Posted by Katie in Language Arts and LiteratureMar 19th, 2009 | No Comments
We are a reading family. We love books, and would simply sit and read aloud or quietly to ourselves all day long and call it school, if it weren’t for such “non-essentials” as penmanship, spelling, grammar, writing skills, map-reading lessons, math. Math– the kids spend an hour or more on it every day—hardly CM, but she didn’t have to get her students through advanced algebra or beyond before graduation. (At age eight, Cornflower is the exception, spending around thirty minutes on math.)
I aim for a CM-type education for my kids (with the exception of that blasted math),...
Posted by Katie in Language Arts and LiteratureMar 18th, 2009 | No Comments
One of my favorite books from Triss’ toddlerhood is _Happy Birthday, Moon_ by Frank Asch. It is about a little bear who tries to talk to the moon. He climbs the tallest tree on the highest mountain and yells hello. His voice echoes back. He gets very excited to be “talking to the moon.” (I used to tear up at this point in the book. Triss says she never noticed.)
After visiting awhile, the ‘moon’ always answering back in echoes, the little bear decides to ask the moon a question:
“When is your birthday?” he cries.
The echoing “moon” replies, “When...
