Since so many of you who read my blog are my friends, and so many of you are asking how our first day of school went, I thought I’d answer you all here instead of retyping it in 12 different emails. :)
Ethan's 1st Day of Mother's Day Out
Ethan (my 3yo) did great at Mother’s Day Out at the church around the corner from us - it’s also where Kate went last year and loved it. He has a huge class of about 12 kiddos his age and 2 teachers. They said he did great and only got weepy at nap time when they wanted to help him take his shoes off. He, of course, would have NO one touching his new shoes and got defensive and whiny for mommy at that point. Too funny what kiddos will get hung up on, huh? Other than that, he seemed to have had a great day and he said he liked it and had fun. His favorite? The kitchen play area. Hmm. Do we have a future chef on our hands? Continue reading…
At our last visit to the library Kate was disappointed to discover that they didn’t have any ‘Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?’ DVDs on the shelf. (Do you remember that geography-sleuth kids’ gameshow on TV in the late 80s with the catchy intro song by the group, Rockapella? These are the cartoons along the same story lines.) So, I told her that when we got home we would get online and request them via intralibrary loan. While I was online looking for her DVDs, I ran across this book that I thought sounded really promising. (I’m not really sure why I felt the need to tell you all that, unless I really just wanted to share with the world what a geek I was in the late 80s and still am, apparently, since I can still sing some of that theme song to this day…)
Where in the World? Around the Globe in 13 Works of Art, by Bob Raczka, has turned out to be my newest favorite book for Kate. It’s a collection of 13 works of art from around the world (duh, you probably got all that from the title) with a page describing the geographical location of the piece as well as the artist and the time he/she lived in. It’s written for kids, so the language isn’t a stumbling block but, thankfully, it’s not sing-songy either. Continue reading…
We all know the importance of getting our kids out-of-doors. We’ve heard the studies about childhood obesity and ’screen time’ in front of tvs and computers. Of course, in Houston, it’s harder to get outside when temperatures are in high 90s. But, we try occasionally anyways.
When I started studying Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy a few months ago on my search for a homeschooling model that worked for me, I was surprised at her strong thoughts on nature. She adamantly encourages children under the age of six to have no formal schooling, but to spend as much time as possible every day OUTSIDE. And, as they get older, that portion of their ’schooling’ is still important enough to get its own subject - Nature Study. She promoted Nature Study not only as a way to use up some of that extra energy that all kids seem to have, but also as a way to learn about our world, science, and our creator. And we all know how a walk in the woods or a beautiful garden can help us regain perspective in life and reconnect us to God.
It seems as though current studies have finally confirmed some of what Charlotte has been saying since the 1800s. I was just introduced to this site, Children & Nature Network, and have been thoroughly impressed with the information found there. Check out this video clip from The Today Show about kids and the outdoors. Makes me wanna go on a hike. Anybody want to go with me?
So, how do YOU get your kids out-of-doors for free play on a regular basis? I’m looking for some more creative ideas, especially for our hot, humid city. Share them in the comments section below.
If you’ve known me for a while, you know that I used to be a school teacher. I taught 8th grade Earth Science in the school district I grew up in, Cy-Fair ISD. While I love teaching, I grew weary of the negative parent interactions, the lack of discipline in most students, and the inherent politics of any large organization. So, I came home to work for my graphic designer husband.
Shawn and I have debated about whether or not to homeschool children since before we even had any of our own. While he was homeschooled for some portion of his own education, I grew up in the public school system here in Houston. While I understand the pros and cons on both sides, I just never really wanted the responsibility of educating my own children and have felt (believe it or not) ill-equipped to do so.
But over the past year, the I’ve had a growing sense that we were going to need to homeschool Kate, at least for a few years. (You know how the voice of God sometimes sounds like your spouse? Yeah. It was like that.) And then there was just one situation that sent me on over the edge of that mountain and sealed the deal for me. I won’t bore you with the details. Let’s suffice it to say, I realized that Kate needed a little more attention in being confident with who she is before we throw her into any system that might try to say otherwise.
So, then the real fun began. The oh-my-god-i’m-really-doing-this feeling hit and I started emailing and calling on friends that have been down this road and could give me good advice. They were all very sweet and calming and encouraging, which helped tremendously. *Lesson #1: Get a good support group.*
So, for the past few months I’ve been researching curriculums and educational models and philosophies and realizing I didn’t learn very much of this in college, surprisingly, and what DID my father spend so much money on anyways, and oh my gosh this is all so overwhelming and many other thoughts that would make this run-on of a sentence way longer. (well, at least we know I’ll be able to teach her the basics of grammar, right?)
I think I’ve found the path for me with a Charlotte Mason approach and an online curriculum called Ambleside Online. I’ll be sure to keep you all posted on how this new chapter progresses. And I would LOVE to hear from all of you who have homeschooled or are currently homeschooling. I realize I have much to learn still….
By Kay on Wed, Sep 3, 2008
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