I've been sick for a over week, and the little change-of-season cold I thought I had has outstayed it's welcome. We've done half-days all week. Just the bare academic essentials. Each day starts with our Bible study and prayer time; a few read alouds when my voice is working, or DS7 feels like reading to us; the kids proud to work independently and earn play money to spend in my Star Snack Shop; lots of play, cubby making and craft.
I thought I was bouncing back, but today my cough is rough, my head is pounding. Then the guilt and doubts set in about the learning we haven't done this week ... even though I know the kids are doing fine, and I know they constantly learn even without my input. But the question niggles ... am I doing enough?
The kids are supposed to be benefiting from tailor-made lessons, one on one time and a rich learning environment. They are itching to get out and play. With friends. We had to cancel another play & learn together day at a friend's house. After a short walk around the block, I wasn't even up to doing the bare minimum. Instead the kids watched a new DVD (remember good ol' Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote?), played with playdough, messed around outside. Now over lunch (easy, baked potato wedges) they're watching a phonics DVD. DD has decided to pause it to copy some sentences, DS has lost interest and is building lego vehicles.
I know I could talk all day about Tidal Homeschooling, the benefits of kids having free time to be kids, opportunities for independence and responsibility, and Natural Learning ... but still I feel inadequate and need a little more reassurance today that I'm not making a big mistake by homeschooling the kids.
Some people homeschool through chronic pain and serious illness ... and this is just a flu or sinus infection. I'm overreacting, right?
Here are some articles I dug out to help me get some perspective:
Crosswalk
Whatever state I am
Busy Mommy Media
Professor Mom
And a story which warmed my heart
There are lots of excellent tips in these pages, and after reading them I feel much more peaceful about this. I'll continue to do my best, look to the Lord for encouragement and comfort, rest and read, let the kids play and maybe ask them to read me a get-well story.
This is where I'm at today. I hope it helps someone :)
Showing posts with label Tidal Homeschooling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tidal Homeschooling. Show all posts
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Monday, December 6, 2010
Home ed. with younger siblings
A few people have recently asked for tips about how to get things started, and how to occupy younger siblings.
Here's some encouragement and tips from my experiences so far:
Tot Trays .... for the little ones, keen to do their own 'school work', there are a lot of good ideas in the pages of this site which I adapted to our needs. Unit studies, lap books, sharing lots of books and fun maths also worked well.
My youngest child was keen to 'play schools', which helped immensely when I wanted to transition the kids back to a routine with more structure after a year of mostly unschooling. Jasi's enthusiasm pulled in her big brother, who by 5 was ready for a break from 'work' and wanted to play non stop! I did question all of my assumptions and expectations, and gave him abundant free time. I chose less structured teaching methods to build his basic skills during that phase. Elijah's bouts of negativity dissolved as there was no pressure, and whilst it wasn't always easy to see 'progress' at the time, now we're entering a new phase again, and seeing the fruit of the learning which did occur.
We now have a timetable and routine as a guide, which helps, but is INCREDIBLY flexible. I won't share it here as there's never a day or week when we actually do what it says!
Here are some of the things we do:
... As a fun way to draw the kids in and grab their attention and set a positive tone, we gather for a quick introduction, interesting and full of tasty, quick bites. For example, we pray (briefly, having usually prayed in bed earlier) and read a Bible story or scripture verse, use the whiteboard for things such as date, sentence about the day or other idea, sometimes weather, number patterns, brainteasers, interesting words, quick phonics reviews, sometimes a scripture, or a list of some kind (the kids have turns helping write). In my board writing I use words they can read as well as extend and challenge them in a fun and supportive context.
... Some days we skip the intro. Other days that is ALL we do formally, and the rest is through shared reading, experiences, spontaneous opportunities and rabbit trails. Natural learning defines so much of what young children are inclined to do, given free time, resources and a willing audience to share their discoveries with. Children are ever changing and amazing!
... With 5-6 yr olds, our sit-down bookwork has usually been only 1/2 to 1 hour a day, low pressure and more about basic skills, habits and attitude. Sometimes I will say what's to be done and why. Other times I will present two options and let the children choose, or the children may suggest a book they'd prefer to do. If the children ask to do extra, I let them. They sometimes like to read to us or do writing before bed.
... Often "life" changes the routine. We take many opportunities for excursions, play dates, sports and family visits. No worries, as children are always learning, I've learned to see the balance and not worry about missed 'lessons'. Illness gets in the way more often than I'd like. I don't try to force sick kids or myself to work, it's usually a case of one down, all down, and we fall back on natural learning, educational DVDs and read alouds.
... Lots of hands on activities, shared books, games, variety of resources handy for the kids to select from, or I will choose something to do together.
... We use the computer as a tool for providing opportunities for 1-1 learning, with the kids free to choose between about 5 options (eg. at times this has included typing in Word, Reading Eggs, Targeting Maths CD-roms, Smart Kiddies, Tux Paint, Mathletics or Skwirk). In theory I can set one child up on the Mac, then spend time with the other. In reality, this is sometimes perfect, sometimes painful, when the one on the computer needs help and whilst I do that, the other gets sidetracked.
That's part of what it looks like here, with 2 children who are 12 months and 10 days apart. I try to keep it positive, understand each child, and go with the flow.
Someone on AussieHomeschool wrote "Sometimes it is very hard to get them to settle down, especially when there is more important stuff happening (nice weather, racing bikes in the yard, scrounging in the garden for slugs etc) and I have been fairly gentle on this, because of their ages and stages (that is also how they learn.)"
My response to this is, I totally understand, especially about ants in pants. We're still there! I try to understand and respect what's important to the children, and work with them rather than fight the tide. I love seeing the children take charge of their own learning, and watch great things unfold when they decide to 'give speeches' or role play occupations. Sure, it's not always so tidy, as they also choose to be cooks with garden litter, wash the floor with a tea towel, or hijack all the chairs and cushions for a bus ... but that's part of childhood.
Next year my plan includes "The Australian Book Traveller" by Michelle Morrow (her website is www.downunderlit.com), "The Wonderland of Nature", by Nuri Mass (also from Michelle), additional eclectic science, LEM phonics, eclectic Maths (using what I have on hand) and lots of other fun!
Here's some encouragement and tips from my experiences so far:
Tot Trays .... for the little ones, keen to do their own 'school work', there are a lot of good ideas in the pages of this site which I adapted to our needs. Unit studies, lap books, sharing lots of books and fun maths also worked well.
My youngest child was keen to 'play schools', which helped immensely when I wanted to transition the kids back to a routine with more structure after a year of mostly unschooling. Jasi's enthusiasm pulled in her big brother, who by 5 was ready for a break from 'work' and wanted to play non stop! I did question all of my assumptions and expectations, and gave him abundant free time. I chose less structured teaching methods to build his basic skills during that phase. Elijah's bouts of negativity dissolved as there was no pressure, and whilst it wasn't always easy to see 'progress' at the time, now we're entering a new phase again, and seeing the fruit of the learning which did occur.
We now have a timetable and routine as a guide, which helps, but is INCREDIBLY flexible. I won't share it here as there's never a day or week when we actually do what it says!
Here are some of the things we do:
... As a fun way to draw the kids in and grab their attention and set a positive tone, we gather for a quick introduction, interesting and full of tasty, quick bites. For example, we pray (briefly, having usually prayed in bed earlier) and read a Bible story or scripture verse, use the whiteboard for things such as date, sentence about the day or other idea, sometimes weather, number patterns, brainteasers, interesting words, quick phonics reviews, sometimes a scripture, or a list of some kind (the kids have turns helping write). In my board writing I use words they can read as well as extend and challenge them in a fun and supportive context.
... Some days we skip the intro. Other days that is ALL we do formally, and the rest is through shared reading, experiences, spontaneous opportunities and rabbit trails. Natural learning defines so much of what young children are inclined to do, given free time, resources and a willing audience to share their discoveries with. Children are ever changing and amazing!
... With 5-6 yr olds, our sit-down bookwork has usually been only 1/2 to 1 hour a day, low pressure and more about basic skills, habits and attitude. Sometimes I will say what's to be done and why. Other times I will present two options and let the children choose, or the children may suggest a book they'd prefer to do. If the children ask to do extra, I let them. They sometimes like to read to us or do writing before bed.
... Often "life" changes the routine. We take many opportunities for excursions, play dates, sports and family visits. No worries, as children are always learning, I've learned to see the balance and not worry about missed 'lessons'. Illness gets in the way more often than I'd like. I don't try to force sick kids or myself to work, it's usually a case of one down, all down, and we fall back on natural learning, educational DVDs and read alouds.
... Lots of hands on activities, shared books, games, variety of resources handy for the kids to select from, or I will choose something to do together.
... We use the computer as a tool for providing opportunities for 1-1 learning, with the kids free to choose between about 5 options (eg. at times this has included typing in Word, Reading Eggs, Targeting Maths CD-roms, Smart Kiddies, Tux Paint, Mathletics or Skwirk). In theory I can set one child up on the Mac, then spend time with the other. In reality, this is sometimes perfect, sometimes painful, when the one on the computer needs help and whilst I do that, the other gets sidetracked.
That's part of what it looks like here, with 2 children who are 12 months and 10 days apart. I try to keep it positive, understand each child, and go with the flow.
Someone on AussieHomeschool wrote "Sometimes it is very hard to get them to settle down, especially when there is more important stuff happening (nice weather, racing bikes in the yard, scrounging in the garden for slugs etc) and I have been fairly gentle on this, because of their ages and stages (that is also how they learn.)"
My response to this is, I totally understand, especially about ants in pants. We're still there! I try to understand and respect what's important to the children, and work with them rather than fight the tide. I love seeing the children take charge of their own learning, and watch great things unfold when they decide to 'give speeches' or role play occupations. Sure, it's not always so tidy, as they also choose to be cooks with garden litter, wash the floor with a tea towel, or hijack all the chairs and cushions for a bus ... but that's part of childhood.
Next year my plan includes "The Australian Book Traveller" by Michelle Morrow (her website is www.downunderlit.com), "The Wonderland of Nature", by Nuri Mass (also from Michelle), additional eclectic science, LEM phonics, eclectic Maths (using what I have on hand) and lots of other fun!
Monday, July 5, 2010
What Unschooling and Natural Learning mean to me ... Part Two
I really enjoy reading and talking about how other people 'do' home education. We're all curious about how others live their lives without school. Visiting homes, chatting at the park and seeing pictures on blogs is a lot of fun (speaking of which I should post more photos). We share thoughts and ideas about resources, arrangement of spaces and ways of organising things, and help each other learn and solve problems. I've met about 100 home ed. families, visited countless websites and subscribe to about 20 blogs. All are fantastic sources of inspiration. I love the culture of acceptance, generosity and encouragement which I've experienced online and in our local home ed. network. So ... THANKS!!!!
Just to clarify, I'm only writing here about what we're doing, which works for us at the moment. Each family is different and that's the beauty of having our children at home. I admire everyone doing their best, in their own way.
If any of this sounds organised, it's because I'm trying hard to find the consistent points in our very flexible, whimsical, busy life. And even though these posts are long, I bet I'll leave out some really special and important details. So expect a few p.s.'s from me. I'm not claiming to have any particularly original thoughts ... this synthesis is the result of a couple of years reading and talking and living. I'll get on with it then!
Just to clarify, I'm only writing here about what we're doing, which works for us at the moment. Each family is different and that's the beauty of having our children at home. I admire everyone doing their best, in their own way.
If any of this sounds organised, it's because I'm trying hard to find the consistent points in our very flexible, whimsical, busy life. And even though these posts are long, I bet I'll leave out some really special and important details. So expect a few p.s.'s from me. I'm not claiming to have any particularly original thoughts ... this synthesis is the result of a couple of years reading and talking and living. I'll get on with it then!
OUR VERSION OF ECLECTIC, TIDAL HOME EDUCATION ...
- we blend various aspects of Unschooling, Natural Learning, Interest-based, Child-led learning, Unit Studies, Literature and Thematic studies, Traditional school and probably other methods.
- the glue sticking it all together is our faith, relationships and zest for learning and living!
- learning happens all the time, everywhere, in conventional and playful ways.
- lessons learned by experiencing are often the most memorable.
- child-initiated learning and intrinsic motivation are powerful tools to be encouraged and valued.
- we are not limited to a particular curriculum, textbook, grade level or educational approach.
- we unashamedly borrow ideas from diverse education methods, philosophies and theories, to develop a unique blend that pleases and nourishes OUR children.
- there are many valid ways to explore subjects, share ideas and demonstrate skills.
- in our daily journey we share the joy of setting directions and modes of transport.
- the Lord, my husband and myself have God-given roles which aren't open to compromise.
- I'm a facilitator ... doors can be opened by the resources I provide and the experiences I plan.
- kind of like the Doctor's creed, I try to 'first do no harm' (I think it goes something like that).
- kind of like the Doctor's creed, I try to 'first do no harm' (I think it goes something like that).
A FEW MORE POINTS ...
- as a home educator I DO refer to curriculums (many, from all over the world) for ideas and suggestions of what the children might be interested in or need to know. Then I set most of it aside and just let learning happen. I sometimes respect and sometimes ridicule the outcomes and principles of our State and National curriculum. It's more important to me that my children keep their curiosity, have a chance to stretch their minds, and learn diligence and persistence.
- we DO use numerous 'schoolish' resources and ideas, as one of many tools, but I can't think of a program I have used in it's entirety ... I always feel the need to extract, tweak and condense. We skip liberally around grade levels to suit our children's needs and interests. Responses may be written, discussed, dictated or demonstrated in practical ways.
- if I think my children would benefit from improving a particular skill, I find (sometimes fun) ways to steer them in that direction and help them see why it's worth putting in some time and effort. Contrary to the bulk of unschooling theory, I DO at times use coersion, bribery and extrinsic motivators to assist with this. I expect my children to respect my judgement when differences arise, and balance this by aiming to respect my children's readiness, opinions, interests and learning styles.
- our family culture is an invisible but integral part of the learning experience our kids enjoy ... so I guess I'd describe our crew as faithful, playful, caring, energetic, affectionate, talkative, generous, creative, intellectual, busy but relaxed, peaceful but not quiet, sensible but often silly. Pete and I can both be a bit more bossy and authoritative than what I'd like at times. I sometimes get carried away on tangents of being industrious, introspective, distracted and multi-tasking. And I'm usually trying to do a zillion things at once.
These are my honest reflections ... obviously a work in progress. So although I think I've written way too much and I don't know if it makes any sense, I'll send it out into cyberspace.
Part Three, about the specifics of what we actually do, might take longer to compose. Sorry I'm taking so long to get to the practical bits!
- there are many reasons why Pete and I do things the way we do, and Scriptures which guide us when we have to chose between divergent paths. That doesn't mean I think we have all the answers, and I know every choice made has an opportunity cost and there'd be potentially different outcomes if we'd gone the other way. I have to accept the consequences of our choices, keep learning and seek the silver lining in the clouds which sometimes appear.
These are my honest reflections ... obviously a work in progress. So although I think I've written way too much and I don't know if it makes any sense, I'll send it out into cyberspace.
---------------------------------
Part Three, about the specifics of what we actually do, might take longer to compose. Sorry I'm taking so long to get to the practical bits!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Time for living
G'day. I've been a silent blogger for a while ... only just finding time to read blogs. For all the blogs you write, many of which I haven't left comments for recently ... thanks for writing them, I enjoy reading them immensely!
We're finally all better (after a minor but prolonged virus), hooray! Our holiday in Coffs Harbour was brilliant, so good that I couldn't blog about it, because I wanted to stay there forever. The weather was perfect and so deliciously warm, and in every direction there were adventures to have and places to explore ... but I feared to write that would make me sound ungrateful for our pretty terrific home life. Which isn't the case, I really love my home and family and lifestyle. Thankfully after a few days back at home I regained my contentment and got stuck into LIFE again.
My problem then was winter ... it always gets to me, and I end up wishing we could move somewhere warm for just a few months each year (and perhaps one day we will). But after a week of grumbling about being so cold it hurt, I decided to embrace it. Life's been easier since making that choice, with the help of some long cosy jumpers, fur lined boots, a hot water bottle and plans for our first trip to the snow.
So back to LIFE. May and June have been (and will be) busy in a good way, with lots of excursions, kids competing with me for computer time, play dates, creative projects, FBI co-op, sports, coordinating childcare for our church's state conference (next weekend) and celebrating our children's birthdays (which are later this month but that hasn't stopped us getting in early!)
What's happening with school you may ask? I asked myself that too. It sometimes seems like the last item on the agenda, so I've returned a routine. I've scheduled in our outside activities and TV times which are fairly predictable, plenty of free time and even meal times (mainly because Jasi gets remarkably tired and grumpy when her blood sugar drops). I can already see it is helping. All term the kids have been a bit unsettled, arguing and attention seeking, but today they asked to do 'schooling' and got stuck into their work and have played more happily together too. That's not to say we'll keep to the routine ... a sunny day will always entice us outside! Our recent home ed. recipe has been perhaps 50% natural learning, and 50% eclectic homeschool ... shared books, unit studies, posters, craft, games, excursions, workbooks, computer, conversation, TV, music, storytelling. Having said that I'm not as hung up about what to call our method of education. Learning is happening and life is good!
I hope to get back into more frequent writing in July. I like a record of what's been happening, so I don't think back and wonder where all the days went. Also it's nice to look back on the fun we've had, changes, triumphs, adventures, decisions, challenges etc. Writing helps me make sense of things.
Well for a short post, this has ended up pretty long!! It's fun to be back. I might be a bit more random in the topics I write about when I get around to it, because whilst home schooling is a HUGE and wonderful part of my life and is often the easiest thing to share, I didn't intend for it to be the only thing I write about. There'll probably be a few out of order snapshots to catch up on too.
See you round!
We're finally all better (after a minor but prolonged virus), hooray! Our holiday in Coffs Harbour was brilliant, so good that I couldn't blog about it, because I wanted to stay there forever. The weather was perfect and so deliciously warm, and in every direction there were adventures to have and places to explore ... but I feared to write that would make me sound ungrateful for our pretty terrific home life. Which isn't the case, I really love my home and family and lifestyle. Thankfully after a few days back at home I regained my contentment and got stuck into LIFE again.
My problem then was winter ... it always gets to me, and I end up wishing we could move somewhere warm for just a few months each year (and perhaps one day we will). But after a week of grumbling about being so cold it hurt, I decided to embrace it. Life's been easier since making that choice, with the help of some long cosy jumpers, fur lined boots, a hot water bottle and plans for our first trip to the snow.
So back to LIFE. May and June have been (and will be) busy in a good way, with lots of excursions, kids competing with me for computer time, play dates, creative projects, FBI co-op, sports, coordinating childcare for our church's state conference (next weekend) and celebrating our children's birthdays (which are later this month but that hasn't stopped us getting in early!)
What's happening with school you may ask? I asked myself that too. It sometimes seems like the last item on the agenda, so I've returned a routine. I've scheduled in our outside activities and TV times which are fairly predictable, plenty of free time and even meal times (mainly because Jasi gets remarkably tired and grumpy when her blood sugar drops). I can already see it is helping. All term the kids have been a bit unsettled, arguing and attention seeking, but today they asked to do 'schooling' and got stuck into their work and have played more happily together too. That's not to say we'll keep to the routine ... a sunny day will always entice us outside! Our recent home ed. recipe has been perhaps 50% natural learning, and 50% eclectic homeschool ... shared books, unit studies, posters, craft, games, excursions, workbooks, computer, conversation, TV, music, storytelling. Having said that I'm not as hung up about what to call our method of education. Learning is happening and life is good!
I hope to get back into more frequent writing in July. I like a record of what's been happening, so I don't think back and wonder where all the days went. Also it's nice to look back on the fun we've had, changes, triumphs, adventures, decisions, challenges etc. Writing helps me make sense of things.
Well for a short post, this has ended up pretty long!! It's fun to be back. I might be a bit more random in the topics I write about when I get around to it, because whilst home schooling is a HUGE and wonderful part of my life and is often the easiest thing to share, I didn't intend for it to be the only thing I write about. There'll probably be a few out of order snapshots to catch up on too.
See you round!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Back to school tomorrow?
"Back to school" is a debatable issue here ... we haven't really 'done' school for months, yet the kids have still been learning plenty. On the other hand, 'basic skills' seem to have slipped during this time. I guess it would all balance out in the end, but perhaps they're due for a tune up, equally to reassure me and to give them a kick-start. The tide is rising.
I've declared tomorrow the start of our new school year. This distinction is mainly for the benefit of Miss 4, who is delighted to be 'starting Kindergarten' like some of her friends this year. Mr 5 says he's feeling great about home school. I hope we'll have a lot of fun learning. I don't think much of it will look like school. In fact I feel like I'm strapped into one of those skyward-facing theme park rides, waiting to be catapulted into space. This year's going to be a fast ride!
As always, balance is the key. Play based learning will be important to us this year, regardless of whether the subject matter is basic grammar or chemistry. As the kids have played freely during their holidays, I've listened in wonder to the vocabulary used in games of hospitals, shops and travels ... I think the way we play 'schools' will satisfy me (and others) that we're 'doing enough' academically ...
* Let's pretend we're going on a holiday, and set an itinerary, make passports, write a travel journal.
* Let's go to medical school and read some books about anatomy and health.
* Let's make a bright red post-box. And a mail sorting system, for all the envelopes filled recently!
* Let's learn more about money, a very popular subject in play and reality.
Tomorrow we'll play word games with magnetic letters. I'll wait and see which writing option matches the mood (texta tracing pages, handwriting books, mini-whiteboards, story writing books, phonics texts, letter/book/card writing). I'll probably also set the kids up at the computer this week and let them type, as their handwriting doesn't seem likely to match their thinking any time soon :)
The kids have asked for help in reading. I'm glad the motivation is coming from them again. Mr 5 especially wants to be able to read his books about diggers and cranes etc. He's a heart-reader ... by that I mean he knows words which mean something to him. He's forgotten some sight words and phonics, but should pick it up again pretty quickly. Miss 4 is so sweet in her enthusiasm to read books to me, her dolls, teddies, her brother etc. I love how she switches from reading words to improvising, and back to reading again. I think she'll find it easier to become fluent because she's less worried about getting each word right, but retains the meaning.
For our first maths lesson of the year, we'll do Matchbox Mathematics, which is a fun way of saying we'll gather all the toy cars of that size, group and graph them as the kids see fit, and talk about what we notice. Money will be another favourite focus this week.
Both kids have been doing a lot of painting recently, so that might continue. Or we have a papier mache project to finish, and some great cardboard boxes to build something with. Add in swimming lessons, morning tea at a play cafe, and an afternoon at a friend's house. It looks like being a fun week!
Now I'd better get some sleep so I can tackle it!
I've declared tomorrow the start of our new school year. This distinction is mainly for the benefit of Miss 4, who is delighted to be 'starting Kindergarten' like some of her friends this year. Mr 5 says he's feeling great about home school. I hope we'll have a lot of fun learning. I don't think much of it will look like school. In fact I feel like I'm strapped into one of those skyward-facing theme park rides, waiting to be catapulted into space. This year's going to be a fast ride!
As always, balance is the key. Play based learning will be important to us this year, regardless of whether the subject matter is basic grammar or chemistry. As the kids have played freely during their holidays, I've listened in wonder to the vocabulary used in games of hospitals, shops and travels ... I think the way we play 'schools' will satisfy me (and others) that we're 'doing enough' academically ...
* Let's pretend we're going on a holiday, and set an itinerary, make passports, write a travel journal.
* Let's go to medical school and read some books about anatomy and health.
* Let's make a bright red post-box. And a mail sorting system, for all the envelopes filled recently!
* Let's learn more about money, a very popular subject in play and reality.
Tomorrow we'll play word games with magnetic letters. I'll wait and see which writing option matches the mood (texta tracing pages, handwriting books, mini-whiteboards, story writing books, phonics texts, letter/book/card writing). I'll probably also set the kids up at the computer this week and let them type, as their handwriting doesn't seem likely to match their thinking any time soon :)
The kids have asked for help in reading. I'm glad the motivation is coming from them again. Mr 5 especially wants to be able to read his books about diggers and cranes etc. He's a heart-reader ... by that I mean he knows words which mean something to him. He's forgotten some sight words and phonics, but should pick it up again pretty quickly. Miss 4 is so sweet in her enthusiasm to read books to me, her dolls, teddies, her brother etc. I love how she switches from reading words to improvising, and back to reading again. I think she'll find it easier to become fluent because she's less worried about getting each word right, but retains the meaning.
For our first maths lesson of the year, we'll do Matchbox Mathematics, which is a fun way of saying we'll gather all the toy cars of that size, group and graph them as the kids see fit, and talk about what we notice. Money will be another favourite focus this week.
Both kids have been doing a lot of painting recently, so that might continue. Or we have a papier mache project to finish, and some great cardboard boxes to build something with. Add in swimming lessons, morning tea at a play cafe, and an afternoon at a friend's house. It looks like being a fun week!
Now I'd better get some sleep so I can tackle it!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Summer fun ...
Here is a little insight into some of the fun we've had, so far this summer:
* Mr 5, normally very cautious, discovered how much fun it is to jump into a deep pool (with floaties) again and again and again! We do watch closely in case the floaties burst.
* The kids and I all became hopelessly addicted to boogie boarding, and now want to learn to swim properly, so that they can have real surfboards.
* Mr 5 asked me to take the training wheels off his bike, and hasn't looked back!
* Our hanging-basket plants are now bearing fruit ... we've eaten several homegrown cherry tomatoes and a few strawberries. Hooray!
* The kids received Mum's old digital camera at Christmas, and have enjoyed learning how to use it.
* We've had lots of days playing with friends ... family gatherings, pool parties, a home ed. picnic, friends playing here, a church kids fun day, many days at the beach and pool by ourselves and with assorted families ... fun fun fun!
* Quiet games of Monopoly, Jenga, MasterMind, Snap, marbles, etc.
* Lots of singing, dancing, crazy play and acting ... see the next post for a video link!
I'm sure there's been a lot more to report, but I can't remember right now.
We're still in holiday mode this week. It's a good life!
* Mr 5, normally very cautious, discovered how much fun it is to jump into a deep pool (with floaties) again and again and again! We do watch closely in case the floaties burst.
* The kids and I all became hopelessly addicted to boogie boarding, and now want to learn to swim properly, so that they can have real surfboards.
* Mr 5 asked me to take the training wheels off his bike, and hasn't looked back!
* Our hanging-basket plants are now bearing fruit ... we've eaten several homegrown cherry tomatoes and a few strawberries. Hooray!
* The kids received Mum's old digital camera at Christmas, and have enjoyed learning how to use it.
* We've had lots of days playing with friends ... family gatherings, pool parties, a home ed. picnic, friends playing here, a church kids fun day, many days at the beach and pool by ourselves and with assorted families ... fun fun fun!
* Quiet games of Monopoly, Jenga, MasterMind, Snap, marbles, etc.
* Lots of singing, dancing, crazy play and acting ... see the next post for a video link!
I'm sure there's been a lot more to report, but I can't remember right now.
We're still in holiday mode this week. It's a good life!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Project time!
I love the energy around here at the moment! We're all in the midst of various creative projects, and whilst it has seemed for ages like nothing will actually get finished, I can now see things coming together. Hopefully what I'm doing will be finished by Christmas, as the biggest gifts for my kids this year will be homemade!
My projects:
• Refurbishing a dolls house, built for me by my great uncle. It's floor plan style and only just fits under a single bed when not in use. Needs a new base, fresh paint and I have grand plans to make all kinds of furniture, linen, treehouse in the side yard. Miss 4 has had my Strawberry Shortcake dolls for a year already, but this will be their new home.
• I've almost finished making a highchair for Miss 4's cabbage patch doll. This isn't a secret as she's watched me do most of the work. Today she said she wants two highchairs. Ha ha!
• My husband doesn't want the fridge to be scratched by magnetic toys, and the magnetic whiteboard easel is pretty small ... so I'm looking for the right piece of metal to attach to the end of the breakfast bar. Then we can have fun with magnetic letters, words, play scenes and a fantastic motorised set of cogs.
• Making a chalkboard for the cubby/ bush fort we made earlier this year. While we're at it, I also want to repaint the slippery slide, paint a compass on the floor and pot some flowers.
• Use offcuts of wood to make signs for the yard ... a black and yellow 'work site' sign for Mr 5's gravel quarry, set of traffic lights, stop sign etc, orchard signs for the citrus trees.
• Extend Mr 5's wooden garage (made by my brother), to have a multi-storey car park. This may be beyond my engineering capabilities and patience, we'll see!
What Mr 5 is up to:
• Making a papier mache landscape, either for dinosaurs, animals or soldiers, depending what he's thinking about at the time.
• Cutting up lots of pictures which he will apparently then make into wrapping paper for Daddy's present.
• Playing as much cricket as possible, in the garage or at the park. He's always been terrific at bowling and batting, but I help him practice catching.
• Drumming, strumming and singing! Playing for hours with matchbox cars on his car carpet, building with lego.
• Telling us ever more elaborate tales about his trips to Neverland (he's hooked on Peter Pan).
Miss 4 has been:
• Making books with me, then reading them aloud to Daddy. Joyfully doing Reading Eggs lessons on the computer.
• Colouring in and drawing, cutting out pictures and telling stories about them, playing with Polly Pocket dolls, making creatures with playdough.
• Giving us live action replays of her ballet class. Brushing her hair, carefully choosing outfits to wear, arranging things on her dressing table.
That's some of what we've been doing in recent days. There are no school routines at present. Our educational methods seem to mostly fit into what's called Natural Learning. We weren't very schoolish to begin with, so it's been a subtle change. I love strewing (leaving material of interest around for our children to discover, as defined by Sandra Dodd). Mr 5 and Miss 4 are still as keen as ever about everything to do with reading, art, music, maths, but less interested in writing. They love everything related to science, the world and people. Mr 5 was today telling me information about the earth's core, before he asked me about space.
Life's good!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Change of pace
The public school holidays coincided with our readiness for a break from routine, so I told the kids we were having a few weeks break. Since we were already floating along at low tide, it wasn't a huge change, but we've taken the opportunity to be more spontaneous.
* First time for both kids jumping on bungee trampolines
* First camel and pony rides
* First ferry ride to visit Grandparents in Stockton
* Buying an almost new RAV4, our ticket to adventure
* Playing in the kids pool at Merewether Baths
* Fun at Nanna's house with little friends
* Putt putt golf church activity
* Trekking up the huge sand dunes at Birubi Beach
* Paddling in the shallows at Boat Harbour
* Swinging for hours and playing totem tennis
In between playing chauffeur, referee, chef and housemaid, I've managed to do some sorting of all our school resources (a huge task). I've made a few changes in the sunroom (aka dining room) to better accommodate our 'school stuff'. And I have enjoyed plenty of reading, doing a jigsaw puzzle and a new brain trainer puzzle book.
We're so tired from our holiday adventures, that I declared yesterday a pupil free day, and sent the kids out to play! We spent an hour on ABC Reading Eggs in the afternoon, trying out some new features which are fun.
We're diving back in today. So far I've only managed to vacuum, wash up and deal with tantrums. I'm tempted to take stress leave, but today's plans are too much fun to abandon ... start a papier mache project (a battlefield for DS5, a fairy garden for DD4), write a story together, and listen to a CD called 'Say hello to the Orchestra'. Here goes!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Freestyle school
Mostly, people think they know what a school day involves. When you tell someone you're home schooling your children, they want to know what you DO with your kids. All day, every day?
At our place, we live, we laugh and we learn (thanks, Diana Waring, for this trio) pretty much all the time and anywhere. We do 'school' for only a few hours a week. We read voraciously, talk, sing and tell stories, draw, write and trace, we play a lot!
We are eclectic homeschoolers, as I choose bits of many methods, and odd pages of this and that resource which suit us at the time. I now like to say that we are Tidal Homeschoolers (thanks, Melissa Wiley for your website, and Kez for telling me about it), which explains the way we go with the flow of life and the seasons.
At high tide, we have done unit studies on Rainbows, Mammals, The Five Senses ... we do lots of science and art, and make lapbooks, posters or books. We play the trading game with Base 1o blocks, learn new phonograms in phonics (ar, ee, ir, er, ur, ear and wor this month) and listen to the kids read (often for chocolate). We explore topics using library books, documentaries and cartoons (many a time has been when George the monkey or Charlie and Lola have been playing with the same topic as us!). We clock up hours on computer programs like Mathletics, Starfall, Reading Eggs and Intrepica. We read Bible stories, cook, do craft, painting, sewing, make music and dance. Amongst this we go to homeschool excursions, play dates and fellowship. These are fun-filled, busy days. We buzz with energy and ideas, asking questions and looking for answers.
At low tide, we sometimes stay in pyjamas until mid morning. The kids unpack all the books from the shelves, then sing and read their way through a pile as tall as they are. I read them another stack. They play doctors, vets or shops, and put on ballet concerts for the teddies, dolls and mummy. I clean to a serenade of drum solos, guitar jam sessions and keyboard chaos. The kids swing, climb and scoot around the yard, watching ants and our resident blue-tongue lizard go about their business. We thread beads, listen to CDs, surf the net and play with play dough. The kids build new worlds with lego, train sets, blocks and boxes, or make blanket cubbies. We play snakes and ladders, Uno, Mastermind and Monopoly. A game of 'I went camping and in the boot I put ...' is full of crazy ideas and ends in giggles. There are tender cuddles, dreams shared and hopes expressed.
We can't predict when the tide will be high or low, but it has a rhythm which is fun to ride. We like the varied pace, being able to fly to infinity and beyond, then float gently back to earth.
At present, it's low tide in regard to school work. The workboxes have been neglected for a couple of weeks, as we've had visits with friends, excursions, swimming, gymnastics, started ballet (Miss 4) and set up a quarry in the backyard (Mr 5). We've read a ton of library books about mammals, a steady stream of picture books, listened to Heidi and Blinky Bill on CD, and generally enjoyed being outdoors on fragrant spring days.
Time to catch some zzz's ... it's tiring being this relaxed!
(PS. note the wry laughter in the background as I secretly recall the tantrums of over stimulated children, and the long list of spring cleaning still to be tackled ... we might go back to high tide school soon for a rest. Does it work that way?)
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