Justin is technically still in preschool since he is a late fall birthday; next year will be his true kindergarten year. But with Andrew starting first grade and formal learning this year, he has been feeling pretty left out. Damien still naps during our main school block, so Justin is on his own while my Form 1 students do lessons. He is also a very calm, diligent worker -- not as wild as some of my other boys are/have been! So I put a bit more effort this year into setting him up with real work he can do during our school time.
He still takes a 45-minute rest time at the very beginning of our Naptime School block, and then he can work alongside us quietly. He also joins us when it makes sense -- artist study, composer study, dance, drill, singing games, Italian, and so on. He is a lively and enthusiastic addition to our school day.
Amy and I wrote a Kinderleben Guide for the CMEC this year, and reading the Parents' Review articles for that gave me plenty of fresh inspiration for setting up Justin's spaces, materials, and schedule. So many great suggestions from the PNEU writers! With this being my eighth time through kindergarten, it's always nice to have new eyes for the possibilities it holds.
And just a caveat: I do not schedule any formal learning time with Justin one-on-one at this point. I read a few picture books to my little boys each day, but otherwise, he just keeps himself occupied with the options he has available or joins in with what the older kids are doing. At least a couple hours of his day are spent outside, and he has daily chores as well.
Here are some peeks into his work...
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made this box from memory after my sloyd lesson with the Form 1 kids
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| lined up a bunch of Gianna's handmade dolls to draw them |
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he also loves chalk drawing!
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we read in Buckley's Wild Life in Woods and Fields that bee eggs are the size of a poppy seed,
so we had to plant some!
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fell asleep "reading" Redwall during his rest time
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playing with baby sister
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| braiding friendship bracelets - yarn + clipboads are perfect for this! |
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| more chalk patterning |
If he joins us for regular lessons, he brings his own little table over to our work area since we are already tight as it is. Then he has his own space for the next hour.
A new addition for him this term is clay -- so fun!
And I can't leave out Damien, my other Kinderleben kid! He is only three but thinks he is thirteen. As soon as he wakes up from nap, he zooms over to join in with whatever we are doing. High energy, best of intentions...sometimes a bit too much for all of us. But very much loved! What would we do without his spark in our home?
Justin is a great artist for not yet 5! I loved his drawing of the little dolls. He really noticed what each doll was wearing.
ReplyDeleteYes, he is a very observant boy and a careful artist! He loves drawing and spends lots of time doing that -- more than his older brother in Form 1. :)
DeleteMy goodness, those doll drawings are incredible for a 4 year old!
ReplyDeleteYour children have amazing pencil control. Usually kids are really wobbly and mal coordinated when writing their name or drawing, yet your children's pencil work is always smooth and confident. You're amazing Celeste, I don't know how you do it! Your parents must have taught you some pretty increadible habits. I feel like it's taken me at least the first 10 years of mothering to get into any good habits myself, nevermind teach them to my kids. I look around me and all I see are bad habits, disorder and chaos. You've managed to get it right with your kids from the outset, you must've come to motherhood with good habits yourself.
you are, as ever, a genuine inspiration to the rest of us mere mortals! Thanks for sharing!
LOL! Mason tells us that the most difficult children to parent are the same ones who can be inspired to the best effective by the right living idea -- I find this very heartening when I consider my parenting and my children. ;) It reminds me that there is no reason to ever be discouraged because we all have the capacity to grow in our weak areas and learn to handle with grace our strong areas. :) Thank you for the encouragement!
DeleteI always love seeing and reading about your fabulous home education.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Melanie -- I enjoy sharing these kinds of snapshot posts because they are fun to look back on too. :)
DeleteThat is just lovely! He looks like an absolute delight. When you have a moment could you share more about how you provide those Kinderleben activities and what they are? And, how did Gianna make those incredible dolls?! I have a super crafty 10 year old who would just love to make something like that!
ReplyDeleteYes, these are some of Gianna's dolls -- the designs are from Felt Wee Folk: https://amzn.to/3k3aETy They are so much fun for the dollhouse and my littles love them. :)
DeleteMost of the "occupations" I make available for him are part of the CMEC Kinderleben Guide -- are you a member? Not sure which "Sandy" this is. But there are great lists of ideas there. Otherwise, I have many described in my other kindergarten posts from prior years -- I shared the link at the bottom of the post. That would be a good place to look for ideas too. :)
Very lovely! And yes, he is quite an artist! One very serious question, how do you provide so much outdoors time for your youngest kids? I am really struggling with getting my little one outside AND manage the house/homeschool/chores . . .
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer! The littles go outside by themselves in the mornings, after breakfast until about noon. If I had to take them out, that would be challenging, especially since I am schooling my other kids partly during that time. But we have a fenced yard and I can keep an eye on them fronm the windows. My Form 1 and 2 kids also go outside for a couple hours in the morning, so they help watch them as well and they all play together. That's how it works out here! :)
DeleteThank you so much for your reply. I really appreciated seeing your schedules in your latest post. What you are able to accomplish in your home and homeschool has always been INTIMIDATING but INSPIRING. Really. Thank you for sharing. I have some new ideas how to tweak our schedules on how to increase outdoor time for everyone.
DeleteOh, good -- I'm glad! :)
DeleteI love this! We switched to The CMEC this year & will be using Kinderleben during the next school year. My eager 5 year old wants to be apart of everything:) so excited to use this resource!
ReplyDeleteI hope you and your Kinderleben have had a great start to your school year, Barb! (Sorry, Blogger was moderating comments, so I am just seeing this now. :))
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