My daughter Prima is the artist of the family. She’s always sketching, painting, and even constructing 3D projects, like the time she crafted this 3-D elephant out of twist ties and painter’s tape: I used to bemoan the fact that we couldn’t find an art teacher to help guide Prima’s talents, but now she’s learning [...]
Posts Tagged ‘learning’
28 Dec
Holiday Learning Fun
The idea that the holidays are a time to cease learning and take a vacation is detrimental to young minds. It teaches children to view learning as a chore from which one must escape in order to have fun. Instead, I teach my children that continued learning is not only good for the mind, but [...]
20 Dec
Eco-Friendly and Organized
I’ve always wanted an organized school room like this or this. But let’s face it–all those plastic bins and synthetic materials are NOT earth-friendly, and definitely NOT conducive to the cozy, organic learning atmosphere that I’m trying to build. Here’s a snapshot of the two spaces we use most in our homeschool. First, the homeschool [...]
15 Dec
Cozy Math for Kids
Isn’t it fun to study at home, where the chairs are soft and the teacher snuggles with you while you read or recite stuff? My kids sure think so! Check out Dizzy’s little “study hut” in the family room: When my children were in public school, they were privileged to study the most excellent Saxon [...]
5 Dec
Where’d She Learn to Talk Like That?
True story: My 8 year-old, Dizzy, is talking to a ten year-old during a recent home school gathering. “Are you good at art?” my daughter asks her. “Well,” the ten year-old muses, “I do try to pay attention to detail when I draw. This means I’ll be good at art if I keep practicing.” Say [...]
2 Dec
An Art Historian Writes About Natural (Home) Schooling
Julie at Mental Tesserae, the ever-eloquent art historian/blogger, wrote a very insightful (and art-related) post about the difference between organic, home education and its synthetic public counterpart in the life of her gifted son. Very thought-provoking and neutral (doesn’t bash on public schools), I consider this article a must-read for parents who are looking for [...]
2 Dec
Benefit of Natural Learning #1
Natural learning has its benefits–and lack of boredom is one of the best! It is a direct result of allowing children to explore their own creativity, unhampered by the clanging of a school bell (that would force them to stop working) or the pressure of peers (who might mock some of their more out-of-the-box ideas). [...]
2 Dec
Homeschoolers Beat the National ACT Score Average
Once again, homeschoolers have beat the national average in standardized testing–not that I’m surprised (since I did the same when I was a homeschooled child!). Here’s a link to the article: http://www.hslda.org/docs/media/2009/200908270.asp
This book has changed our lives forever. My children all overcome their attention disorders and obstacles to learning once I utilized the "nature therapy" described in this book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
