The package contained maple syrup, maple leaves and information about maple sap, crayola crayons and information, a jigsaw puzzle, coins, some Hersheys sweets, a book, a colouring book and much more. Thank you the Chiu family.
Friday, 31 August 2012
More culture swap
We have received another culture swap package. This time from Pittsburgh.
The package contained maple syrup, maple leaves and information about maple sap, crayola crayons and information, a jigsaw puzzle, coins, some Hersheys sweets, a book, a colouring book and much more. Thank you the Chiu family.
The package contained maple syrup, maple leaves and information about maple sap, crayola crayons and information, a jigsaw puzzle, coins, some Hersheys sweets, a book, a colouring book and much more. Thank you the Chiu family.
What type are we?
I read quite a few home ed blogs and message boards and often see people refer to themselves as a certain type of home educator, this has got me thinking.
What type of home educating family are we?
We are definitely not the school at home type, we don't all sit round the table and keep school type hours and records or follow a curriculum. My children would not learn in that way. The slightest hint of a school type situation and they start to rebel, whether they are interested in the subject matter on not, they are not going to take part.
I like the idea of unschooling but I don't think my neurotic, worrying mind could embrace the lifestyle fully. I love when the learning is child led and can see that when a child is left to their own devices they will learn independently and naturally but I am not ready or able to let my child lead the way in the areas of bedtime or how much computer time they are allowed.
More people have been asking us lately how home ed works, the favourite questions seem to be "who teaches them, how do you teach them or how do you know what to teach them?"
When asked this question I have to struggle not to openly cringe. I do not teach my children, they learn things of their own accord from the the world around them, just like it should be.
We have lots of resources in our house that the children can access when they like, we will also help in any way we can if they need something else or some other information. Sometimes we do work books together, sometimes little projects. We are a fan of kits you can buy that enable us to do little science or craft projects together. We read, alot. We love crafts and are keen knitters and sewers. Some of us like to cook and bake and others prefer to create and design.
I want my children to grow up with a love of learning new things. That's all I ask of this home ed journey we take together. What they do when they are all grown is up to them and something I am looking forward to finding out,
So what do you think? What type of home educating family are we?
What type of home educating family are we?
We are definitely not the school at home type, we don't all sit round the table and keep school type hours and records or follow a curriculum. My children would not learn in that way. The slightest hint of a school type situation and they start to rebel, whether they are interested in the subject matter on not, they are not going to take part.
I like the idea of unschooling but I don't think my neurotic, worrying mind could embrace the lifestyle fully. I love when the learning is child led and can see that when a child is left to their own devices they will learn independently and naturally but I am not ready or able to let my child lead the way in the areas of bedtime or how much computer time they are allowed.
More people have been asking us lately how home ed works, the favourite questions seem to be "who teaches them, how do you teach them or how do you know what to teach them?"
When asked this question I have to struggle not to openly cringe. I do not teach my children, they learn things of their own accord from the the world around them, just like it should be.
We have lots of resources in our house that the children can access when they like, we will also help in any way we can if they need something else or some other information. Sometimes we do work books together, sometimes little projects. We are a fan of kits you can buy that enable us to do little science or craft projects together. We read, alot. We love crafts and are keen knitters and sewers. Some of us like to cook and bake and others prefer to create and design.
I want my children to grow up with a love of learning new things. That's all I ask of this home ed journey we take together. What they do when they are all grown is up to them and something I am looking forward to finding out,
So what do you think? What type of home educating family are we?
Cluttered
In the last few weeks our house has felt really cluttered and untidy to me. It started with a general feel of annoyance and has begun to totaly overwhelm me.
It is time to do something about it as it feels like it is starting to clutter my mind too. The problem in this house is that there is just no storage space, no under the stairs cupboards or kitchen larders. I need to get rid of lots of stuff and start thinking creativley about where to put what's left.
Yesterday I bought another 6 foot tall bookcase, taking the total of jam packed bookcases in this small house to 5. I have started transfering things from the kitchen one on to it now in the hopes the kitchen one can be for kitchen things. For now they are both nice, tidy and organised. I wonder how long that will last.
It is time to do something about it as it feels like it is starting to clutter my mind too. The problem in this house is that there is just no storage space, no under the stairs cupboards or kitchen larders. I need to get rid of lots of stuff and start thinking creativley about where to put what's left.
Yesterday I bought another 6 foot tall bookcase, taking the total of jam packed bookcases in this small house to 5. I have started transfering things from the kitchen one on to it now in the hopes the kitchen one can be for kitchen things. For now they are both nice, tidy and organised. I wonder how long that will last.
Just every other room in the house to do now!
Saturday, 25 August 2012
Busy
It feels busy at the moment, we are not rushing around and out of the house all of the time but it still feels busy with the things that we could or want to be doing.
The kids have lots of little projects that they could be starting on and I think that sometimes too much choice isn't productive, it's hard to decide on what to start first.
They have a kit to build your own combustion engine, a kit to explore electronic circuits, a kit to grow crystals, a Dino excavation that nan bought for them, we still have the Dyson kit until Friday and some newly arrived culture swap packages to investigate.
We have recently bought a dollhouse to renovate (post about this coming soon), I have some cross stitch kits to do as gifts and a new crochet hook to play with and I need to start on the jam and chutneys for winter gifts.
So many learning opportunities and so little time!
The kids have lots of little projects that they could be starting on and I think that sometimes too much choice isn't productive, it's hard to decide on what to start first.
They have a kit to build your own combustion engine, a kit to explore electronic circuits, a kit to grow crystals, a Dino excavation that nan bought for them, we still have the Dyson kit until Friday and some newly arrived culture swap packages to investigate.
We have recently bought a dollhouse to renovate (post about this coming soon), I have some cross stitch kits to do as gifts and a new crochet hook to play with and I need to start on the jam and chutneys for winter gifts.
So many learning opportunities and so little time!
Monday, 20 August 2012
Dyson fun.
I found out about the Dyson Engineering packs on one of the many home ed groups I am a member of. http://www.jamesdysonfoundation.com/contact.asp
We applied to borrow a pack and heard back within a few days and our pack was booked to arrive today.
M is the youngest of our monsters and a budding inventor so this is something that I expect he will really enjoy.
The pack arrived this morning and the two youngest monsters were so excited that they began to dissasemble the hoover heads while still in their pj's.
We applied to borrow a pack and heard back within a few days and our pack was booked to arrive today.
M is the youngest of our monsters and a budding inventor so this is something that I expect he will really enjoy.
The pack arrived this morning and the two youngest monsters were so excited that they began to dissasemble the hoover heads while still in their pj's.
Can you see the excitement on their faces!
So far they have taken apart and put back together the hoover heads and then tested them. Also included are some great posters that I need to find some space for. We still have the main body of the hoover to explore but they are waiting for dad to join in for that.
Culture swap
We have recently taken part in a worldwide culture swap, details can be found here http://www.worldwidecultureswap.com/
We enjoyed deciding what to send in our packages, we included some details about where we live, some tea bags and afternoon tea recipes, some olympic flags, some sweets and chocolate and lots more.
We enjoyed deciding what to send in our packages, we included some details about where we live, some tea bags and afternoon tea recipes, some olympic flags, some sweets and chocolate and lots more.
So far we have received 2 parcels back. 1 from Colorado in America and 1 from New South Wales in Australia. The monsters have found it really exciting and can't wait to have a proper play with the contents. We are looking forward to receiving the other 2 parcels now.
Colorado:
Australia:
Time flies.
I am just so rubbish at keeping this blog up to date, days just blend together untill 6 months have passed and I just don't know how.
The Monsters are doing well and we are enjoying the lovely weather together.
J is spending alot of his time out with friends and family.
A has had a sleepover with her best friend and is becoming less tomboy and more girly by the day.
T has had a few trips out with the local councils short breaks services and really enjoys them.
M is my little inventor and spends most days coming up with inventions and designs. He loves Minecraft and could easily spend all day creating on there.
We are all looking forward to the schools re opening so that we can go on trips and not have to wait ages to get on or near anything and get pushed around in the crowds. To us this is a big benefit of home education.
6 Months in pictures:
The Monsters are doing well and we are enjoying the lovely weather together.
J is spending alot of his time out with friends and family.
A has had a sleepover with her best friend and is becoming less tomboy and more girly by the day.
T has had a few trips out with the local councils short breaks services and really enjoys them.
M is my little inventor and spends most days coming up with inventions and designs. He loves Minecraft and could easily spend all day creating on there.
We are all looking forward to the schools re opening so that we can go on trips and not have to wait ages to get on or near anything and get pushed around in the crowds. To us this is a big benefit of home education.
6 Months in pictures:
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