Educating Maggie
Here's a sample of our weekly schedule.
Monday - Play/preschool at the Preschool Playgroups Association (PPA) based on a UK model, 9:30 - 11:30am. This is a great place, first because they believe children learn through play and secondly, the PPA believes parents should be involved (so I get to stay). There are stations for reading, dry sand, wet sand, water play, pasting, coloring, play dough and two for painting. There are also areas for ride-in/on cars, playing house and dress-up, playing with all sorts of toys and climbing on Little Tykes slides/forts. Needless to say, the two hours go quickly. We take time-out for a sit-down snack and at the end we clean-up and sing songs and read an occasional story.
Tuesday - Sometimes, lunchtime recitals at the Cultural Center, 1:10pm. We've seen some great performances here from choir, piano, guitar, violin, harp and Chinese-stringed instruments to modern dance. It's a most enjoyable time for Maggie and often she is seen standing up and dancing or swaying to the music.
Wednesday - Gymbaroo, an Australian-based learning experience, 12:30-1:15pm. Classes involve singing, dance, music, rhythm and special exercises to enhance balance, freedom of movement and body awareness. The kids are in classes according to their age in six month increments so we can work on specific developmental activities for their age.
Sometimes a visit to the Science Museum in the afternoon (free on Wed). There's a great children's area and lots of hands-on activities in other sections of the museum. We have the most fun with light/shadows and bubbles and get a kick out of seeing how a fish, insect or bird sees as well as how the wind can push a boat upwind. (of course we'll explain this later to Maggie and make a windsurfer out of her like Mom and Dad. Unfortunately we haven't sailed since moving out here, but planning on a trip to Hawaii soon).
Thursday - Playgroup at the YMCA 10:15-12:15. Fun time with toys, play-dough, crayons and especially in the ball-room, with singing at the end.
Friday - Homeschooling with Before Five in a Row (B4FIAR). This is a wonderful program filled with tons of creative ideas and activities based on children's books such as Runaway Bunny, Katy-No-Pocket, The Big Green Pocketbook, Corduroy and many more. The second section is a great reference for learning readiness. Maggie really enjoys reading the books and we are slowly getting into all of the activities suggested for them. Actually, we can do FIAR anytime. Reading a book and doing an activity seldom take more than half an hour, but you can expand and take longer. It's surprising.
FIAR was the first curriculum written and once you know the acronym stands for Five in a Row, you understand how the program works. Each book (different from B4) is read five days in a row and different subjects are studied each day. I'm looking forward to this program even if we only use it as a supplement.
Saturday and Sunday we usually spend near home - running around outside by the pond or watching the fish and turtles, blowing bubbles, climbing on the monkey bars or riding the see-saw, jumping on colored tiles in the mall... Inside we can paint, practice using scissors, paste, color, play-dough, lego and wood blocks, puzzles, FIAR, listen to music and dance, play with misc other toys, play a CDrom (Living Books, Jumpstart Preschool or Broderbund Preschool Success Starter), watch Blue's Clues or occasional other video, or use Building Thinking Skills - Primary. BTS-P is the first book in a series promoting development of analytical thinking skills. It's a 'learn by doing' approach using one of three sets of manipulative materials-attribute blocks, pattern blocks and interlocking cubes. Each activity is either 'identifying similarities and differences, forming sequences and patterns, classifying groups of objects by their attributes and creating and interpreting analogies.'
Then there are the everyday errands of running to the supermarket or laundry, paying bills, cooking, cleaning, etc...