Sunday, January 4, 2009

Ok...You Can Stay up to do Math, if You Want! Or read...

We have Miquon Math books around here. They are often ignored because the kids are too busy pretending various things. This is ultimately all to the good, I think, so I'm not too worried that they are behind their school peers in math. They will get it when they get it. How do I know? How do I know that this "unschooling" *doing air quotes thing with my hands again* approach will work? How do I know that my kids are learning anything, if I don't test them, or insist that they do workbooks, or make them sit down at the kitchen table at a certain time each day for desk work?

I'll tell you how.

My son is now snuggled in his sleeping bag on his bedroom floor, because that's fun, and is reading the second book in A Series of Unfortuante Events. This voracious reading from a kid who really learned to read when he was about 8 1/2 years old. He wasn't ready until he was ready, and once he was ready he couldn't be stopped.

On her way to bed, my daughter announced that she'd like to work in her Miquon book in her bedroom. OK. "If you really want to." I told her nonchanantly. "I suppose..."

Yes!! *grins from ear to ear*

Not that these are the only valuable things to learn or ways to learn. But, it's good to know that my kids' curiosity is leading them to learn even when it's bedtime, and even if it's math. They don't have any idea that information or ideas or thinking about stuff is in any way a drag or a bore or painful. Ha!

Beats homework...

Yes, you kids may read and do math. Tomorrow, if you insist, you can do science experiments in the kitchen...I guess, if you're not too busy pretending...

1 comment:

TulipGirl said...

My kids sometimes go to work with me, where there is a TV with cable. "Mommy, can we please watch c-span?"

"Only if you promise to be quiet and stay in the kitchen while I'm working. . ."

*grin*

I thought I'd be teaching my kids about politics. Nope. Well, yes I did. . . but now they teach me.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...