The best part of education

"Every child should have mud pies, grasshoppers, water bugs, tadpoles, frogs, mud turtles, elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns, chestnuts, trees to climb, brooks to wade, water lilies, woodchucks, bats, bees, butterflies, various animals to pet, hayfields, pinecones, rocks to roll, sand, snakes, huckleberries, and hornets and any child who has been deprived of these has been deprived of the best part of education" Luther Burbank

Once again we spent most of our time outside yesterday enjoying the beautiful weather before the rain starts today. After Hope helped her daddy get the weeds out of the planter boxes she decided to crawl in and play. She found yet another friend and made a dirt "mountain" for him. While working in the yard her daddy overturned a few rocks and boards and talked to her about how some insects make their homes there. When we went on a nature walk to look for signs of spring she turned over every rock she could find to see what lived underneath. All that searching must have tired her out because as soon as she found a nice soft piece of moss she made herself a little seat.

Last night before she went to bed she gathered paper and crayons. She announced to everyone that she was learning all about worms. She drew a square for the planter box and added brown lines for the worms. This little activity is narration that just happens naturally. No assessment was needed on what she had learned. She was eager to share what she had discovered. Learning through living truly is the best part of education.