Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Maestro Classics - Peter and the Wolf
My girls LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Maestro Classics cds!!! (In fact, I can hear Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel starting now!) Peter and the Wolf is on sale for 5 dollars for this week, so hurry and buy it! Here's the link...http://peterandwolf.weebly.com/
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Why We Homeschool....
People frequently ask why we homeschool, and the reasons are too numerous to list. Occasionally, however, there will be a moment with our girls when I think "THIS. This moment is why we do this. THIS makes it all worth it." We had one of those moments yesterday...
A few days ago I told the girls that I was starting to plan for next school year, and I asked them what they would like to learn about. They were both busy crafting and playing, and they shrugged and said "I don't know." Yesterday, we were getting dressed to go to a play, and I asked them again what they'd like to study next year. Evidently, they had been thinking about this...
O(7) said "I'd like to learn about my ancestors. And I'd like to learn about the historical events that happened during my ancestors' lives." Then I asked E(4) what she would like to learn in kindergarten. She said "About molecules. And the insides of plants."
That was it. The moment that it all made sense. It's worth it. My kids get to have input into their curriculum and study subjects that interest them. Even more significant is that they (at ages 7 and 4) are able to articulate their interests so well. They recognize the joy of learning, and they have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
So, I wanted to document and share this moment. Many homeschooling days are tough, and I often question my abilities as a teacher to my amazing and brilliant girls, but now I'll have this post that I can come back to and re-read on those tough days :)
A few days ago I told the girls that I was starting to plan for next school year, and I asked them what they would like to learn about. They were both busy crafting and playing, and they shrugged and said "I don't know." Yesterday, we were getting dressed to go to a play, and I asked them again what they'd like to study next year. Evidently, they had been thinking about this...
O(7) said "I'd like to learn about my ancestors. And I'd like to learn about the historical events that happened during my ancestors' lives." Then I asked E(4) what she would like to learn in kindergarten. She said "About molecules. And the insides of plants."
That was it. The moment that it all made sense. It's worth it. My kids get to have input into their curriculum and study subjects that interest them. Even more significant is that they (at ages 7 and 4) are able to articulate their interests so well. They recognize the joy of learning, and they have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
So, I wanted to document and share this moment. Many homeschooling days are tough, and I often question my abilities as a teacher to my amazing and brilliant girls, but now I'll have this post that I can come back to and re-read on those tough days :)