The kids and I planted the second half of the garden today. We planted broccoli, kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts, peas, onions, and bok choy. My daughter and I both came in from outside with terrible headaches due to allergies. It was time to get clean and wash away the pollen. After getting the kids clean and dressed, I settled them in with a snack and a video so I could shower. As always, I said to them, "Never open the door when I am not with you. No matter who is there, keep the door closed and locked." "Okay, Mommy." I thought it might be good to check their understanding. "What if it is President Obama at the door? Should you open the door for him?" "Umm.... I think we should." "No, don't open the door for anyone! Not even the president. If you think it is someone I would want to let in, just come and get me." I think we need to review this a few more times!
This conversation made me think. What other things do I need to make sure my kids know and understand? Do they know what to do in an emergency? Do they remember how to call 911? Do they remember what I told them to do if they ever get lost or separated from me? Do they know to tell me right away if anyone ever tries to hurt them? What other things do they need to know?
Do they know how much I love them? That nothing can change that love. Have I taken the time today to remind them how much they are loved? Do they know how much Jesus loves them? Have I taken the time to pray with them and read the Bible to them today? I can't teach them everything, but I better not forget the most important things.
Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
When subjects blend
Recently we were reading about Ancient China and the Yellow River Valley. Which led to re-reading "The Story of Ping" (which takes place on the Yangtze River in China). Which inspired us to attempt to copy the style of the illustrations in the book. History, Literature, and Art flowed seamlessly together.
We ended up with a fun art project that helped us remember the information we were studying.
We ended up with a fun art project that helped us remember the information we were studying.
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| by Anna, age 6 |
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| by Arik, age 4 |
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| I was compelled to test my art skills as well. |
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
My little Nubians
The kids and I have been having so much fun learning at home. We have been studying Ancient History, and recently read a book titled "Ancient Egyptians and Their Neighbors" by Marian Broida. This book includes many creative activities.
Honestly, I am often tempted to turn the activity pages as quickly as I can before the kids have a chance to see the projects and ask to do them. Sometimes it just seems like a whole lot of work. But fairly often, I slow down, stop worrying about the mess involved, and dive into a project with the kids. The results are wonderful and memorable.
Anna and Arik helped sew their very own "Nubian Clothes" from an old sheet that I had on hand. Nubia was a kingdom to the South of Egypt. It was located along the Nile in what is now the Southern portion of Egypt and the Northern part of Sudan.
After sewing their Nubian outfits, they decorated them with puffy paint. And yes, some of that paint is now adding color to our very light tan carpet. But these smiles, and the hours they have spent wearing their costumes around the house and yard, are worth the inconvenience of stained carpet and the time and effort it took me to help them with this project. Maybe those green stains (and the purple, blue, black, and orange ones from previous crafts) are meant to remind me to cherish these times with my kids, to not worry about the mess and just enjoy the moments I have with my sweet treasures.
Honestly, I am often tempted to turn the activity pages as quickly as I can before the kids have a chance to see the projects and ask to do them. Sometimes it just seems like a whole lot of work. But fairly often, I slow down, stop worrying about the mess involved, and dive into a project with the kids. The results are wonderful and memorable.
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| Anna loves to sew and often asks for opportunities to do so. |
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| Arik and Anna both designed and sewed their own hats. |
Anna and Arik helped sew their very own "Nubian Clothes" from an old sheet that I had on hand. Nubia was a kingdom to the South of Egypt. It was located along the Nile in what is now the Southern portion of Egypt and the Northern part of Sudan.
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| They seem to be quite pleased with the end results! |
Monday, August 29, 2011
Language learning
Long before my kids were born, I had plans to teach them more than one language. I mentioned that desire, and how well my initial attempts went, in this post.
So I was off to a later start than I anticipated, but not willing to give up my efforts. I heard from multiple sources that Rosetta Stone was a great program to use for acquiring a second language. Last year I taught my daughter at home, but with assistance from a county funded charter school. The charter school provided us with free access for using Rosetta Stone. I was so excited! And then so disappointed to discover that it didn't fit with my daughter's learning style (at least at this age).
Hmm... what to do? I don't expect my kids to become fluent in another language at this age. But I do want to expose their minds and ears to other languages and make it easier for them to learn when they are old enough to value the benefits of knowing a second (or third, or fourth...) language.
Then it dawned on me. I taught my kids how to speak English! I didn't purchase an expensive curriculum to assist in my efforts. They speak English very fluently (in fact they rarely stop using their language skills). In just a few short years, they have been quite successful at largely mastering English. So what did I do? I talked to my kids, I played with them, and I read books to them. They still like it when I talk to them, play with them, and read to them. Can I teach them Spanish in much the same way?
I'll give it a try! I took about 3 years of Spanish in high school and college. My knowledge base and pronunciation of the language leave a little (well quite a bit) to be desired. We purchased a children's Spanish dictionary. Other than that we have been relying on the library to aid in our learning journey. We have been checking out duplicate copies of children's picture books, one in Spanish and one in English, and reading them side by side. I have found books by Eric Carle to be especially useful for this. His books have fun illustrations, a fairly simple storyline, and lots of repetition. We've also been borrowing CDs in Spanish, both stories and music. I figure that will help us with pronunciation, even if we are not able to understand all that we hear.
We have been playing games to help the kids remember what they are learning. For example, when learning colors, the kids ran to an object that was the color I said. I have also been trying to mix some Spanish words into my everyday conversations with the kids. "Can you please bring me the shirt de rojo?" So far everyone is having fun learning a new language!
So I was off to a later start than I anticipated, but not willing to give up my efforts. I heard from multiple sources that Rosetta Stone was a great program to use for acquiring a second language. Last year I taught my daughter at home, but with assistance from a county funded charter school. The charter school provided us with free access for using Rosetta Stone. I was so excited! And then so disappointed to discover that it didn't fit with my daughter's learning style (at least at this age).
Hmm... what to do? I don't expect my kids to become fluent in another language at this age. But I do want to expose their minds and ears to other languages and make it easier for them to learn when they are old enough to value the benefits of knowing a second (or third, or fourth...) language.
Then it dawned on me. I taught my kids how to speak English! I didn't purchase an expensive curriculum to assist in my efforts. They speak English very fluently (in fact they rarely stop using their language skills). In just a few short years, they have been quite successful at largely mastering English. So what did I do? I talked to my kids, I played with them, and I read books to them. They still like it when I talk to them, play with them, and read to them. Can I teach them Spanish in much the same way?
I'll give it a try! I took about 3 years of Spanish in high school and college. My knowledge base and pronunciation of the language leave a little (well quite a bit) to be desired. We purchased a children's Spanish dictionary. Other than that we have been relying on the library to aid in our learning journey. We have been checking out duplicate copies of children's picture books, one in Spanish and one in English, and reading them side by side. I have found books by Eric Carle to be especially useful for this. His books have fun illustrations, a fairly simple storyline, and lots of repetition. We've also been borrowing CDs in Spanish, both stories and music. I figure that will help us with pronunciation, even if we are not able to understand all that we hear.
We have been playing games to help the kids remember what they are learning. For example, when learning colors, the kids ran to an object that was the color I said. I have also been trying to mix some Spanish words into my everyday conversations with the kids. "Can you please bring me the shirt de rojo?" So far everyone is having fun learning a new language!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Summer school?
The school year officially ended for us near the beginning of June. But learning is not just a school thing, it is a lifestyle. Or at least it can be. I hope I pass that attitude on to my kids. I use very few rewards for their academic pursuits and accomplishments. Affirmation and praise? Yes! Time to relax and play after the work is done? Absolutely. A prize box or treats? Not so much. Learning is the reward!
The results? "Mom, can we do math today? Can we have a whole day of school, please!?" Who can say no to such a request? I'm not really prepared, haven't planned anything, but I pull out some books and the kids learn. And they have fun!
I figure I better do a little planning. During the school year, we tend to focus on what big sister is learning. Little brother tags along and picks up on all the science and history, but he can't keep up with all the math that Anna can do and especially not with the reading and writing. Now is a good time to tailor the learning to him and make it fun for her, too.
Arik is reviewing letter sounds. He is practicing saying the sound of each letter, tracing the letters, and recognizing upper and lower case letters. Dried beans, glue, and shaving cream turned these tasks into bunches of fun. I traced sentences into the shaving cream for Anna to read to me. (Thank you to my friend Stacie for these ideas!) You can check out other activities she writes about at http://learningtimewithmom.blogspot.com/
The results? "Mom, can we do math today? Can we have a whole day of school, please!?" Who can say no to such a request? I'm not really prepared, haven't planned anything, but I pull out some books and the kids learn. And they have fun!
I figure I better do a little planning. During the school year, we tend to focus on what big sister is learning. Little brother tags along and picks up on all the science and history, but he can't keep up with all the math that Anna can do and especially not with the reading and writing. Now is a good time to tailor the learning to him and make it fun for her, too.
Arik is reviewing letter sounds. He is practicing saying the sound of each letter, tracing the letters, and recognizing upper and lower case letters. Dried beans, glue, and shaving cream turned these tasks into bunches of fun. I traced sentences into the shaving cream for Anna to read to me. (Thank you to my friend Stacie for these ideas!) You can check out other activities she writes about at http://learningtimewithmom.blogspot.com/
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Keeping up with the Joneses
Today I was thinking about the phrase "keeping up with the Joneses." I am not at all interested in keeping up with the Joneses. I don't worry about social status, material wealth, whether or not I'm wearing the right clothes or driving the right car. These things just aren't important in life. But today I realized that I do worry about "keeping up with the Einsteins" so to speak. Not for myself exactly (my days of academic excellence are in the past!), but where my kids are concerned I tend to focus on their academic pursuits and successes. Gaining knowledge, gaining skills, how they compare to others their age...
These things are important in life to some extent. The knowledge and skills that is, not the comparisons to others! We can use our education and skills to help make our world a better place. But I need to be careful not to focus on the acquisition of knowledge. My kids and I don't need to keep up with the Joneses or the Einsteins of this world. We just need to run after Jesus and do our best to keep up with Him!
These things are important in life to some extent. The knowledge and skills that is, not the comparisons to others! We can use our education and skills to help make our world a better place. But I need to be careful not to focus on the acquisition of knowledge. My kids and I don't need to keep up with the Joneses or the Einsteins of this world. We just need to run after Jesus and do our best to keep up with Him!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Lessons from Pooh
An excerpt from The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne, Chapter 6:
... (Pooh) tripped over something, and the fir-cone jerked out of his paw into the river. "Bother," said Pooh, as it floated slowly under the bridge, and he went to get another fir-cone which had a rhyme to it. But then he thought that he would just look at the river instead, because it was a peaceful sort of day, so he lay down and looked at it, and it slipped slowly away beneath him... and suddenly, there was his fir-cone slipping away too.
"That's funny," said Pooh. "I dropped it on the other side," said Pooh, "and it came out on this side! I wonder if it would do it again?" And he went back for some more fir-cones. It did. It kept on doing it. Then he dropped two in at once, and leant over the bridge to see which of them would come out first; and one of them did; but as they were both the same size, he didn't know if it was the one which he wanted to win, or the other one. So the next time he dropped one big one and one little one...
And that was the beginning of the game called Poohsticks, which Pooh invented, and which he and his friends used to play...
Lessons to be learned:
1. Read the original Winnie the Pooh Books and poetry by A.A. Milne. It is great! Read it to your kids, too. Read lots of great classic literature!
2. Spend time enjoying nature.
3. Experiment and let your creativity flow. This is how we learn and grow and is especially important for kids. Unstructured, relaxed time is so beneficial.
4. Spend time playing with your friends!
5. When frustrating things happen, just say "Bother!" and move on.
I'm probably missing some great lessons that can be pulled from this. These are just a few that stood out to me. My daughter just turned 5 and for the past year or so we have been reading many great chapter books for kids. At first I was surprised by how long she was able to listen and how well she was able to narrate the story back to me. Sometimes she was wiggly, sometimes she colored or cut paper while I read, but those things seem to aid in concentration for young kids rather than distract. I was also surprised by how much I've enjoyed reading these books with her! We've had lots of fun laughing together and we've learned together as well.
Some of our favorites:
1. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (we also enjoyed Trumpet of the Swan and Stuart Little)
2. Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
3. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books by Betty MacDonald (I edited the content a little as I read them, also if you have kids who like to try everything they hear you may want to avoid these!)
4. Casey the Utterly Impossible Horse by Anita Feagles
This is just a brief list. I'm sure I've forgotten some! And these are just the "chapter books." We've had so much fun with picture books, too. That list might show up in another post.
... (Pooh) tripped over something, and the fir-cone jerked out of his paw into the river. "Bother," said Pooh, as it floated slowly under the bridge, and he went to get another fir-cone which had a rhyme to it. But then he thought that he would just look at the river instead, because it was a peaceful sort of day, so he lay down and looked at it, and it slipped slowly away beneath him... and suddenly, there was his fir-cone slipping away too.
"That's funny," said Pooh. "I dropped it on the other side," said Pooh, "and it came out on this side! I wonder if it would do it again?" And he went back for some more fir-cones. It did. It kept on doing it. Then he dropped two in at once, and leant over the bridge to see which of them would come out first; and one of them did; but as they were both the same size, he didn't know if it was the one which he wanted to win, or the other one. So the next time he dropped one big one and one little one...
And that was the beginning of the game called Poohsticks, which Pooh invented, and which he and his friends used to play...
Lessons to be learned:
1. Read the original Winnie the Pooh Books and poetry by A.A. Milne. It is great! Read it to your kids, too. Read lots of great classic literature!
2. Spend time enjoying nature.
3. Experiment and let your creativity flow. This is how we learn and grow and is especially important for kids. Unstructured, relaxed time is so beneficial.
4. Spend time playing with your friends!
5. When frustrating things happen, just say "Bother!" and move on.
I'm probably missing some great lessons that can be pulled from this. These are just a few that stood out to me. My daughter just turned 5 and for the past year or so we have been reading many great chapter books for kids. At first I was surprised by how long she was able to listen and how well she was able to narrate the story back to me. Sometimes she was wiggly, sometimes she colored or cut paper while I read, but those things seem to aid in concentration for young kids rather than distract. I was also surprised by how much I've enjoyed reading these books with her! We've had lots of fun laughing together and we've learned together as well.
Some of our favorites:
1. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (we also enjoyed Trumpet of the Swan and Stuart Little)
2. Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
3. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books by Betty MacDonald (I edited the content a little as I read them, also if you have kids who like to try everything they hear you may want to avoid these!)
4. Casey the Utterly Impossible Horse by Anita Feagles
This is just a brief list. I'm sure I've forgotten some! And these are just the "chapter books." We've had so much fun with picture books, too. That list might show up in another post.
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