Stupid, Stupid, Stupid.
Sometimes I wonder about myself.
Today, while out of town, the kids and I stopped in to the Play & Learn. It's a lovely little higher end toy and teacher supply store. Do you see where this is going? After walking through the Playmobil section where we planned out our next $500 of Playmobil purchases, I meandered over to the school supplies.
I'm looking for a few things. Something Geography- or Cartography-ish, something Art Appreciation-y and something Values- or Character-based.
Being worried about planning and scheduling for the upcoming school year, I couldn't have picked a worse place to land myself. Everything is, of course, grade level segregated, task orientated, tested, standards based, paper producing, seat work intensive with copious amounts of regurgitation required.
I opened a Grade 3 Map Skills and World Geography resource book. I almost fainted when I imagined Raiden trying to read the assigned paragraphs, answering the review questions, completing the diagram and 'enriching' himself with the Things To Think About section.
That stuff is so not us. It is the opposite of looseleaf and large-squared calendar. I really should stick to the 'Play' side of the Play & Learn when I find myself in the midst of Back-To-School Panic.
So, I managed to avoid any stupid purchases. And I am officially open to suggestions as to what sort of not-schoolish things that you may be using for art appreciation, mapping or map skills (more so than geography) and such.
4 comments:
Hi,
Usborne has a little book called "How to draw maps and charts" My kids could learn anything using a treasure hunt format. Hmmm, isn't it funny how easy it is to give other people advice. Meanwhile I'm sweating it out over our math curriculum and I am so keen to get going on language I know I will overwhelm them and turn them off.
As for art, the National Gallery has a family fun day this Sunday.
Also the book "Discovering Great Artists" by MaryAnn Kohl and the series "Smart about art" by various authors.
Okay, you're turn. The kids have chosen the language arts units; humour, mystery and science. I'm open to suggestion.
Science this year is geology, earthquakes/volcanoes, heat, light, sound, chemistry, simple machines, structures and the habitat to biome spectrum. Any thoughts on any of them?
Why "stupid"?
The way I see it, our kids will end up somewhere around the same spot eventually. Thing is, while my government educated kids are travelling the well-used, one direction, cow-herding path of the 401....your kids are taking the side roads, stopping to smell the flowers and check out what interests them along the way without pressure and set-in-stone expectations. All of them will get to the same destination...maybe at different times, by different routes...but they will get there just the same.
What you are doing is just right for you and your kids. No worries ;-)
I congratulate you on leaving without making any stupid purchases. I black out in front of Back to School displays and somehow find myself standing outside with at least one workbook the kids will use once, several notebooks, and clutching a large bag full of glue sticks, pencils, eraser tops and protractors. :o)
Peace and Laughter,
Ooh, it's nice to read a Canadian blog. We lived in Mississauga for 4 1/2 years and that's where we first heard about home-schooling!
I appreciate how you might feel overwhelmed in the store, but I am soooo jealous. We don't have them here in England! Everything has to be boughtd mail order and that is a recipe for baaaad purchases!
Dorothy
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