Our school day runs from 8 am until 4 pm. Rarely do we ever finish before 4 (if we do stop before 4 it's because it was planned). If we finish all of our required work before four we use the additional time to explore other areas or review what we have learned.
We could stop at lunch, but that would be throwing away hours of learning. If I sent my kids away to school and the teacher stopped at noon I would be angry. Why would I think differently about myself? I am their teacher. It is my job to educate them to the fullest extent possible. They have plenty of time to play and be imaginative in the evenings. (Alright I will jump off my soap box...)
This week we have been using this extra time to study Turkey using Ann Voskamp's book "Geography of the Holy Land." (It is an awesome resource and I highly recommend it.) We enjoy using Joshua's I pod touch to explore this country on Google earth while we are reading about each city and geographical location. We read about a suspension bridge in Istanbul. Joshua found it on Google earth and we could actually see it! It's really neat to use this new technology to enhance our learning
We have also been using this gift of extra time to study birds using Aplogia's book 1: Flying Creatures. This week we have been focusing on all the different types of nests birds build (cup, mound, cavity, weavers, earth-hole, platform...)
What does Elliana do during our school day? Hmm. Well these pictures will give you a glimpse...
Working on Rosetta Stone Spanish-
Practicing her letters-
Her desk is full of educational materials for her to explore (Wedgits, stickers, puzzles, flashcards, sewing manipulatives, coloring books..). She makes a mess daily :)
She also has her own school time. She is using My Fathers World Kindergarten this year (very easy curriculum- I use it for second year preschool)
She also has her own school time. She is using My Fathers World Kindergarten this year (very easy curriculum- I use it for second year preschool)
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