Core Skills
- Critical thinking
- Cooperative learning
- Observation and research
- Resilience
- Social-emotional growth
- Presence, attention, and reflection
Curriculum & Schedule
Nature is the medium.
Various subjects and skills will be explored through that medium.
Subjects Explored
- Natural sciences
- Math: Concepts weave in organically during real-world projects like planning garden beds, building bee hotels, testing creek water, or designing compost systems.
- Writing, reading, and poetry
- Art and music
- Engaging literature
The experiences and nature themes are the focus; academic subjects naturally weave themselves into those experiences.
Sample Schedule
This program is inspired by forest and farm schools, the Charlotte Mason philosophy, project-based learning, 11 years of classroom teaching experience, a deep relationship with the Creator, and a conviction that every child is born with a God-given sense of wonder and an innate capacity to learn; gifts that should be nurtured and cultivated, not squeezed into a mold.
9:00 Gather & Connect
Share weekly discoveries, pray together, sing the program hymn, and practice scripture memory.
9:20 Lesson/Activity
Read aloud, enjoy a mini lesson on a nature topic, explore through a related activity, and huddle to share discoveries.
10:00 Snack & Poetry
A simple pause to eat, listen, and enjoy inspiring poetry about creation together.
10:30 Garden Time
Prep soil, plant, tend, harvest, observe, identify, problem solve organically, compost, and simply soak it all up.
11:00 Nature Exploration
Explore the shady, shallow creek and park adjacent to our property while observing and researching birds, water creatures, rabbits, trees, and other treasures.
11:30 Relax & Reflect
Reflect on the day's learnings by completing a Wonder Journal entry. Write new questions down for future research.
12:00 Pickup
Gather belongings and head home.
The schedule above represents a typical day at Good Soil Nature School, but our greatest lessons often come from the unexpected. Because our program is rooted in experiential learning and guided by students' observations, questions, and wonderings, we intentionally leave room for curiosity to shape our days.
If a frog hops into circle time, we may pause our plans to create a temporary habitat, pull out field guides, research frog behavior, and paint watercolor frog portraits. If students begin wondering why "Blue" (our local Blue Heron) flies over our yard each day, we might stop to observe his flight patterns, embark on a spontaneous heron hunt, record our hypotheses, and fill our journals with "I wonder..." questions that guide future learning. If a wall of rain appears while we are gardening, we may scramble to protect our tools before gathering in our covered classroom to plant seeds, observe the storm, and investigate questions like, "Where do animals go when it rains?"
At Good Soil, meaningful learning doesn't always happen according to a schedule. We believe some of the richest educational experiences emerge when children are given the freedom to follow their curiosity, engage with the world around them, and discover the Creator through His creation.