Re: Digest Number 125
[email protected]
In a message dated 7/24/99 7:19:55 AM !!!First Boot!!!,
[email protected] writes:
<< We read 'Sarah... ' last year but I couldn't get my daughters very
interested in the lesson activities. Hence, we are unschooling. I realized
that , for right now, they are not into these pre-packaged learning
experiences.
done informally,and we don't do what they don't want to do. We don't follow
the guide strictly (thus we would be schooling then) and we do it when we
feel energized and want to take something on. The boys have been very
positive and interested in this Thomas Edison unit. I don't think
unschooling has to mean using nothing and hoping like heck your kids can find
the answers to their questions. I for one am not always stimulating and
spontaneous and I find I need help now and again to show the boys some really
cool things that just shouldn't be passed up or looked past. I do believe in
stimulating the mind and trying new experiences. Stopping the children so
they can look at things they otherwise may have looked straight past. And
having a child who in the past sufferend from ADHD, it has indeed been
crucial for us to provide a stimulating environment. And I know they would
never want to read Sarah, Plain and Tall, hahaha!
Like I said, a great deal of this can be done as dinner conversations or
"let's try this see what happens" type of stuff. I will blurt out a few
points in the car, and we will discuss it far as we like. And my guys
wanted to do this.
Even though we are unschooling also, i use B5IAR to increase my knowledge
base and my creativity and they are learning how to dive into things a little
more deeply. they are asking more questions about why things are they way
they are and how things work.. This unit along with other things we are doing
has stimulated something in them that was lying formant for sometime.
Since they previously were in a public school situation... they had to find
out that learning can actually be fun and things you thought you would hate
may be interesting after all. I have heard them time and again say that
never would have thought some of the things we do are fun, but much to their
surprise and my delight, they are enjoying a variety of things. But it
doesn't appear that they would not have picked these things up or asked to do
them...because they think "learning things' in general suck. So, Mom is
doing a bit of stimulation for now and it is paying off big time. I am
exposing them to things they otherwise would have passed up.
Oh my goodness, i do believe their minds are opening and they are becoming
more willing to learn and experience things outside of their previously
comfortable box. So B5IAR is benefitting us just fine right now...and it
also expanding my mind, which also needed some prying open :-) I am getting
better at answering impromptu questions and finding the answers to questions
I have. And before the boys wouldn't touch books outside of Goosebumps or
Animorphs without putting up a battle. Now they see that you can't judge a
book by its cover and you might actually enjoy what is written in the pages
inside. For this I am extremely thankful... I was a bit worried about it :-(
Andi, check out the website that one of the members posted.
Kim in Ohio
[email protected] writes:
<< We read 'Sarah... ' last year but I couldn't get my daughters very
interested in the lesson activities. Hence, we are unschooling. I realized
that , for right now, they are not into these pre-packaged learning
experiences.
>>We consider what we are doing with B5IAR as unschooling. The activites are
done informally,and we don't do what they don't want to do. We don't follow
the guide strictly (thus we would be schooling then) and we do it when we
feel energized and want to take something on. The boys have been very
positive and interested in this Thomas Edison unit. I don't think
unschooling has to mean using nothing and hoping like heck your kids can find
the answers to their questions. I for one am not always stimulating and
spontaneous and I find I need help now and again to show the boys some really
cool things that just shouldn't be passed up or looked past. I do believe in
stimulating the mind and trying new experiences. Stopping the children so
they can look at things they otherwise may have looked straight past. And
having a child who in the past sufferend from ADHD, it has indeed been
crucial for us to provide a stimulating environment. And I know they would
never want to read Sarah, Plain and Tall, hahaha!
Like I said, a great deal of this can be done as dinner conversations or
"let's try this see what happens" type of stuff. I will blurt out a few
points in the car, and we will discuss it far as we like. And my guys
wanted to do this.
Even though we are unschooling also, i use B5IAR to increase my knowledge
base and my creativity and they are learning how to dive into things a little
more deeply. they are asking more questions about why things are they way
they are and how things work.. This unit along with other things we are doing
has stimulated something in them that was lying formant for sometime.
Since they previously were in a public school situation... they had to find
out that learning can actually be fun and things you thought you would hate
may be interesting after all. I have heard them time and again say that
never would have thought some of the things we do are fun, but much to their
surprise and my delight, they are enjoying a variety of things. But it
doesn't appear that they would not have picked these things up or asked to do
them...because they think "learning things' in general suck. So, Mom is
doing a bit of stimulation for now and it is paying off big time. I am
exposing them to things they otherwise would have passed up.
Oh my goodness, i do believe their minds are opening and they are becoming
more willing to learn and experience things outside of their previously
comfortable box. So B5IAR is benefitting us just fine right now...and it
also expanding my mind, which also needed some prying open :-) I am getting
better at answering impromptu questions and finding the answers to questions
I have. And before the boys wouldn't touch books outside of Goosebumps or
Animorphs without putting up a battle. Now they see that you can't judge a
book by its cover and you might actually enjoy what is written in the pages
inside. For this I am extremely thankful... I was a bit worried about it :-(
Andi, check out the website that one of the members posted.
Kim in Ohio
[email protected]
I had bought the five in a row book... and after the question on this loop
popped it out agasin and decided that since my almost five year old keeps
asking if we can "do" school that I would try it out when I return from NY
next week, I went ahead and orderd the beyond 5 in a row fore my older
daughter becuase she loves the boxcar children books and I thought it might
be fun to incorporate stuff with that. I often find taht I ride the fence on
unschooling and my participation... in that I don' twant to force stuff down
their throat (ie holocaust! :-) per our earlier posts regarding this) but
havce also noticed that often tijes my 7 year old will say a book is "boring"
just based on the looks of the cover, So -- Ibought the five in a row
boolks. I think we will pick and choose also and know that they ahve many
outside interests... She is really "into' getting a hamster right now and has
been., In this house we believce that you don't just run on out and purchase
a pet to have unless you reserach etc. making sure the pet is truly wanted
not just a passing fancy, plus this opens many other areas of interest.
Anyway, bottom linje... I find that I am often in between... but nonetheless
enjoy being wikth them and wathcing them learn -- regardless how they learn...
Kathie, RamblingKathie but Kathie nonetheless
popped it out agasin and decided that since my almost five year old keeps
asking if we can "do" school that I would try it out when I return from NY
next week, I went ahead and orderd the beyond 5 in a row fore my older
daughter becuase she loves the boxcar children books and I thought it might
be fun to incorporate stuff with that. I often find taht I ride the fence on
unschooling and my participation... in that I don' twant to force stuff down
their throat (ie holocaust! :-) per our earlier posts regarding this) but
havce also noticed that often tijes my 7 year old will say a book is "boring"
just based on the looks of the cover, So -- Ibought the five in a row
boolks. I think we will pick and choose also and know that they ahve many
outside interests... She is really "into' getting a hamster right now and has
been., In this house we believce that you don't just run on out and purchase
a pet to have unless you reserach etc. making sure the pet is truly wanted
not just a passing fancy, plus this opens many other areas of interest.
Anyway, bottom linje... I find that I am often in between... but nonetheless
enjoy being wikth them and wathcing them learn -- regardless how they learn...
Kathie, RamblingKathie but Kathie nonetheless