homeschooling {circle time}

The first thing we do to kick off our "school" portion of the morning is circle time.  I must disclose here that I began doing this a bit grudgingly.  I had wanted school to feel more organic and breezy, but Moonpie wanted it to be more official feeling.  I have now come to really enjoy our morning circle time.  It has turned into a time that we discuss what our day/week holds, enjoying good poetry, music and stories.  Here is our break down:

• We come together and sit on the living room rug.  Moonpie has probably already set up our area with comfy pillows and our circle time basket (which I should have taken a picture of - sorry about that!).  In our basket we have a small calendar, a book of poetry, a bean bag, and a book of songs.

• First off we look at the calendar and discuss the day of the week, the date, the month and the year.  It goes a little like this: "Today is Tuesday, February 23rd, 2011.  Yesterday was Monday, tomorrow is Wednesday.  What is something special we do on Tuesdays?  Go to the library!" etc.  

• We read our poem for the week.  Usually we have a specific poet we are studying, however we are currently reading out of Favorite Poems Old and New: Selected for Boys and Girls Helen Ferris Tibits (see carousel in sidebar for link).

• We sing songs out of our Wee Sing books ( I always find these while thrifting).  I like to choose a song that has motions to go along with it, or we might play instruments.

• We read a seasonal story out of our season basket each day.  Since yesterday was President's Day, I read to them out of our book Little People Who Became Great: Stories of the Lives of those Whom Every Child Should Know Laura A. Large.  This book came to my through my Great Aunt's estate.  If you can find it, buy a copy!  It is such a wonderful book.  My children actually clap after I read them the short biographies.  Yesterday we read "The Little Boy Who Once Was Poor" the story of Abraham Lincoln.

After circle time is over we usually move to the table for Bible study.  I mentioned yesterday that we are very flexible with our schedule.  I am also very flexible with my planning.  After reading about Abraham Lincoln we decided to look up how big the cabin was that he lived in as a child (18 ft x 16 ft).  We then went outside and measured out what this would look like.  

Designing the interior of the cabin.  Beds, table, fire place and stool all added.

For some reason my children thought it looked huge.  So we started adding everything a home would need.  After the parent's bed, Abe's bed made of leaves and the table were added, they began to see how small it actually it was.  

Buddy working on Ma and Pa's quilt.  And as always, enjoying his picture being taken.

This was a great exercise.  And totally not planned.  

Moonpie working on Abe's bed of dried leaves.  She even added a stack of books tucked in between the "logs" in the wall!

After this we moved to another unplanned activity- building a log cabin out of biodegradable packing peanuts.

Moonpie's little cabin and grass.  Lots and lots of grass.

Buddy adding his grass.

I enjoy this about homeschooling so much!  When an idea comes to me or one of my children on a whim, we can go with it and see where it leads.  Today we will pick back up where we left off in our studies of Ancient Greece with just a bit of catching up to do.

Like I mentioned above, before we started doing circle time, I dreaded it.  It sounded too contrived and laborious to me.  I have found that it is really very easy to put together and is a wonderful time to review concepts, share thoughts and have some fun!

poem of the week

We are battling colds around here leftover from the weekend.  When the children are feeling under the weather it is a good reminder to slow down with a stack of books, some knitting (Moonpie casted on for the first time last night!), and castles made of blocks.

Our poet focus this year is Robert Louis Stevenson.  I like to choose a poem a week for us to read daily during our morning circle time.  This poem seemed fitting for the week:

Block City 

 from A Child's Garden of Verses

What are you able to build with your blocks?

Castles and palaces, temples and docks.

Rain may keep raining, and others go roam,

But I can be happy and building at home.

Let the sofa be mountains, the carpet be sea,

There I'll establish a city for me:

A kirk and a mill and a palace beside,

And a harbour as well where my vessels may ride.

Great is the palace with pillar and wall,

A sort of a tower on the top of it all,

And steps coming down in an orderly way

To where my toy vessels lie safe in the bay.

This one is sailing and that one is moored:

Hark to the song of the sailors of board!

And see on the steps of my palace, the kings

Coming and going with presents and things!

Now I have done with it, down let it go!

All in a moment the town is laid low.

Block upon block lying scattered and free,

What is there left of my town by the sea?

Yet as I saw it, I see it again,

The kirk and the palace, the ships and the men,

And as long as I live and where'er I may be,

I'll always remember my town by the sea.

If you are looking for a lovely addition to your library, might I suggest A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, with illustrations by the dear Tasha Tudor.

Looking for a great set of blocks?  We prefer the standard unit blocks from Melissa and Doug.  I was fortunate enough to find a set on clearance at a store!  (the blocks in the picture above are M & D castle blocks.)