The bigger picture

I believe that when you teach something you should always start with the end goal. SO when I teach money we start with a pound and work backwards. When teaching multiplication I automatically teach division. When teaching time I teach 5x table and North East South West. Everything we teach is connected, I think it is a good idea to teach everything together and to not make each subject feel like it is not connected to anything else.

Science is our english, maths, history and art all in one.

Pictures instead of numbers

At the moment Isabella and I are working on data analysis. It sounds much more complicated than it actually is. Basically what we are doing is going into town and asking people various questions. With that data she then turns it into a pie chart and a bar chart. Isabella loves doing this and it helps her to see the bigger picture of why maths is important. We are also working on comprehensions. So not just reading but being able to answer questions about what she has read.

Filming

We filmed all weekend and once again we were spoilt with being on such an amazing programme. Isabella made cards for Skipper and grew a hyacinth and took her first tooth in to be filmed.

Time to chill

We are really enjoying having time at the moment to see family and friends. I have seen a few mothers recently who are time short. I do feel for everyone in this modern society. It is so difficult being a good mum and fitting in everything we want to do with our children. We are going away next week for a week. I find this really helps reassess what we do with our days and ensures the normal things get put on hold for a few days and we have no time constraints.

Natures Playground

Did I tell you about this book, it is available from Great Little Trading company, it is beautiful and has lots of ideas about things to do outside. Also try The Busy Book.

Playdates

Please can we stop them for the moment, I am all playdated out! I was so worried about not seeing friends that we are both shattered from seeing so many! It is amazing how many playdates can be fitted into a week!

We will be having some quiet time next week after this weekend of filming. We also both need our holiday or some sun!

Filming

Only four more sets of filming until we have completed an entire year. We are both going to find this very difficult as Cbeebies have become almost part of our family. We have been so involved for such an important year of our lives. But I believe this year to be the best yet, so lets see what is around the corner!

Holidays/Excursions

We have lots planned now up until September. I don't like planning to far ahead as time moves too quickly anyway but we are both excited about our up and coming trips around the world.

2 mums in the library.

If people saw me on a day to day basis and followed us around I don't think it would be possible to imagine how much we do or manage to fit in to the day. On Wednesday we spent the day in the library as I feel it is good to work out of the home environment. We did Maths and English and learnt her scripts and read. There were two mums that came and spoke to us, both saying they couldn't home school. I told them it was very hard work but the rewards were amazing and it was great fun.

We do have our off days, we are both women! But we will remember these times. Even now I look back at photos from a year ago and realise how young she was and still is. I want to be able to enjoy every precious moment.

A thicket

I didn't even know Isabella knew this word! We walked past a big bushy tree filled area and she suddenly said "that is a thicket" It is amazing what they pick up from The Famous Five.

Am I doing enough

I still can't help but worry. Even though we are doing so many different things and Isabella is experiencing so much, am I forgetting to do anything? We have had a school friend over today and I worry that I am forgetting something important, she was telling me what they had done today at school and it was nothing overwhelmingly different. If we lived on a desert island I would never feel like this. I know that that is not possible, so I just have to keep believing in what we are doing.

Having time for yourself

Its not easy, it is hard dedicating every minute to your children. I can't believe how difficult it can be home schooling but I also know how rewarding it can be. When you experience your child understanding something because of you. It is better than any job satisfaction that I have ever experienced and I wouldn't change it for the world.

Chinese New Year

26th January is Chinese New Year. The Year of the OX so we are going to spend next week researching China and the country and language and food etc. We may even make a chinese dragon.

Difficult yet wonderful

Today was one of the weirdest days we have had so far. We achieved so much. We did three experiments about floating. We are learning about density. We read the First News, we learnt how to do Isabellas emails from her address. We learnt scripts and we did lots of English. We didn't go out and didn't have anywhere to rush too. However it was also a dificult day. It always takes Isabella a few minutes to get into the roll of work having had a few days off from sitting and writing. So today was no exception. Therefore I felt upset when she wouldn't get on with it. I have had lots of people say to me they would get frustrated with their child. I felt like that today. But there is nothing wrong with feeling like that. Isabella understood that what we were doing was fun and she realised how interesting it was to write it down. So after a rocky start. Our day went too quickly but very well.

Science

Science is not my forte, therefore tomorrow we are going to learn together. Science is part of our everyday lives so we are going to make it part of what we do everyday. Using the relevant terminology is crucial so I am hitting google tonight!

If you believe in what you are doing.

I still have negative responses from people when they know that I home school. All I can say is that if you truly believe in what you are doing for your children, whatever it may be. Carry on, you are doing what you believe is right and so in the future when your children are older, you can put your hand on your heart and say you did your best for them.

Day to day teaching

I am still working by the mantra of "day to day teaching in real life situations". So today before we had even arrived at Waterloo. Isabella had read two chapters of The Twits, completed her English book, then having arrived at work she wrote her thank you letters, then on the train back she completed her maths book. We really had a wonderful day where we both worked together and had fun together. Today was a perfect example of why I love being with my daughter.

Off to work

I have been working quite a bit recently and it has been quite hard to come back into January so full on. I am not complaining about having work though, especially in todays climate BUT I do need a holiday, it is so wonderfully intense when we are here. The only place where we truly stop is Spain. Isabella is busy with friends over the next couple of weeks as well. Sleep overs and playdates.

Roald Dahl museum

We are off to this next week, it sounds brilliant. Isabellas favourite book that she is reading at the moment is The Twits. These are so great for children, they are disgusting.

Skiing

Isabella has started skiing, due to us wanting to go this year. I am pleased we hadn't started skiing until we are able to actually go. Isabella loves it and is doing very well. (surprise, surprise, you say. I now I am the doting parent) My point is though that I am sure a sport such as skiing is good for children to learn at a young age, but not too young. Isabella is now at the age where she can listen to one on one coaching for at least an hour and can physically cope with it. I don't want Isabella to be scared of activites like skiing. (Unlike her mother!) I know she will be teaching me now.

A day with nothing organised.

This is my idea of heaven. We have a day that has become completely free. So we have alist of lovely things to do:

Learn the new set of scripts.
Write to First News, the childrens newspaper.
Look up the spelling bee in The Times.
Isabella has a new email address and so she is going to learn how to log on and send emails.

We also have things that we have been wanting to do for a few weeks, games and cooking. So tomorrow we will stay in our pyjamas and have fun!

Homeschooling groups

We have started meeting again and the people at this group are so lovely. They are very welcoming and really want the best for their children. It is great to meet different children and parents, it helps me to understand why people choose to home school. There are so many different reasons. We start filming again in two weeks and are really looking forward to it. I have sorted all the lovely things we will be doing over the next five months, organised around filming. I have a really good feeling about the next year.

The secret

This is the new book that I am starting this year. I have heard it is brilliant and a great way to help you get into positive thinking. I am trying to teach Isabella this positive mental attitude. I believe that from a young age if children start feeling positive and proud of what they do then they will continue to do this throughout life.

2nd Article

My 2nd article has been published. It is all about nursery education and the pros and cons of sending your child to a nursery or a childminder before you decide to homeschool your child. I love writing these articles and can't wait to write the next one.

Such fun

We started back at ballet today which was lovely. Isabella loves her friends and she already has several playdates booked in for the next couple of weeks. We have clubs starting again and it is back to a busy term. The focus this term will be continuing to build on mathematical and english skills as well as really starting to focus on science. Science in the world around us etc. There is another book from the Great Little Trading Company about nature walks. I can't wait to start.

Enjoy the moment.

Each day this year Isabella and I are going to talk about something we have achieved that day. It could be anything from learning a new word to helping someone that day. But we will talk about it and praise it.

The plan for the New Year

I have ordered a great book called 365 things to do with children. I am going to try and do one different thing each day. Also Isabella is helping me write my childrens books. This is going to be a good year for us. We have so many exciting things planned and I am very excited.

End of another year

Well it is the end of the year, the end of a term and the end of an amazing four months. I have experienced a mixture of comments over the last half a year. I can't quite believe how quickly it has gone. We have had huge highs and a couple of lows. The most important thing is that I have no regrets about our decision. Isabella has had a wonderful few months experiencing a huge number of different things, from people we have seen and met and places we have visited. We have connected as a family and been able to take time out as a family to enjoy life.