Since this subject is so near and dear to my heart, I realize that I could probably write a book on it, so I've decided to try and break down what I'd like to share in smaller bite size pieces.  After this, I plan on doing a few more posts (not sure how many yet) on the details of how we have used and applied Nature Study to our homeschool; and how we have learned to make it the focal point of our studies.  I would like to do a separate post for each subject (Math, LA, etc.) to show how we have found it possible to learn these things in Nature.  So, without further ado...

Can Nature teach?  If you had asked me that question a year ago, I probably would have empathetically answered, "I enjoy nature, but after doing our Math, Language Arts, History, and Science curriculums, there's just not any time for that."  I unfortunately would not have been able to see it further than that.

Day in a day out I tried everything, short of strapping him down, to get my son to stay in his seat for schoolwork.  And keeping my daughter's attention from drifting into the land of imagination was a constant battle.  I now understand that my children learn in a much different way, but at the time I tried exhaustively to teach them the traditional way.  Despite my constant efforts, my children were struggling to keep up with the standards, and too often falling behind, and not a day went by that I didn't feel like a failure at this homeschooling thing.

But, the Lord knew exactly what would finally bring success for us....and it was something I never would have guessed - Nature Study.  And, in general, a way more hands-on approach to learning.  I have since been taught that throughout the Bible you will find numerous Scriptures and stories speaking of the Lord's Creation teaching us.  Yes, our Lord certainly deemed His creation quite perfect for teaching.  Here are just a few examples:

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard." ~ Psalm 19:1-3

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"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,  yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest."  ~Proverbs 6:6-8

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."~ Romans 1:20

And, in the Gospels, Jesus, many times, used examples in nature to teach His parables to people.

So the real question was "Will I trust Him?"  Because jumping off the traditional worldly bandwagon is a scary thing you know.  In January, our lives were turned upside down, and after a very scary 15 days and two surgeries hospital visit for my son, I came home a changed homeschooling Mom (Romans 8:28).  Never again would life or homeschooling be looked at the same.  Everyday with your children is a gift, please know this deep in your heart!  So, was I ready now to trust Him?  Oh yes!!  There was no way I could return to our days of drudgery, life is too short.

"But to enable them to swim with the stream is the least of the benefits this early training should confer on the children; a love of Nature, implanted so early that it will seem to them hereafter to have been born in them, will enrich their lives with pure interests, absorbing pursuits, health, and good humour. "I have seen," says the same writer, "the young man of fierce passions and uncontrollable daring expend healthily that energy which threatened daily to plunge him into recklessness, if not into sin, upon hunting out and collecting, through rock and bog, snow and tempest, every bird and egg of the neighbouring forest . . . I have seen the young London beauty, amid all the excitement and temptation of luxury and flattery, with her heart pure, and her mind occupied in a boudoir full of shells and fossils, flowers and seaweeds, keeping herself unspotted from the world, by considering the lilies of the fields of the field, how they grow." ~The Original Homeschooling Series, by Charlotte Mason, Vol. 1, pg. 72

From February through today has been a miraculous transformation for our family.  I can't say how it all happened, but the Lord has opened my eyes a little wider each and every day to see who my children are in Him, who I am in Him, and where we need to go to help us learn---to His Creation in Nature.  Can Nature teach?  Oh yes!! Oh yes it can!!!

Throughout these months, we have discovered our family's passion!  We love being in the great outdoors.  Sitting under the big oak, wading in the creek, turning over rocks, gazing at the clouds, every single day the Lord has taught us through His creation.  And yes, Mom has been just as excited and passionate about finding worms under a rock!

"The child who sees his mother with reverent touch lift an early snowdrop to her lips, learns a higher lesson than the 'print-books' can teach." ~The Original Homeschooling Series, by Charlotte Mason, Vol. 1, pg. 63

Everywhere we have found things that have sparked our interest, gotten us excited, and driven us to further study (that is where all the other subjects come in).  So many other subjects just naturally happened.  Even Math found a place in this!  Who knew?  Who knew that nature could teach so much?!!  And because we were passionate about it, we hardly recognized it as school!!

In hindsight, I can now see how much my children have advanced over the last several months.  During those several months I frequently wondered if I was allowing them to fall further and further behind, and my trust in the Lord was tested with this daily. 

"It would be well if we all persons in authority, parents and all who act for parents, could make up our minds that there is no sort of knowledge to be got in these early years so valuable to children as that which they get for themselves of the world they live in. Let them once get touch with Nature, and a habit is formed which will be a source of delight through life. We were all meant to be naturalists, each in his degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things.  Consider, too, what an unequalled mental training the child-naturalist is getting for any study or calling under the sun––the powers of attention, of discrimination, of patient pursuit, growing with his growth, what will they not fit him for?" ~The Original Homeschooling Series, by Charlotte Mason, Vol. 1, pg. 61

Through Nature Study, we also naturally found that other hands-on studies (experiments, etc.) were a lot of fun and also made it more personal to us.   We don't always have to be outside to be learning, the learning often follows us right back through our schoolroom door.

 Experiment ~ Making a Cloud

We older people, partly because of our maturer intellect, partly because of our defective education, get most of our knowledge through the medium of words. We set the child to learn in the same way, and find him dull and slow. Why? Because it is only with a few words in common use that he associates a definite meaning; all the rest are no more to him than the vocables of a foreign tongue. But set him face to face with a thing, and he is twenty times as quick as you are in knowledge about it; knowledge of things flies to the mind of a child as steel filings to magnet. ~ The Original Homeschooling Series, by Charlotte Mason, Vol. 1, pg. 67

Just as a disclaimer, I know that our Heavenly Father has created each of us to be very unique individuals, filled with different gifts, talents, and desires.  I believe that whatever it is, if Mother is passionate about it, her kids will follow, and learn to love learning.  Hands-on Nature Study has obviously worked for our family and has filled our homeschooling with joy and has cultured a deep love of learning.  However, I believe that each family should seek our Creator in deep prayer for what will work for their homeschool.

Blessings to you as you discover the wonders of Trusting Him.