Creating an Atmosphere of Learning

A free e-book by Brenda Sain

 Creating an Atmosphere of Learning

When we first talked about homeschooling our children, one of the goals
that we set for them was to foster a love of learning in their hearts and
minds. We strive to expose them to as much as we can, many times in
bite-sized pieces. We could not possibly expose them to everything in
depth. So, by teaching them how to teach themselves and by creating an
environment where learning is everywhere, we are reaping the fruit of our
countless hours that we have devoted into this principle. I'm not naive in
thinking that my work is done. With a 13 yr old on the cusp of
enlightenment and a toddler to guide, I know there will be challenges.
But, it's also nice to know that this tree doth bear fruit!

You can create an atmosphere of learning whether you homeschool your

children or not. I'm not one of those homeschoolers that thinks everyone
should homeschool. I know that people choose different ways to educate
their children and that some really great families make public and private
schools work for them. Those parents are really involved in their
children's lives. They have to make up for the time they are apart by
building a strong relationship. I admire these parents for working so hard
to keep the lines of communication open with their children. I also admire
homeschoolers that are around their children 24/7 and don't want to
escape to a deserted island, but are able to joyfully spend time with
them.

The following suggestions on creating an atmosphere of learning in your

home are things that have worked for us. We are a homeschooling family
of five children with the strong belief that our lifestyle is more important
then the textbooks and curricula that we choose. So much of what we
want to teach our children before they leave the nest comes from the
time that we spend together as a family. I hope this e-book shows you
little ways to create an atmosphere of learning in your home.
Table of Contents
1. Creating an Atmosphere of Learning............................2
2. Table of Contents.........................................................3
3. Read to Your Children ..................................................4
Stock a Good Library in Your Home................................ 4
*A Booklist to Get You Started: ..................................... 5
K-3 grade ................................................................ 5
4-6 grade ................................................................ 5
7th and up............................................................... 6
4. Science is Cool .............................................................6
5. Get Messy and Creative................................................7
Observe Masterpieces .................................................. 7
Children's Art Books.................................................. 8
6. Nature is Free ..............................................................8
Collections Encourage Caring ........................................ 8
7. Music ...........................................................................9
Classical Resources That We Like................................... 9
8. Caring for Something .................................................10
9. Religions....................................................................10
10. Toys that Inspire .......................................................10
11. Enjoy Your Atmosphere .............................................12
Read to Your Children
Read to your children, even when they are older and can read to
themselves. If you can't read during the day, read before bed time. Get
Dad to read. Don't underestimate the power of reading a book together.
(It's what they used to do before T.V.) If you don't like reading books
aloud, get a book for everyone to listen to on CD. Be sure to sit with your
children and listen to it with them. Don't plop yourself in front of the
computer because everyone knows you're not paying attention to the
book. (I've tried that one.)

The most important thing is to get a good book. Pick a classic. One that
your fifth grade teacher read to you. There will be a moral to the story
and a life lesson you can discuss with your children. The point is to learn
and talk to each other about it.

Lastly, finish the book! Teach your children to finish what you start. If you
pick a classic it will be easy to finish, because it is timeless. Timeless
stories are ones that speak to you no matter what decade you are living
in. They will have a storyline that appeals to you and makes you want to
find out what is going to happen. Once you start a pattern of reading
with your children, they will grow fond of this time together. I suggest
that you pick the same time each day so that they will have this time to
look forward to.

I've let my young children color quietly while I read. Sometimes they
bring pillows out on the floor and snuggle up quietly to listen. Other
times, I have to keep them separated because they can't keep their
hands to themselves. I'm not going to lie to you, it's not always peaches
'n cream around here, but a good story will keep them on the edge of
their seat!

Stock a Good Library in Your Home

Get rid of the garbage and buy good books. Charlotte Mason called books
that don't amount to much of anything, "twaddle". You'll hear Great
books, Classic books, and Real books talked about in the home school
community. Anything that has withstood the test of time or that says
something of value, drawing attention to human problems, condemning or
applauding certain points of view would be considered a classic.

Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt and Books Children Love by
Elisabeth Wilson both have great book lists. These books will give you
insight into picking classic literature. They have reading lists for children
ages 0 -12.
If you keep the books within their reach, your children will read them,
especially if you require them to read every day. Good readers make good
writers, spellers, talkers and thinkers. If you begin their child-hood with
required reading time they will naturally gravitate towards reading books
when they are older and have a choice. Wean out the T.V. and introduce
good quality books. Let me say that again. Wean out the T.V. It's rotting
their brains.

*A Booklist to Get You Started:

K-3 grade

The Clown of God by Tomie dePaola

When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant and Diane Goode
The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
I am an Artist by Pat Lowery Collins
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
Make Way for Duckling by by Robert McCloskey
The Rag Coat by Lauren A Mills
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by by Virginia Lee Burton
The Glorious Flight by Alice Provensen and Martin Provensen
A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno
Night of the Moonjellies by by Mark Shasha

4-6 grade

Any books by Ingri and Edgar D'Aulaire

Call it Courage Armstrong Perry
The Golden Key by George MacDonald
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
Caddy Woodlawn by Carol Brink
Chanticleer and the Fox by Geoffrey Chaucer
Little House on the Prairie series
The Children's Shakespeare by Edith Nesbit
The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson
The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen
The Hundred Dressesby Eleanor Estes
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli
7th and up

Shakespeare's plays, non-edited versions

Aladdin and Other Tales from The Arabian Nights by Anonymous, William
Harvey, and N. J. Dawood
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Canterbury Tales by by Geoffrey Chaucer,
I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton De Trevino
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
Robinson Crusoe by by Daniel Defoe
Stories of Beowulf Told to the Children by H. E. Marshall and J. R. Skelton
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

*these are all in our home library and are personal favorites of our
family. These are the books that we go back to again and again.

Science is Cool

Get a good science encyclopedia so that you can answer any questions
that may arise. Buy some fun science kits. Teach your kids that science
is cool, even if you don't like science, or have misconceptions that it is
hard to understand. It is the stuff that everything is made of. Learn
along side them. If you don't know the answers to the many science
questions that will arise, then just say that you don't know. Then, write
down the questions and go find the answers together. I guarantee that
both of you will not forget the answers to the questions after researching
them.

Make root beer, tumble rocks, grow crystals, get a butterfly habitat, build
a robot, make and shoot a rocket, create a perfume, build a potato clock,
make snow.... Google these and order a few kits. Home Science Tools is
my favorite place to find cool science stuff. Keep them on hand for some
time to spend together having fun.

Plan on these kits taking some time. Many of them have waiting periods
when things are growing or drying. Mark time on the calendar to spend
finishing the kit. Consistency is the key. Teach your children the art of
following through with something, because the result will be satisfaction,
if you follow through. Plus, you are learning and spending time together
in an atmosphere where they are free to ask questions. We like The New
Way Things Work, and The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia for topics that
we want to explore further or we don't understand right away.
Science is not scary. Science makes sense and teaches your child about
the principles that make the world go around. There are tons of
questions that arise while doing science experiments and teaching them
the art of asking questions, guessing what may happen, recording results
and drawing conclusions based on their results is teaching them the
fundamental processes of the scientific method. This method is used by
scientists to discover why things work the way they do.

Get Messy and Creative

Stock up on art supplies. Try something new. Buy some Sculpey, colored
pencils, watercolors, or origami paper. Get a book from the library
showing you how to use these materials properly, and try it together.
Keep your art materials available to be used when your child feels
creative. Get a drop cloth, old sheet or picnic table outside that can be
used for projects. Get messy!

I teach co-op art classes and I can tell which children have not been
exposed to getting messy. It's sad. They're kids and they shouldn't mind
getting messy. And, you shouldn't either. Don't rob them of experiencing
the texture of wet paint, pencil shavings, and squishy clay. The more
they are exposed to these sorts of things the more creative they will
become. They can decide what they like and what they don't like. All you
have to do is provide the experience. They'll admire you for it.

Quality art materials last longer. The saying "You get what you pay for",
definitely applies to art materials. Cheap colored pencils will break, and
you will have to sharpen them down to the nub on your first using. Good
quality materials will be easier to use and the frustrations that can
happen with art will be alleviated. Good brushes, good paint, good
colored pencils and good paper are a GREAT start!

We've started an art night in our home where we meet once a week and
get creative together. We've done collages, drawn each other and
sculpted with clay. Then we have an art show where we hang up our
finished pieces and talk about them. It's great fun! Include Dad in on the
fun. If once a week seems daunting then once a month would be a great
start.

Observe Masterpieces

Picture study is another great way to introduce art to your children. ABC
Gallery is a free site that you can use to look at art. Choose an artist and
leave pictures of the artist around your house. You can leave one on your
computer's desktop or on post card sized prints on the refrigerator. Child
Sized Masterpieces provides games and art prints to use with younger
children. I've used these will all of my children and they never tire of
them.

Sister Wendy's 1000 Masterpieces is a book that gives an overview of the

masters. It's a huge reference book. It's not a book that you could read
to your young children. It's more of a reference for older children or
furthering your knowledge of art. And, it has beautiful art reproductions.

Children's Art Books

We have lots of great art books for children but after collecting art books
for years I have found our favorite, least expensive and most informative
to be any of the books in these two series:

• Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists

• Smart About Art

These books also have many vivid color prints throughout.

Nature is Free

Spend time outside together learning from nature. A good walk through
the park, a lounge by the river or on the beach, or stroll through the
woods is good for your soul. It's calming. It requires you to slow down
and use all your senses. Pack a notebook with you and stop to draw
things in nature. Ask your children if they would like to draw too.
Without realizing it they will be learning how to pay attention to details.
You'll also find many things in nature that stimulates questions. Talk with
your child about nature and learn all that you can from it. The Handbook
of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock is a wonderful guide to
learning about nature.

Collections Encourage Caring

Leaf, insect, feather or rock collecting can become a hobby that you share
together. Nature collections are the best because they are free! Children
don't usually have a lot of money to put towards a collection and they will
enjoy being able to collect something with you that you can share and
talk about. Keep your collections in egg cartons or shoe boxes. When you
have enough, display them proudly in a frame or Riker box on the wall.
When people come over they will ask you about these collections and this
will give your child an opportunity to talk about the collection and share
what they know.

By displaying the collection in a way that takes care of it, you are
teaching your child how to care for something of value. Things that are of
value don't necessarily have to be purchased. They can be beautiful
things that God gave us as free gifts, and we should share the beauty
with others.

Music

Exposing your children to classical music when they are young will teach
them an appreciation for good music. There has been some talk among
scientists that music training has significant influences on the brain
development of young children leading to improved memory over the
course of a year. Listening to classical music is one of the easiest ways to
improve the atmosphere of your home. You can play music in the
background during almost anything you are doing.

So much of our teens culture is defined by the music they listen to. It
can even effect the way they want to dress. Allowing your children to
listen to pop-cultured radio may induce a pre-mature sense of belonging
to a certain clique. This may cause them to be clique oriented instead of
individual oriented. It is my personal belief that exposing your child to
different kinds of music aids them in standing on their own as an
individual. And, of course, an appreciation of the classics is a great place
to start. You could actually never leave the classics because there are
some great composers to be exposed to.

Classical Resources That We Like

http://www.classicsforkids.com/ is a free site online

Peter and the Wolf and Other Favorite Works CD

Classical Kids CD- Mozart's Magical Fantasy
Classical Kids CD- Mr. Bach Comes to Call
Classical Kids CD- Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery
Classical Kids CD- Hallelujah Handel
Greatest Hits CD- Beethoven CD
Greatest Hits CD- Hydn CD
Greatest Hits CD- Mozart
Greatest Hits CD- Bach
Classical Cats CD (younger children)
Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens book and CD
The Story of the Orchestra book and CD

Caring for Something

I truly believe that every child should learn how to be responsible for and
care for something that is living. Whether it is a plant or animal is up to
you. Pick something that you know how to take care of, or are willing to
learn about. Train your child in the art of caring for a living thing.
Learning how to nurture and love something requires patience and
consistency. These life-lessons are one of the best things that you can
teach your child to do under your roof and your guidance.

Many families have pet dogs or cats, and the children share in the duties
of caring for the family animal. That is wonderful! But, I'm referring to
individual ownership and responsibility. What is dependence? What is
life? What is consistency? What is perseverance? What is satisfaction?
These are the things you will be talking about with your children as they
become the sole care-givers of a small seedling, a pet fish or a pet
chicken.

Religions

The world is a hodge-podge of religions. Learning about the major

religions can give your child background into understanding different
cultures. Introducing other people's beliefs offers a great opportunity to
talk about your own family's convictions. Begin by studying the world's
main religions: Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Muslim religions
are a good place to start. World Religions, Usborne is a good reference
for younger children while World Religions, DK is better for older children
and adults. Studying Christianity in the context of world religions helped
reaffirm my family's Christian faith.

Toys that Inspire

Finding toys that inspire creativity is easy to find if you follow this simple
rule:

If you turn the toy on, and it does everything without your child having to
interact with it, don't buy it.

You want to choose toys that will challenge and keep the interest of your
child. Beware! There are some gimmicky toys out there. I've found that
the old tried and true toys like blocks, wooden puzzles, Duplos, puppets,
and stacking cups always provide plenty of entertainment in my home.
Things that your child can stack, open and close, twist, snap on, or crinkle
are winners.

Melissa and Doug have a nice variety of toys for babies, preschool and the
toddler years. Haba and Eeboo are two of my favorite top quality places
to get toys and games that will be delightful to you as well as your
children.

Electronic toys can always be a special treat to a child, but I wouldn't

recommend that all of your toys require batteries. Talking globes, toys
that teach the alphabet or numbers are always great, but remember the
rule above! Make sure your child is interacting with the toy and not just
becoming entranced with flashing lights.

Placing toys in a basket in the living room, or dining room provides an

invitation to come and discover. I have always found it helpful to NOT
have all the toys out at once, but rather rotate toys in and out of play
spaces. Consider rotating that $100 train set or the other toys your child
has become bored with and place them out of reach. Then when they are
brought out, they will be looked on as a treat.

Taking the rotating toys theory a little further, you can always come up
with a schedule of days like the following:

Mon. - Playdoh
Tues. - Legos
Wed. - trains
Thurs. - musical instruments
Fri. - K-nex or blocks

Or, for older children something like this:

Mon. - play food
Tues. - special art supplies and paper
Wed. - puzzles
Thurs. - puppets and theatre
Fri. - Moon Sand
Enjoy Your Atmosphere

The atmosphere of your home will invite times of learning by giving your
children a variety of opportunities to seize and develop their talents.
These times of learning don't need to be called "school". This atmosphere
is not about MAKING your children do what you want them to do. This
atmosphere cultivates time that you are able to spend together, learning
with and from each other. The satisfaction of learning together, building
family unity, enjoying simple pleasures and sharing opportunities of hard
work cultivates a love of learning and creates an atmosphere to sustain it.
The work involves consistency and the payoff is irreplaceable.

I hope that you have found encouragement in this little e-book and that
you enjoy every opportunity to spend time together as a family.

Brenda Sain, a hands- on, classically eclectic homeschool mother

of 5 enjoys creating an atmosphere of learning for her children
and often blogs about homeschooling and family traditions at
http://www.thetiethatbindsus.blogspot.com. She is the founder
of http://www.ourlifestyleoflearning.com, an online homeschool
community where moms can find encouragement.