Teaching Them as They Teach Me

For the past couple months I've been doing some serious thinking about homeschooling the girls. We have a couple years still before a final decision needs to be made, but it's not too early to think. And talk. And plan. I joined a few Facebook groups where I've been gathering information and kind of taking it all in. It is very overwhelming with the different methods, courses, blah blah! But Lilly is already asking to go to school and LOVES to learn so I decided to start doing "school" stuff now. Since she's not quite 3, I want her days to remain filled with play and so there is no schedule, no strict guidelines to adhere to. I'm just taking her cues and interests and finding fun things for us to do. It breaks up the monotony, keeps her engaged and less likely to have tantrums out of boredom, and allows her to learn new things and in new ways. And Violet, being just 1 is quickly picking up new things by the minute! Honestly, I'm having a LOT of fun figuring out new things for us to do together. Who knew?! Also, Pinterest, as always, has been an amazing resource with it's plethora of ideas!

We don't do a new activity every day. Sometimes not even every week. But our days are filled with a mixture of the following, with new activities thrown in the mix. This list is mostly for Lilly but since Violet is here all day as well, she naturally is involved in a great deal & soaking up knowledge like a sponge like big sister.

• Reading (on her own & being read to)
• Reciting books (she has recently started doing this really well & randomly surprises us with a new one she has memorized)
• Music & dancing in the living room
• Singing (we sing pretty much all throughout the day)
• Free play
• Outside (whether it's the back yard, a walk, the park, zoo, etc)
• Art (free or semi-guided)
• Life Skills (cleaning, laundry, cooking, building, dressing herself, etc)
• Science (we're just now starting to dive into this)
• Math (right now consists of lots of counting at random times throughout our day "pick up 3 of your animals", etc)
• Geography, directions
• TV (when baby sis goes to nap, she gets to watch a show or movie. Sometimes educational, sometimes purely entertainment. But I think there's always something to be learned anywhere you look)
• the Other Stuff that I can't quite think of a category for (comparisons, computer usage, etc)

Looks like a daunting list, but it's actually quite an organic flow throughout the day. There are some elements we touch on more frequently than others. Just depends on the day. And aside from "let's sit down and read a few books before bedtime", nothing is structured. It kind of just happens when & where it happens. We all like to go with the flow:)

I plan on sharing our fun activities so that others can gather ideas, be inspired and maybe swap ideas as well! Some stuff I make up, but other ideas I get from others. :) This learning journey is amazing and I'm thoroughly enjoying watching my girls grow and learn and love it! We're all learning together.