amazing teachers....hey a girl can dream, right?) but that is not available to me at the moment, so I've come up with something as close to that as I can get for now.

At the end of my Why I Am Not Returning To Classical Conversations post, I listed somethings that I desired for my homeschool this year.  Here is what I wrote:

I want a truly classical group.

I want a group of like-minded people to dive into the full richness of classical education with.  I want to dive deep together, cultivating virtue, enhancing wonder, and pointing our children toward truth, goodness, and beauty.

I want freedom.

I want the freedom to change things that need to be changed.  I want the ability to stay on one subject for 2 hours if the children are engaged in the wonder of God's creation and there is no pressing reason to stop!  

I want to work together with other moms.

The Body of Christ is so diverse in our gifts and talents.  CC literally left me in a state of exhaustion each week because their model has the tutor doing everything (to show that "You can do it too, mom!")  I appreciate their desire there, but it has made me understand more fully how every person is uniquely gifted and that it is beautiful when we come together and share our strengths!  

I think that meeting days could be a time of joy (instead of stress), with each mom doing what she loves to do, blessing the entire group by doing it.

Enter Scholé Groups from Classical Academic Press

A few friends and I had already been talking about getting together once a week this year for a co-op type group.  We had the same desires as far as working together to create a day of joyful, restful, beautiful learning for our children, but didn't have all of our ideas together yet.  Then I heard about a new program that was being launched by Classical Academic Press, called Scholé Groups.

I have been greatly influenced by Dr. Perrin and many Classical Academic Press resources, so I knew right away that I wanted to check this out!  It turns out that it is a perfect fit for what my friends and I had already started formulating.

A Scholé Group is unlike other homeschool groups in that it does not tell you the specific course of action that you need to follow (no specific classes or curriculum is outlined).  The folks at Classical Academic Press simply want to lead us in our understanding of classical education principles and help us to employ them as we learn together.  From their website:

"A Scholé Group is a homeschooling community of at least two families employing the content of a classical curriculum and the pedagogy of restful learning embodied by the word scholé."

So, that is what I am doing this year!  I spent the summer planning, hit a few bumps along the way, planned some more, and now will be starting my Scholé Group this week on Tuesday!  My group is pretty small (3 families) and quite young (ages 4-7), so it is going to look different than other Scholé Groups, but I think it is going to be wonderful!

Scholé Group Curriculum

Here is what a day in my group will look like:

Morning Meeting

Recitation - One student each week will share something with the group.

Bible/Virtue Lesson - We will start our days pointing the children (and ourselves!) to Christ.

Memorization - Each week we will learn a Bible verse and a hymn together.

History & Geography

This year we will be learning about ancient civilizations.  We will memorize a timeline and create one of our own.  We will learn about the people, places, and events of history through story, song, and hands-on activities.

We will use Story of the World as a jumping off point, but will add or take away as we see fit.  I am really enjoying the corresponding activity book which provides map work, reading suggestions, and lots of great activity ideas.

Nature Exploration & Recess

When the weather is reasonable, we will take the children outside to explore God's creation.  Some days we will have specific activities for the children, and other days they will explore freely.

Lunch

I have typically thought of lunch as a break from the day.  When I was reading the Scholé Group handbook I was intrigued to read their thoughts about lunch.  They talk about lunch being a time for great conversation, beholding that which is beautiful, and restful enjoyment of food.  I'm sure I still don't exactly understand it all, but that sure got me thinking!

We are planning on opening our lunch time by singing the Doxology and then praying.  The children will all have a part in setting and clearing the table and will work on learning certain manners each week.  Remember that my group is very young, so we have to start with the very basics!  Hopefully as we grow we will be able to engage in great conversations, but for now we will focus on keeping the kids in their seats for the duration of lunch and saying please and thank you =)

I plan on having something nice to set on the table each week (flowers, candles, etc.) and playing nice music in the background.  If anyone has any other ideas for making lunch a venue for contemplating truth, goodness, and beauty, please share!

Literature

I really want to title this section The Great Books, but in reality it is going to be the Kindergarten version of great books.  I am really excited for this time as we strive to help the children love books and begin to learn how to discuss what they have read or heard.  This time will change throughout the year.  We will read pictures books, chapter books, poetry, etc., discussing and doing activities where appropriate.

Music

We will end our day by attending a local homeschool music class together.  Hopefully the kids won't be too tired out after our day of scholé!  I think it will be really fun and a great experience for the kids.

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So, there you have it.  This is my plan for next year!  I am very hopeful that it will be a wonderful time of learning and exploration.  I will share more with you as we get going.  If you want to see some other Scholé Groups in action, check out Sola Gratia Mom and Expanding Wisdom's Paideia Fellowship. 

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Scholé Everyday - Incorporating Restful Learning into Your Day

Click on the pictures below to read each post!  These are just simple ideas for how to include some scholé (restful learning) into your life.

Are you new to the idea of scholé?  Start here: A Home Filled with Scholé

Lessons in Scholé

This post contains affiliate links to highly recommended resources!

Today I am excited to have Bonnie, from Moms Teaching Olives, here to talk about some of the lessons she has learned while implementing restful learning in her homeschool.

This year my first grader is really thriving, learning and growing as we implement out Well-Trained Mind Classical Curriculum (you can read about our curriculum at Choosing Classical).  We are having SO much fun, and I'm relieved to find a new joy and vigor this year as opposed to the total overwhelming chaos I felt last year (for every time there is a season).  As out year is underway we're learning a new but important lesson: schooling with scholé.

During Amy's series, Scholé Everyday, I focused on applying scholé to our school.  Here are some practical things we focused on this month and things that I need to more genuinely incorporate in our daily school/home life.  As Dr. Perrin says, "do things that will provide blessings, no just things that have economic value."  If you haven't found out by now, I'm a type A schedule person who is trapped in a life of chaos that I'm constantly trying to conquer.  These lessons in practical scholé will tell all =)

Get Outside

This might sound 'hippy' but communicating with nature is inherently restful.  Being outdoors refreshes the spirit and the physical body.  I was surprised that schooling outside does the same.  Content that is arduous (and perhaps - dare I say, boring?) when done inside, suddenly becomes new and exciting with just a simple change in scenery!  We found on our adventures outdoors, that schooling outside also allowed for FUN breaks.  We had a lot of fun playing and getting our energy out - surely that 'leisure ' could be part of what Dr. Perrin is talking about.  Read more about our Day of Rest, Not Stress and schooling outside.

Discuss Great Art (Masters)

As an Art History major myself, I LOVE the art greats; probably the neoclassic, impressionists, and romantics the best.  I was surprised when out First Language Lessons grammar curriculum had a lesson in part evaluation where the student was asked several questions and had to analyze a painting.  While I chose not to include art history in out curriculum this year so that out schedule wasn't burdened, my journey in scholé is opening my eyes to how we can more simply incorporate it.  We aren't adding it into our schedule, but each week we are viewing a print (you can view great ones at the National Gallery of Art website) and spending time discussing it.

Scholé is a more comprehensive incorporation of liberal arts and the philosophy of discussion and analysis, and I hope our art discussions will prompt higher level conversation regarding the arts.

Listen to Classical Music

As an educator, and really even as a student myself, I often hear routed the cerebral benefits of listening to classical music.  This "Mozart Effect" (which gained a lot of momentum in the 90's) has had a lot of research and debate about classical music and its effects on children's brains.  Whether you agree with the research or not, the principle of listening to classical music for rest is something else entirely.  It is choosing to intently focus on music and really incorporate it into your routine - ours happens at the breakfast table.

I'll be the first to admit that when I was reading about the benefits of classical music, I actually had to cringe at my own dislike for it and I wasn't sure whether I should 'force myself' to listen to it.  Thank goodness for Mary at Homegrown Learners and her SQUILT lessons (Super Quiet Uninterrupted Listening Time).  While my kiddos are too young to really enjoy the benefits of her curriculum, the concept has been well embraced.  These peaceful moments where attention is focused on the music and we really just rest, have become a welcome time in out morning routine.

Visit the Library (not because you have something to get)

Let's get real, I have 4 kids and while out library is honestly AWESOME, we don't go there just for the sake of going.  I strategically plan out monthly (or often bi-monthly) trips based on upcoming subjects and lessons so that we can choose out books on whatever topics relate to our curriculum.  Scholé opened my eyes to the fact that there is SO much learning that can go on at the library, and not just learning how to functionally use the library (which my first grader is starting to master), but engaging in books and having 'leisure' time while we are there.  Not rushing to gather out materials for the next few weeks, but just allowing kids to pick out their own books on whatever they find interesting.

Choosing to enjoy our time there, not being less productive, but allowing less purpose as we peruse and enjoy books there.  After all, I want to develop a LOVE for books, not squash our interests with a schedule.

Decorate Something (art, flowers, a seasonal vignette etc.)

Part of scholé is developing an atmosphere in your home that is conducive to learning and contemplative discussion.  While art, flowers, or seasonal items can seem unnecessary, even superfluous, their intent is to create a calm, enjoyable environment and to promote peacefulness in your home.

Let me tell you the truth, the challenge I placed on myself for a fall vignette meant more than developing a peaceful place, it required de-cluttering enough to put one out --- ouch, sometimes the truth hurts!  My own disorganization sometimes frustrates me (does that happen to you?)  I realized that before I needed flowers, I needed a clear visual space.  So, I gave myself a week long challenge to keep ALL my kitchen counters clear - WOW that was convicting!  It worked though, and I rewarded myself with a fall vignette which makes me feel like one of those 'together moms' who I try not to compare myself to. =)

What's Next ...

As I work to learn and develop the skill of 'doing' leisure and applying scholé to our school, my next step is reading Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakeable Peace.  Have you read it?  How are you using these ideas to incorporate restful learning into your homeschool?

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Bonnie is a Christ-Follower and a wife and mom to four children with many names: helpmate, homemaker and homeschooler.  Along with her best friend, Bethany, they co-author the blog Moms Teaching Olives. They are two families with one calling, encouraged by Psalm 128:3 to classically teach their children at home! Following their Well Trained Mind approach can help you learn about classical education and the life of two very different moms and two very different families who both seek (and sometimes struggle) to follow their true calling as moms and teachers.

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Group Time with Older Children - Scholé Everyday

 Today I am excited to have Sara from Classically Homeschooling guest posting as a continuation of our Scholé Everyday series.  She shares how she has incorporated group time as way to facilitate restful learning.

Our group time begins while the children are making and eating sandwiches. This does provide the normal level of chaos a large family creates. Children are passing peanut butter and jelly back and forth, bickering good naturedly about who gets the heel of the loaf, and exchanging bad jokes. I start by reading Bible stories. The older children know the stories, but my preschoolers don't. Everyone is relatively quiet for the reading as they're busy eating. Nothing like food to keep comedians quiet for a few minutes!

As the children finish eating, the art supplies are pulled out. All the children from 3yo to 17yo prefer to listen with busy hands. It's a wonderful time to paint, play with modeling clay, or color.

This year we're trying group grammar studies using Harvey's Grammar. It's a good review for my teenagers and is providing an excellent contrast to the Rod and Staff English series we've used for the last several years. I'm alternating grammar with Latin studies, so Mondays and Wednesdays we do grammar. Latin is studied on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We begin Latin by reciting our memory sheets before moving on to the lesson. My thought was to simply cover the lesson and send the children away to do worksheets later. Worksheets are not getting done, so we're switching over to doing the worksheets together.

Group Time Pros:

• Lunch is a natural gathering and break time for my family. Group time at lunch doesn't get skipped, while morning time has never worked for us.

• The subjects planned for group time are happening! We're working our way through the Bible Stories, grammar, and Latin.

• It leads naturally into discussion time on Fridays.

• Quiet Time is easier to start as the children are already gathered.

• We enjoy the time together.

Group Time Cons:

• I have to be organized and have everything on hand, or we waste valuable time as I search the house for materials.

• My lunch is postponed until after group time as I am reading. It's hard to read and eat at the same time!

I intentionally started with a simple group time plan for the first several weeks. This prevents burnout and allows me to see what works and doesn't work. In future weeks, I plan on adding poetry memorization, art and music study, Aristotle's Logic, and a fun science study. All in all, I've been pleasantly surprised how well our group time is going. The teens haven't complained or grumbled, the preschoolers enjoy keeping their hands busy and trying to join into the grammar and Latin lessons, and I've enjoyed having a time each day the family comes together to learn.

 Have you tried a group time in your homeschool?