Just a Collection? Or is it MORE?!

Austyn is the type of kid who just loves COLLECTIONS. He loves, fossils, rocks, crystals, hockey cards and now he is starting to like Pokemon cards, due to his exposure to them at day camp. Although having a ton of collectables around the house and scattered in his room can get a bit frustrating, I see the value in them. I know that the rocks and that sort of thing bring about a stronger interest and help him to gain knowledge. The cards influence reading. When he plays with the Pokemon cards he needs to read what the card says. As I have mentioned in a past post, he looks up hockey cards on the internet and reads about them and tries to find out what the cards in his collection are selling for. I have downloaded a hockey lapbook and we've started it. He is reviewing and learning more about hockey, history and the players. I can't deny that collecting hockey cards is a great way to get a sluggish reader reading!!

Platypus Lapbook!

This is our platypus lapbook. We are still working on it but it's almost finished. They are amazing animals! A mammal that lays eggs and has a bill?!

This lapbook was free online. Here is the link:  http://www.homeschoolshare.com/platypus.php

(My hubby didn't like the quote I chose for this one, I thought it was a bit funny because it really illustrates how strange this animal is, but if you have a good one feel free to share.  P.S. Robin Williams said it, not me! LOL!)

 

The Possibility of Unschooling

It has been a challenge to find good, free unschooling reading material. Our libraries here are lacking for homeschool material. I've lived in other places and have not had the troubles that I've had here. Many of the books we search for from our reading lists just don't exist here. After much searching online I finally found a book that is available at our library on unschooling and I'm really enjoying it. It seems to be a good introduction to unschooling so far.

Austyn enjoys the stories from Ambleside as well and some of the reading material suggested on Ambleside Online we have at home since we were following The Well-Trained Mind. From what I've read so far we can unschool and use these reading materials.

I am a planner and like some structure. I hope I'm okay with letting go and just being there to help my kids explore and expand their knowledge.

Here is the book I'm reading.

“Books are the compasses and telescopes and sextants and charts which other men have prepared to help us navigate the dangerous seas of human life.” ~ unknown