The Children's Tradition Beta Y1

If you haven't deep dived into ALL of the preface before this post I will say you've saved yourself from a "long story LONG" situation. Congratulations! In today's post my goal is to encourage you to throw away every worksheet you may have printed off, the idea and concepts of subjects, and embrace a literary way of life with your family! No... but really!

The Children's Tradition is described as an embodied education in wonder. I don't think you could describe it any better. It is a curriculum that is classically rooted in the time-tested tradition that nurtures humility in appreciation for the Great Tradition of great thinkers and good books. It's also described as integrated which approaches life and knowledge as holistic, not boxing in subjects or limiting our students. The humanities aspect is to humanize and expand in our concrete reality what that means; it cultivates appreciation for concrete realities and poetic knowledge. Lastly, it emphasizes childhood and the natural way of learning suited to childhood. It's rooted in the good, the true, and the beautiful. Now, that my summary is out of the way... what does that even mean or look like?

Well, a lot like you I really didn't know when I jumped in with the Beta year. I knew I wanted a literary life for our family, but this had an entire added layer that really drew our days to regularly seek out Christ. I LOVED THAT. It's finding and creating rhythms that pull us back to Him all day long. I didn't print a single worksheet, open a single workbook, and really embraced Poetic Knowledge really before I even came to understand the concept (still processing and working through the book by James Taylor). But I think that's what really sold me. We acquire knowledge first and foremost through our senses and we do that by being IN the moment, not just talking at or about the said thing. I think the easiest way to think about it aside from the amazing example from James Taylor’s book quoting a Charles Dickens novel is really what we try to do today as a quick fix, stay with me here. Is it better to have a scoop of unflavored protein powder to check off the nutrient box? Or is the steak, prepared exactly to your liking with a sizzling pan, the smell and familiarity it brings over family dinner preferred? I may dig more into my thoughts on this later, but I am sure you can tell what way I lean. THIS is the difference between educating when you’re immersed in a poetic way of learning vs. oh I don’t know… teaching for the test. I know, I know… former first grade teacher here and I spoke the horrid T word. Nobody likes it, not even the teachers.

Back on course!! We started our Term 1 a little early around July as I was expecting and wanted to have the goal of completing one entire term before baby #3 was here. I loved that we accomplished that and were able to have a three week break welcoming baby and establishing some new rhythms. We also had lots of travel sprinkled in and paused for the month of December for “Christmas school” and so we’ve ended up somewhat doing a year round school. I love it though because education has been a way of life over here and I couldn’t ask for anything more. We just pick up on the next page of our recommended reading and get to tell about the stories we read, and explore nature together, enjoy friend play dates, learn a little Latin, and dabble in math.

I think most of my friends probably think we just read books for school which is majority of it. But it’s also mapping out a way of life for them to be able to grow into who God calls them to be. I’m just here following a trail mapped out of the Good Books that have stood the test of time. That enrich our family culture, make us laugh and cry, that call us to be more virtuous people and not by lecture but by inspiration. And if we can be inspired to be curious like Lucy, brave like Peter, contented as Pooh, and as helpful as Dr. Dolittle I think I can call our year Good, too.

XO McKenzie