Thursday, December 6, 2012

Montessori, Age 3-6

From Montessori Homeschooling:

AGE 3-6:
Q. Can I use Montessori ideas at home with my child? 
A. Yes, you can use Montessori principles of child development and education at home. Look at your home through your child's eyes. Children need a sense of belonging and of being needed. They get it by participating fully in the routines of everyday life. "Help me do it by myself" is the life theme of the preschooler. Can you find ways for your child to participate in meal preparation, cleaning, gardening, caring for clothes, shoes, and toys? Providing opportunities for independence is the surest way to build your child's self-esteem. In Montessori 3-6 classes around the world it is this practical life element that builds habits of thinking logically, making intelligent decisions, following complex steps of complex processes, care in actions, and so forth, that prepare for a life of independent thinking and responsible action, and care for self, others, and the world. It is often the major area of work in the whole first year of the child's experience in a Montessori class. The Montessori 3-6 environment is filled with cultural, artistic, scientific activities and materials and books.  There is no junk food, no television, no computer.  Books, toys, and other educational materials are carefully chosen and of the best quality. The child is never forced to attend a lesson or do a piece of work.  The teacher is trained to model kindness and consideration, to observe the child and follow her interests in suggesting work, to give careful, individual lessons,to keep exacting records of what the child is learning and where his interests are leading him, and to refrain from interrupting when the child is concentrating on an activity. Much of this can be created in the home.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Going Timberdoodle

I think I hit a jackpot, and this has got to be it.  Really!  Timberdoodle seems like a lot of fun.  There's a lot of Montessori, with Charlotte Mason, just the right mixture of eclectic.  It seemed a little pricey at first, but it's value for money!  I think with this new addition, I'll be coming up with just the right homeschooling stuff for my kids.

With a handful of materials already--I have BFIAR, CHC, Montessori at Home!, some influence of Charlotte Mason... I have to get serious with my planning and time management, or else it will turn out to be sour case of juggling act.  Add to it the fact that I haven't resigned from my job yet, and I'm also an entrepreneur on the side, also with some personal interests/ hobbies of my own!  I myself have to homeschool myself on how to homeschool, financial literacy-- investing on paper assets, real estate, gold & silver, culinary arts (still waiting for a chef friend).

So, seriously, Seriously, SERIOUSLY, I and M1 have to be serious on our homeschooling scheds after he turns 4 years old, PreK level.  And then by March, I and M2 have to be serious on our homeschooling scheds after he turns 3 y.o.!  All necessary materials in,  calendars planned and filled, and no more jumping curriculums!  I'll be in need of a very good planner.  Or perhaps printouts of all the planners from each source will do?

Got to go to work.