"You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing.

"What? Is it nothing to be happy?

"Nothing to skip, play and run around all day long?

"Never in his life will he be so busy again."
--Rousseau

I started my blogging journey with a great deal of tension inside of me . . . . as evident in many of my previous posts. Tension between my untested beliefs/ideals/hopes/etc and actually, personally, homeschooling and facing the pressures and expectations of both the outside world and my own years in the educational system and then the realization that finding some way to succumb to some normal route of schooling would be easier in every imaginable way - from actual hard work to time and space management in a little home to dealing with all the pressures.

I think the tension's gone! Not that it won't return or be an ongoing part of my journey, but the initial roadblock is gone. I am relaxed in that part of my brain and questioning whether or not it is laziness and apathy but am pretty confident that it is not. I embrace Rousseau's words above. I full-heartedly believe that nothing is to be lost by not intentionally striving after academic skills right now. I believe everything is to be gained by embracing play, fresh air, good books, God, and learning the content of the child's world that is naturally set before him each day (for now, not forever).

This article fits nicely with what I've always believed and now am ready to do without worrying.

This quote gives simplicity and focus to my world of academic learning:

What we need to improve education is not more curriculum, but better education, and that comes from classics and mentors. With young children you do two things: read them the classics—things at their level like Black Beauty, Charlotte’s Web, the Little House on the Prairie series, fables and rhymes—then talk about it with them, teach them lessons.~A Thomas Jefferson Education p. 49

One Day At A Time

When I started blogging I was consumed by trying to figure out every detail of my son's kindergarten education. I think it hit me hard and unexpectedly that it's advent was a year away and, for all my philosophical ideas and past studies, I had no solid plan of action.

For the past couple of months pregnancy, holidays, and other pieces of life have kept me occupied and taken my immediate attention off of educational study and planning. And you know what - learning has still been happening at least as much and as well as it was before - it seems to happen so naturally when allowed. I sigh - partially a sigh of relief and partially of giving up - and realize that come Fall, I most likely will not have a perfect plan and everything will be fine. I don't even know that there is one perfect plan. In all of my formal education, including or especially, the pursuit of my MA in Education, the biggest thing I learned was that no great expert or secret exists on the topic. I don't know that I was really setting out to find the perfect plan or if that was just my way of making sure I did my very best and didn't go about homeschooling lazily. I believe I need to know my kids and really pay attention to their learning and what motivates them; know what they understand and what they don't and refuse to just go through the motions on any level; do the hard work to think things through and do my best to model reading, thinking, and love of learning; and be purposeful in how their time is spent.

I like the writings and principles of Charlotte Mason, John Tayor Gatto, Oliver De Mille, and a motley pile of bits and pieces from many others. I don't need to settle on one philosophy and stick to it 100 percent; no one is 100 percent perfect for 100 percent of children. I've picked up the first few McGuffey's Readers, not because I determined that this was the absolute best tool for the job, but because I found them at an estate sale for two or three dollars and I know they are one of the many quality tools out there. They will not be the sole way my son learns language arts but they'll help. Reading and writing materials abound in this house and he seems to be picking so much up on his own because it's there and I try to cultivate his interest in it. Oh ya . . . . plus, I don't really even think formal instruction is necessary for a few years yet. I have a Singapore math text but haven't done anything with it yet. I don't know if or what charter we'll go through to homeschool and whether or not a day at school will be included. I am feeling much more at peace about all of it. One day at a time.

Learning Snapshots

rocks, gold, mining history, natural vs man-made geographic features, water table


patterns


coloring


library & computer familiarity


READING


meaning of Christmas


crafts


water flow, dams, rivers, lakes, erosion, geographic formations



painting & different types of paint

Exactly What I Needed

Since becoming a blogger (albeit a half-hearted and infrequent one lately), I've also become a follower of blogs. Reading other blogs has opened up a new world to me. There are so many mothers out in this virtual world that I share many things in common with and ones that have gone ahead of me in pursuing very purposeful parenting and homeschooling. Not that such amazing women do not exist in my immediate physical world, but the Internet supplies a vast supply of Godly women who are writing about their journeys and often providing the encouragement I need in a given situation.

Today I read THIS blog and it was exactly what I needed today! (Honestly, I probably need this post a few times a week.) It is so easy to get sucked into the stresses of life and annoyances of my little ones. It takes so much effort to be thankful and purposeful. I have been tired and emotional; financial and other stresses have been nagging at me constantly. I have felt completely incompetent in providing decent structure, love, patience, and guidance to my little ones throughout recent days. I am grateful for Jessica Bowman's post today and the reminder I needed. This morning L and L were having a squabble and the littler L started crying from the other room like something really horrible had happened to her. I rush in there, expecting that bigger L had perpetrated something terrible. It took littler L quite some time to say what had happened because she was crying so hard she could barely get the words out. Finally, she gets it all out, "he called me a LITTLE GIRL." She was so hurt and angry and all I could do was laugh. I needed the comic relief and I was so thankful he hadn't done anything terrible. I love how when I'm discouraged and stressed and only focused on problems, they bring me laughter and God tries to remind me that they are what's important and should be my focus; let the other things be the annoyances that I try to ignore and those things will be ok. My kids need to be the focus, ignored like annoyances (although they can annoy), they will not be ok. Ultimately, they bring joy and fullness to life that I cannot even imagine without them.

Saint Nicholas

As a mom of two young children trying to impart a basic understanding of Christmas and foster a love for Christ in the midst of all that this month ushers into our home, and even more so the craziness outside our home, I really appreciate this guy.

Saint Nicholas was Christ-loving, God-fearing amazing man who put feet to the words of Christ and lived a life worthy of our study and respect. He modeled radical and uncommon compassion, faith, and generosity. He was born in the third century to wealthy parents in a Greek village. Both parents died while Nicholas was young. He inherited wealth and used it to bless people, usually secretly. Incredible stories are told of him throwing money through windows or leaving it at doors at night. Miracles are attributed to his prayers. He was dedicated to serving God and loving people. He is noted for his generosity to the needy and love of children. He was a Bishop. He was imprisoned for his faith. He attended the Council of Nicea in 325. He walked the talk. He died on December 6, 343, and hence December 6th became the feast day for this saint; a day to celebrate all that he stood for and honor an incredible life. Saint Nicholas' feast day became a day of gift giving and secret giving because this is what he did.

Studying the life of Saint Nicholas with my children brings a Christian perspective and historical reality to bear upon all the red-suited, white-bearded images we see this time of year. Discussing his love for Christ and subsequent compassion for people, helps to center the season once again on Jesus and supplies a role model for focusing on the giving rather than the getting of gifts . . . . Who can we surprise and make really happy? . . . . What do they really need that we have?

The ultimate gift ever given was God's Son. At Christmas we celebrate that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, that God broke into human history to save us from ourselves and to give us Himself - life and light and hope. Saint Nicholas is remembered across the centuries because he took hold of what God had given him and gave it away. As we give this season I hope to help my children see the joy they can bring to others and in the process pray that it will develop into a genuine sharing of God's love.

St. Nicholas Center - my source, more info, activities & ideas, the development of Santa Claus, & more

Learning Snapshots

Letters: Letter posters. Happy Birthday banner with letters by Luke & Liv. Luke started printing Liv's name totally on his own & on his own initiative.

Fun & shapes & basic engineering with play doh


Thanksgiving: meaning, history, art

Exploring measurement & comparing sizes

Lots with dinosaurs this month

Reading!

Measurement with sweet rewards

Library story time & people in our community

A few learning activities from the past month that were easy to snap a shot of & record.

Barely Blogging

The last three weeks have seen sick kids, family vacation, Thanksgiving holiday, husband home a lot, and evenings spent either away or filled with other activities or with husband or as an exhausted pregnant mom going to bed early. And that is why I haven't even thought much about my blog, none the less actually blogged. And tonight's time here is very brief. First, to post this excuse and second, to mention that I'm about to update my "good reads" links - adding two articles I've come across recently. Both relate to my 10/11/11 post and my thoughts on play and early academics. Both do a good job of pinning school starting age more on economics and other needs than what's best for the brain of an individual child. . . . . very interesting reads!

In "good reads" links, see "What Can Slow Schools Teach Us" & "The Case Against Pre-School" (It was the second little short article on this page that first caught my attention; the top article is commentary on it.)

Soon I will share some pictures on November learning activities. My research and pondering time on what to do with my kids' education has been very little but there has been some discussion time on options and I did order a math book (Singapore Earlybird) to start working on with my soon-to-be-kindergartener! I'm anxious to get back to my old notes and contemplating educational philosophies and my approach for next year but honestly don't know how much serious research will happen in the near future with holidays and then baby on the horizon!