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saintanneshs
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| Posted: Dec 01 2005 at 10:39pm | IP Logged
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In an effort to fully embrace the CM method I have spent the last few weeks (and some very late nights, YAWN!) submerged in my growing library of CM books. After a stressful autumn I've realized that one of the reasons why my vision of homeschooling keeps eluding me is because I am trying to structure too much "lesson time" with too many little children. I keep trying to force the learning into a never-long-enough time frame of "lesson time" rather than looking at our whole days together as learning opportunities. I thought I was doing this already but I guess the frustration with "lesson time" time constraints was proof that I really wasn't embracing the CM lifestyle. So....I threw out the "lesson plans" (I think I need to come up with a different name for them because they keep hanging me up with that old public school teacher accountability thing) and decided to make a list of all the "non-lesson time" learning we did today, that I might get a better feel for the educational value in each day (and thus not worry so much over what I've planned that we didn't get to). Here's what our day looked like without formal lessons...
During morning prayers we talked about preparing our hearts for Jesus's birthday.
At teatime (we did it first thing this morning) we talked about what makes the tea kettle whistle and what steam is. We listened to poetry (The Goops), practiced proper table manners, discussed and made plans for the almost-6 year-old's birthday tomorrow. I listened while my 4 and 5yo boys recalled and narrated to each other the events of our trip to the local family film festival where they watched The Wizard of Oz (over a year and a half ago!)
We listened to traditional Christmas music while setting up the tree (for St. Nicholas to decorate on his feast day). We talked about why there are lights on the tree (Jesus brought light into a world of darkness) and why we can't just decorate our tree now, like everyone else (because Advent is a season of waiting). Thanks to some of the Christmas music lyrics, the 4 & 5yo boys talked about what makes a rhyming word and made lists of rhymes orally.
The button box was pulled out and buttons were counted (My 4yo loves the 15 ladybug buttons) and sorted and discussed their uniquenesses before being rolled around on the hardwood floor.
After I finished pulling the tree out I heard the boys talking about packing things, only to overhear them playing "witches going to the beach" (they're fascinated with The Wizard of Oz lately as we just finished a children's version of the book). I'm not sure what educational value this one has, but I thought it pretty creative even if they were pretending to be something I'd rather they not pretend to be.
They listened to Tchaikovsky while coloring.
We read from Marguerite de Angeli's Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes and the 2yo listened while the older boys said some from memory.
The 4 and 5yo looked at a stack of their favorite autumn picture books during quiet time (naptime), "reading" to themselves.
The 5yo learned how to operate the microwave using minutes and seconds to pop the popcorn for our snack.
The boys wanted chocolate milk (a huge and rare treat) to go with the popcorn so we pulled out the chocolate syrup and the 4yo wanted to know why the syrup always fell to the bottom of the cup. I listened while my 5yo explained, "The syrup is heavier than the milk, see Zachary, and the heavier stuff always sinks." To illustrate, we tried it again with water (making our predictions and then drawing our conclusions).
The boys chose a Classical Christmas Melodies with Flute CD to listen to while snacking.
They narrated the events of their day to their Daddy, as he was coming through the door.
While cutting up a fresh pineapple to go with dinner, we talked about where pineapples come from and what kind of seeds it produces, how the plant protects its seeds and why we don't eat the outside.
Dh read to them and for once I can't tell you what he read because my mind was trying to recall all of these moments while I had a few minutes of peace and quiet! (Lately it's been a book about thunderstorms since we had one just the other night and the boys were so intrigued, or Where the Red Fern Grows with certain parts skipped over because the boys are so little... As a side note, this "Daddy's Read Aloud Time Every Evening" idea has taken off in a wonderful way with us!
Dh couldn't wait to share his favorite childhood book with our boys!)
Bedtime prayers said and then a dose of comic relief as the 2yo informed us, upon our discovery and subsequent questioning of 3 little bruises inside of one of his legs, "The monsters got me." 
Okay, so there's our day in a nutshell and even if everyone here already knew it, this proves to me that I don't NEED to look to "lesson time" for the lessons that are learned in a gentle, loving, educational home atmosphere. Without lesson time today we did science, poetry, religion, math, narrating, drama, reading, art, literature and music. Hooray! With God's grace, I think we've got everything we need.
Is it too early to say we're on our way? 
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Kristine
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saintanneshs
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| Posted: Dec 01 2005 at 11:13pm | IP Logged
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Oh, and I wanted to add a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to everyone on these boards who has taken the time to share what their CM experiences are like. I am so very grateful for the wisdom here. 
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Kristine
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Leonie
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| Posted: Dec 02 2005 at 12:40am | IP Logged
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Kristine,
I loved your description of "a day." Really warm and lots of learning connections. Thanks for sharing.
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Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
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Willa
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| Posted: Dec 02 2005 at 3:03am | IP Logged
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saintanneshs wrote:
| Oh, and I wanted to add a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to everyone on these boards who has taken the time to share what their CM experiences are like. I am so very grateful for the wisdom here. |
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Kristine,
Ditto! Thanks for sharing and for taking the time to write that out.
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AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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Mary G
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| Posted: Dec 02 2005 at 6:23am | IP Logged
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Kristine -- ohhhhhh this was a beautiful day. It's amazing how much learning gets done when you don't stress over those (*&*(&*^$### lesson plans !
It's hard for me as I used to teach in "regular" school, my older kids went to parochial schools and my dh is a middle school religion teacher....old habits die hard, but we're breaking through finally!
BTW, what was the tape of the Goops -- we had this book when we were little and I'd love to share it with the little ones.
Blessings and keep up the good work!
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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ladybugs
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| Posted: Dec 02 2005 at 10:26am | IP Logged
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Beautiful Kristine!
Thanks for this glimpse into your home!
And, I'll heartily concur and that "thank you" to everyone here on the boards. What a lifesaver the CCM email loop was for me and now these boards! I've learned so much here and benefitted from everyone's elses pioneer spirits!
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Love and God Bless,
Maria P
My etsy store - all proceeds go to help my fencing daughters!
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Willa
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| Posted: Dec 02 2005 at 10:33am | IP Logged
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Oh and Kristine, Happy 6th Birthday! to your "chick" today!! 
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AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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juliecinci
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Don't days like those feel so rich and wonderful?
Congratulations!
Julie
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Julie
Homeschooling five for fourteen years
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saintanneshs
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| Posted: Dec 02 2005 at 3:17pm | IP Logged
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Thanks, everyone. 
Mary G. wrote:
| BTW, what was the tape of the Goops -- we had this book when we were little and I'd love to share it with the little ones. |
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Actually, I should have written "They listened" instead of "We listened" since I was doing the reading (not a tape...I wish!) The book is called Goops & How to Be Them: A Manual of Manners for Polite Infants, with 90 drawings...a bit silly but gets the poor manners message across in a funny, poetic way (just right for my silly boys!) We alternate between that and a few other "manners" books mentioned on these boards. 
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Kristine
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Finally getting the message... I think!
