Bright and early on the first day of school, it's... (Last Update)

The 349th Carnival of Homeschooling, up already at Holy Spirit-Led Homeschooling.

Head over to Fisher Academy International for the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival: What We Love the Most.

There's a Festival of Frugality here, with a link to our funky doll sofa tutorial.

Any other good ones you know of?

The great wide road, the adventure we are given: a sort of manifesto

This week's Charlotte Mason blog carnival combines a Parent's Review article with Chapter IV of Towards a Philosophy of Education, "The Basis of National Strength." The theme common to them both seems to be delight--delight in knowledge, and delight in life, as opposed to indifference and a constant need for others to entertain us.

"....I write as an old woman who remembers how in the [eighteen-] sixties and seventies "countenance" was much talked of; "an intelligent countenance," "a fine countenance," "a noble countenance," were matters of daily comment. The word has dropped out of use; is it because the thing signified has dropped out of existence? Countenance is a manifestation of thought, feeling, intelligence; and it is none of these, but stolid indifference combined with physical well-being, that we read in many faces to-day."--Charlotte Mason, Towards a Philosophy of Education

"In order that the flavour and scent of existence may not be lost, we must have within ourselves some consciousness of this impelling power that may lead us to travel deliberately through our ages, realizing that the most wonderful adventures are not those which we go forth to seek. We shall then, perhaps, have some glimmering idea of what [Robert Louis] Stevenson himself meant when he said, "whether the past day was wise or foolish, to-morrow's travel will carry me body and mind into some different parish of the infinite." The conception of ourselves and our children as citizens of the "parish of the infinite" is undoubtedly one that must give us pause."  -- "The Open Road," by Frances Blogg (also known as Mrs. G.K. Chesterton), in The Parent's Review, Volume 11, 1900, pgs. 772-774

In this chapter, which was originally published in the London Times, Charlotte Mason talks about the countenance showing our interest in or indifference to the world, and how that affects the spirit of the nation.  She points out, though, that genuinely educated people are "not brought up for the uses of society only."  We are not cogs or dogs, as Mary Pride has termed it; not bricks in the wall.  Frances Blogg talks about life that retains its flavour and scent, that is more than mere existence.  We are given thoughts from Mr. Burns (the cabinet minister, not the cartoon character) and Socrates:

"Now personal delight, joy in living, is a chief object of education; Socrates conceived that knowledge is for pleasure, in the sense, not that knowledge is one source, but is the source of pleasure.  It is for their own sakes that children should get knowledge."--Philosophy, p. 302

In other words, education is for us.  For our own selves, for the children, and any interested others.  This is why Charlotte Mason emphasizes many books, important books, living books--because studying those books gives us power to think clearly, to make good judgments (meaning, for the good of society), and finally, to give us a life that is more than just passing time.  "But to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."  She mentions, as she always does, that we don't respect or really love children by keeping their educational prospects arid, confined, shallow; we need to allow them to swim out deeper, to climb higher, and to go around more unknown corners than they have been generally allowed.

"Education, then, to [Stevenson] was a journey, full of the delights of wide landscape, fresh invigorating air, or alternate sunshine and shadow, the great wide road stretching infinitely before--leading to that heart of its own, the beat of which he so longed to hear. There can be no liberal education when the eyes are closed or the ears sealed. In this, as in everything else, the wayfarer must live to the full extent of his being. Pitfalls he must find on that journey, blind paths perhaps, but through it all the philosophy of belief in the essential goodness, the actual significance of things created, the state of being 'in love with life.'"--Frances Blogg

Children shouldn't read dead things. (Living Books)

The focus of this week's Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival, hosted at Fisher Academy, is Living Books, and it is based on this paper that she wrote, that was later incorporated into School Education, part of her six-volume series on education.

What is to be said about living books that hasn't already been said, said often, and said well? 

And yet our public libraries seem to sell off more good books than they buy; the mall bookstores, as always, have mostly glitz-for-girls and scary-for-boys; and the sold-to-schools book flier that we brought home from last weekend's homeschool meeting--well, we won't even discuss what abominations were in that one.  Homeschoolers, in a way, are lucky...the rest of the world knows about the big online booksellers, but we also know about smaller vendors who aren't embarrassed to combine Alfie and Plutarch in the same catalogue.

"Now do but send to any publisher for his catalogue of school books and you will find that it is accepted as the nature of a school book that it be drained dry of living thought. It may bear the name of a thinker, but then it is the abridgment of an abridgment, and all that is left for the unhappy scholar is the dry bones of his subject denuded of soft flesh and living colour, of the stir of life and power of moving. Nothing is left but what Oliver Wendell Holmes calls the "mere brute fact.""--Charlotte Mason

Dry bones, no flesh, no colour...books fresh from the morgue?  Whatever these textbooks were, as Miss Mason says in her paper, they obviously weren't the books that got Swedish schoolgirls fighting a duel about their favourite kings.  Or the books that got Marva Collins' students working literary quotes into their everyday talk:

"Once when a student told a lie in class, someone said, 'Speak the speech trippingly on thy tongue,' and another chimed in, 'The false face does hide what the false heart does know.'  If a girl was acting too flirty, the other girls would accuse her of acting like the Wife of Bath....Another time when a rubberband shot across the room, I asked Michael whether he had done it.  He said no and blamed it on Phillip, who said, 'Et tu, Michael? This was the most unkindest cut of all.'"--Marva Collins' Way, by Marva Collins and Civia Tamarkin

The books are still there for the finding.  I expect that when I go to the Big Used Booksale at the end of this month, I'd be able to find multiple copies of Shakespeare plays, anthologies of poems, hundreds of paperback classics used for one class or another and then discarded.  They're getting a bit harder to find, but they're still out there....and they're "in here" too (online as e-texts).  If we're brave enough to trust our children's minds to the great thinkers, the great humorists, the great observers, then Pascal and Plutarch, Voltaire and Vermeer are easy enough to pull up, download, reserve through even a small library, or find on a used-classics shelf.

Charlotte Mason explains that yes, mathematics may help you develop your mind in a certain way; that learning Latin is certainly good for developing certain strengths, "intellectual muscle" and so on; but none of these alone are going to give you "fact clothed in living flesh, breathed into by quickening ideas."  This argument is not quite clear in the Parents' Review paper, as there appear to be a few words missing; it is clearer when you compare it with the same page from School Education:

"Mathematics, grammar, logic, etc., are not purely disciplinary, they do develop (if a bull may be allowed) intellectual muscle. We by no means reject the familiar staples of education in the school sense, but we prize them even more for the record of intellectual habits they leave in the brain tissue, than for their distinct value in developing certain 'faculties.'"--School Education, Chapter 16

But she also has a warning for those who would take even good books and grind, pre-digest, or otherwise manipulate either books or school subjects to make them work the way we think they should:

"The fault does not lie in any one of these or in any other of the disciplinary subjects, but in our indolent habit of using each of them as a sort of mechanical contrivance for turning up the soil and sowing the seed.  There is no reprieve for parents."

There's no getting out of it or around it; there are no short cuts, magic machines, or snake oil potions that can take the place of good books, well served at the right time.  And there is no magic clicker to tell you exactly what those are and when--even Charlotte Mason was chary about giving a list of the "hundred best books for the schoolroom."  She didn't want people just taking such a list and trying to plug it in, "make it work."  Now that is not the same as saying that any books are fine, including nose-picker histories and vampire romances; Miss Mason had definite opinions about good and bad books, and personally chose the best books she could find for her schools.  But it's not about the booklist, in the end; it's about awakening to the possibilities of books.

"Once she [Erika, a six-year-old student] began reading and saw what fun it was, there was no stopping her.  She became addicted to books.  If she wasn't reading one of the Judy Blume books or one from the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, then she was trying out the Fables of La Fontaine or the Song of Roland.  One day, as I went around the class asking each child what new bit of knowledge he or she had learned that day, [she] said, 'I'm like Socrates*.  The only thing I know is how much I don't know.  I'm learning something new every day.'"--Marva Collins' Way

*In this term's Plutarch study of Solon, we learned that Solon said the same thing. I don't know Socrates very well: did he also say he was learning something every day, or was Erika misquoted? It doesn't matter much, but I'm curious.

Related posts:

Notes from a Book Talk
A Month with Charlotte Mason, #24
Me not just dumb monster, me read Plutarch
Hearts and Minds
Thinking Like a History Teacher

What do you mean, you won't go in there with me?

[Problems viewing the post referred to? There have been some changes at HomeschoolBlogger, and some peoples' links have gotten messed up. Hoping things will come back properly soon!--May 2010]

I'm amazed by the way some people think. Because it's so far out of "my box."

In a post at Loving Learning at Home (found through this week's Carnival of Homeschooling), Julieanne mentions something that happened when she was younger:

"I remember as a child, having guests come to visit. They were younger than me, and they were absolutely HORRIFIED that our family was going to go inside of the local, low-budget store and do some shopping. In fact, our dear guests stayed out in the car because they refused to be seen inside of this national chain store, even though their home was in another state!"

My mind just goes "huh?" at that. Why does it matter where you shop? I just don't get that. My kids wouldn't either--they LOVE getting to spend less of their money on something and therefore having more left over for something else. The Apprentice, in particular, earns most of her own spending money and even pays for a lot of her own clothes--which is a good thing, because our Apprentice is a fashionable young lady, likes clothes, and enjoys shopping. Someday you should ask her what she paid for those pretty shoes she wore to the spring dance--but I'll give you a hint, it's less than some girls probably paid for a hair ornament for the same dance.

While I appreciate the thoughts expressed in the post, I have a hard time identifying with the idea that you could even have a struggle with most of the issues she raises. House-brand groceries? Using coupons? What's wrong with that, if you can find coupons for basic grocery items instead of just sugar splops?

Driving an older car? We drove '80's cars, cheap to buy and easy to maintain, until emissions testing here drove all the good older cars off the road.

"Alternatives to lengthy, expensive family vacations?" Um--I think the last "lengthy" one was our honeymoon. We've had a few overnighters since then, but no cruises or resorts, no, we haven't even been to Disney World. Does someone have a problem with that? How do you explain "powdered milk" to someone who has a problem just walking into a discount store?

But instead of getting impatient...I guess I just need to learn more tolerance.

Learning without a "real" teacher

Sometimes I'm Actually Coherent, a hsing dad's blog, has a long but very worthwhile post responding to a common question: how can homeschoolers have the audacity to think that they can provide an education comparable to that available through teachers (especially in high school) who are expected to be specialists in their subjects? Assuming that we are, indeed, talking about qualified, dedicated, interested teachers here (anything else is beyond the scope of the argument), why would you choose to forego what they have to offer and perhaps limit what your child is able to learn "from you?" (Already one point becomes obvious, if you're familiar with what homeschoolers, especially homeschooling highschoolers, do: it's not always about you yourself teaching a student; there are all kinds of ways to learn what you want to learn, and it's not always Mom struggling to remember grade 10 algebra.)

There's also some interesting discussion going on in the comments to the post.

For any of you who've just popped up here, we made the decision just over a year ago, after homeschooling our oldest since the beginning, to have her take some of her classes at the local high school. It wasn't because we disagreed with the point of that post, though (although I might have had a hard time trying to teach hairdressing); it became clear that our Apprentice's specific needs could best be met by making use of the school's resources. I think she has also found it somewhat--what's the word I want--reassuring?--affirming?--to know that she does indeed know her stuff in math, French and science; she's found the place where she fits into the system, and she's making the most of it (almost, I tend to think of it, as if she were attending a junior college for high school credit, as I know some hsers do in the U.S.).

By making that choice, we said no to some other options that the Apprentice would have had at home: more time to read books of her or our choosing, more time to participate in the daily stream of things at home, more time to help Mr. Fixit, more opportunities to take time off and go somewhere during school hours. However, she's gained a great deal as well, so we feel it was a worthwhile trade.

Will the other Squirrelings do the same thing? They are all so different that it's very hard to say. Of course the Apprentice's enthusiasm for what she's doing is influencing them; but if homeschooling high school looks like a better choice for them, that's what we'll do.

Upcoming CM Carnival

Thanks, Donna-Jean for posting this information:

"The Third CMCarnival will be hosted by Harmony Art Mom. The theme is "Potpourri" - which can be Nature Study, Picture Study, Narration, Habit Training, Living Books, Short Lessons - the list is (nearly) endless. Here's how to submit a post for the third one. The deadline is October 15th."

And the Fourth one will be hosted--here.

Things to make with pumpkin--for real this time

2010 Update: Looking for pumpkin recipes? See also our newer pumpkin post here.

The Expatriate's Kitchen presents Carnival of the Recipes: The Great Pumpkin edition.

It looks like a great carnival, but I'm finding the blog itself is very slow to load; so be patient. (Maybe your computer's faster than mine.)

One entry I noticed wasn't about pumpkin at all. MotherLoad: The Mom Advice Blog posted an enthusiastic review of a homemade alternative to nonstick spray. That, I could use. I hate depending on those aerosol cans, and some brands don't even work that well, but I find pans stick a lot if I just use oil.

And I liked this one too: Your Guide to Planning Your Tea Party--Autumn Edition. George Winston's Autumn and cranberry-walnut scones? Sounds good to me.

We enthusiastically invite you to check this out

“Every production of genius must be the production of enthusiasm.” --Benjamin Disraeli

The Lilting House hosts the Carnival of Homeschooling: Enthusiasm Abounds edition.

Yum, pancakes!

But not just yet--you'll have to wait for next week's pancake-themed recipe carnival at--ready?--at the Pancake Recipes blog.

And send in your favourites before Saturday at 1 p.m.

Bee Creative

Oh boy, how am I ever going to follow this one up?

Sprittibee hosts the Carnival of Homeschooling: Bee Edition.

Of note: Lindsey's series on Homeschooling Frugally at Finding Contentment in the Suburbs. (Lindsey's other blog is Enjoy the Journey.)

Carnival of Homeschooling is up

That's the one-year anniversary edition! Congratulations!

And Binary Dollar hosts the New Year's Festival of Frugality.

Homeschoolers at Heart

Found through the Carnival of Homeschooling: Milehimama explains how you know you might be a homeschooler at heart even if your kids go to school. My favorite from her list:

"Your 8 year old and 5 year old decides to play outside. They play snakes, and one is a reticulated python, the other an anaconda, and they have a heated debate as to whether the python's size as the largest snake makes it a match for the anaconda's recurved teeth and superior camoflauge. They use those exact words without consulting a book. And you let them."

Carnival Day

Principled Discovery hosts The One Week Short of a Year edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling. If you haven't played our Christmas book trivia game yet, it's included as well.

And MotherLoad: The Mom Advice blog hosts a holiday-themed Festival of Frugality.

Not a hack job

Check out the Carnival of Homeschooling #42--which is, of course, the Answer to Everything.

Better late than never

I have been so busy this week that I forgot about the homeschooling carnival (it usually goes up on Tuesdays). Dana at Principled Discovery hosted this week's carnival.

Carnival of Homeschooling on its way

News from the carnival: The NerdFamily is hosting this week, but NerdMom has been under the weather, so it will be posted as soon as she is feeling up to it. (Update: it's up now, here.)

Hey, that's a pretty cute idea

This week's Education Carnival is an end-of-the-year Staff Party. Pull up some (scavenged?) classroom furniture and get yourself a drink.

Carnival of Homeschooling--Father's Day

Beverly Hernandez from Homeschooling.about.com is hosting this week's Carnival of Homeschooling, with a Father's Day theme.

Retro Recipe Challenge

Now this is a recipe carnival like you've never seen before. Put on your high heels and enjoy the Retro Roundup (including a mystery meat casserole)--Mrs. MacGrady would be so proud.

How to fool smart people

The EduWonks host this week's Carnival of Education. I didn't see much I wanted to check out until right at the end: Paul's Tips offers The Easiest Way to Fool Smart People. (Hint: make them feel they're smart.) Apprentice, you need to read this, after all the discussions we've had about logic and reading critically.

Paul's Tips also has a discussion of why high-school style popularity isn't all it's cracked up to be--especially after you graduate. He says:

In the adult world what clothes you wear, what music you listen to, how cool your friends are, and so on are of almost no consequence. Things like ability and maturity are much more important.

Even the ultimate status-symbol in teenage life - beauty - isn't worth that much in the adult world. There are plenty of beautiful people out there working in poorly-paid, degrading jobs. And there are plenty of ugly people at the top of the status tree.

Hmmm...that may be true, but how many adults do you know who are actually living in the "adult world"? (Can you say Brangelina?)

Oh, okay (I read further down)--Paul caught that one too.

Of course, some people never really manage to escape high-school. The keep up the petty rivalries and irresponsibility and look to celebrity culture to replace the cool-kids they used to admire. They long to return to the simple world of teenage life. Such people rarely succeed in the adult world.

Well, maybe. (Can you say Brangelina?)