Leaf Rubbings & Repeating Works

I think I've mentioned a few times that Link doesn't really like to repeat works.  Well, now I'm starting to think I just didn't have the right work for him! A few days ago I decided to make him a nature journal for collecting leaf rubbings, drawings and pressed flowers.  We watched a video on how to do leaf rubbings and it really peaked his interest.

First we spent a good bit of time making notebooks.  I got the idea from Counting Coconuts, but decided to use my new binding machine so that we could add pages and so that it would lay flat.  Link was so excited that he didn't want to wait for the rain to stop.

Leaves from the yard.

Decorating his nature journal.

Rubbing the leaves.

In the video, she used copier paper to make the rubbings, then taped them into her journal.  Link could rub his directly into his book, but that would take away the fun of the taping :)    He did a few directly onto pages, but then he decided to cut them out and use the neat little tape dispenser that I bought just like the one in the video.

I am trying to teach him about taking notes about what he sees.  So I ask him questions to give him ideas, then ask him what he wants to write.  He dictates very specifically what he wants.

We finished making the books late in the day.  Even though it was late I decided to let him do some rubbings.  The next day, he wanted to do more!  I have a feeling this is one work that he'll repeat often, especially when we start collecting leaves on our morning nature walks.  (So far he has just done the trees in the yard.) 

We also pressed some flowers, just like in this video.  I'm sure Link will enjoy gluing those into his journal as well.  

I have noticed that he likes watching videos of things before we do them.  Its almost like it gives the process more credibility.  I may have to think about doing that with some of the Montessori presentations, then following them up with an identical presentation from me.  

A Charlotte Mason Tidbit

I have always focused very much on Montessori and why I like it so much.  But there are things I like about other ways of teaching as well.  I was browsing the Ambleside Online Year 0 page and I especially liked the quote that she used from Charlotte Mason's Volume 1 - 

"...Health, strength, and agility, bright eyes, and alert movements, come of a free life, out-of-doors, if it may be, and as for habits, there is no habit or power so useful to man or woman as that of personal initiative. The resourcefulness which will enable a family of children to invent their own games and occupations through the length of a summer's day is worth more in life than a good deal of knowledge about cubes and hexagons, and this comes, not of continual intervetnion on the mother's part, but of much masterly inactivity." page 192

Classical Montessori Mason

In the time since I disappeared I have spent a lot of time reflecting on why we don't seem to get much school work done.  Link would have days where he was very interested in the work on the shelves, but he didn't repeat work often.  So I found that I was constantly needing new material, and since I couldn't keep up, we would often abandon the school room until I had time to come up with something new.

I really like the Montessori Method.  I see how it has worked so well for some kids.  But for some reason, I can't make it happen correctly in my house.   I feel like I am not educated enough in the process.  I'm not a teacher by training.  I have developed an increased respect for the profession.  

So, I have been looking for something to help me be more prepared and to keep me accountable.  I feel like I need something that says Lesson 1 "do this!"   At the end of 42 lessons, you are done! (hanging my head in shame)  I have bought math, reading and writing curricula, and signed up for Classical Conversations.  (there, I confessed!)

That being said, I still plan on keep true to the Montessori Method in many ways.  The curricula that I bought is very compatible in my opinion.  I plan to use it as a guide to make sure we are keeping on track and progressing, but the Montessori materials and the freedom of choice (within a work plan) will still be there.  We'll participate in the Classical Conversations lessons, but the way I'll follow up at home will be with lessons from my Montessori manual.  We'll do the lessons from the math curriculum, but (hopefully) supplement it with Montessori presentations.  Same with the reading and writing.  

In case anyone is wondering, I'll link to the curricula that I bought.

- Math - Math-U-See Primer

- Reading and Writing - Logic of English Foundations Level A
(I bought The Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading first, but then decided that I liked LoE better, I'll probably end up using some of it)  Before I realized that the Foundations curriculum included writing, I also bought the Rhythm of Handwriting book from Logic of English.

- I also bought Handwriting without Tears, because Link really likes trying to make letters with all sorts of things (pretzels, toys, whatever) and I thought it would be a good supplement.
- Music - Pfeiffer House Music Kindergarten (just for fun) and maybe the Nienhuis bells manual.

In addition to all of this, I will also be implementing a bit of Charlotte Mason.  Right now, its mainly nature study that we'll add.  But later, I'd like to add the "living books" aspect.

I've put a lot of thought into WORK PLANS as well!  So far, I know there are certain things I want Link to do every day - reading, writing and math.  I don't want to stop him if he wants to do lots of one, but I don't want him to put off doing any of them either.  So far, my biggest inspirations have been from (surprise, surprise) MBT over at What Did We Do All Day, Jessica at Montessori Trails and Lisa at Our Country Road.

I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to work it out.  Below is a screen shot of how I've been working through combining all of this mess :)

I've also made these cards that I think I'll use in my work plan.



Right now I'm thinking that I'll have these on a board or in a basket.  Then Link can choose what he wants to work on and move the card to a "finished" location.  Or something like that.  I'm thinking along the lines of the Montessori Trails idea.  I was originally thinking of having lots of copies of these and using pocket charts like MBT, but I think for now, the simplicity of the Montessori Trails idea will work for us.  I feel about the same as Steph over at Discovery Days and Montessori Moments :)

So, thats where I am.  Maybe later I'll post some picture of what the kids have actually been up to!