Eclectic-unschooling for 2021-2022

This new homeschool year deserves to be more joyful. Why? Because my children deserve it. My family deserves it. There is enough challenges in the times already.  Our home is our cocoon of safety, peace, joy, and love. And so will it be with our homeschool.  How will this year be different with the previous years? We're heading full on with our Morning Time, and we'll be more of the eclectic-unschooling type, more-interest-led, and project-based.

For my own "professional development", and to help me navigate, I got hold of books specific for the journey:

• Better Together: Strengthen your family, simplify your homeschool, and savor the subjects that matter most (Pam Barnhill) - a Morning Time guide.
• Homeschooling with Gentleness: A Catholic discovers Unschooling (Suzie Andres)
• A Little Way of Homeschooling: Thirteen families discover Catholic Unschooling (Suzie Andres)
• Project-Based Homeschooling: Mentoring self-directed learners (Lori Pickert)

I usually just register for the free access of homeschool conventions, but this year I purchased passes (I can do this every, or every other, year) for two homeschool conventions ("paid account" had me really tuning in):

• Catholic Homeschool Conventions 2021 (I love that it gives me a lifetime access to the incredible talks!)
• Connect Homeschool and Intentional Parenting Summit 2021: Thrive at Home

 

Here's how our days are going to look like:

Morning Time starts at the breakfast table with Catholic Sprouts Podcast, and daily newsrounds from CNN 10, and/or Children's BBC Newsround.  Call to prayer with a hymn (it has been Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah), this allows the kid to transition from what they're doing to our main Morning Time. We pray the Rosary from Mon. to Thurs., Divine Mercy Chaplet on Fri., and St. Michael Chaplet on Sat. followed by the Gospel for the Day. 

For our Morning Time lessons, I use pre-made plans I bought from Pam Barnhill's Your Morning Basket (less planning for me).  And add some more materials that I want to cover (more planning for me) that includes Religion, Virtues, Classic literature, picture books, Filipino tales, and leadership.  

Project-based-wise, I let the older brothers pursue their own interests.  I had them plan their own schedule, and subjects they want included-- Religion (Faith & Life 7), Math (Sir Cumference seris, , Science, History, Literature, and  Writing. They also get to choose the topics they want to read.  No workbooks or assignments.  

For the first grader, we're doing Phonics, Handwriting, & Spelling using programs from Catholic Heritage Curricula.  We did not finish Math-U-See Primer last year, so we continue to work on the 2nd half of the book, afterwhich, we'll use picture books from the Five in a Row booklist & lesson guides along with subjects that include Science, Social Study, and Arts. Five in Row is a multi-level, literature-based unit study program.  For Religion, we are using Faith and Life 1 (she works on the activity book enthusiastically, as with most of her materials).

As for the four-year old, he unschools, along with the goal of reading to him 4 books in a day. He's also tuned in for our Morning Time.  And the 18 month old, she's a budding bookworm.  She loved to be read to, like the rest of them did (and still do).   

With the pandemic still raging on, our mental health priority takes a front seat.  It reminds us to re-think what should matter in our homeschooling, in our home-- our relationships, everyone's health and safety, our sense of peace, joy, and a full love tank.  The academics, they can be had at a more relaxed pace, with a more simplified content, because no one's really "left behind". Trust that learning happens naturally.  There are graces that God pours in this season, and the important thing is to open up a room for that.

 

The year of the pandemic

 This should have been posted before school started, but here we are on our 3rd trimester.  Just for documentation:  I've added two things to help manage our homeschooling life. 

1) An organizer system. Made a box each for M1, M2, an J3 (unschooled last year, but now had to do a more formal Kindergarten) where they obviously keep their books and notebooks.  A space of their own, pretty simple.  Things still get lost, and pens vanish in thin air, but there's some improvement-- the boxes continue to be in use. 

2) I just want to keep the kids together, and spend time with all of them before they go work independently, hence, the "morning time".  We start with praying the Rosary (Mon to Thurs)/ Divine Mercy chaplet on Fridays/ St. Michael chaplet on Saturdays, and almost daily read up a Saint story. Then depending on the day, we read stories on virtue/character, Bible study, poetry, Filipino stories, classic literature, or do picture study. This morning time thing is specially helpful with a infant, and her ever changing needs as she reaches different stages and milestones. It has been like a... lighthouse. 

The rest of the "study time", the boys work independently on their Math/Science/Literature/Writing/Social Studies/Religion... depending on the day. Electives are Art, Music, Genius hour (where they pursue whatever interests them).

Writing has, and continues to be an area of struggle for the boys, especially M1, so I've invested on IEW. So like most of the world during the pandemic, they are also doing their learning by video streaming.  They're in fashion like that. (Seriously, though, I would highly recommend to most parents to explore homeschooling as there is such a huge difference from online/distance learning, where, as I understand, kids spend hours and hours staring at the screen.  If sitting in a class can be hard enough, how much more in that kind of set-up? Makes me wonder how much learning is really happening for most of the students?)

The boys are now also using Google and YouTube for their research.  Layers of filters in place, and enforcement of screentime.  Also subscribed to Epic!  With more kids reading, an ebook subscription platform can come in handy, and is cheaper. It's a techie-er year.  

Okay, it all seems like it's regular schedule.  It has been a blessing that we do not have to suffer such drastic change, school-wise, when the pandemic reached our shores.   But we do miss traveling-- visiting relatives, seeing other places, field trips, moving around in the city, and the kids miss their friends from the neighborhood, too.  I'm thankful for the wide open spaces in the village, and the 5 of them having each other for playmates.  It lightens the burden the of living through a pandemic.  If there's anything that we have to learn, it's to focus our energies on things that matter-- relationship, building up ourselves to be good people, and matters of faith and all things eternal.

 Our academic year ended three weeks ago after what felt like another year of drudgery. In fairness, within the year I got pregnant for the 5th time and during which, we tried to cover our curricula as much as we can so that we do not lag behind schedule as I expect to really slow down once the baby was born. Also, the boys did most of the work independently, but not before the was hormonal momma barked orders around. 

Some of the gems we found, and progress we made: thevirtualinstructor.com for art skills, Sitting Like a Saint by Greg Gotta do (a book on Catholic mindfulness for kids), Learning How to Learn course at Coursera, kayaking for M1, J3 unschooling herself and now she is [formal] Kindergarten-ready, rosary in Latin in the mornings, unsupervised use of power tools for M1, M2 progressing with violin lessons, M1 and M2 interest-led crafts (tiny robots, carton & styrofoam  battletanks & battleships in 3D, J4 potty-trained (at last!).

Yes, this time will be remembered in history as the year when the corona virus hit the world and had it on its knees. Friends said the kids were lucky because they were already homeschooling (indeed, in terms of education, we didn't have to fumble in the dark). But the thought that you couldn't go out felt like prison. The kids missed playing outside, and interacting with their friends in the neighborhood was severely restricted. So, for a time, for the sake of their mental health I let them out, with the constant reminder to do the precautions against Covid-19... physical distance of 1 meter between friends, wearing of mask, and hand washing. They play in the rain, and the mud with every rainfall. Every hug I get from them I cherish.

SY 2019-2020 Opening

The bulk of our materials for SY 2019-2020 has arrived!  I'm glad it arrived when it did and not a few more days late as I now only have 4 days to prepare before we formally have our first day of school (I have to read all the introductions and guide to parents).  The arrival of materials always feels like Christmas to me.  The kids are excited as well (but only because it includes a box of Tinker Crate).  But I also feel overwhelmed.  Last year was a rush, and probably a blur, as my focus was to get all the busywork-- the workbooks, done... never mind that I took a lot of shortcuts.  That's what long, frequent vacations without bringing along the workbooks do to our family.  And with that came the feeling that we went through most of our lessons just for the sake of ticking a 'done' box, but with not much learning.  However, their experience in Texas and Nevada was probably more enriching than all those busywork, so that kind of made up for that.  

This year, we don't have plans of big travels, so I hope to just follow the daily lesson plans, and take it easy. But I remind myself to keep things simple as this mom will definitely have lazy days especially as I approach the third trimester of pregnancy.  With the birth of a new baby, a family transition even before the second half of the school year.  Again, I expect to deviate from the routine that a daily lesson plan gives.  I've been there twice before.  

As we were unpacking, I gave a mini pep talk to the boys: this year we'll work at being more perseverant, diligent, and patient with the schoolwork, with ourselves, and with each other.  Simple. 

For this year I will use another Grammar, and Spelling material with my eldest. I love Language of God (CHC), but the kid struggles working on it that we most both end up upset when it comes to writing sentences.  So, I'll be trying the free Language Arts curriculum from The Good and the Beautiful.  For history (also a literature/writing program), I got for us Connecting with History: World History from a Catholic Perspective for it's classical approach.  According to a review, it focuses on humanities, and has lots of reading and application of grammar and writing. I think one of the best materials that I will incorporate this year (and the subsequent years) is Pilgrims of the Holy Family.  Even the dad is looking forward to the activities (I made him in-charge).  And it is with reading the introduction of this book that I realized how blessed we are to be [independently] homeschooling... that if overwhelm is my homeschooling 'storm', this insight by my eldest son (with whom I not only struggle with Language Arts, but with a lot other homeschooling and non-homeschooling issues as well) is my calm in the middle of the storm.  It goes, "...by teaching proficiency in a variety of life skills for the purpose of developing well-rounded young men and women whose primary aim is to know, love, and serve God." I know he was listening when, referring to the last part, he said, "because to love God we have to know God, and to serve God we have to love God..."  It did seem like he merely repeated it but I know in my heart that his understanding is deeper, and this was something he took with him from a previous lesson. My son has learned one of the most, if not the most, important lessons he needs to learn.  I thank and praise God for that. 

There are many more moments that remind me to look at the positive side, and the blessings of our homeschooling journey, like when they apply the virtues of modesty, and honesty in testy situations.  But as we open this school year, the insight of M1 above is my encouragement, and perhaps, God's way of saying, you got this!

Homestretch

At week 30  out of 34-36, we're at homestretch.  Just a slight back-log h our reading practice, otherwise, everything else is right on schedule, hence, will be able to finish our books for the school year. 

With a toddler in tow, we were core subjects-heavy for the year, almost side-stepping the electives, but enrichments--humanities, arts and music are important in their holistic development, so lately I've been incorporating and tried catching up with picture study, and also a weekly plan and determination to finish our ArtAchieve.com Level 1 before the year ends.  Also started the boys with  learning the recorder with Yamaha Advantage.  (Now I know that music class in high school was not for nothing). 

Just read a review of the movie Captain Fantastic, which I already watched 2 months ago.  It mentioned "nature schooling".  Google "nature pedagogy".  Nature schools or forest schools have cropped up in Europe, and the movement has started in Australia. Here in our city, everyone's kid is in Kumon.  Nature schools would have been a better alternative, in my humble opinion.  Anyways, so I searched on the topic, looking for how to's, and curricula, only to realize that we have it all along.  Nature study, nature walks.  We're just a little behind.  Should commit to weekly nature field trips once the baby is out and we can be out and about nature trekking.  And there are quite some places we can explore (ah, the advantage of living in the province). 

So, I've bought our books for the incoming school year, (though we homeschool year-round).  They're on their way.  Everything has been delivered to my sister in the US, which my parents w ill bring home with them.  Excited.  How can I not be?  Went SOOO over the budget.  Excited for the things we'll learn.  Praying with the coming year, learning will be more interesting for the kids.  Still more textbook-based, especially with the language arts program, but with how I have splurged on the materials, investing on non-curriculum materials, I'll take it as a lesson to learn to part with textbooks and have the courage to go for the more interesting, living books than be stuck with the drier textbooks, in the future.

As for record-keeping, a typical course of study, and achievement records (which includes materials used, date of completion, and credit) for first, and second grade levels, for the 2 boys have been filed, and will do for now. 

School about to end, plus something new on the site

We're in our last weeks of our school year. We're basically just making up on lessons that fell behind schedule because some days we just got a little lazy to learn formally with the textbooks.  We're ok with the pacing though, we still have a month for vacation which means less risk for the equivalent of the summer slide.

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I made some changes in the layout of this blog.  The links are placed in another page instead of the sidebar.  The links are not an extensive list of resources, they're my go-to/preferred sites.  What I'd usually recommend to friends.  I've also made another page of articles.  Posts that made so much sense to me-- something that I could've written myself!  And, I definitely liked that they're backed by science.  I'm just having challenges navigating the parenting waters, so they're some sort of lighthouses.  Or life-savers.

Making noise again

It's been quiet here for quite a while, 10 months to be more specific, but only because outside the blogging world we've been kind of busy. Homeschooling with an infant.  How we did it?  It's just really taking each day at a time.  Very thankful we're using CHC. We stick with the core subjects most days.  The rest of the time, the two boys are left on their own to play.  And, we unschool--among the highlights were kite-flying with the grandfather, and, we've started learning to whittle. This year, we also had a headstart of about 2-3 months (finished early the previous year), so we don't feel hurried with our schedule.

Now that baby J is almost 16 months old, she's also asking for read alouds a lot.  Lots of Mother Goose rhymes and singing.  She pulls books from the shelves and looks at the pictures-- voila! Another bookworm! So, yeah, I have 3 students now under my wings.

I already have most of M1's books for the incoming year, from the same curriculum catalog, CHC.  Additional materials will include a book for picture study, art lessons from ArtAchieve.com, and piano lessons from Hoffman Academy.com (M2 will learn these subjects with him). M1 is asking if he can start inventing already, so I'll probably burn some more cash to get that Little Bits kit.  

For M2, he's in the middle of Kindergarten (K1 & K2 combined, for a year) program, except for Science, and Religion, which he took with M1, grade 1 level.  He works fast, and is enthusiastic most of the time to homeschool. This kid has a great attitude, doesn't complain a lot, and is very kind.

On parenting.  The biggest challenge of parenting, in my humble opinion and experience, is coming to terms with one's self.  Despite knowing that among the keys (and probably the most important) to parent well is to set the example, it has truly been a humbling experience.  After 7 years of being a parent, I see my eldest, and the result of my so-called parenting. He's a great kid, but I also see how I could've done better (or, how I've inflicted damage?).   Now more than ever I realize and feel the impact of that. If there is someone I have to "parent" it's myself first. Sort out all that angst (where did it come from, anyway?).  When time flies so fast and you just have a window, and you don't think you did everything perfectly, you just get anxious sometimes... and that's where I am right now.  Anyhow.  I've managed to get a hold of some books.  If you're like me who's keen to improve parenting skills, and be intentional, these are my run-to reads:

• The 5 Love Languages of Children,by Gary Chapman
• Personality Plus for Parents, by Florence Littauer
• The Whole Brain Child, by Daniel Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
• How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
• Building Character, by David Isaacs

How we did the early years to Kinder

We finished Kindergarten level last January, and we’re now in the middle of vacation. We plan to start his 1^st Grade on April. Here’s the long and short of our ‘Early Years’, and how we’ll do it all over again with the 2 younger siblings.

Charlotte Mason’s method was the closest fit for our family. I liked her concepts of the art of gentle learning, and how it seemed so natural-- developing good habits, getting acquainted with nature, exploring with the five senses, growing in their spiritual lives, and playing outdoors. (See SCM Preschool guide).  We patterned our curriculum after Mater Amabilis Preschool (MA).  Sometimes we used  a sprinkling of other methods and materials, as each method offered something appealing. During holidays, and on very laid-back days, we shifted to unschooling.

The early years are formative years. For us, this was about bonding with the kids, and starting them with the right habits, character and faith formation. We read classic read-alouds to them while they sat on our laps. Play (see more play & learn activities) was definitely encouraged. When it comes to toys, I preferred the classic wooden toys for them.  They explored outside. We listened to children & classical music CDs.  And we talked to them a lot. We had no television, and they were not allowed electronic gadgets.  A parent’s self-improvement was also critical at this stage for character formation because these things are caught and not taught. We also got to know their personalities, and learning style better.  For this stage, I would also highly recommend Before Five in a Row. 

For Kindergarten, we used Catholic Heritage Core Curriculum, a couple of its elective materials, and we continued to stay close to MA as much as possible, and also unschool, and continued the things we've been doing for preschool.

Resources:

• Education Is
• The Early Years: A Charlotte Mason Preschool Handbook
• The Unschooling Handbook
• School starting age:  the evidence

Dear Kitty,

 
Today we finished our last chapter of The House at Pooh Corner (we've also read all of Winnie-the-Pooh).  It reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes.  And a childhood long gone by.  It made me think of oppressed children and their lost childhood.  And it made me think of children the ages of my sons stuck behind the school desk.  And now I think I know what the [homeschool] moms meant when they say that the worst day in homeschool is still better than the best days of school.  Although my kids are not yet reading words on their  own (oh, but they do read!  why else would they like opening books?!) and doing their math operations,  I celebrate these days of Legos and backyard explorations; and the comfort of having a brother for a constant companion; and the pretensions of being a peregrine falcon and of being a manta ray; and evolving interests, from cars to animals to dinosaurs; and of getting dirty with mud and more dirt; and the reluctance of taking a bath at the same time refusing to finish taking a bath; and the fascination with experiments without a hypothesis to prove or counter.  And as I send them off to bed, I wonder until when will your tail provide a soothing passage to sleep.  I think of your future and the days when you will turn to memory and nostalgia.  Because these, too, will pass.  But until then, I'm glad to have given them the opportunity to live their days like Christopher and Calvin in the land of enchantment and imagination. 


J

Cool to Unschool

I've been telling those who bother to ask what we've been up to that we've been on vacation for the longest time, since January, and our school year starts on September.  And that's for our 1st official year of homeschooling.  Come to  think of it, since homeschooling is not just going-to-school-only-it's-done-at-home, but more of a lifestyle, really, homeschooler's don't really go on vacation mode.  I've just realized that we're not really on vacation but just on the more unstructured extreme of homeschooling-- UNSCHOOLING!  We've taken a break from M1's textbooks, all those phonics, math, and writing.  But we continue to read.  Everyday books lie around, they scan pages, fascinated by the pictures.  At times they ask me to read, at times they don't.  They open story books and encyclopedias.  And of course, they learn from their play, from building blocks to pretend play.  They learn from the things around them.  Last week, they swam with whale sharks. When we got home we read on whale sharks, and other sharks.  We sometimes watch video clips of wild animals.  They're fans of the blue whale.  The other day, we again went to the beach.  M2 insisted we take home some sea water so he can conduct an experiment:  he wanted to see what will happen if we mix the sea water with oil.  Imagination flourish.  Today, they had their art moment (without any cue from me).

From the book, I'm reading, it says, trust that the kids are learning.  I believe they are. It's like knowing kids are growing and getting taller each day, you can't tell that everyday, but when you take their measurements, there's no denying that they've grown.  I'm not sure about M2, but M1 sure got my introversion, but engage them in a talk, you'll be amazed by the knowledge they've amassed at their age.

Meanwhile, I'm still in the middle of the book.  It gives me comfort in times when I can't sit down and be like the ideal homeschool moms blogging about their creative homeschools, that for our family we're doing just fine.

How we started to homeschool

I'm tempted to link to another article on how to start homeschooling (ok, I will... check this out). But let me tell you how did my husband and I start homeschooling our boys.

Homeschooling isn't completely alien to us. It is not a foreign-sounding term, quite self-explanatory, plus we know someone who had tried homeschooling. So, we were aware that there is actually such a thing. But still, we didn't bother to explore the world of home education. Which was why it never crossed our minds to send our kids other than to a regular school. Until we chanced upon a forwarded email, an article about all the wonderful things that this option to educating our kids has to offer. It pretty much openned our eyes, so much so that it convinced us there and then. So, the first step was finding out the reasons WHY we wanted to, and should, do this. Why take on the responsibility of educating them when we could've just worked hard and send them to a good school?

Step 2 was RESEARCH. About anything and everything under the homeschooling sun. Educate yourself. This could be a little time consuming, but not necessarily expensive. That's what the internet is for. I started looking up how to homeschool-- how to and what to teach the kids, lesson plans, curriculums, resources, books, support groups, providers, legal aspect (local rules and the take of the Dept. of Education), how to keep records, etc. Along the way, I also found out that there are actually different methods to teaching your child, different schools of thought when it comes to homeschooling (like Mason, Montessori, Waldorf, eclectic, classical, etc), different learning styles, even good parenting, and childhood development. For starters, things can get overwhelming (and to think, our kids are just toddlers). And when it did get overwhelming, I read articles that gave very sound advice-- not just on the technical aspect of homeschooling, but encouragements that are very much from the heart... just parent-to-parent, heart-to-heart talk. Also, clear up doubts and concerns that discourge a parent from taking this road.

Next was putting all those research to good use. We came up with a monthly, weekly, and/or daily SCHEDULE. Taking hold of teaching materials of our choice. Since we haven't signed up for a provider yet, we had to come up with a GOAL, a checklist of what the kids should've learned by the end of a period. In short, this stage is really about having a definite, solid PLAN, and getting ORGANIZED. Warning: there were lots of revisions, and there's always a need to step back, and do step 2.

Then of course, the action... diving in, and actually homeschooling.

The rest is optional (but can be helpful)... keeping a blog, becoming an advocate, attending homeschool conventions, so on, so forth.

My personal tip while still figuring the whole thing out: if your child is in his early childhood, read to him everyday, bring him out for a walk often, let him play a lot; if he is older and had been attending the usual school, talk with him about your decision to homeschool, ask around for reviews/feedbacks about homeschool providers (Philippine homeschools), and get one. Always spend quality time with them, and really get to know them. Be a good example.

Last but not least, pray... pray for God's blessing and guidance so that we may be successful with this endeavor, and be able to raise children that are not only achievers in every aspect of their lives, but are also pleasing to His eyes.

"It's ok"

One of them overdue post.  It happened just days ago, so the details are now a little blurry.  The kids were playing at the lawn late in the afternoon.   I think I was asking them to wash something (probably their toy, or was it their feet?).  Well, they ended up wetting their clothes, what with getting a hold of the hose, more often than not, ends up in water play.  So I asked them to already stop.  Then M1 asked me, Mommy, do I still have clean clothes? [Yes.] So, it's ok!  Reassuringly. Coolly. As a side note, he sounds a lot like me whenever he says, it's ok.  And I noticed, he used that a lot with his little brother... It's ok... He's echoing me.  And that's something I'm smiling about.  
Anyway, I have to look for the article my hubby once read.  It's about helping the kids to suceed by -- getting out of their way.

The Glorious Flight

For the first time, M1 shows excitement, and looks forward to another homeschool day.  All because of the book, The Glorious Flight: Across the English Channel with Louis Bleriot July 25, 1909 by Alice & Martin Provensen.

He loves it for the fact that it has airplanes in it, nevermind that they were primitive.  It does make him smile that an image of Bleriot XI is also in our encyclopedia.  But he also appreciated the onomatopoeia, Clacketa! Clacketa!   And the funny way the story was narrated.
I can only be too glad it's a great story of perseverance.

It's our 3rd book with a setting in France (Madeleine, Crictor), so we'll be playing French music also, Putumayo: French Playground.   Ooh, and Renoir!  Don't forget Renoir, or Monet!  Perhaps I should also have a French meal served, non?  M2 wants to try escargot, and I tell him, go tell Lolo D when you're in Manila.

Early encouragement to self

We're nearing the end of our 2nd week.  I find myself asking if we're doing ok.  M2 definitely doesn't want any homeschooling at this point, which to him means answering preK workbooks (hey, the ones I bought were labelled for 3 years old).  But he makes sure he's there whenever I start reading a story.  M1 tries to avoid studying but can be coaxed into finishing tasks.

I do have a lesson plan/ schedule which I follow.  But what I have failed to do was set goals for our homeschool, not a generic goal, but OUR family's goals for this year.  From an article, it tells me that I have to focus on 4 aspects,

1. intellectual
2. physical
3. spiritual
4. social

Intellectually, that he will be able to read simple sentences by the end of Kindergarten, do simple addition and subtraction, and learn to write letters.  It's broad, but to be specific, I'll rely & try to stick with the lesson plans, and I'm giving ourselves 2 years for that level.  Habits: diligence, perseverance  

Physically, that he can learn to dress/undress himself with ease, good hygiene (washing of hands), for him to be able to brush his teeth on his own.  To eat on his own even when dining out. To eat & sleep on time

Spiritually, to start to appreciate the Mass in a simple way.  To learn to pray reverently.  Memorize basic prayers.  Be able to do choose what to do based on what he knows is right or wrong, even when I'm not around.  To be patient, self-controlled, kind, honest, obedient, and forgiving.

Socially, to be well-mannered, to learn to always use polite words.  To be attentive, and diligent.  To be able to answer the phone politely, to learn to greet other people.  To learn how to behave when at a friend's house.

* * *

When academics can be a pressure (when homeschool=RRR), a reminder to self (from Simply Charlotte Mason),

1. Focus on the foundations:  habits, outside play, read-alouds, Bible
2. Enrichment & beauty:  arts, music, crafts, poetry
3. Reading, writing, math:  may be added as informal activities.  

Taekwondo, etc.

We will not be having swimming lessons for their PE class.  The instructor told us that both the boys have learned whatever they can learn at their age.  We'll just arrange for a session with her every other month for the maintenance of their skills.  She encouraged us to go swimming regularly (on week-ends) so the boys will not forget.

Swimming has been replaced by Taekwondo which happens every Tues, Thurs, and Sat morning & afternoon, an hour per session.  Mommy & Poppa have also joined them, so this is our version of family fitness program.  (Today was our 2nd time).  But Taekwondo is more than just for physical fitness, and self-defense, it's also for developing character, especially discipline, respect, courage, and perseverance, among others.

* * *

Focus on virtues:  Attentiveness.
M1 get's easily distracted when he's not that keen about what I'm making him do, like going over his workbooks.  And so from today until the end of the month probably, our character training will be on attentiveness.  

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Lesson learned on parenting.  Never let the children feel judged.  They'll be more open if they don't feel that they're being judged, or scrutinized.  As M1 and I were on his math practice, he was having a little confusion with the numerals 6, 8, and 9.  I asked him if he was wasn't sure about identifying one of them.  I sensed his hesitancy to tell me honestly, but when I gave him tips on how to remember, he realized that I only wanted to help.  And when I asked him if he's having the same challenge with the next numeral, he readily said 'yes', knowing that we'll be figuring out how he can remember.

Anyway, how we did it, we used rhyming words, and objects that can represent the numbers.  For 6, we played with the rhyming words six - yoyo tricks, as the yoyo can also look like number six.  For 8, "Eight! I see gate" with fingers forming binoculars which we then rotate vertically.  And, for 9, "nine, the lolipop is mine".  M1 is word smart, and visual, which probably explains why he appreciates the rhyming words coupled with our objects
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I was flattered this morning with M2's comment.  He was showing me a sticker of that yellow mini car from Disney's Cars when I wrongly named the car (instead of Luigi, I was calling it Guido).  He was giggling at my mistake, and so I also laughed at my mistake.  Then he said, "ang cute mo Mommy" (Mommy, you're cute) with a really sweet smile.  That sure warmed my heart.

First day of school

I remember myself as a student every first day of school.  I would wake up in the morning for the first few days with butterflies in my stomach.  The duration lessened as I went into college.  But I was always anxious.  Today is my eldest's first day, but he didn't have to go through the same anxiety I had.  For him, it's just another day at home with loved ones.  It was me, who had a little anxiety last night.  Of course, I was wishing it would be the perfect 1st homeschool day.   So I limited ourselves to just letter practice, counting with Math U See, music, and story time.  But we did take the whole morning because it wasn't as different from his usual day either in the sense that I had to ask him several times to finish the task.  But as I was doing so, I would repeatedly tell myself that it's really about training him for things such as obedience, diligence, and attentiveness.

And so it went okay.  We're a little off with the schedule, but basically, we stuck with the lesson plan.  I just have to remind myself everyday, otherwise put up a DIY poster, about building, and not breaking my child, and to have the attitude that would encourage him to develop a love of learning, and not a homeschool burn out, and of course, to prioritize on lessons that will make him become a better human, and not a walking encyclopedia.

Keep it gentle & loving.  Here's to a smooth sailing... cheers!

Like fishes in the sea!

Major accomplishment for the boys this summer is learning a new skill-- swimming!  In just 10 days (20 hours) they learn to not be afraid of going to the deeper side of the pool, to hold their breaths for seconds, and to kick & move themselves from one end of the pool, with a board at first, and without one in the end.  It was not totally tear-free in the 1st two days, but in the end, they developed a confidence and love for swimming.  They're actually asking when they can next go the beach/ pool.  I do plan to have them continue with the lessons weekly as their instructor will continue to offer swimming lessons throughout the [school] year.

Yesterday's Small Celebration

As M1 finished his Kumon Easy Mazes workbook, I got excited in filling up the Certificate of Achievement, the very last page of the book.  I gave him a big hug and kiss, and a handshake, and posted the certificate on the wall.  He surely was proud of himself and his accomplishment.  And M2 was now looking forward to having his certificate, too.  Then we had a halo-halo snack at Big Joe's.

Trying out new things: Behind the Shutter

Last weekend we attended a wedding, and my hubby left the camera with me.  Good thing I remembered to grab an opportunity... to let M1 try out photography.  Let's see if he has the eye for it.  

For a 4-year old 1st-timer with a DSLR camera, I should say his shots were great!  And I can count it as part of homeschooling!  So proud of your work, my boy!

Friendly neighbors

Among the questions constantly thrown at us, as with other homeschoolers, is how can they develop socially?  (Isn't it that the baranggay is the basic unit of society?)  Well, I also make use of the baranggay (in our case.  I encourage my kids to say hi to other kids.  Naturally, they were a little hesitant, but this morning, they sure made me proud.  Kuya M had a very good self-control.  A toddler w/ the sister who's as old as M rode his kart as soon as they got hold of it, but M held himself back and let them play.  Then we met another boy who M used to dislike but now he was willing to lend his toys.  We even invited the boy to our house where M & MP showed and shared him their toys, and weren't even willing to let him go home.  For their reward, they get to stick their 'social' butterfly on our WCV reward poster.