Welcome to the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival! In my neck of the woods Spring has sprung, and I am beginning to reap the huge benefits of sunshine and warmer weather. And I've also been enjoying the vast benefits of reading these fantastic articles! So without further ado, shall we get started so you can do the same?

Dictation

• Kristy at Living, Loving, and Learning does a great job outlining her 5-day plan for dictation lessons with her son, as well as giving some helpful advice on getting started with a good foundation in her post, Dictation.

Nature Study

• Andrea at Harvest Academy has a very encouraging post for Moms just starting to get their children interested in nature study, at Green Hour Challenge #7.  Her three boys are not only starting to catch on, they are getting right down excited!  Way to go Mom!

• I was giggling out loud and learning at the same time when I read Barb's post from The Heart of Harmony at Reptiles for Nature Study: Mustering Up My Enthusiasm!  She teaches us how she is learning to overcome her feelings of reservation and feelings of being inadequate to teach some things that her boys are interested in, such as reptiles, and gaining the blessings from it.

• My first article to present is entitled Finally - The Elusive Pileated Woodpecker.  In it I share with you a glance into a recent school day when we were visited by a very special bird.  And how I've learned to unashamedly put down regular studies to encourage and nourish my children's love of God's creation in nature.  

Music and Art

• Barb at The Heart of Harmony also provides us with two excellent online resources to use when studying composers at AO: Composer Study Term 3 Berlioz/Saint-Saens.  And more specifically gives the direct links for listening to the music of Hector Berlioz and Camille Saint-Saens which are the two composers to study this term on the Ambleside Online Plan for Music Study.  Thank you Barb for continuing to help us find great resources!

• Amy from Growing Fruit presents Listen Up, giving us a view of the way she is just beginning to include art and music into their homeschool using a book which makes it easy to combine the two subjects.

• I would also love to share my entry entitled Music and Art Friday - Vivaldi and Watercolor Project.  In it I explain how I am learning to be creative by sometimes combining our composer and art lessons together to make a wonderful project!

• Don't miss Mr. Mozart is Coming for Lunch! a delightful entry by Shannon at Song of my heart.  She gives a precious view into how she fits composer study in with her young children over PB & J sandwiches!

• Amanda at Hearts and Trees brings to our attention a new controversial high-tech method of studying art in What Would Charlotte Mason Think?   I was shocked to view the video!  Check it out and see what you think.

• Keri from Sunny gives a review of the Simply Music Program at Simply Music.  I'm definitely checking this one out for our family.  Thanks Keri!

Habit Training

• Who doesn't need help and constant encouragement to form habits in their children?!  MomToCherubs at Adventure's on Beck's Bounty gives a great reminder of the importance of forming habits in our children using an overview of Miss Mason's writings on the subject at Concerning Habits.  She also provides a list of habits and some great thought provoking questions.

Math

• Read about the great benefits of using logic matrix as well as view some great resources as Cindy presents Math and the Logic Matrix at On Our Journey Westward.