Do you neglect nature study because it is something you don't feel comfortable teaching your children?

Maybe you didn't grow up with a knowledge of our natural world, or maybe the thought of identifying all of those outdoor things is overwhelming to you.

Never fear! Nature Study is enjoyable and rewarding, and it can be SO easy! Summer is the perfect time to start this with your children, but if you're stumbling on this post and it's not summer - you can start nature study ANY TIME!

“If possible, it is good for the teacher (or parent) to keep a nature notebook, too; it is a life we live together”

— (For the Children’s Sake, Susan Schaeffer Macaulay, p. 135).

While we're using our summer break to master elements of our child's character in order to make our school year easier, it fits perfectly that mom will work on her own little flaws, too. (you're welcome)

In our Laid Back Summer Planner, we set out to lay down the rails of perseverance, observation, and truthfulness. I've never read a more accurate description of a mom's duties towards her family than these!

Nature Study as Revealer

"..when children are old enough to understand that science itself is in a sense sacred, and demands some sacrifice, all the common information they have been gathering until then, and the habits of observation they have acquired, will form an excellent ground work for a scientific education. In the meantime let them consider the lilies of the field and fowls of the air." PNEU article, Dowton

Nature is God's textbook. We only need to look around to begin our study, and what a rich study it is. With each season, we are given new elements to consider and ponder. Even the passing of the seasons is a lesson to us. The observation of the world around us, especially in our tech soaked world, is a gift. It reveals to us God's power, might, care, concern, and Providence.

Consider this simple "weed" - Queen Anne's Lace (dacus carota) - it's so delicate and can inspire so much learning, wonder, and creativity.

Rail: Observation.

Nature Study as Relational

“It is infinitely well worth the mother’s while to take some pains every day to secure, in the first place, that her children spend hours daily amongst rural and natural objects; and, in the second place, to infuse into them, or rather, to cherish in them, the love of investigation..." Charlotte Mason

I'm sure Ms. Mason in her use of the word "pain" had in mind the tendency we have to stay indoors. I don't know about you, but sometimes my children have to be prodded outside.

The wisdom in this rail is twofold. First, we're establishing a habit of "first things" for our family. First, we finish our lessons, then we spend time outside. And we first tend to lessons, then we tend to "play."

Getting our children out-of-doors and into nature affords the opportunity to observe and persevere. Habits take perseverance.

As homeschool moms, we have the rare opportunity as teacher-mom to study alongside our children in nature. And we get to observe their observations, experiencing the joys they experience. Creating these memories lays down the rail of relationship. We create relationship with the things we study and with one another. Further, creating this relational habit is a character rail that serves both us and our children for the school year and all of life.

Rail: Perseverance

Side note: Some of our favorite nature studies are the No Sweat Nature Studies -- have you seen them?

Nature Study as Relative

"The child who learns his science from a text-book, though he go to Nature for illustrations, and he who gets his information from object lessons, has no chance of forming relations with things as they are, because his kindly obtrusive teacher makes him believe that to know about things is the same as knowing them personally..." Charlotte Mason

I'm going to give you the rail right away for this one.

Rail: Truthfulness

Webster's 1828 defines relative as, "Not absolute or existing by itself; considered as belonging to or respecting something else" and "That which has relation to something else."

Nature Study is a study in truthfulness relative to the information we gather. It isn't truth to teach theory alone. Children long for the experience of forming relations with the things they study. To make them their own.

God's Truths aren't relative, the way we define them in philosophy. But, they are something we learn to know as they are revealed to us through our own living. We learn to walk in certain shoes to give us insight and empathy.

Nature is the same way, and why it's such a wonderful textbook.

It's one thing to be taught the life-cycle. It's another to see it for yourself and "form relations with things as they are."

Alongside our children, we can internalize truths we've only read about as we witness them for ourselves. That's powerful!

How to Do Nature Study

Charlotte Mason has provided a help for out-of-doors here.

But, you can keep it super simple.

Gather your notebooks and supplies.
Buy or visit the library to obtain a nature guide.
Get outside or visit a nature preserve.
Keep it informal. Let the children explore.
Look for opportunities to record your observations.

Additional resources:

Nature Study for Wimps - if you're not sure about the concept, this is an easy introduction.

Laying down rails with Nature Study is perfect for summer learning (or any other time).

Let me know how you use the opportunity to build those rails to make your upcoming school year an easier one.

JAMFLY Picnic Outdoor Camping Beach Blanket Mat with Water-Resistant Backing 78 Handbook of Nature Study The Nature Connection: An Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families, and Classrooms Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World (Julia Rothman)Nature Walk Journal Play The Forest School Way: Woodland Games and Crafts for Adventurous Kids Nature Study & Outdoor Science Journal: The Thinking Tree Presents: A Creative Book of Observation, Drawing, Coloring, Writing & Discovery Through Nature - Fun-Schooling for All Ages Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You First Lessons in Nature Study (Yesterday's Classics)A Nature Study Guide (Yesterday's Classics)Nature Journal: A Kids Nature Study Journal Tree Finder: A Manual for Identification of Trees by their Leaves (Eastern US) (Nature Study Guides)Pocketful of Pinecones: Nature Study With the Gentle Art of Learning(TM) : A Story for Mother Culture ®The Burgess Bird Book for Children (Dover Children's Classics)Fun With Nature: Take Along Guide (Take Along Guides)A Magical Homeschool: Nature Studies: 52 Wonderful Ways to Use Nature Studies in Every Season to Teach Science, Math, Art and More Wildflowers, Blooms & Blossoms (Take Along Guides)My Nature Journal: Prompted Nature Journal Notebook for Nature Observations, Nature Study Journal for Kids, Children's Nature Journal Blank and Prompted Pages Nature Journal for Girls: Prompted Nature Journal Notebook for Nature Observations, Nature Study Journal for Girls BEST WINDOW BIRD FEEDER with Strong Suction Cups & Seed Tray, Outdoor Birdfeeders for Wild Birds, Finch, Cardinal, Bluebird, Large Outside Hanging Birdhouse Kits, Drain Holes + 3 Extra Suction Cups Nature Journal and Sketchbook for Boys: Prompted Nature Journal Notebook for Nature Observations, Nature Study Journal for Boys, Nature Journal Blank and Prompted Pages Single Learning Resources Jumbo Magnifying Glass for Kids (One Magnifying Glass of Random Color Per Order)Learning Resources Jumbo Magnifiers, Set of 6 Cobiz 10x25 Compact Binoculars for Kids and Adults, Folding Spotting Telescope for Bird Watching,Outdoor Camping and Sports Games,Best Gift for Boys,Girls

You might also like:

Nature Study Tips & Tricks

Why Watch the Birds?

Charlotte Mason might refer to journaling along the lines of "oral composition" and you can flesh that out here.

What do I mean when I talk about journaling?

Let's start with a definition so that we're all on the same page. (Don't you love a good pun?)

Journaling is essentially a record of things. It can be driven by writing prompts, emotions your're experiencing, or it can be study specific.

For our purposes (we're using Easy Summer Planning, remember?) we are going to define journaling as keeping a record. That's easy, isn't it? Yes! But- we'll be recording more than facts.

Now, let's lay down those rails.

Journaling as Research and Reasoning

With any writing endeavor, keeping a journal included, there comes reading and research. With this research comes reasoning. As children interact with the research, they use the information they have on hand (what they know), and are sometimes inspired to search for additional information (what they could know).

When we think of research, we tend to picture someone slumped over piles of books, looking for answers. We can call this search a quest for truth.

This aspect of journaling then provides two parts of a rail that build character. Diligence in the search and wisdom in distinguishing truth from error. By allowing our children the joy of searching the Scriptures as the foundation for all research and reasoning, we can further mold their character. Research grounded in truth brings wisdom.

Rail: Diligence in the search and wisdom in distinguishing truth from error.

Journaling as Relating

Once a student has gathered the facts and reasoned through them, they are called to make a decision. Note: this decision-making can also happen during the research and reasoning portion of journaling. But, it's true in either case that a decision is made on whether or not the fact studied applies to the topic at hand.

If your child is studying birds or music, they may begin with facts about the birds or information related to a composer or piece of music. They will have to make a determination if the facts at hand relate to the specific topic being studied.

This is an important process in becoming an independent learner.

For further example, let's say your student is studying a particular piece of music. During his study he comes upon information about a certain type of music written for a specific time period. The principles of music he may uncover that apply to one type of musical piece may not apply to another. He has to know when the information fits.

Journaling as relating can lay the rails of diligence, insightfulness, creativity, and logic.

Rail: Journaling as relating can lay the rails of diligence, insightfulness, creativity, and logic.

Journaling as Recording

This is what most people think of when they think of keeping a journal, the actual writing and recording. But, it can be so much more than that.

If we can think of journaling as recording not just what the student has learned, but as a way for the child to do the actual growing, we can begin to see just how much value it has.

I think of this in terms of my own life - I have been keeping a reading journal, and as I look back through my books - where I have marked things that jump out at me - there is a lot of growth happening through my journaling.

Consider a quote I journaled from A Well-Tempered Heart:

How to Build Character Through Journaling

What a gift it is for our children to look back on their thoughts - what has had meaning to them - and how they have grown through their journaling.

The pages where the recording takes place are made of, in a sense, the blood, sweat, and tears of a child's growing in wisdom and stature. It's not a mere intellectual exercise. As she matures from childhood through her teens and into adulthood, so do her thoughts, her reasoning ability, and the depth of her entries.

This is such a privilege to witness as a mom. It's a true treasure. It lays down the all important rail of stick-to-it-iveness. And in life, few character traits serve us better than this one.

Often in life our success is measured in our ability to hang on longer than anyone else. When this is healthy, it shows up as "getting the job done" and "going the extra mile" - qualities that show our character to the world.

Rail: Journaling as recoding lays down the all important rail of stick-to-it-iveness.

For Easy Summer Learning

These rails aren't difficult., but they are deep. They aren't complicated, but they do require commitment. But, this deep commitment will pay big dividends during your school year and during the rest of your student's life.