Calendar of Firsts

Charlotte Mason suggested using a calendar over several years to document the "firsts" for each year that the child observed. No year marked on the main calendar, just days. The year is marked with each entry.   For example, your child might notice the first tulip of 2011 on May 15.  So we mark on that day, '2011- First tulip'.  Then the following year she might notice the first tulip on April 26th.   Mark in calendar under April 26th - '2012 First tulip'.  Or of course, first Robin, first tomato, first snow, first flower, first raspberry, first fall colored leaves, etc.  You get the idea. With this method, they become careful observers of their environment.  They begin to see patterns in weather and seasons, the cause and effect of how these things work together and change the timing of plant and animal growth/behaviors. Is this not perfect for teaching scientific inquiry and methods!  So Simple! 

If you click on each month under our Online Calendar of Firsts (Found under Co-op, Nature Study) you can browse through the Buschbach family firsts!