This winter I have at times felt that rather than unschooling, which should allow for MANY educational activities, we are just doing nothing, so I was very pleased when Ashlyn started saying she wanted school work to do. I searched and searched and found an online curriculum that is 100% student paced, and asked the girls if they wanted to try it. They couldn't wait. Well, we're on our second week of the program, and Andi is still loving it, but Ashlyn is losing interest rapidly. By Minnesota law, there are subjects that we are required to somehow teach, and I want to make sure we are doing that while still letting them guide their educational path.
I've decided, to help me decide what extra steps we need to take to make our unschooling a success story, rather than a regret, I need a list of what I know IS being taken care of.
Art:
They use water colors, play dough, coloring books, random drawings/paintings, cut and paste things they have drawn/traced and Andi is in ballet and Ashlyn will be in February. Also, they go to art club once a month.
Phy ed:
Dance class (soon for both), gymnastics (soon for both), will be doing more roller skating and bowling, bike riding when the weather is right, sledding, playing simon says etc.
Home-ec:
helping cook, organize, bake cookies/cup cakes etc.
Math:
Kitchen math, counting their money, telling time, sorting silver ware, playing Sorry nearly every night.
Science:
most of this is covered by our dinner and/or car conversations. "how was the moon made, mom?" etc. Also, Andi has now been doing a lot of science on her online program which has covered weather, seasons, natural habitat, basic needs and more. Ashlyn hasn't wanted to do any of those lessons.
Social Studies:
we talk a LOT about everybody being different in religious beliefs, parenting views, educational philosophy, family roles, race etc. Geography so far has been our trips to IL, getting them to understand the difference between the state and the towns we go to, and that our world stretches far beyond just the places we've been. They know who our president is, who the first president was, and what Mount Rushmore is. Andi is VERY interested in George Washington, but they have no interest in learning about other presidents, yet. Not sure I blame them.
Basically, I need some more ideas and helpful tools. Ashlyn is always asking questions about how things came to be, but I have trouble finding evolution books that aren't too detailed/too complicated for her to focus on. Astronomy is the same; very interested, but have trouble finding things on the topic that are interesting enough to hold her attention. Andi is very interested in dinosaurs, but I haven't found any good kindergarten level dinosaur activities yet.
I know things will fall in to place this summer when we are able to take more field trips, and explore nature outside, but I'd love to add some more things for winter, as well.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
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