Hello, Everyone!

Other than our recent workshop, you might have noticed me keeping a lower profile around here lately. After much prayer and consideration, I have felt God leading me to take a break from the day to day operation of Epi Kardia.  I have had some personal projects that have been on the back burner too long, and I would like to spend additional time with my new husband and my last child at home.

I am not going anywhere and I am still planning on teaching classes. Epi Kardia will not operate any differently than it has been operating. Hopefully, I will even pop in and blog occasionally!

In Christ,

Recently we had the opportunity of presenting a workshop on mini-books and lapbooks, types of graphic organizers, to our homeschooling support group.  We were pleased to have such a good turnout and spent a delightful evening with old and new friends.  It was especially enjoyable to see some ‘textbook’ moms learn that hands on projects such as mini-books and lapbooks were not only fun, but also educational!

What is a Graphic Organizer?

For the benefit of those of you who were not present, a graphic organizer is any tool that allows your student to organize his thoughts and record what he’s learned in a visual way.  Examples of common graphic organizers include:

• Charts and Graphs
• Venn Diagrams
• Scrapbooks, Lapbooks and Mini-books
• Library Pockets and Envelopes

We made two different types of mini-books at our workshop – an accordion book and a layered-look book, and we showed  examples of mini-books and lapbooks that had been made by our children as well as some we had made in teaching a Reluctant Writers class a few years ago.

For example, here is a very simple mini-book that can be made by an elementary aged student:

Directions:

1.  Using one single piece of 8 1/2 x 11 inch colored paper, hold the base piece of paper vertically, then fold it in half lengthwise.

2. Out of contrasting paper colors, construct a simple flower clearly showing the petals, leaves, stem and roots, as shown in the picture on the far left.

3. After gluing the flower to the top half of the folded paper, cut through the flower and the top half of the paper, to the fold.  Make three cuts so that the flower, leaves, stem and roots each have their own section.

4. On the inside of the flaps, label each section, as shown.

5.  Write a short description of each flower ‘part’ opposite each label.

What is a Lapbook?

A lapbook is a innovative, visual, creative, kinesthetic, way to organize information.  Examples abound of lapbooks online (and see our resource list at the bottom of this post), but on the right is an example of one my son made a while back about space.  The base is simply made from two file folders glued together.

Directions for making the lapbook:

1.  Take two file folders, laying vertically open on the table in front of you.

2.  One at a time, take the outside edges of each file folder and fold them in towards the center fold.  Crease well, then let them open.

3. Glue together the sides of each folder that are next to each other.  Voila!  That is all there is to it – you can make lapbooks bigger by gluing on more folders or attaching additional flaps inside.

At the left is a photo of the inside of the lapbook.  There is space for vocabulary, illustrations, charts, book reports, clip art and anything else your study included.  The multicolored mini-book is a favorite of ours, the layered-look book.  It allows students to do a fair amount of writing, depending upon the number of pages it contains, but is much less intimidating than that dreaded big, blank sheet of paper because it is divided into many different sections.

Lapbooks are not only fun to make but:

• they are kinesthetic and visual, maximizing other learning modes
• they beg to be shown to others, giving students an automatic and painless review of the material contained in their lapbook, every time they show it to someone else
• they can be used for studying almost any subject and easily may integrate several subjects, maximizing learning
• they are great at enticing reluctant writers because they are divided into many smaller sections
• they can also be used as an assessment tool, especially when assigned with an accompanying rubric outlining what is to be included in the lapbook
• they can be used for all ages, kindergarten through high school

As with all graphic organizers, anytime your elementary student is organizing information, he is building a foundation for learning more advanced writing skills as well as for learning how to take notes.

At every grade level and in every type of curriculum we have,  Epi Kardia curricula uses mini-books, lapbooks and graphic organizers!

Online Resources for Mini- and Lapbooks

Here is a resource list for mini- and lapbook resources including instructions, ideas and even free lapbooks:

• This site has every type of mini book imaginable as well as  free templates!

• This site has guided reading materials and  MANY mini book ideas and resources for elementary ages.

• This is one of our favorite original sites with great instruction and ideas. Check out the blog for this site as well.

• This has an array of lapbook information for all ages. In fact, at The Homeschol Lounge (highly recommended!) you can join a group of homeschooling moms who share lapbook ideas and resources.

And for those of you who want to incorporate notebooking and scrapbooking into your homeschooling (or you like to scrapbook yourself):

• These are resources and other links for educational scrapbooking.

• This is a free software download (full version) to begin digital scrapbooking immediately.

If you read our last post, Six Steps to Start Second Semester, mini- and lapbooks might be just the thing to add some pizazz to your homeschooling this semester.  Even if you use a traditional curriculum, please give your students a chance to do some thing hands on, colorful and creative!  Enjoy!

In His Service,

P.S. If you have a reluctant writer or two at your house, in addition to trying mini-books, you might find our reluctant writer series helpful.  See Reluctant Writers – Part 1 The Early Years, Reluctant Writers – Part 2 The Middle Years and Reluctant Writers – Part 3 High School and Beyond.

On this blog post I had planned on sharing some helpful links and information I have collected to help you hit the ground running this January.  But instead, I want to let you know about a sale going on now to benefit the Estes Family.  Many of you are probably familiar with Jeff and Kate’s company, Hands and Hearts.  They create and sell hands on history kits of entertaining and educational activities to augment history curriculum.  You might know that the Estes family of ten includes a darling, fragile three year old named Noah, who struggles with mitochondrial disease, an ultimately terminal condition.

What you might not know about the Estes family is what they have faced in the last few years:

• Jeff has been out of work after the company he worked for downsized and had to lay him off.
• Federal laws concerning children’s products have radically changed, drastically reducing their company’s profitability
• Noah has had multiple hospitalizations, usually sudden ones that cause Kate to have to drop everything and rush Noah to the hospital in Greenville, SC and Jeff to have to be home with their other children.
• Caring for Noah at home has become more and more challenging with his special medical needs.

Although committed to living debt free, the Estes have seen their savings dwindle.  They are torn because, frankly, it takes both Kate and Jeff to take care of things at home with Noah’s needs and frequent hospitalizations. Jeff needs to work at home.

Thankfully, Jeff has found a business opportunity that he and Kate have researched and feel would be right for them in their challenging situation.  The trouble is, they don’t have the funds to get it started.

And… this is where YOU come in.

Christian self-publishing friends have donated a FANTASTIC list of  homeschool products that are available to those who make at least a $39 donation to the Estes family.  The number of items goes up with the amount of your donation. You are welcome to donate more or less, as you wish, but the Estes family would like to use the income from this sale to give them a way to support their unique family.

If you would like some awesome homeschool products and to help the Estes family, please click here.  If you would just like to make a donation, I’m sure that would be fine, too.

Thanks for taking the time to read about this very difficult situation, and whether you are able to donate or not, please pray for this precious family.

Feel free to forward this to anyone you think might be interested!

In His grace,

January always brings a bit of a struggle for me.  The spiritual side of me wants to spend copious quantities of time in prayer and the scriptures, searching for God’s direction, asking Him to guide me and help me focus on His priorities for my life as we tackle our last school semester of the year.

But the spiritual side has to wrestle with the “practical” side that wants to DO SOMETHING. NOW.

I want to  PLAN everything myself,  make school bigger and better, add this over here and that over there, as well as insert another activity or two in an already busy schedule.

In other words, instead of seeking what God wants to do in and through my life, our family, our homeschool – I tend to want to make MY plans and just ask God to bless them.  How wise is that to act as if I know best?

I constantly have to remind myself that it isn’t about me, and rather than making ten New Year’s Resolutions, finding the perfect planner for 2010, or setting my personal and professional goals on my own, it would be a more profitable use of my time to seek more of HIS input first.  After all, He has the big picture!  He is already working in my life and that of our family’s, and it is my place to join Him in what He is doing rather than setting off in another direction.

Listen to advice and accept instruction,
and in the end you will be wise.

Many are the plans in a man’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19:20-21

How puny my plans must be compared with the Maker of the Universe’s!

Here are some other verses I am praying over as I seek to know His plans for our family for the coming year:

I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills {his purpose} for me. Psalm 57:2

The plans of the diligent surely lead to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.  Proverbs 21:5

But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Exodus 9:16

But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations. Psalm 33:11

Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be established.  Proverbs 16:3

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.  Ephesians 3:19-21

Am I the only one who struggles with this?  What do you do to keep yourself on the wise path?

God’s blessings on your New Year!

Time is Running Out to Get the Curriculum You Need at a Great Price!

Buy 2 , Get 1 Free Sale*

Have you ordered an Ancients Unit of our Complete Daily Lesson Plans and wish you could order all three sets? This is the week to do it!

Need high school courses? This is the time to buy! Buy any 2 and get the third one free!

Have multiple aged children and want Complete Daily Lesson Plans for every child?

Can’t decide on a Complete Program or Complete Daily Lesson Plans ? Get both!

You can mix and match any and all of our curriculum for this sale. When you order, be sure to note which item you’d like free in the “notes” section of your order form.

Sale ends midnight, TONIGHT, December 4^th, so order today!

*The lowest priced item of the three will be free.

We’re Not Just Featuring a Cyber Monday sale…

How About a CYBER MONDAY THRU FRIDAY Sale?!

This week only at Epi Kardia, we are having an unprecedented

Buy 2 , Get 1 Free Sale*

Have you ordered an Ancients Unit of our Complete Daily Lesson Plans and wish you could order all three sets? This is the week to do it!

Example: Buy Sets I and II of any grade level and get Set III for free! If you’ve already bought the Ancients unit, you’ll still get to deduct that original $25 from your total! Save $75-$95!

Need high school courses? This is the time to buy! Buy any 2 and get the third one free!

Example: Buy American History I and American Literature , and get British Literature for free! You’ve covered 1 year of history and 2 years of literature for around $100.

Now, that’s a deal!

Have multiple aged children and want Complete Daily Lesson Plans for every child?

Example: Buy Set I for two different grades and get Set I free for another grade level! That’s a savings of at least $75!

Can’t decide on a Complete Program or Complete Daily Lesson Plans ? Get both!

Example: Buy 2 sets of Complete Daily Lesson Plans and get a Complete Program free! You’ll save at least $75 on that purchase!

You can mix and match any and all of our curriculum for this sale. When you order, be sure to note which item you’d like free in the “notes” section of your order form.

Sale ends midnight, Friday, December 4^th, so order today!

*The lowest priced item of the three will be free.

Narrating is an art, like poetry-making or painting, because it is there, in every child’s mind, waiting to be discovered, and is not the result of any process of disciplinary education.

The foundation of a Charlotte Mason education is regular feeding upon superior, living books: books that endow children with excitement, with new ideas, heroic ideas, which shape their minds and expand their spirits.  As opposed to textbooks which contain compilations of dry facts, we want living books abounding with stories.  Both children and adults have trouble remembering lists of facts; but stories are memorable; they incite the imagination; they can be life-changing.

Charlotte does not stop at just reading the stories, however.  She believed that knowledge is not appropriated by the student until it is told back, or narrated.  Beginning with short snatches of captivating stories, teachers are to read a paragraph or so, once, and then have students narrate what they have heard.

Narration, according to Ms. Mason:

• is a natural ability inherent in children that is awakened by excellent literature
• engages children’s minds such that information they read is considered, meditated upon and then is given back with some of the children’s own thoughts (assimilation)
• helps students understand and retain information about which they read
• should be used as a primary method of learning across the subjects

When to Start

When the child is six, not earlier, let him narrate the fairy-tale which has been read to him, episode by episode, upon one hearing of each; the Bible tale read to him in the words of the Bible; the well-written animal story; or all about other lands from some such volume…

Ms. Mason believed that short narrations should start by age six, over lighter, but classic, short episodes of literature, including the Bible.  Perfect literature for this purpose would be the short episodes of Aesop’s Fables (Stories for Young Children).
Start with a paragraph at a time, and make sure to read through the selection consecutively.

The next day, before starting the next narration/lesson, engage your student in a brief chat about yesterday’s lesson, affording the student a short period of review.  She suggests a few anticipatory comments about today’s lesson as well, to encourage your child to be ready to eagerly listen to what will be forthcoming.

As students grow in practice and maturity, they may be able to begin to narrate a short chapter in a history or science book as they reach ages eight and nine. At that age, a few comments after the narration may be helpful to identify and emphasize the moral elements of the passage. In the case of history or science reading, perhaps a chart or diagram might be drawn on the board to identify or clarify the elements to remember from the passage or to illustrate a scientific principle covered.

If narration is a new activity in your home, it is important to allow for a learning curve.  It is not necessary for your child to narrate every passage that he reads or is read to him. Often it is preferable to read a chapter or two of a book before beginning narrations on it, to build interest and aid your student’s immersion into the story.  If your child does not want to narrate, well, we all have to do things we don’t want to do, right?  Stay positive, enthusiastic, encouraging, and keep them short. J

Do I Correct Faulty Information?

What do I do when my child narrates incorrectly?  This is a common question!  A few strategies for dealing with it are listed below.

• It is preferable not to interrupt a narration with corrections.
• Only after praising what was positive about a narration and after encouraging a child for his efforts, gently make necessary corrections.
• If you notice a repeated grammatical error, such as a double negative, incorrect subject-verb agreement, etc., make a note to cover that area later during a language arts lesson.
• If your student has many details to remember, such as difficult names, dates, or places, it may be helpful to put those items on a white board before the narration.

Other Forms of Narration

Fortunately, there are other forms of narration other than oral ones, although it is preferable to begin with oral narrations for the younger children. Although it is certainly admissible to have a younger student draw a picture illustrating what was just read rather than an oral recitation.

Another option, especially for the older student (10 or 11 on up) is to provide a written narration over what they have either had read to them or over what they have read independently.  Sometimes the easiest way to start written narrations is to have students not worry too much about grammar and punctuation until they have written down everything they remember. Then during their next day’s writing lesson they can go back and clean things up a little.

Children can narrate not only from books, they may also narrate over art work and music.  As with all narration, this may be either oral, written or in picture form.  Some ideas about picture study narration can be found here. Narration over music can be accomplished merely by playing a stirring piece of music and then asking your student to tell about what story they could imagine taking place in the music.  Equally, they could also be asked to draw a picture over what they heard in the music.

An added benefit of regular narration in those early years is that it helps order children’s minds and prepares them for formal composition lessons once they reach the appropriate age.  The more exposure they have to hear, read and narrate excellent children’s literature, the more prepared they will be when it becomes time for them to write.

Happy Narrating!

Blessings,

I love lists and I like that feeling of accomplishment when I complete my list. However, at the end of the day, the quality of what I accomplished always weighs more on me than how much I completed. This definitely applies to our home schooling as well.  As I have established goals for my children over the years, my focus has generally fallen on the following general categories:

• Character training – without Christian character, the academics are meaningless
• A love for learning – instilling a desire for increased knowledge and skills even outside of “school”
• A habit of thinking – emphasizing extended and organized thought, whether in or out of the box, no matter what is being studied.

Examining these categories, I easily connect how Epi Kardia curriculum reinforces character training and helps instill a love for learning. With our emphasis on strong historical characters in the books that we select and the variety of activities, relating to all of the different learning styles, those goals are achievable. What about a habit of thinking? Does our curriculum promote that as well? I hope so!

I randomly chose an Epi Kardia historical unit and grade level from our Daily Lesson Plans, Immigration in 3^rd grade, and examined the projects associated with that unit. I hope what I discovered can assist you in creating great “thinking” projects for your children!

1. A thinking project doesn’t have to be complicated – after reading the book Liberty Rising: The Story of the Statue of Liberty by Pegi Shea students are asked to design a statue that they believe represents the United States of America. This type of activity promotes thinking on at least a couple of levels. First of all, a student has to develop some picture of the U.S. in his head. What does it mean to live in the United States? What types of symbols can he develop that represent this country? This requires moving from a known symbol, the Statue of Liberty, to a new idea. The next stage of thinking occurs when the student determines how to design their symbol. Even with a simple sketch, thinking through the design and implementing it is a higher level cognitive skill.

2. A thinking project can be messy and fun – following the reading of On the Banks of Plum Creek (Little House) by Laura Ingalls Wilder, students create a model dugout. With this project, creating the dugout itself doesn’t require a tremendous amount of thinking. However, mixing up a batch of mud to form the model is definitely messy and fun. The student can add sod, a window and a door to make the project more detailed. The thinking comes into play after the model is designed and you discuss what it must have been like for Laura and her family to live in such an abode. By talking through their experiences and comparing them to how he lives, your child practices his processing and evaluating skills.

3. A thinking project can train children to organize their thoughts – at Epi Kardia, we are great fans of graphic organizers and charts. We greatly appreciate such tools because they allow children to organize their thoughts in a more concrete way. If we don’t control our thoughts and organize them in some logical way, they only become burdens, often misleading and confusing us. They float around in our head without definition or logic. It’s like cramming a bunch of documents in a file cabinet without sorting them into files. What’s the point? When you need them, they’re just a jumbled mess.  Children who utilize organizational tools starting from an early age develop the habit of organizing the information they’re processing. For example, after reading Along the Santa Fe Trail: Marion Russell’s Own Story by Marion Russell, students are asked to create a list of items they would take if they were heading on a trail out West with a wagon caravan. Now, you could have the student just make a list without any rhyme or reason, or you could suggest that the student organize his list in logical categories. So, first the student needs to determine which categories might be essential such as food and cooking supplies, animals and livestock, clothing, medicines, etc. The student also has to take into account the limited amount of space in the wagon. Assignment limitations often promote thinking skills that are very practical in real life since we all have limits placed on us when we’re trying to problem solve. This type of organizational thinking translates to many other areas of academics and to general life skills as well.

4. A thinking activity can promote further questioning and thoughts leading to more thinking! With all of our Daily Lesson Plans, we include comprehension questions for history and science. Our goal with these questions are twofold: firstly, lead the student to focusing on the most important aspects of the book and secondly, require him to think about what he has read. Too often children are asked to read material, but are never required to work through the process of thinking about it and evaluating what they’ve read. For example, questions from the 3^rd grade Immigration curriculum following the reading of Just So Stories, Illustrated Edition (Yesterday’s Classics) by Rudyard Kipling include:

• Do you think curiosity is a good thing?
• Is there a time when it could be negative?

Note how we start out with a seemingly simple question. The first answer could be a simple “yes” or “no.” If we stopped there, very little thinking or evaluation would take place. However, the second question requires more advanced thinking because it’s an open ended question. This style of question requires thought rather than just regurgitation of facts or a “yes” or “no.”

Another example may be derived from On the Banks of Plum Creek (Little House). The questions related to chapters 23-24 are as follows:

• How was the country party different than the town party?
• How did Laura’s church compare to your church?
• Why did Pa not get new boots?

The first and second questions require that your child compare and contrast. Comparing and contrasting require higher level thinking skills. Also, note that the third question begins with “why” which usually indicates that deeper thinking is involved to give a complete answer.

There are many other opportunities to train our children to think from puzzles to analogies to problem solving sets. With such a variety of options, we can work on these skills without having to focus on one type of activity or project.

Things We Do That Prevent Our Children From Becoming Thinkers

While none of us want to consider that we might have habits preventing our children from becoming strong thinkers, we very well may. By looking at our own habits, and reforming some of them, we can promote stronger thinking skills in ourselves and our children.

1. We don’t give our children time to think. When I was an education intern, I had a teacher who truly loved to teach. I was so blessed by the time I spent with her. She had a habit of counting to 30 slowly after she asked a question, whether it was addressed to the entire class or just one student. She explained that adults often do not give children enough time to think through answers and children develop the habit of hesitating, knowing that the adult will eventually give them the answer. Also, in a classroom setting or even with two or three children, the extra time allows for more students to think through a response. If one of your children is really quick and another requires more time to process, that second child often doesn’t get to think through the process and provide an answer. He may very well rely on the quicker child.

TEACHING TIP: If you have a student who really struggles and needs more time, give him the project directions, questions, etc in advance and let him mentally process what you’re requiring before you become involved.

REFORMING YOUR HABITS: Provide more time for your child to think through problems and projects by being patient.

2.  We don’t  follow through on projects and activities. It’s easy to assign a hands-on project or an activity, especially with older children, and walk away. When the project is done, you give a grade or make a comment and move on. With this habit, you’re missing on the most important part of the process…what was discovered or learned. If you don’t discuss the thinking behind the activity or inquire about the thought involved, then you are basically grading your child on his ability to follow directions.

TEACHING TIP: Before assigning a project or activity, develop a few questions or discussion topics to go along with the assignment. Also, understanding what you expect as outcomes, setting educational objectives, will be an enormous help. This does not have to be complicated or detailed. You can note one or two essential objectives or you could set up a rubric (for more information about rubrics, see the Epi Kardia Parents Manual) in a matter of minutes. Rubrics also reveal your expectations for your children, helping them better understand the significance of a project or activity.

REFORMING YOUR HABITS: Don’t assign a project or activity without thinking through what you want your child to think about in the process.

3.  We have too low or too high of expectations. Sometimes we underestimate our children and don’t challenge them enough. At other times, we have enormous expectations that greatly exceed their abilities. If you notice that school bores your child or he is continually flying through his reading, writing and other assignments, it may be that he is just not being challenged. This same child may also be a behavior problem or he may drive you crazy because he has too much time on his hands. He isn’t learning to think because his work is too easy. Other times, we seriously frustrate our children because we expect them to be like us or other people’s children, when we really just need to give them work on their level. Work that is on the correct level for a child requires some measure of challenge without pushing him into frustration.

TEACHING TIP: Pay attention to how your child responds to projects and assignments. Note if there’s a specific type of activity that causes him more difficulty than others. Avoid taking the easy road by making assignments too simple, but pay attention if you find that he is getting seriously frustrated.

REFORMING YOUR HABITS: Take time to regularly communicate with your child about his work. Most children will tell you if something feels impossible to them or if they think it’s just plain boring. There are so many different ways to instill skills, adapting to your child’s level of learning is certainly possible.

4. We get stuck in ruts. Sometimes we teach our children the way we liked to be taught. For example, comprehension questions really appeal to certain types of people because they simply have to answer them and move on. Some moms love doing hands on projects and they become so involved in the process that they forget the purpose. Using a variety of activities and projects allows your child to think in different ways and situations. If you’re always doing the same type of activity and evaluation, your child will struggle when life throws him a different type of problem to solve.

TEACHING TIP: Definitely use your personal gifts when teaching your children, but don’t just rely on those gifts. If you never step out of your comfort zone, how can you expect your child to do so?

REFORMING YOUR HABITS: If you have an area that you know is a weakness, such as hands-on projects or maybe you don’t love reading, let your children see you working on them. Discuss how you struggle with these types of assignments, but point out that you’re not ending your education with adulthood. This type of situation is ideal for teaching your child about lifelong learning!

Hopefully, this blog has given you plenty to think about! I would love to hear how you train your children to think. Maybe you’ve overcome a habit in teaching and we could all benefit from that encouragement!

May God give you a spirit of joy, a compassionate heart and a mind that dwells on His glory!

In Him,

Beth

Picture Study for Older Students

Although not addressed directly in Charlotte Mason’s original Homeschooling Series, Picture Study is valuable for older students as well our younger ones.  Through consistent observation and enjoyment of a variety of artists’ work in the younger years, older students are ready to take on a little more detailed and guided study of art work.  Even if you have not been regular in your picture study, it is never too late to begin!

We organize our research of artists and their work chronologically according to which unit in history we are studying. Charlotte Mason suggests studying six or so works of one artist during a term, and although we usually recommend following that tried and true pattern with younger children, with older ones we sometimes study more than one artist at a time.  Charlotte’s primary goal was for students to experience art for themselves, not become experts on the artist or a particular piece of art. For older students, however, especially for students who are particularly interested in art, a more structured approach might be helpful.

If  picture study is a new addition to your academic education, take a look at last week’s post to help you begin.  If you have older children, say middle or high school students, a little guidance might be what you need to get started. (The following  is taken from our Middle School Lesson Plans.)

How to Critique and Write About Art

This method is simplified from Edmund Burke Feldman’s method of evaluating art, commonly known to the art world as Feldman’s Method of Critiquing Art. You may use this as a guide in having your students study and write about art.  Always remember you may tailor this to the level and interest of your students; you may want to choose just a few questions for your student to write about if it is the first time he has studied and/or written about artwork, or you may just use these questions as discussion prompts. If you decide to use this guide, it may help for you to talk through it a few times before you actually have your student create a written interpretation.  If you choose to have him write, have him respond in paragraph form in complete sentences.

We will work through this critique together using this painting by Diego Velázquez:

1.  List

State the name of the artist, the title of the piece, and, if you know it, its current location.

This is Diego Velázquez’ Equestrian Portrait of King Philip IV, currently located in the Museo del Prado, Madrid.

2.  Describe

Describe the work to someone as if the person you were talking to could not see it.  Stick to the facts, listing everything you see in the picture.

Answers will differ here—if your student is new to this, please be positive about his or her answers.  If needed, it is okay to ask questions to help him, such as, what do you notice about the background?  What is in the foreground of the painting?  What else do you notice in the painting other than the horse and rider?

Example:

In the center of this picture is a man on horseback.  They appear to be on a hill or on the side of a mountain, as you can see small trees in the background and one behind the man and horse. The man is dressed ornately and he is looking straight ahead; from the title of the painting he must be King Philip.  The horse looks strong and he is standing on his hind legs. There is not a lot of light in the picture; it looks as if it is very early morning or late afternoon – or perhaps it is an overcast day. On the left hand corner of the painting it looks as if there is a open piece of paper that had been folded in half.

3.  Note First Impression

What is your very first reaction to the piece?  (Note:  There are no right or wrong answers here!)

The king looks strong, serious and determined.

4.  Analyze the piece

Here you want to look at what the artist has done to achieve certain effects.  You could refer to your first impressions and try to figure out how the artwork caused you to have that reaction.  Possible questions:

• How are the elements of art (color, shape, line, texture, space) and the principles of design (balance, contrast, emphasis, movement/rhythm) used in this artwork?
  • Questions you might ask in discussion here to help your student include process this:
  • What colors did the artist use in this painting?
  • Did the artist use color to lead you to look at some particular object in the painting?
  • What do you notice about how the artist uses light in the picture?
  • Do you see any kind of movement in the picture?
  • What strong contrasts to you see in light and color in this picture?
• What do you notice about the artist’s choice of materials?
• What grabs your attention when you first look at the piece?

Example:

In this portrait of King Philip IV of Spain, King Philip on his horse is obviously the most important part of the painting because he is painted so largely and in the middle. The horse is moving; he is standing on his hind legs.  He looks spirited and powerful,  but the King on his back looks even more powerful than the horse.  The artist uses light to balance the king’s glistening armor with the horse’s glistening coat. King Philip looks very serious.

5. Interpret the piece

All art is about something. It may be about light, color, the subject matter, or even a political statement of some kind.  Some art is easy to figure out and some is more symbolic.

• What is the theme or subject of the work?
• What is the work about; what do you think it means?
• Why do you think the artist created this work?
• What do you think the artist’s worldview is? (this question may or may not be relevant to all of the artwork you evaluate…)

Example:

The King is painted high on a hill.  Everything else is literally beneath him. He is confidently looking straight ahead, in control of his powerful and spirited horse, ready for whatever is ahead of him.  His expression looks pensive and serious, rather than frivolous, for example—the kind of look you would want to see in your leader. (In fact, it was customary at this time to paint royals on horseback, which was a symbol of authority.) Perhaps the purpose of this painting was to help King Philip’s subjects to have confidence in him as a strong leader.

(By the way, the paper painted on the lower left would have been the place where Velázquez presumably had signed the painting.)

Helpful Resources

For some help in learning more about art, I recommend the Art for Children Series, by Ernest Raboff.  Although it is out of print, used copies are readily available from Amazon.com.  Each book offers full color, large scale copies of each author’s work, as well as interesting and pertinent facts about the life of the artist and background and study of each featured work.  I learned tons from these books.  (As every homeschool mom knows, the best way to learn about anything is to read a kid’s book about it, right?)

Albrecht Durer (The Art for Children Series)
Henri Matisse (The Art for Children)
Frederic Remington (The Art for Children Series)
Michelangelo Buonarroti (Art for Children)
Paul Gauguin (Art for Children Series)
Rembrandt (Art for Children)
Leonardo Da Vinci (Art for Children)

Have fun!

I attended public school and if you looked at my grades, you’d think I was pretty successful at it. However, I remember almost nothing from my history courses. That may be a reflection on my attention span at that time or my teachers. Nevertheless, one unique historical memory I recall is that the Renaissance was taught as a time period where man moved away from God and discovered himself. When we started writing Epi Kardia, I was concerned about incorporating this time period material because of my own limited, and somewhat stereotyped knowledge. However, now God has shown me the truth of His elegant history, of His generous gifts bestowed upon men and of His revelation that church is not necessarily synonymous with Lord.

Renaissance, a time of enlightenment and beauty, brought out not only artistic light and color after a long dark period, but also opened men’s minds to what church was and what it should be. October 31^st, has significant historical precedence, and Halloween has nothing to do with it. It was on this date that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door. His writing caused an explosion within the community that previously hadn’t been seen since men dared to declare Jesus as Lord. With these theses, Luther revealed truths about men, not God. He condemned those in the church taking advantage of the average man, who was unable at the time to even read the Word of God. So, this October, let us celebrate the audacity of a monk who valued his faith over his religion and glorify our God who gave us the artistic beauty, astounding scientific discoveries and the His truth revealed during this time period.

There are some outstanding children’s books about the Renaissance/Reformation time period. You can find all of these books in our Complete Daily Lesson Plans in various grades as noted below.

Galileo by Leonard Everett Fisher (1st grade, 3rd grade) – Although out of print, this book is readily available used. Fisher not only writes, but illustrates this concise and interesting life story of Galileo. His expression-filled black and white illustrations seem larger than life. He also includes a valuable map.

Leonardo and the Flying Boy (Anholt’s Artists Books for Children) by Lawrence Anholt (1st grade, 3rd grade) – Based on documented accounts of Leonardo da Vinci’s apprentices, this entertaining book offers a delightful way to expose younger children to Leonardo’s works. It is unusual in that it’s not a straight biography as is typical of children’s historical books. Anholt’s illustrations captivate young imaginations as well.

Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed The World by Paul Maier (2nd grade) – our second grade curriculum is currently in development, but this book will definitely be featured. Picture books about Luther are rare and this one is beautiful!

William Shakespeare & the Globe (Trophy Picture Books) by Aliki (3rd grade) – this book focuses less on Shakespeare as a person, and more on his plays and theatre. Creatively written as a play of five acts, Aliki weaves Shakespearean quotes, timelines and vocabulary with gorgeous illustrations!

I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino (3rd grade, middle school) – Dana loves this book! The story, beautifully written, is told in autobiographical form from the perspective of a talented slave who serves painter Diego Valazquez. Juan discovers that he too is talented but due to laws governing slaves, he cannot be a painter in his own right. This Newberry Award winning book will captivate younger readers as a listening book and enthrall older students as an independent reader.

Leonardo da Vinci by Diane Stanley (4th grade) – Diane Stanley, one of our favorite writers and illustrators, honestly portrays da Vinci from birth through adulthood and incorporates both his artistic and his scientific accomplishments. Her intricate illustrations are integrated with miniatures of da Vinci’s work. It is definitely designed for older elementary students as some of the content is challenging. We also utilize many other Stanley books such as Michelangelo,  Good Queen Bess : The Story of Elizabeth I of England,  Joan of Arc and Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare.

The River of Grace: The Story of John Calvin by Joyce McPherson (Middle School)- this unique and well written biography of Calvin is a must have for every homeschool library. Beginning with Calvin’s early years and working through his work as a significant leader in the Protestant Reformation. Although written on a middle school level, anyone could benefit from reading this outstanding biography.

Happy reading!

In Christ,

Beth