Spring officially arrives next week. Where we live, though, it is hard to fathom this as everything is still covered in snow and the temperatures are still frigid (last week they got down to 30 below C). I am so ready for Spring.
I always equate Spring with nature study. This just seems to be the time to go outside and see the world coming alive after a few months of sleep. I don't think many people would think of nature study as a part of Classical Education. Nature Study is usually associated with the Charlotte Mason philosophy. I am in the minority of those who tend to think that CM and CE are similar in some ways. One of those ways is the desire to expose our children to all that is beautiful, true and good. This is my criteria for most things. If it meets those three things, then I file it under Classical Education. Nature Study definitely meets that criteria.
I am not a big nature person. In fact, I would rather sit in my living room reading a good book than being outside with mosquitoes, and the whipping wind (the Prairies are well-known for its non-stop wind). As my children have gotten older, though, I have seen the benefit of going outside and enjoying nature. I now make myself go out with my children but it is much easier to do this in the spring. After being cooped up inside for the winter, it isn't too hard to go outside in the sunshine and look at the birds and the budding flowers.
Nature Study is done not only to elevate the child's appreciation for God's world, but to increase the child's visualization skills. In having the child draw a bird or a flower, you are inviting that child to look closely at the object and sketch it true to life. They need to look at the colours, the size, how the object is put together. In the case of the bird, the child has to look and see where the bird's wings are placed in relation to it's body or where the legs come out, etc. The child needs to pay close attention to what he or she is sketching.
Nature Study also could lead to increasing knowledge about the animal or plant kingdom in the sense of classification, and to which family it belongs. It is helpful to have field guides along so that if you see an interesting specimen you can quickly look it up in the guide to name it. This increases knowledge in a more relaxed manner.
If you are like me and have difficulty in pursuing Nature Study with your children, I would like to encourage you to start now with the onset of spring. There is no greater time to show your children the beauty of God's world.
Julia lives on the Canadian Prairies with her 3 children (9,8,6), attempting to give them a Classical Education. You can read more at her blog.
