So much has happened learning and education wise in the past 24 it is hard to know where to start. Really there are many others things I "ought" to be doing other than blogging but just needed to note some of it down. All bathed and pyjamed and seeming tired watching a cute program called "Little Star Gazers" ahead of our trip to Intech today, last night suddenly S, 7, & E, 5, burst into frantic late night learning mode. This was once a fairly regular Sunday night occurrence but hasn't happened for ages!
First S asked for a page of difficult sums. Now, she hasn't done written sums for over a year or more. I know there is much mental maths in our everyday life through cooking and so on but pencil and paper sums have not been a regular feature since she was five or so. Then she came back for more, and more.
Now, I have read about this process where autonomously educated children appear to not be doing a great deal for a while and then suddenly make a surge forward that ranks them on a par or ahead of their schooled peers and, I have even witnessed it myself before in my own family but it is still amazing when it happens. Bit like spring I guess!
and then E joined in and they played "Clone Photocopier Game" where by they both coloured in the same print out from the Dinosaur Cove website and we had to guess whose was whose! and E wrote his name, something he doesn't often do, nine or ten times once of which was outstanding and without doubt the best letters he has ever written!
Earlier on in the day we put some of the new words from Peter and Jane 4 and 5 into word game and he is flying. Easily he knows over 150 words now.
So after sums colouring and writing this morning S began teaching E about Native America!
And today we have been on a very foggy drive to one of The Smalls favourite haunts "Intech" We went with Smart Sandals and her son which had the added benefit of meaning S could go into the Planetarium show. It was heaving at Intech and I felt bad for not preparing E more as he is not keen on hecticness but it was okay. Once again the parachute was the favourite and their best. We were able to have our lunch picnic outside as the fog lifted to reveal a clear blue sky for the drive home. We went to Intech six times last year so there are many other blog posts about it,
3 comments:
It's absolutely brilliant to see this and how well home education really works. When we started there wasn't an option to show the world what it's truly like. Now, blogs like yours can really raise awareness. So well done - especially since you're (justifiably)tired! BWs x
'Now, I have read about this process where autonomously educated children appear to not be doing a great deal for a while and then suddenly make a surge forward that ranks them on a par or ahead of their schooled peers and, I have even witnessed it myself before in my own family but it is still amazing when it happens. Bit like spring I guess!'
It's interesting you say this. I think in a way it is a natural learning pattern. I find that - although I am not really autonomous with my teaching of the girls, I am more child led these days - C will spend more time in maths for 6 months or so and then more time in english for 6 months or so, however as you say excels her peers most of the time. Children and their brains are amazing! :)
Thanks for comments Ross - Yes v tired - I did have a bit of a tiredness meltdown during supper yesterday but I think they happen to all Mums whether home ed or not!!
When S (now 7) was baby back in 2005 I read Jean Bendell's "School's Out" on the sofa whilst breastfeeding here and also "Free Range Education" and part of me wondered how truthful / accurate they were but in a way they were like early blogs! The great thing about home ed blogs it that you see the highs and lows and the everyday - the little bits that you might leave out of a book!
Yes Lisa - I try and avoid child led these days - it is sort of parent directed! I look at structured families we know and I realise we are different to them and equally we are not complete autonomous unschoolers but one thing is certain that were S in school I doubt we would have been so relaxed about her not doing any "math" for a year!!
Have seen that natural pattern, when S was learning to read she was so motivated and inspired to do it that for a short period she almost forgot how to count!! and I thought to myself what if the bell was to ring now for double maths. It is more natural imo to finish what you have started!
The deschooling yourself process takes so long. My Mum and I were chatting today saying how we both studied maths everyday for over a decade for an hour a day and, in common with thousands of others, it was the lowest of all the grades we achieved. That method clearly doesn't work yet it is still being used today.
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