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juliecinci
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MacBeth made a comment in the other thread that this forum ought to nourish the lifestyle of unschooling rather than be a defense of the educational choice. I liked that!
One of my favorite ideas from unschooling is the idea of "strewing." Strewing means to deliberately (but without announcement) leave a trail of new learning experiences out in public view in your home. One of the principles I like to use is to clear the coffee table every so often. I will shop sales at Michael's or Target, collect some new things (like a beading kit or seeds to pot, a new book of poetry or a brand new DVD) and strew them at night to be found the next day.
I've even used the coffee table for new centerpiece arrangements (supply the materials and let them create).
There's something about "new" that brings energy to the family and learning often spirals off of it. Beading leads to learning about where beads come from to seeing Indian beads on Little House on the Prairie to discussing Native American crafts to learning why Native Americans lost their land...
And on it goes!
What have you strewn lately?
Julie
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Julie
Homeschooling five for fourteen years
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Elizabeth
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We're strewing pictures of the popes (which are inspiring the aritsts to now end), special editions of news magazines which feature the pope and printed emails with pithy information...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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~Rachel~
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Hmm... Does giving him a huge maple seed count?  I found it in the parking lot... it provided him with a good hour or so of comparisons with the maple seeds in the yard 
Truthfully, I was wondering how you 'strewed' things around and then let children deal with it? Do you call attention to it? Ignore it?
Offer it to them and say "here you are"?
(we dont have a coffee table).
Suggestions?
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~Rachel~
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Mum to James 13, Lenore 8
Lighting a Fire
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Courtney
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I like this thought. I've had a day of questioning my methods and think this may help. Maybe I'm not strewing enough. I look forward to hearing more !
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Courtney in Texas
Wife to Mike since 3/94 
Mom to Candace 10/97 ,Christopher 4/00 and Connor 11/11
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juliecinci
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I sometimes don't just put it out. I might come home from the store with "Look what I found!" And then we drop everything to do whatever it is!
Some of the strewing in our family comes through parental interest. I got very interested in art about eight years ago. I started going to musuems (alone) and buying postcards and prints. I then collected art books and borrowed the Sister Wendy series and watched it for myself (ostensibly). But of course, they saw all these neat books, saw my enthusiasm for it and happened to watch the videos with me. Next thing you know, they believed that it was adult and cool to love art!
That love has gone unabated.
Shakespeare became a family passion in much the same way.
Sometimes my strewing has bombed: trying to get a paper version of the underground railroad quilt going (I started making the squares and reading the book to myself. I did it out in the open and invited participation. Only one child helped once. It ended up being my own project.)
Some other things to strew:
sculpey clay
string games (book and string)
origami
paints
squirt guns
new dress up clothes gadgetry or clothes
pick up sticks and jacks
a new ball and bat (my husband brought glow-in-the-dark ones home yesterday)
books
poetry
puzzles
maps
a new globe
a protractor
K'Nex
Legos (new sets will often energize old sets)
design books (for coloring)
paper dolls
field guides
binoculars with bird books
bird feeders
trail mix makings for a hike
a craft book
pipe cleaners and felt
Jim Weiss on CD
The list is obviously endless. The trick is to believe that these are worth spending time on instead of only doing "work" all morning. :)
Lissa had a wonderful blog post awhile back showing how her girls' interests interrelated to each other based on a few catalysts. That's the idea. Catalyzing interest.
Julie
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Julie
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Karen E.
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I've been happily, strategically strewing for several years now, and I have to say that a great amount of what my children have learned has come from things they "just picked up."
I've strewn books on Helen Keller (which led to interest in Braille and sign language), on artists (Van Gogh is a favorite around here, but lately he's given way to Michaelangelo), on birds of prey, wolves, and other animals, Sacagawea, Kateri Tekakwitha, grammar (yes, really), history (one called How Children Livedwas a favorite last year), and many other things.
Sometimes the strewing is sneaky or strategic, though I find myself doing that less often as the kids have gotten older. They're usually pretty interested in what I've found ... one thing they've learned in our years of homeschooling is that the library is a really fun place full of interesting things. They've learned that if we want to find out more about something, grabbing some books from the library will quench their thirst for further information.
If you haven't strewn, I highly recommend it!
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God bless,
Karen E.
mom to three on earth, and several souls in God's care
Visit my blog, with its shockingly clever title, "Karen Edmisten."
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tovlo4801
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I didn't know there was a name for it, but this has been my only real attempt at anything unschoolish (at least that I know of  ).
My ds and I went for a bike ride last week in a local park. We almost ran over a snake which led to questions about what kind of snake it was. This particular park has a project going with swans which led to more questions. My ds's bike gears kept slipping and he asked several questions about what was happening to his bike when it did this. So on my trip to the library this Saturday I got books on Minnesota birds, several about snakes and a book on bike mechanics. I just set the books out where I leave new library books and he almost immediately pounced on the bike mechanics book. He said, "Mom! My bike is not that bad is it?" I told him that I thought he might be interested in how his bike worked. He smiled and then took the book and started looking through it.
My strewing mostly takes this form. I try to be attentive to what they're showing an interest in and then scout out books at the library that I think might appeal to him.
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tovlo4801
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I have a question that isn't exactly strewing I don't think, but it relates to creating a situation for the kids to explore their interests.
I've been taking a hint from Elizabeth's book (I think that's where it's from?...). When we go somewhere on a field trip, I started letting them go to the gift shop and pick out something. The Science Museum worked really well. My 5 yo picked out a magnetic puzzle with all the planets on it and very pretty blue rock. My 11 yo got a hovercraft and a cool rock. It was neat to see what they chose and where their interests were. I was able to work on science with them by talking about things related to the things they chose.
The Art Gallery didn't go as well. My 5 yo picked bubbles and my 11 yo picked an electronic stick game. Neither were very artsy....
So here's my question. I considered putting restrictions on what they could get to only include art related items. I'm trying to decide. If I put restrictions on it they will probably resent the restrictions and want whatever I won't allow. Then the whole fun purpose of the event will be kind of ruined. I'm hoping that if I don't restrict it they will move out of the shop's very small toy area into more artsy things eventually... but what if they don't. I guess that wouldn't be the end of the world would it. I actually considered pointing out the art value of the bubbles and the stick patterns. It might be a fun challenge to find the art in whatever they choose. Any advice?
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Leonie
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I tend to view our strewing as free form art - open to serendipity. 
IOW, I am open to new things to strew and ponder and share. So, for me, a trip to the gift shop at the museum or art gallery would have no restrictions, apart from the necessary budgetary ones.
Who knows where bubble mix may take us?
I do the same at the library, for example, - wander around and see what books catch my eye, rather than always looking for a book on a specific topic or subject.
So, last night we came home with books on art history, junk art, some novels, an illustrated Wind in the Willows, a yoga book, a book on Gallipoli, a video .....
Leonie in Sydney
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Elizabeth
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I don't usually put restrictions on museum shop purchases, with the exception of monetary restrcition and "twaddle" restrictions. If it looks like something that I'm going to gather into a trash can during a 27 fling boogie, they're going to have to make a pretty good case for it.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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juliecinci
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| Posted: April 26 2005 at 9:13pm | IP Logged
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Elizabeth wrote:
| If it looks like something that I'm going to gather into a trash can during a 27 fling boogie, they're going to have to make a pretty good case for it. |
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Rofl! I totally agree.
One thing we do at art museums is to buy the postcard pack before we go into the musuem. That way it becomes a treasure hunt to find the painting that goes with the postcard. I have no idea why this works so outrageously well, but it's a total winner with us.
Julie
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Cindy
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Here are some ideas collected about ways to strew-
1. Throw a book on the couch.. for the kids to ‘find’
2. Leave interesting things in strategic places-games, books, crafts…
3. Keep a big bulletin board full of new things- articles, pictures, postcards…
4. Talk about everything- strew thoughts out loud
5. Strew people- invite them over
6. Stock the back seat of the car- a great place to read and think
7. Read the newspaper or periodicals together
8. Order magazine subscriptions- surprise kids or let them choose
9. Send your children mail addressed to them.. with an ‘idea’ inside
10. Go through the mail together (they will learn about credit cards for sure!)
11. Plant reading material in the bathroom- remove everything else
12. Put up marker board in kitchen- quotes, thoughts, trivia, goals…
13. Read aloud randomly or planned- during meals, at bedtime or just when it strikes you…have them read passages to you
14. Go to garage sales, let kids buy a treasure and discuss it
15. Putter around a used book store
16. Rent a bunch of documentary videos and leave around
17. Collect books of lists and quiz each other
18. After listening to your children talk about questions they have or new things they are interested in, check out some library books on just that subject and have them appear at home
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Leonie
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Cindy, what a fantastic list - especially the bit about the mail! lol! We have had many interesting discussions over junk mail.
Leonie in Sydney
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tovlo4801
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juliecinci wrote:
| One thing we do at art museums is to buy the postcard pack before we go into the musuem. That way it becomes a treasure hunt to find the painting that goes with the postcard. I have no idea why this works so outrageously well, but it's a total winner with us. |
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Thanks guys! Great advice. (It was an art museum not a gallery by the way.  Oops.) I think buying the postcard pack before is a great idea. When we went to the museum last week the information desk gave us a treasure hunt handout. The kids had to find pictures that had someone sad in it, or someone beautiful. They had to find a great place for a picnic or clothes that they'd like to wear, etc. They LOVED it. Once all the kids had found something for every item on their list they were DONE. They couldn't get out of the museum fast enough once the hunt was over. So there is something about the hunt that gets them...
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Cindy
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Leonie wrote:
Cindy, what a fantastic list - especially the bit about the mail! lol! We have had many interesting discussions over junk mail.
Leonie in Sydney |
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Leonie-- you are the one that gave me a lot of the ideas! :D
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Cindy in Texas
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Lissa
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juliecinci wrote:
\
Lissa had a wonderful blog post awhile back showing how her girls' interests interrelated to each other based on a few catalysts. That's the idea. Catalyzing interest.
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Aw, thanks, Julie! Here's the link if anyone wants to see the post. Loved your lists, Julie and Cindy!
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Lissa
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Marybeth
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Does it count as strewing if you leave homeschooling articles and books in the bathroom for your husband?
Marybeth
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tovlo4801
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Sounds good to me!
On that note I have a question. Does anyone who unschools to some degree have a dh who is a little concerned about the idea? If so do you have any strewing ideas to help ease their mind? My dh spent several summers with his dad in California in the late 80's and ran into many people with a "laid back" view of education. He does not have a favorable impression of these people (it doesn't help that their "laid back" view was quite probably chemically enhanced). I think he's a little worried I'm heading down a hippie track because much of what I'm talking about sounds too similar to the way these people talked. I'm with my dh in having an aversion to attitudes indicating education is not really important. But what I'm seeing here is not that at all! I see a sensitive, caring approach that takes the dignity of the child into consideration. Short of forcing dh to read this forum (which I've tried to encourage btw ), got any suggestions for strewing that can help him form a healthy Catholic unschooling picture?
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Strewing
