In some ways, I hesitate to say that I homeschooled preschool with my first son. I was fairly relaxed with him during his "preschool" years (which isn't to say I didn't worry or wonder if I was doing it right), and he made it easy because he learned to recognize the ABCs before he could even speak … Continue reading Homeschooling Preschool the 2nd Time: My Four-Year-Old’s Letter D
unschooling
House Cleaning with Children
Never miss an opportunity to let your children help with the housework, especially if they volunteer.... And remember, it's not how well they get the job done.... Praise the effort. Praise yourself for raising self-sufficient children! And for goodness sake, have fun!
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Ladybug Pupa
We've been observing a lot of wildlife in our very own yard lately, though I think that's because I have two inquisitive little boys who have the freedom to explore the yard often. The other day my son was taking stems off our butterfly bush (because someone taught us how to propagate it), and he … Continue reading Ladybug Pupa
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Recording A Homeschool Student’s Progress: The Homeschool Portfolio, Part 1
{Homeschooling without a curriculum} {Eclectic Homeschooling} {Free print outs for your record keeping.} Though I have seen countless blogs on the Internet offering advice on how to keep track of your child’s homeschool, I knew that I would have to come up with my own system or I wouldn’t stick to it. So I write … Continue reading Recording A Homeschool Student’s Progress: The Homeschool Portfolio, Part 1
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Homeschooling Kindergarten Math
Note: Below is my column as it appeared in the March 28, 2012 edition of the Barrow Journal. Scroll down to find some other helpful links and ways that I've tried to teach math. When I was a young girl, I was gently reprimanded for using my fingers to do math. I had to do … Continue reading Homeschooling Kindergarten Math
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My Definition of Child-led Learning
For me, doing “child-led learning” means introducing my boys to a variety of books, places, classes, stories, and people. I am a facilitator and mentor. As we explore the world together, I’m going to observe what they love the most. When they gain interest in a particular subject, I’m going to let them delve into it further, and I’m going to do everything I can to help them learn more about it until they are satisfied. I expect some interests may peter out and others may be life-long passions.
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The Eastern King Snake & Our Snake Project
Supporting my son's interests has led us into the world of snakes.
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Learning Is Like a Chain Link Fence
It's not a fence that blocks anything out unless we stop adding links to it.
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Music Appreciation with Beethoven
An Example of Child Led Learning or Unschooling: Since he was so interested in this music, I asked my son if he’d like to do a project on Beethoven, and he was enthusiastic about the idea. He wanted to make a book, so we printed out a photo of Beethoven, wrote a few facts about this life, included a map of Germany with an arrow pointing to Bonn (where Beethoven was born), and then we added the sheet music for “Ode to Joy.” We punched holes in the side of the paper, tied the pages to together and voila – a little book to showcase his obsession.
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Supporting Your Child’s Interests Is a Good Thing
Today I was having a conversation with my husband, which happened to correspond with something I have been reading in Discover Your Child's Learning Style. I'll talk more about that book (and I'll write a newspaper column about it) once I've finished it, but I wanted to share with you what my husband told me … Continue reading Supporting Your Child’s Interests Is a Good Thing
Mama of Letters 