Doing School vs. Power of Play

 The whole concept of 'doing school' is a hard one to escape from, especially in this age of high competitiveness and desire to give our children an edge or just satisfy family members who are skeptical of anything other than traditional education.  Even if those aren't temptations for you, we oftentimes wonder just how to teach our little one's who are so eager to learn about the world around them and do so in a way that is appropriate for their age.

Once we let go of our preconceived notions of what learning really is, we can embrace the power of play and the role that it plays in learning and start to move away from the often-times less effective notions of 'doing school'.  Heather over at Sprittibee recently wrote an article on her journey with her preschoolers that I wanted to share with you!

My Early Homeschool Journey: From Doing School to the Power of Play

When I first started homeschooling, I thought that it wasn't school unless it looked like school, felt like school and sounded like school. I sat the littles down (only four and two at the time) and pointed to the white board where we drew letters and pictures, said our Pledge of Allegiance and I marked my teacher assignment planner with attendance, checking off each hand-written preschool lesson. I even gave the kids a sticker for a well-done day and set up little school desks for them. We were by all appearances "doing school."

I had to laugh when I read this and remember back to the first couple of weeks after I had been pulled out of school.  We were totally trying to replicate 'school' at home and were getting so frustrated when it wasn't going smoothly.

She goes on to write:

At first, it was fun and new for them, and Mom felt comfortable in her "in the box" public-educated roots ... passing on the legacy of a schoolroom education to her wee tots. It wasn't until the wonder of "doing school" wore off that the kids began to buck the system, and Mom began to burn out. The teacher lesson books all had to be weeded out because they were written for classrooms. The busy seat-work exhausted the kids before we could get to the real fun of projects, activities, dress-up play and reading aloud. [Fun is the key word there ... and I'm convinced that it is linked to your memory!]

To read the rest of the article, click here.

article excerpt and photo used with permission

Embracing Humidity

We are heading to a family reunion in Texas. It will be exciting to see family - some of whom I've never met!  The last one they had was 11 years ago.  I was in Spain at the time and not engaged quite yet.  We are all stoked! 

As weird as it is, I've also embraced the idea of humidity! Which is big for me, since I'd much rather bake in an oven then sweat in a sauna...  We just started learning about the Amazon rainforest and I figured what better way to explain the climate to them than to leave our dry, desert home and head to hot, muggy Texas!!!

But before I leave, I wanted to let my subscribed readers know about some new resources that have been added to the blog: informational pages.  It took me a while to wade through my list of favorites and attempt to classify them by the groups at the top of this page, but here is my first go at it.  These pages will be updated regularly as I come across articles, resources and blogs that are helpful in these areas.  So click in and have a look!

Topics covered in each page:

• Cultivating Christ: Imparting a love for Jesus, living Christianity as a family, and making Christianity a part of everyday life.
• Cultivating Play: Research on the importance of play, information on toys and activities that cultivate play.
• Cultivating Learning: Research on how and what children should learn in the early years, including Preschool and Kindergarten Skills check lists, philosophy of education, information on learning by doing.
• Cultivating Creativity: Articles on pursuing creativity and curiosity.

Antarctic Adventures

You know you're immersed in something when you start to dream about it!

Last night, my baby (aka the two year old) had a fever and didn’t sleep well. When I finally fell back asleep at about 4am, I started having weird dreams. Does this ever happen to anyone else when your sleep is hijacked?  My most unusual dreams happen during these times.

In my dream, Jim Henson like penguin puppets were flying through the sky. (Like I said, weird dreams – especially since penguins don’t fly.  Seriously, I really do know this...)  I stopped the car and started naming the different breeds. "Look, an Adalie and there’s a Rock Hopper penguin."  Before I could find anymore weird Muppets-like penguins falling out of the sky, Rich woke me up.

It’s been a fun week exploring the coldest place on earth – Antarctica!  But this weird dream put me at peace about leaving.

We first read about penguins.  What little boy doesn't want to learn about these adorable creatures, especially when they discovered that the daddy Emperor penguins had the job of taking care of the eggs and new hatchlings.

After I timed the boys to see how long they could keep their 'eggs' safely nestled on top of their feet, the boys all agreed that the 2 month stint these daddy penguins pull off without any food is quite amazing.

We loved reading more about these amazing penguins in the delightful book, The Emperor's Egg. The story instantly drew the boys in and then there were extra facts on the Emperor penguins peppered throughout that I could scan for extra information to share...

We also LOVED the book, Antarctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems.  These funny little poems were packed full of all kinds of interesting information. and before we knew it the boys were practically reciting them as I would read the book over and over and over again!

And of course, we are revisting a family favorite, Mr. Popper's Penguins for the third time this year!

Being on the 'cold' kick that we are, the boys loved playing around with their muffin-mold icebergs and the little penguin figurinesthat we found.  The figures are actually replica's of the different breeds of penguins and they've had fun identifying them and playing around with them all week.  The sensory stimulation of the ice has been fun for them as well.  We also enjoyed playing around with Jojoebi's penguin cards as we explored the different kinds of penguins!

I think they've requested to play with these multiple times each day all week long!  Hurray for relatively painless dinner prep time!!!

Xander (almost 6) and I loved reading Trapped by the Ice!: Shackleton's Amazing Antarctic Adventure.  I had grand visions of pretending to go on an Antarctic expedition, but Keegan just wasn't interested.  Oh well, next time, right?!? 

The Creativity Crisis

An interesting article came out last week in Newsweek magazine titled, The Creativity Crisis.  It talks about how research is showing a very significant decrease in creativity in Americans - most notably those in K-6th grade.

As I gear up for our workshop on cultivating curiosity this weekend, I'm struck by the interplay between curiosity and creativity. Curiosity - that inquisitiveness that wants to learn about everything, ask why and figure things out is such an important component in creativity.

I just love how the article defined creativity because it helped me see how multi-dimensional creativity really is:

"To be creative requires divergent thinking (generating many unique ideas) and then convergent thinking (combining those ideas into the best result)."

This skill is desperately important in a world that needs creative solutions to so many complex problems. It is a skill well worth developing. In fact, the article mentioned that a recent IBM poll of 1,500 CEO’s identified creativity as the #1 “leadership competency” of the future.

So if the most notable drop is in the early years, than is there anything we can to do nurture this creativity in our children?

The answer to that is YES and it is being done many places all over the world. What I found particularly interesting was how it talked about the improvements China is making in their system of education. "There has been widespread education reform to extinguish the drill-and-kill teaching style" over there and instead adopt a problem-based learning approach. The sad thing is that the trends in American education are just the opposite and not just in the elementary grades.  It is happening earlier and earlier. When told of American priorities the Chinese just started laughing and said, "You're racing toward our old model. But we're racing toward your model, as fast as we can."

I love how the article also lays out what it looks like for each general age-range to pursue creative development.

And surprise, surprise one of the most effective ways to encourage and foster creativity is thru imaginative PLAY! Role-playing is a great way to develop creative solutions to problems and provides a 'safe' realm for the child to do this.

Imagine that, stepping back and giving your young child time to explore and play while limiting creativity killers like TV, movies and video games can be so effective in accomplishing these goals of fostering creativity.  It is just mind boggling to think that it can be that simple.

As parents we need to pursue opportunities for our children to do just that – play, think critically and engage in the world around them instead of relying on a faulty system that my mom refers to as a ‘pete and repeat’ form of education. If your children are in school, you can call for reform and a return to schooling that encourages creative thinking. The article had many examples. And if you are homeschooling your children, or have young pre-formal school aged children, you have the opportunity and flexibility to think outside of the typical ‘school’ box. We can ditch the printables, flashcards and fill-in-the blank style of education and pursue something that will light our children’s curiosity and propel them towards devising creative solutions to real problems!

Yes, this article is well worth the read.  I'm still mulling it over and trying to think practically what this means to me as a parent and teacher.  I'd love to hear what stood out to you from the article.

Heading North

To round out our study of North America, we headed north.  We had fun looking at pictures of beautiful Canada, talking about maple trees, mounties and of course Vancouver (Olympics are still fresh in their memory).  But what the boys really loved doing was exploring the lives of eskimo's and what it's like in the far, far north!   Living in the Arizona desert oven right now, it was so pleasant to think of cooler places! :)

Building igloo's was a must!

They weren't incredibly stable, but they lasted for a day or two of creative play with these fun arctic figurinesthat I found at Joann's.   (I love my 40% off coupons!)

Yes, we feel cooler already...

We enjoyed these cool reads while we sat in our wet swimsuits under the fan!

Lessons for Him, Lessons for Me

"I just can't do it," he shrieked completely losing control of his emotions.

What should have been a quick, easy task has ended in a fit of tears.  I battle frustration.

As I sat talking to this almost 6 year old son of mine (so old and yet so very young), he spilled out his heart to me - his doubts, fears and frustration.

While mostly incoherant, it was evident that these burdens were dragging him down.  And while they seem somewhat trivial to me with my adult mindset of what 'real' problems look like, it is obvious that they are enormous to him.

In a desperate attempt to try and help him, I grab a pile of bean bags and pull him aside.  I explained to him that Jesus wants to bear our burdens and that when we 'cast our cares upon Him, He takes care of us.' (I Peter 5:7)

I could feel the tension leave his body as he gave each bean bag a spoken or even unspoken care and made the physical movement to represent his internal decision to cast it on Jesus.  Before I knew it, I too found myself joining in.  Most of mine were unspoken so as not to weigh him down with cares that were beyond his years.  There was such a release in that physical act that was merely a representation of giving our cares to Jesus. 

My heart fills with gratitude.  These children of mine help me to slow down.  As I attempt to raise them, I find myself more often than not convicted and inspired to heed the words from Scripture that I am passing on to them.  How can I expect them to respond and internalize these truths, if I'm not doing the same?

Walking away from this object lesson, we both found ourselves travelling with a lighter step.  It is so freeing to not have to carry around burdens that we were never supposed to be dragging along and simply TRUST God.

So this has become our family 'go to' verse for now.  When nightmares come, a task that seems to difficult, there is conflict with a brother, an economy continues to flounder or I worry about future provision we turn to this verse and apply.  It is delightful to see his face light up in understanding when encouraged to give it to Jesus.  I can see him mentally tossing that weighted bean bag off and enjoying the release.  And I marvel that I too am experiencing the same.

So I once again join up with the Gratitude community and continue to identify the many gifts in my life!

346. Seeing a son learn valuable lessons.

347. Getting to learn right along side him.

348. Providential blessing in a new job for Rich

349. Seeing my husband excited and passionate about what he is doing.

350. Seeing us all embrace this new season of Rich working outside the home with joy.

351. Getting to have him home with us for these last five years.

352. Preparing for and anticipating our workshop at the homeschool convention this week.

353. Rough and tumble little boys

354. Opportunities to teach my boys how to share and get along

355. Opportunity to meet together with an incredible group of women and digging into the Word.

Hip, Hip Hooray, It's Monsoon Day!

Monsoon season is upon us.  It is a bittersweet time for those living in the desert.  While the electric lightning displays and torrential rains are exciting, the accompanying humidity makes life difficult.   The kids however don't seemed phased by it at all!

We use this season to get outside and play!

Or get that necessary, but long put off weeding done...

I ended up filling our wheelbarrow twice with the tumbleweeds that had grown up in our side yard.  Softened dirt makes this work so much easier.  And yes, it was LONG overdue.

This year, we discovered the book, Hip Hip Hooray, It's Monsoon Day!   This is a story of how many people anticipate and celebrate the coming of the monsoon season, which largely defines North America's spectacular Sonoran Desert.  I love how it ties in the plants and animals of this region.  

The boys are excited about puddle jumping, neighborhood nature walks, flood inspections and lightning shows!

We'll probably gear up for more of what we've done in the past:

Creative Play with our Umbrellas (Since lightning storms aren't ideal for umbrella use.)

Post-Rain play

Finding critters who are out to play in the puddles!

What do you all like to do when it rains?

Simple Trips

Field trips are a wonderful thing and I've found that simple ones oftentimes work out best at this age because I can cater it to their interests and attention spans.  At this age they are soaking up their environment and making connections with the world immediately around them.  So there is something special about live experiences that you don't get from a book or video.

Yesterday's fieldtrip was a trip to our local Mexican 'mercado' to get ingredients for tostada's and fresh salsa.  If I had planned better, I would have tried to get a quick tour of the tortilleria (where they make their fresh tortillas), but I didn't.

Instead, we just soaked up the colors, smells and ambiance.  There was so much to observe and talk about.  

We loved the colorful garlands. I might just have to try making some of those! :)

The boys loved checking out the piñata’s. Ever since reading The Piñata Maker, the boys have taken a special interest in them. (I think we might tackle making one of our own this weekend!)

In all of my years of living here in the southwest, I've never encountered a Spiny Chayote.  Apparently, it is similar to zucchini but retains it's crispness when cooked. It was seriously prickly. This is one of the benefits of family learning. I discover new things too!

And of course, we couldn't leave without stopping at the panaderia (bakery) and picking up a cookie to share!

Delicioso!

Heading South of the Border...

...metaphorically speaking.

In our journey around the world, we decided to stop and explore North America first.  For the last two days, we've explored the country of Mexico.  In our house, we consider Mexican food a staple in our diet - just right below fruits and veggies!  But the boys haven't explored the culture much past the food until now.

To begin our day, we re-read some of our favorite books, Hill of Fire -based on the 'birth' of the Paricutin volcano in Mexico and Off We Go to Mexico - a delightful rhyming overview of Mexico!

Then we set out to get our homemade refried beans going.  Xander (almost 6) helped measure out the beans and sort out the rotten one's as well as remove any rocks.  Keegan (almost 4) enjoyed pouring in water (a classic montessori preschool activity).

We were planning a 'Fiesta' to celebrate daddy's first week at his new job!  So we set out to our local Mexican 'mercado' to get ingredients for tostada's and fresh salsa. 

After much preparations, we were ready for his return and our fiesta!

It was a nice way to end our day.

To have a bit of a fiesta yourself, try one of my two favorite salsa recipes!

Traditional Salsa

*2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce

* 2 (15oz) cans chopped tomatoes

*1-3 green chilis

*1-3 yellow chilis

*2-4 jalepenos

*1 cup cilantro (stems removed)

*4 green onions

*1 t oregano, cumin and garlic powder

*1 T lemon juice

*salt and pepper to taste

Blend all put chopped tomatoes well in a blender.  Add chopped tomatoes last and blend to desired consistency.

Peggy's Salsa

(especially for those that don't have access to fresh chilis)

*2 whole tomatoes - peeled and chopped

*3-4 green onions, finely chopped.

*1 sm can chopped olives

*3 Tbs olive oil

*1 1/2 Tbs vinager

*1 tsp garlic salt

*salt and pepper to taste

*tobasco - hot as desired

Combine and let stand for 4 hours or longer! 

ENJOY!

Freedom!

This week, my thoughts turn to celebrations of our nations birth and of the high price we've paid for freedom, both then and in the time up until now.  Freedom is never free.  It comes at a price.

I'm thankful that we live in a country that respects and protects freedom.

I'm thankful for the freedom to worship as we choose.

For the freedom to educate our children as each family deems best.

For the freedom to assemble.

For the freedom to speak our minds.
I'm thankful for organizations like Alliance Defense Fund and others that work to make sure that these freedoms we enjoy are protected and sustained.

I thank God for my Opa, his father and my Grandpa.  They, along with countless others sacrificed to keep our country safe thru their military service. 

I'm thankful for reminders of that sacrifice as the flag that covered my great-grandfathers casket is passed down to my boys.  He was the oldest survivor of the Bataan Death March during World War II.  I had the opportunity to type up his memoirs from this experience and will never be the same again...

I'm thankful that my boys will grow up knowing of those who have gone before them.

I'm thankful for time to reflect and to celebrate!  A day full of blessings:

Enjoying the preparations as a form of celebrating!

The blessing of anticipation! YUM!

Watching young excitement.
(and getting to borrow a daughter for a few days!)

Respite from the heat!

Experiencing some 'sparkles' of our own before watching BIG ones!

Gifts 320-336

A different kind of brainy...

(my niece, busy at 'work' on a puzzle)

If I had a dollar for every time I heard a parent say that their baby/toddler/preschooler was gifted/advanced/etc, I would be a wealthy woman.

And really, it's not surprising.  Children develop and grow at such a rapid rate, especially those who live in a rich home environment with lots of loving parental interaction.  Long ago, I too joined the ranks of beaming parents touting the newest milestone that my child reached.  It is a delight to watch your child learn something new or conquer a new feat!

And research is proving what many of us parents already know.  God created human beings with an amazing ability to learn and this starts from birth!

While it is good to nurture and help them grow, given the competitive culture we live in, we must always be mindful of not pushing our children in ways that aren't developmentally appropriate in an attempt to 'keep up with the Joneses' or prove to others just how smart our kids really are.  This just causes stress for both parent and child and can result in losing that precious love of learning that most children have!

Recently I read a fascinating article in the New York Times that gives a peak into research that continues to confirm the incredible work that young brains are capable of doing.

While research is increasingly showing how smart young children are, it is also confirming how different their thought processes are to ours as adults. 

Many think that babies, like adults, should learn in a focused, planned way. So parents put their young children in academic-enrichment classes or use flashcards to get them to recognize the alphabet. Government programs like No Child Left Behind urge preschools to be more like schools, with instruction in specific skills.

But babies’ intelligence, the research shows, is very different from that of adults and from the kind of intelligence we usually cultivate in school. Schoolwork revolves around focus and planning. We set objectives and goals for children, with an emphasis on skills they should acquire or information they should know. Children take tests to prove that they have absorbed a specific set of skills and facts and have not been distracted by other possibilities.

This approach may work for children over the age of 5 or so. But babies and very young children are terrible at planning and aiming for precise goals. When we say that preschoolers can’t pay attention, we really mean that they can’t not pay attention: they have trouble focusing on just one event and shutting out all the rest. This has led us to underestimate babies in the past. But the new research tells us that babies can be rational without being goal-oriented.

The rest of the article goes into some of the research they are doing that demonstrates how babies and toddlers are able to employ probabilites and engage in some higher order thinking skills during play.

It also confirms the most important ingredients to a young child's success in later life: loving parental interaction and lots of time to play! 

"But what children observe most closely, explore most obsessively and imagine most vividly are the people around them. There are no perfect toys; there is no magic formula. Parents and other caregivers teach young children by paying attention and interacting with them naturally and, most of all, by just allowing them to play."

I don't know about you, but I'm inspired to put aside my computer, chores, etc and get down on the floor more to play, talk and just enjoy my kids.  Yes, it can really be that easy!