Pocketful of Pinecones

Sometimes you just have to see something in action to understand how to implement it. If this describes you, you might enjoy Pocketful of Pinecones: Nature study With the Gentle Art of Learning by Karen Andreola.

Pocketful of Pinecones offers an engaging storyline. A homeschool mom’s fictional diary serves as a framework for the book’s broader appeal as a “how-to” for nature study. By observing another homeschool family in action, we learn how we can incorporate nature study into our homeschool.

Scientific names, questions, and ideas for nature study and nature notebooks are found throughout. A suggested reading list is included to help you get started.

Will your homeschool look like the one depicted in the book? No! But you will come away with ideas for fodder and inspiration.

Karen Andreola is a longtime advocate of the Charlotte Mason approach to homeschooling. As such, you will find many references to the works of Charlotte Mason not only in the areas of nature study, but other areas as well.

Mothers and Teachers Should Know About Nature: The mother cannot devote herself too much to this kind of reading, not only that she may read tidbits to the children about matters they have come across, but that she may be able to answer their queries and direct their observations…. Any woman who is likely to spend an hour or two in the society of children, should make herself mistress of this sort of information; the children will adore her for knowing what they want to know, and who knows but she may give its bent for life to some young mind destined to do great things for the world.

Charlotte Mason, Home Education

If you are interested in pursuing nature study with your children, hopefully you will find at least one or two useful ideas in our post, 10 Easy Ways to Add Nature Study. Meanwhile, read A Pocketful of Pinecones to get an idea of what it can look like!