Un Schooling

We have decided to move to ALL unschooling for the next two weeks. I feel like they need to rediscover their own natural curiosity and desire to learn. No more of mom chasing down this project or the next... just mom being here to guide them if they need it... but pursue what you want to learn without someone telling you when to start, how long and when to stop, what and where and how to learn. I like the concept alot in helping them nurture their own sense of self...

So I announced it today before we started school. They both looked at me a little nervously and in disbelief, yet after a few clarifications and such... they were PUMPED!
Emmalee decided she wanted to research Rabbits. Then she started making a power point to exhibit to us!

I didn't even know she knew how to do a power point!! VERY COOL!

Cody played with some ideas and then settled down to a Science book. He has been glued to it all day!! He has told me all about gravity, and molecules, and atoms and genetic modification! He then decided he was interested in the animals they listed that have been genetically modified and took off into the All About Animals books we have to research them.

He started thinking maybe he would like to be a scientist when he grows up and play with genetics and their codes and such. WHOA! Talk about DEEP! And he isn't even 10! LOL

Caleb wanted to cut some paper and make a "caterpillar". He quickly discovered that the pieces became like a puzzle!! Oh! Was he ever excited!! He spent over half an hour cutting them out and then putting them back together! He LOVES puzzles! LOL!

We also discussed the Law of the Fast and how it blesses others, and us as well. And Emma had a short lesson from our neighbor Amy about sewing/hemming pants!

It has been a FABULOUS day! My kids are so smart and curious! And I LOVE it!! *THIS* is what teaching your children and homeschooling them is all about!

Math studies...

With a helper!

It looks more like Soph is trying to talk Emma into playing hookie if you ask me!! LOL! I mean how do you read a book when there is a fluffy butt on top of it?? LOL LOL

Iron in the dirt...

...that the magnets could find!

I have been meaning to post these for a while now! This was the dirt experiment we did in our yard. There was definately different amounts of iron in the different dirt piles in the yard!


And then the cute museum they did so show off their findings!

I have such smart kidlets! They are so fun!!

We had a "not as productive as I would have liked at homeschool" day yesterday. Jess was home (again) and so I put him to work with me in the office to clear out supply house invoices and get bills made up. It was an all day project with preschool carpool to do, but it feels SOO great to have it done! The kids worked around us... but we didn't get in depth with anything like we will the rest of this week...

We did:

Math -
Emmalee is working on pre-algebra story problems. She is doing really well! Her story was about the game of golf and figuring out par, birdies and bogies. Now I have to admit... we are not a golfing family (aside from pretending we know what we are doing on Wii Golf... )so it was a learning experience for all of us in the room! LOL She did 3 pages of practice.

Cody worked on division. He completed 2 pages in his workbook.

We also did our St Patricks day word search puzzle that we missed last week. Then I taught them how and let them make their own word search puzzle. Cody made one for Dad and Em made one for me. They did their best handwritting and they did a good job in making it hard to figure out (and it kept them busy for over an hour! LOL)

They both read over an hour and a half. Emma has almost completed the 3rd Harry Potter book. Cody is reading the Ranger's Apprentice.

They also made lunch for each other and played some games they made up.

Today we are going to be more focused! ;)

Who'd have ever thought I would allow this at my house! LOL

Friday Homeschool Classes

Today the two went to their first set of enrichment classes offered by the local charter school just for homeschool families. It is BRILLIANT!!

Lou got to enjoy:
1st period : Computer Lab/Typing
2nd period: Dance
3rd period: Storytelling
4th period: Spanish

Bubba got to enjoy:
1st period : Computer Lab/Typing
2nd period: Storytelling
3rd period: Let's Make Music
4th period: Reading and Writing

They both just gushed over how fun it was! Lou was rattling off the words she had learned in spanish and asking me to help her pronounce them properly. Bubba REALLY enjoyed his reading and writing class.

We did not do much more after I picked them up at 1 pm schoolwise, but I did stop in at DI for a minute after my cardiologist appt and found 6 books for dirt cheap we can use for school!! WAHOO!

Wednesday March 11th

We had a busy day today!

They each completed some math worksheets, Lou did 12 pages just for fun! We read one more chapter of Summer of the Monkeys and discussed it. They each read over an hour again. They did a word cross puzzle on foods, and then we reviewed and completed a packet on the Food Pyramid. We went to the library and got a DVD on the Human body to watch this week, and Lou got a book to read. They each got their own library cards and feel SO grown up! LOL! They also played Wii Fit for about 30 minutes each learning and practicing new exercises.

Today (Thursday) we are bottling chicken with the neighbors, and so it's an off day of sorts... though they both have already done their hours worth of reading and it's only 9:20 am! LOL!