Release

It was time to release the butterflies. When they first emerged they didn't move around much, but by this afternoon they were fluttering about and their hatching habitat just seemed too confined. The first four left quickly,and flew off high into the air, maashAllah, far away from our garden. It is amazing, subhanAllah, as this was really their first flight.
The fifth one has not done so well. Maybe it was the one that emerged a day after the others. It took ages to come to the opening. It hung around. The kids had long gone. I had been staying nearby, but then I went in for a moment, and of course this is when it chose to begin its flight, only to be accosted by the cat. Oh dear. It has not been visibly harmed as I quicky picked the cat up, but it is still sitting on a plant next to the patio. It had had a long feed just before leaving, maybe it doesn't feel the need to seek food right now.

Better photo

Still waiting for butterfly number 5, but I managed to get a better photo of one of the others!

Butterflies

Yesterday afternoon we went out to the park for a couple of hours and when we came back one butterfly had emerged. This morning when I came downstairs a second one had emerged. Later I took the girls to the library and when we came back......

you guessed it, another one had emerged. So we missed seeing all of them come out!

Shortly after lunch I suddently noticed a fourth butterfly, but this one was all folded and crumpled, so had just emerged. I quickly called the children to watch how it started to straighten out. So, at least we saw a bit more of that one!

There is one more left, but that crysalide is not dark yet, so I don't expect that one today.

We have fed them with apple, grape and sugar water and we have seen them feeding, subhanAllah.

Handwriting

It is that time of year when we finish off and tidy up. This year Ia has been using the book above for handwriting skills. It teaches joined up writing, focussing on the joins between pairs of letters and building up into joining words. She has used it a little at a time, usually for about 10 minutes before the rest of her English work. She did the last bit today. I have the next book in the series, which she will use next academic year, inshAllah.
The book itself is good, it consists of 20 units, each divided up into short exercises, so it is easy to break up. It is a textbook, so the actual writing is done in a handwriting exercise book.
I can't find fault with the book itself, and indeed I recently saw another child's handwriting and just from looking at it I could tell that he had learnt from this series. I asked him and showed him the book. Yes, it was the one he had used in school!
The problem with handwriting is that it is boring. Ia now knows how to join her writing, but she still prefers to print, as she finds it easier and the result looks neater. Ia can write neatly,but if she finds the handwriting exercise boring she won't be as neat as she can. So, although I follow this handwriting course I sometimes wonder how much use it really is. I think I continue because at least then the child has the knowledge of how to join their letters, even if they choose not to implement that knowledge. It could be something they want to do in future.
Good handwriting is an important skill, but the child needs to want to have beautiful writing and I just don't know how any book, no matter how well thought out, can instill that! What is the secret?
So, at the moment I'm happy with correctly formed letters that are easy to read, a sensible size and a knowledge of joining! Alhamdulillah.

Reader Rabbit

If you are looking for up-to-the minute reviews of new products you are in the wrong place! I've just discovered Reader Rabbit, which is quite an old piece of software. But then you don't go looking for things until you need them I suppose, and until now I didn't consider buying software to help with learning to read, as it didn't seem necessary. U is a different sortof learner. She loves books, maashAllah, and will spend ages reading stories to herself through the pictures, maashAllah.However she is not too keen on reading through normal early reading books. I think it is because it takes longer than making the story up! And yet I know that she will, inshAllah, love reading once she can do it with ease, because she loves stories, just as the boys did and still do, maashAllah.
So, I started looking for software, because she does well with Education City, and she enjoys learning independently. Reader Rabbit has turned out just right for her because it is simple and uncluttered and has a clear route of progression. The disc began with work she is already familiar with, but she has also been able to learn new words too. She has used it every weekday since it arrived, maashAllah.
I did not expect to need many new resources for my youngest child, but you never know how things may turn out, subhanAllah.

Creative and caterpillars

The girls have had a creative day today, maashAllah, making bead designs, sketching and making flower pictures with cut-outs from catalogues. There has also been lots of playing in the garden.

Our caterpillars have started to change into chrysalides. This picture was taken in the afternoon, when a couple of them still look like caterpillars but by this evening they have changed some more.

Magnets

At the moment I'm using the Forces part of "Bite-Size Physics" with the boys. Today's lesson had something that everyone could enjoy - making magnets.

You just have to stroke an iron nail with a magnet, making sure to always go the same direction, until the nail becomes a magnet. In the picture the paperclip is magnetically attached to the nail. After that we dropped the nails on the paving outside to demagnetise them. Everyone had a go at this. The girls enjoyed the experiments and the boys learnt about the science behind it.

Alhamdulillah, it was great to have something for everyone!

The differences

These are the types of books that both girls are selecting from the library at the moment, amongst others. They are both slim paperbacks. I read them aloud to U and Ia reads them herself. A book like the one in the top picture is a quick read for Ia, but she enjoys reading something easy with cute pictures. She also chooses longer chapter books, which she reads one chapter at a time. With the sort of book pictured above she'll happily read through two or three at one go, maashAllah.
The book in the picture below is one she is reading aloud to me at the moment. It is a comfortable level for her. I tend to alternate the levels, letting her read one at comfort level, then another with a little bit more challenge, then back to comfort again. She usually has at least two books on the go, one she reads to me, the other by herself. She usually chooses the titles from the library herself, but some I keep for her to read aloud. She also enjoys non-fiction books about animals.

The thing is that having this type of book around is a novelty for me. The boys seem to have missed out this stage altogether and gone straight from learning to read to reading books designed more for the stage above.

It just goes to show how each child learns in their own way, even when you start them off in the same way, maashAllah.

Easy to do science

Today we have been rubbing electrons on and off things. Learning about electrical charges.

After being rubbed on hair the balloon attracts the strip of paper.

Same thing with the scarf and the shirt.

No SATs here!

I heard on the radio this morning that some head teachers would be boycotting SAT tests for 11 year olds today on the grounds that the tests narrow the curriculum, cause stress and produce "teach to the test" style lessons.
Had my sons been in school it would have been their turn to sit those tests today too.
But, no SATs here......wooohooo!
Alhamdulillah.

The changing map of Europe

In our geography session today the boys were answering some questions on the Balkan region from "The Trail Guide to World Geography". They used the Times atlas (on the right) to help with some of the answers. While we were looking at that map I thought about getting out my old school atlas and comparing the two. I asked them to look to see if they could find any differences between the two political maps of Europe.

The old map has Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, East and West Germany and the Soviet Union, whilst the new one, of course, has many more independent countries in these areas. After noticing this we briefly discussed why these changes have occured in Europe, and went online to look up a little of the history.

Friction and Caterpillars

Today we have been doing some friction related experiments. Above we were comparing how much force is needed to begin to drag a heavy book across a variety of surfaces. Below we were seeing how far the ramp needed to be lifted before the shoe started slipping. This was done with lots of different shoes and slippers.

Also, this morning we followed in the footsteps of other home educators and received our caterpillars, which we hope, inshAllah, will develop into Painted Lady butterflies. For the last two years we have grown triops. On first inspection it seems that caterpillars are even more low maintenance, alhamdulillah!

As they get older does HE get harder or easier?

I have been thinking about this question recently.
In some ways I am finding HE with the boys is getting easier, alhamdulillah. Although the subject material is getting more complex the style of delivery is getting more straightforward. Also, of course, we are all getting more experienced at this home ed project, and I suppose that helps!
With the younger ones there are a lot of challenges in terms of finding the right mix of resources. They need lots of short activities to teach ideas in a variety of ways. Also at the beginning you are only just starting to find out about your child's learning style and preferences, and it will take time to understand and adapt your approach accordingly.
Younger ones also need to have their love of learning fostered and basic skills such as reading and numeracy need to be aquired as joyfully as possible and in such a way as they form a firm, confident foundation for building further learning. This poses plenty of challenges!
As the boys get older I feel that I, and they, understand their learning style better. This makes it easier to choose resources which match their needs. I don't find myself searching around for which books to use anything like as much as I used to, as now the path seems clearer, alhamdulillah. Also by this age the boys can explain their own opinions on learning and we can discuss what we are doing, alhamdulillah. Younger ones tend to be swayed by how they are feeling about something on theday you ask them, whereas older ones can take a longer term view.
Just a few thoughts!