Connections

So I am attempting to get into the blogging world. I have so many thoughts and no idea where to start. With another successful week of Homeschooling under the belt, I am started to feel very confident in my decision to teach my kids at home.
My daughter has been interested in computer games from about the age of 2 and has never really needed any guidance. This week she learned how to get directly to her special websites from the bookmark menu. While working on words this week I gave her a break and let her play on the computer. When I sat back and watched her, I realized that her interests have started changing. Yeah learning. She has indirectly taken what we have been studying in regards to putting letters together to form words and has found games that use these skills. She then proceeded to pull out paper and write down words that she found in the games. This was a self taught activity, not one that I had even thought of. All on her own she brought me a full page of words that she wrote and was able to read back to me. I almost cried. What a feeling to actually see learning in the process and to realize that it is ok to sit back and let them show you what they know.

The joy on her face was just indescribable, she was so so happy and proud of her work.

Instead of getting stressed out on whether or not we completed certain daily tasks, this week I decided to incorporate more self guided learning. Since we are still figuring out this schooling stuff, I do not want to overwhelm her with too much work. So far she keeps asking for more stuff to do, which is great. More writing, more reading, more art etc... it has been a great week.

Next weeks goal is to incorporate more outdoor activities. More visits to the park and less television. Recording the afterschool programs to watch later in the day has been a great move on my part. Between the Lions, Reading Rainbow, Design Squad, etc. Both girls love watching them in the evening during wind down time. PBS.com is what my daughter calls them...lol cute.

Jumping in Feet First

Well this has been an exciting week and a half or so. We started schooling our oldest who is 4 1/2. When I say homeschooling.. I mean more of a formal approach as toward working with letters and numbers. She has latched on to copying letters brilliantly. Upon waking and eating breakfast she knows it is time to get started, and is eager to start writing things.
Over the last year and a half I have worked with both of my girls with a very laid back but informative approach. Tons of fields trips to the zoo, park, playground, museums and any cultural event that I can get into with the donation of a can of food. We did not use this year as schooling, more as enjoying the outdoors.
The more articles I read about non-traditional schooling, the more I realize that I have been doing it all along. Now we have just added extra to our fun days. I don't let her get stressed, and to me the key has seemed to let her go at her own pace. Slowly throughout the day she adds more and more to her completions list, all on her own. So the idea of learning coming naturally has come into place.
Recognition of letters has led to recognition of words and a fascination of learning. As she goes back to her old computer games she is starting to put two and two together.

I am so excited. This is going to be a fun new adventure.