The Kid Can READ!

It turns out that D has been teaching himself to read. On Sunday he read aloud a page from one of his favorite Star Wars books all by himself  for the very first time with lots of encouragement from his dad.

I cannot take credit for this development. D has been teaching himself. I'm firmly in the camp of "no academics until age 6." I have always loved reading to my kids. However, in my opinion, if they want to read on their own, it is up to them to lead the way. One of his favorite electronic games is a "phonics and spelling" game I was given for free at a yard sale. (Above, you can see a photo of him showing M how to use it.)He also loves www.Starfall.com . The last few months he had been keenly interested in spelling and he began writing words to describe his illustrations a few weeks ago.(I also have not "taught" him to write. D has been begging me to show him how to write letters for at least a year now and he had taught himself to write the alphabet and to write words. I only suggested that he arrange them in a left-to-right configuration, which he happily has done. I now routinely get pictures with "I LOVE U J BY D" written on them.)

Reaching back to my childhood, I do not recall being taught to read. I do remember being 3 or 4 and sitting at my little table in my room reading a book about a michevious mouse named Pippa. I cannot recall the name of the book, only the feeling of pride that I could read it by myself. I know this is how D is feeling with his most recent accomplishment. He's always loved having materials read aloud to him; picture books, chapter books, newspaper articles. If it doesn't have pictures, he closes his eyes and engages his imagination, asking lots of clarifying questions to enrich his experience; asking about the definitions of words and how to spell them. It's as if he's sitting up a bit taller today when we read together, an active participant in the reading.

And so it is. D, has taught himself how to spell and read at age 4. As a mother, who has been by his side almost continuously since birth, I am in awe and honored to be a witness.

A Morning at the Opera

This morning we had the good fortunate to attend a preview of the opera "Hansel and Gretel." This program was organized by another local  homeschooling mom. The Boston Lyric Opera provided a delightful program with one of the cast members and a pianist to introduce the kids to vocal performance and opera. Given we all live outside Boston, they sent the program to us!  We met at a local church with wonderful acoustics. They performed excerpts from the full length opera,"Hansel and Gretel" by Engelbert Humperdinck, taking them through the storyline and demonstrating how the music is used to heighten the emotions of the scenes. D was captivated once the singing started. The BLO provided us with a CD of excerpts of the opera which D insisted we listen to the entire way home. Inspiration ignited, we'll delve into a unit study in preparation for the full-length performance we will attend in March in Boston. The opera is in English, which provides an excellent opportunity for engagement of children in this expressive art form. And dare I say, adults?

Link to performance information and on-line learning materials.

There Is No Air In Space

D is continually engaged, creatively integrating his imagination with observation. His keen awareness operates on many levels simultaneously, poised to observe the ant making its way across the floor while he perceives a slight shift in you breathing and asks you why you are upset. I doubt his intellectual mind ever rests. I often feel like I can't keep up with his probing inquisitions and ravenous appetite for learning. It is as if his mind is set to "Yes!" and "More!"; relentlessly wondering and seeking connection.

We were reading a story about Buzz Lightyear preparing for space flight. The story talked about how he was standing in front of the air conditioner because he knew how cold the air would be in space. D was playing around with his Buzz Light year doll. I was wondering if he was actually paying attention to the story I was reading. My doubt was promptly put to rest.

D, without even glancing up from his play, said, "There is no air in space. "
I stopped reading, looked up at him and smiled. "You are absolutely right, there is no air in space."
D added, "How can it be cold if there is no air?" Good question!
"We will have to look that one up." I replied.

The question had never occurred to me.

The theme of the last two days has been science. Yesterday we went to the "Budding Scientist" program at the EcoTarium and stayed for a planetarium show, "The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket." Then today we spent the afternoon setting up D's Toy Story 3 bedtent, reading some Toy Story books, and then thanks to Netflix Wii streaming, watched 2 episodes of The Universe, per D's request. We watched Season 1, episodes 1 and 2  - the Sun and Mars. He sat attentive for nearly two hours, asking some really great questions and we spent time discussing solar flares, robotics, and why Mars lacks an atmosphere but Earth has one. (Hint: It has something to do with planetary magnetic fields.)

Trying to Strike A Scheduling Balance

Today D. enjoyed his first gymnastics class today. It was great to watch him enjoy himself and to see some of his natural tendencies (like jumping, hopping on one foot, jumping over obstacles) channeled and affirmed. In the midst of New England winter, it is a great way for him to direct his incredible energy. There is also some family pride operating here as his grandfather was an NCAA gymnast and I studied gymnastics and dance in my youth.

Another activity. It is a constant balancing act between unstructured free time and scheduled activities which will be fun, engaging, and give my son a good channel for natural interest as well as give him a diversity of experiences from which to be inspired and challenged. News articles and academic studies warn of the negative consequences of overscheduling children. One of the many reasons I have chosen the homeschooling path is to hold off on formal academic work in favor of engaging my son's creativity through physical activity, art, music, and play while he is young.

Right now he does a preschool program at the local Audubon society once a week. He attends a fun and games session at the local community center twice a week, swimming lessons once a week, and now gymnastics. (My goal of one daily period of directed and vigorous physical activity, I will admit, is so that we can all maintain sanity as much as for his physical development.)  He practices violin for 1 hour a day and attends a private and a group class once a week. He has a separate Music Together class weekly. Once a week our homeschool co-op gathers for learning and playing. Finally, he attends Spirit Play at church on Sunday.

He seems to be happy with the activities. In fact, he seems to be happiest with a structured daily routine and at least one activity a day.  I carefully guard at least a 2 to 3 hour chunk of time each day for unstructured play for him while I do things around the house. We also read throughout the day and he reads with his dad nightly. When I secretly observe his playing, he incorporates bits and pieces of all these experiences in the most creative and unexpected ways. He's like a little sponge, soaking it all in.

So where to draw the line? That is always the question.

Today's Project - Digital Images of Artwork

Mountains of crafts, drawings, paintings, and love notes. Today I will begin to create digital images of each new masterpiece. This way, we can "keep" the images forever but I will no longer feel compelled to hold on to each piece in growing mountainous piles, created by my prolific artist-in-residence. How do you manage your childrens prized artwork projects?

Weekly reflection on Charlotte Mason Vol 1 Home Education, pages 21 - 37

It is easy, as a homeschooling parent, to go right to making decisions and plans regarding the curriculum you'll be using to teach your child academic subjects. Here, however, Miss Mason, starts us with what matter most – taking care of the health of the child. The curriculum will not matter if your child's health doesn't support learning. The most critical factor is your child's environment, and most in that is fresh air.

“The children walk every day; they are never out less than an hour when the weather is suitable.” That is better than nothing. p. 29

I have been beginning each “homeschool-preschool” session with a brisk 30 to 40 minute walk around the neighborhood, weather permitting. This is wonderful for many reasons. We have become more intimate with the changing weather; discussing the weather at hand and what about it is pleasing to the senses. It allows us to put any stresses of the morning behind us for the day, a way of “changing channels” in preparation for the next phase of the day. We feel more connected to the routines and the people of our immediate community as we tend to see the same people doing the same things every day. This is no easy accomplishment in today's age. The obvious benefit is exercise. Usually our baby falls asleep in the stroller as well, almost ensuring she'll be in a good mood and cooperative when we return home. Once we arrive back at home, we have a snack, discuss the day ahead – review the calendar visually and verbally – and go up to the playroom/learning room for about an hour of reading and activities. This walk is in addition to whatever outdoor play we have scheduled for later in the day. Tried out on a whim, the daily walk has proved a mainstay of our homeschooling mornings.

One quote that stood out to me was a comment on the issue of “lessons.”

'Oh, she has her lessons regularly every day.' Probably: but lessons which deal with words, only the signs of things, are not what the child wants. There is no knowledge so appropriate to the early years of a child as that of the name and look and behaviour in situ of every natural object he can get at. p. 32

My husband made the insightful comment a few weeks ago that our son's impressive vocabulary outstrips his logic. It is easy to assume that since he is so articulate that his reasoning powers would be highly developed as well. This is not the case. He is right on track with those, being 4 years old. His leaps of reasoning are often rather amusing.

It occurred to me that lessons that are solely language-based presume not only a certain level of vocabulary, but also and most importantly, context, which my 4-year old simply doesn't have yet. While I do present verbal lessons to help him develop the important connections between vocabulary, natural law, and reason, I have observed the lessons he gains the most from are hands-on. His favorite ones are “animal encounters” at our local natural history museum, conservation lands, and wildlife sanctuaries held for preschoolers where they get to see and touch animals as they learn about their habitats on nature walks. Experience supersedes any “gaps” of understanding complex natural systems and reinforce relevant vocabulary. Plus they are way more fun with the other kids than sitting in a room with his mom.

Your thoughts? Join the conversation and study group at http://www.amblesideonline.org/

Weekly reflection on Charlotte Mason Vol 1 Home Education, pages 11-20

What did you learn from your reading?

p. 17 "Despise: to have a low opinion of, to undervalue" - thus the dictionary; and, as a matter of fact, however much we may delight in them, we grown-up people have far too low an opinion of children."
I am ashamed to admit that I learn more and more every day how I have too low opinion of children as a function of my cultural training that I'd like to admit. That is not to say I think ill of children. On the contrary, I love children, mine most of all. However, I think that through pop culture, pop psychology, and mass marketing I have come to have too low opinion of their capabilities, desires, and innate moral character. I am beginning to distinguish  between approaching my child through who I"know" him to be through my daily experience of him and who I "think" him to be as determined by my expectations of a 4-year-old boy. When I default into interacting with the "idealized" 4-year old, it usually doesn't have good results. That is a tip off that I am not being mindful or present and my son can sense that automatically, usually acting out in some way to get me to notice him, to jog me back to being present. It is his way of saying, "Wake up mom and notice ME." That is "ME" as who he really is.

p. 20 "The mischief lies in that same foolish undervaluing of the children, in the notion that the child can have no spiritual life until it please his elders to kindle the flame."
    That a child could have an independent spiritual life from the start, one that originates and develops without the influence or consent of adults is profound to consider yet once considered, seems rather obvious. I recall having what I would now call mystical experiences as a small child. At that age I just accepted them as  "the norm" - everyday part of life - and had neither language with which to express them nor adults in whom to confide. Our real duties, as adults and parents, is to guide children in their spirituality, give them language with which to express their experiences, and candidly offer our own experiences to them. We guide them in our own faith traditions as lovingly and respectfully as we can, helping guard their experiences of divine love as best we can to fuel their growing faith.