The Sky's the Limit

It's time for a little look back on our first term of homeschooling. It has definitely had it's ups and downs.

Home based education had always looked very picturesque in my mind's eye. I imagined us transitioning effortlessly from one undercover learning experience to the next, surpassing all expectations. I somehow believed that my child would cooperate in every circumstance, and see the worth in each and every activity presented to him. I may have actually thought that we would never have another argument ever again, because, let's face it - we were about to embark on the most idyllic existence possible.

Okay, I guess I'm prone to delusions. Aren't we all? As it turns out, the home school experience is every bit as rewarding and frustrating as parenting itself. It's that same old paradox. Oh, well. At least we are all making the most of every day and having some pretty amazing adventures as we learn. We've been to the zoo, parks, friends' houses, concerts, science labs, libraries, festivals, basketball, museums...it really has been a busy and exciting month.

We had our first visit by the home school moderator, who asked some questions and made some suggestions. He classed our learning style as 'natural' and 'eclectic'. This sounded just right, and I was glad there were boxes to tick that represented our method. Following a strict curriculum that prohibits us from following our natural motivations does not appeal to me. I have always believed that the deepest learning occurs where internal drive and motivation are at their highest.

Speaking of drive and motivation, we struck pure gold this week. For the past few months, our boys have been absolutely crazy over the game Skylanders (a strange story about many funny creatures who do stuff, have unique powers, and are sold separately, thank you very much). Well, today the 'penny' dropped for master six. He realised a little while ago that Skylanders were available for a price. However, today he made the link between doing jobs, earning money and buying Skylanders. This was a massive win for us all.

This of course, makes way for massive learning opportunities. He now has the internal drive necessary to set goals, contribute to the household, familiarise himself with money, budget and prioritise. As it stands, he chooses to write about Skylanders most days of the week and constantly role plays Skylanders with his little brother. Today we reserved Skylanders chapter books at the local library and he drew Skylanders in art class today. This really is the perfect unit of study for him at this moment in time.

I'm sure as the days and weeks roll by, we will discover new ways that the Skylanders can teach us. For now, I'm so thankful we've gained this momentum. Let's see how long we can ride it for!

Working Undercover

Top-secret task: without detection, create a fun, rich environment where children learn.

Ultimate goal: children develop all kinds of skills for living and learning ... and have heaps of fun with you!

Necessary tools: a keen eye for learning opportunities (they're EVERYWHERE!), patience, spontaneity, creativity and the belief that a child’s mind is a brilliant thing. Of course, it helps to have a hefty supply of quality books, sports equipment, craft supplies, cooking ingredients, tools and toys on hand. There will be cases though, when you don't need a single thing but time.

The cartoon above was created to express an idea: that teaching doesn't need to mean 'sit down, shut up and learn'. There are so many opportunities in day-to-day life for learning. To make our job even easier, children are naturally inquisitive about the world around them. There is little need to formalise things. If I casually mutter to myself ‘c-c-carrots’ while preparing the dinner, sometimes a keen pair of ears will prick up nearby. Later on, if I stop at the fridge door and arrange the fridge magnet letters into the word ‘carrot’, someone just may ask what I'm doing. Then, let the games begin! You’ve laid the clues – let them solve the mysteries, day by day.

Pressuring a child to perform or bombarding them with facts is unlikely to set a positive tone for learning. In fact, it could make a child scream and run in the opposite direction. Stress isn’t conducive to learning and it negatively affects memory. When it boils down to it, if something is not enjoyable, we tend not to want to do it. The less we do it, the less practise we get and the less chances we have to improve. A very simple equation!

This blog is a work-in-progress. I hope this will become a place we can share experiences and support one another as we nurture our children in every way.