Home Base For Learning: Learning Should be Fun

After traveling, we took it easy this week. Plus, the kids are feeling the summer vibes coming from the end of public school. We also had a birthday party.

Says, Happy Birthday

J made cupcakes

The rest of the kids help decorate them.

We played games and went on good walks.

For school, J finished up the pillow Grandma helped her sew.

She finished Junior High health and more geography.

K has been working a lot of hours on a Lego set. He has a ability to focus for long hours when it's something he loves. When he was younger, we worked a lot on his fine motor skills. It's wonderful to see him strengthen them along with other skills Legos bring.

This particular set also helps with his imagination. Because of his autism, imagination was a skill he had to learn. This set got him interacting and imagining with all of his siblings. To me, imagination, and the creativity that comes with it, are important skills to be valued.

Kids learn best when they are having fun. This week A1 built houses, cars, and other things out of magna tiles. J then came to "buy" them. But she was smart and helped him apply the math he has been learning. She would say something like, "I have $100 but only want to spend 1/4th of it. What can I buy?" A1 would then direct her to the items $25 or less. Thank you, J, for all your help this week.

We did more math and always a lot of reading. We finished Shel Silverstein's book of poems "Where the Sidewalk Ends".

Played a game at the library.

And while there, painted with water colors.

A1 continues to practice piano. And we planted more in our garden.

We tested the soil's moisture and PH level, too.

Dad found a black widow in the compost pile, guarding two egg sacks. After the kids got a good look at the spider and her web, Dad made sure there would be no more baby black widows coming from that spider.