“If parents and teachers take a child’s interests seriously, opportunities to create meaningful connections to all kinds of subjects erupt into view” – Julie Bogart The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning and Life I recently began reading Julie Bogart’s, The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning and Life. The bookContinue reading Enchanted Learning
Open-Ended Play
Emergent WritersWhen children play freely they make sense of the world, they explore, experiment, and problem solve. Mr. Rogers said, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” There are many different kinds of playContinue reading Open-Ended Play
Guided Learning
This week I have been reflecting on the learning and teaching process and thinking about what it means to support children as they learn. This post is about what guided learning means to me. I will also describe the influence educators and learning philosophies have on my beliefs about learning and teaching. GuidedContinue reading Guided Learning
Multi-Sensory Learning at Home
When I think about the ways kids learn and the way an environment can support learning, I am reminded about the importance of providing kids with materials that can help them visualize a concept or an idea they are working on. Many of us are visual learners and creating a visual to represent a conceptContinue reading Multi-Sensory Learning at Home
Middle School Learners
When my kids were young, I would direct their attention toward nature, building blocks, art supplies, etc to keep little hands busy. We also took trips to the zoo, the park, science museum and gardens. At home, I would place materials out for them to play with and and use. It was a very naturalContinue reading Middle School Learners
Encouraging a Love of Reading
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” — Frederick Douglass There are many ways to read with your child and encourage a love of reading. There are also some specific ways you can provide support to your child as she reads. In this post, I will start by describing how I developedContinue reading Encouraging a Love of Reading
Spring Break Camp
Ever since the kids entered elementary school, I like to plan engaging activities and field trips for us to take during school breaks. I base the activities on topics the kids are interested in. This morning, I asked them what they wanted learn more about on the way to school and to think aboutContinue reading Spring Break Camp
Early Mornings
*contains affiliate links Last week, the kids’ bedtime came and went one evening. Suddenly they were interested in math. My 11-year-old decided it was a good time to start pre-algebra and my 6-year-old thought doing some multiplication was a good idea. I let them work for a awhile before sending them to bed. I thoughtContinue reading Early Mornings
Galaxy Art
The enthusiasm for space continues! Yesterday, the kids looked at photos of galaxies and stars in books and online. My 11-year-old and 6-year-old each used different materials to make a picture of a galaxy. My daughter experimented with Maya Mists spray paints (from a crafty friend) and some acrylic paint to make her image. (WeContinue reading Galaxy Art
Teaching at Home
I recently realized that tutoring has always been part of my life. In high school I tutored students in math at the local middle school. As an engineering student in college, I volunteered at a high school. Tutoring is what led me to consider switching majors to education. I enjoy the learning and teaching process andContinue reading Teaching at Home
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