Learning... tollerance???

This coming week will probably see an absence of much structure. Due in no small part to me being sent on a paediatric first aid course by work. Im actually really looking forward to it and wonder whether perhaps I can learn enough to teach it to the children when Im done? Still its learning and Im sure it's beneficial to see me learning too. Their grandma will see they have enough things to concentrate on while Im not around. I shall be banning the TV though, she subscribes to all the channels on sky and its the most banal stuff much of the time on much of it! Theres a reason I wont pay for the 'kids' channels ( the beeb ones are free!)
I know I learned plenty about Diwali last week researching activities for the home education group. It came in useful this weekend when the local sihk community held their celebrations in work and I was able to recall some information for my colleagues who said I should maybe write it down for staff since its an annual event and many dont know what is being celebrated. Sadly they recounted the negative treatment the guests experienced from local children when lighting sparklers outside. Fortunately the polive arrives swiftly and dispatched the abusive teens and the celebrations continued peacefully!
Its awful that other faiths and races still experience hate crime from even youngish children ( which demonstrates what they learn at home and from their peers!) when just a week or two ago they were lighting sparklers, I expect with no idea why they were being lit and waved!

I hope I can expose my children to beliefs and ideas and foster in them the idea that everyone is different and that negative actions are never acceptable. I hope next year I could approach the sihk community via work to ask if we could come and see their celebrations in action. I was told they were lovely warm people who entertained the staff on duty despite the disruption and ensured everyone was well fed and enjoying themselves despite them being there working!

I also learned that its pointless arguing home ed with someone on a messageboard when they know nothing other than state santictioned education, the national curriculum and 'attainment' as a benchmark of sucess. Utterly pointless, but didnt undermine my confidence in what Im doing just because someone hasnt bothered ( and wont even so she can debate sucessfully) to research home education. She even tried to present parts of the Paula Rothermel research as challengable on the basis of "added value" (home ed children who start ahead in these tables dont achieve much apparently!!- what a surprise!) when I pointed this out she rubbished it completely and calling me a 'muppet'( the most publishable of all the insults) and suggesting I was arrogant for daring to decide we could provide what my child needed... so there you have it, we're all arrogant mupets. Im sure you are all richer for hearing that from someone who knows nothing about home education!!!! ;-) Clearlyshe doesnt know much about tollerance either!

I wonder who's a muppet, someone who wont learn( and who trusts schools implicitly as 'quality controlled. specialised and tested environments) or someone who will question, research and wonder whether 'education' is limited by school? Then act when she realises her children are miserable, labelled and not being educated because they are not simulated!
This is a person incidentally who does little between 9-3 ( even at weekends) other than spend her time arguing everything with a virtual world! How sad that for all that time and effort she achieves and learns so little! It made me assess why I bothered, still I hope someone reading learned something about Home education other than the tired old rubbish which she was trying to churn out! I could probably use my time much more effectively! A lesson for me too perhaps!

My Son speaks better now than he did with a year or so of speech therapy, my daughter now not only believes she can do maths, she CAN do maths. That, already is a massive achievement that cannot be tested by SATS whether you are structured or autonomous, schooled of home educating. these are the hidden benefits of HE! It struck me how little was assessed and tested for in schools as 'sucess or failure' really. I couldnt add these to a government table of benefits! Maybe we home edders should start one???

Learning wise for Sophie and Connor, we are spending more time on maths as the children have demanded. I've been doing lots of multiplication tables work with Connor, multiplication squares and 'times tables colouring' and a multiplication lotto game.Sophies started covering area but her weakness in mulitplication and related skills is showing so Im trying to get them both involved in a fun way.

I am hoping if I can build their confidence in Maths then I can move more into the realms of english where they are always reluctant and I guess will for the time being be way behind their schooled counterparts. Thats fine though. I hope they will realise they can have a go and achieve. THATS whats important to me, a love of learning and the idea that they CAN if they just have a go and if they cant, well thats ok too and they can try some more rather than deciding they are failiures ( because they certainly wont be allowed to get that message at home!)