Old Magazines Become Interest-Driven Math Tools

Natural Learning, Intentionally - Part II

Intentional. It is my mantra, whether teaching my littles (and bigs) or embracing life. Intentionality has served me (and my family) well. 

How can I be intentional this minute to make a difference in the minutes yet to come?

The word intentional means (back to definitions):

From the 1957 Webster's New 20th Century dictionary, intentional was defined as

• Having to do with intention or purpose
• Intended; designed; done with design or purpose; not accidental

According to Dictionary.com, intentional is defined as

• done with intention or on purpose
• of or relating to intention or purpose

What proceeded the afternoon (minutes, hours or years before) contributing to the fruit of the day featured in Part I?

These were all lessons in and of themselves.

• Art supplies were purchased, then organized and stored in a manner accessible to the children with the developmental ability to determine appropriate use for said items (don't want acrylics on my walls, unless it is first on a canvas).

• Prior expectations and boundaries were set as to where the acrylics could be used (easel, kitchen table).
• Prior instruction was given as to how the brushes and tools were to be cared for, cleaned, and stored (otherwise brush hairs would be haywire and my house would become a paint palette). 
• Painting was an intrinsic interest I observed and fostered, something that mattered to them with the ultimate goal of spending time with my Dad (who loves to paint with them) and entering arts and handcrafts into the local county fair. 
• A library visit was scheduled and carried out where children checked out books of interest.

• Prior to that visit, children were given a tour as to where their books of interest would be shelved. For one child instruction was "this is where you will find animal books". For another, "this is the biography section". 
• Years ago, we discussed choosing appropriate materials, library etiquette, and check-out procedures.

The end result of many intentional decisions: I scheduled appointments, two learners finished fair projects, and two learners created three entrees in their writing notebooks. 

So, though natural learning occurred last week, there was intentional thought and instruction that proceeded the fruitful afternoon.

Natural Learning, Intentionally Part III coming soon!

Natural Learning, Intentionally - Part I

Definitions change. New editions dictionaries printed, new words added. In with the new, out with the old. I know it's cliche. But it is true (even if I personally prefer an older definition).

In twenty years of home education definitions have changed. Well, maybe not changed, perhaps understood and implemented differently.

I recently pondered comments made and questions received by parents who have entered the home education journey within the past five years. My conclusion: natural learning (sometimes referred to as delight-directed or interest-led) of yesteryear can be quite different from natural learning of today.

Natural learning of yesteryear, as I understood and lived it, was learning that happened as a result of a intrinsic interest but was often preceded by intentional actions, with lots of cheering on the sidelines. 

Today's natural learning is expected to happen instantly with no direction or prior foundation, no thought given to the natural interests of the child. In fact, I talk with parents who just "hope" learning will spark and children will "take off" but no time is allotted to provide training or significant resources.

There must be groundwork laid to make learning all it can be.

Don't get me wrong, there is truth to both perspectives of natural learning, and there is also truth in the matter that children will learn from life. However, children also need direction, tools, and intentional placement of resources in their environment for learning to move deeper, to "take off".

Last week, natural learning "took off" in my house. It wasn't planned. It was not on the "lesson plan" of the day, surely wasn't on my radar. After a morning of typical routine (you know teeth brushing, breakfast, and bed making), math and language arts instruction, and lunch, I had to sit with a calendar and phone to make several doctor appointments. I told the children I needed thirty minutes (so they knew the expectation) to make phone calls and than we would move on with the day.

A few phone calls and thirty minutes ended in a few more phone calls and an additional fifteen minutes. When I emerged from my calendar, I was amazed at what transpired in my kitchen and living room. So amazed and pleased, I let the rest of the afternoon play out and didn't interrupt with my plans. In the end they learned significantly more and were proud of their accomplishment to devise a plan to be productive while I was on the phone and carry it out....a plan that lasted hours and produced much fruit. They knew it and understood they were capable of self-learning even when I wasn't available to direct every step.

The afternoon of natural learning would not have transpired without prior intentional actions built on the intrinsic interests of the children. 

Those intentional actions will be Part II of this series. 

Playing Store

Playing store. Growing up I played "store" or "restaurant" in the basement with my childhood friend. Her mom saved empty oatmeal containers, cereal boxes, plastic ketchup bottles, and any other container resembling our favorite foods. When a container couldn't be saved, we made our own paper food--fried eggs, bacon, tomatoes, lettuces. We also made our own menus (spelling and handwriting practice) and added prices on handmade receipts (math practice). With all the fun we had, we never once thought about the academic skills we were practicing!

Funny how some childhood games and activities cross generations. Years ago as a mom of two young boys, I saved their favorite food containers. We set up a small store along the wall of our already cramped kitchen. When I mopped the floor, empty boxes tumbled off make-shift shelves. When the boys were learning to add, I made the prices using single or double digits (yep, cheap cereal). Later when they learned dollars and cents (which was way before the textbook told us to...cause they wanted to learn), adding three digits was one of their favorite past times (adding decimals can be learned early if there is practical application and interest). They played for hours, practicing math skills, learning conversational/interpersonal communication in a natural, real-to-life scenario. Best of all, they learned to cooperate, take turns and defer to one another.

Fast forward 8 to 10 years, my daughters have taken "store" to a whole new level. For the past few years they have worked at building a "community" in our garage. And, yes, on the way to our extra fridge, I weave my way through the streets, pass the Buy One Get One signs (handmade) and eye the paper Mochachinos (they look so real my mouth waters).Shops have come and gone as interest waxes and wanes or neighbor children knock on the front door to play. It is fun to watch. On any given afternoon life-learning and role-playing take math and language arts concepts off the page and into mock-life experiences. I reminisce as I remember the relationships and practical learning that took place in a basement 35 years ago.

Foil Floaters Experiments

"Mom, do we have aluminum foil?" 

Questions. Thinking aloud. Bending foil. Hypothesizing. 

Several questions and answer later, we were building floaters.

All different sizes and thicknesses, some with two sheets of foil.

Imagine the variety of floaters! Each as different as the mind which created them.

Questions kept coming.

"How many marbles will my floater hold?"

"What if the base of your floater was wider?"

"What if I used three layers of foil?"

Possibilities endless.

Clock ticks by 1 hour.

Learning. Thinking. Testing.

A great day for science!

Toilet Paper Tubes and Thinking Skills

A few handfuls of tubes. 

"Mom, can I use the masking tape?"

Thinking. 

Trial and error.

Marble makes it to the cup!

Success.

Innovation. 

A few more days. A few more tubes. 

Make changes.

Try again.

Grows in length. 

"We need a longer door!"

"We need more tubes!"

Ten days of thinking, determination, collaboration.

Accomplishment!

Learning Not Measured by Paper

"What if there is no paper trail to our learning? What do I write on my log? How do I show progress?" This is a great, three-prong question, one I have been asked for years.

According to statute in our state (in regards to our portfolio of records- click on link for more details regarding other portions of the statute):

(b) The parent shall maintain a portfolio of records and materials. The portfolio shall consist of the following:

1. A log of educational activities that is made contemporaneously with the instruction and that designates by title any reading materials used.

2. Samples of any writings, worksheets, workbooks, or creative materials used or developed by the student.

This parent understood what records she was required to keep according to statute and she knew educational progress was being made. As she and her children played Pizza Fraction Fun, one child figured out two halves made a whole pizza. Another discovered two quarters was equal to one half. But how would she log the learning?

The activity was the playing of the game and the game was the "material used". The mom could simply write "Pizza Fraction Fun game" (in the math column if her log is broken down as such) or just write "Pizza Fraction Fun game" under the date of the week it occurred. Her children could draw picture representations of the fractions they learned or which fraction combinations could be created (adding fractions) to make a whole pizza (drawing a visual representation is an essential part of expressing math).  Photographs could be taken as the "samples" or "creative materials" if the mom wanted to include so in her portfolio of work samples. These are only suggestions of ways the learning could be noted. There are others, I am sure.

Another parent, a parent of a high schooler, inquired:

"We spent two hours researching bank accounts for high schoolers. We compared what banks offered, discussed minimum balance, ATM draws, debit cards, and interest. I know we learned valuable information, but how do I log what we learned."

Parents have many options. There are no specific ways regarded to log. A simple sentence could be written. If notes are kept during the research, those could be added to the portfolio. The major points of discussion (bank account discussion- minimum balance, ATM draws, debit cards, and interest) could be noted under an appropriate course- life skills, personal finance. A photo of the teen holding her first deposit slip. Something that denotes the discussion taking place. Remember, if the high schooler had to explain what they learned, they would be able (due to the intrinsic nature of the lesson) to recount what was discussed and subsequent actions taken, if there were any.

Logs and samples, and how those items contribute to progress, will vary from family to family. Embrace what you are learning alongside your children. When learning cannot be measured in paper, be creative (but honest!) Tape the parts you dissected from a flower to construction paper. Photocopy a handwritten letter to grandma to show composition, grammar, spelling, and handwriting abilities. Take a picture of the geography puzzle siblings worked together to solve. Ask your children how they could document what they learned. They sometimes have amazing ideas, perhaps recounting something you did not realize they learned. Do not limit learning to only those activities which can be measured in paper. So much more learning potential awaits our children.


*This blog post is not intended to be legal counsel. As home educators, parents hold the responsibility as to the education of their children.

We DID Accomplish Something!

"I can't believe we did all this!"                                                

"Look at my photo book!"

"My reading list is HUGE!"

"I can't wait to show you the book I wrote!"

The exclamations of evaluation season are exhilarating! Children astounded by what they learned, eager to share what they accomplished. These are the days of summer, when children sit at our table and page through work samples and explain projects which denote the progress of their year. Booklists. Art pieces. Maps. Rock collections.

In our state we are blessed to have portfolio evaluations as an option for our annual home education reviews. My children, and the children of families we evaluate (my husband is a state certified teacher), appreciate this option. Evaluation days are show-and-tell days, days when parents and children see the fruits of a year well spent, remembering relationships built, whether with grandma or the local baker who hands out free cookies. Who doesn't like the opportunity to share what they accomplished? Children wait all year for evaluation day.

And moms? Speaking from experience, putting our children's portfolios together is hard work filled with satisfaction. Seeing the binder expand as projects, papers, photo sleeves, and pamphlets are added, reminds me that, indeed, we did accomplished quite a bit. Refreshment to my heart as I remember the days when I asked, "Are we getting anything done?"

As this weekend approaches and passes, Monday will arrive and once again the doorbell will ring. On the other side of the door waits a child, eager to page through a portfolio. The child's smiling face is the product of the wondrous, creative opportunities made possible by parents who sacrifice time and energy to educate their children. Now that is the ultimate accomplishment!

*This blog post is not intended to be legal counsel. As home educators, parents hold the responsibility as to the education of their children.

Spelling Cereal

Two weeks after an incredible "buy one get one free" sale and an impromptu spelling lesson with the cereal purchased at the sale, Dad was home, watching the young ones while I headed off to an appointment. When Dad asked what each child would like for breakfast, the four year old promptly asked, "Dad, could I have some of that spelling cereal?"

Dad wasn't quite sure whether spelling cereal was a breakfast choice or one of our educational games.  Upon further questioning, the four year old exhorted, "Dad, just open the pantry."

He did and quickly found out that spelling cereal was indeed a breakfast choice. It was letter-shaped cereal we had used for spelling a few days prior.

When I arrived home, my husband quipped, "Will you quit having so much fun with the kids!" I snickered.

Evaluation Season Fast Approaching

If you home educate in a state which requires an annual evaluation you are likely beginning to think about how you will fulfill that requirement. Go back to the mandates in your state. Familiarize yourself with them. If you are not sure exactly what is required, contact the state home education organization, a local support group or a mentor mom in your area. Head into the season educated, equipped and prepared. 

If you live in Florida, here are some of the most frequently asked questions.

What is a teacher evaluation?

Florida law requires parents/guardians who homeschool through the home education program with their local superintendent to file an annual evaluation with the county superintendent's office. The teacher evaluation is one of five options by which a parent/guardian can meet the annual evaluation.

Who can do a teacher evaluation?

The parent/guardian selects a Florida-certified teacher who holds a current Florida teaching certificate to do the teacher evaluation. Local support groups and state organizations often have a lists of teacher evaluators they recommend.

What can a parent/guardian expect at a teacher evaluation?

Each teacher evaluator will conduct an evaluation differently. Some will informally discuss the contents of the child's portfolio, others will administer a formal test.  Still others combine the two methods and ask informal questions as the portfolio is reviewed.  It is important that the parent/guardian interview the evaluator before the evaluation takes place so that all parties have the same expectations.  From a legal standpoint, the evaluator is noting whether the child "demonstrates educational progress at a level commensurate with his or her ability."

How does the parent/guardian select a teacher evaluator?

Parents/guardians should interview the teacher evaluator to be sure the expectations of all parties are acceptable. It is recommended that home school families locate a teacher evaluator in the beginning of the school year to determine what exactly the evaluator will expect.  Knowing what the evaluator will expect will help the parent/guardian decide on a record keeping method which supports the evaluation method.  Parents/guardians might ask the evaluator:

• Do you hold a current, valid Florida teaching certificate to teach academic subjects at an elementary or secondary level?
• Are you familiar with home education?
• Are you a home schooling parent?
• What words would best describe your educational philosophy?
• Have you evaluated home educated students in the past?
• What can I expect to occur during the evaluation?
• Are the parents/guardians encouraged to remain with the child?
• How long can I expect the evaluation to last?
• What materials should I bring to the evaluation?
• Where does the evaluation take place?
• What fees will be associated with the evaluation?
  
  
   
  
  
  Homeschoolers in the state Florida can find out more about home education from Florida Parent Educators Association. Their website features a host of information from the daily ins and outs of home education to the legal considerations and support group information. They also host an annual convention on Memorial Day weekend.
  
  
  There is also additional information on my website http://www.cherylbastian.com/.
  
  

Sticky Letters Become Words

"Mom! Can I have these!" 

Our youngest, a budding emergent reader, emergent speller happened upon a large sheets of 2-inch peel off brightly-colored sticky letters. A gold mine! Within 40 minutes she had completed the equivalent of a month's worth of spelling lessons, without tears, without coercion. Best of all, she remembered the words she spelled, days later. A win-win-win situation. Learning, fun, retention. That is what I call a productive day!

New Mama-Made Game

Mama-made games are becoming very popular at our house. And, we are learning!

Here is the latest mama-made game at our house (a small sampling of about 30 abbreviations in a variety of colors). We were struggling with abbreviations and multiple worksheets...well, that wasn't the answer. So, I took learning off the page and put it into their hands. What happened? They loved it! We matched the abbreviations and learned how to spell measurement words.

Side note: the visual-spatial child ordered the color shades (not shown here). Very cool!

Maybe there is a concept you can pull off the page for your child. Doesn't have to be fancy to be fun.

Learning and Paper Trails

Learning is often measured in paper. Thirty-problem speed drills. Handwriting practice sheets. Standardized tests. Lab reports. In and of themselves, these items aren't terrible. They have their place. However, valuable learning also takes place when there is no visible, tangible trace.

We have had one of those weeks, weeks where most learning will not be measured in paper. Stellar, life-impacting learning occurred, but we didn't have sheets and sheets of paper to prove our efforts. During the course of the week, we had the opportunity to:

• learn number recognition while playing BINGO with Great-grandma
• counted and rolled coins (collected in the family change jar)
• played Pizza Fraction Fun 
• weighed produce with a kitchen scale
• made figures with tangrams
• wrote letters on the driveway with sidewalk chalk
• retold a story we heard someone else tell and then discussed how point of view and experiences determine potential bias
• read a recipe, followed directions, and measured ingredients
• listened to Jim Weiss stories on CD

• spelled three- and four-letter short vowel words on a white board
• listened to The Tale of Two Cities and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (books on tape)
• reviewed state abbreviations while driving to Grandma's house
• assembled a floor puzzle of the United States
• listened to mom read Meet the Pilgrim Fathers by Elizabeth Payne
• learned body systems and their functions while listening to Lyrical life Science: Human Body
• listened to the Biology audio text while creating pencil drawings
• discussed the nutritional content of three types of cereal
• cared for the neighbor's dogs

Children were engaged. Learning occurred. No paper trace for these activities. The evidence resided in the minds of the young learners. How did we document our learning? We kept a resource list and took pictures of the white board, tangram creations, and completed puzzle. The rest...you will have to ask the children. I am sure they would be more than willing to share their adventures!

Our Favorite Microscope for Little Learners

"Mom, look at this wasp's nest. Quick! Go get the microscope!"

Little learners are curious. Curious about everything, big or small, wanting to take a second, closer look. That is when our Magiscope comes in handy. No slide preparation. Built-in light source. Removable ocular for odd- shaped specimens. What else could a curious little learner hope for?

When our oldest son was six years old, grandparents asked what he would like for Christmas. The Magiscope made a  perfect present, one which satisfied him (as well as his siblings) for years. In fact, 17 years later, it is still one of our favorite learning tools.

As I speak to parents, whether in a living room chat or at a large convention, I often mention our fascination with this portable scientific tool, one that gives little learners a simple, age-appropriate introduction to magnification. We carry ours outside to the swing set fort or to the front yard. We have even taken it on vacation. When the Magiscope is not with us, we collect the specimen in a baggie for observation at home. The Magiscope helps to foster a curiosity for natural science in our eager learners. For that, I am  grateful.

For more information, check out these links:

• http://www.magiscope.com/
• http://www.teachersource.com/product/brock-microscope-model-70-magiscope/microscopes-magnification

Academics, Character, Life Skills, A Blend of Many

There's been growing concern about the academic component to home education. I understand it. Home education parents feel the weight of the future of their children riding on their shoulders. Will my child have the skill set to find employment? Will my child be accepted at XYZ college? How will my child parent his future children, my grandchildren? All valid questions.

Mothering little ones (and older ones) I decided to conduct a study. A personal observation study. What is the real focus of our days? What gets the most attention? Where do my mothering energies find themselves during the day? What actions do I find myself correcting, reminding, reviewing, and restewing (if that is a word)? My findings made me even more curious. Yes, we taught academic lessons and reviewed skills, but the skeleton of our day contained much more. Much more.

Here's a brief clip of the scenarios we encountered in a three hour period:

We sit to do math (academic). Child one brings a pencil with an inadequate eraser (problem solving, life skill). Child two sits right down and opens immediately to the lesson for the day (character-work ethic). I begin to explain the math lesson (academic) while child two listens (character-attentiveness, life skill). Child one looks for another pencil (problem solving, life skill). Child two solves the math problem without complaining (academic, character). Child one sits, ready to learn and is soon engrossed with a word problem (academic). I remind each child to line up columns in three-digit multiplication problems (academic, character-work ethic). Each child finishes his or her math problem and moves to the next problem (academics, character-work ethic). Child three runs through the living room leading to the tile floor kitchen, chasing the dog. I remind the child about the safety issues of running on tile with sock-clad feet (life skill). Child one breaks the pencil tip and complains about having to get up to find the sharpener (character-work ethic). Child two continues to work on math despite the interruptions (academic, character-work ethic). While finding a pencil sharpener, child one requests a snack and asks for carrots (character, life skill,academic-nutrition). Child two also asks for a snack, requesting chocolate chips instead of carrots (character, academic-nutrition). During snack break child four works on a vocabulary lesson (academic) and becomes curious about mortgages. She asks me about the importance of saving money and how much is needed for a down payment on a house (academic, life skill). Children one and two, having finished snack, argue over a toy, each claiming they had it first (character-selfishness, life skill-conflict resolution). I pause my conversation with child four to help children one and two work out their dispute (problem solving, life skill-conflict resolution). Sock-clad child three runs through the tiled-floor kitchen AGAIN and I remind her of the danger involved (character). Math complete, I encourage children one, two and three listen to a book on tape (academic) while I continue financial conversation with child four and fix lunch (life skill, academic).

Academic? Character? Life skills? One doesn't happen without the other. In fact, had I solely concentrated on one aspect and not the others, one child would not have completed any written work and we may have had an impromptu field trip to the emergency room or vet clinic. My personal observation study proved valuable and revealing, powerfully reminding. As a home education mom, my job is far more important and a bit more difficult than simply presenting a myriad of facts in palatable chunks. My mothering impacts the totality of my children and will resonate with them for a lifetime.

P.S. For those who know me you may wonder "Hasn't she learned this yet? I mean, she has two young adults, high school home education (and one almost college) graduates?" Apparently, I still need reminding. Smile.