Liv can read. I didn't teach her to. We have never sat down to practise 'how' to read. She asked me her letters or we sang "ABC" or we read a book together. We wrote her name. She noticed the 'O' makes the same sound virtually everytime we write it. I marvel at her abilities. But, nonchalant, she lays for hours on her bed absorbing any book that catches her interest.
Watching this metamorphosis from non-reader to reader has been amazing for me. It has made me wonder what kids do at school all day.
I know there are other things to learn. I know that school is designed to teach children all the things they 'need to know'. But I am so pleased to see my children learn what they 'need to know' outside of this box as well. They are interested, so they learn. Curiousity may have killed the cat, but for my children, it fuels a fire called learning.
Today, however, my little boy began preschool. Liv went to preschool when she was three as well. She loved her farm-based school. The school that Briar will be attending is very much different than Liv's start but I feel that he'll enjoy having some time to feel independent and able to do something without mama.
Watching through the glass door to the classroom, I grinned at my 'big boy' listening to another adult and nodding solemnly. He and Brody, the little boy I care for everyday, sat together leaning slightly toward each other talking happily.
People have asked me if I will homeschool Briar as well. I can't honestly say yes OR no. We're taking it a step at a time. His 'education' may be entirely different from Liv's. Who knows? But I do know that this video articulates so much of what I have seen and watched my children experience since starting homeschooling....actually since Liv's and Briar's births....
Fourteen.
1 year ago
5 comments:
I have read to my kids, bought them books, taken them to the library, done everything to pass on my love of learning and still they refuse to read.
I would have made a terrible home school parent.
Kids vary so dramatically. I have always wondered do parents who home school ever find that some kids just don't take to it? And how do you deal with a kid with a learning disability, something that my daughter struggled with in her earlier years, but has since overcome for the most part?
Just curious...
Glad to hear you sound well.
They are amazing aren't they?
Poppy peaked over my shoulder the other day while I was flipping through a catalog & softly sonded out "P-L-U-S...plus!". She totally floored me!
Like you guys we read alot, I answer questions when asked.
She's 4!
Of to Uni next...;) XXxx.
Abby,
I am sure that some homeschool parents have definitely have had to deal with disabilities and difficulties. So very luckily, Liv is not one of the kiddos that need something extra to help them along.
I do agree enormously, that kids vary so dramatically. I am not sure what will happen in the future...Maybe Briar will be conventionally schooled. Who knows? But I do still marvel that Liv just seems to absorb her environment and learn by experience. She's a very hands-on learner and I don't know that she would be able to experience this joy of learning the way she does in a conventional school.
It continues to amaze me how much kids can learn if we just get out of the way. They really are equipped to pick up far more on their own than we give them credit for. I wish that our culture honoured that more, regardless of the place or the context. Instead of shutting kids away we really should be involving them in our lives so much more than we do.
I would love to homeschool my girls, but we'll just have to wait and see what the future holds. For now my 4 1/2yr old just started in a play based pre-school . . . no 'formal' learning, which is great.
It is amazing how different children can be, even from the same parents. My oldest has always had an intense interest in reading, even from a very early age - at 2yrs old she would just bring book after book to me to be read. My younger is almost two and had only just recently started to sit through an entire book, 'maybe' two. She's just always on the move.
My oldest was always incredibly verbal early on, can write her letters very clearly and has started reading and spelling. My younger is very physical - rolled, crawled and walked much earlier, but isn't as verbal as her sister was at this age. I think perhaps the brain just focuses it's energy on one or the other?
Anyhow, I couldn't figure out how to hear the video without the background music to your blog playing - is there a trick to that?
~C~
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