One of our learning intentions last year was to bring a little more structure to how we tackle the basics. Not too much structure, because our approach to learning is very much "here's a seed, you go plant it and let me know if you need any help with the watering", but a little structure. The challenge is that the children are all at different ages and stages, and finding common ground can be a bit of a challenge.
Armed with an app that Keith discovered the children are now treated to a new book every day.
Like a lot of other apps, this one gives us options about how much "help" the children get with words, meaning we can give all three children what they need. Oh yes, I said three, because if Alfie and Esme are doing it, Miss Olive needs to be all up in the learning too! High fives for unschooling three children!
Anyway, the app is great, but what the children really enjoy is the worksheet that you unlock at the end of each story.
I remember from my own school days how much I enjoyed cutting and sticking and annotating these sorts of workbooks. I enjoyed the quiet comradery of sharing scissors and glue and colouring pens with my table. I enjoyed creating something far better than my artistic talent would allow. In fact, I pretty much hung out for days when we did worksheets.
I had guessed that my children might enjoy worksheets too, but I had missed how much they would enjoy the shared experience. I had missed how amazing it would be to come home in the evening and line up three lovingly crafted pages, each one screaming at the author's strength.
Alfie who's colouring is precise and careful, but who cuts out shapes like he was forced to use his teeth.
Esme who shows a flamboyant disregard for the constraint of lines, but writes precisely and carefully.
And Olive, who lives her life according to the laws of blue, and who is so proud to be able to identify her sheet with an "Oh-for-Olive".
There's something about slowing down and observing differences side-by-side like that.
Thanks for sharing this information. Modern application make the process of learning much more exciting. My son likes to do tasks from the worksheets, so I think we will definitely use this app.
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