tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74417254371340573212024-02-18T19:17:10.789-08:00What Homeschooling BookHomeschooling * Writing * Self Sufficiency * ParenthoodCynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-65128462526968739202017-06-03T22:45:00.001-07:002017-06-04T00:01:40.684-07:00Science<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hi Everyone,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In this post I will address how we cover Science in our learning these days. Our approach has remained fairly steady since I <a href="http://whathomeschoolingbook.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/science.html">wrote about science a few years ago</a>. We are still utilizing the <a href="https://doublehelixshop.csiro.au/">CSIRO Double Helix</a> magazines as a springboard for musing and discussions. These magazines are relevant, current, and have regular competitions, activities, world news, question and answer sections, and interesting articles. At about $40 annually for a bi-monthly publication delivered to your home, we find it a worthwhile expense.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZd_j4kthetl0ps6ZzLkcjGkETeCGz7QnPlToVD-hPQHpGISuIHrbFCKZf9VHSZ-lUYmFEPG7_xPRDhGDo-_rVwCg080cZ9VLKEXv5n4MtjJDnqDSMglCT1Qg1RlSiWvMmsYWqoNTkms/s1600/Double+Helix+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1141" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZd_j4kthetl0ps6ZzLkcjGkETeCGz7QnPlToVD-hPQHpGISuIHrbFCKZf9VHSZ-lUYmFEPG7_xPRDhGDo-_rVwCg080cZ9VLKEXv5n4MtjJDnqDSMglCT1Qg1RlSiWvMmsYWqoNTkms/s200/Double+Helix+16.jpg" width="142" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In addition to the Double Helix there are a myriad of science programs and centres running throughout Australia, often through universities, if you google you will probably find a club near(ish) you, particularly if you live in an urban area, and they are usually very happy to include homeschoolers individually or as a group. Cost is generally an annual subscription, and then a minimal charge per hands on activity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In South Australia we have<a href="http://www.sciences.adelaide.edu.au/bright-sparks/"> Bright Sparks</a>, run through the Adelaide University, and most capital cities have an equivalent. Bright Sparks meet up every couple of weeks minimum and deal with chemistry, biology and general science in a hands on, engaging way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In conjunction with Double Helix, Jay and Freida do <a href="http://foundation.stemsel.com/stemsel_world.php">Stemsel</a> science classes. Stemsel stands for Science Technology Engineering Mathematics Social Enterprise Learning. Fundamentally established as a charitable organisation to enable people to become more employable all over the world and consequently <i>make a difference</i>, Stemsel now educates many children around the world in practical and thinking skills, for a relatively low cost to the pupils. I love this philosophy, but really my kids just love the hands on, respectful teaching style of their Stemsel teacher. There are cool things that are taught across the board, for example the children programmed and mounted a light sequencing board and fridge alarm (see illustration) which was the first formal teaching experience Freida has had of engineering, and she loved it. I think it gave her a different perception of her abilities and challenges stereotypes/preconceptions around what girls are capable of in a scientific environment.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fridge alarm design and computer program</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If we are looking for a bit of extra guidance, we have the <a href="https://www.ricgroup.com.au/product/australian-curriculum-science/">R.I.C. Publications Australian Curriculum Science</a> books to use as a resource. These books suggest various activities/experiments, discussions and offer condensed text on relevant topics which I use to quickly and effectively introduce a concept which we then discuss and address depending on learning styles, and our mood on the day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For example, we recently looked at the structure and adaptablity of plants to region/usage and human requirements. This led to a recommendation to watch a <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1913579.htm">Catalyst</a> episode on GM in wheat and springboarded into a valuable discussion on the ethics of genetically modified food, the meat industry, seed producers, chemicals etc. I do not follow the lessons exactly but we loosely follow the topics through in the order presented in the book.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our worm farm template from <a href="http://wormsloos.com.au/">Adobe Worm Loos</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As well as these activities, the kids will often cook, garden and build (chemistry, physics, biology) as well as dragging out kitchen ingredients to make some wild combination of stuff to just see what happens, which is cool too. Scouts and a generally active lifestyle teach a lot of physics: how to capsize a boat and right it, how to balance on a rope ladder across a river; hiking and camping teach biology/food and nutrition, sustainability etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A lot of this incidental learning is cross-curriculum (meaning it will cover several learning areas at once)... real life does that beautifully :)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A moment of quiet contemplation in the middle of a biology lesson</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On top of the world</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Talk Soon, Cynthia x</span><br />
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Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-38919352262502776362017-05-31T00:51:00.002-07:002017-06-04T00:03:15.194-07:00Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> Hi Everyone,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Humanities and Social Sciences is, to me, one of the easiest Learning Areas to incorporate into our daily lives. The nature of homeschooling encourages lots of discussion, learning about and getting out into the world around us. Since the children were quite young they have enjoyed learning about history and the world around us. The Education Department formula for this topic has </span><a href="http://whathomeschoolingbook.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/society-and-environment.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">changed in shape</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> a little but remains relatively stable in that it deals with people, places and things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> For a few years now we have used the </span><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -18pt;"><a href="http://www.susanwisebauer.com/books/the-story-of-the-world/"> </a></span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><a href="http://www.susanwisebauer.com/books/the-story-of-the-world/" style="font-style: italic;">Story of the World</a><i> </i>program as a resource. SOTW is written by Susan Wise Bauer in the <a href="http://whathomeschoolingbook.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/classical-learningwhat-it-means.html">Classical Education </a> style. The following brief account of Classical Education will give a sense of the SOTW program. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"> The Classical Style of education as the name suggests means learning as the Ancient Greeks did, based on the Trivium model of learning. The Trivium consists of three basic stages in learning.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"> The first stage is called the <i>Grammar </i>stage because it's laying the foundations for middle and later schooling. This is done through the learning of facts (phonetic rules, poems, stories, the basics of foreign languages, birds, animals, people etc). This is not seen to be a particularly self expressive age and occurs between around 5-9 years of age. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"> The second stage is the <i>Logic </i>stage because by now most children are ready to ask analytical questions about <i>why</i> things are the way they are, rather than just accepting the facts that are presented to them. This is seen as a time when children can use their faculty of logic to critique and evaluate text, look at reasons behind major historical events, utilize algebraic reasoning and learn the logic of scientific methods. The logic stage encompasses the ages when children begin to think abstractly, so often suits children between the ages of about 10-14 years of age.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"> The final stage for a Classical Education is called the <i>Rhetoric </i>stage, and builds on the first two stages. By the Rhetoric stage, the student is thinking and expressing themselves with originality and self assurance. At this time, students begin specialising in what they feel is their preferred direction. This may take the form of specific camps, workshops, study trips, whatever suits the individual learner. This stage usually begins at around 15 years of age until the completion of secondary schooling.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"> <b>Reference Susan Wise Bauer: <i><a href="https://welltrainedmind.com/a/classical-education/">What is Classical Education?</a></i></b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><b> </b>The SOTW books are presented in a narrative style, much like a story book of history with the facts straight. We often sit around the lounge and I will read the narrative while Jay and Freida draw, do craft or some other relaxing passtime. They will ask a question or comment if something pops into their head. We all love this time and value the process of hanging out as much as anything. There is a companion book of advanced map work, relevant craft/cooking activities and an extended book list as well as stencils which can be scanned for project type activities if you wish. You can really just adjust the material to suit your family, your kids learning styles and abilities. Jay and Freida will often draw a picture related to the story on poster board and write a short response to the story, and on other days they love the map work, it all depends on where we're at.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9RdWbbzXbtAP68sYsoQUF0WNpIdlumDXdXeU2jadw067Oz7NSP4x6HzJaGl0df3D0xmtYMF0Rw_WLFbJ_TsbpakTGzpq3Rj1qbZ9jY3TIXWQBYqaCqGgzxb_RImEu21FN1SR273gXy8/s1600/158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9RdWbbzXbtAP68sYsoQUF0WNpIdlumDXdXeU2jadw067Oz7NSP4x6HzJaGl0df3D0xmtYMF0Rw_WLFbJ_TsbpakTGzpq3Rj1qbZ9jY3TIXWQBYqaCqGgzxb_RImEu21FN1SR273gXy8/s320/158.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scout Gliding Camp</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"> Another major facet of Jay and Freida's HASS curriculum is <a href="http://www.scouts.com.au/">Scouts</a>. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"> Jay started Joey </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 21.4667px;">Sea Scouts <a href="http://whathomeschoolingbook.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/egyptian-celebration.html">about six years ago</a>, and Freida a couple of years later, and I can honestly say it has been one of the most enriching communities our children have encountered to this point. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">The Scout Creed:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"> '<i>Yesterday's Values, Today's Adventures, Tomorrow's Leaders'</i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">really says it all. The kids have learned respect, community responsibility and discipline while having a blast camping, boating, hiking and playing games at an affordable price....not much to not recommend it really.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> Having said all this, we have been very fortunate to have kind, intelligent Scout leaders, but this really does seem the norm. The kids are required to wear a uniform which may not suit some people but my kids don't have an issue with this, they actually seem to enjoy it as they don't have to wear a uniform any other time. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A busy bee in our garden</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> In addition to this we attend cultural festivals and education days, the children contribute to a charity of their choosing (from their pocket money), and care for their own animals. We grow and actively use vegetables from our garden in cooking. We compost and keep a worm farm. We actively look at waste and how to limit it at home and in the wider environment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">This everyday unstructured learning and responsibility for self, others and the environment is essential to grow compassionate, kind, well balanced adults, in my opinion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> Talk soon, Cynthia x</span><br />
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Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-89908339056586939872017-05-29T04:05:00.003-07:002017-06-03T23:42:28.809-07:00The Australian National Curriculum <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-dVnBGpyEedqWm5lkucTM4qsSLMTyZlXn3sqeS1X0O4qP_rGjmvJbJbjpHX4H2Z2VHXgeTqrvO5h34TpkhN8UVYh5HpOZulrKOwaq-fDE33X-PWtFk8qpT9Yc2lVbhB5tAcpEwNbg9I/s1600/kids-playing-together.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="464" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-dVnBGpyEedqWm5lkucTM4qsSLMTyZlXn3sqeS1X0O4qP_rGjmvJbJbjpHX4H2Z2VHXgeTqrvO5h34TpkhN8UVYh5HpOZulrKOwaq-fDE33X-PWtFk8qpT9Yc2lVbhB5tAcpEwNbg9I/s320/kids-playing-together.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Hi Everyone,<br />
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Okay, today I will give a summary of my take on the <i><a href="http://www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/learning-areas-subjects">Australian Curriculum</a></i> in 2017. Apparently there is a revised version 8 (rather than 7) but as far as I can see it hasn't changed in any way to affect homeschooling, especially the F-10 age group. I have linked the underlined text above for you to check out the overview yourself, and I have given a brief account of my experience with the new(ish) curriculum below.<br />
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Fundamentally the learning areas have changed a little in name with the switch from the <i>South Australian Curriculum Framework</i>, but the basic premises are the same. <br />
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<i>English</i> is still <b>English</b><i> </i>and remains fundamentally unchanged in its drive for literacy and expression through the written word, usually addressing phonics in the early years and graduating to understanding text/meaning at a deeper level later on. One change I did notice is that the curriculum now makes mention of facilitating the acquisition of English for Indigenous or new Australians under the heading <i>English as an Additional Language or Dialect.</i><br />
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<i>Mathematics</i> is still <b>Mathematics</b> and pretty much remains unchanged from the South Australian Curriculum, but outcomes/expectations have been slightly altered for continuity across all states of Australia.<br />
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<i>Art</i> is now <b>The Arts</b>, as always encompassing Dance, Drama, Media Arts, Music and Visual Arts.<br />
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<i>Languages Other than English (LOTE) </i>is now simply <b>Languages</b> and encompasses a choice of 16 different languages including Auslan and Classical Languages in conjunction to a set of approved international languages.<br />
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<i>Design and Technology</i> is now <b>Technologies</b> and use the terminology <i>Design and Technologies</i> and <i>Digital Technologies </i>as it's subheadings which is pretty self explanatory, I think.<br />
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<i>Society and Environment (SOSE)</i> is now <b>Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) </b>and encompasses <i>Geography, History, self concept </i>etc in the lower grades and moves into <i>Civics and Citizenship</i> and <i>Economics and Business</i> in the higher year levels.<br />
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<b>Health and Physical Education</b> remains unchanged in that it deals with health, self care and body awareness and positive social awareness.<br />
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As a longtime homeschooling parent, I have generally remained consistent in my expectations of our children and our style of learning. I do read basic documents related to curriculum as changes are made and I find this keeps me on track and reminds me what's going on in education and the world in general. I believe that an open attitude is a healthy attitude as a learning facilitator and parent.<br />
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I ignore recommendations relating to assessment and testing as I don't see this as a necessary aspect of a positive education, and generally as homeschoolers we have the option to delve as deeply or loosely into a curriculum area as we feel comfortable. I do not personally feel disempowered by loosely adhering to a prescribed education framework and have never encountered negativity from reviewers sent to monitor our homeschooling setup. I know the review process is troublesome for some families, whether in practice or philosophically, but I honestly haven't found this to be the case for us or anyone we know to this point, touch wood :)<br />
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I make minor title adjustments such as those pointed out above but basically curriculum areas remain pretty stable over time as does my approach. I tend to program retrospectively, fitting what we've done into a learning area, not vice verse and this allows a certain freedom of style a heavy pre-planned curriculum doesn't. We do tend to work quite traditionally in English and Maths as the children enjoy this but supplement book work with lots of hands on activities which all fits nicely into any curriculum, I find.<br />
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Apologies for publishing this article out of sync I will return to writing curriculum areas in my next post.<br />
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Talk Soon, Cynthia xCynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-30187953230807062642017-05-29T02:42:00.003-07:002017-06-04T00:07:33.639-07:00Mathematics<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hi Everyone,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In this post I will talk about our approach to mathematics over the last couple of years. When the <a href="http://whathomeschoolingbook.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/mathematics_09.html">kids were younger</a> we had an approach that looked a bit different to how we do maths now so I will talk you through the changes we've made. We are still using a lot of concrete learning experiences and books to supplement, but the children have adopted workbooks for mathematics and English as mentioned in previous posts. </span><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">·</span><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">The children are still cooking and making and measuring and <i>walking and talking</i> maths on a daily basis as natural learners buzzing along with the business of concrete learning. Jay is doing chess club and both kids regularly play chess and learn an instrument which I hear strengthens the maths (left) side of the brain. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Both kids regularly play games such as </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.richdad.com/apps-games/cashflow-boardgame">Cashflow</a>, <a href="https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/00009.pdf">Monopoly</a>, <a href="http://www.kmart.com.au/product/yahtzee/101072">Yahtzee</a> and various card games which the children have been doing for years. I feel these games develop their counting, thinking and strategic skills as well as learning how to handle money/choices wisely and with compassion for other players in the game and consequently in life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> The children are now working through the </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><a href="http://www.pascalpress.com.au/targeting-maths-ac-edition/">Targeting Maths</a></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Workbooks</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">This is an Australian Curriculum based series that provides a comprehensive mathematics program for </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">roughly six/seven</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> year olds to teen age learners. Topics covered are fairly well explained but I find I have to give some additional support for concepts, perhaps that's a maths thing. Illustrations are quite colourful and most concepts are well covered. As with the English workbooks, topics are broken up into roughly week size blocks, which we do at our own pace and generally end up completing a book a year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> The cross curriculum nature of so much of our learning means that many activities and resources we use for Science, The Arts, Technologies, Health and Physical Education, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">English, Humanities and Social Sciences,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> and Languages are inevitably linked to Mathematics, and to one another. Because this is such an important aspect of natural learning, I will give a brief nod to point this out as we come across it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> Talk Soon, Cynthia x</span></div>
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<br />Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-26974441192313364872017-05-28T23:00:00.001-07:002017-06-03T23:46:57.339-07:00 ENGLISH<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hi Everyone, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In this post I will be looking at our English curriculum these days.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://whathomeschoolingbook.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/english.html">At a younger age</a>, Jay and Freida were fulfilling their language and literacy needs primarily through sharing story books, dramatic play and discussions. We now do a variety of activities for English, such as going to plays and reading the accompanying texts on a fairly regular basis (mainly <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58058.Macbeth">Shakespeare for Kids</a></i> which makes storylines accessible before introducing tricky Shakespearean language). The kids also attend wonderful homeschool drama classes as well as the <a href="http://www.helenogrady.com.au/">Helen O'Grady Drama Academy</a>. We find the balance between the individualised, wholistic nature of the homeschool drama classes and the more formalised approach of Helen O'Grady appeals to our children. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To supplement the regular activities the children do we use <a href="http://www.teachers4teachers.com.au/spelling-conventions/">Spelling Conventions</a>, an Australian Syllabus based series for younger children to approximately teen age. Written by Harry and Lauren O'Brien, these books are broken into about 35 units, so last approximately a year if your kids do one unit a week. We alter the amount we do quite a bit, depending on how much the kids feel like doing (sometimes twice that amount, sometimes half) and how busy we are doing other stuff. On average my kids tend to finish around one book a year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An average unit is broken up into three word lists (there is also a <i>my words</i> list that we never use). These lists are (1) a phonics focus (ie <i>oo</i> sounds or <i>oi </i>sounds) (2) basic list of high frequency words (ie commonly used words) and (3) difficult words. Then there are exercises for using the words in context, punctuation, secret word codes, sign language words (Auslan), grammar, dictionary definitions for words, etc. As I said in a previous post, my kids love these books and bright illustrations make them a bit interesting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We attend a homeschool bookclub, play a lot of board games such as Scattegories, </span><a href="http://www.fishpond.com.au/Toys/Rorys-Story-Cube-Complete-Set-Original-Actions-Voyages-Gamewright/0791090647779?utm_source=googleps&utm_medium=ps&utm_campaign=AU&gclid=CPTqpczphdQCFRkFKgodH60AMA" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Story Cubes</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, and </span><a href="http://www.angusrobertson.com.au/books/the-art-of-childrens-conversation-keith-lamb-louise-howland/p/9780980345537?gclid=CKfw7OjphdQCFYSUvQodL0YKrg" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Conversation Cards</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> . All of these things are wonderful resources and literacy prompts, but I still firmly believe that sitting down and listening to your child, talking about things that matter to them and connecting to them on their level, while encouraging them to actively listen to others is the single most important learning lesson you can impart to your child for school and for life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Talk soon, Cynthia x</span><br />
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<br />Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-11342666021642847782017-05-23T04:45:00.003-07:002017-06-04T15:52:30.431-07:00Our Learning Approach Now<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hi Everyone,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been having a look at past posts of this blog and thought it was time I shared how we are covering the Curriculum Learning Areas these days. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The way the kids are learning has changed due to Jay and Freida getting older and seeking more formal learning opportunities. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a homeschooling parent, I am philosophically in tune with an <a href="http://whathomeschoolingbook.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/eclectic-approach.html">eclectic/natural learning approach</a>,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center;">I believe in a variety of equal intelligences (<a href="http://fundersandfounders.com/9-types-of-intelligence/">Howard Gardner</a>) and don't push bookwork. Having said this, our children are enjoying a <a href="http://whathomeschoolingbook.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/school-at-home.html">school at home</a> approach as a regular part of our schooling. As a family we love books so maybe that's enough motivation to want to learn grammatical rules, and building the chook house is reason enough to learn to multiply on paper, who knows why and I guess it doesn't really matter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What I did learn from Alexandra (our eldest now at university) was that if you don't at least offer the alternative of standardised work, particularly in English and Maths, homeschool kids can become anxious that they're not up to the same level academically as their school going peers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Invariably I have found over the years that homeschool kids are at least as intelligent and proficient as kids who attend school but regardless this concern tends to arise from tween/teen aged children and is a very real and important issue to some kids. No matter what</span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> your</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> philosophies may be as a parent, sometimes children just feel what they feel and it's our job to honour that. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I guess </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">my</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> lesson in all of this is to accept that natural learning is rolling with your kids' preferred style at any given moment and if that's a bit formal, so be it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Personally I have never felt the need to go down the </span><a href="https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/naplan-online" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">NAPLAN</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> route, but I am now comfortable with giving my children some formal texts if that's what they want and enjoy. I simply act as a resource to facilitate their learning while they're using their work </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">books. I never obviously monitor what they're doing, and I only help out if they ask or appear frustrated, other than that I hang around reading or whatever while they get on with the business of learning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I will look at specific learning areas in future posts, </span>based loosely around the <a href="http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/">Australian Curriculum Standards</a> as that's what we are asked to use as a framework for the homeschool review process here in Australia. I will detail our curriculum and resources, referring back to past posts to tie in earlier/foundation learning with what we are doing now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Talk Soon, Cynthia x</span><br />
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<br />Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-45796874105936554652017-05-21T21:20:00.001-07:002017-06-04T00:22:52.234-07:00Working and Homeschooling<br />
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Hello Everyone,<br />
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Today I'm talking about my experiences as a <i>working</i> (outside of the home) and a <i>work at home</i> homeschooling parent. It's a bit of a loaded topic but as I have done both I'm comfortable commenting on the subject for the sake of sharing my experiences :)<br />
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When Alexandra (now 20) was young I was a sole parent and lucky enough to work in an industry that supported me taking her to work with me from the age of 9 months, once I felt able and impoverished enough to return to the workforce. I also worked fairly late into my pregnancy so the physical/mental transition back to work wasn't a huge wrench.<br />
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Taking Alex to work with me went relatively smoothly until she started school, when I just altered my work hours to accommodate her school day. I remarried not long after this and arrangements went fairly smoothly until problems at school started and worsened over the course of several years, putting a strain on us all emotionally and until we decided to school Alexandra at home.<br />
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In the meantime, we welcomed Jay into the family unit, and he was a toddler by the time we withdrew Alex from school. I was mainly at home, doing occasional relief days at work when my husband was available to look after the kids. I left work within the first few months of homeschooling Alex, where I remained for nearly ten years, until Freida was six and Jay was nine.<br />
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I'm telling all of this to illustrate the diverse nature of homeschooling families, we're not all two parent married forever units with a massive single income. There are plenty of those, as are there plenty of awesome single mums and dads, blended families, and low income couples meandering the homeschooling path these days.<br />
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I returned to work a couple of years ago, to do the kind of work I felt driven to do, in child protection. The intensity of this work really stretched me emotionally and physically and I'm not sure how I managed to do it for over two years and continue with homeschooling outside of an amazing support network and equally amazing, humble, compassionate kids at home who <i>got </i>my intentions and understood my fatigue and stayed on task as learners. I think the outsourcing of dance, drama, scouts and science facilitated our natural learning style. It also meant that the demands of my work schedule didn't impact too heavily on the children's ability to learn from people more knowledgeable and talented than me in their areas of expertise, and allowed them to have fun with other kids.<br />
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I have since stepped back from work and will take time to focus on homeschooling while my kids are young, but they don't see my years at work as damaging or torturous as my guilt at being an 'absent' parent would trick me into believing. When I mentioned my tiredness, thinking I was the most impatient, negligent homeschooling parent ever they would look at me quizzically and say "it's fine Mum" and as they appear happy and content I just have to believe them.<br />
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Fortunately, I had the option to alter our lifestyle to accommodate being at home with our kids, and most homeschoolers I know are proficient at adapting their outgoings to suit a one income wage bracket. However, not everyone has the option to homeschool without working, nor do they necessarily want to. The camaraderie, feeling of achievement and joy of working keeps many people in the workforce by choice.<br />
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Working as a parent (especially a primary carer) can be guilt inducing though. Especially working as a homeschool parent, in my experience, can leave you feeling as if you are in a definite minority group. I think this will lessen generally over time as more people choose to homeschool and society caters more for homeschooled kids and their families who need/choose to work.<br />
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I know of several workplaces where companies have a kids room set up for employees where there is a lounge, computer, air hockey, pool table etc where older kids can spend a few hours to a day a week hanging out and allowing both parents to work guilt free for a limited time. This is still definitely rare but is becoming more common all the time.<br />
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As for being a stay at home parent again, I am loving the natural rhythm of our days. We are generally more relaxed and are finding time between activities to chat about what is going on in ours and the wider world. We are able to decide each day what we feel drawn to do, and after several years of a fairly closely timetabled life, my appreciation for free time as a family unit is massive.<br />
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I have a renewed respect for those courageous souls who continue to homeschool while working outside of the home as well as those committed stay at home parents who face the question 'so what do you <i>do?' </i> on a regular basis. I have an appreciation for the many different forms that homeschooling families take and a renewed desire to not judge anyone's journey. I have hope for a future more accommodating to working families and their children as homeschooling continues to grow in popularity.<br />
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Right now though, I'm off for a hike at our local conservation park with my beautiful children, just because we feel like it :)<br />
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Talk Soon, Cynthia x<br />
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<br />Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-17296532310720286632017-05-19T23:16:00.001-07:002017-06-03T23:45:52.187-07:00Trusting the Process: When an Eldest Homeschooling Child Leaves the Nest..........<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Hello Everyone.<br />
<br />
<br />
Well the time has come for our eldest child Alex to fly the nest and head off to the UK for two years of study and work. We homeschooled our girl from nine years of age when school just wasn't gelling for her, and what a journey it has been since. From those first tentative years of homeschooling when she was strongly attached, a bit quiet in groups and unsure of herself to now, a beautiful young woman, studying at university, earning her own money and ready to travel to the other side of the world to open the next chapter of her life.<br />
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The sadness I feel at losing the company of my daughter and my friend for a couple of years is (almost) compensated for by the joy I feel for her excitement and courage. What an endorsement for the potential of homeschooling a child in a close and loving environment.<br />
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At the begining of our homeschooling journey I was warned by various people that "you can't protect her from life's bumps" or "she will never develop resilience if you remove her from school" etc. After leaving school there <i>was </i>an initial period of anxiety created by several factors but I firmly believe this lessened because she had the time and space to find her own boundaries and utilise them. She has independently worked through the avenues required to enter brick (as opposed to online) university, study for several years and arrange a study swap to an international university, all the while working part time in hospitality as part of a team.<br />
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This does not fit with a common conception of homeschoolers as mollycoddled, over attached and lacking in motivation and social/life skills. We practised natural learning with Lex as she was a suitably curious, motivated learner, and I never did need to set an alarm for her to get up early to go to work or uni....go figure! Even our younger kids (now 8 and 12) set their own alarms for science, dance and drama class, or to feed their animals. All three kids enjoy the company of people of all ages, their friends and a laugh. We have our challenges, but overall in the 10+ years we've been homeschooling, we have resolutely decided that it works :)<br />
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Talk soon, Cynthia xCynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-85525649758880748512017-05-19T21:08:00.000-07:002017-05-31T00:58:18.830-07:00Those Who Trod the Path Before Us....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFVb02xCUSzp5j4KSiocoeOKHIsQaqBtG4zZyz-JPCDMFbd6mjzo-84RmCQpyhtiEI3kPO1NDo7oybFWfrE4LVoFh-KFcqqZiShU8C5UC1dNHZNOoqcCkrJ0A3-TbWjs8E3FadMqR8Zs/s1600/teaching.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623869969090676978" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFVb02xCUSzp5j4KSiocoeOKHIsQaqBtG4zZyz-JPCDMFbd6mjzo-84RmCQpyhtiEI3kPO1NDo7oybFWfrE4LVoFh-KFcqqZiShU8C5UC1dNHZNOoqcCkrJ0A3-TbWjs8E3FadMqR8Zs/s320/teaching.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 236px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 214px;" /></a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> 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mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:"Gill Sans MT"; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="color: rgb(204 , 204 , 204); font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-weight: bold;">Hi Everyone,</span><br />
<span style="color: #b00220; font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><b><br /></b></span><span id="formatbar_Buttons" style="color: rgb(204 , 204 , 204); display: block; font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-weight: bold;"><span class=" down" id="formatbar_CreateLink" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseup="" style="display: block;" title="Link"><img alt="Link" border="0" class="gl_link" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" /></span></span><br />
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I have been thinking about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeschooling#History">origins of homeschooling, </a>the changes it has seen in recent history, and the people who caused these changes to happen .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Homeschooling your children was once the norm because the majority of children stayed at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They learned within the company of their family and wider community and grew into mostly well functioning, intelligent adults. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Over the past<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>hundred and fifty years, schools have appeared, become entrenched in our society and finally insisted on compulsory attendance for all children.This state of affairs was pretty much accepted as the best thing for the children until fairly recently when parents started questioning the status quo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Homeschooling has experienced a resurgence in popularity as more parents are considering it as a viable education option. As word of the benefits of homeschooling spreads, so does the number of courageous families taking the plunge and setting out to homeschool.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The homeschooling journey for our family was one which gradually resonated and became entrenched into our lives.</span></span> My experience has been one of community and sharing of knowledge and resources. I will be forever grateful to the experienced homeschooling parents who patiently answered my endless questions about hs and how they functioned within the system.<br />
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I am particularly grateful to those who exposed me to natural learning as a genuine alternative to a formal curriculum. Eleven years ago when we began homeschooling, natural learning was difficult and took a lot of faith and self belief to stick with, and if it wasn't for the generous sharing of information and resources by an experienced few friends, I would still be floundering, trying to work out what is the best route for us, I am sure. <br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Authors and free thinkers such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Holt_%28educator%29">John Holt</a>, <a href="http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/">John Taylor Gatto</a>, <a href="http://www.homeedmag.com/HEM/145/145.97_art_ild.html">Linda Dobson</a> also expanded my thinking and knowledge base around homeschooling. And of course in Australia, <a href="http://homeschoolaustralia.com/">Beverley Payne</a> and her comprehensive website and constant input that has helped so many fledgling families find their homeschooling feet.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">So remember</span></span> the importance of sharing your experiences....they really do help those who come after us :)<br />
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<span style="color: rgb(204 , 204 , 204); font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-weight: bold;">Talk Soon, Cynthia x</span></div>
Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-86902199480754789592014-02-03T04:36:00.001-08:002016-02-26T16:27:07.935-08:00AssessmentHello,<br />
Today I will talk about assessment, grading, results, feedback, whatever you choose to call it. I have returned to tertiary study in a subject I dearly love (visual art) and I LOVE the process of reading, learning, preparing for and executing a response in written form to a test, essay or whatever is required. What I don't enjoy is having someone else pulling it to pieces positive or negative.If you would like to see a little of my genteel <i>word therapy</i> whizz across to my <a href="http://cynthiamarstonwritingstuff.blogspot.com.au/">writing blog</a> to the poem entitled <i>A Beguiling Covenant</i>.<br />
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These are not the rantings of a bitter student who can't keep up...the whole process just irks me. Even though the <a href="http://whathomeschoolingbook.blogspot.com.au/2011_06_01_archive.html">Alfie Kohn</a> philosophy of intrinsic trust in the individual, and <a href="http://whathomeschoolingbook.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/teach-your-own-book-review.html">John Holt'</a>s reassurances to trust the learner to find what they need to learn has been ingrained after so many years of homeschooling, I found myself becoming anxious that my second essay wouldn't match the first grade. How would I keep it up?? Scary stuff to me as an adult, how do our kids handle it? I have talked to several of my daughters teenage friends and many felt the same as I did. It's not just kids who are struggling who dread the number at the top of the computer screen (yep, 2014 it's all electronic baby...I had to get my head around that too), it's the 'good' students who just don't want to fall below the imposed (self or external) benchmark of a 'good' grade.<br />
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I <i>do </i>get the long term benefits of a tertiary degree and understand the necessity of doctors, nurses, pilots etc having testable knowledge for safety and performance reasons. I also get the value of discipline and sticking at a project until completion. What I don't get is the obsessive focus on formulaic detailing and paranoia about plagiarism and referencing. Yes, most ideas have been deconstructed and written about before...so what?? I wonder how our older kids can be creative in any academic sense when they're so terrified to play around with ideas in case somebody accuses them of 'cheating'...I thought it was called collation for individuals and in a group collaboration(??) Also, essay lengths have shrunk since I was last a uni student...easier you think, no it just means squeezing more evidence of concept and practical knowledge into fewer words...another pressure on our students.<br />
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On the other hand, I spoke to a 19 year old university student the other day who was raised in a wonderful natural learning environment until entering a specialised high school at 16years of age. She spoke of each stage of her education being "just right at the time". She loved the freedom to learn at her own pace in her younger childhood, then loved the challenge and delightful reward of entering formal education and earning acknowledgement after working hard on an assignment. She spoke of the value of constructive feedback, and generally helped to put it all beautifully in perspective for me. I must say I did feel a little bit pleased when she shared she hated referencing as much as me.<br />
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I will say today that I am still not crazy about the overemphasis on grades in many schools, I feel that they stifle creativity more than many people care to consider. I believe we are absolutely blessed to have the opportunity to homeschool or school our children in their childhood years and beyond as we/they wish. I also concede that if a kid wants to go the school/tertiary route, their love of learning will not be crushed provided they are nurtured with a solid, gentle basis for learning in the formative years.<br />
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As for me, I have decided to read, write, submit and enjoy the process. I will aim for joyful learning, striving for my own indivdual best and role-model wholistic learning to my kids, rather than just banging on about it..that's the theory anyway.<br />
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Talk soon, Cynthia<br />
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<br />Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-77621336225324004412012-01-01T13:45:00.000-08:002016-02-26T13:59:14.269-08:00 A New Homeschooling Year<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>Hi Everyone, </strong></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>New Year is a time when I tend to get refreshed about homeschooling and have time to sit and think about where we have been and where we are going with on our homeschooling journey (I say journey rather than planning deliberately because I believe education is a lifestyle journey not a fixed destination to arrive at...a cliche maybe but so true...). Anyway, I digress....I have been sitting on the deck in the 42 degree (!!!) heat planning what we will be doing this year and have come up with a myriad of possibilities which I have narrowed down to (I think) a manageable number of activities.....</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>We have purchased an annual membership with our local zoo which I heartily recommend if you are wanting a relaxed, informative visit rather than a rushed 'lets make this huge outlay for one day worth it' visit to the zoo. The children have a much more satisfying experience if t</strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTy3X-QnfaGpqU2Kfc89neFW1UIADa_LWVdeEIACMdG0LoN9nGm4X45i9hq4381C8UXIQLR59LrJOAV5txkKEZn_aU55URmNlli-9f5bk3rAoqWG9JkRADbkUV1YXKhrxWm-6QMuZzsu8/s1600/zoo.jpg"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692796544333819666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTy3X-QnfaGpqU2Kfc89neFW1UIADa_LWVdeEIACMdG0LoN9nGm4X45i9hq4381C8UXIQLR59LrJOAV5txkKEZn_aU55URmNlli-9f5bk3rAoqWG9JkRADbkUV1YXKhrxWm-6QMuZzsu8/s200/zoo.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 140px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 137px;" /></strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>hey can linger at five or six locations in a day, and I find I can research and answer their questions much more thoroughly if we have time to linger and appreciate each animal without rushing onto the next thing. We plan to spend at least one day a month in 2012 at the zoo, and to provide the children with a different medium for drawing an animal each time. We will start with pencil sketching and go onto charcoal, pastel pencils, oil pastel crayons, water colours, clay, nature collage and so on, which the children can use at the zoo or finish later at home from a pencil sketch. We will also look at <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">sustainability</span> and endangered animals as part of our visits, and give the children a grounding in social responsibility to our environment in a relaxed, pertinent way. A lot of zoo memberships also provide members with special access to activities such as Zoo Youth and other volunteering opportunities, Zoo Snooze, education sessions etc. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692790971402398770" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWH8qfJG9kuO-B3eSv5nlpFCs7JnHbdvLFlzjmoU4-c42iirjmAeSLL2l7aNPV3h63ASynPEVNoRTzvNqa4pyr10vHCvOcbpPHx35zPw3Xg1Xni58ghQCUMJSrmlNbddMMpMjFs4sXOF4/s200/keepinganaturejournal_03.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 136px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 123px;" /> We will also be doing monthly Nature Journal entries, again using a variety of mediums. I use </strong></span><a href="http://www.clarewalkerleslie.com/books.htm"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Walker Leslie and Charles E. Roth</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong> as a reference as it's accessible and provides a lot of ideas for recording in various forms, using colour, the seasons, recording factual information and so on.... </strong></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIs-9-B4IgR1Dd5-kJRdTd4chRKxAwzpT58X2aYsEEIciiVHsGk6j1GGpcbPdaKyxJ32gy_0y7ezk6dfSKmmj1ZuDWwOanGlJxbcy3h8xclkbwkDpljxu1Ybkkpu6KIA_v9MceN0CcRc/s1600/paper+heiroglyphics.jpg"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692784459247449234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIs-9-B4IgR1Dd5-kJRdTd4chRKxAwzpT58X2aYsEEIciiVHsGk6j1GGpcbPdaKyxJ32gy_0y7ezk6dfSKmmj1ZuDWwOanGlJxbcy3h8xclkbwkDpljxu1Ybkkpu6KIA_v9MceN0CcRc/s320/paper+heiroglyphics.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 127px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 139px;" /></strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong> </strong></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.welltrainedmind.com/the-story-of-the-world-history-for-the-classical-child/"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>Story of the World</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong> will take us to Ancient Egypt, India, China and Africa this year, and we made a start in December last year with some clay tablets symbolising the children's names in Cuneiform and Hieroglyphics to recreate the first writing in Sumeria and Egypt. We also did a comparison of paper and clay for longevity in the weather which explained why so many tablets remain while ancient paper records are relatively rare. </strong></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"></span></strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong><br /></strong></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>The kids and their Dad will be working through </strong></span><a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Richard-Hammonds-Blast-Lab-Richard-Hammond/9781405366588"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>Richard Hammond's Blast Lab</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong> , which has some awesome experiments you can do at home, and which cover principles such as energy, light, gravity, particles, germination in a fun, simple way which won't overwhelm a younger learner. We'll go onto his </strong></span><a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Can-You-Feel-Force-Richard-Hammond/9781405358064"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>Can You Feel the Force?</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>(putting the fizz back into physics) book in the last half of the year... sounds like lots of noise and fun will be happening around our place on Saturday mornings for a while :) !! </strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>I'll be looking for interesting ways to pique Jay's interest in reading...</strong></span><a href="http://jollylearning.co.uk/"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>Jolly Phonics</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong> (also available at book depository)seems effective as a good solid basis for learning alphabet sounds and grammar now that he's nearly 7, and I have found it's effective to engage Jay in writing something of his own choosing (it's <em>always LEGO</em>) I have sourced some interesting </strong></span><a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/search?searchTerm=lego+readers&search=%3CSPAN%3E%3CEM%3EFind%26nbsp%3Bbook%3C%2FEM%3E%3C%2FSPAN%3E"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>LEGO readers</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong> at Book Depository...with titles like <em>Way of the Ninja, Star Wars Phantom Menace</em> and <em>Blackbeard's Treasure</em>, they should provide quite a bit of motivation to read....</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong><br /></strong></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>I'm going to introduce some poetry reading and writing from </strong></span><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Enjoying-More-Poetry-Rex-Sadler/9780333356555"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>Enjoying More Poetry</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong> by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sadler</span></span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Hayllar</span></span>. This book has a nice balance of humour, reverence and variety, and accompanies each poem with some activity/question suggestions which you can choose to implement into your experience or not. We will be attempting some shapely poems (where you write a poem in the physical shape of the subject), some humorous verse inspired by Pam Ayers and </strong></span><a href="http://whathomeschoolingbook.blogspot.com/2011/07/spike-milligans-silly-verse-for-kids.html"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>Spike <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Milligan</span></span></strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>, and maybe some animal poems inspired by our trips to the zoo... </strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7E1RPVjvrE8VuTw3CnQrAQ7WdoanSlK7TXahDrY4bhME4EMxzV0Q2h8BTvqjY9QhO6mLp6GeaCEBmngvyZXf71ZJ_4_0nH2-T2_LIdbR7lN832QYijKZWIdKPWoNoVM-vu8mnu6QV9m4/s1600/piggy+bank.jpg"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692814308239062210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7E1RPVjvrE8VuTw3CnQrAQ7WdoanSlK7TXahDrY4bhME4EMxzV0Q2h8BTvqjY9QhO6mLp6GeaCEBmngvyZXf71ZJ_4_0nH2-T2_LIdbR7lN832QYijKZWIdKPWoNoVM-vu8mnu6QV9m4/s320/piggy+bank.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 128px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 114px;" /></strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong> </strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>I've been looking at ways to make mathematics fun and have decided that in conjunction to </strong></span><a href="http://whathomeschoolingbook.blogspot.com/2011/06/book-review-family-math.html"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>Fa</strong></span></a><a href="http://whathomeschoolingbook.blogspot.com/2011/06/book-review-family-math.html"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">mily</span></span> Maths</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong> i will encourage the children to count and classify their <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">piggybank</span></span> savings each fortnight on pocket-money day and record their total savings, the denominations which make up the total, and eventually turn this into a graphing project using a variety of graphing techniques in a relevant way. We'll continue with board games and cooking as <em>hands on</em> mathematics activities.</strong></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>For Design and Technology we'll be introducing some basic sewing projects like <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">finger puppets</span> and a bag. We'll be doing some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">cross stitch</span> on gingham after making a pattern on graph paper, also looking at basic components of a sewing machine and what you need for a sewing kit. We'll be doing some research on fashions through the ages and the children will choose an era to create a<a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/Lapbooks_at_HSS.php"> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">lapbook</span></span></a> about and make a basic <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">costume</span> using the basic skills we've acquired through the year. We'll be using an adorable old series of teaching books called Needlecraft Construction Technique written by Jean D. Lane for reference. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>This series offers a refreshingly clear, old fashioned approach to sewing, offering a solid, simple foundation for more complicated projects later on. We fortunately found ours in an op-shop, but I have seen them occasionally on e-bay and other used book sellers.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>I'll also be giving the children the opportunity to create, photograph and submit their own creation for the </strong></span><a href="http://legoquestkids.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">LEGOQUEST</span></span></strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong> (an online LEGO <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">enthusiasts</span> newsletter run by homeschooling families for homeschooling families) challenge each month. I will offer guidance through the various stages where necessary, but this will be their project and something they can feel they've achieved with minimum adult intervention and become familiar with basic computer use at the same time.</strong></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFFZIPLWNgaFwK9-cZLmXfboRPzcdFZV2F5ejvbLMvDiC5mlKU4s9cSUHF9-M5qdq9Em7u674Yx2HPzXTU-AJJgrXbWBPCn7u0g4mfXvZqbsEZdThZzAi2gHD5W9qYW_MrLjrjABI8eY/s1600/swimming.jpg"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692830543456025682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFFZIPLWNgaFwK9-cZLmXfboRPzcdFZV2F5ejvbLMvDiC5mlKU4s9cSUHF9-M5qdq9Em7u674Yx2HPzXTU-AJJgrXbWBPCn7u0g4mfXvZqbsEZdThZzAi2gHD5W9qYW_MrLjrjABI8eY/s200/swimming.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 139px; width: 117px;" /></strong></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>We've been doing our swimming lessons at the beach this year using a book written by Linda <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">McGill</span></span> called </strong></span><a href="http://www.bookshops.com.au/book/3073/9003989"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>Teach Your Child to Swim</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>. It covers all the basic strokes from toddlers through to basic <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">freestyle</span>, butterfly and breaststroke and uses simple language and pictures to illustrate techniques. I can see real improvement in the children's confidence in the water since we started lessons and will continue with basic strokes at the beach until the weather cools and we need to head for an indoor pool to learn diving and the finer points/corrections of each stroke, all covered by the book. Other books I have found to be too wordy, with distracting illustrations, so this is quite a find, in my opinion.</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>I hope you find some helpful points in this lot.....now, time to get on with the business of homeschooling :)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>Talk Soon, Cynthia x </strong></span></div>
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Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-24152972428150718192012-01-01T12:51:00.000-08:002012-01-01T17:53:51.125-08:00Our Story Chair<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmy77BvTZBtGmMHfbUFIXXpv44Utqq8qvOVncGbVVPv20mMVemBCqGnkesGJaEffpv-6MvO3I0sL-AUFf44U1LbwhE2kLOoKJYIwAr4aa6MfWKSB145KGGYUS26o716St5Tl8bdp0EpY/s1600/driftwood-storytellers-chair_3.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 170px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 170px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692772515975528610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmy77BvTZBtGmMHfbUFIXXpv44Utqq8qvOVncGbVVPv20mMVemBCqGnkesGJaEffpv-6MvO3I0sL-AUFf44U1LbwhE2kLOoKJYIwAr4aa6MfWKSB145KGGYUS26o716St5Tl8bdp0EpY/s320/driftwood-storytellers-chair_3.jpg" /></a><br />Hello Everyone,<br /><br />Happy New Year :)<br /><br />Well, we've been quite busy this season...with Christ<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLwW1IaP8ExpG8J-C03RWKhi-0QE91IcDbhadgA_rflAqQwajoBAgfbEg88Jq_gRLmI9p6zg6NvePuYfqFcKTgVC7wzLrvWnz1iz8m74FuiEPfhGpVXYA8LDa9qA4Z6RiCw5etvk7yt7U/s1600/driftwood-storytellers-chair_3.jpg"></a>mas celebrations shared with family and friends, and finding exciting learning opportunities hidden away in our local park.....<br /><br />Jay and Freida got new bikes for Christmas and we've been trekking down to the local bike track to give them a chance to ride without traffic. On our first day we discovered a beautiful sculpted wooden storytelling chair and benches for an audience!!! It is situated under an enormous tree and we have simply ridden past without really looking in before as it's partially obscured by trees. Fortunately this time we stopped to investigate, and as you can imagine, the children raced right over and one by one commanded the seat with pride. They each proceeded to tell a tale involving family members, with accompanying gestures, and relished the opportunity to tell a tale without interruption. We have visited many times since that first happy discovery and I have incorporated poetry, story starters and drama into our 2012 plans, all involving <em>Our</em> <em>Story Chair,</em> as the children have named it.<br /><br />The children's stories are spontaneous, fresh and totally their own creation. Freida is a princess, with beautiful tales of fairies, magic and all things etheral. Jay a brave knight, travelling to the Antarctic to battle fierce snow creatures, and back to England to catch wild boar for dinner in the King's castle, Alexandra told a story that was delightfully 'gross' for the little ones and everyone had a good laugh...I love the fact that children can be so totally absorbed in creative storytelling, and the outdoor environment gives them the opportunity to move and use their voices in such a way that they aren't restricted as they inevitably are indoors.<br /><br />I'm really excited that we're able to combine a bike ride with some literary experience this way, and look forward to many more tales of adventure and intrigue over the years courtesy of this beautiful space.<br /><br />Talk Soon, Cynthia xCynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-89853143241708610132011-11-06T22:06:00.000-08:002017-05-20T23:30:15.160-07:00Studying Through Open University<div>
<span class="smallheadline1">Hi Everyone,<br />I came across a fantastic article written by Sharee Cordes about studying through Open University as an alternative to SACE. I found it incredibly inspiring, and have over time gleaned a lot of information from Sharee's wisdom and experience.<br />This was published in <a href="http://www.home-ed.vic.edu.au/">Otherways Magazine</a>, a valuable, affordable resource for natural learning families. Sharee has just started her own blog at </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/oflifeandart.wordpress.com"> </a><a href="http://oflifeandart.wordpress.com/" id="yui_3_2_0_1_1320646083147180" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">oflifeandart.wordpress.com </a><br />
and will definately be worth checking out. So, here's the article, enjoy.....<br />
<span class="smallheadline1"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/oflifeandart.wordpress.com"></a> </span><span class="smallheadline2"></span></div>
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<img alt="Image result for teen studying at computer" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcShvB3ZYEXD8Up6eTCbH1WpMBaMEO22Wq-Cks86zBlon9CcSKq7Cg" /><br />
I think it all started for us when Jayden became interested in linguistics. I was searching on the internet for some way to help him find out more about linguistics when I came across the Open Universities Australia website. Unfortunately they don’t offer any undergraduate linguistics subjects, but there were so many other interesting sounding subjects on the list, so I suggested to Jayden that he might like to have a look at what was available. Jayden was 14 at this time, and I thought that I would like him to get an idea of what options were out there for tertiary study.<br />
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He became quite enthusiastic when looking through the list of Open University subjects as well, and decided he would like to attempt one. He chose one from the list of recommended first subjects – Introduction to Human Geography, which was offered by Curtin University. One of our considerations when choosing this subject was the assessment requirements; this subject required 2 long essays but no exams, which we thought sounded achievable for Jayden.<br />
The next step was to do his enrollment, which was online and easy, and to buy his text book, which was expensive, about $120. Soon he received his study materials in the mail and started work.<br />
Open Universities state the each subject requires about 10 hours of study time per week, and we found that this was about right. There was a lot of reading involved, mostly from the text book and readings that had been sent to Jayden.<br />
The biggest challenge was obviously completing the essays! The first part of this challenge was finding resources. I helped Jayden quite a bit with this, as it required searching catalogues on the internet and having libraries send books to us (we are in the country). Jayden used some web sites as resources, but it is really important to use books as well.<br />
Next came writing the actual essays. Jayden has grown up as a natural learner, he had limited essay writing experience; however his experience on our homeschoolers debating team had set him up beautifully for this. He was able to apply what he had learnt when writing his debating speeches to plan and write his essays. The hardest and most stressful part for Jayden was referencing, as he had no experience of this, and we knew that it was very important. Soon after he finished this study, we got the new version of Microsoft Word which actually makes referencing very easy!<br />
After a few very late nights Jayden completed his essays, and his subject, and received a very good mark.<br />
Our overall feelings about this experience were very positive. Jayden found the subject to be really interesting and enjoyed the opportunity to research areas that interested him in great depth. We had some very stressful days when he was writing his essays, but I think a lot of the stress was due to not really knowing what was expected (especially in regards to referencing), and also due to not allowing enough time to get the resources sent. I am sure that next time will be a lot less stressful because we will be old hands!<br />
Jayden is very keen to continue studying at University level. We believe that if students have completed four subjects through Open Universities they are able to apply for entry to a regular university course (although we plan to do more research to confirm this), so Jayden hopes to get into University this way.<br />
We decided that although Jayden had the ability to study at this level at 14 we didn’t see any need for him to be under this pressure at such a young age, so he has put off further studies until next year.<br />
We feel that Open Universities Australia is a great option for homeschooled students who have good thinking and writing skills and are keen to study subjects that interest them at a higher level.<br />
<h2>
Some facts about Open Universities Australia</h2>
<ul>
<li>Open Universities Australia is an organisation that offers university subjects from fifteen leading Australian universities and colleges to the general public on a user pays basis. These are regular university subjects, the same as students enrolled in full university courses would be studying and can be used as part of a university qualification.</li>
<li>Subjects are studied externally using the Internet and resources that are mailed to you. There are over 700 subjects to choose from.</li>
<li>The minimum age for studying through Open Universities is 11 and there are no entry requirements for first year undergraduate subjects (although some more advanced subjects may have prerequisites.)</li>
<li>There are four study periods in the year beginning in March, June, September and December and each subject goes for about 13 weeks.</li>
<li>They offer Unilearn bridging units in areas such as mathematics, chemistry, biology and physics for people who wish to improve their skills before attempting a University subject in these areas.</li>
<li>They also offer free Quickskills modules which give students information about things like time management and preparing for exams.</li>
<li>There is a list of recommended first units for people who are just beginning University studies.</li>
<li>Subjects cost between $610 and about $850 (less for Unilearn subjects). Fee Help is a scheme that may be accessed to help pay for this.</li>
<li>A student enrolled in two subjects is considered to be a full time university student.</li>
<li>Students are issued with a student card</li>
<li>For more information, visit the website <a href="http://www.open.edu.au/">www.open.edu.au</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>
Update 2010</h2>
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Back in 2008 I wrote a story for Otherways about the experience of having our teenager studying subjects through Open Universities Australia. At the time I wrote…</div>
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“We believe that if students have completed four subjects through Open Universities they are able to apply for entry to a regular university course (although we plan to do more research to confirm this), so Jayden hopes to get into University this way.”</div>
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Well, I just wanted to write and let everyone know that it works! Jayden was offered a place in the Bachelor of Arts at MacQuarie University in Sydney back in December – before the year 12 school students even had their exam results – and today he was also offered a place at Melbourne University in the first round of offers.</div>
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Jayden went on to study a total of five subjects through Open Univerisities. We were told by a student advisor at Melbourne University that he could apply there with only four subjects, but as places were quite competitive, he had a better chance if he had six. We were also told that because they have an English pre-requisite, Melbourne Uni would need to look at his subjects to ensure that one of them would meet this requirement (they could not tell us which subjects would do this though). Because of this advice, Jayden decided to study ‘Introduction to English’ as one of his Open University subjects – this proved to be his most difficult subject so far!</div>
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Completing five subjects through Open Universities was hard work for Jayden, he only did one subject at a time, except for the last study period when he did two, but this still seemed to take a large part of his day (although we still managed to fit in plenty of homeschool camps!). One thing that he found quite hard was that there was no break between subjects, he would finish one subject on Friday and start the next one on Monday, so he was really ready for a break by the time he finished. However, it was certainly preferable to the hard slog that we see so many year 12 students doing, and the advantage is that he has already completed the first semester of his degree.</div>
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When Jayden applied for the courses, he just filled out the regular application form. He didn’t say anything about his homeschooling background on the form, relying solely on his University results. The offer from MacQuarie actually came before the results for his final two subjects had been released, so they have offered him the place based on the results of only three subjects.</div>
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For Jayden, and I’m sure for many other homeschoolers who wish to go to University, this is a great option – I am still amazed that it worked so well!</div>
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I hope that this will help other students to find a path that works for them too.</div>
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Wishing you all the best with your homeschooling journey,</div>
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Sharee Cordes</div>
Back in 2008 I wrote a story for Otherways about the experience of having our teenager studying subjects through Open Universities Australia. At the time I wrote…<br />
“We believe that if students have completed four subjects through Open Universities they are able to apply for entry to a regular university course (although we plan to do more research to confirm this), so Jayden hopes to get into University this way.”<br />
Well, I just wanted to write and let everyone know that it works! Jayden was offered a place in the Bachelor of Arts at MacQuarie University in Sydney back in December – before the year 12 school students even had their exam results – and today he was also offered a place at Melbourne University in the first round of offers.<br />
Jayden went on to study a total of five subjects through Open Univerisities. We were told by a student advisor at Melbourne University that he could apply there with only four subjects, but as places were quite competitive, he had a better chance if he had six. We were also told that because they have an English pre-requisite, Melbourne Uni would need to look at his subjects to ensure that one of them would meet this requirement (they could not tell us which subjects would do this though). Because of this advice, Jayden decided to study ‘Introduction to English’ as one of his Open University subjects – this proved to be his most difficult subject so far!<br />
Completing five subjects through Open Universities was hard work for Jayden, he only did one subject at a time, except for the last study period when he did two, but this still seemed to take a large part of his day (although we still managed to fit in plenty of homeschool camps!). One thing that he found quite hard was that there was no break between subjects, he would finish one subject on Friday and start the next one on Monday, so he was really ready for a break by the time he finished. However, it was certainly preferable to the hard slog that we see so many year 12 students doing, and the advantage is that he has already completed the first semester of his degree.<br />
When Jayden applied for the courses, he just filled out the regular application form. He didn’t say anything about his homeschooling background on the form, relying solely on his University results. The offer from MacQuarie actually came before the results for his final two subjects had been released, so they have offered him the place based on the results of only three subjects.<br />
For Jayden, and I’m sure for many other homeschoolers who wish to go to University, this is a great option – I am still amazed that it worked so well!<br />
I hope that this will help other students to find a path that works for them too.<br />
Wishing you all the best with your homeschooling journey,<br />
Sharee Cordes<br />
FYI the <a href="http://www.open.edu.au/public/home">Open University </a>website is comprehensive and easy to navigate, Cynthia x<br />
<br />Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-91128872913010160402011-09-12T18:01:00.000-07:002011-09-12T18:44:35.908-07:00Book Review - The Value Tales Series<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwyN4IkC7TMWOEPqSGvcR1M351mMRT6HeqfGE5Xph6l8TkQUnLOkqn-18TPs3XRt2j4iOwQNzhqHJmHn0sCo7Vg_nuenDqWuX06OwXM19bvcX8IWpQlQdkAJuw1R3O3IN1rwEZqPNVTo/s1600/value3.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 147px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwyN4IkC7TMWOEPqSGvcR1M351mMRT6HeqfGE5Xph6l8TkQUnLOkqn-18TPs3XRt2j4iOwQNzhqHJmHn0sCo7Vg_nuenDqWuX06OwXM19bvcX8IWpQlQdkAJuw1R3O3IN1rwEZqPNVTo/s320/value3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651643968805751922" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Hi Everyone,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I want to share with you a delightful series of books we have discovered recently. The series is called </span><a style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_n_0?rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Athe+value+of%2Cn%3A%211000%2Cn%3A4&bbn=1000&keywords=the+value+of&ie=UTF8&qid=1315875608&rnid=1000">The Value Tales</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> , written by Spencer Johnson M.D.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">These books present a range of historical figures who display particular gifts. Some volumes are: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The Value of Determination - Helen Keller</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The Value of Believing in Yourself - Louis Pasteur, The Value of Understanding - Margaret Mead, </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">and so on.</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Besides the obvious effect of teaching history (Society and Environment), these books have opened up a valuable opportunity for discussions on topics such as gender equality </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >(Fairness - Nellie Bly), </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">honesty, protective behaviours</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" > (Truth and Trust - Conchise) </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">in a relaxed, child friendly format</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Personally I believe in the necessity of deliberately discussing values with children. Not in forcing our own ideas and opinions down their throats, but in the gentle illumination of how our actions and assumptions may affect others within our immediate circle and in a wider, global sense. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Tolerance for others and an ability to see beyond our own situation can be very empowering and can be a lesson learned hard if not nurtured carefully in childhood.</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The series is inexpensive to buy online as it was written in the 1970's. I find the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >retro </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">illustrations charming, and is hardcover A4 size. The language is simple and engaging, and each volume has an imaginary character who conveys extra information to the reader without lecturing..very cleverly done. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If you would like to buy the series, click on the link above, or visit </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.auhb.net/Misc%20Pages/Entry%20Page.htm">Australian Used Homeschool Books</a><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" > </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">for your copy (last time I checked they had some available).</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Talk Soon, Cynthia x</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-9900079265735103512011-09-07T16:23:00.000-07:002016-02-27T14:47:09.316-08:00Book Review - And the Skylark Sings with Me<a href="http://www.skylarksings.com/books/#healingheart2"><strong><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649764204532144226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_6cXbd_IPUI5OkkXDiVVz7PQ364JkBVl0vVNY8zSHN02-0kUESKgwGjpfHVu_Am7r6-mRYKRU2Nc5FJ20ip5ElvRWBrqS5DKMAvhHsGdPwcZfLJtDBFADPBSbl4sTfotq9BExEl4e48/s320/skylark.gif" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 311px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></strong></a><strong><br /></strong><strong></strong><strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Hi Everyone,<br /><br />Today I'm reviewing <em>And the skylark sings with me: Adventures in Homeschooling and Community-Based Eduction</em>, written by veteran <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">homeschooler</span> David H.Albert</span>.</strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Albert and his partner have raised seven <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">homeschooled</span> children between them, and have a strong belief in the value of community involvement for a <em>whole</em> homeschooling experience. With a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">foreword</span> by Joseph <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Chilton</span> Pearce of <em>The Magical Child,</em> and reviews by <a href="http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/bookstore/dumbdnblum1.htm">John Taylor <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Gatto</span></a> <em>(Dumbing Us Down)</em> and <a href="http://www.patfarenga.com/">Patrick <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Farenga</span></a> (<em>Growing Without Schooling, Learning Without Schooling and Teach Your Own: Revised Edition</em>), this is an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">unschooling</span> classic.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Albert's passion for providing a rich, individualised experience for his children's education is apparent. He generously shares his family's experience as Ali and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Meera</span> embark on their journey through learning. He freely admits the financial restrictions they experienced as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">homeschoolers</span> and how he and his partner worked in partnership with the children to afford resources such as musical instruments, lessons, concerts, a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">telescope</span> etc.</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">I found this realism comforting and felt inspired by the tenacity and inventiveness displayed by these children who have a strong desire to learn and a willingness to work toward solutions to make this happen.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Surely this is what education is about: instilling a passion in the learner, leading to a lifelong habit of self-directed learning and fulfillment of goals. To me, this is surely more useful than an ability to memorise and recite facts that others deem important yet have little meaning to the learner on a personal level.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">The ability of the author to see the appealing and not so appealing habits of intelligent, confident learners caused me to smile in recognition on several occasions. </span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">One example he cites on page 60 of the book follows:</span></strong><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>Ali developed the somewhat annoying habit of correcting scientific or other misinformation offered by others within her earshot, whether these corrections were solicited or no, and it took some doing on our part to at least tone down if not cure her of the habit.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">This experience is all too familiar in our home, and I find his down-to-earth account of living with children who are passionate learners charming in it's refusal to romanticise the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">unschooling</span> journey.<em> </em></span></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"></span></em></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">In my opinion,<em> And the Skylark Sings with Me</em> is one of the most useful, accessible books on natural learning around. It is intelligent, thoughtful, without pretense, and I will revisit many times over the years when I need inspiration<em>.</em></span></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"></span></em></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Talk Soon, Cynthia x</span></strong>Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-11520170547311902162011-09-03T03:33:00.000-07:002011-10-17T04:17:58.904-07:00Egyptian Celebration<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6_nlzq-BQ6z4NoiOM_f7Ypf17nNLv5485tp3nOZVUEpUTOCzfcmB96drDsxP3u2pHuqL9ozIGLj4PEtYuDeZuFccPkcUEl5AJAqwBn_jsBedJuA8HwIuh4eyaLOtHIvkDlkT36Cj8FY/s1600/egyptian-food.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 153px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648091300998785602" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6_nlzq-BQ6z4NoiOM_f7Ypf17nNLv5485tp3nOZVUEpUTOCzfcmB96drDsxP3u2pHuqL9ozIGLj4PEtYuDeZuFccPkcUEl5AJAqwBn_jsBedJuA8HwIuh4eyaLOtHIvkDlkT36Cj8FY/s200/egyptian-food.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Hi Everyone,</span><br /></strong><br /><strong>Well, a lot has been happening at our house....we're planning a Party to celebrate completing the section on Ancient Egypt in our <a href="http://www.welltrainedmind.com/the-story-of-the-world-history-for-the-classical-child/">Story of the World</a> studies. We are in the process of making a stencil of hieroglyphics to print onto a roll of paper to decorate the house for the party.<br /></strong><br /><strong>We are also working on ideas for party activities such as creating pyramids from sugar cubes, weet bix, and whatever cubes or oblong shapes we can find..someone suggested lamingtons but that really is a bit of an ask...to sacrifice a yummy Australian icon for the sake of a game...I think not!<br /></strong><br /><strong>In addition we are looking at Egyptian recipes and have come up with various filled wraps (felafel, meat with lots of spices, tabouli, hommous etc), rice dishes such as basic </strong><a href="http://egyptianrecipes.net/egyptian-rice"><strong>Egyptian Rice (<em>Ruz Mefalfel</em>)</strong></a><strong> and </strong><a href="http://egyptianrecipes.net/rice-with-beef-and-nuts"><strong>Rice with Beef and Nuts (<em>Ruz bel khalta</em></strong></a><strong>). For dessert we will feast on an </strong><a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/egyptian-sweet-couscous-dessert-173613"><strong>Egyptian Sweet Couscous Dessert</strong></a><strong> and a </strong><a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/egyptian-chocolate-cake-422428"><strong>Spicy Egyptian Chocolate Cake</strong></a><strong>.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7441725437134057321&postID=4348288313570184678"><strong>The Mummification Process </strong></a><strong>of our apples and chicken experiments are going along nicely.... the <em>control</em> apple is decimated and the preserved apples are in varying states of hydration. The chicken specimen is well preserved and our next step is to smother it in fragrant oils and wrap it in a bandage like an Ancient Egyptian Pharoah would have been. It's all very exciting.....</strong><br /><br /><strong>We've also had another Ed Department Review. Alexandra wrote her own review and I was impressed at the amount of self-directed tasks she has managed to achieve throughout the year. I take this as another reminer to trust our children to learn what they need, when they need to. As long as Alexandra continues to motivate herself and extend her learning in the direction of her passions, I am totally comfortable with whatever she chooses to do next. Alexandra has mentioned that she would like to attend a Secondary College next year, so perhaps that was her final review ever and we have almost completed the homeschooling journey of our first child ....an interesting thought!</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>For Jay's review, because of his age (6 yo) and learning style, I included photos with relatively concise explanations rather than loads of writing in our documentation. This still allowed me to expand on the reasons behind various activities and answer any pertinent questions the reviewer asked.<br /><br /></strong><strong>Another change is that Jay has started going to <a href="http://www.scouts.com.au/main.asp?iMenuID=15732542">Scouts</a>. This has provided him with such a variety of activities that over the past month he has covered society and environment (disabilty awareness week activities), health and physical education (camping), science (studies of marine life)...I could go on, just in that 1 & 1/2 hr window once a week.</strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwl3xnMQeSFdH3H4VvnluRcqiMNi9P0LOrB6_d-KT0kPec4G7j0FEKWV_DZcjTekweelP6qn6rnnCIY19RfqPKxy6YoaZC9tN6QG4vOLRZUVBOeSU4jc1tVcJ_RyonmUcOkm07nhAo9Q/s1600/241px-Scouts_Australia_svg.png"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 133px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648106092649910562" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwl3xnMQeSFdH3H4VvnluRcqiMNi9P0LOrB6_d-KT0kPec4G7j0FEKWV_DZcjTekweelP6qn6rnnCIY19RfqPKxy6YoaZC9tN6QG4vOLRZUVBOeSU4jc1tVcJ_RyonmUcOkm07nhAo9Q/s200/241px-Scouts_Australia_svg.png" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>I also appreciate that this is a larger group environment with volunteer <em>leaders</em> who run the show<em>.</em> This situation will allow him in short snatches to get along as part of a group, sit and listen when required, wear a uniform (which he adores), and to generally do the <em>sitting down and concentrating thing. </em>I think that in their place, these are valuable life and social lessons, and can add to a young child's image of who they can be in different environments. It's also quite outdoorsy and community minded which I think is beneficial. Anyway, that's the Scouts promo finished with :)</strong></p><strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Cynthia x</span></strong>Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-54634916196987243082011-07-31T17:30:00.001-07:002011-09-02T18:25:36.870-07:00The Poetry of Oscar Wilde<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtp_in_h-AAFba-91RDQOCCoR7h_U4xJQ1PMm4MA5lVVuwZtGWrQVlMaVSK0fqkXC6dMMW0GaOZwazgyfWTHdNpWo4OVr3g14bD5EMjZUJXhsY17nluDIj1a2824-qSlFAP0mcgpZhgMk/s1600/wilde.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 114px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 171px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635678517640758146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtp_in_h-AAFba-91RDQOCCoR7h_U4xJQ1PMm4MA5lVVuwZtGWrQVlMaVSK0fqkXC6dMMW0GaOZwazgyfWTHdNpWo4OVr3g14bD5EMjZUJXhsY17nluDIj1a2824-qSlFAP0mcgpZhgMk/s320/wilde.jpg" /></a>
<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >Hi Everyone, and welcome to Monday's Poetry Paradise.
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<br />Today I am sharing the poetry of Oscar Wilde. Born in Ireland in 1856, Wilde is widely known for writing stories and plays and fairytales, full of irony and sharp social observation. His poetry appears to be not so widely read, and is worth visiting, I think.</span>
<br /><p style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">Wilde's poetry, in my opinion, demonstrates the same social awareness of his other mediums, with an added depth and reverence for humanity, life, death and the beauty he discovered in his travels around the world.</span></p>
<br /><p><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The tenderness with which he writes of Italy in particular is evocative of warmth and beauty, as evidenced in the piece</span>:</span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> </span>
<br /></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.poetry-archive.com/w/madonna_mia.html"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Madonna Mia</span></span></a></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >A lily-girl, not made for this world's pain,</span></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >With brown, soft hair close braided by her ears,
<br /></span></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >And longing eyes half veiled by slumberous tears</span></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Like bluest water seen through mists of rain:</span></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Pale cheeks whereon no love hath left its stain,</span></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Red underlip drawn in for fear of love,</span></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >And white throat, whiter than the silvered dove,</span></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Through whose wan marble creeps one purple vein.</span></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Yet, though my lips shall praise her without cease,
<br /></span></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Even to kiss her feet I am not bold,
<br /></span></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Being o'ershadowed by the wings of awe,</span></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Like Dante, when he stood with Beatrice</span></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Beneath the flaming Lion's breast and saw</span></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The seventh Crystal, and the Stair of Gold.</span></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Oscar Wilde</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFflJ5TFSPE6LtOZap0aDEAzSqO5JKVZPyeOcOIch6R2Se-7u-AEynKNO60vGdL-VCrKrLAfybQXVdm8aSY8VpyDGH8nusSGLNpVIS0n7gxpIMpj3KMhela920l-Cc-gcGPZ6go0Ku6S0/s1600/oscar.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 140px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 140px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635677000610946034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFflJ5TFSPE6LtOZap0aDEAzSqO5JKVZPyeOcOIch6R2Se-7u-AEynKNO60vGdL-VCrKrLAfybQXVdm8aSY8VpyDGH8nusSGLNpVIS0n7gxpIMpj3KMhela920l-Cc-gcGPZ6go0Ku6S0/s200/oscar.jpg" /></a>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; FONT-WEIGHT: boldfont-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Ballad of Reading Gaol</span> is a poem detailing the grim reality of life in a Victorian prison. Wilde was imprisoned in Reading Gaol during his 30's, and died not long after his release. Following is an excerpt:</span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; FONT-WEIGHT: boldfont-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p>
<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.archive.org/stream/balladofreadingg00301gut/rgaol10.txt"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Ballad of Reading Gaol</span></span></a></div>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; FONT-WEIGHT: boldfont-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">With slouch and swing around the ring
<br />We trod the Fools' Parade!
<br />We did not care: we knew we were
<br />The Devils' Own Brigade:
<br />And shaven head and feet of lead
<br />Make a merry masquerade.</span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; FONT-WEIGHT: boldfont-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">We tore the tarry rope to shreds
<br />With blunt and bleeding nails;
<br />We rubbed the doors, and scrubbed the floors,
<br />And cleaned the shining rails:
<br />And, rank by rank, we soaped the plank,
<br />And clattered with the pails.</span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; FONT-WEIGHT: boldfont-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">We sewed the sacks, we broke the stones,
<br />We turned the dusty drill:
<br />We banged the tins, and bawled the hymns,
<br />And sweated on the mill:
<br />But in the heart of every man
<br />Terror was lying still.</span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; FONT-WEIGHT: boldfont-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">So still it lay that every day
<br />Crawled like a weed-clogged wave:
<br />And we forgot the bitter lot
<br />That waits for fool and knave,
<br />Till once, as we tramped in from work,
<br />We passed an open grave.</span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; FONT-WEIGHT: boldfont-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">With yawning mouth the horrid hole
<br />Gaped for a living thing;
<br />The very mud cried out for blood
<br />To the thirsty asphalt ring:
<br />And we knew that ere one dawn grew fair
<br />Some prisoner had to swing.</span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; FONT-WEIGHT: boldfont-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">Right in we went, with soul intent
<br />On Death and Dread and Doom:
<br />The hangman, with his little bag,
<br />Went shuffling through the gloom:
<br />And each man trembled as he crept
<br />Into his numbered tomb.</span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; FONT-WEIGHT: boldfont-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">Oscar Wilde
<br /></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; FONT-WEIGHT: boldfont-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">This comment on the prison system of the time is self explanatory, and demonstrates the power of Wilde's genius and versatility as one of the greatest writers of his time.</span></p>
<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >Cynthia Marston</span></div>
<br />Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-43482883135701846782011-07-09T23:14:00.000-07:002013-02-20T00:25:09.671-08:00Mummifying Stuff<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFUQIqSvrl1xU31vTzt6NyR2DFVv_WRj_r7Pinap2M92ydkT38hbgosYhGA8qwC9uNWCdp0hDtc0uw2_MLjCN4iZeY-EC7AqWIHbR8QdCtpPjcnlP7sWeGrzl6OU1jegKlKOOcdaGOHc/s1600/043.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627624069743593794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFUQIqSvrl1xU31vTzt6NyR2DFVv_WRj_r7Pinap2M92ydkT38hbgosYhGA8qwC9uNWCdp0hDtc0uw2_MLjCN4iZeY-EC7AqWIHbR8QdCtpPjcnlP7sWeGrzl6OU1jegKlKOOcdaGOHc/s200/043.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">Hi Everyone,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">Today we got the mummification process started on 5 apples and some </span><a href="http://library.thinkquest.org/J003227F/howto.html" style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">chicken</a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">Pete, Jay and Freida peeled and cored the </span><a href="http://australianmuseum.net.au/Uploads/Documents/7799/Apple%20mummification%20experiment.pdf" style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">apples</a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> needed for the experiment to see which salt compound (bicarbonate of soda, sodium carbonate or table salt: individually and combinations of each) mummifies most effectively. Plus one </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">control</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> specimen with no preservative at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">There was loads of mess....apple peels, cores and salts everywhere, but it was loads of fun, very </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">hands on</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">. Looking at and comparing the results will be interesting.</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">The chicken experiment was much more straightforward as we are not doing a comparison (couldn't stomach a </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">control</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> specimen after several weeks for that one!!!!).</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">We cleaned and salted the chicken.....just a few pieces for a science experiment here, wasn't keen to use a whole perfectly good chook that we wouldn't be eating :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">We will change the salt once a week or so and then embalm the flesh with oils and herbs from our garden....will keep you posted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">Besides that, we have been using the </span><a href="http://whathomeschoolingbook.blogspot.com/2011/06/book-review-family-math.html" style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">Family Math</a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> book, which is really useful. We have been doing some concrete numeracy exercises using</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7NjL7LuHiDmVkNmkKk-xP9ykZ4FREYIud5-7evk_MFOfD7d4cvExq1jWvCZ04i4XiLubqmvx8bBsUNEaTuyVCxKvxB4KVn3_R8oENTUESch3Z6ZVAi64o3HQIH16yfJ68eWrUaqgfU4/s1600/046.JPG" style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627621075697999746" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7NjL7LuHiDmVkNmkKk-xP9ykZ4FREYIud5-7evk_MFOfD7d4cvExq1jWvCZ04i4XiLubqmvx8bBsUNEaTuyVCxKvxB4KVn3_R8oENTUESch3Z6ZVAi64o3HQIH16yfJ68eWrUaqgfU4/s200/046.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 150px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXcKsbV38vGfpfgOMnR5JpJreb5o8PHs98DabQIDOqGotDQ2IsghunIepZSli73Qldxmx3W5g2Y1RMkHsZmcpYLIuCVfsJrXrTaTmi_u4MoNjSJLhJciI2TW85iGDvP8d6VeFusnpaMI/s1600/047.JPG" style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627621081359610498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXcKsbV38vGfpfgOMnR5JpJreb5o8PHs98DabQIDOqGotDQ2IsghunIepZSli73Qldxmx3W5g2Y1RMkHsZmcpYLIuCVfsJrXrTaTmi_u4MoNjSJLhJciI2TW85iGDvP8d6VeFusnpaMI/s200/047.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 150px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">household objects such as egg cartons and beans, and paper with dots.<br /><br /><br />The examples I've included are simply encouraging your child to put the corresponding number of beans (or whatever) in each cup of the egg carton (total 72 counters) as a basis of future exercises with number. The dots are for one to one correspondence and you remove the dots once the child is comfortable and place the counters onto blank paper.<br /><br /><br />Jay found the exercises easy and will move on next time, and Freida enjoyed a feeling of achievement, both finished their maths games happy and wanting to do more :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">We have also been using </span><a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Silly-Sentences/9780751374278" style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">Silly Sentences </a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">by DK </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">books. The children are having a lot of fun, and it is a good way to expose them to grammatical rules and reinforcing sentence structure while remaining creative.<br /><br /><br />This game not overly expensive, but if you would like a more personalized free version you can make at home, I discovered one </span><a href="http://www.dltk-teach.com/alphabuddies/sequence/sentence.htm" style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">here</a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> at </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">DLTK's Growing Together site</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">Finally, a bit of an </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Oh Dear</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> moment when Jay </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7C3UZeZedKsZ1HJYajZ7Az5-VRTPwyq06sK2UygLIxO_7OjkTYydzeMfZC5b6DoK3_-A9XwXOcW4KHnpGQptvrltAJF37uuiBqwW4AEjNwM3kBUBJOzQHMQAa_t5on8qshY3tPZ5jXgI/s1600/021.JPG" style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627621084594648402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7C3UZeZedKsZ1HJYajZ7Az5-VRTPwyq06sK2UygLIxO_7OjkTYydzeMfZC5b6DoK3_-A9XwXOcW4KHnpGQptvrltAJF37uuiBqwW4AEjNwM3kBUBJOzQHMQAa_t5on8qshY3tPZ5jXgI/s200/021.JPG" style="float: right; height: 194px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">constructed a flying fox for our poodle....I was torn between commending his ingenuity and basic safety...so hopefully I covered both in the chat we had when I came across this one...gotta love those freerange homeschooling kids!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">Talk Soon, Cynthia x</span>Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-19739460516343905072011-07-04T04:42:00.000-07:002011-07-05T03:52:29.728-07:00Update on Egyptian Mummification Project...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQ015fhjwHXycUCZ0Sgnt-WzzsJdUVK-lZcV8DJ-Z5TjtwyX7OjFNzkDNmIxXoggCdlGA7XQWiF7gIiFDXwSp0sPHpxTvGqVdDcutpe-U1fAHVEQ-W3fxhvDZeDK8NNdTk1JrKIP47Ys/s1600/chicken.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 274px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQ015fhjwHXycUCZ0Sgnt-WzzsJdUVK-lZcV8DJ-Z5TjtwyX7OjFNzkDNmIxXoggCdlGA7XQWiF7gIiFDXwSp0sPHpxTvGqVdDcutpe-U1fAHVEQ-W3fxhvDZeDK8NNdTk1JrKIP47Ys/s320/chicken.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625819331570151602" border="0" /></a>Oh, an update on the mummification process, Jay, my 6 year old now wants to mummify a <a href="http://library.thinkquest.org/J003227F/howto.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">chicken</span></a> as well as an apple. Not sure how I feel about this one, but can see the value of the exercise so will give it a go and keep you posted.....Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-6444287266731231492011-07-04T04:33:00.001-07:002011-12-22T17:39:07.854-08:00Spike Milligan's Silly Verse for Kids.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silly-Verse-Kids-Puffin-Books/dp/0140303316"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsmUfXVG3JhVt3UsTrprMdEjtNnV-0oeobR-nYon2vZBsznSPLTxI2sOBh0BKuu0ucojqKl3e3HKgcdFIYCY5pr-GoZLNVOLSB0Jstx_60umYyiFur_yYp5rmbauO822rz0_p2Sm-Rvk/s320/spike+milligan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625459027490164098" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Hi Everyone,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Time for Bluebell Books fortnightly poetry review.... time flies! </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Today I'm looking at </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silly-Verse-Kids-Puffin-Books/dp/0140303316">Spike Milligan's Silly Verse for Kids</a><a style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silly-Verse-Kids-Puffin-Books/dp/0140303316">.</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family:trebuchet ms;" >This book of verse is tightly written, irreverant, brilliant and as promised, very, very silly.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Spike Milligan is one of those staples of children's verse that I find never fails to cheer. His style is totally unique in it's blend of wisdom around the human condition and absolute craziness.<br /><br /><br />This combination in Milligan's poetry, along with it's lack of pretense or the sometimes caustic <span style="font-style: italic;">worldliness</span> of other talented writers such as Roald Dahl is foolproof in getting people of all ages to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family:trebuchet ms;" >have a giggle</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family:trebuchet ms;" >.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family:trebuchet ms;" >A sample of poems from <span style="font-style: italic;">Silly Verse for Kids</span> are:</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Said the General</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Said the General of the Army,</span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">'I think that war is barmy'</span></span><a style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://sites.google.com/site/dportfoliosite/spike-milligan"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gZACkBjUCHsWUGxSZy_akhCa7jxEtryTUc30kxF9VuF7ka0PlHJbkMZQfxloI7o9JagvB8zH1MfELgUMYIit63LGHqcYdaZZ9YH3lBwrAh3_1WiV1s92ZfzaCdUdSs7mEhI_aZgHRZ28/s200/Spike_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625452349303521634" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">So he threw away his gun:<br /></span></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Now he's having much more fun.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >(Page 21)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" > </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Failure</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br />I'm trying to write the longest first line that poetry has ever had,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >For a start that wasn't bad,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Now here comes a longer oneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I know I cheated:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >It was the only way I could avoid being defeated.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family:trebuchet ms;" >(Page 53)</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family:trebuchet ms;" > Mary Pugh</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Mary Pugh</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Was nearly two</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >When she went out of doors.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >She went out standing up she did</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >But came back on all fours.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The moral of the story</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Please meditate and pause:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Never send a baby out</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-style: italic; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >With loosely waisted draws.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family:trebuchet ms;" >(Page 13)</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >There's definately nothing else like it!<br /><br />Cynthia Marston.</span>Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-79173968391171781752011-06-26T16:27:00.001-07:002011-07-12T03:53:06.961-07:00Ancient Egypt and Cafe Stuff<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-vxmUGicUyy0qCxB87S8dIa6DOynat9QdnJREz1tS87msTGkC3eiiFWlpFKg0S1T508_JXBbkJF4wmZ93fwVgpzKAumraaV7YFY3pd-y4GbthHOQjJjQxWD6cTbnkW9AmT9htPVG2Ho/s1600/cuppa.jpg"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKRcsyDchfLkY1YbsbdGjikylo5M9RaXSQBSmNio9lr04uVFfyQnFfsX_RyDH7jwIBVrGyBaohpXEBzgwpiB6331UQKHNIiO5yIxwxJT6iOpsypc1g7YgYmArrcVKMRIU49_EUQzl95w/s1600/egypt.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKRcsyDchfLkY1YbsbdGjikylo5M9RaXSQBSmNio9lr04uVFfyQnFfsX_RyDH7jwIBVrGyBaohpXEBzgwpiB6331UQKHNIiO5yIxwxJT6iOpsypc1g7YgYmArrcVKMRIU49_EUQzl95w/s400/egypt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622688091253654626" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hi Everyone,</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">We've been looking at Egypt for </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.welltrainedmind.com/the-story-of-the-world-history-for-the-classical-child/">Story of the World</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> and we made a display table complete with a 3D ancient Egyptian temple kindly lent to us by a friend, a crepe paper river <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Nile</span> and grassy banks, domestic animals, and a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">playdough</span> pyramid.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It all looks great, and our next project is mummifying an apple. I found a really cool experiment with the </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://australianmuseum.net.au/Uploads/Documents/7799/Apple%20mummification%20experiment.pdf">Museum of Australia</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> where there are five controlled pieces of apple with a range of variables which you can record on a table and note differences in preservation, weight etc if you wish. This will give a fair understanding of the mummification process in practical terms, and is preferable (to me and my kids) to the 'mummification of a chicken' also recommended.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">We looked at the detail and symbolism in the painting above in a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">fantastic</span> book called </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/art/all/06002/facts.rainer_and_rose_marie_hagen_masterpieces_in_detail.htm">Masterpieces in Detail. </a><span style="font-weight: bold;">There are key pieces in this well known painting which are missing or hinted at that give a very clear picture of its context within Ancient Egyptian culture (hunting, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">hierarchy</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">tradition</span> etc) which I learned about from reading the detailed account in this book ....fascinating! </span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br />I've come across some Ancient Egyptian paper dolls, an </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.bookdepository.com/search?searchTerm=egyptian+cinderella&search=search"><span style="font-style: italic;">Egyptian Cinderella</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> story book, stencils and stickers at the </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.bookdepository.com/">Book Depository</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> which the kiddies can enjoy when they arrive...will keep you posted.<br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewvXwfmJZfWknluYyaHnBD1IP1m-T6OUy_3IHhRbe-tCJoTSmx2ah6uzkrT9iwp5fclVNKdmOvmw_mB4xJLE7YKBynsm1jCw0F_ClDx-sytwJabJVqkfQ2yuOVASrPuU1sg2VLzaTVqI/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewvXwfmJZfWknluYyaHnBD1IP1m-T6OUy_3IHhRbe-tCJoTSmx2ah6uzkrT9iwp5fclVNKdmOvmw_mB4xJLE7YKBynsm1jCw0F_ClDx-sytwJabJVqkfQ2yuOVASrPuU1sg2VLzaTVqI/s200/003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623081865774206786" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEida8M5SCr7izHvRDs3Gsl29Pyyh0GxkZe7F2o1UgUYGEwx1W_cB9VojLHiAmLVhoLK82M3yJUB4Evlk8ES5TAVZlBbieGDjNUpB9uP92CRlsSWsm8YKrlBvKUjbT8RxSy584UNY0DKkbc/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEida8M5SCr7izHvRDs3Gsl29Pyyh0GxkZe7F2o1UgUYGEwx1W_cB9VojLHiAmLVhoLK82M3yJUB4Evlk8ES5TAVZlBbieGDjNUpB9uP92CRlsSWsm8YKrlBvKUjbT8RxSy584UNY0DKkbc/s200/006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623082038173753298" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-vxmUGicUyy0qCxB87S8dIa6DOynat9QdnJREz1tS87msTGkC3eiiFWlpFKg0S1T508_JXBbkJF4wmZ93fwVgpzKAumraaV7YFY3pd-y4GbthHOQjJjQxWD6cTbnkW9AmT9htPVG2Ho/s1600/cuppa.jpg"><br /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oh, an update on Alexandra's Cafe Project....</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">she is still studying business maths, as well as researching recipes and food preparation for the project. She's also decided to organise and host a </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Cafe Day</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" > at our house....I'll be on staff for dishes etc..of course :)</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-vxmUGicUyy0qCxB87S8dIa6DOynat9QdnJREz1tS87msTGkC3eiiFWlpFKg0S1T508_JXBbkJF4wmZ93fwVgpzKAumraaV7YFY3pd-y4GbthHOQjJjQxWD6cTbnkW9AmT9htPVG2Ho/s1600/cuppa.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-vxmUGicUyy0qCxB87S8dIa6DOynat9QdnJREz1tS87msTGkC3eiiFWlpFKg0S1T508_JXBbkJF4wmZ93fwVgpzKAumraaV7YFY3pd-y4GbthHOQjJjQxWD6cTbnkW9AmT9htPVG2Ho/s200/cuppa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628416261413941730" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Lex</span> will create a menu with a couple of options for food and drink, set up the house as a cafe would look, and serve her guests with a smile. </span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><br /><br />She practised on us yesterday with a toasted sandwich for dinner and spiced <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Vienna</span> Coffee with home baked sponge and cream for dessert...I'm certainly enjoying this experience!!<br /><br /><br />Will update you on how the day goes with some pics of Lex's gorgeous creations.</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Talk Soon, Cynthia x</span><br /></span></span>Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-35017463854324094132011-06-20T00:28:00.000-07:002016-02-27T14:46:15.018-08:00Book Review - Unconditional Parenting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTHCTuVgTHMih-rS5FU8yXWB9m7-b3RfU8Kk6V1rRgtDH8hTiiDe_z_7Nt6xDtsC-ZKlbkPp7_LPoPBEsCmFzmnXM-VwPzw3eNGUXHTRxoyCXFmI9Wpncg97xXShE2hzw1cymVApTYAg/s1600/unconditional+parenting.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620200754810890402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTHCTuVgTHMih-rS5FU8yXWB9m7-b3RfU8Kk6V1rRgtDH8hTiiDe_z_7Nt6xDtsC-ZKlbkPp7_LPoPBEsCmFzmnXM-VwPzw3eNGUXHTRxoyCXFmI9Wpncg97xXShE2hzw1cymVApTYAg/s400/unconditional+parenting.gif" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 400px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">Hi Everyone,</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">Today I am reviewing </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.alfiekohn.org/index.php" style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">Alfie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Kohn</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">'s </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.alfiekohn.org/books.htm" style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">Unconditional Parenting</a><a href="http://www.alfiekohn.org/books.htm" style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">.</a><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Kohn</span></span> has written over 12 books and many articles including </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Punished by Reward</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">s and </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Beyond Discipline: From Compliance to Community. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">He</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"> has been a long time advocate for limiting standardized testing and empowering children in their relationships by treating them with respect through loving, authentic interactions.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Unconditional Parenting</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"> was the first of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Kohn's</span></span> books that I read and I freely admit that it turned my assumptions around children and parenting upside down.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Kohn</span></span> proposes that rewards and praise are a way to manipulate children to comply to our agenda for them.<br /><br />My interpretation of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Kohn's</span></span> message in this book is that with love, we traditionally assume that offering praise will cause a child to </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">do the right thing.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"> However, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Kohn</span></span> believes that children are naturally <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">pre</span></span>-disposed to make healthy choices (most of the time) if we trust them and deal honestly with them in a manner appropriate to their age.<br /><br />For example, if a child paints a picture of a building, rather than give a value judgement such as </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">'wow, what a great picture'</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"> (whether the child has invested a lot of effort or very little), we could share a </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">genuine</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"> appreciation for the work such as....</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">'I like how this building contrasts with the sky'</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">, or simply hang up the painting and allow the child to draw his/her own conclusions about their work.<br /><br />An experience I had at our local playground shortly after I read Unconditional Parenting gave me an amusing reminder of the concept of </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">overpraising</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"> to the degree that children cease to rely on their own perceptions of the world. The mother of a toddler was pushing her child on the baby swing and each time the child swung back she would say '</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">good swinging'</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">...I almost felt like patting this loving mother on the back and chiming in '</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">good pushing</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">' as she was doing all the work, and I know I have done similar things with good intentions many times.<br /><br />This experience allowed me a really clear picture of how we as parents can train our children to <span style="font-style: italic;">require</span> positive feedback to feel that they're doing an okay job, rather than being self-referencing and secure as individuals.<br /><br />Another important facet of this book is that children flourish when they are secure in the </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">knowledge</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"> that they are loved unconditionally. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Kohn</span></span> alleges that while we assume that because we </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">feel </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">unconditional love for our children, they will automatically <span style="font-style: italic;">know</span> this as the truth, this is not always the case. Unless we relate our enduring love to our children verbally and with our actions, they may assume we only love them as long as they meet our approval.<br /><br />This surprised me, and I wasn't convinced at first. However, since I have been employing the statement </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">'I love you and will always love you no matter what....and now let's look at what happened'</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"> at the beginning of many significant discussions, I am experiencing an incredible shift in the energy of my interactions with our children. Immediately the child knows they are safe in my love, and need not be on the defensive, allowing issues to be resolved much more quickly and smoothly.<br />I will add here that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">unconditional</span></span> parenting does </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">not</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"> mean allowing children to do whatever they wish, whenever they wish. It does not mean allowing our children to disrespect others or run the household. It means not withdrawing our love and approval in an effort to change their behaviour, but working for a respectful exchange of wishes which are resolved in a </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">win/win</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"> capacity for all parties.<br /><br />Personally I really enjoyed reading </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Unconditional Parenting</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">, even though it challenged a few paradigms for me and gave me a bit of a jolt initially :) I believe that by following it's basic principles, I now enjoy a much more relaxed and enriched relationship with my family and feel extremely grateful for this.<br /><br />Talk Soon Cynthia x</span>Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-72828773003798383072011-06-20T00:11:00.000-07:002011-06-20T00:27:01.352-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdlucQpaG-2PLRCdJKQndQkDe_nv3RKRBpVCx9UGn5SCkcjqXWe48sQfYU7HUOVxvyZmWTk7h-sIy9j7GEhPim0AjIvswsX1pihq_MC8t-GnDdOxxWcwjMBBm73MCCEyKX9wO2IJEEByc/s1600/tenpoems1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 63px; height: 90px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdlucQpaG-2PLRCdJKQndQkDe_nv3RKRBpVCx9UGn5SCkcjqXWe48sQfYU7HUOVxvyZmWTk7h-sIy9j7GEhPim0AjIvswsX1pihq_MC8t-GnDdOxxWcwjMBBm73MCCEyKX9wO2IJEEByc/s400/tenpoems1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620196814198787602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hi Everyone,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Another poetry book review, this time by Roger <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Housden</span>. I just loved this book for its insight and warmth.....enjoy :)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Today I am reviewing </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Poems-Change-Your-Life/dp/0609609017">Ten Poems to Change Your Life </a><span style="font-weight: bold;">by author and poet </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.rogerhousden.com/index.php?p=Home">Roger <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Housden</span></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.rogerhousden.com/index.php?p=Home">. </a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Published in 2003, this book is a collection of poems that have been significant to the author, but all are much more than that. These poems, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">beginning</span> with the transformational poem</span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" > The Journey</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> by Mary Oliver (following) are powerful, moving.....</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> One day you finally knew</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> what you had to do, and began,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> though the voices around you</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> kept shouting</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> their bad advice-</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> though the whole house</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> began to tremble</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> and you felt the old tug</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> at your ankles.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> "Mend by life!"</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> each voice cried.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> But you didn't stop.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> You knew what you had to do,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> though the wind pried</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> with its <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">stif</span>f fingers</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> at the very foundations,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> though their melancholy</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> was terrible.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> It was already late</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> enough, and a wild night,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> and the road full of fallen</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> branches and stones.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> But little by little,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> as you left their voices behind</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> the stars began to burn</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> through the sheets of clouds,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> and there was a new voice</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> which you slowly</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> recognized as your own,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> that kept you company</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> as you strode deeper and deeper</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> into the world,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> determined to do</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> the only thing you could do-</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> determined to save</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> the only life that you could save.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gradually the poems and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Housden's</span> critique of each lead the reader from the beginning of the life journey to the end with insight and a connectedness that allows you to relate the verse to your own life experience</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Other poets featured include Antonio <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Machado</span>, Walt Whitman, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Rumi</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Kabir</span>, Pablo Neruda, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Galway</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Kinnell</span>, W.S. Merwin and Derek <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Walcott</span>, and a brief biography of each is included.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subsequent publications by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Housden</span> include </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.rogerhousden.com/index.php?p=Books" target="_blank">Ten Poems to Change Your Life Again and Again </a></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" class="titleDate" >(2007)<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.rogerhousden.com/index.php?p=Books" target="_blank">Chasing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Rumi</span>: A Fable About Finding the Heart's True Desire</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> details are available on his </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.rogerhousden.com/index.php?p=Homehttp://">website</a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.rogerhousden.com/index.php?p=Homehttp://">.</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Talk Soon, Cynthia x</span></span>Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-65142668700758155492011-06-12T16:15:00.000-07:002011-06-13T15:21:02.398-07:00Parenting Article "I Want It Now!"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dreamstime.com/child-and-parent-hands-together-thumb4683642.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-child-and-parent-hands-together-image4683642&usg=__jodbyfD5oVWeTyoK3yoo1vxS6lo=&h=450&w=379&sz=30&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=DeeOM3RPaCOeuM:&tbnh=140&tbnw=118&ei=NEn1TcOSF47MuAP8vOHMBg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dchild%2Band%2Bparent%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DeAa%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26biw%3D1298%26bih%3D711%26tbm%3Disch%26prmd%3Divns&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=783&vpy=359&dur=18855&hovh=245&hovw=206&tx=147&ty=189&page=1&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:25,s:0&biw=1298&bih=711"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 168px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbdCqC3PtvPYNU1w7g7yv-fFrfUYQWFJ1drfFTxpR18Ykg_BDyGxvBiWxhEbRjPssTgi5uZG47u1JmCbry2L7AAyMqu7s910u_7_bOPLBEmqjVFKwrOu0FGQZFEuwqSIjClLe17SupgY/s200/child-and-parent-hands-together-thumb4683642.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617477151333638930" border="0" /></a><span style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Hi Everyone,<br /><br />Following is a parenting article I found thought provoking, so I'm sharing it with you :)<br /><br />Written by Scott Noelle, it proposes that while we often demand patience and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">acquiescence</span> in our children, we don't always employ a lot of patience ourselves. Interesting reading which encourages us as parents to think about the choices we make in our interactions with children....<br /><a href="http://www.enjoyparenting.com/daily-groove/i-want-it-now"><br /></a></span><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.enjoyparenting.com/daily-groove/i-want-it-now">"I Want It NOW!"</a></span></div><h2 style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" class="title"> </h2> <div class="content"> <p style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The <i>inner</i> process of creating requires two things: <a href="http://www.enjoyparenting.com/daily-groove/receiving-mode">asking and receiving</a><a href="http://www.enjoyparenting.com/daily-groove/receiving-mode">.</a></span></p> <p style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">People often fail to get in a receiving mode because of its paradoxical nature. To receive what you want, you must be free <i>not</i> to have it. The longer you're willing to wait, the sooner it will come.</span></p> <p style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">If your child is complaining about not having what s/he wants <i>right now</i>, s/he's stuck in the asking mode. Ironically, parents often exacerbate the problem by saying or thinking essentially the same thing: "I want the complaining to stop NOW!"</span></p> <p style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">To help your child get in a receiving mode, <i>model</i> it: get in your own receiving mode <i>about</i> your child's receiving mode! :) How? Simply imagine your child happily anticipating the fulfillment of his or her desire.</span></p> <p style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">As you deliberately enjoy that vision (even if your child is still complaining), you <i>become</i> the change you wish to see.</span></p> <p style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And when you demonstrate the receiving mode often, your child will eventually fall into it with you — naturally and willingly.</span></p><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">By Scott Noelle<br /><br /></span></div><div style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 0px 20px; font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Scott Noelle</strong> is a father of two, parenting coach, and the author of <em>The Daily Groove: How to Enjoy Parenting... Unconditionally!</em> Through his website, <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.blogger.com/Scott%20Noelle%20is%20a%20father%20of%20two,%20parenting%20coach,%20and%20the%20author%20of%20The%20Daily%20Groove:%20How%20to%20Enjoy%20Parenting...%20Unconditionally%21%20Through%20his%20website,%20www.enjoyparenting.com,%20Scott%20offers%20a%20variety%20of%20inspiring%20and%20practical%20resources%20for%20leading-edge%20parents.">www.enjoyparenting.com</a>, Scott offers a variety of inspiring and practical resources for leading-edge parents.</span></p> </div> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Copyright (c) by Scott Noelle. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted With Permission.</span></i></span></div><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;">And for more on conscious parenting....next post I will review Alfie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Kohn's</span> </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >book Unconditional Parenting</span><span style="font-size:100%;">.</span></p><p><span style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Talk Soon, Cynthia x</span><br /></p> </div>Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441725437134057321.post-32170947342387501312011-06-10T23:47:00.000-07:002011-06-11T03:43:02.752-07:00Finding A Rhythm In Homeschooling<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.tc.columbia.edu/taylor/artonart/TheMap.stm"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi459rx7HDs7J7nOFzNi44opnMpwZL_RyEACV9WIu0q9-yCHagnc_QZccYqJY-wAqJdO-yNKuU4v6jTKg0msF8ifMMuIyRpTrC_JFDVrx9OaC_IjwQtIBlDtKAJERN5qZ0zEAuPj6eVHjQ/s320/mary-cassatt-the-map_a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616863235752303250" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Hi Everyone,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I've been thinking about routines as a homeschooling family and how valuable (and rare) it is to follow the natural rhythms of life, especially in our results driven society.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >One of the hardest things for me to do when I first withdrew Alexandra from school over 5 years ago was to slow down and enjoy our time together. I loved being with my children, it's just that I felt an external pressure to achieve something....even now I'm not sure what that </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >something</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" > was :)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Since then I have realised that the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >external</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" > pressure I felt to conform was actually self-imposed and came from a lack of trust in myself as educator and my children as learners. It took me a while to realise that children generally self-regulate their own learning and social life.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >My constant worry that we weren't achieving enough academically and socially was actually working against us finding our natural rhythm as a family. </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >My own children continue to teach me this lesson in trust every day by continuing to be passionate learners and socially content.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Once I read a bit about homeschooling and had gained enough experience through living, talking about and observing the homeschooling life, I felt ready to relax into things a bit. Immediately I became less stressed and less inclined to indulge in 'external referencing' and much more willing to enjoy the time doing what my children and I enjoyed doing rather than tailoring our days to fit into someone <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">else's</span> expectations (real or <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">perceived</span>!)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Nowadays I feel extremely grateful that we have a much enriched family life as a result of homeschooling. We enjoy both structured and free time, and we go out socially a couple of times a week. This combination works for our family. Some people choose more structure, free time, more or less socialising, it just depends on where preferences lie as a family unit. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >We worked out our own routine (such as it is) pretty organically, and things run quite smoothly for us. The children have enough time for exploring the yard, collecting chicken's eggs, helping me to bake, drawing, writing or just sitting and watching a butterfly flutter amongst the lavender.<br /><br />Sometimes by the second or third day at home the kids are starting to snap at one another and we need to get out to 'blow away the cobwebs'. We invariably come home recharged and ready to relax into our natural rhythm again. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Depending on the nature of the outing, the children may be excited to extend their knowledge of a subject. One example is Jay's enthusiasm after we visited some local wetlands and collected specimens to view under a microscope ....once we got home he raced straight to his science books and literally sat for hours pouring over them and sketching what he'd seen.<br /><br />Alternatively, if we go to a park or other outdoor event where the children enjoy climbing, jumping and interacting with their friends, they will generally relish the quiet of home as a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">sanctuary</span> after a busy day.<br /><br />All of these experiences are worthwhile and add a <span style="font-style: italic;">wholeness</span> to my children's days as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">homeschoolers</span>. They are connected within the community and still enjoy their own time to develop personal interests at home, and indeed to find their own natural rhythm in life.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Talk Soon, Cynthia<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:78%;" >PICTURE - <span style="font-style: italic;">THE MAP</span></span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">BY</span> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:78%;" >MARY CASSATT</span> </div>Cynthia Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486561727032265269noreply@blogger.com