Her
chapter of Lion etc
1 page Starfall journal
an hour or so with pattern blocks
an hour with Learning Ladder
Jolly Phonics videos (yes, both!)
Usbourne Children’s Encycleopedia (art page)
Reading Voyage presentation
Me
Deep clean kitchen!
hunt for handwriting paper to suit madame
string up indoor washing line
set mouse traps
empty 1 mouse trap
This has been copied and pasted so many times that the formatting is very wonky and I don’t really feel like changing it so bear with it!!
“That Dreaded “S” Word
It seems that the question most often asked of homeschooling parents is
“What about socialization??
Two women meet at a playground, where their children are swinging and
playing ball. The women are sitting on a bench watching. Eventually,
they
begin to talk. …
W1: Hi. My name is Maggie. My kids are the three in red shirts — helps
me
keep track of them.
W2: (Smiles) I’m Terri. Mine are in the pink and yellow shirts. Do you
come
here a lot?
W1: Usually two or three times a week, after we go to the library.
W2: Wow. Where do you find the time?
W1: We homeschool, so we do it during the day most of the time.
W2: Some of my neighbors homeschool, but I send my kids to public
school.
W1:: How do you do it?
W2: It’s not easy. I go to all the PTO meetings and work with the kids
every
day after school and stay real involved.
W1: But what about socialization? Aren’t you worried about them being
cooped
up all day with kids their own ages, never getting the opportunity for
natural relationships?
W2: Well, yes. But I work hard to balance that. They have some friends
who’re homeschooled, and we visit their grandparents almost every
month.
W1: Sounds like you’re a very dedicated mom. But don’t you worry about
all
the opportunities they’re missing out on? I mean they’re so isolated
from
real life — how will they know what the world is like -
- what people do to make a living — how to get along with all
different
kinds of people?
W2: Oh, we discussed that at PTO, and we started a fund to bring real
people
into the classrooms. Last month, we had a policeman and a doctor come
in to
talk to every class. And next month, we’re having a woman from Japan
and a
man from Kenya come to speak.
W1: Oh, we met a man from Japan in the grocery store the other week,
and he
got to talking about his childhood in Tokyo. My kids were absolutely
fascinated. We invited him to dinner and got to meet his wife and their
three children.
W2: That’s nice. Hmm. Maybe we should plan some Japanese food for the
lunchroom on Multicultural Day.
W1: Maybe your Japanese guest could eat with the children.
W2: Oh, no. She’s on a very tight schedule. She has two other schools
to
visit that day. It’s a system-wide thing we’re doing.
W1: Oh, I’m sorry. Well, maybe you’ll meet someone interesting in the
grocery store sometime and you’ll end up having them over for dinner.
W2: I don’t think so. I never talk to people in the store - certainly
not
people who might not even speak my language. What if that Japanese man
hadn’t spoken English?
W1: To tell you the truth, I never had time to think about it.
Before I
even saw him, my six-year-old had asked him what he was going to do
with all
the oranges he was buying.
W2: Your child talks to strangers?
W1: I was right there with him. He knows that as long as he’s with me,
he
can talk to anyone he wishes.
W2: But you’re developing dangerous habits in him. My children never
talk to
strangers.
W1: Not even when they’re with you?
W2: They’re never with me, except at home after school. So you see why
it’s
so important for them to understand that talking to strangers is a big
no-no.
W1: Yes, I do. But if they were with you, they could get to meet
interesting
people and still be safe. They’d get a taste of the real world, in real
settings.
They’d also get a real feel for how to tell when a situation is
dangerous or
suspicious.
W2: They’ll get that in the third and fifth grades in their health
courses.
W1: Well, I can tell you’re a very caring mom. Let me give you my
number —
if you ever want to talk, give me call. It was good to meet you.”
