A Cheerful Front Stoop

My home-educating philosophy has evolved

(out of sheer desperation as we are packing and moving)

from "Let's sit down and learn this"

to "Oh. You want to do what?

Ok, sure! Here's the stuff to do it-- Go have fun!"

So we are "doing" a lot of art.

We are working in some other things, too.

Like *telling time.

Because there are specific times

when she is allowed to go visit the next door neighbors.

(We call that math.)

And there are read-alouds, morning and evening.

She has a burning interest in the *Aztec and *Maya civilizations.

And the *civil war, because we've been reading Addy's story.

Addy is a historical American Girl Doll,

in case you're not in the know because you don't have a little girl...

We had an indepth conversation one morning about *China

and it's population control policies,

because she was asking questions

regarding her cousin who is adopted from China.

(History, Geography and Social Studies.)

Oh, and she has developed a fascination with

the Word program on my computer,

and decided to *write a book.

A princess story, of course.

Because she and her best friend are "making a library."

She is busy *making many books to stock its shelves.

And she *dictated a letter to me for her best friend,

I wrote it down and then had her copy it on paper

in her own *handwriting,

and we mailed it.

(That's English class.)

I could go on and on.

(I won't, because I'm busy...and so are you!)

But you get the idea.

We've switched from the classroom model of education

to a more interest-led philosophy

and I'm really loving it.

It is really fun, and we are both enjoying life more.

When our lives settle down again post moving,

I plan to continue educating this way,

although I do intend to do a little more

 leading in some areas of interest.

But for now, every time I open my front door,

or come home and walk up the steps,

I see these gorgeous colors, and they make me happy.

I love her art.

(Which means you'll be seeing more of it soon!)

"School" is fun because it isn't "school" anymore,

it is life.....a life-style of learning we love,

and we are both satisfied.