If you don’t know what a Montessori Great Lesson is, or what it’s about, I recommend you tootle off to see Miss Barbara. If you’re wondering why you would do that with elementary age children (6 - 12), there’s a wiki page (isn’t there always a wiki page somewhere?) that explains it.
First of all, I [...]
Over the last month or so, I’ve read a trilogy by Trudi Canavan, The Magicians’ Guild, The Novice, and The High Lord. I picked the first one up from the library on a whim and they were good enough that I ordered the second two, and devoured them within a day each time. They didn’t [...]
started by the fact that I didn’t surface until 12.30, as I was finishing off my book, The Margarets Not sure that I can be bothered to write a separate book review post (although I ought, as there are a couple of other books I’ve read that I haven’t reviewed yet. But there you) [...]
BBC NEWS | Magazine | Putting percentages in context
Percentages might make news stories stand out, but without a connection to the human experience, can become meaningless. Wouldnt it be good to have the mental agility to separate the wheat from the chaff? In his third lesson of a weekly series, author Michael Blastland gives some [...]
Today I found the right motivation to teach Small some more maths. I informed him that if he could count his own money out of the pile, he could have the same pocket money at Big gets (£1 a week) rather than the 50p he’s been getting. It took an hour, but he counted out [...]
I went down to old house yesterday and did some more clearing - brought back yet more stuff to litter this house with Actually, I am hoping to be offloading some stuff that we don’t want any more, but I’ll put that in another post.
After I’d cleared our bedroom pretty much, and stacked more [...]
I had so many good intentions today. Well, at least I got the car serviced
Let’s see. I wanted to clear out bits of the dining room - Tim managed to hoover in there at least. I pulled a couple of bits out and I have a big pile of stuff [...]
Now, how long is it going to be before I join the select crew of Wizard Whimstaff results in google?
Tim took Big out today, and they went to wilkos and bought Wizard Whimstaff’s Hilarious Handwriting (aka Basic Skills: Handwriting: Ages 6-7 (Basic Skills)) and his Toady Times Tables: Magical Skills Level 1 (Magical [...]
this morning, Small has learnt from numberjacks that 6 can be split into two 3s. (I’m not going to promise that he knows he can do that with six things mind )
Big is sitting on the floor counting her money and exchanging pounds in change for pound coins. Her arithmetic is improving [...]
courtesy of 1000 Playthinks
Found this the other night when I was tidying, and decided I’d inflict it on Big. Expected her to wail and moan and wriggle, instead she practically ripped it out of my hand and we started working through the puzzles difficulty level 1. We got to one about [...]
Apart from dictating her experiment today, Big has done lots of work on maths. Completely unprompted and with only a little guidance at that - she found a box of post office toys (tried to find a link, but elc appear to have discontinued it so as to be able to fit in more [...]
Now, I know it’s Sunday. I know it’s a day of rest for many. I know that my children don’t know that, and one of the things they’ve never got around to learning is that education is supposed to happen 9 -3.30, Mon-Fri, within the walls of a school. I’m quite pleased [...]
Celebration part the third! This is getting to be one long celebration, and Big is loving every little bit of it.
Having her oldest friend stay overnight, as he has done rather a lot of times in the past, ought to be straightforward and it did used to be. However, we didn’t used to [...]
given that presents on Thursday night count as part one
Long day though first, as there was lots to be done. Small had a hearing appt first thing this morning, so he and I were out bright and early (well, 9.30, which is bright and early for a Saturday I think ) [...]
It occurred to me that this blog has been somewhat devoid of home educational reporting recently. That’s because we’ve come out of the sit-down-and-do-work stage that we went into a little while ago, it appeared to serve its purpose and kickstarted the learning process again. We now have voluntary turning off of the television [...]
Describes the day fairly well, although it wasn’t what I was thinking as I entered the title box.
Yesterday afternoon I made a superhuman effort to detach myself from computer chair and got down on the floor and we did mosaics. This seemed to go down well. The bedtime routine went well as well [...]
Pleasant afternoon in the main, children ran in and out a lot, Small tried to fall asleep on the sofa and we refused to let him, and I did roast dinner and actually got it all ready together and earlier than the time I’d said I would! Result
Forgot to mention that Small [...]
must be careful to keep it education, and not indoctrination! Well, I ask you. Big chose a book from the sale box at the library a little while ago, an ancient tome on Reproduction and Growing Up. Today she wanted to read some of it, so we sat together and I read [...]
So good, that Big cried with joy when she found the missing computer game at her place at the table this morning Or so she tells us - I was still in bed!
Small is also still in bed. I’m assuming that this is because he was hot and uncomfortable and didn’t get [...]
Think I’m going to be popping back for a second, more technical interview in a week or so’s time. So I should still be alright for Kessingland, especially as I stressed today that I am away that week. Got to get your priorities straight, after all!
And of course I’ve another interview [...]