As most of you know we've set out on the adventure of homeschooling this year. Zach is in Kindergarten and doing extremely well and we're very happy with our choice. Some days it seems overwhelming to me to add one more thing to my days but let me share a little story about why this has been so great and why I think it's a great option if anyone is considering it!
Zach got out some of his word flash cards and wanted to set up a game. I warned him to be careful not to be too hard on Maddie (after all, she's only 3) because sometimes he gets a little impatient with her. Anyway, he took the couch cushions off and put different words on the cushions. Then he instructs Maddie, "Jump to the word 'at', that would be a-t (he spells it for her.) Guess what, she jumped right to it (much to my surprise!) Then at the end of the game, he says, "Now let's do the test", and he says the words but doesn't spell them. She got 4/5 right, then he set it up again and she got 5/5 out of right (different words the 2nd time.) They are being so adorable and having a great time and they're both learning (and I'm not even involved!) That's why I think this is so great, learning is allowed to just happen, it doesn't have to forced or structured all the time. I can already see that Zach will be a great teacher to his sisters as well, making my job even easier.
Zach is already reading quite well, adding and subtracting and I'm also able to let him explore the areas that most interest him such as reading animal magazines. Plus he gets a lot more time to do completely unstructured, imaginative play which I believe is very important to his development. We also have a unique situation here because there is a charter school in Hemet he attends 2 days a week that is for homeschoolers. He has learned all about government and the constitution there and this month they are studying inventors and explorers so he was telling me all about Benjamin Franklin yesterday. He loves school and gets to play on the playground and enjoy other children through that outlet.
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2 comments:
How fun to see the kids learning together!!! You are doing a great job with Zach, Maddie & Cami! I'm proud of you for taking on homeschooling! Keep up the good work!
Wow, I love how you described homeschooling. It is so neat that you've created an environment for learning in your home - and that the kids are learning whether it's school time or not. I agree... imaginative play is a critical part of that process!
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