The Sabbath

In Bible Study Fellowship right now we are studying the life of Moses.  It is amazing to me how frequently God talks with Moses about the Sabbath. In fact, after spending chapter upon chapter telling Moses all the details of the temple - his last command is that they are to keep the Sabbath as part of their covenant with God.  You might remember that this observance also makes it's way in the Commandments. 

I am a Sabbath breaker.  I was even in a Bible study that spent weeks studying about the Sabbath, ways to Sabbath, the whys of the Sabbath.  Yet, it didn't sink in.  This past Sunday I took my first real Sabbath - it was great.  We had a fellowship at church and I stayed late and wasn't worried about not getting stuff done.  I spent time with my son and husband without thinking about what comes next.  It was freeing.  

Our culture used to observe the Sabbath with blue laws.  Well that's gone out the window!  You can get anything you want at any time you want.  However, I think that there is wisdom in stopping, connecting, resting and just being for a little while.  Recently I was reading about a community where Sabbath has really impacted the community - here is a snippet: 

Not that everyone who lives in Toco Hills is Jewish, of course. Not even a majority. Actually only 20% or so of community residents attend the synagogue. But this orthodox congregation embraces a theology that has powerfully influenced the stability of the neighborhood. An observance that derives from the Torah's Sabbath day teaching encourages the devout to refrain from driving their automobiles on the Sabbath. Living in proximity to the synagogue allows the faithful to walk rather than drive to services. Consequently, the desirability of having a home close to the synagogue has caused turnover to be low and the entire residential area to remain largely immune to commercial incursion. Whether intentional or not, this obscure theological teaching is responsible for unparalleled community stability for many decades.

So there you have it - observing God's laws - even the obscure ones - can change your community.  Are you taking a Sabbath! 

My new hero . .

I had heard of her before but just in passing. Today I have been reading an online biography of Henrietta Mears (this link is a short overview of her life's work). Who? Just the lady that Billy Graham says next to his mom and grandmother had the most impact on his spiritual growth - that's who! Not to mention the founders of Campus Crusade for Christ and others. Her primary ministry was Sunday School (she started Gospel Light Press in 1933) and she had a heart for challenging college kids (it sounds like) to live for Christ.

One of the things her biographer is talking about is that she would teach about positive and negative Christianity. In negative Christianity you are separating yourself from the world. In positive Christianity you separate yourself onto God. For me it goes back (in some ways) to the difference between being naive and being pure. We want our children and ourselves to be pure- to be aware of what is out there but choosing what God has for us.

Here is a quote to that effect:

"Many Christians," she says, "put the emphasis on putting up fences to keep people out of the world, instead of putting up bridges to bring people unto God. If you separate Christians from the world but give them no promised land to possess, they will wander around in the wilderness having nothing — nothing from the world and nothing from the Lord."

Amen! I am going to read the rest of the biography now and I'll let you know what other gems she has in there.

Beware the chopper blades

This article caught my attention because it discusses one of my pet peeves - helicopter parents. I am not sure where this term originated but I know that it is used in Love and Logic to personify parents who are constantly hovering around their children. This article nicely describes the end result of such constant over parenting - feeble kids and lost parents. It is our responsibility to help raise children who are able to stand on their own two feet - not have to hide in our skirts forever. I wish I could say that this article is an overstatement - but it's not. My friend who works in residential life at a local university said that the number of PARENT calls about their COLLEGE AGED child's roommate problems has increased. Why are parents calling the college to complain about little Johnny's roommate - I don't know?

Everyone loses in the path of a helicopter parent. The problem is that the short term results seem so positive. The problems is solved. Little Jane doesn't cry. Your child seems so well put together. However, you propping them up throughout their childhood ensures they never learn a lesson on their own. This is not a good way to be sent into the world. So try to stop whirring around your child and let them fall down, make a mistake and learn a real lesson. I know I'm preaching to the choir here - but like I said, it's a pet peeve.

Child Centered not child friendly

Much of education today talks about following the child's lead, allowing the child to be themselves and similar seemingly appropriate phrases. In fact it is hard to find an early child care center that doesn't claim this approach and often elementary schools follow suit. For a long time I think I agreed with these sentiments but recently things have changed for me. Right now I am going to Bible Study Fellowship and we are studying Moses. This week we were talking about Pharaoh and that basically God had given him over to himself. In Romans 1 Paul discusses that if you want to go your own way - God will allow you to do so - often to your own destruction.

God is clear about his ways and he expects you to "train up" a child in the way they should go - they won't figure it out on their own. He also disciplines those he loves - because he wants them to have life and have it abundantly. I agree that sometimes "training" can turn into brainwashing and truly out of whack ideas, just like letting a child follow their own ways can.

I really think that Christian parenting is about finding that middle road between allowing the child to do whatever they think is right in their own eyes (which God normally doesn't think is a good idea - that's a judgement phrase in the Bible) and becoming so legalistic that your child never understands the grace of God either. It's not an easy balance to have. It is especially difficult when two polar opposites seem the only choice and both of them are pretty adamant that they are "the only way". I guess I encourage you to really consider what it means to train up a child in the way THEY should go (not necessarily exactly how you think they should be). I know that's my prayer for my little guy - that God would give me wisdom about how to train him to be the person God has created him to be and fulfill the plans God has for him.

Are there any standards anymore??

Well today at church we talked about "the Truth Project". The part that we discussed focused on the founding principles of our government. Basically it makes the case that all of our founding fathers (including Ben Franklin) believed that the Christian faith was foundational to their system of government working. From there morals were developed and then you had a people who were prepared to make good decisions. Interesting - and not what you learn in school.

Also, we learned that The New England Primer was the second most bought book in America after the Bible during the 17oo's and early 18oo's. Later in the century the McGuffey Readers became more popular and they replaced the Primer as the second most bought book in America. Basically, after the Bible, pretty much everyone used the same elementary textbook (at least in terms of introduction to literacy). These were focused on faith and morality as well as teaching reading. Today you can't even get people in the same district to use the same curriculum. Of course, the past was not perfect, but at least there was some real education going on.

One friend talks about the "group math" her granddaughter does. Basically this math allows students to determine if they think 2+2 = 4. If 8 of 10 students don't agree with this then you have to consider that maybe their answer - 2 +2= 5 is correct! WHAT?! This is craziness.

Somehow, we are allowing 1st graders to overturn centuries of mathematical understanding. We do this in other areas as well. Actually, we just don't teach them what our forefathers really thought and understood - because it doesn't fit an educational agenda that caters to personal exploration and denies absolute truth. Maybe this is why I couldn't find it in my heart to enter public school education. It's not really education!

Teaching Music

So as I consider homeschooling I am always looking for new ways to teach things. This October we have at least 6 birthdays we have been invited to. I don't think we can make it to all of them - but I was looking for new types of toys to give to kids. In my search for new and interesting things I came across Boomwhackers - even the name sounds like it is made for boys! It is basically a set of musical tubes that look like PVC pipes. When they are put together they can be played like a xylophone but you can also put them apart on a big musical scale and have kids play them. One child can play one note or one child can play the whole scale. They even have music books and a whole curriculum (K - 6th) to teach music with these. So, if I do homeschool we may have a musical curriculum based around these things - they just seem so useful and less likely to get destroyed by kids. We'll see. Just thought I'd put them out there.

Are you trapped in the "crazy cycle"?

Recently a friend recommended a book called Love and Respect. I haven't read it (there are fourteen copies at the library but they are all checked out - we'll have to see what hubby can do). However, just reading ABOUT it has been helpful. It's basic premise is that many marriages are caught in a "crazy cycle" where "without love - she reacts - without respect - he reacts - without love" etc. etc. - thus they cycle. If you go to the website read The Marriage Book and The Diet Book - it is RIGHT on - you will be shaking your head in agreement.

I got the chapter information off of the SAPL website basically this speaks to how we can show love and respect to each other. I think this is pretty public informaiton:

C-o-u-p-l-e : how to spell love to your wife -- Closeness ... she wants you to be close -- Openness--she wants you to open up to her -- Understanding--don't try to "fix her", just listen -- Peacemaking--she wants you to say, "I'm sorry" -- Loyalty--she needs to know you're committed -- Esteem--she wants you to honor and cherish her --

C-h-a-i-r-s : how to spell respect to your husband -- Conquest--appreciate his desire to work and achieve -- Hierarchy--appreciate his desire to protect and provide -- Authority--appreciate his desire to serve and to lead -- Insight--appreciate his desire to analyze and counsel -- Relationship--appreciate his desire for shoulder-to-shoulder friendship -- Sexuality--appreciate his desire for sexual intimacy -

So anyway, I hope to actually read the book soon so that I might better understand all these things. But more than that - I probably just need to pray and consider how I can better respect my husband. From other blogs I've seen that there are other acronyms to help you know what words are respectful and loving - but I haven't read so I can't say much about those. So I encourage you to think about how you are meeting your spouses needs! Later I'll talk about what I am learning about how boys learn best - lets just say often it involves moving around!
-

Post Summer Goals Update

Where has the summer gone - heck it's almost October. I'm a little behind. First with the announcements - the fundraiser for Z-Place was very successful (although a little hot in the gym). It was a much better event than last years' - in large part because of the couple that coordinated it. Also, little man's birthday party was a smashing success. We had about 16 kids under age 5 running around our house and having a GREAT time. I hope all the parents enjoyed it too. It was just fun to catch up with everyone. So now little man is two and he is showing his colors!

So, I will update the goals that I wrote in May:

1. Work on reading classical literature for Great Books. - Didn't really happen. I can say that my hubbie has listened more to stuff about these works but I am no closer than I was before. I think I should probably pick a list and start reading!

2. Learn more about teaching reading - possibly through SWR. - I did not start following the SWR program. However, I did read a lot about reading this summer and have learned a few things:
- Many Montessori teacher's are just as confused as I was about how to help Montessori students learn all the spelling rules etc. These are not things that are easily "discovered". So I think I like Montessori oral prep work and hands on approach but at some point a kiddo needs some direct teaching.
- Core Knowledge is working on a pilot program using Diane McGuinnesses approach to reading. I spent a lot of the summer before little man was born reading her stuff. Their new curriculum sounds FABULOUS! I have read most of the lessons they have posted and it's great. They have a skills stream (direct phonemic instruction) and a listening strand that incorporates science, fairy tales and social studies to build vocabulary and following story structure, etc. This is a GREAT way for children to learn.
- Spell to Write and Read - I just can't see myself using this structured and complex of a program to teach a five year old to read. I think it is a GREAT spelling program and I very well might encourage the use of it for 2nd or 3rd graders to make sure the "get" it all and are spelling well.
In the end the point for us now is to help little guy hear the sounds in words and play with words and stories to help prep him for reading - when the time comes.

3. Being better at planning meals - well that didn't happen either!

4. Being outdoors - going to the park - I was very successful at this. To be honest, this is one of the few goals that I really felt God calling me to do. Everytime we get in the car little man wants to go to the park. We have been to a park somewhere at least 4 times a week. He has had fun playing with other kids, we even made some new friends! He is a parkaholic. We'll have to see what happens as it turns colder - but for now we continue to enjoy the park.

Many other things have changed this summer - but for now we'll leave it at that.

Our own Olympics

Wrestling
Today as we pulled into the driveway I saw a green lizard on the house. I told little man to be quite and got him out of the car quickly so that we could see the lizard before he disappeared. Then we saw another big green lizard (this is the kind that one of the little boys on my block squeezed to death once upon a time). The lizards were near each other and started doing this strange head bobbing motion. Then they tried to attack each other. I thought this was our territory - but apparently they think it is their turf to defend. They basically had each other by the mouths and were holding on to each other for a pretty long time. We watched the match for at least 5 to 7 minutes - little guy thought it was pretty interesting. Finally, I had to take the groceries inside. When we went back out to check they had disappeared. I have never seen that before.

Rhythmic Dance
We have been a little lax with the wee one about TV watching with the Olympics on - it's sports and so it doesn't seem quite the same. He really enjoyed the diving a few days ago. Today we caught the very end of Rhythmic Gymnastics. The little guy took to it quickly. He found himself one of his play ties and began doing his own moves. I don't think he has much of a future in the sport (since it is a female sport) but he thought it was pretty fun. Don't tell his dad!

Unintended Consequences . . . Child Care Crisis

This fall many children across Texas will go to preK3 or preK4 for the first time. Only children living in poorer areas, homeless children and English as a second language students will have access to these free services in their neighborhood (so this does not apply to affluent areas of town). Research has shown again and again that children need stimulating environments, exposure to books, stories and songs in order to build their vocabulary skills at a young age and opportunities for positive social interaction. In theory free PreK sounds great!

All this is well and good until you realize the effect this has on the child care industry. All the non profit child care programs (churches, neighborhood programs, etc.) will either have to dramatically raise their prices or shut down as a result of this new "opportunity". Without preschool children on their roles it is almost impossible for a child care center to make ends meet (much less make a profit).

The ratios in infants are 4:1 and in a preschool room (3 and above) they are 15:1. In an infant room - charging $375.00 a month (yes that's $4500/ year for the family - the per capita income for poor areas in San Antonio is about $12,000.00/ year - so that's 1/3 of your income for ONE CHILD!)- you can't even cover the cost of the day care workers (and that's paying them 6.50 as part time workers - federal minimum wage rises to $7.25 next year)! You just can't do it with the younger children! If you are a parent just trying to make ends meet will you choose free or a paid preschool - FREE every time. So as a result of this we can add child care to the list of things that are fleeing the inner city. As it is, most people can barely afford day care and the waiting list for child care assistance is a mile long.

I am currently on the board of a program that has run a child care center for over 30 years. In that time they have consistently been one of the lowest and most affordable quality day cares in the area. However, we, along with many others are feeling the pinch. This is yet another example of how governments "good programs" can have serious unintended ripple effects. I am hoping that this will be an impetus for people to rethink child care in general - but we'll see!

I have much more to say about child care - but we'll stop here for now.

Cute Moments

I can't believe it has been a month since my last blog. Mostly because there has been a lot going on - but not too much to stop me from blogging. Before I launch into my most recent tirades - I will share a story about my very cute (almost 2 year old) son.

On Thursday I captured the little tyke teaching his stuffed dog. He was using all the words he knows and showing the dog all about them. He was reading the dog a book, blowing the dogs nose, putting the dog to bed and he wanted to feed the dog too. He also showed the dog his train and his cars. To show him these things my son would take the dogs paw and put them on the train or car and say the word. My favorite though was when he disappeared for a minute. When he re-appeared he told me bath and took me back to the bath tub. Sure enough, the dog was in the bath tub ready to get clean. I convinced little guy that his stuffed animal really didn't need a bath. This weekend we had the dog with us when we went to visit an old friend. I told my son to knock and he took his dogs paw and tried to knock on the door - it was pretty cute!

It is moments like these that I'm so glad there is no reason to miss them. At other times (like when he's throwing a fit about putting his clothes on) I really get frustrated. It is really fun to see him learning so much.

Bad mom moment

Today we arrived home from evening church to discover a small gecko lizard in a dish we had out (no food - just a dish). That served as a learning moment for the boy and he liked the lizard. I think while we were returning it to nature, another little pest entered our home. Little guy was very hungry so he sat happily in the big chair waiting while I made spaghetti. At one point he started saying bug and sort of pointing to the ground. This and the word "no" are the two words he seems to have down pat. However, I didn't see any bugs so I just dismissed it. There was a ball nearby - maybe he was talking about that.

Well when I brought him his food I noticed that there was indeed a bug - a mosquito. I saw one little bite and didn't think much more of it. Well, as we were putting him into his bath I realized the bug had gone to town. He had a total of 9 mosquito bites all up and down his leg. I felt HORRIBLE. He had tried to tell me and I dismissed it.

I should have known. Earlier this week he was pointing into the bathroom saying bug and I thought he was telling me that's where we flush the bugs down the toilet (because he has done that before). Well, he kept on saying it so I finally got up to see what was happening. Sure enough there was a dead bug right there. I am actually surprised that he didn't go find a shoe for me - often he will bring a shoe to you when he sees a bug.

Needless to say, in the future I will heed his warnings about bugs.

BFFs

We are so blessed that we have family friends that are basically our little guys best friends and almost like brothers and sisters. Today my son was seen trying to kiss their 2 1/2 year old - but the older sister (age 5) claims they were just dancing (they were running around like crazy and trying to hug each other just beforehand). My little guy now responds when I mention their name and wants to leave immediately to see them. He picks out his book with their pictures and looks for them in the book. He recognizes their street and begins yelling when we turn onto it. On occasion, when we've been near their house and not going to see them, I think he's tried to give me "better directions". He just adds to the craziness of 4 kids 5 and under and laughs and loves every minute of it. Today he even had a "he's touching me" fight in the back seat of the car. Ah, the struggles of friends and siblings. Later he was meowing and making his cat sign with everyone else in the back seat. What a blessing!

Baby Explosion

There are lots of new little ones out there. Two little ones just turned a month old (including the one I mentioned visiting in the last post). One little girl was born last week, a little boy this week and hopefully in the next couple days another friend will have her little one. So, there are babies everywhere.

I have to say my little guy did very well with the baby at the house we visited. He was always wondering where the baby was and responded when the baby cried (he doesn't talk yet but he would look around concerned and start pointing). He did come close to actually saying baby a few times. Since we've been home he found his doll and has started trying to care for it a little bit. That's more than he's ever done before.

Blessings to all the mothers - as they welcome the second or third child into their hearts and homes!

Home James

Little guy and I just returned from a trip to El Paso. We went to see my college roommate and her two kiddos. We had a good time - it was very low key (did I mention she has a two year old and a one month old). There were some bumps in the road - little guy had a cold and decided to share it with others, he also started getting his molars in. Additionally it was so exciting in a new place that he could not be bothered to stop and rest. He would get up about 4:30 in the morning and finally fall asleep around 8:00 at night - sometimes without a real nap. Despite these little issues we had a good time. They live in a little area of the city called Kern Place - it is great (nice sidewalks, big park nearby, etc.) So we did a lot of walking - which was fun.

It is good to be home. Hubbie cleaned up while we were gone - which was nice. I think he was bored. I am glad to report that little guy did sleep well last night and is napping peacefully as I type. It's been a while since I've been on vacation and it was a good break. Now we are back to just regular life.

I heart Jack Black movies

Although his movies present themselves as silly comedies - the ones I really like School of Rock and now Be Kind Rewind are really about building community. Both of them have the message that together we can do more than we expected possible. That looking for the good in others is worth the effort. That it's worth risking a little bit for friendship and to see others grow into their dreams. Yes, it's all in these movies. I am not talking about Nacho Libre - that was not one of his better films (that is the last film we saw in the dollar theater before little man was born - other than that it was pretty forgetable). We also saw The Holiday - it was okay, a pretty typical romantic comedy. Still about finding passion -but not in community.

If you do decide to watch Be Kind Rewind please suspend your disbelief for about the first 20 minutes of the movie - after that it gets good. You should also watch the special feature Pasaic Mosaic - basically it talks about how this movie helped bring a community back together. People from the community make up most of the cast!

So, remember that community building can happen in all kinds of ways - even with a crazy comedian in the forefront.

Real Life Snippet

For his birthday, little guy was given a book that has a light at the end of it (when you lift the flap). It has been well loved and so the light on top of the birthday cake no longer works. It was dying a few weeks ago and little guy kept making the sign for light and looking at us to fix it and make it brighter. Unfortunately there is no way to fix it. Today he discovered that the light had totally gone out. I told him that there wasn't any way to fix it. He then went into the other room and pointed at the cell phone charger (I didn't even know he knew what it was). Apparently he wanted to use the charger to help the light in his book. He was very disappointed when I told him that the charger could not fix his book. It was a good thought though.

No Child Left Inside

Even though the heat index is 105 around here - we have spent a lot of time outside this summer. As a result I have been thinking about how to improve our backyard - to make it more comfortable for adults and more interesting for little man. At first I checked out a bunch of books on building decks, patios and playground equipment. Then I started thinking about how nature study is a cornerstone of Charlotte Mason's approach. So I've been thinking about how I could make that more possible here.

Little did I know that there is a movement (or here) and almost a syndrome named for children's lack of interaction with the natural world! They really advocate for natural spaces (ponds, tree stumps, grasses, etc. ) where kids can be kids. So today I tried to give little guy some time among the plastic playground equipment (he LOVES those swings) and take him to an area that was just rocks and leaves and trees. He really liked crumpling the leaves and throwing them.

If this is something you've thought about but don't know where to start you might try these two sites:

Kids Gardening - lots of neat ideas about planting, gardening and getting in touch with the natural world

Play spaces - this is a collection of photos and comments about what makes play spaces work (and fail)

Natural Playgrounds - This is a company that specializes in creating these types of landscapes and they have lots of pictures of their work - which is fun to look at.

I am not a fanatic but I do think that we are all refreshed by nature and our children should have an opportunity to explore and wonder about the world God created.

Train sets ROCK

Well we just got back from a birthday party. It was lots of fun and the Dad just made a train table for his 4 year old son. It is FABULOUS! I intentionally take my little guy to Barnes and Noble to play with the train table. Sure, he probably is exposed to every disease known to man - but he can play for 20 or 30 minutes straight (and it's air conditioned and free - and there are books!). So, I think a good train set is an excellent investement.

Today, I was looking at other people's blogs and someone recommended ImagiPLAY - now here are some good wooden toys at a reasonable price. These are the types of toys that kids can tell stories with FOR HOURS - if you let them. So, I encourage you to check them out. I haven't ordered anything from them (yet) but I think we probably will. They have sets of wooden animals for $6.00. You can hardly get a pair of plastic animals for that price!

Little guy still isn't old enough to be telling stories with the stuff that he owns - but he does line up all his bath toys on the edge of tub like his friend did when they came over. He's a little bit of a copy cat. Oh well! I look forward to the stories he'll tell.

Awww to AHHH!

This morning little man slept in (until 6:30). While we played in his room he took his stuffed English bulldog (who he is kind of bonding with) and gave him a hug and a kiss. I was impressed - this is the most he has ever "played" with a stuffed animal. Then he proceeded to lie it down on the pillow in his big bed. Next he put both of his blankets over the dog (with the dog's head sticking out on the pillow). He looked around and found his empty sippy cup of milk. He then stuck the sippy cup near the dogs face. It was VERY cute. I guess our bed time routine is sticking with him! AWWW!

This afternoon was the AHHH moment. We had been playing outside for a while (yes it was VERY hot). He was playing in the pool and there was an unwelcome guest hanging out there. One time this little pest got near to the little guy - but when I told my son to stop moving - he actually did and the pest left him alone. I thought we were in the clear. Then I heard little guy sort of yelp and back away (he rarely complains). I knew that a BEE had gotten him! So I rushed him inside (dripping wet) and tried to remember what my first aid lessons. They totally failed me. Then I tried the Internet - it wasn't working either. Called my hubby - no answer. Tried my parents - they were in the middle of a storm but they turned back on their computers to check and see what I should do.

The good news - Little guy was totally fine. He was trying to figure out what the hub-bub was about. He actually wanted to get up and start playing while the stinger was still in him. He was very chill during the "doctoring"- ice and a baking soda/water paste - thanks mom and dad.

The bad news - I think the cure was almost as bad as the bite - we gave him some Benadryl just in case. He barely made it through dinner - his little eyelids were so heavy! (He only had a 45 minute nap today - instead of his 2 -3 hour one - so that could have something to do with it too).
So, apparently bee stings are just a minor inconvenience for him which is GREAT! I did have a student have a serious (call 911) reaction to a fire ant bite (I missed part of a friends wedding as a result - but she was fine which is VERY good). Apparently a serious reaction to fire ants is more common in Asian people - two people on campus in one week had to go to the ER because of this issue. So it's been quite a day - and I stayed up WAY too late.

Where have all the teachers gone? . . .

Home!

In all my reading about education and the lack of teachers no one seems to address this cruical issue. Since teaching is mostly a female profession and typically those females really enjoy children - it makes sense that they stay home (if they can) when they have their own children. If you enjoy children and know how crucial the early years are for them, like most teachers do, then why wouldn't many elect to stay home.

I have many excellent teacher friends and most of them are at home with their children. They taught for a 4 or 5 years and then started a family. They are trying to find ways to continue in education without being in a classroom full time. Everyone always talks about a teacher schedule working out so well with kids - well not when they are 5 and under!

Some of the options they have found:
1. Consulting
2. Finding summer programs to work with
3. One taught with a University Model School - so she taught twice a week for about 3 hours
4. Teaching On-line courses
5. Tutoring

Some of them may never return to the classroom full time. Some moms realize, after working in a public school, that maybe a homeschool environment would be better for their children and they never return to a classroom. Other moms know that being a good teacher requires a 60 to 70 hour week - so they aren't going to return to that while their children are still young. Still other moms start a home business or find other interests that never lead them back to the classroom.

I am actually really intrigued by the University Model School idea because I think it could be a good way to help excellent teachers continue to teach and balance with their family well. Especially if they have a supportive community that can help switch off child care.

Basically the University Model is a hybrid of a private school and homeschooling - with the curriculum outlined by the teacher. In elementary school the teacher has a self contained class on Tuesday and Thursday for most of a normal school day (8:30 to 2:30 for example). The other days the family is helping the child with their education (learning spelling words, reading one on one, memorizing math facts, etc.). In middle and high school classes meet like a college class does - 3 hours a week. The certified teacher prepares a curriculum that shares the educational load between the teacher and the parent/ student. This allows group projects, discussion, science labs, etc. while also giving students time to read, study and digest information on their own. Although this part time teaching isn't lucrative - it can help meet many needs that aren't financial.

I want to bless those teachers that have gone home and those who feel they need to return to the classroom. It is difficult to find the right balance - especially when children (yours and others) are involved!

Educational Musings

Well, I decided that I needed to better organize my thoughts about education, homeschooling and the like. So I created a wiki website to bring it all together. After trying blogging, using tags and other methods - this just seemed to make the most sense. I have no idea if anyone will benefit from it - but it is helpful to me to keep links together and in some sort of order. I invite your comments, other programs I should consider, etc. Again, it is pretty much in draft mode right now - but hopefully I will be faithful to this wiki (I think this is probably the third or fourth one I've created) and it will grow.

You can visit it here: www.educationalmusings.pbwiki.com. I don't think you need a password to see it. So from now on I intend to post most of my "educational" theories, curriculum and approaches over there. I have LOTS of theory - hopefully someday I can put it into practice. I will try to post my personal experiences with education here.

For example, we have started listening to the SWR phonogram CD. My hubby was listening to it and his comment was that it was WAY over little guys head. I told him that I was trying to learn it - not little man. It is helpful and I can see how the program is useful. Anyway, the fun part is that little guy is trying to repeat the sounds after me. So, he has NO concept of what he is doing but he is trying to be like mommy and make the sounds. Maybe this will make it easier when we actually start learning about letters and all those things.

Philosophy for Children?

As I was taking classes in gifted education one of the programs they encouraged was "Philosophy for Children" which helps students consider some of the bigger ideas out there in the world. At first I was very much in favor of this - and then I started using my noggin'. In this curriculum students read stories (elementary aged students) and then discuss the "big issues" within the story - it is a way of doing character development (of sorts) and also introducing them to the greater questions of life. I am all for that - my main issue is that often these types of program (similar to values clarification) expect the 7 year old to create their own moral system and universe. That seems to be asking a little much. Young children still need guidance - unfortunately many aren't getting it at home - that's why some people think the classroom should step in and help these students clarify their values.

I was thinking about this today because I ran across the book Little Big Minds in the bookstore. At first I thought that I would like this book - but then I actually looked at the contents. In this book they look at philosophical topics - like friendship and justice - and then introduce two philosophers points of view about that issue. On the surface that sounds okay - but remember these are 7 and 8 year olds! They include Albert Camus (The Stranger) and Paolo Friere (Pedagogy of the Oppressed - the title isn't even appropriate for children) and a discussion of children's rights as part of the curriculum. I think I'm against high school students reading Albert Camus' at times. As my husband, the philosohpy major said, "Anyone who is teaching Camus and Satre to 3rd graders needs to have their head examined". I have to agree.

I think these developers think that because kids ask these questions that means they are "philosophers". Well, their brains aren't really wired to approach these questions the same way that an adult would. They need really clear guidance - they like to know what is right and wrong (have you ever tried to fudge the rules with an 8 year old - ain't gonna happen). Although I understand the push for "critical thinking" and "higher order thinking skills" this needs to be developmentally appropriate. Additionally, students need to have a standard, a clear idea, of what they are comparing ideas and thoughts to - not just a "whatever you think" attitude.

So, I guess I am leaning more towards the classical education approach which focuses on learning facts and information until about 9 or 10 years old. Then they intentionally focus on critical thinking skills once kids hit about 10 or 11. It is more developmentally appropriate and a well rounded education should invite conversation about these topics - ONCE A FOUNDATION HAS BEEN LAID. Unfortunately many people either tend towards not laying a foundation and allowing a child to "figure it out" for themselves. Or, they never invite a child to think, discuss and consider why they believe what they have been taught as foundational truths.

There is a time for this and it is middle and high school. Unfortunately most middle schools waste this opportunity and are more like holding pens than educational institutions. We have such low expectations of students today. I really appreciate the fact that I was introduced to Lincoln Douglas debate - values debate - in middle school. It was the right challenge at the right time for this chica.

Goals . . . update

Well I finished reading Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson. It was not as upbeat as Gilead but it was still a good read. At times her water imagery got to be a little much - it was also hard to concentrate when the movie Semi-Pro (Will Farrell) was playing in the background. I have to agree with the reviewer who said that this one will not go down as one of the best comidies ever.
So now I have to choose another book to read - I haven't figured out what will come next. Actually, I do want to read Five Little Pepper's and How they Grew (going to wikipedia I learned it's a series - we'll have to see about this). I did look at the "scope and sequence" of classical readings on the Well Trained Mind website. So maybe I will read some of those. Talking about history and the Well Trained Mind is another topic altogether.

Another goal was to work on my storytelling ability. I am glad to report that I now try to tell little man stories while we are at the park swinging. So far I have told Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Little Red Hen. Today I tried to tell The Three Little Pigs but the influx of kindergarten students was much more interesting than my story. Alas, we will tell it another day when there are fewer distractions. He LOVES playing with big kids - these happened to be older kids from the local school for the deaf - but they all had a great time. I do have a few faiury tale books checked out to refresh my memory - so I am adding to my collection to tell.

I have started reading more about SWR and homeschooling curriculum in general. I think I am going to have to really hype myself up to get into SWR. I did listen to the phonogram CD this morning so I am beginning to learn the 70 phonograms and how they are spelled. Even little guy was trying to repeat some of the sounds he heard - this could be a good way to help him learn. My husband kids me because I know the lyrics to the MOST random songs - maybe the little guy has my ability to remember random stuff like that.

I guess another goal I should work on is creating and planning meals. I have been REALLY bad about it this week. Heck - tonight I spent 3 hours helping cook for a fundraiser but I didn't really have dinner myself. I am still making bread from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I really like it. My mom keeps sending me Pioneer Woman recipes - I should actually try them, they look great. My thought was to make a different kind of pasta salad at the beginning of the week and eat off that throughout adding different meats and sides -but that hasn't happened. The last pasta or potato salad I made was in March!

Back to old goals - I think we did go to the park 3 or 4 times this week. Not on a schedule yet - but we will get there. Little guy really likes the park - he also apparently loves our best friend's backyard - he played out there for about 2 1/2 hours today and was REALLY mad when we made him come in - covered in dirt and left over spaghetti sauce from dinner.

I also need to work on going to bed at a decent hour - so I will sign off now and try to pull myself away from the Internet.

I feel like Timmy

The other day I was telling a friend that I feel a little like Timmy from the show Lassie. My son is constantly pointing and trying to talk and I am trying to decipher what he is saying. Their typical conversation went like this:

Lassie (running up): Bark, bark
Timmy: "There's trouble, where? "
Lassie: bark, bark
Timmy: "at the well".

That's sort of how our day goes but it's more like:

little man: pointing and grunting - possibly sticking his pointer finger in his mouth - his sign for food
me: What would you like? A sandwich (since that is a staple of his diet).
Little man: exagerated yes nods
me: What kind of sandwich?
Little Man: but
me: Oh, you want peanut butter.
Little Man: more exagerated nods as he either finds a dish for me or makes his way to the table where he eats.

The signing is helping - although he mostly seems to think and talk about the cats and dogs that he MIGHT see once a day. We really should teach him more signs but ah well.

Great Weekend

Our family went to meet our nephew in Houston this weekend. We stayed with some long time friends who are like second parents to me. They LOVED having little guy around and little guy thought he had died and gone to heaven - there were cats to play with! The cats and little guy played fetch together pretty well. We had to stop the boy from trying to escape through the kitty door a few times though. He was constantly looking for, signing about and playing with the cats. With a little Benadryl I did fine.

It was a busy weekend. Our new nephew is cute and the family is adjusting well. His sister is SUPER proud and wants to help out as much as possible. We also went to a high school reunion at The John Cooper School. We got a backstage tour of their 12 MILLION DOLLAR Performing Arts Center. It is gorgeous. We remember the days when they didn't have a high school building on the main campus so we had to drive from one part of the Woodlands to another part in the middle of the day. We had our choir classes in a 4th grade science lab, etc. They have come a LONG way in a few years. We also met some very cute kids of our high school friends. It was fun.

On Sunday we went to church (our friends and my brother go to the same church). Afterwards we all went out to brunch which was an unexpected surprise. It was great to just hang out with everyone. Then we said our good byes and packed up. We made more stop to meet up with a college friend and saw his beautiful daughter. We ate at Luby's - we were the youngest ones there by far - but it was fun. We made it home safely and I am so glad we went.

Today we took one of little guy's friends to the zoo with us. Hubbie had the day off so we went as a family to the zoo. Our friends two older siblings started "big school" today - it's really a summer camp - so the youngest one was feeling a little left out. We had a great time at the zoo and then we stopped by the park on the way home - to swing of course. We rested most of the afternoon and are ready to face a new week.

Ordinary Time

Although our church isn't very liturgical I know that in the church calendar we have entered ordinary time. This is the long stretch (at least 23 Sundays) where the church just is. We don't have big celebrations like Christmas or Easter - some people take this time off from church because it's just "the normal stuff". I feel like God is calling me to an "ordinary time". I was hoping for some extraordinary times - like having a new little one. But for now, that's not to be. So I think God is calling me to embrace the ordinary and learn to appreciate the daily things. I tend to live life in anticipation of the next thing instead of enjoying what is happening now.

I am surrounded by the extraordinary (two births in the past week, new jobs, moves, etc.) in the lives of my friends and family. However, I don't see many things being too extraordinary in my own life any time soon. The NPR interviewer of Marilynne Robinson commented on how the character in Gilead had to fight against coveting what everyone else had. For many years he was a bachelor without a family and he often wished for what others had - in contradiction to the 10th commandment. The book discusses how this is one of the hardest commandments to keep. I think it's true. Hopefully I can celebrate the extraordinariness in others lives and still appreciate the ordinary in my own.

So, if you see me trying to find extraordinary things to do or making grandiose schemes and plans - please challenge me. I think I really need to just practice living daily with intentionality and enjoying what we have been given. It is easy to hide behind the extraordinary - I think living in the ordinary requires more discipline than I currently have so maybe that is something God will grow in me.

Ps. 46:10a - Cease striving and know that I am God.

Reading Fiction - shocking!

I am a non fiction gal through and through. However, I recently ran into the fiction books by Marilynne Robinson and have really enjoyed them. Okay - one, Gilead and I started Housekeeping yesterday. WARNING: Do not read them if you want action adventure. She is very skilled at developing characters and creating moments and images that just stick with you. (My husband would NOT like them). She is a Pulitzer Prize winner that actually has a Christian faith to speak of. These are not "Christian" books - but rather, she is a Christian who writes good books for a general audience. Her style is somewhat like Annie Dillard - noticing the small details of life. She is not a liberal Christian (like Anne Lammot) - which is REALLY surprising. Her tone is more life affirming than Anne Lammot even though she deals with weightier subjects. Although Lammot does make me laugh.

She has written two non fiction works (which I am hoping the local library will add to their collection). Hopefully I can read them soon since the reviews contend that they are thought provoking and well written.

I also like reading her because it makes me want to write better (although this blog does not necessarily reflect that desire). She makes me think about noticing and describing the little incidents of life. She brings value and a sense of sacredness to the small acts of everyday - which is pretty much all you have when you are a stay at home mom. I appreciate her for that.

So, although these do not support my effort to "read the classics" they are at least good literature. You can listen to an interview about her work "Gilead" from NPR. It is interesting to hear NPR try to deal with deep religious faith.

Update - Little man has now been asleep for 2 1/2 hours. As it nears 5 I think I'll have to get him up so that he will go to bed tonight. He needs it though - he went to sleep VERY late last night.

New Bed!

This weekend was "the big move" from the crib to the "big bed". My dad made a bed especially for little man. It is great and I have rarely seen the little guy so excited as when we moved it into his room. At first the transition was going well. In part because we were wearing him out and driving him to sleep after running errands in the morning. Today all that ended. He went to the zoo with Dad and was mostly asleep when he got home. We tried to put him down then but he would have none of it. Then I ran a few more errands and he was pretty much asleep again - but he refused to calm down enough to sleep in his bed. Finally desperation set in - after about an hour (I have a little project that needs to get done by tomorrow - we both needed him to sleep). So I told him that since he couldn't sleep in the big bed he was going back into the crib - he did. After a little bit of crying he settled down and is still sleeping. Normally a late nap starts at 12:15 for him - today he finally crashed at 2:15. It does look like he'll sleep close to two hours which is good.

I did finish my quilt while he was napping - it's for the Lutheran church in Costa Rica. Currently my creation is handwashing. I figured if it can't stand up to that then it's probably not good enough to give to someone else. We'll see! I will be VERY frustrated if it falls apart. For some reason my thread kept breaking and I really struggled with the binding this time. I am still a newbie. I really like making the tops but I don't enjoy finishing them off. It just seems tedious and not nearly as fun and creative as the rest of the project. I don't think I'm alone in this sentiment though.

UPDATE: The quilt survived the wash - YEAH. Now it just has to dry.

I'm back . . .

Probably only you with RSS feeds (mom) will actually read this message because it's been so long since I've written. It was a busy spring but now it is done - Grad school, preschool coop and my consulting job. So what to do with the summer? I am trying not to overcommit myself but I think I should set some goals. So here are a few things I hope to accomplish this summer (if you know me - these are pretty modest goals):

1. IF we homeschool (and even if we don't) I think we'd probably like to follow a great books type of reading list in our home (Mortimer J. Adler How to Read a Book). They have a whole curriculum called "Junior Great Books" too. As I look through the list though - I realized that I know about these books but haven't actually read that many of them. So, no time like the present to start. I haven't determined which ones to read/ listen to on tape but I will do that soon.

2. Obviously, young one will not be reading Plato anytime soon, so I'd like to do something more immediate. Both Montessori and Charlotte Mason (CM) (although VERY different in their approaches to education) take the interesting stance that there shouldn't be too many books in a child's life. First, they both think children should be experiencing life instead of just reading about it. Secondly, they believe in the power of a told story (okay CM does). Finally, (again this is CM) she believes in only exposing children to really high quality literature and doesn't believe in twaddle (I have probably talked about this before).
Well, I don't have very many stories to tell. So this summer I think I am going to work on learning a few good stories to tell. There are a few resources out there with stories that might be good to share. So if anyone has suggestions on learning about storytelling I am open to them.

3. As we learn more about reading I realize I know NOTHING about phonics (long vowel/ short vowel - what's that?). I did get the Spell to Write and Read program and starting this summer I think I am going to try and construct the spelling lists that the students doing the program create. This is highly recommmended by all those who "teach" the program. At the outset I think this program is probably too structured for me to use as is - but I am hoping it can teach me a lot that I can use my knowledge no matter what happens.

4. Again, trying to do something more immediate, my goal is to get us out into nature on a regular basis (CM recommends 4 to 6 hours a day - we will be aiming for about 3). So I plan to frequent the parks in our area - little man LOVES to swing. Also, I hope to try some new art and other activities at home. I plan to use The Toddler Busy Book and Young at Art to get some good ideas going. Busy is a very good word to describe my little guy. I will also try to integrate more of the practical life ideas from Montessori into our home (sometimes he can hardly eat he is so taken with trying to clean up his crumbs - anyway).

I will also be working on some quilts, maybe continue to develop my crocheting ability and planning for a major fundraiser in September. I also hope to help out the 5 moms I know that are due between now and July 4th! Yesterday our nephew was born and hopefully we can spend some good time with them! Last summer I was overwhelmed by an outside commitment - this summer I hope to really focus my attention on my family and developing memories.

There is so much to say when you haven't written for months but I'll cut it short now.

Orderly Stage

Well this weekend we did a little R&R - no not rest and relaxation - reclaiming and repurposing - rooms, plastic bins, tables, etc. The results are really nice. Thanks especially to my parents who helped make it possible.

Our attempts to get orderly coincide with my sons attempts to be orderly - which is convenient. Montessori calls the age and stage he is in the orderly stage. It is the truth. He will be sitting down, eating contently and if we leave the silverware drawer open while we are cooking - he is up pushing in the drawer. Yesterday, another child had moved the lid on the trash can. Little man took it upon himself to remove the bag, the liner and begin to take the trash out. He was half way across the kitchen before I got to him. Fortuantely he did it neatly and there wasn't much trash in the bag. He was pretty upset when I stopped his mission. He loves putting his plate away after he eats and finding trash to put in the trash can. Hopefully, some of his "put it back where you found it" will rub off on his parents.

Now I just need to get the cleaning supplies his size and use the Montessori lessons to teach him how to really clean! (Right now he is wiping down a table with his kleenex- even getting the legs!)

My son's first love

Well my son is smitten with the neighborhood stray cats - two in particular. He appreciates and recognizes the dogs, but he longs to see the cats. We'll be doing something inside the house and he will go to the window to look for the cat. He frequently makes his modified cat symbol while we are playing inside. If I tell him we need to put his shoes on to go outside he starts making the cat symbol. He loves cats. (Did I tell you I am VERY allergic to cats!)

It seems that the cats may be returning their love. I can't decide if it is a mutual display of affection or rent for using our front flower bed as a kitty litter box - but recently dead grasshoppers have been showing up on our doorstep. Much like the kind offerings I have heard cat owners say their cat makes for them.

I hope to get a picture of these cats to include in his A, B, C scrapbook someday. He really does love them.

Creating Literature "units" at home

One simple way to develop themes of study at home is to base your study around a good book. There are quite a few resources out there that can help you with this. There is a whole series for early homeschooling dedicated to this called Five in a Row. This series outlines a number of activities you can do for five days in a row based on a book you are reading. Another option is the popular story stretchers series (they have a book dedicated to toddlers and then older age groups). The other day I found the book Ready for Reading which reccomends 60 different books with quick ideas about what you can do to enhance the reading and connections and then it lists"extensions" for poetry and other books to read with a similar theme. Of course you can just read the books and enjoy them on their own merit.

This is obviously not a Montessori or a Charlotte Mason approach to learning but it is a fun and easy way to organize learning in your home. It is more similar to traditional preschool approaches.

Balanced Literacy

In the end, I of course advocate reading to your children and children hearing great books in school. I would never advocate children learning phonograms to the exclusion of good reading. However, in my experience, the education programs I have been around have not really taught anything about the mechanics of teaching reading. They helped you know how to pick good literature, create activities/ units around that litearature but nothing that resembled making sure that you taught kids the sounds of the language to begin to help them to decode. Programs that do both are obviously the best option. My issue is that very few teachers are truly prepared to systematically help students learn the sounds of the language and decode it so that they can learn to read. As the article points out they often teach rules that don't work and make the language more confusing than necessary.

In response to Flogger I found a great resource: I'll Tell You a Story, I'll Sing You a Song. This little treasure talks about why storytelling is so important (not just story reading - although that is very important too). It also includes a simple outline of the most common folk tales, nursery rhymes and similar things. Basically, as she says, these are all the stories that you know but you can't remember the details of them. I just started the book but I think it will help me to pursue storytelling with my little guy.

Writing Road to Reading

I am thinking that I might have blogged about this before - but it is SO important. For all you mom's out there STOP teaching your child to sing the alphabet song and spell the word cat - "SEE A TEE". That's not helping them. CAT is spelled /k/ /a/ /t/ - truly sound out the letters not just the letter names. It is confusing to learn letter names and the sounds and it is so easy to just teach the sounds the letter typically makes. Please consider getting either Reading Reflex or Spelling to Read and Write or something similar. They need to know that the letters we write represent the sounds of our language. They already have the sounds down (if they can talk) now they just need the pictures (letters) that represent those sounds. English has between 45 and 70 sounds (depending how you break them down) - not the 26 we find in the alphabet. This is my little rant but you can read the intelligent argument before the senate here.

Whole Language instruction (I took a class on this I think - or at least had to read a book about it for a class) - is a bunch of HOOEY! Please do not let your child be allowed to stay in a class that is ONLY using this approach. Can you imagine someone trying to tell you that you learn math by being around numbers and somehow you will magically understand how numbers work? NO! But that is basically what whole language tries to say about reading. Study after study confirms that whole language does NOT help children learn to read. I agree that just teaching phonics, phonograms or direct instruction WITHOUT hearing great literature and having a reason to want to read is an issue - but that doesn't mean that pleasure should be the primary goal of our reading programs. In fact, this fails because they may love to hear stories -but after a while, when they don't "get" reading, they begin to guess, feel stupid, and never are really able to read. Kids often take these things upon themselves and just figure it is their fault they can't read. Well, no one ever explained how reading works in a way that they understood. So please, learn the sounds of the language and teach your kids to listen to the sounds.

End of rant.

Displaying Learning

Yesterday one of my listserve's pointed me to a new concept for me- the lapbook. Basically these are folders that students create (with visuals, small books, drawings, etc.) that demonstrate what they have learned about a topic. I found another site that calls this Scrapbooking for school - which is really what it is. I even found a place that talked about creating digital lapbooks. I really like the concept because it develops a record of what the child has learned and what they got from it and pieces can be put together over time and then organized for a"final product". I think the digital one is probably a good idea for older students (plus it teaches them useful computer skills). I am resising the urge to join the listseve about lapbooks - I already spend enough time reading listserve messages. If I end up homeschooling - I definitely think this is one "product" we will develop. If you think books just have to be square - think again! The Big Book of Books has all types of different shapes, sizes and ideas about making books interesting.

Also, I found an idea called the "mini office". I am not totally sure why they call it that but it's a good idea. As one site says it is an extension of the lapbook and is basically a reference for students. So students or teachers can develop a folder that keeps the most important information about a topic handy - whether math or blends in English or whatever else. This is just an easy way to organize them. Instead of always looking for that one sheet of paper - this puts it in an easy place to access and keep it looking nice.

How is 3rd grade language arts like 6th grade math?

Answer: In 3rd grade you move from learning to read to reading to learn. In 6th grade you move from learning math basics to using and applying math at higher levels. It is important that students have the basics of language or math down before they move on to these next levels. Unfortunately, many students aren't getting the basics and they can never successfully move on to the next level. I have heard this about language before - but never about the switch necessary in math. Often so many other things are happening in middle school that they never really "get" math. Later I'll talk more about approaches to teaching math.

Reading hiSTORY

Well, I have spent more time on the Charlotte Mason Ambleside (here is another overview) website recently. Wow - they have a LOT of information there for people interested in this approach. I am really enjoying reading through the booklists - they actually have a 36 week curriculum for books you should read to your first, second, third grader, etc. The nice thing about the books she chooses is that they teach history (one of my favorite subjects) through short stories that show the drama and excitement of the subject. Many of the books she recommends can be found at Yesterday's Classics. The reviews for these books are EXCELLENT on Amazon. So, even if you are doing something like Hirsch's Core Curriculum you could easily incorporate some of these stories into your approach. One of the primary texts that they use is apparently online - Fifty Famous Stories Retold. One of the points that the CM approach highlights is storytelling - not just book reading - so that you encourage children to create their own images in their head. This might also be a good reason to get books on tape - then everyone can enjoy the listening experience. She also emphasizes reading poetry - which is not my strength - but it seems like a good idea. Viking Tales is also a work that is listed - so my husband will certainly approve of this approach. He might even be willing to read that one to the kiddos! Here is another link to learn more about living books - so much information out there!

Quite a few years ago they were selling the 6 book series of the Charlotte Mason approach at a local used bookstore. I got the series for a STEAL of a deal. I think I might actually try reading the first book in the series. The online forums at ambleside have a "book group" that reads a chunk of it a week and then talks about it. They also have much of the text and some overviews online.

My poor child may end up very confused as his mom tries to patchwork together a curriculum. I would think, if nothing else you could easily incorporate the readings suggested on the Ambleside website to add depth to your child's reading repretoire - regardless of where they are getting most of their schooling.

Fantasy vs. Imagination

I am a part of a montessori yahoo group (okay 3 groups). Anyway, one of them recently has been talking about Montessori's approach to children's literature. It has been VERY interesting. I have not read about this myself but apparently she discourages any type of fantasy literature before a child is 6 years old. This is because young children cannot tell the difference between real and make believe. So she discourages any books where animals where clothes and speak, where mythical creatures are involved and similar types of things.

Along the same lines she makes an interesting distinction between fantasy and imagination. She talks about fantasy play not being helpful to kids, while imagination should be encouraged. Fantasy play is when kids pretend to be a pretend character (like Batman, Arial, etc.). Imagination is when they pretend to be something that is real (a pilot, a teacher, a bus driver - whatever). The idea is that in fantasy play they are not really being imaginative they are fulfilling someone else's script (even if the words/ actions are there own). In imaginative play they truly are using their imaginations.

I am still learning more about this topic and I might have to hunt down some original sources. It did make me pause and think. I have known some 4 year olds that can only think about being one character - it becomes and obsession.

On a related note I started looking at the Charlotte Mason approach again. They basically have her whole curriculum laid out online. This includes a great reference list for books (scroll down the page to find it) worth reading. There is also an interesting conversation about how to choose books worth reading. Both approaches focus on helping the child learn for themselves - but they have MANY differences. Good thing I have another couple years to figure out which way we might lean.

It finally happened

I am happy to report that little man is WALKING! At times, as some predicted, he is trying to run. That doesn't work too well yet. He does seem to enjoy trying to carry heavy and odd shaped objects while he walks. Our batteries ran out on our camera this week so we have been negligent parents in taking video of this event - but this weekend we will.

Good Toddler Books

One of my friends recently commented that it is difficult to pick out good children's books - there are just so many. Today I learned that there is an organization that picks good books for toddlers. They have for about 8 years (so about 80 books). As I looked through the list I found the one book that little man has pretty much torn to shreds - Babies. I am not really sure how he's done it - but he has loved that book to death. I presonally also recommend everything written by Sandra Boynton. A friend of ours mentioned us to her when little man was very young and we TOTALLY love her books -they cover basic concepts in fun ways.
You can always look for books with the Caldecott or Newberry award as well. If you are in Texas you can look for the Bluebonnet award - but that's typically for older children. If you remember the movie 3 men and a baby (one of the "dads" reads from Sports Illustrated) - when they are really little it isn't so important what you read as that you read.

The winds of change

Last week my parents were here and my dad outdid himself. He put in a new back door to our garage and then cleaned the garage. It could now win an award for cleanest garage. (It could also be a top contender for most books stored in a garage). Well this was the swift kick in the pants (plus the fact that school starts at my house soon) we needed to get our act together.

On Friday I sat around drooling over the Ikea catalog and considering all the great items I could buy to help me organize. Yesterday I had meetings. Today I returned to reality and realized that we had most of what we need - just not in the right place. So we have been reorganizing. Although I can't say it will remain spotless - we both agree that it is much improved. I even found an extra bookshelf for the coop. I might even create "curtians" for the bookcases to help little man stay out of them. Speaking of little man, even he was inspired to redecorate. In his room we have two short bedside tables with two drawers each that serve as his "dresser". Right before we went to bed he got behind one of them and started moving it around. It was pretty cute.

This might be a form of procrastination - but it has had good results.

Too many projects

As I enter the new year I realize that I continue with the same bad habits. I was trying really hard not to continue the pattern - but I just seem to go in phases. So this week I will start my last grad school class (for now), start our montessori co-op up again, continue my new part-part time job and be a mom to a child who is finally starting to really walk! He has taken more independent steps recently which is very fun. In addition, we are considering doing some major remodeling in our house over the next few months. So don't be surprised if I kind of drop off the planet for a little while.

I did find a cool program today to help with basic math concepts. It is a free program that provides "manipulatives" on screen to help teach math. So if you don't have a bunch of unit, tens, hundreds blocks around your house - this program can approximate it. They also have directions on how to use it. Of course, part of it is just letting your child play with it to see how math "works". Anyway, I am bookmarking it and will hopefully use it someday. I found it through my montessori listserv and it is in keeping with the way that they teach math.

Language learning and problem solving

As I am prepping for the spring semester I am reviewing the Montessori lessons to prepare students for language activities. There are couple pre-language activites that are simple and yet crucial to reading:

1. Sequencing - Montessori does this by stringing beads in a pattern, following a sticker pattern or similar types of activities.
Eventually, children will realize that letters are also sequenced to form words (and if they are out of sequence they say something different).

2. Sorting - Here there are activities like alike/ not alike and putting similar items together (we grouped plastic ice cube shapes together).
Here children are learning to match and group items according to similarities - this will be key as they learn the specific shapes of letters and need to figure out what letters are alike.

3. Visual Discrimination - this is very similar to sorting but it focuses more on patterns (like those found in fabric) and moves towards the more abstract. Playing games like memory help with this process - again looking at what is similar.
Children have to be keen observers to realize the difference between "b" and "d" and helping them hone this skill can be fun if we do it with things other than letters all the time.

These simiple, seemingly unrealated activities, are key to helping children prepare to read. Likewise, there is an approach to problem solving and discipline that uses what seems like unrelated factors to help children grow in their ability to deal with "real life".
In the world of child discipline I have only found a few programs that really seem to focus on preschool age children. Currently the "I Can Problem Solve" program captures my attention. It is aimed at parents of three and four year olds - but if you learn the vocabulary early and use it consistently I imagine younger children will catch on. I like it because it focuses on building specific vocabulary (or here) to help children problem solve. It breaks down phrase is like some/ all, same/different and encourages games that use these terms. Then, when a problem arises you use the terms and apply it it to the issue at hand. I skimmed this book a few months ago and I intend to check it out again today. I think it might be interesting to incorporate some of these terms into our Montessori classroom. There are further steps and here is a good summary of the overall (ignore the part about preventing delinquincy- oh wait, that might be a good thing regardless of who you are) approach:

The first section focuses on learning a problem solving vocabulary in the form of games. The second section concentrates on teaching children how to listen. It also teaches them how to identify their own and other's feelings, and to realize that people can feel different ways about the same thing. In the last section children are given hypothetical problems and are asked to think about people's feelings, consequences to their acts, and different ways to solve problems.

One study showed pretty impressive results:

Specifically, as a group, children trained by their mothers at home became better able to wait for what they want, better able to share and take turns, and less easily upset in the face of frustration while they were in school as measured against their control counterparts.

The longitudinal study showed that at the end of grade 2 (they learned the program in kindergarten/1st), mother-trained girls were the least impulsive and the least inhibited, and showed the fewest behavior problems as observed by independent raters.

Children don't automatically know these things but that they can be taught. These programs break down complicated issues into simple steps that parents and teachers can use to help children learn. They also try to teach children in engaging, tactile and varied contexts so it doesn't feel like a "lesson" but the kids are learning nonetheless.

Potty Learning . . . pre training

Potty learning is the PC term for what people have called potty training forever - it's a granola type phrase that emphasize that this a a skill that is learned just like anything else the child does. Well today I decided to break out the new little potty we got for little man. Although it is VERY early - I am an advocate for introducing the idea early. He was obviously trying to go to the bathroom and I decided why not make the most of the moment. I don't expect him to be potty trained any time soon but today's results were less than thrilling.
He was very interested in the potty and he immediately took out the "bowl" of the potty. (This could make the process MUCH messier in the future). He then dragged the potty from the bathroom to the kitchen and proceeded to try and use it as a step stool to get into the pantry cabinet. His foot kept going through the hole where the "bowl" was supposed to be so it didn't really give him much leverage. Basically he ended up standing in the potty. The version we have is designed to be used as a step stool if you configure it correctly - so he was on to something. So after snapping a few pictures I had to return the potty to the bathroom and got him what he wanted out of the pantry. This might be a longer process than I expected!

Steppin' out

I am glad to report that little man is now attempting to walk. He has gone from the sofa to the chair and then from one part of the kitchen to another. He still isn't sure that this is a great mode of transportation but he is experimenting with it more. Often he attempts to do this while carrying something large. My husband reports that little guy carried a cup, with a little bit of water, without a top, from one part of the kitchen to another without spilling! He has also become a little more clingy today - which is sort of surprising. He is also getting much better at standing up without anything around him - it really is quite a feat. Anyway, not too long and his little motor will really be running!

Great Montessori Resource

I continue to enjoy the montessorimakers yahoo group and learn something new almost every day. Today I learned about a new website that talks specifically about doing montessori at home. The website clearly outlines the basic tennets of the math and language program more clearly than any other place I've seen. I did download the ebook and it provides basic but helpful information. I especially like the section about implementing Montessori at home. This outline, in combination with the step by step directions I bought earlier this year, will form the basis of our spring semester. We will start next week and we'll see how it goes.

Happy New Year!

Welcome to a new year. I decided to do a year in review instead of a typical Christmas letter to all. I do hope that everyone enjoyed family and friends over the holidays - we certainly did!

The update:

Little man - He still doesn't walk - but he does have really good balance and can be tricked into walking on occasion. He tries to talk and has favorite words like dog, drink, milk, truck and bath. He learned "deer" over Christmas at his great grandparents house. He loves playing outside, climbing all over everything, pulling things out of cabinets, opening and closing doors (he can reach the door knobs but not turn it yet), turning pages in books and playing the piano. So, he is a growing boy. He eats his spinach and oatmeal every morning - please don't tell him that most normal people don't eat that. He had a great first birthday. It grew out of control fast (we had 12 kids under 5 years of age) but we had a great time celebrating with pancakes and curious george. We are looking forward to a great year - he will walk eventually (at least that's what people tell me) and I am sure he will have a language explosion - he really wants to talk. Actually most people think he will be RUNNING within days after walks - I tend to agree.

Hubby (daddy) - He is still employed by the public library system here in SA. Overall he enjoys it. He has been given more administrative responsibilities and he really enjoys that. His boss likes his work and continues to recommend him for position openings - however in a city system it's all about your number of years. He plans to stay with the system for a LONG time coming so his turn will come. He gets frustrated with the computer illiteracy of the general public but enjoys helping patrons who are actually doing research. He has also been busy with a guys group about once a week - they do geeky guy things. He continues to read like crazy and continues to watch all kinds of movies. On occasion he picks a few good books on tape and movies that are interesting to the rest of us. So far we have learned about the history of pirates, the race to the north pole, Harry Potter, and similar fare.

The little wife (mommy) - I am still adjusting to being a full time stay at home mom. I actually spent the summer working full time plus for a summer camp. It was fun but very tiring. In the spring I read "Genius Denied" about gifted and talented education. I also realized that my money towards education from VISTA was about to expire. So I have been taking Internet courses on gifted education over the summer and fall. I have learned a lot - even though I don't have a teaching certificate. After this summer I realized that I WILL NEVER run a child care center (one of my former dreams). So instead my friends and I started a montessori preschool co-op. We had about 12 -1 4 kids between 8 months and 4 years twice a week. It has been fun and I think helpful to the moms/ dads and kids. We will have two "semesters" this spring. We've learned a lot and look forward to what is to come.
I have also found a hobby. I learned how to make quilts this fall and made quite a few for family and friends for Christmas. I have also taking up crocheting after a friend introduced it to me. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree as I realize most of my family has taught at one point and many of them are pretty skilled with needle and thread.
We continue to stay busy at church. Our pastor recently left to accept an exciting opportunity in North Carolina - but it's been awesome to see our church community come together in new ways. We also are busy with a home group. We now meet at our house so once a week we have over 12 adults and 7 children under age 4 in our house. We are still trying to figure out how to meet everyone's needs - but it is fun to do life together. Missy is part of a women's group that has been studying Cloud and Townsend books about spiritual growth and community. Peter is part of a geeky guys group and enjoys hanging out with them. He used to be the only married guy but now the ratio is changing (two were married this year!).
So these are the high points of our year. We are excited about the year to come, looking forward to lots of new life (many of our family and friends are expecting) and new adventure. When I remember I try to post happenings here and we'd love for you to keep in touch.