Is it a duck or a goose? Home School at the Lake

Today we took our little home school outside for a field trip before the deluge.

We took a short trip to the man-made leisure lake a few miles from the little house to discuss webbed feet and the many types of fowl that pop in for a rest while on their way to places south and north, depending on the time of year. 

From our discussions: "It's not a duck, mom, because it has a long neck."

"It could be a fat penguin. But it's just a duck." 

We also saw turtles and fish, which led to a discussion on if fish can swim faster than ducks or geese. Morgan would prefer webbed feet over fins. Jack wants to see a turtle swim up close because they have legs like an elephant. They also decided Graham crackers are better than any other square crackers, but that circle crackers are the best. Quite the educational morning!

We're enjoying home schooling with a mix of unschooling while the little ones are still not eligible for Kindergarten until next year. And then, Kindergarten is only half-day in our state, otherwise you need to pay for full day. So we'll be doing the home school at least through the next two years, and maybe beyond that depending on our situation.

I am loving home school, and the twins seem to be taking to it particularly well. I'll admit it's a little harder than I expected, and we're all learning patience, however each morning they rise the first questions they ask pertain to school and when we can start. 

We have yet to crack open the Clifford the Big Red Dog Science Kit or The Magic School Bus: World of Germs (we're all excited about that one!). There's been too much else to do that has drawn our attention. The weather has been particularly interesting, which played nicely into our unschooling (it really needs a better name, although I believe it was chosen for the shock factor). We are in monsoon season. It can be bright blue skies in the morning and a deluge by noon, halting traffic around the valley and sending the house into sudden darkness as the skies open up and pour ice-cold rain. That started a discussion about summer turning to fall, how hail is formed (and the introduction of a new word they can't get enough of, "sleet") and the dangers of a flash flood.

Home School By Design

Since the twins aren't eligible for Kindergarten for another year, and then only 2.5 hours a day, we've decided to home school. At least for now. It's been an exciting research opportunity for this reporter, and an eye opener for this research-happy mom.

There are so many educational kits to choose from! And do I have it in me to be a good teacher to these very individual twins?

We decided on Clifford the Big Red Dog Science series as well as the Magic School Bus. The twins are into math and science over spelling and letter tracing any day.

Our first day went off without a hitch, aside from the fact that I was so bored. I thought I'd be all over the Schofield Kiddie University. Nah. I'm with them on the science and math. Much more exciting, although my report cards I keepsaked (what was I thinking?) will tell a different story to my curious chillins, one day. We all struggled through the letters and spelling, which we've done many times before so I was frustrated that we didn't seem to be moving forward. It occurs to me, slow as I can be, that we've sucked the fun out of writing our names and objets of current obsession by doing it over and over. I'll be ogling Pinterest and home school blogs for new ways to learn to spell that excite all of us. Being there while we struggle together, watching their whole self light up when they master a letter or problem, it's the biggest charge of my life, and assuming there's up to that one moment. And we move on. So much to learn! It's exciting. Hope I'm up for this challenge. They certainly come prepared daily for anything, I mean anything.

No uniforms (they were too excited to start school to get dressed!) or sack lunches, just math, magnets and spelling. Lots of fun. They love science, sputter through spelling and totally dig math.


We used markers, chocolate for Morgan, bits of fruit candy for Jack, to add and subtract. They did it on their own a few times. No eating until we've made a full 10 from two fives at the end. I think I'm learning patience more than them!

We are doing a couple of kits this semester and practicing our handwriting and spelling so we can write a letter to Santa, their final exam! Jack asked how 5-2 = a letter to Santa. Uh oh. He's on to me.
 
Jack has yet to choose a writing hand, although if he gets flustered he tends to switch over to his left and go for it. He can spell his name, but the C is always backward. Always. He says it looks just fine to him, let's move on, Mom! 

We'll post pictures of our Clifford  and Magic School Bus educational kits, but for now let's just get them past the number 10 with bits of chocolate and fruit candy, and 5-2 = wonder.