Little Learning Elves

I walk downstairs at 6am and see things out of place: a Minecraft game guide, a book of Batty Riddles, an atlas. They are all in new locations. The Kindles are scattered around the house in easy-to-step-on places. A flurry of drawings have drifted like snowflakes to the floor around Spencer's seat. This is part of the mystery of learning happening after I go to bed.

Back when I used to enforce bedtimes, reading and drawing happened secretly in the bedroom with flashlights. Now the evidence lies open for inspection as I drink my morning coffee. Late night Learning. What and by whom I do not know; but learning all the same.

Little Learning Surprises

Look!  A Tiny Santa!
Denver insisted on making a soft landing in preparation for the real Santa.

The days are filled with little learning surprises.
For the past couple of weeks, Spencer has been doing most of his writing work on the computer. He really likes it, so I'm fine with his decision. It has been two years since I tried to teach him keyboarding skills. He became frustrated and stopped. I became accustomed to watching all three of the boys use the hunt and peck method. They're pretty quick.

This week, Spencer began asking me strange questions: "Where is the G? . . . Where is the M?" I walked closer and noticed he was holding his fingers on the keyboard the way I had once taught him. He held his eyes on the screen and was trying to memorize the location of the letters. He was making lots of mistakes, but didn't seem frustrated; just curious and persistent.
"Use your left index finger to find the G by sliding it over one key to the right. The M is a little trickier. Right index finger down one row and slightly right."
"Which one is the index finger again?"
"The pointing finger."
"Okay. Got it!"

That's been going on almost every day. Will he learn keyboarding that way? I don't know. But I am sure of one thing: he will learn that he CAN learn keyboarding. For right now, that is enough.

Spencer's concentration on keyboarding has led him to other questions: why was the keyboard designed this way? Why aren't the letters in alphabetical order? Is there a better design? We talked about the few things I knew, and he can learn more when and if he wants to.

Little learning surprises ... Every day.

What Happens when you Listen

Denver proudly displays his new spelling skills...
unaware of any errors.

Spencer and Denver were not doing their math and writing, at least not doing it very well. Instead, they were playing with my new phone and being silly. Surely, I should at least be getting them out of the house more, especially on this suddenly beautiful December day that felt almost like spring. I was listening to the voices of judgment in my head when . . .

. . . They ran into the kitchen with faces beaming. “Listen to this!,” the boys shouted. They had learned to use the recording device on the phone, and Denver recorded an impromptu song. “It’s a beautiful, peaceful morning . . . It’s a wonderful, wonderful day . . . The birds are singing . . . It is spring …” The song wandered on and on, Denver’s sweet seven year old voice praising everything about this day and this morning until . . . and this is why the boys wanted to share it . . . Denver ran out of things to say and began growling and barking into the recorder. They thought that was Hilarious!

So while I’m feeling that the day is being wasted, the boys are finding joy and silliness, as well as learning how to use new technology and enjoying singing and being together. And eventually . . . the boys did do their homeschool.

Getting in the Christmas Spirit



It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Denver and Spencer with their new
Christmas Penguin!

 

Cutting and decorating the Christmas tree, making ornaments and shopping lists, watching A Charlie Brown Christmas, pulling out winter coats and gloves, putting up Christmas decorations, and baking holiday treats for neighbors, co-workers, and friends. These are a few of the treats of the season.

The boys and I have been enjoying the Christmas season. Denver and Spencer were overjoyed to add an inflatable seven foot penguin to our (less than elegant) holiday decor as well as a four foot Santa. They even glow in the dark! Spencer was so delighted, he exclaimed, "Finally! We're one of those really Christmasy families!"

Yesterday we spent the entire afternoon baking Christmas treats with our friends, Michael, Jill, and Quinn. Okay, the boys didn't do much cooking; but of course, they did a lot of sampling for quality control!

The days zoom along as we work, read, play, and explore. Tonight we'll probably see Santa at the Christmas celebration at Chimney Park. Ho! Ho! Ho!