Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are atrue, whatsoever things are bhonest, whatsoever things are cjust, whatsoever things are dpure, whatsoever things are elovely, fwhatsoever things are of good report; if there be any gvirtue, and if there be any praise, hthink on these things. Philip 4:8
The passion to sing, the passion to draw, the passion to build, the passion to ride, the passion for reading, the passion for nature… the list is endless. Some children exhibit their passion from day one, others need an experience to spark that passion
Assignment: Share a field trip/lifestyle learning experience where you really felt you were bringing good things to life for your children, where something came alive for them, or ignited a passion.
These assignments are funny. Did you read my mind this week? There hasn’t been much expression of passion for anything lately. The question I had is how to spark that passion? So I’ve been reading about it in Charlotte Mason’s books and TJED.
Substantive Education quotes Karen Andreola’s, Charlotte Mason Companion, Personal Reflections on The Gentle Art of Learning book.
“Charlotte urges us to give children a regular feeding of ideas through sweeping tales of history, wonderful inventions and discoveries in science, lives of great men and women, stories that relate to the moral life as well as paintings, plays, Psalms, poems, symphonies, and everything else wonderful we can think of. She says these ideas are the children’s very breath of life. A child draws inspiration from the casual life around him.” There is more to this article and I encourage you to go to her website to read the rest.
On page 65 of Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion by Oliver DeMille, Rachel DeMille and Diann Jeppson we read, “Education includes our whole heart, and our whole mind-everything we have and all we are. We should never stop improving who we are, our hearts and our minds.”
Here is a poem written of the pioneers by Vilate Raile.
They cut desire into short lengths
And fed it to the hungry fires of courage.
Long after-when the flames had died-
Molten Gold gleamed in the ashes.
They gathered it into bruised palms
And handed it to their children
And their children’s children.
Within them is the passion and the fire, I just need to sift through the ashes to find the gold gleaming in the ashes when they have burned out and hand it to them.
This week we started with looking at the children’s interests. We made a “Big List” of all the things they wanted to learn or do. It could be anything. Blank lists were also presented so they could add to this list as they desired. Each child had their own individual time with mom in a quiet place. We said a prayer for inspiration and then proceeded to write, mom as scribe. [This comes from the TJED Companion.]
At a separate time, we sat down together and each person picked things that they were interested in learning. Wow the creative juices were flowing. They were off. I don’t think I saw until it was time for lunch then they were off again.
The next morning I took dh to work and then went to the grocery store. When I returned at 8:30 am, I anticipated that they would be getting their breakfast and ready to start family studies. No they were done with all their individual work, breakfast, chores, dressed and started their individual projects. WAHOO. This continued for the rest of the week. It was electric.
Each month we will sit together and revise the daily plan of what we will study. MY list was too enthusiastic and I need to fix it. I put things on my list that I won’t have the resources to complete until January. Keep it Simple Sweetie.
Here are some of the things they did.
Samuel started making block creations along with his older sister. Then she moved on to making a Lego representation of the Swiss Family Robinson house. This is our current read aloud and it is very inspiring. I want to live in a Tree House at least for a vacation.
Sewing has been my passion. Here are some of the fabrics that inspired me on a recent shopping trip. It is quite difficult to find corduroy here. Not this trip. Wow the colors and patterns were amazing. We found t-shirt material, cotton knits also another unheard of commodity. My favorite purchase were these two Debbie Mum prints. OH and wait we also found flannel. It was beautiful and good quality cotton for shirts or quilts. It felt like heaven.
Here are some of the vibrant colors I found.
This week has been a true blessing to express our joys and to do whatsoever is of good report.
But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do agood continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and benticeth to do cgood, and to love God, and to serve him, is dinspired of God. Moroni 7:13
