i had a sudden argh moment when I felt somewhere in my solar plexus that if we were living a different life, I would have done a school run today for SB. made me jittery enough to suggest to her she do some explode the code. Luckilly, for my resolve, she refused! We are, in part, home educating because we think that formal schooling starts way to early, and here was I nearly school at homing! In part, I think, cos the blogs are full of families with children of SB age, but also older sibs, and I read these and feel inadequate [but only occassionally] because of the wealth of ‘work’ they are getting through. Standing back, I think SB is getting all the encouragement she needs at the mo, though I think I would prob like to be getting used to some element of structure ‘normals’ as Merry calls them.
I also really like the sound of sonlight curriculum. The books I have from sonlight I really like [and yes Kris, I am a watcher/bidder!!]. I’m reasonably sure I would enjoy doing it. I’m not sure about using it at the moment, as too much structure – though may grab an opportunity to look at someones instructor guide. I may do it later though – partic the later world history ones. i am not religious though, and would immediately have to give away loads of the books, so am unlikely to ever buy in in totality. So here I am, a natural list-maker, orgoplanner and structurer, who nevertheless feels a child led semi-autonomous [mostly autonomous in fact] approach is best. No wonder I have turmoil and conflict! luckilly, SB rather good at autonomous ed!
Actually Merry, our veg plot needs a good digging over, I offer it up for buried finds!!! [on subject of others blogs]
Well, we got up nice and early – which unfortunately always makes the day better, no no excuse for lying in bed! I took the breakfast opportunity of writing letters to Uncle Robert and Little Nanny, and found them hard. Although I thought I had prepared well for this one, I have found today my thoughts are centred around my loss of Aunty Peggy. Consequently, I just wasn’t up for any socialising, so we made our excuses for the iceskating trip. SB drew some pictures and coloured them in to include with the letters.
SB still very fond of patterning – and today we used the coloured Jenga-alike blocks. We did start off playing the game, but TBH, she hasn’t got the co-ordination as yet. She then built patterns, shapes and moved onto ships and a roman fort! She had quite a story for the fort, and was very proud of it. the barbarians [BB] did manage to destroy it though. Chris has a tangram set somewhere, but who knows where, that I think SB would enjoy.
We did quite a bit of rummy style happy families [as with 2, you can't play the game otherwise]. She’s got the hang of my made up rules, but still tries to help me, so we will work on strategy!! Good at pattern matching, sorting and early strategy. [ie, 1 of these already in bottom of pile, so not a good one to collect - type thing]
We read some books – I love the DK street through time one. Usually we romp through, but were reading slowly and looking carefully, trying to imagine what might of happened, and how much of a shock roman culture must have been, what could you do about viking raiders etc. We only got to mediaeval and stopped there, as we had been concentrating for so long. Maps and globes are being interesting again, so actualy finding geography easy to cover.
After lunch we made biscuits and then iced them – so a rather yummy activity. SB getting more careful with measuring. Chris and I agreed we’ed be better off with different scales though, then perhaps she could be independent with measuring.
What else? A convoluted game with the phonics cards. she was a diver, diving into the ocean to bring them back from the deep [aka rug] for us to read. i got to be the learner for the blue ones, and her the red.
A mammoth legoing game – I built her a pyramid, but it wasn’t very practical for sleeping in, so converted to a tent.
yummy tea from chris!
Now its getting colder, we are in full jumpers mode, as this months bank balance is not healthy enough for heating unless it snows. Luckilly jumpers are all that is needed – I will put heating on for you Jax, don’t worry!! [your room hottest in house anyway]
Anyway, although we did no explode the code, or formal maths, we covered various concepts through play – equal sides for pyramid, SB’s roman fort [made with jenga blocks], squares, kites and diamonds. So waht was my panic all about then!!!! I don’t even think today was particularly full-on.
BB and SB played together intermittantly, and SB getting more tolerant [though ot really very] to BB’s new mobility and ability to puffle everything up. i am encouraging SB with playing peekaboo and hidden things under cups, and insisting on me having some one 2 one time playing with BB [if only short] where she has to do something else, or join in on BB level. Not entirely succesful, but trying to gently instill a sense that BB doesn’t only get attention when she is feeding – especially now she does that far less. that SB has her one 2 one time when BB asleep, and that is when the Mummy only with me activities are best – like cooking!!! BB is a happy and tolerant wee thing though, and does quite happily bumble about. I just want to make sure that i don’t rely on this, and give her too little attention. today she was giggling like mad with horsey horsey, chip chop cherry tree, raspberries and just liked being walked about. Peekaboo is a favourite too. putting BB into a cardie that my late cousin Anne knitted for SB gave me pause for thought too.
Flickr will follow! oh and mmmmm seed catalogues
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We try not to have the heating on till the clocks go back at the end of October – AND we’re 500 miles north. Stern stuff up here
I about melt in the youth hostel.
I will have you as a role model then. mind you, with a glass of red win inside me, I am now pleasantly warm anyway!
Our heating is just set to come on when temperature dips under a particular level – was quite surprised to discover the radiator in the bathroom hot to touch the other day.
Works quite well that way, all the radiators are thermostatically controlled, bedrooms are cooler than living room, house is pleasant rather than stifling.
Oh, and don’t worry, we have jumpers! Don’t put the heating on on our account.
well, our last house was brill for that, as we designed nd built the system. this is somewhat more temperamental, and designed by a plumber who wanted to make it diy tamper proof in its complexity. is on our 2 do list!
re Sonlight… it is as structured or unstructured as you want it to be really. We liked all the books so we got the lot but you can pick and choose and get a lot of it off Ebay so you wouldn’t need to buy the religious element if you didn’t want. You are welcome to treck North and look through our IGs if you want.
re scales, we love ours – proper balance scales! Big plastic buckets that go through the dishwasher and lots of weights (that she does need a bit of help with to be fair but once they are in the pan she is away.
I have the same conflict of formal -v- unstructured learning … pressure to be formal keeps rearing up and I have to tell it to shut up!
Well, if you are comparing “amounts of work” to my lot, don’t forget that a) my big two are both bigger than SB and that b) i barely get Maddy to do anything and you do FAR more real stuff with SB than she gets and c) its taken me a year to work up to this!
Merry, partly to you, as I see more of you, but actually its Jan’s blog that scares the b’jeezus – and your’s Katy!!!
your blog scares me Helen
Does mine scare anyone?? Nah didn’t think so!! I accidentally bought Kris’s Sonlight stuff today from her. Well most of it. Will let you know what I think of it once I get a good chance to look at it all.
I can bring my igs along to mudpud if you are coming on friday. we are doing K but have dropped the religious side of things.
erm, Helen…. we don’t do *that* much really!!!! Nothing like the kind of stuff you do anyway (see? your blog makes me panic some days…) Actually some days EVERYONE’S blog scares me!!!!! I just blog every last detail cos that way I can rattle it all off for mum and dad to show how hard I work
Helen, If you are coming down for Nic’s bash you can look at my instructor guide although I don’t use it v much. Everyone’s blog scares me but I’m sort of happy where we are with an odd mixture of all sorts of stuff.
lots of offers. yes. i would love to look at instructors guides.
well i am mostly happy with what we are doing.
BB is a happy and tolerant wee thing though
oooh Helen and she looks such a cutey in that hooded cardigan
Tell SB Naomi says hello
um, she’s scared of how much other people do, and then *how* much does she list that she’s done today???
As for structure, what exactly does that mean anyway? I actually think that anyone whose ed phil includes even the most basic idea of areas they want to explore or ways they hope to explore them, has a form of structure of sorts.
I see Sonlight as really no more structure than having a bookshelf full of books that I’d like to read. Well isn’t that what most people have anyway? All the ‘structure’ to our week that I’ve started to introduce is nothing to do with Sonlight really- it’s just a way of organising the week so that I don’t get to the end feeling that we’ve achieved nothing, and wishing we’d made use of this time better or missed that opportunity.
“um, she?s scared of how much other people do, and then *how* much does she list that she?s done today???”
Quite, Barbara!!! Your blog scares me sometimes, Helen – when I think Joe is similar age to SB, you do far more with SB as your eldest than I do with Joe as my youngest, iyswim! He just pootles along with the stuff we do together mainly going right over his head!
Helen’s blogs scare me sometimes…….
Helen, your blogs are definitely scary! You do tons more with SB than I do with Tamsin.