Read and Discover, Together

Balloons Over Broadway: The Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade. Living in the Northeast, the Macy's Parade was a highlight of our Thanksgiving Day morning; almost as important as putting the turkey in the oven. I picked up the book displayed on the non-fiction shelf, thumbed through, and placed it in our library bag to be checked out. I couldn’t wait to introduce my children to a family tradition.

When we arrived home an eager, curious little learner retrieved the book from the bag. "Mom, let's read this one!" 

We did! Amazing! I learned the back story about the balloons I marveled as I child. In the process of reading one of our newest library finds, I was able to tell my children about one of our favorite holiday traditions—watching the Macy's Day Parade while smells of cinnamon and roasting turkey permeated our home. A slice of family tradition and a delightful piece of American history served up during read-aloud time. It couldn’t be a more perfect combination and it led to amazing conversation and additional studies.

• Learn about parade history, including behind the scenes

• About Tony Sarg, puppeteer

• Make puppets 
  
  Extension activities:

• Learn more about New York City

• Read A Walk in New York by Salvatore Rubbino

• Read The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

• Perform a puppet show (using sock, finger, hand, or mixed media puppets) to entertain family and friends

• Experiment with shadow puppets

• Visit a local marionette theater

Paint a Fall Tree Using Pointillism

Want to beat afternoon boredom, toss up something different in a slow moving week, or calm things down when the schedule has run extra fast?

George Seurat became known as the Father of Pointillism. This style—small dots placed close together to allow the visual blending of color—was popular in the late 1800s after the Impressionist era. Some of the most famous masterpieces created with this style were

Georges Seurat’s Alfalfa

Henri Martin’s Green Valley with a Stream

Paul Signac’s Le Clippe

Introduction to art media and techniques can ignite the natural creativity of young learners and keep ingeniousness alive in olders. This fall painting activity delighted our learners, Kindergarten to late elementary. Each young artist employed her unique thinking to the process to create a different work of art. Your children can, too!

Prepare.

Look at masterpieces using this distinctive style. Offer children an appreciation for how artists used this style to create very distinctive art. Point out similarities and differences in color tones and values, light, and line. Consider what elements differentiate the works.

Gather materials.

• 8 x 12 white construction paper

• brown construction paper (optional)

• tempera paints—particularly red, orange, yellow and brown

• paint palette or plastic lid/tray or egg carton (makes for easier clean up)

• cotton swabs

You’re ready!

• Look at pictures of fall leaves or landscapes of fall trees. This is especially helpful for children who live in places where leaves don’t change colors.

• Talk about fall colors. Place small amounts of said tempera paints in a palette. Place a cotton swab in each puddle of paint.

• Try mixing paints to create new fall colors—like red and yellow to make orange or red and orange to make red-orange.

• Give each child a piece of white paper.

• Make a tree trunk. Some children may choose to paint a trunk, others may want to cut one out of brown construction paper or use small torn pieces of brown paper to make create a torn paper collage look. This is part of what will make each painting unique.

• Add the fall leaves!

Give pointillism a try!

Little learners LOVE this activity'; dabbing dots while strengthening and refining small motor skills. Bigger kiddos will enjoy expressing their unique ideas.

Keep learning alive and moving forward.

Extend this art activity into other content areas.

Science

• If leaves are changing color in your area, take a walk and enjoy the beauty.

• Collect fallen leaves (and a few acorns). Bring them home and observe under a magnifying glass or Magiscope.

• Point out the midrib, margin, and veins.

• Notice the similarities and differences in the leaf shape and type.

• Use a field guide or online resource to identify.

• Make a leaf collection book or leaf nature journal (this is art, too!)

• Discuss how cooler temperatures and shorter days affect the leaves food making process, changing the leaves color. Read Why Leaves Change Color by Betsy Maestro.

• Read (this is language arts, too!)

  Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert

  We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger

Math

• Sort leaves by type or color.

• Count leaves.

• Use leaves to make sets of specific numbers—sets of three, sets of five.

• Add sets of leaves.

• Make math statements—three oak and two maple make five leaves in total.

More Art

• Read Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert and make leaf people with the leaves collected.

15 Ways to Make Letter and Numeral Writing Fun

What if a little learner—a preschooler or Kindergartener—doesn’t want to use a paper and pencil to write?

Bring on the unique and intriguing.

• Writing in sand or mud with a stick

• Forming letters and numerals in the sand with a small car (we call them letter tracks—smooth and “write” another track)

• Writing in shaving cream applied to a tile wall or shower door

• Using a bucket of water and paintbrush to paint water letters on a garage door or outdoor wall

• Writing with sidewalk chalk on the driveway or sidewalk

• Forming letters and numerals with objects (acorns, shells, and rocks for the win!)

• Finger painting

• Making letters or numerals with a dauber bottle inker (Bingo blotter bottle)

• Shaping letters or numerals with yarn

• Forming playdough letters with rolled “snakes”

• Painting tempera or watercolor letters with a cotton swab

• Forming letters and numbers with spaghetti noodles

• Writing on a dry erase board

• Making homemade soft pretzel letters or numerals

• Using people to make letters (laying on a floor)

Keep minds curious and they will ingeniously think of other ideas, ideas you and I would never imagine.

Teaching Math with Picture Books

What a delightful day!

Our day unfolded much differently than I had thought. That’s never happens for you, right? Ha!

A little learner presented a borrowed library book, one of my childhood favorites, No Roses for Harry by Gene Zion. A fun read about curious, adventurous Harry, a black-spotted terrier. Children relate to Harry, his personified adventures, and feelings because they resemble those young children face.

In this read, Harry receives a rose-adorned sweater from grandma. He is not enthused. How often do children receive gifts, perhaps something they don't like or didn't expect? What do they do with those feelings? What discussions come out of those feelings? As this plot unfolds, the narrator tells of Harry's experience. In our home, conversations followed. Thoughts were shared and lessons learned in a non-threatening manner, because, of course, they began with a playful friend with whom my children could relate.

Oh, the discussions we had!

Our little learners wanted to continue learning with Harry.

A counting book! Thinking it would be fun to learn counting while making spots on Harry, I drew an outline sketch of Harry and littles began stamping circles of paint (with the end of a dowel rod, but a carrot dipped in paint would work, too) on this body—first one spot, then two, then three and so on to ten.

With ten Harry prints spread out to dry on the kitchen floor, I cut the end off a celery bunch and we printed "roses" on green paper. This printing project became our cover.

We practiced counting to ten, forward and backward. To extend our learning, we put chocolate sandwich cookies (spots) in sets. For this activity, I called out a number and each learner would count out a set of corresponding cookies. Then I would have the child write the number on paper. This activity reinforced the ability to convert auditory information into a visual and symbolic representation, the ability to count objects to ten, to visually remember a specific set of objects, and to write the symbolic representation (the numeral).

My children loved the learning time. They loved doing and learning. We loved the time together.

When all the pages were dry, we bound our Counting with No Roses for Harry with pieces of scrap fabric.

Our counting book is now "read" as much as No Roses for Harry. It’s a personal favorite. Priceless.

There's a learning moment in every story.

If you are looking for concept picture books that teach math, check out this post.

How to Create Your Own Timeline

I remember one season of our home education journey when everyone—preschool to high school—studied American History. I intentionally planned for the year, knowing our days with five learners our would be full and there would be lots of excitement buzzing about the home. Having everyone study American history on his or her level helped simplify our home learning.

“Timelines help children place people and events in history. They are a concrete visual of often abstract concepts. ”

In one particular part of that year, we were all digging into the American Revolution. Some enjoyed learning about George Washington while others wanted to act out the Boston Tea Party. The resulting conversations became engaging as siblings shared what was being read in biographies, heard on Liberty Kids, or gained from audio materials like Drive Through History. In addition, every learner had a different angle or perspective on the men, women, and events of the time. To tie everyone’s study together, we created a family timeline; an activity that could involve everyone.

“We’ve made several timelines over our 26 years of home education. Every one was unique, every one different based on our study of the time. ”

Our hallway timeline. When I want our timeline to be accessible, in sight and readily available at any given time—like a world map or globe—it extends the length of our hallway at a child’s eye level. To create this timeline, I pulled a stack of sentence strips from my supplies. Had I not had them leftover from a sentence-building exercise, I would have used four-inch strips of card stock or poster board. I taped the strips down one side of the hall and up the other; end-to-end the length of the hallway. Once hung, I used a permanent marker to write dates in fifty year increments, beginning with 1200 (1200, 1250, 1300, 1350 and so on). If you choose to this DIY project, you can easily adjust the dates for the length of your hallway, with the extent of your study in mind.

With several children adding to the timeline, there’s been times when all eyes were on the hall wall, times when siblings were interested in what others were placing on the wall. Our children are curious about the people or events they were studying but also interested in what they siblings were learning. Questions were asked. Siblings answered. Sometimes they enlisted my help. I love watching the process, observing their thinking and problem solving, their summations of what had been learned.

Our file folder timeline. One year I wasn’t quite ready to add tape to the freshly painted hall wall. I had to come up with another option. An abundance of file folders from cleaning out our old metal file cabinets provided us with instant cardstock. I cut the folders in half and glued them together so they would folded, accordian-style. Once folded, the timeline could be stored on a bookshelf. When a learner wanted to add a picture, he or she pulled out the timeline. This version saved my walls, but it didn’t create the same buzz as having the timeline out, front and center, to stop in front of and ponder.

Adding Pictures

The fun part of creating a timeline is adding the pictures. Children love to cut and paste. For the pictures, we use the index of old textbooks (discarded by my history teaching hubby) to locate needed pictures. For example, if a learner is searching for a picture of Alexander Graham Bell, I teach (or review with) him or her to use the index, which requires alphabetization (as study skill). We head to the “B’s” and the move to the “BE” words, and so on. Once we locate the page where Alexander Graham Bell is featured, we cut out any pictures. We follow the same procedure for any person or event studied. Cut out pictures are added to the timeline. If we can’t find a picture, we find a picture on the internet and print it.

Learning is fueled by excitement and engagement. Our timelines add to the engagement, especially the hallway timeline. And, I love that it was accessible. Anytime children walk down the hallway, they’re re-engaged and make observations (“Wow, so many things happened in 1776!”). Timelines offer constant review and consistent reinforcement. And, in those seasons when I have had to repaint the hallway, I smiled as I remembered the discussions which had taken place in that space. We learned history, but we also learned together.

Every. Moment. Matters.

Seven Things Preschoolers Need

Preschool education forms the foundation for life and learning. In fact, it is during the preschool years that little learners master foundational skills which serve as a knowledge base for the years and skills to come. Included in that foundation are the attitudes toward learning.  If the days and the education in those days are rushed—pushed—learning becomes burdensome, uninteresting, and often irrelevant. When learning flows naturally from that which is real and relational—interesting and personal—joy and wonder fuel their unending curiosity.

A love of learning is nurtured and begins with the items and people little learners love most.

How is a love of learning fostered, nurtured, and cultivated?

Go outside. Bikes. Bird nests. Sand. Water. Rock wall. Littles are on the move and interested in things that move! Movement is part of their physical and cognitive development. Littles are not made to be at tables and desks for extended periods of time. Instead, they need to be involved, moving and engaged. Outdoors—at the playground, on a nature trail, in the park, along a shoreline, at the beach—provides a natural classroom with endless possibilities for learning.

Read aloud. Reading aloud has been one of the most rewarding activities we've done in our more than years of teaching and parenting littles—picture books, biographies, non-fiction wonders. Each title opens opportunities for setting a template for the English language, building vocabulary, bolstering listening skills, understanding parts of a story, retelling events, the list goes on. Interestingly, there have been times when our little learners are seemingly off in their own world—playing, stacking blocks, coloring—while I read and yet, hours later, they remember EVERY word. So, as you embark on the read aloud journey, I encourage you to read, even when you think your learners are not engaged or paying attention. They are listening. Your reading matters!

Pretend play. Preschoolers learn by imagining and doing, by role playing and creating dialogue in relaxed and uninterrupted environments. Pretend play utilizes the senses and engages the mind, building language and thinking skills. Beginning in the toddler years, littles can be found feeding baby dolls, talking on pretend telephones, playing store, and mixing marvelous meals in a play kitchen. What's needed? Props! Some of our favorite pretend play items have been:

• measuring cups and spoons

• calculators, adding machines, and toy cash registers

• dress up clothes and hats, backpacks and purses

• fabric pieces, scarves, or old costumes

• magnifying glasses, binoculars. or a Brock Magiscope

• rulers, tape measures, protractors, and shape stencils

• aprons, chef hats, pretend food, and dishes

• stuffed animals and dolls

• receipt books, stickers, and play money

• old telephones, computer keyboards, and monitors

• puppets and make-shift card table theaters 

Games. Playing games allow children to learn important life skills, naturally, in a relax environment. While playing, littles practice turn taking, deferment to another person, waiting for others to make decisions or complete a turn, as well as a multitude of cognitive skills. Our favorite preschool learning games include:

• BINGO (number recognition 1-75)

• Matching cards (similarities and differences)

• Dominoes (matching similarities, quantity recognition 1-6, counting 1-6)

• Scrabble Junior (letter recognition, introductory phonics, initial consonant sounds)

• Uncle Wiggly (number recognition 1-100, counting)

• Guess Who? (critical thinking)

• Hi-Ho Cherry-O (early counting, addition and subtraction concepts)

• Barrel of Monkeys (GREAT for motor skills!)

• Busy Bee (an oldie but goodie introduced to us by great-grandma)

• Rivers, Roads, and Rails (another oldie by goodie)

• Hopscotch (great for motor skills)

• Simon Says (listening and following directions)

• Checkers (critical thinking skills)

Do life together. One of the things I love about parenting preschoolers is watching their faces light up—indoors and outdoors, around the home, and on vacation.

• Getting the mail might lead to a conversation about stamps, addresses, states, or modes of transportation.

• Setting the table teaches one-to-one correspondence.

• Folding laundry offers opportunities to make fractional parts by folding in half and in half again.

• Matching shoes and sorting toys provides real-life situations for identifying similarities and differences.

• Making together, kitchen experiences: measuring, comparing, weighing (math skills) as well as muscle skills, scrubbing potatoes, stirring, and kneading together. Doing life together allows preschoolers to learn alongside. 

Every moment is a marvel, especially when preschoolers are engaged in doing life with those they love.

Talk and listen. Preschoolers are relational. They want to engage in face-to-face conversation and hand-in-hand exploration. When we talk to our children, listen to their questions, concerns, and ideas, we model interpersonal skills and they learn how to process information, feelings, and emotions. These skills are some of the most valuable nuggets our little learners will internalize in their early years. 

Ask questions. It is no secret that little learners are natural questioners. They wonder what will happen next, how things happen, and when things will happen. It is in this inquisitiveness that they learn how life and people work, interact, and interrelate. Questioning is one of the most important life skills parents can foster and nurture. Mike and I foster inquisitiveness with commentaries and questions which invite our children to do the same. 

• I wonder how the (insert animal) stays warm.

• What comes next in the sequence?  

• I wonder if (insert item) will work better with this or that.

• What do you think will happen next?

• I wonder where that trail leads.

• Let's watch the (insert animal). I wonder what it will do next. 

• How long do you think it will take to ...?

Looking for a guide, a resource to encourage you through learning in the preschool years? One of my favorite resources for understanding the needs of little learners was Home Grown Kids by Raymond and Dorothy Moore. Once our children entered first grade The Three R's by Ruth Beechick became a go-to resource.

The preschool years are the wonder years, full of life and discovery, ripe with curiosity.

When learning flows naturally from that which is real and relational--interesting and personal--retention follows closely behind.

60 Nature Study Resources to Foster Curiosity in Your Children

YOU can teach science!

When I began homeschooling twenty-six years ago, one of the topics I felt least prepared to teach was science. What if I couldn’t teach my children what they were supposed to learn? What if I missed something important? 

Then came a realization.

Children LOVE being outdoors and they LOVE to ask questions—two factors providing a great foundation from which to work.

Maybe I could teach science?

Years later, I know I can. It’s not about me coming up with great plans and fancy curriculum.

It’s about me fostering the curiosity and providing engaging resources; being available to listen to ideas and help process information.

The same is true today as I embark on another year with a handful of learners, preschool through high school.  

Perhaps you face the same doubts and similar questions.  

You are not alone.

Your learners may be at different ages and stages. You may live in the city.

Again, you are not alone.

YOU can teach science!

This post provides over 60 resources you can use today!

But FIRST, here are some important starting points.

Starting Points for Successful Study

• Find out what your children want to learn, what interests them. Start there.

• If there are no hints, start with animals. Most children love animals, of some type.

• Add real experiences.  Many can be found around your home or community.

• Provide a field guide or two for found treasures.

• Gather a pile of inviting non-fiction and picture books.

Now for the resources

Nature-Related Picture Books

A Nest is Noisy, Dianna Hutts Aston

Miss Rumphius, Barbara Cooney

One Morning in Maine, Robert McCloskey

Owl Moon, Jane Yolen

Roxaboxen, Alice McLerran

Snowflake Bentley, Jacqueline Briggs Martin

The Raft, Jim LaMarche

Nature-Related Non-Fiction Books

Blooms and Plants

From Seed to Plant, Gail Gibbons

How a Seed Grows, Helene J. Jordan

Planting a Rainbow, Lois Ehlert

Stems and Roots, David M. Schwartz

The Carrot Seed, Ruth Krauss

The Tiny Seed, Eric Carle

Tops and Bottoms, Janet Stevens

Insects and Crawlies

About Arachnids: A Guide for Children, Cathyrn Sill

About Insects: A Guide for Children, Cathryn Sill

Ant Cities, Arthur Dorros

Are You A Grasshopper? Judy Allen

Bugs Are Insects, Anne Rockwell

The Ant and the Grasshopper, Amy Lowry Poole

The Honey Makers, Gail Gibbons

Tadpoles and Frogs

About Amphibians: A Guide for Children, Cathryn Sill

Frogs, Gail Gibbons

Frogs and Polliwogs, Dorothy Childs Hogner

From Tadpole to Frog, Wendy Pfeffer

Beaches

About Crustaceans: A Guide for Children, Cathryn Sill

A House for Hermit Crab, Eric Carle

Gulls, Gulls, Gulls, Gail Gibbons

Sea Shells, Crabs, and Sea Stars, Christiane Kump Tibbitts

What Lives in A Shell?, Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld

Fins

About Fish: A Guide for Children, Cathryn Sill

Feathered Friends

All About Birds, Cathryn Sill

About Hummingbirds: A Guide for Children, Cathryn Sill

Counting is for the Birds, Frank Mazzola, Jr.

Furry Critters

All About Mammals, Cathryn Sill

Field Guides and Resources

A Handbook of Nature Study, Anna Botsford Comstock

Florida’s Fabulous Series

                Florida’s Fabulous Waterbirds: Their Stories, Winston Williams

                Florida’s Fabulous Land Birds: Their Stories, Winston Williams

Florida’s Fabulous Reptiles and Amphibians: Snakes, Lizards, Alligators, Frogs and Turtles, Winston Williams

Take-Along Guides

                Caterpillars, Bugs, and Butterflies, Mel Boring

                Birds, Nests, and Eggs, Mel Boring

                Trees, Leaves, and Bark, Diane Burns

Peterson Field Guides  http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/peterson/

Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition, Powell, Conant, and Collins

Nature-Related Drawing Books for Sketchers and Creatives

Draw 50 Birds: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw Chickadees, Peacocks, Toucans, Mallards, and Many More of Our Feathered Friends, Lee J. Ames

Draw 50 Flowers, Trees, and Other Plants: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw Orchids, Weeping Willows, Prickly Pears, Pineapples, and Many More..., Lee J. Ames

How to Draw Flowers (Dover How to Draw), Barbara Soloff Levy

Supplies and Materials

Brock Magiscope https://www.cherylbastian.com/blog/2016/4/22/owl-pellets-and-a-magiscope-simple-discovery-science

Carolina Biological Supply Company  https://www.carolina.com/ (owl pellets)

Educational Innovators https://www.teachersource.com/ (dolomite samples and owl pellets)

 Nature Gift Store https://www.nature-gifts.com/  (ant farms and live ants, butterflies)

Celebrate Simple Blog Posts

Blog post: Vintage Science Books for the WIN!

Use what is available in the backyard, at the park or beach front, on the porch or pond’s edge—wherever you happen to be.

Porch Science  https://www.cherylbastian.com/blog/2017/5/31/porch-science

Citizen Science https://www.cherylbastian.com/blog/2017/10/22/citizen-science-get-real-with-learning

Puddle Fun https://www.cherylbastian.com/blog/2016/10/4/children-learn-from-puddles

MORE…

We live in a suburban area. Though we have a backyard and a neighborhood to explore, we have to plan and be intentional about visiting state parks, ponds and streams, or the beach. When we travel we look for opportunities which are not typical or available in our area.

We’ve enjoyed

• Bird sanctuaries

• Rainforest exhibits

• Arboretums

• Nature preserves

• State and national parks

• Factories and manufacturing plants

• Museums and displays

• State and county fairs

YOU can teach science!

And, in doing so, you will not only keep your child’s natural curiosity alive, but you will open doors for other discipline areas like math and writing.

Maybe you are thinking. “There could have a WHOLE podcast on nature-related study.” In fact, there is! Check out this conversation I had with Jenni and Jody over at From Cradle to Calling.

When in doubt, remember to remind yourself to look for what interests your child. Start there!

YOU can teach science!

How to... Use What You Have

Perhaps the current season launched you into a place you didn’t expect to be.

As this blog post is being edited libraries are closing. Where will we find materials and resources?

You may be scared, overwhelmed, unsure.

You are not alone.

Like you, other parents are trying to figure out how to navigate increasing closures and wonky schedules hoping to find new solutions.

We are in this together. Let’s help one another

• take a deep breath.

• be open to the possibilities which already exist and sit waiting to be discovered.

• find goodness in what is unfolding. It looks different than many of us envisioned. This happens. Different doesn’t mean wrong. Let’s help one another stick with it. We may find the outcomes are better than we imagined.

For the past three evenings, my middle schooler has been devouring a book she found on our shelf—The Young People’s Encyclopedia of the United States. Her excitement had been contagious as she’s proclaimed, “listen to this!” or “I forgot about that!”.

What we have is boosting what she knows!

The book went unnoticed on our shelves for years. This week, someone rediscovered it—considered it a treasure—began reading, and showed excitement. The excitement proved contagious. Currently, two learners are working together to figure out how to share the “high demand” book, and each wants to read aloud to me. Great problems!

The discovery was unplanned yet full of possibilities.

When I acknowledged the discovery and the interest, excitement escalated.

The book—something we already had—instantly became a means for learning.

I suspect there is something in or around your home waiting to be discovered by your child. When it’s found, embrace the educational moments it provides. They may be better than you could have planned or imagined.

How to use what you have

My daughter asked if she could read to me. Children need to read aloud to build fluency. We sat together (she loved that, too!) and she read. WIN all the way around. I wrote “read to mom” on our log of activities (part of what our state statute requires for home education). We learned a great deal and enjoyed the time together.

My daughter asked for clarification. As she read, she stopped to clarify. This is an important part of building reading comprehension. The ten minutes we spent talking about what she was reading proved valuable. Twenty-four hours later, we read related content and she discovered on her own how the information was related. Higher level thinking skills were utilized for the task. Another WIN! And, she was enjoying the process. Reading comprehension and summarization were noted both in our learning activities for the day.

My daughter asked questions. Fostering curiosity is always time well spent. One question leads to another. Again, interest is key. If the learner chooses a book and wants to read more, retention follows. On one particular quest through her new found treasure, she read explanations about sports. Some of the information was review, other tidbits were new. Along the way she reviewed alphabetical order and used study skills. I logged the sports information as well as study skills for our record keeping.

My daughter learned new vocabulary. There were times when my daughter asked me to read to her. As I read, I paused to explain words I presumed to be new. We talked about the definition of the word and I used the word in a sentence. When I logged what we accomplished, I wrote “discussed new vocabulary”. Another WIN.

Additional learning ideas

If a learner finds a resource and is engaged,

• the time may be ripe to use words of interest as spelling words. Children desire to learn to spell words they want to use. For example, a book about baseball may turn on an interest to learn baseball related words—base, player, glove, catcher, outfield. A printable list of frequently misspelled words is included on this post.

• there may be an opportunity for creative writing. Let’s say a child finds a book about dog breeds and suddenly wants to purchase a particular breed. Writing a persuasive piece including the pros and cons of buying that particular breed may be a possibility. For learners who prefer to create a visual, maybe a designing a brochure or flyer would be a better option.

• ask questions and connect. People appreciate when others take notice and interest in what they are doing. Consider open-ended questions which require more than yes, no, or nothing.

  • “It seems like you are really enjoying that book. What was the most interesting thing you learned today?”

  • “Which topics do still hope to investigate?”

  • “That’s a great book! I remember reading it. What’s been your favorite scene or point of action?”

  • “We have other books related to that topic. I’d be glad to help you find some if that would be helpful.”

• ask the child to keep a list of items he or she has studied. For some learners, having a visual of accomplishments is helpful. For others, it allows an opportunity for the child to take personal responsibility for what he or she is learning. I use this list to add details to our activity log.

• use the resource as a springboard for application or experiential learning. For example, if the learner chooses a field guide or identification resource, perhaps he or she could us the guide to identify species in your area—the backyard or on a walk in the neighborhood. Some of my learners have enjoyed making a tally chart of items on a scavenger hunt. For children with a creative gifting, sketching may be a great lead to science.

• consider using that interest as a springboard to learn another skill. For example, if a learner chooses a book about space, review syllables and then ask him or her to make a list of three- or four-syllable words—Jupiter, galaxy, telescope, constellation. If the child is younger, one-or two-syllable words would be more appropriate—star, planet, Mars, Saturn, moon.

Time together is priceless. Often the best takeaways aren’t readily measurable and don’t fit neatly on a log of activities. That’s okay. Relationships matter and are worth the time spent to build. In the slower, unique pace of the season, taking time to sit and listen to a familiar voice read or tell a story is soothing to the soul. In addition, in circumstances where handshakes, hugs, and high fives are cautioned due to social distancing, children need our physical touch. Truth is, we all need a few extra hugs—parents and children. I can’t think of a better time to pull closer, snuggle, and learn together!

My mom placed a set of encyclopedias on our family bookshelf. I’d go to the shelf and pull off a few volumes—usually my favorite letters and settle on the couch. I also remember going to my grandmother’s home and finding books of on her shelves. I’d make selections and find myself lost in the “newness” of the content. Likely, it wasn’t new information, but it caught my attention and was presented in mode different from I was doing in school. New was appealing. And, it was in my grandmother’s house! In both cases, at my home and in my grandmother’s house, I had time to linger, time to digest the content.

In this unique season of our history, we all have resources and time. I wonder what “new” is waiting to be discovered.

Interest-Based High School Credits: Art Can Look Like This

High school art can look like this!

What if there aren’t enough hours to count as credit?

What if we run out of content?

Questions mount, fear enters.

Step out of fear and watch the possibilities unfold.

As I talk with parents, I often ask, “Why do we hit the brakes in high school?” What I mean is, all the great methods we utilized in the elementary and middle school years, the ones our children loved, the ones we know worked—experiential, project-based, hands-on, field trips, even service—inadvertently pushed aside to make room for the check-offs, grades, and credits. Not that goals, grades, and credits aren’t important or necessary. Obviously they’re needed for college admission paperwork. However, when those aspects take precedence, best practices dissolve, curiosity deteriorates, and anxiety heightens. What if the successful, engaging methods could be retained and built upon in the presence of grades and credits?

THEY CAN!

“Experiential learning doesn’t have to end in high school. Learners don’t need to leave interests behind. ”

How?

Let’s say your learner has an interest in calligraphy, as my daughter did. There’s an interest. There are possibilities, some not seen until after a few other steps are taken.

As I pondered our situation, I figured I had at least two choices.

I could explain to my daughter there wasn’t time in her (a.k.a. our) day which would likely lead to how we could negotiate how to fit in calligraphy IF she finished Algebra first. Several things crossed my mind. If I choose this path, my daughter might eventually stop being interested in or pursuing her interests, figuring I would say no most of the time or that she’d have to come up with some amazing proposal in order to dig into something she enjoyed. I didn’t want that. Life is full of new and exciting learning opportunities, moments which teach important skills needed for the future. Why would I want to block or squelch her curiosity for new learning? Being a life learner is essential. And, what if she heard (though I didn’t say it), “Those ideas are just not as important as Algebra.” OUCH!

My second option might be to allow my daughter to investigate the interest and give her the freedom to figure out how to manage her time and energy in the process so that all she needed to get done could be completed. Major life skill gained. Bonus! With this option, I was able to ponder and remind myself that the interest may wane after a week (therefore no need to worry about whether we would get other subjects done). And, what if this interest took my learner one step closer to her future career? We wouldn’t know unless we took the first step toward discovery, in my daughter’s case, calligraphy.

I made my decision.

But, what if the interest sticks or grows into something else and Algebra (or other subjects) don’t get done?

Yes, this is a possibility. In fact, other subjects may take a back seat for a little awhile or not be completed in the time frame I expected. But, they would get done. The time management lessons gained in the process would indeed be life lessons. People are always navigating wise use of time, even into the adult years. She will, too.

My next question surfaced. What If the interest (calligraphy in our case) stuck around awhile or morphed into something else? We’d have to figure out how to complete the other subjects (especially since at this time she intends to go to college).

I also reminded myself there are other reasons why learners don’t complete subjects in a specific time frame. It may not be solely because of the added interest or that time was mismanaged. Maybe there’s a mental block with the subject, cause “it doesn’t make sense” or “I am not good at _______”. This is not our situation, but I know learners where this component needed to be considered and addressed. In other words, not completing a subject “on time” may not be the fault of “another interest”. Instead, the original subject likely needs tweaking. Often the benefit of adding something a learner enjoys allows the mind to relax enough to tackle other difficult subject matter.

What if there aren’t enough hours to count as credit?

If we don’t get started, take the first step, we won’t know possibilities. Starting keeps curiosity alive. It’s like a muscle, needing to be stretched, used, worked. Have courage, jump in, and be curious about where the interest will led.

In the case of calligraphy, everything counts—instructional videos; live lessons; reading resources; researching of inks, tools, and paper; practice lettering; projects; entries for fairs or contests. When the learner begins on their study, I encourage them to being to keep bullet points of what is being completed. This may look like

• watched how-to video on calligraphy

• video instruction and practicing of basic calligraphy strokes

• tutorial on hand-lettering

• researched pens and ink

• made a supply wish list

• created a budget and made goals for how to purchase supplies

• checked out a book at the library and read the chapter on calligraphy

• read about medieval calligraphy

Over a short period of time, activities, hours (and learning) stack up, potentially leading to other interests. It all counts as credit.

What if we run out of content?

Contrary to our thoughts, I really don’t think if it is possible to run out of content. There’s always something new to learn in an area. In addition, when we allow our learners to study an interest, often another pops up.

“We parents tend to shut down opportunities and interests before they even start because there’s ‘not enough time in the day’ or ‘we can’t turn that into a class’. ”

What if the interest is calligraphy?

In the case of calligraphy, here are some possibilities to jump start the study.

• modern brush calligraphy

• pointed pen calligraphy

• hand lettering

• basic and classic styles (Gothic, Old English, Unical)

Calligraphy may morph into

• watercolor brush lettering

• embroidery calligraphy

• chalkboard lettering

• watercolor

• writing Japanese characters

• the history of calligraphy from Rome to the Middle Ages and the movement to modern calligraphy.

Some high schools offer Calligraphy 1 and Calligraphy 2, so creating a self-directed or independent study course is not unreasonable.

There are online courses available, too, like this one offered by BYU Online high school calligraphy course.

What if the interest is not calligraphy, but something else? The same process applies. Get started. Dig in. Bullet point what is completed. Keep learning. Gain hours. Concisely title what was learned.

Fear keeps us from trying new things—children and parents alike. With curiosity comes possibility, endless things to wonder about, explore and learn. I wonder what ideas will surface today?

It matters, and it counts!