My children have not been doing any formal "lessons" since May but much learning and doing has taken place that I want to get down on paper(or screen :).
For the past three days my boys, along with several neighborhood recruits, have been preparing for a big ball game in our backyard. They have built a batter's box, a player's bench and a concession stand using some scrap wood left over in the garage. There has been an awful lot of planning, drawing, nailing, sawing and constructing going on. They have drawn baselines with white flour from my kitchen and have filled in the holes in the backyard with soil to make it a level playing field. Lest you think they have been neglected, you will find their mother in the house preparing cold drinks bringing meals outdoors so they can quickly get back to work once they have fueled up :).
I am amazed at their creativity, general gumption and ability to keep themselves occupied without a bit of adult "suggestion" and "intervention". This speaks volumes to naysayers who believe that children will only learn or take initiative when prompted/forced to. Children who are allowed to follow their interests will absorb information like a sponge, soaking up as much as possible about a topic before moving onto another. Elizabeth wrote a wonderful post about the interest based learning process here.
This past year, I was quite immobile due to pregnancy related hip problems. Then add a newborn to the mix and you will find that the kids had quite a bit of free time to pursue their interests. I was so worried that they would sit around and watch too much t.v. or waste time in some other brainless manner. Sure, there was some of that but mostly they have been occupying themselves with important matters that did not require my involvement.
Christopher taught himself to swim this summer. Last summer, he hung on the side of the pool and would not let go, no matter how much I bribed prompted. What a huge amount of time and breath I wasted! This summer I bought him a pair of goggles and sat down to watch. He first taught himself to put his face in the water, then to duck his head. Now he is jumping off the side of the pool, swimming underwater and diving for toys without a second thought. He also taught himself to ride a two wheeler this Spring. I am realizing more and more how important it is that I step back and stay out of the learning process unless I am needed. This quote by Maria Montessori speaks volumes to me when I feel tempted to step in and take over: " "Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed."
How does this translate into our yearly home education? There are some topics that we will study each and every year, such as Math, Science, Catechism, History, Poetry, Art, Music and Language Arts. This year we are adding Latin to the mix. There is a broad range of learning styles within my family alone. There are many ways to learn these important subjects. For one child, a workbook might suffice. But another may require a more hands on approach. Yet another may need an auditory approach, listening to many books on tape.
I once heard of a mother whose child was only interested in baseball one school year. (I know what you are thinking but no, it is not me!) He learned American geography by plotting all the major league baseball diamonds on a map. He learned math by keeping the stats of the players and keeping score at the games. He studied turf grass management for science. For handwriting copywork he copied famous baseball quotes. The child learned much that year because it was an interest close to his heart.
Rather than writing out exhaustive lesson plans for the next thirty two weeks, I have spent less money and time planning our schoolyear this year. I have observed the children, listened to their learning styles and challenges and planned accordingly. I feel that I have a better grasp of how my children learn and what their academic needs are this year. Planning for a daily spine and allowing the children's interests to blossom sounds like an approach that will work for us.