Thursday, April 17, 2008

The Best Kind of Day

Have you ever wondered how some of us define just about anything as school? Well, here's an example.

With the exception that I'll have virtually no time to get my work done, today is going to be a near perfect homeschool day for my kids.

ART: They started the day but taking initiative and making a fun Mother's Day project involving construction paper, Popsicle sticks, googly eyes, scissors, glue, and permanent markers. (Yes, they know Mother's Day isn't for another month.)

MATH: I'll have the kids do their next lessons in math while I'm getting ready for the rest of our day.

LIFE SKILLS: all the chores they have to do before we leave which includes helping to care for their toddler brother

PE: Then, we'll head out to the YMCA for half an hour of swimming instruction followed by another half an hour of free swim.

Then, we'll head over to the Puyallup Spring Fair which fits under many headings. Here's what we hope to fit into our fair schedule in school terms.

SCIENCE: Brad's Reptile Show, Swifty Swine Racing Pigs (youtube video)

FINE ARTS & SOCIAL STUDIES: Sarakasi African Acrobats (video at the very bottom of the link)

HEALTH/SAFETY (as in, don't do this at home): Dragon Steps

CAREER EDUCATION: Charlie the Noise Guy and everyone else

Career education is a required homeschooling subject here in Washington state. While the laws list that we must teach it, they fail to explain exactly what it is. I define it as "teaching kids about different types of careers available to them." So, as part of career education, I expose them to not only your standard careers that you see as you study various subjects (like the astronauts will be learning about in our new astronomy unit study) but the nonstandard fun careers that amazing people find a way to make money doing. Charlie the Noise Guy is an excellent example of someone taking something fun and turning it into a career. He likes making noises and it always got him into trouble as a kid in school. Now he makes money doing the very thing that teachers and librarians tried to make him stop doing. I just love it!

WRITING: I may consider making them write tomorrow about their favorite part of the Spring Fair.

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2 Comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm praying for a near perfect day in our homeschool. Is there really such a thing? Ha! Hope you have a great day!

Hope the weather gets better for ya too.

Letitia said...

That sounds like my kind of school day. Charlie the Noise Guy reminds me of Mark Lowry. He says he doesn't know what he does for a living. All he knows is that what he used to get a whoopin for, people pay him to do now!

Letitia
www.homeschoolblogger.com/SandBetweenMyToes