- Joined the Farnham Home Ed group
- Returned to Osterley for another visit (and birthday cream tea)
- Started Ice-Skating with a home-ed group on Friday afternoons
- Celebrated two birthdays (Ben & Noah's)
- Added to the vegetable plot in the garden
- Had several trips to the library
- Practised roller-skating skills
- Read
- Played
- Created Craft designs
- Introduced a new 'learning planner'
- Attended swimming lessons
- Acquired a chicken coop (chickens to follow)
- Visited the V & A Museum for the Ball-gown Exhibition
and best of all.... studied our own 'Very Hungry Caterpillars!
We used a Insect Lore Butterfly Garden
and sent off for our little caterpillar pot; 5 very little, very hungry caterpillars arrived and everyday we watched in amazement as they grew and grew and grew (just like the book!). One morning we came down to find they were Pupae and last Friday we came down to find four beautiful butterflies - very exciting!!. (Sadly, one little guy didn't make it.)
and sent off for our little caterpillar pot; 5 very little, very hungry caterpillars arrived and everyday we watched in amazement as they grew and grew and grew (just like the book!). One morning we came down to find they were Pupae and last Friday we came down to find four beautiful butterflies - very exciting!!. (Sadly, one little guy didn't make it.) |
| Little Caterpillar (yes the black thing in the window!) |
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| A newly emerged caterpillar..... |
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| Releasing the butterflies.... |
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| off they fly...... |
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| Exploring the outside |
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| This one didn't make it.... |
We learnt so much and it was so interesting to see the transformation; pretty similar to the transformation I have seen in the children.....
When we first decided to home-ed, I read lots of books about autonomous learning, children led-learning and being a facilitator. "Perfect!" I thought, sounds right up my street (less work the better); but I never felt we were getting 'there'. If you read past blogs you will see (read) some of the journeys we have been on; many books talk about 'de-schooling', a period of transition where children have to become interested in LEARNING again. When my children were little, the questions used to drive me mad, always asking about things, wanting to learn about how something works and so forth (hungry caterpillars?). I hadn't realised until recently that they had stopped asking questions (pupae?); they were used to information being GIVEN to them, on a pre-set agenda, according to someone else's timetable. After almost a year out of school, they have started asking questions again!!! They are starting to initiate their own time-table, and 'learning' has become far more organic. And just like watching those butterflies - its really, really exciting!! Even I have got the 'bug', and am reading 'Jane Eyre'... one of those 'dreaded' classics - purely for enjoyment. Lily is teaching me piano and I am learning stuff that I had 'forgotten'.
Phew..... I'm not sure how we used to fit school in!
angela x
PS: its not all perfect... they still fight, argue, make mess and tire me out. But its worth it!
What a lovely and inspiring post, Angela! So lovely to hear you're all happy and learning :-)
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