Library Thursday

We love the local library. When the kids were small we would go there for story time. They have outgrown this though :( 

Now that they are older we go there weekly to play on the computers and get books. The library has some good kids games. Freddy likes an architect game. Charlie likes a reading game. Princess likes the computer to read to her. 

I know a couple moms who make their kids sit and read at the library but I don't require mine to. Our library trips are often less than an hour. The library has an activity every week where the kids can earn a small candy. We are trying to take Freddy off of artificial food dyes but we allow him this one treat if he chooses to partake.

In the last ten minutes of our visit the kids can pick out 2-3 books in the kids section if they want to. However, I require them to pick out 2-3 books from the youth non fiction section. I don't have any stipulations on topics, just something from that section. Freddy often picks out artistic books. He's in an origami  phase. It is so awesome to see is artistic talents budding. 
Before he was into the origami he got the entire series of Learn to Draw books. He would practice his skills on the long drive into town. 

Charlie is into machinery. His books are often books on diggers, heavy equipment or mines. Every once in awhile he'll delve into joke books.

Princess is into anything pink. She picks books based solely on the color of the cover.

We have a borderline Unschooling philosophy where in the kids learn what they want to learn, on demand, with some math and what I want them to know mixed in. The library helps them to discover new interests.

This week I am reading John Green's An Abundance of Katherines. I really enjoyed The Fault in our Stars which was also written by him. I cried at that book. I NEVER cry. I'm downright black hearted.  But that book made me tear up. I'm hoping that this book doesn't have that effect on me.

December 11, 2014

This is what I love about homeschooling: Yesterday the boys were deeply involved in a board game. They had been playing for about an hour when it was 10:00 (the time we usually start school). Homeschooling allowed us the flexibility to stave off school for another hour so they could work on their problem solving skills, communication skills, bartering, empathy and their brotherly bonding. If they were in public school they would have had to clean up and leave right then. Sometimes people say that they can't imagine homeschooling. They tell me that their kids are too big of a handful but you know what? We avoid so many meltdowns, fights and disappointments because we have that homeschool flexibility.

And because the boys were busy, Princess and I got to enjoy some time together. 

Homeschooling is the best!!

Field Trip Friday

Last week we went on a field trip to a local gem. The Clark Planetarium is in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. You want to know the best part? It's FREE!! There are movies that you can pay to watch but we didn't have the time anyways. So we just played and learned. Some of the exhibits are the same as when I was a kid. This pendulum is one example. There's a whole lot of science involved but basically it proves that the world is spinning. I just like to watch it. And so does Freddy. 

Upstairs there are some terrains that you can walk on and pretend to be an astronaut. Here the kids are on the moon and Mars.

There are other things to do like feel clouds and create tornados. The kids love these hands on type activities. We often do science experiments at home and the kids love them.

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Have you seen Jimmy Fallon's science segments? They are AWE-some.

Here is the YouTube segment just in case you missed it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQWtZd8jM3g

Freddy is interested in growing up and working for NASA. He loves space, planets and just science in general. He loved getting to be close to the meteorites and study them. 

P.S. Can you believe how pale this child is? He is actually reflecting light. 

Our goal this week was to read a little more. I had set the goal for the kids to listen to me read one chapter book a month. We were doing great for this first 4 books of The Little House series (and consequently the first 4 months of school). We had cruised through Almonzo's book in 2 weeks. But now we are to the bigger books with less pictures. The content is less childlike. Laura's sister is now blind and the kids aren't as engaged. I haven't decided if we will power through them so they have the series under their belt or if we'll quit and find something more engaging. 

We are starting to listen to more audio books though. We have finished all of the How to Train Your Dragon books that the local library has. We are now listening to James and the Giant Peach. The book aren't great literary masterpieces like I would select to read at home but they are entertaining and make the long drive into the city more bearable. 

Freddy is dyslexic and I enjoy offering him the experience of books, however that may be.