Going to School before LOL Phase

In the Leadership Education materials, children under the age of 8 are considered in Core Phase.  This is a phase during which they learn about core values - right, good, true.  They establish their bond with family and learn about healthy relationships.  And they learn the value of hard work (even if it takes a few more years to truly appreciate it).  Raymond & Dorothy Moore, often called "the grandparents of home schooling", and the authors of "Better Late Than Early" also support keeping younger children close to home.  I agree with all of this, which makes today's observation interesting but also a bit of a "duh" moment in my education journey.

My youngest is currently 6-years-old.  He has attended a charter school 2 days per week this school year. I never intended to send him there, but when we went to the open house to check out the program for my 9-year-old, he was so excited at the idea of a "real school",  and he begged to go!  So I figured that we would give it a try.  If he didn't like it, he was always welcome to come back home with me.  Throughout the school year, we have taken lots of days off, staying at home or going on field trips instead of going to "school", so there truly has been no pressure on him to attend.

Every day that he is supposed to go to his school, he is so excited!  He gets himself all dressed and ready to go, and when we have parked the car, he literally runs to his classroom.  His teacher is a sweet and patient home school mom who nurtures his love for learning.  The learning is all project-based and student-driven, with a lot of choice and play time. He has never complained or asked to stop.  And if I ever suggest he stop, he objects strongly.

However, around lunch time, at least once a month, he gets tired and frustrated and decides he wants to go home.  He has even walked out of his classroom and away from his teacher, much to her dismay.  Again, I offered to have him stay home with me or do another activity with me instead of go to "school", but he begged to continue going.

So, my solution was to go with him to school.  I've been in and out most days, but lately I've stayed right outside the door the whole time.  Today, it really hit me what he needs and why most kids under 8 should probably wait to start school.  Although he had a great time, he came out to hug me or check in with me several times during the day.  He never wanted to leave.  He just needed a little reassurance.  A couple of times, he came out for consolation after a disagreement with a friend.  Although his teacher is very kind and willing to help resolve issues, and he is very comfortable talking to her, he truly needed a "mommy moment".  I didn't do much.  A squeeze and a kiss, and he was quickly back in the classroom.

I wrote about children under 8 in my book, and that was based on a lot of research.  But I just love it when real life illustrates the points I so strongly encourage and teach to others.  Today I was reminded that even if children under 8 ASK to go to school or ASK for group classes, they truly need to stay close to mom and stay within a family environment rather than an "institutional" environment.  That doesn't mean that they can't participate in such groups.  Some children need and even thrive in such environments, especially if they are extroverted, have performing personalities and need more social outlets.  Here are a couple of suggestions - dare I say warnings.

1.  Make sure it is something they need (ask for) and not something you do out of fear of "lack of socialization".  There is always time for socialization when they are older. How old depends on their personality and learning style.  One of my children, who is extremely introverted, needed to wait until she was almost 10 to participate in group learning.

2.  Be sure to keep it limited - time and group size.  For young children, one group per week is a good start.  Be sure they still have plenty of free time, at home, with family.

3.  Stay close by.  These children need to return often to the security of family.  Don't think that just because it's a quick check-in that it's not important.

4.  Choose a group with other moms who understand your philosophy and goals about educating your child.  I once had an unfortunate conflict with well-meaning moms who were trying to help by "teaching" (aka forcing) my young child to sit through a class without me.  Communicate clearly, and don't assume that they share or understand your point of view when it comes to your children or your educational approach.

I know that those early years can be overwhelming.  But they really do go by quickly, and you'll miss them once they've passed.  Enjoy the bonding time with your children.  Let other things go for now.  Focus on these precious moments with your little ones.

Inspiring Science

Today we had a very inspiring science day, so I thought I would share that with you.

I have several Ask magazines.  These are magazines published by the same company who publish Cricket, Spider, and Lady Bug.  Ask is specifically about Science, and is aimed at 6-9 year olds.  So last night I looked through a few old copies, and found something interesting that I wanted to share with my kids today.  The issue I chose had a story about some hikers who found a body in an melting glacier.  Scientists used carbon-dating and other investigative techniques to determine that this man died about 5,000 years ago.  The ice had preserved his body and several of his belongings, making him a great discovery for archeologists.

I read the story to my children, and then we did our own experiment.  We filled up several plastic cups with water.  Then my kids chose some items to submerge - a strawberry, a twig, a leaf, and a piece of paper.  They used rocks to hold the items under the water.  Then we placed the cups in the freezer.  We will take them out after a week, observe them, let the ice melt and compare them to the same items set aside but not frozen. 

One key here is that I did not approach this as if I had something I wanted THEM to learn.  I approached it as though I had something that I found really cool and interesting and I wanted to SHARE it with them.  We learned together. 

We finished up our morning with a math activity.  We took a bucket of coins to the Coinstar machine and traded them in for paper money.  Before we put them into the machine, we all guessed how much money it was (I won, but I wish that my 6-year-old's guess of $6,000 had been correct).  The machine was great, because it printed on the receipt how many of each coin we had.  We took our paper money home and put it into our family vacation fund (a lesson in life skills and goal setting).

Remember to take advantage of those natural learning moments that occur simply in the course of family life.  And consider investing in some of those magazines to help inspire learning. 

Here is a list of a bunch I like. 
Cricket
Spider
Lady Bug
Baby Bug
Highlights
Highlights Puzzle Mania
Highlight's Math Mania
Ask
Muse
Ranger Rick
Dig

And Superhero comic books are great for inspiring boys to read!

Bathtub Math

Learning can and should happen anywhere. One important aspect to mentoring a child in Love of Learning Phase is to be open and prepared for learning moments as they arise naturally.

Tonight that happened during bath time.

My son is six years old right now, which means that he's still in Core Phase (he's still learning the lessons of that phase), but he's beginning to play with learning moments. He is always curious and thinking, but I am not always as available as I want to be at the perfect moments.

Tonight he was taking his bath, and we had a wonderful learning moment together. This made me think about how this would be so easy for all of you to recreate in your own bathtubs! Just get some inexpensive rubber ducks and frogs or other bath toys in multiples.

Now, let's sing some funny songs.

My son counted out and lined up 5 little ducks and 1 big (mommy) duck. Then we sang the song, "Five Little Ducks Went Out One day..." Each time 1 less came back, and so he adjusted the ducks accordingly.

Then he set up 5 frogs, and we sang "Five green and speckled frogs sat on a special log..." He pushed 1 frog at a time off the side of the bath tub.

This is a great way to teach the number concept of subtraction and 1 less.

The bathtub is also a great place for science -- what floats and what doesn't? what happens when I mix different colored bubble bath? And my very favorite, push the glass under water and trap an air bubble the let it out. That one never gets old for me.

At bedtime, you can sing "There were five in the bed and the little one said..."

There are some many fun games and songs that teach math concepts. Keep it fun! Remember, they need to play all the way up to age ten, depending on the child. Don't worry about the scope and sequence. Don't worry about your child deeply understanding how and why this works. Just play together.

At this age, the goal is to associate positive emotional responses to learning. When the math concept shows up later, maybe in an actual math book, you can always help him make the connection.

And speaking of math books...We just got some new ones at our house, and my kids were so excited! Yes, excited about new math books. This is due to a couple of factors. First of all, I use fun and colorful math books for my younger kids. I like to use math books, because it helps me create some type of framework. But my kids know that they are not tied to this book. They are not a slave to completing every page or completing the pages in order. And I never send them to work on their math book on their own. We sit together. Many concepts are illustrated and very "user-friendly", so I don't need to give a lot of instruction. I just stay close by. Sometimes I work on my own math problems. At this age, our children simply want to be with us. And when they are done, that's fine with me. And if we want to skip a few pages (math texts often get repetitive), that's ok too. A math book is simply a resource for my children, and they know it.

So look for those unconventional ways to teach your children. Look for ways that have you spending time together, even studying side by side.

Have fun!

A Perfect Day

One of the questions I get most often is, "What does a day look like at your house?". I could tell them all about the sibling fights, the crazy days when we have doctor's appointments, dentist appointments or have to take the car in for maintenance. How about the days when the sink backs up or the electricity goes out. And of course, the dreaded days when mommy is sick! But I think what they're really asking is "What does a 'perfect' day look like at your house?" Ok, those are fewer, but I had one this week, and so I thought I'd share it with you.

The TV was NOT on. Sammy (my 6-year-old) got out his large box of Legos and started building. Then he asked Maddy (my 9-year-old) to help him, and she said "yes"! They worked together to build several structures and creations and create stories around them. When they were done, they cleaned up the Legos (wow, right!). Then they pulled out some board games and played together, learning about space travel and about spelling and number placement. They took turns choosing the game or activity.

What did I do to produce such a great day? Nothing! Well, not quite...

First of all, I had already created the right environment. Our house is filled with lots of accessible games and activities that promote learning in all areas. My kids have immediate and easy access to several games and activities, and they have a variety of choice. Periodically, I rotate what is out and available (I keep other games & activities put away in storage closets, so everything is manageable). I keep paper, crayons, glue sticks, and scissors accessible. I keep puzzles and math manipulatives accessible, and I allow my kids to use them as they see fit (not as the curriculum instructions demand).

Next, I simply stay out of the way. I am available to my kids if they need help, but I try not to interrupt them if they are happily doing a project or playing a game. I keep an eye on the clock and on our appointments, so that they have plenty of warning, rather than suddenly needing to stop what they are doing, which can be quite upsetting at this age.

What if I have something I planned to teach this day? If I can catch them between activities and work with them, then great. I never pull them out of their own creative endeavors to submit to my curriculum. There will always be time later. Otherwise I wait for another day. Of course, this is why it is important to have big chunks of time when you can all be at home...so you aren't trying to squeeze in "learning" between hectic appointments and outside lessons.

So, decide how you can turn your home into a learning environment, and then sit back and enjoy the good days!

Creating LOLIPOP Projects

A question I hear a lot is "How do I Create a LOLIPOP Project?", or simply requests for more LOLIPOP Projects. It would be impossible for me to write curriculum for all the potential LOLIPOP Projects, since the topics are limitless--whatever interests your children! But I will, over time, add specific projects to this blog and to my available published curriculum. For now, here is a basic outline or instructions for creating your own LOLIPOP Project. Here is what I do when creating a new LOLIPOP Project.

1 - Decide on a topic. You can ask your children what they want to learn about. Sometimes this doesn't work, because kids, especially younger kids, don't know what the world has to offer and often don't even know what to ask to learn about. But you can always start off by asking them. If this doesn't produce anything you feel you can build a project around, then come up with an idea of your own by thinking about what YOU are interested in. One of you, either the student or the mentor, must be excited about the topic, but sometimes the excitement starts with the mentor and is caught by the student.

2 - Do research and collect resources on your topic. Search amazon.com or your local library for children's books about your topic, search for thematic teaching units on your topic, search the internet for teaching ideas on your topic (you will be surprised how much you will find, for free, posted by creative teachers and parents), and brainstorm with other parents.

3 - Sit down and make a list of all the different activities you found and want to do on your topic. Start by making one, long, rough list. Then stand back and look at the list. Are ALL the activities hands-on and highly interactive? Don't plan to do any lecturing or giving of information and testing in a written format! You can share information, casually, as you and your students are working on the activities. Do you have activities that accomodate each learning style? If you are missing an activity that is primarily linguistic (probably not, since most learning today is linguistic), or kinesthetic, or visual, etc. then brainstorm some activities specifically for that learning style or change some of the activities you have to accomodate different learning styles. Do you have activities based in various subject areas: reading, writing, math, science, art, music, physical activity? If not, then brainstorm for the areas you are missing.

4 - Plan out your 4-6 weeks. Do NOT have a LOLIPOP Project last longer than 6 weeks. If you have more activities than 6 weeks, get rid of some of the activities. It is better to leave your students begging for more than to burn them out on a topic before the project ends. They can continue at home if they are inspired. For each week, plan 2-3 projects. I like to set up stations and allow the students to rotate through the stations. I plan to have all the students rotate to each station, but if a student is really enjoying one station and doesn't want to rotate, he/she can continue where they are or on their own. Don't force them to go to every station, but encourage them to at least give each a try. You should have a parent-helper at each station to explain the instructions to the kids and keep them on task and resolve any issues that may arise.

Most importantly...Have Fun! Remember you goal is to inspire a love for learning and discovery and build their confidence in themselves!