I wanted to do another post about What We Do All Day. For several reasons - namely that we are constantly asked lol!
When we first started HEing we were very structured in what we did. DD especially struggled with the transition, and although both kids had WANTED to come out of school, they also needed time and familiarity to adjust. We didn't formally unschool - although we did exit the system a few weeks before the summer holidays - so we indulged ourselves with a nice long summer. But when 'back to school' time came (there was no getting away from it, with Back to School ads on the TV every 12 seconds!) (and every shop touting it's school-related wares all summer long) the kids needed the familiarity of routine.
So, back at the beginning, we had Spelling Books, Reading Diaries and lots and lots and lots of planned, structured learning (thanks mostly to http://www.twinkl.co.uk/ - who were definitely our mainstay that first year).
But over time we have moved away from the whole 'lesson' feeling. I won't lie, DD's spelling has slipped back a bit - purely because she doesn't do the sheer volume of written work she once did. But a gentle reminder and she's back on course.
And as for reading - well, since Christmas she has read 11 Goosebumps books, Harry Potter & The Philosophers Stone, Series 1 (8 books) of My Sister is a Vampire, The Railway Children and is about to start of The Box of Delights :-)
For DS spelling is more of an issue. As is writing, as is reading.
The curse of Phonics (don't even get me started!) has left a horrible legacy in him and he is still struggling to separate his sounds 'ai' 'ea' etc from actual spellings. We used to do all sorts of practicing and spellings and he became more and more stressed and resistant, so we stopped. We also stopped with the Reading Diary. And I stepped back to allow him the space the find his confidence again. And he has. His Beano subscription has brought him on wonders, it really has. He so looks forward to it being delivered every week and he really ENJOYS reading it. And that brings me joy, that he ENJOYS reading again - rather than feeling stressed and compared and made fun of. This afternoon he picked up a chapter book, fluently read the back to me and said "Hey why don't we get this one, it sounds good!" Well, of course I played it casual and was all "oh yeah, ok I guess, sure why not" when inside I was cartwheeling over the late returns!!
And when he wants to, he can write really beautifully now. There's no doubt it's below age expectation, it's definitely below what DD can currently produce, but he this was still the case when he was IN school. It's slow. It takes ALOT of concentration. It takes ALOT of coordination. It is quite fatiguing for him. It's also not in cursive. You know what, I couldn't give a fig ;-) Wait for the next change in Education Secretary and I bet THEY won't be writing in cursive any more either lol. But he can do it when he needs to. For example, when he decided to write this book recently -
So I'm happy with what we do and how we do it with regards to reading, spelling and writing.
For maths we tend to use Workbooks. This is because maths is NOT my forte! Thankfully it is DH's and it is the kids! They have also started having maths lessons with a fellow HE Mum once a month to boost their maths skills.
For science we use workbooks, You Tube, trips, workshops and STEM activities such as the Dyson foundation STEM challenge cards (Download them for FREE here - http://www.jamesdysonfoundation.co.uk/).
We also do Listening Time several times a week (most days we are at home basically). This involves the kids brining quiet activities to the lounge - Lego, drawing etc - which they can play with while I read from non-fiction texts. We then discuss what we've read - sometimes we do a write up or an activity like a mindmap of The Battle of the Somme or a write of whether they would rather be a child now or in Tudor times, from what we've read. Other times they draw pictures, or we try food or recipes from something we've read - a religious festival for example.
Other ways we learn are at a couple of groups we have set up. We run a monthly Geography Club for HE families in our area. We choose a country of the month, from the suggestions box, and the children research and prepare something to share on that theme. They can do a Show & Tell or add their work to the sharing table for others to view. Afterwards we provide related crafts, activities and food tasting all linked to the country we are studying and the children are free to participate in as much or as little as they wish. We have about 15-20 children a month, with parents, and it's a really positive experience for the children as they get to hear each others ideas and interests, and they are very encouraging of one another. Ages range from 5-15.
We also host a Learning Group once a month in our home. This is basically a Co-Ed we've set up with 3 other families. The Mums take it in turn to 'teach' a session - the kids have scrapbooks and get actively involved in their learning -
So far we have done Rainforests, Tessellation Art, Christmas Activities & Birds. Next month DS is going to be leading the session - on his beloved Carnivorous Plants! We do an hour's learning session, followed by half an hours calm play while us Mums have a cuppa. It's a really lovely format and is working well. Again, there is a wide age range - 5-10 years of age, 6 children in total - and it's lovely watching their friendships blossom and them looking out for each other, supporting and encouraging each others contributions.
Apart from this we attend a weekly HE gymnastics class, and fortnightly Multi-Sports Club in the warmer months where the kids have learnt Basketball, Rounders & Archery to name but a few!
DD has a monthly recorder lesson. They both used to, but only DD wanted to continue. They also both tried guitar lessons but, although their teacher was superb, it was too complex for them so they decided not to continue.
DD is also about to start monthly art lessons with a tutor, and they'll both hopefully be working towards the next level of Arts Award this year, having completed their Discover level last year.
We also leave LOTS and LOTS of Lovely SPACE. Space for the kids to think, to explore, to create, to be. It is more than a year since I have heard the words "I'm bored". We do occasionally get "I don't know what to do" - when I will offer suggestions, or they will turn to The What Next Box. But they are never bored any more - because the world is their oyster.
We don't watch TV during the day. It stays off until 4pm when they are allowed an hour before dinner, that's all, none after. They have no electronics, at all. We have a family computer, and I have a Kindle etc which we sometimes use together for research etc. And they do programming with DH on Scratch.
Other than this we play, see friends, play games, go to parks, walk, talk, read, hang out, BE. We visit places of interest. We go on trips and workshops with other HEers. We see our friends. We live our lives :-)
So I hope this helps answer the question of what we do all day :-) And I hope it shows how achievable and sustainable it is. Jump in, give it a try ;-) xxxx
No comments:
Post a Comment