Learning in Nature

So far I've been pleased with the way the Mermaid is learning through homeschooling. Right now I don't have a formal "structure" set up for her, and we don't even take time for "school" every day, but she is still picking things up quickly.

This past week we learned about fire safety. We also had the privilege of visiting with two exchange students from China, who are both living with my Aunt. The Mermaid quickly learned how to say Thank You, Please, and You're Welcome in Chinese, and she also learned how to count to ten in Chinese. That makes three languages, besides English, that she can count to ten in (German and Spanish are the other two).

The Mermaid also loves to draw and spell words. She is quite good at spelling her own name and the Guppy's name. Recently she realized that she can turn her crayon scribbles into actual drawings: she loves drawing cats, dogs, and giraffes. About two days ago she attempted to write her name, and did a great job for her first time.

Yesterday the Knight and I took the girls for a hike at a nearby state park that hosts a chasm. The Mermaid had a lot of fun hiking up to the top with us, and looking down at the view of the chasm. She also learned about pine cones, chipmunks, hiking safety, pine trees, and roots.

I love homeschooling the Mermaid. I love seeing her eyes light up, almost hearing that little click in the brain that happens when she "gets" something. She thrives on individual attention and loves learning new things. I love how there is not pressure for her to keep up with other students, to fit in to what a certain teacher thinks a good student should be, or to bend to peer pressure in order to make friends.

I'm by far not a perfect parent. But I know that I will never regret homeschooling our children.

Learning in Nature