CM 17- Brittney McGann - Sloyd is Super Awesome

CM 17- Brittney McGann - Sloyd is Super Awesome

Show Notes:

Bio-Originally from California, Brittney and her husband are raising their three children in North Carolina. Brittney leads a Charlotte Mason group called Considering Lilies and annually hosts the Grace to Build Retreat. Her research into educational philosophy has been published by the Charlotte Mason Institute and she has been featured on A Delectable Education Podcast. Brittney co-manages the Charlotte Mason Poetry blog and attends Calvary Chapel in Chapel Hill.

Resources:

http://charlottemasonpoetry.org/sloyd-resources/

Paper Modelling by M. Swannell

Paper Sloyd: A Handbook for Primary Grades by Ednah Anne Rich (physical book)

Paper Sloyd: A Handbook for Primary Grades by Ednah Anne Rich (digital book)

http://www.livingbookslibrary.com/living-library-press-2/

Quote: Education, like faith, is the evidence of things not seen. Volume 6, page 39

Bible Verse: Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Show Transcript:

CM EP Brittany McGann

Julie -

Welcome to the Charlotte Mason Show. A podcast dedicated to discussing Ms. Mason's philosophy, principles, and methods. It is our hope that each episode will leave you inspired and offer practical wisdom on how to provide this rich, living education in your modern homeschool.

So, pull up a chair, we're glad you're here.

Today's episode of the Charlotte Mason Show is brought to you by Medi-Share. Find out more about this affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance at medishare.com.




Hello, welcome to the Charlotte Mason Show. I'm your host Julie Ross, and today I'm here with Brittany McGann. And we are here to talk about Sloyd, which, if you are not in the Charlotte Mason world, you're probably like, what in the world is Sloyd, I've never heard that word before. And don't worry, because I had never heard that word either ‘till I started diving into what kind of subjects she included in her programs. But I am absolutely clueless about it, so I am super excited to have Brittany here to teach you all but also to teach me and kind of help me get a little bit more footing with teaching this to my own kids.

So, hello Brittany.

Brittany -

Hello Julie. It's so nice to be here with you.




Julie -

Yeah, thank you so much. So, to get started, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your family?




Brittany -

Yeah. So, my husband and I are originally from Southern California. And we moved out here to North Carolina about 12 years ago. I was a hairdresser for a long time, about 11 years. And then I became a homeschool mom. So, I have three children. My oldest is 11, and she loves writing. So, that has been really exciting to see, since we homeschool. But she's able to spend a lot of time writing and reading and growing in that interest. And then I have another daughter who is 9 years old. And she's very active. She loves to run and jump and dance and she loves guinea pigs. So that's her thing. And then my son, my youngest, he is 6 years old and he is very much a typical boy. But he is also my snuggly one. So, it's just really fun to be able to be home with them. And we live on three and a half acres surrounded by forests. And then we have a pasture on the other side. So that's also great. You know, we just get to be home enjoying nature and planting wildflowers and hanging out with our guinea fowl and our guinea pigs.

J -

That's so fun. I'm jealous.


B-

It's great.


J-

Yeah! So, how did you all start off homeschooling? Or how did you get to hear about Charlotte Mason?


B -

Well, we started homeschooling when I was a hairdresser. You know, everybody talks to their hairdresser. So, I just... all these kinds of bad stories about people's experience in education. And I used to joke to my mom that I was gonna like, be that weird lady that homeschools her kids. We have this three and a half-year-old and I was just hearing all these stories and I was like, wow, I think maybe homeschooling is the way to go. So, I talked to my husband about it, and he went for it. So, then I started researching and I found a book, it was just a general homeschooling book. I don't even remember what it was called. But it laid out all of the different styles of homeschooling, which, I didn't even know that you could have a different style. I thought it would be school, but at home. And so when I read about these styles, and I read about Charlotte Mason, and about the focus on nature, and on living books, and literature, I was sold. I was like, wow, that's perfect. I'm doing that. And so then, I just really like, dove in, and we've been doing that ever since.


J-

Wow, that's really neat. I think you're one of the first people I've ever heard that kind of came about it from hearing about all the, like, different kind of ways to approach homeschooling. And choosing that one, that's really neat.


B-

Yeah. When we got started, I didn't know anybody who homeschooled. Like, I was in a totally different world. And so, yeah, I was really thankful to find a book that just kind of laid it all out and showed me what was possible.


J-

Yeah. I bet that was hard too, without people kind of walking you through with her philosophy on that practically, too.


B-

Yeah, and that's why I started at my first group called Considering Lilies. I was hoping to find moms who were like, way farther along than I was, and who could teach me everything. But, instead, it was just a whole bunch of us who were like, trying to get our feet and figure it out.


J-

Yes, that is cool.

B-

It was great. It was just kind of funny. And then that actually pushed me, because I was a leader, and I was kind of supposed to know a little more. That pushed me to research a lot and to learn faster than I probably would have otherwise.


J-

Yeah, well one of the other guests that I've had on is my leader of the book club that I've been part of here. I'm like we're off. And that's what she talked about, she wanted to switch over to a Charlotte Mason approach in her homeschool, but she didn't know anyone who did it. And didn't really know practically how to do it. And so she just decided to start a book club, reading through Charlotte Mason's volumes, and learned along with other people. So I think that's a great way to do it, if someone is out there who's just like, I want to know more about this, but I don't know anyone who can guide me to just jump in and kind of learn with other people.


B-

Exactly. I totally agree.


J-

That's really neat. And so, let's get started talking a little bit about Sloyd. So, for those who have no idea what that is, can you give us just a very basic kind of run-through of what Sloyd covers?


B-

Sure. So, Sloyd, the word, comes from the Swedish word that means "handi-craft". It was a movement of education in the 1800s and it was a systemized method for teaching handi-crafts. And so the focus was not only on the technical aspect, of like, "how-to", but also on the character-building aspect of, how does a child's character develop when they're learning how to work with their hands and they're learning how to follow instructions and have integrity, and to give their all to a particular thing. And it included like we tend to think of it in terms of paper and cardboard, for Charlotte Mason circles, but it actually included other things as well, like knitting and sewing, metalwork, woodworking. So, it was very broad, but Charlotte Mason, she focused on paper and cardboard, and I think, partly just because those were easy materials to find, easy to work with, but they can teach a lot. Even in those really, you know, simple materials and simple projects.


J-

Now, are there resources for, like, you mentioned, like, knitting and woodworking? I guess woodworking makes sense, like if you work with the paper and then the cardboard to work up to kind of, the woodworking aspect would make sense with the measuring and the building of things. Knitting sounds really interesting to me. I don't... is there like a systematic way that makes it Sloyd and not just like regular knitting or embroidery, and you know. Or does it just kind of, you mean like all handi-crafts?


B-

I think it was more the method of teaching.


J-

Okay, that makes sense.


B-

So, I haven't... yeah... I haven't come across any books on like, knitting or sewing, even though it's... I found research to show that that was part of it. So I haven't found any Sloyd books for that, but there are Sloyd books for woodworking. There are several of those. And then I know I've seen one that includes metalwork as well. But it was really just the systematic teaching. You start with the basics, you know, the simple principles. And then you build on those. So rather than kind of throwing someone right in, like, if you're doing woodworking, you don't start off making a big project. Like, you don't' say, okay, let's build a barn. You start with something small. And then you just gradually grow your skills in sort of a very natural and progressive way. And so with paper, it's kind of the same. You start with paper folding. And then you move along to paper Sloyd, which has more cutting and measuring. And then you go on to cardboard, which is, again, I was just more skills. It's like layer upon layer. And slowly building this up, so the child always feels accomplished instead of feeling like it's too hard or it's too much.


J-

Yeah, that's a good point. So, why do you think Charlotte Mason included this Sloyd area in her programs?


B-

So, we all know about the literature and the books and the math and all these things that are educating their minds. But Mason recognized that a child is not just a mind. They also have a body. And so it was important, not only to keep their entire bodies healthy, like with Swedish drill, for example, but also that they would have good technical skills. Like hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills. At that time, you know, it was common, like part of education was to make samplers. Like sewing and embroidery samplers. And to do various things with one's hands. They still were making their own clothes and making a lot of things at home, versus now, where we just, you know, go to Target and get everything we need there. So I think Mason, when she learned about Sloyd, because they actually had one of those Sloyd educators come to a PNEU Conference that they had to teach them about their method. And that... there's an article by C. Russell that really lays it all out. But he really explained how the method of Sloyd builds up the character and the technical skills. And I think, for Mason, that made sense to her. And that was the same... that was a big part of her philosophy as well, is that you know, we're working on the whole body of the child. You know, their hearts, their minds, and their physical body. So, Sloyd just fits right in perfectly. Like, if you study Sloyd, and you study Mason, you can just see that they just seamlessly intertwine.


J-

Yeah. So, you mentioned like, that Sloyd would help with different character building. Is there anything specific that you feel like comes out from doing Sloyd?


B-

Yeah, I think for me a big one is integrity. So, just doing work, doing it well, knowing that you've put all of yourself into that work. And then that you can feel proud to give that work to someone else. So, you know, we think, like, paper Sloyd. We'll talk a little bit more about the specifics of it, but even making something simple like a box, for a child, it's not easy. You know, cutting the... you know, really nice, super straight lines and gluing them together just so. And when all the edges are matching, and things come together the way that they're supposed to. That really gives them a sense of accomplishment. And it helps them to know that they're capable of doing things. And I think it just gives them that feeling that they can do more. So if they can accomplish these smaller things, then there are other things that they can accomplish as well. Children who are not naturally gifted in academics, when they're able to make something, and see that they're just as capable as someone else, it might lead them on a different career path. You know it might help them to know that just because they're not as good at math or reading, there are other things that they are suited for. And that they'll enjoy and be able to contribute to.


J-

Yeah, I think that's a really good point. And I think that's one of the beauties of providing a wide feast for children, si that they, you never know what aspect of the feast can spark a fire inside of them. And it might be something that you think, oh this is just an add-on, or this isn't important. Or not really a time for this, but it might be the one thing that your child just latches onto. And feeds and grows that interest for them, you know, and working with their hands, and building things that you would have never known otherwise.


B-

Exactly.


J-

So, that, yeah, that's a really good point. And also, I think, she talks about the importance of observation, right? And accuracy. And you definitely see that when you're making something that has to be measured correctly and put together correctly.


B-

Well, it also helps to, with their imagination. Because when you... once you get these skills down, instead of just following the diagrams, which is you know, very important to be able to follow directions, and do what you're supposed to do. But the next level is that you can create in your own mind and you know how to take what's in your mind and make it something real and tangible.


J-

Oh yeah. I never even thought about that. That's really good. Yeah, I have to admit, I do struggle with the diagrams. I am not a spatial person. And I don't know if you remember. Or if you ever had to take... they had these tests, like elementary school, where they would give you like, a box, and it was all flattened out. And then you had to circle which one the box would be all put together. Like the picture.


B-

I don't remember that.


J-

And I would always get them wrong. Like, I could never figure out when it was flat what it would look like in three dimensions. So even trying to like, do those... do Sloyd with my kids, it's really hard! So, I mean, we're just making a little simple box, and I'm like, okay, I think this means... supposed to go this way. But, yeah, I mean, at my age, it is challenging too, so I imagine for them, it is not easy, right. And they get that sense of accomplishment in learning that skill. Some people have talked about it's the skills that it uses for geometry? I never thought that.




B-

It does. Well, just like what you were saying, to take a two-dimensional object and turn it into a three-dimensional object. That's geometry. That's using that part of your brain. But, compared to what you were doing, where you just had a two-dimensional object, then showing a picture of a three-dimensional object, but it was still two dimensional. That's really hard to imagine, what it's supposed to turn into. But when you're able to do, you know, the step by step working with your hands, and actually see what it turns into, then you're able to do that in your brain. It's taking practical knowledge and then making it into abstract knowledge. And then, in cardboard Sloyd, cause, you know, like I said, it's progressive, from paper folding to paper Sloyd, and then into cardboard Sloyd, at the end of cardboard Sloyd, like when you're really good at it, what you do is you take a three-dimensional object, and then you actually turn that into a diagram.


J-

Ohhhh, okay. So, what age would that be?


B-

That would be, like, high school.


J-

Oh, okay. Yeah. Cause that sounds very hard.


B-

It does. I have never done that myself. But, someday.


J-

Like yeah, that's a great future, engineering skills right there for someone who loves tinkering with things. That would be a great skill to be able to possess. I do not have that. When I'm trying to put together IKEA furniture, I want to poke my eye out. So maybe if I had done cardboard Sloyd growing up, it would be easier to put together and look at those diagrams. And know what it's supposed to look like, ‘cause I never can figure it out. So, could we talk about that progression for a second? And I think one of the questions I often hear is what's the difference between paper Sloyd and origami. But that might fit in with, kind of the progression too.


B-

Yeah, it does. So, Mason started with paper folding. And paper folding is, essentially, origami. So, I recommend that people start with origami because it's just easier to find origami books, like basic, simple, origami, than it is to find what Mason used. We were never able to find the book that she used for paper folding, but that skill... so when you're doing origami or paper folding, the child is learning how to... first off, how to follow the diagram. And like work step by step. And then they're just learning to be precise in their folds. So, you know, if you tell a child to just fold a piece of paper in half, with no training, they're probably just gonna fold it really sloppy and all your edges will be, you know, weird and off-center. But, as they learn that skill to make all their corners line up really nicely, they'll see, even with an origami project, that the more neatly they fold, the better the whole thing will turn out to be. So, Mason would have the children, you know, that first year, which is, what is that? One B, like, six years old, first grade. They would be folding and practicing those skills that whole year. So then, the next year, they would start with paper modeling or paper Sloyd. And with that, you're building on that skill of folding. And then you're gonna start more cutting. Cutting and pasting. The book that Mason used, it's called Paper Modeling by M. Swannell. I like that book a lot better than the one by, what's her name? Edna Ann Rich? Because it's a bit more, it's a better bridge from folding to measuring. Whereas the Edna Ann Rich, like, starts right off with measuring. And you have to... you're supposed to, according to her directions, measure out a perfect square before you even get going. Whereas the M. Swannell book starts with a square already given to the child. So, I recommend even if you use the Edna Ann Rich book, that you start those projects with a square already, not to have the child measure out their own square. Because everything depends on that original piece of paper...


J-

I feel so much better because we've totally been using the origami squares for that book that are already cut. I thought I was cheating, so now...


B-

No. No, it's so much better. Cause, I mean, nothing will you feel worse than to do this project and you realize in the end that your square was like, a millimeter off, and like, slightly angled. Nothing works.


J-

Okay. Well, I feel so much better, see? And those origami paper books are fantastic because they can pick their little print that they want and they're pretty and I don't have to worry about it.


B-

Yeah. Well, and I love to do that too. Like, we like to get the fun colorful pretty papers to do all of our stuff. Cause that's half the fun, is just making it look really neat and cool and decorating it.


J-

Yeah. And making it yours, and picking out what you like it to look like, and putting stickers on it, yeah.


B-

Exactly, yeah.


J-

So, that would be... so, paper Sloyd, would that be all of Form One then?


B-

Yeah, that is all of Form One. You do that for about two years. And you know, this is just how Mason did it, but if you were starting, you could really start anywhere with any age. And then you just would go as fast as was necessary according to their skill. So like if you start with a ten-year-old, with origami, and in like, three months, they've got it down and they're like, making all kinds of awesome origami models, then you can move on to the next thing.


J-

Okay, okay.


B-

And, with paper Sloyd, the book that I like called Paper Modeling, it makes toys, and like, dollhouse furniture, and things that you could use to make models of like, your Shakespeare plays, or there's like a sled for, like, dog racing. So, I really like that book cause it's just, more fun. Like my girls have made... there's a barn. So they'll get a really big square piece of paper, and they'll adjust the barn and make it open on one side and turn it into a dollhouse. So, yeah it just, it allows for a lot of creativity and experimentation. Because that's another thing that we wanna do, the way that Mason had these projects in their curriculum, there were several projects that they would need to complete as instructed, but then they were also supposed to make a couple of projects of their own. So, they could adapt and change some of the projects that they had learned or used those skills to make something totally different.


J-

Which would be great to bring in like, their narrations, too. And what they're learning about, you know. If you make a house, and then you have little people that, like you said, with their Shakespeare play, or something, they can kind of act it out, too.


B-

Exactly. Yeah, and when they... when they PNEU, they had these, like, handi-craft fairs. And the kids would bring in the things that they had made, and they would make, like one boy, he made a train station out of Sloyd projects.

J-

Oh wow!

B-

Yeah. And a lot of it was of his own design, but you know, they did have Shakespeare setups, and then they used their clay modeling to make the people. So there's really, you know, a lot you could do with these skills.

J-

Yeah, that's fun. That is really fun. Yeah, I love how it can just incorporate many different areas of the curriculum too, and you're not just like, okay, we're now doing Sloyd. Okay, now it's over. Like...

B-

Right. Yeah, well my kids always wanna do it on their own, like in the afternoon when they're done with school.

J-

Yeah, yeah. That's great.


B-

Yeah, make a whole bunch of stuff and then play with their dolls with it. Or with their lego people.




Today's episode is brought to you by A Gentle Feast. A Gentle Feast is a complete curriculum for grades one through twelve that is family centered, inspired by Ms. Mason's programs and philosophy, and rooted in books, beauty, and Biblical truth. You can find out smooth and easy days are closer than you think at agentlefeast.com


J-

So one, how do you know if a child's ready for cardboard Sloyd then?


B-

Cardboard Sloyd starts in Form Two. So, once you get through about like, two years’ worth of the paper modeling, then they would ready to move on to cardboard Sloyd. The paper is thicker in cardboard Sloyd, so it's not actually cardboard. It's just like, really thick card stock.


J-

Okay, like, scrapbooking cardstock? Like, where do you get that? Like...


B-

Yeah, I get it at Michael's. I get like, the highest number. I wanna say it's like 110 pound. But it's thick enough that when you... if you were to fold it and try to crease it, it would just have like, all these wiggly lines everywhere. Like, it doesn't really fold. So, that's about the right thickness. Because they learn to score. So, they'd have to have that kind of a skill with the craft knife, where they could control it enough to score instead of cut all the way through the paper. So, that is a good gauge.


J-

Yeah.


B-

Of when they're ready to do it.


J-

Supervised, yeah.


B-

Yeah, I mean, I actually, I give my kids craft knives when they're about seven.


J-

Okay.


B-

And so, we just, you know, I do supervise them and make sure to put it away. But no one has ever been cut.


J-

Wow, that's great. Yeah, you learn to respect it and use it, yeah, properly.




B-

Exactly. And I think it helps them to feel that sense of accomplishment. Like, I can do this, and I can be trusted with this knife. And I'm not hurting myself. But if they do hurt themselves, we're not gonna forget that they have to respect the knife and be more careful and go more slowly.


J-

Well, even at that age, you know, I let my kids start using knives in the kitchen. To cook. So


B-

Right. Yes.


J-

Yeah, that is something they're gonna use in multiple areas of life. So. And then, they would just kind of keep working with that cardboard Sloyd? Now, does that become part of like, their handi-craft time?


B-

Yeah. So, in the early years, the handi-craft time is part of your, like, morning schedule. And then, you know, around Form Two, and kind of depending on your family's schedule and situation. It can move to more of the afternoon, so it's something that they're expected to do a little more on their own. By the later Forms, what Mason would do, is she would just give them projects, so, you know, if it was sewing, then it might be, you know, sew a dress by the end of this term. So, for the cardboard Sloyd, I believe it was four projects that they were supposed to have finished per term. And they were supposed to be perfectly executed. So, that means that everything would have been done correctly. Done well, done with integrity. And not just like, going through the motions of doing four, and then being done. You know, four very well done projects.


J-

But yeah, I like giving them that kind of freedom to schedule it and work on that on time, when they get a little older too. I think that's important.


B-

It is. I agree.


J-

So, living in 2020, and we don't have to make our own clothing or furniture, why would a mom still want to include this subject in her feast?


B-

Well, I think it now, more than any other time, that importance of building those skills, you know that hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills. We're really lacking in that. So, like, for our generation, a lot of us didn't learn any of this stuff growing up. But, now, you know, for our kids, I think it's, it can be, even worse, because they don't even have to, like, go outside to play. You know, so many kids, like I've seen on the news, where babies as young as like two have to go to special classes to learn how to use their fingers because they've been allowed to, you know, just like play on the iPad too much, and they develop those fine motor skills.




J-

Yeah, which would help with handwriting and everything else, yeah.


B-

Exactly. And then, too, you know, like I was saying, that practical aspect, like, you know, with your test of two dimensional to three dimensional with no practical understanding, if we want our kids to have all the opportunities that they could have, you know, in engineering, even in like, being a doctor, you know, and understanding... I read a book talking about how medical students didn't understand how the heart worked as a pump because they had no practical experience seeing how a pump works.

J-

Yeah, that makes sense.

B-

Yeah, so I think all of these handi-crafts and practical things that we should be doing with our children just helps them in their future to know how to do things, to be capable, to be resourceful, to be creative.

J-

Yeah, and you can watch a video, like on, here's how a pump works, right? But if you're not touching it and feeling it and working on it yourself, you just really don't understand. You can't.

B-

Exactly. Yeah. It's still keeping it in that two-dimensional world.

J-

Right. Yeah. And I think that is a great point of why this is worthwhile and the skills that it does teach, transfer into many different things in life and will help them in their future as well. So, if a mom is interested in getting started, you did mention a couple books. And I'll put these in the show notes. But is there anything else that you would recommend for them to kind of look at to get started?

B-

Yeah, I have, I think, three articles, and then also some videos on Charlotte Mason poetry. Yeah, so those...

J-

Videos are very helpful for me, as a mom, to see what it's supposed to look like at the end.


B-

Yeah. And sometimes, that's all it takes, is just like, seeing someone else do it. Which is why, too, I recommend for moms, that they work through the models before they teach them to their kids.


J-

Oh, yes, yes. I have learned that the hard way.




B-

Me too.


J-

Sorry.


B-

Yeah, nothing will ruin your lesson time like getting lost yourself and having to take 20 minutes to figure out what should have taken 30 seconds.


J-

I'm just so glad I'm not the only parent.


B-

Yes. We learn from our mistakes.


J-

Yes. I could, so, on Charlotte Mason poetry, and I'll link to that, you have some videos and lists of resources there?


B-

Yes.


J-

Okay. That's good. And then what advice would you have for people who are totally new at this? Or even people like me, who've tried a couple times and who still try to figure this out?


B-

Well, I do think it makes a big difference to start with that, the M. Swannell Paper Modeling book. I love that book. I mean, when I found it, I was like, wow! Now, I know why Mason did this because it's just fun. So, having those fun projects first is like the utilitarian projects that you're probably not really gonna use anyway.


J-

Right.


B-

For me, like that made such a difference. Like, for the children, you know, they wanted to make these, you know, little rabbit hutches versus, you know, making a pencil box for the fourth time. So, I really love that book. Like, I truly honestly love that book, and I think that it helps to start with that. But also, to just try it. to just go for it. Not to be afraid. When I've taught classes at retreats and stuff in the past, a lot of people have been afraid getting started. But then once they get going, they see that it is actually really fun. I mean, it takes full concentration, it's not really something that you learn and chat, you know, while you're doing it. You need to focus. But, it's just really fun and enjoyable and I think when people... you know, if a mom tries it on her own, I think she'll be able to understand why her child would want to do it, and how it could be, you know, just a nice addition to their school day.

J-

Yeah. But even if... so even if they're starting with like, and older child, would you still recommend they start with paper folding first? Or could they just jump into the paper Sloyd book you mentioned?


B-

If your child is generally good about being careful and paying attention to things like folding your corners. And you know, like a meticulous kind of a child. I would say just jump right into paper modeling.


J-

Okay.


B-

But if you have, you know, a child who tends to do slipshod work, you know, or is a little bit hasty and kind of likes to skip steps, then I would start with origami.


J-

Okay, yeah. So even if they're older. That would be great. Then if you have younger kids, you can all start together. The older ones might be able to move faster.

B-

Exactly. Yeah, and people... like, I haven't done it in a co-op setting, but I've taught the people who have and what I recommend is that everyone starts off kind of at the same footing, so that they learn, like, what the different lines mean, and kind of those first basic skills. But then the older children, once they get those skills down, you really should just let them go at their own pace. And you shouldn't hold them back. You shouldn't work step by step as a family either. For children who can read and go on to the next step, should be allowed to go on to the next step. But it is very much like an individually paced activity.


J-

Right, yeah. Yeah, that's a really good point. And then, in terms of like tools that someone would need to get started?


B-

You know, just like a self-healing mat is really helpful.


J-

What?


B-

What?


J-

What did you say?


B-

Oh, a self-healing mat? Like those...


J-

Self-healing? I don't know what that is.


B-

It's just a mat that a lot of people use it just for selling, like for quilting and stuff. You can use those like pizza cutter roller things.


J-

Yes! Okay, I know what you're talking about. Yeah.


B-

Yeah. So those are really helpful. But I've also used, like, what is it... hold on. I also use chipboard when I teach at conferences because it's really inexpensive. So, chipboard is a good one if you're gonna do it in a co-op, and you need a whole bunch of them. But just something to protect the table. You can use scissors if you're more comfortable with that. But I recommend a craft knife. I really think it's worth it to take the time to teach the child how to wield that craft knife. And it allows for more creativity too, in older projects. So, and then, paper, like we already talked about, just like paper that you enjoy using, paper that is fun. When you get into the paper modeling you want that, like, sturdier type of craft paper. You wouldn't still be using origami paper.


J-

Okay.


B-

Cause it won't be... I mean, you could do it to start, but like if you wanna box that you're gonna use, then you're gonna want a little bit sturdier of a paper. And those can come in those squares as well. I think they come in six-inch square and twelve-inch squares.


J-

But they're more card stock like?


B-

Yeah, they're not quite card stock, they're just like, thick paper. So, they're like a little down from card stock.


J-

Okay.


B-

But like, thicker than printer paper.


J-

Right, yeah cool. Origami paper is pretty thin.


B-

Yeah.


J-

Right. So yeah, that wouldn't work too well. Do you just use a normal glue stick, then? For pasting?


B-

Yeah, we do use a glue stick.


J-

Okay.


B-

We love glue sticks.


J-

Oh my goodness.


B-

I know.


J-

I used to teach kindergarten back in the day when we had actual glue, and let me tell you...


B-

Yeah. I think the main thing I remember about using glue is just putting it all over my hands and peeling it off.


J-

Oh, you're one of those.


B-

Ohhh, yes.


J-

Goodness. Well, that is great. This has been so very helpful, and I am excited to get back in it, to it, and try it a little bit more. We kind of got frustrated there for a little bit, so I think I'm gonna try that book that you recommended as opposed to the one that we've been using. I think it'd be a little bit more fun, I think my kids will like it. They're very imaginative, and I think having things that they can make, where they can use them to play with, and use them for their narrations and my kids have enjoyed some of the things that we have made in the other book, and then giving them to friends or neighbors. You know, that's one of the reasons why I think it's a great skill, but also ties into her other handi-crafts. But the point of it isn't to make something just for yourself. To make something that you can bless other people with as well.


B-

Absolutely.




J-

And, to close, I always ask people if they have a favorite Charlotte Mason quote. Do you have one you would like to share?


B-

I do. So, I got this one, it's from Volume Six, page 39, and it's one of the first quotes that just really stuck out to me. "Education, like faith, is the evidence of things not seen." So that is a reference to Hebrews 11, verse 1, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." As we're educating our children, and day in and day out, we're teaching them these things. We're not always gonna know what's in their heart. We're not gonna know which ideas are moving them and changing them. And that's not our job. Our job is to just faithfully continue to offer these ideas, offer these experiences and these opportunities. It's really the work of the Holy Spirit to be educating our children. So I think it just helps me to keep things in perspective and to know that although it would be easy to just put a test in front of them and feel like I had taught them something, but that's not really what is gonna help them develop as people. And help them to be the people that I would want them to be, and that the Lord wants them to be.


J-

Yeah, that's a great quote. That is so encouraging. Especially, I mean we were recording this at the beginning of February, and this is always the month for homeschool moms that just seems like it is seven months long. The shortest month of the year, but it's the longest month of the homeschool year, for some reason, I don't know. And it just... discouragement sets in because you're working so hard. And sometimes it's so exhausting and you don't see that for, right away, and you're like, what am I doing? Am I totally messing up my children? And are they learning anything? And it can be very very discouraging to keep going, and not necessarily, like you said, get that immediate reward of, oh, okay, they got a test, they got all the answers right, they know all this stuff. I am doing a great job as a homeschool mom, check. Right?


B-

Right.


J-

But, with this method, just to continually pouring in with the ideas and sometimes those take a while to grow and take root in their minds and connect to other things and come out. But we can see them. Sometimes we haven't seen what's going on in their heads, right? And so, that is great, just to kind of view it as, just like our faith, right? We're called to be stewards; we're called to be faithful. And God is the One who yields the harvest so, thank you for sharing that, that's great. And thank you so much for just sharing your wisdom on this subject. Now if people want to read more of your writing, is that primarily on Charlotte Mason Poetry then?


B-

Yeah, I believe everything that I have written is on charlottemasonpoetry.org. And you can, I mean the Sloyd stuff... there's a Sloyd page, so you can go directly to the Sloyd page. And then I've written a few other articles as well, so if you go into "contributors" you can go to Brittany McGann and all my articles will come up.


J-

And the books you mentioned, are they for sale on Charlotte Mason Poetry, or would you get those on Amazon?


B-

Those are available on Amazon. They were published by Living Library Press, which is a part of A Delectable Education. So, you could also purchase it through their website if you don't have like, Amazon Prime for free shipping.


J-

People don't have Amazon Prime? What?


B-

I don't know...


J-

Okay, yes, I will put them there too, just in case there's some kind of person who doesn't have Prime. Alright, well thanks again Brittany, I really appreciate it.


B-

Thanks so much for having me, Julie.




Thank you for joining us today on the Charlotte Mason show. I’m your host, Julie Ross, and I would love to meet you in 2020. I will be at all seven Great Homeschool Conventions, speaking as part of their Charlotte Mason track. Go to greathomeschoolconventions.com to find one near you. If you want more information on what was shared in today’s podcast, go to homeschooling.mom for the show notes. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or Google Play so you never miss an episode. Until next time.

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