And its FINISHED!!!!!!! Our first ever lap book project on space (which is a heck of a broad subject btw) has despite all the odds finally reached completion! It was started in earnest back in September with us emptying the library of any book remotely concerning space, we had loads!! Books on stars, constellations, planets, the sun and space-travel filled every available surface! I decided that instead of buying books on space, this time we would utilise the local library and home ed on a tighter budget…….. great idea in theory and totally do-able but I learnt that you need to be both highly organised and very selective or you just end up with a barrage of information to wade through that’s not necessarily aimed at your child’s age group. In hind site I would have bought the Usborne discovery book on space which is internet linked and a couple more age appropriate books as the information and pictures are more engaging but nevertheless we managed. So after a few experiments, dropping rubber balls onto baking trays full of flour to create craters, 
making volcanoes out of vinegar and bicarb, laying out the solar system (made up of tomatoes, apples, balls of blue tack) across the garden and having poor Pluto end up in the allotments only to have to turn around mid discussion and retrieve Saturn from the dog, Neptune and Uranus from the chickens and Jupiter from the shortest child and playing with cornflour and water for no other reason than it looked like fun; we decided to opt for something a little more structured. Thus I searched for Space project and came across http://www.liveandlearnpress.com/ and that’s where we got into the wonderful world of lap booking.
I have to admit that as an ex-teacher a project with stuff laid out to do really appealed to me as it has a certain element of structure to it and when I have my wibbly moments I can look at what we’ve achieved and think “Phew! Everything is fine!!” Also T has really taken to the idea and towards the end of the project was doing 3 mini books a day in an attempt to complete a spread so they could be glued in and he could look back over what he had done. (Obviously he gets that little bit of work freak from me!!!) The art work is still on the go and so far we are up to Jupiter on our planets as well as T producing an amazing painting of the solar system in poster paints which he spent ages on and, to my mind, is just stunning! That and the cover illustration and he is turning into a little Van Gogh!!!
November and December saw me throwing up for Britain and structured home ed going out the window which is why I think this project lasted so long but its really been a good way to work for our family. T seems very motivated by the style and presentation of the work, has learned loads and is immensely proud of his first complete project. We’ve been finding out the info, then he puts it into his own words, I write it out and he copies it into the book……….and funnily enough this has really helped his reading as well as his hand writing. I was discussing this with a friend and she was saying it was a Steiner method; instead of just using sight to read they use muscle memory, aural, oral AND sight to read and write out the word!!!! He up for doing 6 pages of his books straight off, less guessing more actual reading of new words and damn me if he can’t read the Sky menu when that flicks up!!!!
We also made a start on times tables with the promise of a pound per table on being able to recite it and pass a test on it. He is nearly at the end of yr 2 maths and Literacy on Ed City and is rocketing along with exercises that 6 months ago would have confused the hell out of him. What’s even more encouraging is L’s reaction to all this learnin. He is now asking to do “home ed bits” So whilst T does a mini book L expects to do colouring in on the same subject as well as counting and letters. T has taken to going through sums and letters with L when he asks a question which I LOVE!!!! So when misguided LA’s and misinformed people make comments like “Oh its alright educating one but what about when you have all three on the go at different ages?” Erm………. Well if a subject is interesting then its interesting no matter what level you are at!!!! Show me another 2 yr old that can confidently name planets because its funny and they have funny names!!!
With the apparent appearance of spring we’ve been out on the allotment a lot more recently. T now not only has his plot to do but has commandeered the boarder the other side of the fence that runs along side the car path into the plots. We didn’t want to grow veg there coz of the passing cars BUT flowers will make a great soaking up barrier! So as well as our growing army of sweetpeas (which are now in the brassica frame hardening off) we sat last night planning the boarder………never…ever ….ever say to a child “Oh you can have what ever shaped boarder you fancy” coz really? They take you literally!!! So after a little guidance on logistics and garden design we had established a theme – Space and after a bit more experimenting, drawing out, rubbing out and moving of the 5 pots which will contain the all important sweetpeas, we settled on the shape of the beds – shooting stars at either end, 2 hearts then a waxing and waning moon in the centre……………….. so not complicated at all???!!!!! Then it was colour schemes and plants. So Sunday is raid the plan the beds and raid the garden centre day for lobelia, allysum, begonias and marigolds!!! He’s got a brilliant eye for colour so I’m sure it will look fab and if it keeps the weeds down as well then I am very up for it but boy is it going to be a big plan!!
making volcanoes out of vinegar and bicarb, laying out the solar system (made up of tomatoes, apples, balls of blue tack) across the garden and having poor Pluto end up in the allotments only to have to turn around mid discussion and retrieve Saturn from the dog, Neptune and Uranus from the chickens and Jupiter from the shortest child and playing with cornflour and water for no other reason than it looked like fun; we decided to opt for something a little more structured. Thus I searched for Space project and came across http://www.liveandlearnpress.com/ and that’s where we got into the wonderful world of lap booking.I have to admit that as an ex-teacher a project with stuff laid out to do really appealed to me as it has a certain element of structure to it and when I have my wibbly moments I can look at what we’ve achieved and think “Phew! Everything is fine!!” Also T has really taken to the idea and towards the end of the project was doing 3 mini books a day in an attempt to complete a spread so they could be glued in and he could look back over what he had done. (Obviously he gets that little bit of work freak from me!!!) The art work is still on the go and so far we are up to Jupiter on our planets as well as T producing an amazing painting of the solar system in poster paints which he spent ages on and, to my mind, is just stunning! That and the cover illustration and he is turning into a little Van Gogh!!!
November and December saw me throwing up for Britain and structured home ed going out the window which is why I think this project lasted so long but its really been a good way to work for our family. T seems very motivated by the style and presentation of the work, has learned loads and is immensely proud of his first complete project. We’ve been finding out the info, then he puts it into his own words, I write it out and he copies it into the book……….and funnily enough this has really helped his reading as well as his hand writing. I was discussing this with a friend and she was saying it was a Steiner method; instead of just using sight to read they use muscle memory, aural, oral AND sight to read and write out the word!!!! He up for doing 6 pages of his books straight off, less guessing more actual reading of new words and damn me if he can’t read the Sky menu when that flicks up!!!!
We also made a start on times tables with the promise of a pound per table on being able to recite it and pass a test on it. He is nearly at the end of yr 2 maths and Literacy on Ed City and is rocketing along with exercises that 6 months ago would have confused the hell out of him. What’s even more encouraging is L’s reaction to all this learnin. He is now asking to do “home ed bits” So whilst T does a mini book L expects to do colouring in on the same subject as well as counting and letters. T has taken to going through sums and letters with L when he asks a question which I LOVE!!!! So when misguided LA’s and misinformed people make comments like “Oh its alright educating one but what about when you have all three on the go at different ages?” Erm………. Well if a subject is interesting then its interesting no matter what level you are at!!!! Show me another 2 yr old that can confidently name planets because its funny and they have funny names!!!
With the apparent appearance of spring we’ve been out on the allotment a lot more recently. T now not only has his plot to do but has commandeered the boarder the other side of the fence that runs along side the car path into the plots. We didn’t want to grow veg there coz of the passing cars BUT flowers will make a great soaking up barrier! So as well as our growing army of sweetpeas (which are now in the brassica frame hardening off) we sat last night planning the boarder………never…ever ….ever say to a child “Oh you can have what ever shaped boarder you fancy” coz really? They take you literally!!! So after a little guidance on logistics and garden design we had established a theme – Space and after a bit more experimenting, drawing out, rubbing out and moving of the 5 pots which will contain the all important sweetpeas, we settled on the shape of the beds – shooting stars at either end, 2 hearts then a waxing and waning moon in the centre……………….. so not complicated at all???!!!!! Then it was colour schemes and plants. So Sunday is raid the plan the beds and raid the garden centre day for lobelia, allysum, begonias and marigolds!!! He’s got a brilliant eye for colour so I’m sure it will look fab and if it keeps the weeds down as well then I am very up for it but boy is it going to be a big plan!!
