2015 has started brilliantly

For the past 2 years or so we've been pretty unstructured in our approach. It's been necessary with other things going on in our lives. During that time the children read a lot, played huge numbers of games, visited interesting places and learned in a very different way. 

As often happens when winter is upon us, we found ourselves needing to fill our days with meaningful activities. So, we set up a structured routine to our day. It has been a magnificent turning point. Each day the children are set pieces of work to complete. They almost always include reading, writing and numbers in their various forms. 

George 1 is following an online book club run by http://hilltuition.co.uk and is reading Animal farm by George Orwell. I'll hold my hands up and confess that I've never read it, despite always having had a deep rooted interest in Russian history. It's a fabulously simple, yet rich book that can be read on so many levels. So far George 1 has looked at the Russian Revolution, different types of political systems, and how allegories work. He's also learned how to write a synopsis, look at alternative story lines and how to discuss a book. He's written a diary account as though he was one of the characters. It's been a fabulous journey for him that has broadened his literary skills. He has always loved learning through reading and this course has developed his natural fascination for challenging texts. 

Both George 1 and 2 have also completed a Minecraft Homeschool class and are about to embark on their second. It's been great to focus their love of Mincraft on something new. They have developed their skills and knowledge base and have thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people. 

George 3 is slowing developing his interest in reading through the wonderful world of Reading Eggs. I have an understanding and belief that children learn to read when they're ready. I am exposing him constantly to the written word. We read stories and scriptures daily, we play word games like eye spy, we use online systems such as Reading Eggs and paper asked worksheet style resources. As he's exposed, he's learning to recognise how words take shape without the relentless monotony of reading using only phonics. It's a fabulous journey to go on with children and it's a privilege to witness this process first hand for a second time. 

We've also covered topics such as the upcoming General Election, a day's of the week project and aborigines. Next week I have a topic planned on the book Leonardo's Horse. 

We're continuing to investigate our new surroundings and find beautiful places to visit. We're starting to build a small garden in preparation for the spring. But most importantly, were pulling together again and were happier than we've been for a few years. We're all heading in the same direction, we're developing an appetite for learning and growing. We're excited for 2015 and all it will bring. It's started definitely as I mean it to go on.