Not a Manic Monday

While I'm writing a post on Monday, we don't really have 'schooling' and 'non-schooling' days. Everyday is a learning day. It might not look like school learning (in fact it mostly doesn't), but there's always learning. It's probably helpful here to recap our weekend as well as an example...

Workbooks

Funnily enough, workbooks, that look like school, are quite a regular feature of the weekends, or when the kids are at a loose end.  Bearing in mind Keilani (age 6) had never written before now, I've been amazed at her enthusiasm for working her way through these. Our shelf includes some of the Scholastic Books, All I Know It books, and books from the New Zealand curriculum (Start Right), as well as fun 'activity' books.

Akira (age 4) is obsessed with dot-to-dots at the moment and his numeracy is growing everyday. So is his hand-eye co-ordination. Keilani loves the Start Right Homework books and the Social Studies books. She enjoys working on her numeracy when she feels like it.

There is no coercion or set time to work on any of these books (although I might suggest it when I'm trying to make lunch) I bought them in a fit of panic a few weeks into the homeschool journey, when I felt like I needed 'curriculum' and books to 'teach' the children from. I don't follow them in anyway, although they may coincide with a particular 'focus' of the week. I'm consistently in awe of how long the children like to work on them and the amount of interaction that takes place amongst us as they do. There are no ticks or crosses; they're seen as learning tools, not tests or measures, and as long as they're enjoying them, I'm happy for them to use them.

Most of Saturday was workbooking...

Creative Play

Then we built a shop together. This is something Akira saw in a 'making book' and we've been saving our weekly vegetable boxes to be able to put it together. This has provided ongoing fun for the children, from making their own money, working out prices and today announcing that "Monday is quiet day for making things to sell'! (Keilani)

Would you like to buy my blue painting? It's $4.00

Life's Lessons

Sunday we learnt about generosity, compassion and reaching for the stars. My hero MOTH (Man of the House) helped a very sick five year old girl realise a dream. Her dad, a friend of the MOTH's from school asked to see if the flying Kiwi could make her wish to fly like a fairy come true. Pulling a few strings from some generous people, who freely gave their time, equipment and space, our entire family went to watch the magic happen.

Watching a fairy fly... wishes can come true.

Since we had travelled down the coast to Wellington, the MOTH thought a visit to the Carter's Observatory would be worthwhile, with the added bonus of a guide and friend exploring the universe with us. Reach for the stars guys!

And Monday...

We were pretty tired out from Sunday, so it was a quiet morning, finishing off a set of flat travellers bound for Texas. Flat travellers are paper visitors sent to us from other homeschooling families in NZ and worldwide.They stay with us anywhere from a week to a few months and we journal about what we/they do. We hosted two from a Texas and NZ family in February. This month we have a family of 'flats' from France. With all the rain (hey the rain dancing paid off!) we decided it would be a good idea to start working on their journals.

Working on Flat Traveller Journals - that's my one you can see at the front. Lead by example right?

Keilani had a Kiwi themed playdate this afternoon, and before dinner the Kiwis were running about in the 'rockets and space ships' collecting things from the shop!

Days or moments?

It's not my aim to document every minute of every day of our homeschooling journey, perhaps one or two days a week, or maybe a few gem moments that happen. I'd love to learn what you'd like to know more about: days, moments or mad-mama thoughts? Comments always welcome!