One may surmise, from my lack of posts about homeschooling, that we have let our school routine slide.
Not so. In fact, with this new year we're all feeling really energized and enthusiastic here in Acorn School. Things are going great. Bean is tackling his reading lessons again. Fish keeps asking me if random things like windows and oranges and shadows are made out of molecules. And Roo is finally learning to use the potty.
It's good to have this resurgence of energy. School got a little bogged down toward the end of last year. Our schedule went completely out the window, thanks to the Rabbit, who doesn't believe in bedtime. By the end of December things were totally unorganized and when you opened the homeschool cupboard you started an avalanche. However, we were still learning. Bean and Fish were especially enjoying Geography. December's unit was on the west coast and Hawaii and Alaska and Bean really really liked Alaska. We checked out some books on the traditional Inuit way of life and he ate them up. Now he wants to go live there. It didn't help that the Badger mentioned to him that he originally became a pilot with the intent of being a bush pilot in Alaska....
Anyway, to further fuel their enthusiasm for Geography I purchased a book my friend Janet reviewed on her homeschool reviews blog recently. Janet was somehow lucky enough to be selected for a panel that reviews various products for free. She then writes about them and, guess what, Janet? I read your reviews and I've been buying some of the products. I'm so glad I bought this book. It's called The Little Man in the Map, and my kids and I both adore it.
We also adore the educational toys we got for Christmas, including this building set called "Wacky Wigglers," by Learning Resources. They are compatable with the "Gears Gears Gears!" sets, which we have owned for several years. This set adds a motor and googly eyes and clacking teeth and other silly things to make moving creatures. It said "ages 5 and up" and I hoped that I would be able to let my kids just go to town with them, but I find that my five year old is not careful enough to have free rein with electronic components. Therefore when we play with these it has to be under Mommy's supervision. I usually end up building most of the creature myself and then they play with it, but they love it and someday they'll be building their own.
Not so. In fact, with this new year we're all feeling really energized and enthusiastic here in Acorn School. Things are going great. Bean is tackling his reading lessons again. Fish keeps asking me if random things like windows and oranges and shadows are made out of molecules. And Roo is finally learning to use the potty.
It's good to have this resurgence of energy. School got a little bogged down toward the end of last year. Our schedule went completely out the window, thanks to the Rabbit, who doesn't believe in bedtime. By the end of December things were totally unorganized and when you opened the homeschool cupboard you started an avalanche. However, we were still learning. Bean and Fish were especially enjoying Geography. December's unit was on the west coast and Hawaii and Alaska and Bean really really liked Alaska. We checked out some books on the traditional Inuit way of life and he ate them up. Now he wants to go live there. It didn't help that the Badger mentioned to him that he originally became a pilot with the intent of being a bush pilot in Alaska....
Anyway, to further fuel their enthusiasm for Geography I purchased a book my friend Janet reviewed on her homeschool reviews blog recently. Janet was somehow lucky enough to be selected for a panel that reviews various products for free. She then writes about them and, guess what, Janet? I read your reviews and I've been buying some of the products. I'm so glad I bought this book. It's called The Little Man in the Map, and my kids and I both adore it.
We also adore the educational toys we got for Christmas, including this building set called "Wacky Wigglers," by Learning Resources. They are compatable with the "Gears Gears Gears!" sets, which we have owned for several years. This set adds a motor and googly eyes and clacking teeth and other silly things to make moving creatures. It said "ages 5 and up" and I hoped that I would be able to let my kids just go to town with them, but I find that my five year old is not careful enough to have free rein with electronic components. Therefore when we play with these it has to be under Mommy's supervision. I usually end up building most of the creature myself and then they play with it, but they love it and someday they'll be building their own.
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