Five For Fun

This week was hard to pick a favorite book in our Five For Fun reads. The week started with The Great Doughnut Parade By Rebecca Bond. This clever books begins with "small Billy" walking through the town with a donut on a string tied to his belt. Where is he going and does he know he is being followed by a hen...then a cat....and farther down Main Street he is followed by a .....well you'll just have to read it to find out what comes next and where Billy is going..

Next was Mama's Perfect Present by Diane Goode. This story follows a two children who are searching all over Paris, led by their little Dachshund Zaza in hopes of finding the perfect present for their mother's birthday. They are warned not to let Zaza off here leash and are oblivious to all the havoc Zaza creates in each shop they visit. Will they ever find the perfect present for Mama?

Wednesday's book was Bring Me some Apples and I'll Make you a Pie- A Story About Edna Lewis by Robbin Gourley. This was an excellent book where we follow Edna Lewis and her family as they live through the seasons in the town of Freetown Virginia, a farming town of freed slaves established by her grandfather.Each season brings a new harvest of fresh food that is made into the most lovely treats to fill the larder. When Edna grew up she moved to New York City where she became a famous female chef at a time when female chefs were few and far between, let alone female African American Chefs. At the end of the story the book includes a biographical page on Edna Lewis along with a few of her recipes. We made her recipe for Apple Crisp and it was delicious.

Next was This Place In The Snow by Rebecca Bond. What wonderful things can you create in the snow after the plow comes through? Find out by reading how the entire town celebrated by working together to create a giant kingdom of their own.

 

Our week closed with the book You Are My Miracle by Maryann Cusimano Love. This is a heartwarming Christmas tale written in rhyme illustrating the bond between a parent and their child. Mama Bear starts by saying to her little one "I am your Parent, you are my child, I am your quiet place, you are my wild." Each page continues with the example of how our children complete us as parents and how they need our strong security. By the end I was in tears cuddling my little "Miracle".

We really did enjoy all of the books this week but the one Abi asked to read over and over was.............

You are My Miracle. I have to agree with her this one was really something special- but I warn you moms- get out your tissues!

The Philosophy of Education Vo. 6 Book II Ch. 4 Pt. 2

Letters, Knowledge and Virtue

Our educational “systems” feel that a literary education takes up too much time. That they can cut out the classic works and turn out students that are capable. However capable they are, they are ignorant. They don’t know the history or literature of their own countries let alone the world. Charlotte says “He has not realized that knowledge is not a store, but rather a stare that a person remains in of or drops out of.”

There was a time in English society where all classes were very learned in the Bible. Their speech, mannerism and character displayed this. Eventually they did away with the “principle knowledge” – The “Knowledge of God” and then we wonder why society behaves the way they do.

The question is how can we educate the students while keeping focused on the classics. The private schools during that time all wanted to turn out “scholars”. The problem is not all students are meant to be “Rhodes Scholars”. Those who are born geniuses will learn on his own, from anything he finds from a flower to great works of poetry. The focus of education should be on the average child. These children are capable of learning Greek and Latin just as well as anyone else. They should know more after 10-12 years of schooling than just basic facts. They should learn about the “humanities”- men, their motives, historical events, etc. You can’t do this by taking shortcuts but only by sowing seeds of great works written by great minds.



Five For Fun

I am a bit behind in posting last weeks readings. I have had a very busy weekend. We didn't get to the library last week so I searched our bookshelves for books we haven't read yet. No one has one of those right? 

 Last week we started with Niccolini's Song by Chuck Wilcoxen. This is a cute story about a man named Niccolini who is a the night guard at the train yard. One night the trains are anxious and can't fall a sleep so Niccolini sings them to sleep with a song about "gentle hills, steady tailwinds, and feathers for freight." One night a mother with a restless baby walks down to the train yard and hears Niccolini singing. Will his song work on the restless child as well? 

Next we read Woof! by Danae Dobson. It is a cute story written by Danae when she was 12 about a brother and a sister who find a stray dog and want to keep it, but Dad says no. When woof makes a heroic rescue Dad just might change his mind.

Wednesday's book was Belinda the Ballerina. Belinda really wants to be a ballerina but her feet are too big. Her dreams are dashed when at the annual ballet recital the judges refuse to let her dance because of her big feet. Dejected Belinda gets a job in a restaurant. One night there is a music group playing at the restaurant and Belinda's toes start tapping. Maybe she will be a dancer after all.

Up Next was The Velveteen Rabbit b Margery Williams. A very cute story about a stuffed rabbit that enters the nursery on one young lad and becomes his favorite toy. One day the boy gets sick with scarlet fever and when he is well all of the bedding, including the precious rabbit must be burned. All the things from the nursery are bundled up and put outside to be burned the next day. The little bunny escapes from the bag and a "nursery fairy" turns him into a real bunny.

 

And last, was The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy. This is a heartwarming story of a little girl, Tanya, who asks her elderly grandmother why she is making a new quilt because she already has one. Grandma explains that quilts tell a story of the whole family. She is adding small pieces she gets from all sorts of places. One day Grandma gets sick and can't work on the quilt so Mama and Tanya start to finish it. Read it to find out if the quilt gets finished. This was my pick of the week because of the strong sense of family ties. Abi's was Niccolini's Song- why? "Trains, Mom."

The Philosophy of Education Vol. 6 Book II Ch 4

Pt. 1 Knowledge

There seemed to be no lack of zeal in the teaching profession during Charlotte’s day but she felt that the tendency of the profession was to depreciate true knowledge and in doing so, depreciate the student. She says “knowledge is the material of education as flour is to bread.” She gives an example of a little girl who was given a small amount of money to purchase lunch for her and her sister before school. She purchased candy instead of a bun. She told her teacher that candy, which cost less, would fill her stomach more than a small roll. That is what we have done with knowledge- we have substituted marks, grades, and facts and figures. Our tendency, as in Charlotte’s day, is to educated the child to what he will become in life not expose him to all subjects. The person who, by using knowledge he has gained to entertain himself rather than depend on “forms of entertainment” is to be envied. Knowledge is not: instruction, information, or a well-stored memory. It is passed like a torch from mind to mind. One thought breeds another. As one “vital” thought touches our minds our ideas become vital and out of these ideas come our conduct of life. If we want to know if what we are teaching provides enough “intellectual Sustenance” look at the book list we are using. For example: if the list is short there will not be enough mind-stuff, if they are not various- the student will not be well rounded. If they are compiled 2nd hand and not original works not enough material will be given. If they are too easy and direct and tell him everything he should think- they will read them but not appropriate. Great examples of how to teach are the parables of Jesus. Everything wasn’t all spelled out- you have to think about them. Napoleon is sited as not being a great scholar, however he read diligently from great historical works which attributed to his success as a conqueror. While on the other hand Queen Louisa of Prussia said the down fall of her country “was not due to Napoleon alone, but also to national ignorance and that if Prussia were to rise it must be through the study of history.” As a result, the Prussians turned their education system around to focus on great minds of history and Queen Louisa’s son rose to power establish the German Empire.