August 10, 2008
I have made one last change to our curriculum for this year. After visiting this website (http://www.tapestryofgrace.com) repeatedly over the course of the last few months, I felt very called to utilize it with my kids, and now that we are officially beginning it tomorrow, I am so excited. Best of all, T is really excited too. N is not very excited about much of anything that takes time away from his legos, but I think he's definitely going to benefit as well. Tapestry of Grace embodies everything about why I am homeschooling my kids. It encapsulates the very best of classical education, incorporating plenty of Charlotte Mason's philosophy as well. I have read plenty of rave reviews of Tapestry of Grace that suggest that it is simply too much money to justify spending it on younger (grammar stage) children, but, at least in the case of my own children, I have to disagree. Immersing my children in the time period they are studying is exactly what I want to do. T is super excited about going to Egypt for a three-week minimum. If we feel that three weeks are not enough, we'll stay longer: the beauty of homeschooling - especially year-round! In my usual over-the-top manner, I went to the library and got not only the required and supplementary books for the first unit, but a whole bunch more as well. I just can't resist, especially when I know they will end up being couch reading for us, and that both my older kids retain so much of what they read and hear. That old sponge philosophy, coupled with my own of "throw it out there and see if it will stick"; what possible harm could it do.N is really excited because after only two days of exposure, he already has a few lines of his first poetry memorization down. Now if he could only say "Christina G. Rossetti" instead of "Chrustina G. Nostelery". Sigh. I am 98% sure he is doing it on purpose to vex me, but I can't be certain.T has in her repertoire now "The Land of Nod" by R.L. Stevenson and "A Tragic Story" by Wm. Makepeace Thackery. Next up for her is "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by Wordsworth. I am proud that she has retained her first selection through the memorization of her second. For our first Holy Family open mic night I think I would like her to do Lovely Lady Dressed in Blue. I think it's lovely to hear a child recite that poem/prayer.