In picking up an ordinary yellow legal pad today I was reminded of discovering a wonderful little shop in San Francisco years ago, especially for left-handed folk. A quick online search reveals that Lefty's on Pier 39 is still in business, in a larger location, and yes, for those of you outside the Bay Area, with an online store. I also learned that August 13 is Left-Handers Day. Who knew? Well, obviously, a lot of lefties as manifested by the plentiful photos of left-handed children wielding tools made especially for them - scissors, spiral bound notebooks (the spiral is on the right or top), cooking utensils, ergonomic pens and pencils, rulers, mugs, and garden shears.
So, if you have a left-handed child in your family, consider making their life a whole lot easier to navigate with products that will help them succeed, or a book such as A Left-Hand History of the World by Ed Wright, about famous lefties in history which will inspire your lefty!
Our son is soloing in a one-man art exhibition Astral Flight Hangar at the Christopher Henry Gallery in New York. The exhibit includes a giant icosahedron on the center floor reflecting magical geometric projections of shapes and colors. He started drawing geometric shapes and Escher-esque tessellations as a child. We still have the left-handed ruler he used - purchased at Lefty's. :)
Friday, September 9, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
NOT Back to School
I confess we gloated when September arrived. No school buses. No packing lunches. No stressful and expensive back to school shopping for backpacks, new clothes, shoes, and endless lists of school supplies. Instead, we eagerly anticipated the arrival of carefully chosen music, art, and science supplies; enjoyed wandering through nearly empty museums, aquariums, and libraries with seemingly limitless time and space to ourselves, and built sand-castles and played on beaches devoid of summer crowds. During the last lazy days of autumn we romped at the park with other moms and kids reveling in our NOT-Back-To-School freedom.
To achieve the greatest degree of flexibility we became Year-Round Learners.
As year-round learners we divided subject material, sometimes by Spring/Summer/Winter, other years a Sept-May/June-Aug schedule was more effective. For example: September to May we studied Language Arts (including Latin), History, and Math – along with chosen electives, such as Music lessons and anything that fit into Cub Scouts or a Girls Achievement Program. June through August we focused on Art and Science, included theory games and composition with Music lessons, and electives such as typing or mechanical drawing, and had the flexibility for summer camps and Friday beach days. We also enjoyed weekly field trips and park-day outings throughout the entire year.
And yes, vacations. Every six to eight weeks we would take a few days or even a week off from scheduled studies and embark on personal pursuits.
If you are wondering how to fit all the required academic subjects along with your children’s personal interests into your schedule, year-round learning might be an option.
To achieve the greatest degree of flexibility we became Year-Round Learners.
As year-round learners we divided subject material, sometimes by Spring/Summer/Winter, other years a Sept-May/June-Aug schedule was more effective. For example: September to May we studied Language Arts (including Latin), History, and Math – along with chosen electives, such as Music lessons and anything that fit into Cub Scouts or a Girls Achievement Program. June through August we focused on Art and Science, included theory games and composition with Music lessons, and electives such as typing or mechanical drawing, and had the flexibility for summer camps and Friday beach days. We also enjoyed weekly field trips and park-day outings throughout the entire year.
And yes, vacations. Every six to eight weeks we would take a few days or even a week off from scheduled studies and embark on personal pursuits.
If you are wondering how to fit all the required academic subjects along with your children’s personal interests into your schedule, year-round learning might be an option.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Weather Watch, Natural Disasters, and Family Preparedness.
Snow in Monterey Bay, blizzards across the mid-west and east coast, near records highs in the southwest. We've had a spate of strange weather patterns this winter. Had meant to write a post in February about discussing weather issues. (see below.)
Now we have an historic 8.9 earthquake off the coast of Japan, and attendant tsunamis that reached the northern and central coasts of the U.S. and south to Chile. Not only do these events provide immediacy to earth science studies, they also open discussions for how and why we contribute to humanitarian aid, what is the history of the Red Cross and how are they involved with assisting during natural disasters, and maybe most important, how your family can prepare for a natural disaster. (Putting together 72-hr kits or disaster supplies for your family. )
Back to weather: Consider interpreting satellite photos, radar, historical highs and lows, and what makes weather happen, or specific parts of weather - tornadoes vs. sand storms, for instance - as topics to generate questions for a weekly 10-20 minute weather watch.
Now we have an historic 8.9 earthquake off the coast of Japan, and attendant tsunamis that reached the northern and central coasts of the U.S. and south to Chile. Not only do these events provide immediacy to earth science studies, they also open discussions for how and why we contribute to humanitarian aid, what is the history of the Red Cross and how are they involved with assisting during natural disasters, and maybe most important, how your family can prepare for a natural disaster. (Putting together 72-hr kits or disaster supplies for your family. )
Back to weather: Consider interpreting satellite photos, radar, historical highs and lows, and what makes weather happen, or specific parts of weather - tornadoes vs. sand storms, for instance - as topics to generate questions for a weekly 10-20 minute weather watch.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Protecting Your Child from Well-Meaning Advocates
Shelves are lined with books on how children learn. Educators, psychologists, pediatricians, and experts on child development contribute to our understanding of effective childhood education, nutritional effects on body chemistry, appropriate behavioral learning outcomes, and other aspects of child development. As a parent, however, YOU are the expert. You know your child better than anyone else.
Usually well-meaning educators and experts contribute positively to your child's learning environment. Sometimes, however, you have to protect your child - using your own intuition and common sense.
About five years ago, in what one would hope is a fairly isolated occurrence, this true story happened.
A family I came to know used common sense, and exhibited uncommon courage, on behalf of their autistic son who was chronologically entering high school, but functioning at a first grade level. The school informed the family the child would be bussed ninety minutes one way to another high school with a special needs program. The parents felt the three hour daily trip combined with an unknown class and teacher would cause extreme agitation for their son. The upheaval would negate any hoped for learning outcomes. The parents said no. The school district threatened truancy.
The parents exercised their right of educational choice by withdrawing their son from public school and enrolling in our private school satellite program. They continued battling a year and a half long truancy lawsuit while simultaneously locating behavioral learning specialists to perform in-home skills assessment and teaching for their son.
It was a privilege to support this family and witness their courage and resilience on behalf of their child. After winning the lawsuit, the parents happily found a small private school in their area serving autistic children. They were able to provide an appropriate learning environment for their son based on their understanding of his needs.
Against all odds, or expert advice, it is what parents do.
Usually well-meaning educators and experts contribute positively to your child's learning environment. Sometimes, however, you have to protect your child - using your own intuition and common sense.
About five years ago, in what one would hope is a fairly isolated occurrence, this true story happened.
A family I came to know used common sense, and exhibited uncommon courage, on behalf of their autistic son who was chronologically entering high school, but functioning at a first grade level. The school informed the family the child would be bussed ninety minutes one way to another high school with a special needs program. The parents felt the three hour daily trip combined with an unknown class and teacher would cause extreme agitation for their son. The upheaval would negate any hoped for learning outcomes. The parents said no. The school district threatened truancy.
The parents exercised their right of educational choice by withdrawing their son from public school and enrolling in our private school satellite program. They continued battling a year and a half long truancy lawsuit while simultaneously locating behavioral learning specialists to perform in-home skills assessment and teaching for their son.
It was a privilege to support this family and witness their courage and resilience on behalf of their child. After winning the lawsuit, the parents happily found a small private school in their area serving autistic children. They were able to provide an appropriate learning environment for their son based on their understanding of his needs.
Against all odds, or expert advice, it is what parents do.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
A New Year - Re-use/Re-cycle
Happy 2011! Best wishes for a fantastic homeschooling year to everyone!
Often a new year encourages new plans, new resolutions, even new curriculum. But, you might want to think before throwing out those textbooks that are dust-collectors. On occasion we dumped an entire curriculum that just didn't fit our family. However, we have also been able to re-use old textbooks in creative ways.
In fact, we were "green" long before it was re-defined. Thick, dust-laden collegiate textbooks were stacked three high with boards laid across to make shelving units. Dog-eared tomes became flower presses. Photos from old workbooks were artistically re-used in science project montages. Paperback Zoo Book pictures were cut out and pasted into home-made alphabet booklets for the littlest ones.
We also incorporated a compare and contrast approach with subject material. What does Textbook A offer that is similar to or different from Textbook B, or Reference Material C? Teach your child to use the index pages in the back of the book to search for specific information. Then compare and contrast the different resources. Or compare the material with online resources. Compare different viewpoints, how the manner in which information is presented has changed, how our understanding of science, medicine and technology has expanded. This approach helps a child understand that information is fluid.
You can always share or trade resources with another homeschooling family, or donate books, puzzles and games to a local shelter or library. Your cast-offs may become someone else's treasure.
Often a new year encourages new plans, new resolutions, even new curriculum. But, you might want to think before throwing out those textbooks that are dust-collectors. On occasion we dumped an entire curriculum that just didn't fit our family. However, we have also been able to re-use old textbooks in creative ways.
In fact, we were "green" long before it was re-defined. Thick, dust-laden collegiate textbooks were stacked three high with boards laid across to make shelving units. Dog-eared tomes became flower presses. Photos from old workbooks were artistically re-used in science project montages. Paperback Zoo Book pictures were cut out and pasted into home-made alphabet booklets for the littlest ones.
We also incorporated a compare and contrast approach with subject material. What does Textbook A offer that is similar to or different from Textbook B, or Reference Material C? Teach your child to use the index pages in the back of the book to search for specific information. Then compare and contrast the different resources. Or compare the material with online resources. Compare different viewpoints, how the manner in which information is presented has changed, how our understanding of science, medicine and technology has expanded. This approach helps a child understand that information is fluid.
You can always share or trade resources with another homeschooling family, or donate books, puzzles and games to a local shelter or library. Your cast-offs may become someone else's treasure.
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