montessori geometry

when introducing new topics
even at the level of 6-9 years
when math is getting increasing more abstract,
it still helps to learn through all the senses:
the hand leads the eye.
the voice penetrates the ear.
eye and ear connect in the mind.
amazing, subhanAllah! glory be to God!

using the geometry sticks to explore polygons, focusing on all types of triangles and quadrilaterals.

school house rocks the house!

TheatreBam Chicago brought School House Rock to the stage in a lively, witty musical performance at the Publick Playhouse. when a teacher, nervous about his first day teaching school, turns on the TV to relax, three characters representing different parts of his personality remind him how to share his joy of learning with his new students…using School House Rock rhymes and beats, of course.

waiting for the show to begin...no flash photography please

i introduced my girls to School House Rock through library videos, but us adults still remembered the words and often sang them louder than our children. i think we dragged the kids along so we could see the show.

after the show with one of the performers of School House Rock Live! everybody say 3!

my favorite from that afternoon show: Conjunction Junction. they did it justice!

julia robinson mathematics festival

i’d estimate that at least a third of our homeschool learning is facilitated in the school-of-the-world by the hundreds of gracious and giving volunteers at the many (often free) events we attend.

at the (free, again) Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival, stations were filled with mathematics in action, everything from origami, logic games, tangrams and 3-D puzzles. lots of hands-on mind-bending fun for every age.

tangrams never get boring

chocolate fix! this logic came was like a confectionery sudoku.

to all the volunteers at the Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival
and everywhere else out in the school-of-the-world:

THANK YOU!

cheverly homeschool co-op self portraits

since we’ve moved to the amazing town of Cheverly,
we’ve made some really cool neighborhood friends
— one of the best kinds of friends to have.

until this group,
i had never been a part of a homeschool co-op,
preferring to do what i could on my own.
but now i know better.
one day a week we “sacrifice”
the freedom of making our own schedule,
but we’ve learned so much more about our neighbors and neighborhood.

one mom is a former science teacher. priceless!
one mom is a wiz at world cultures and geography.
one dad (yep, we’ve even got a homeschooling dad) is a musician.

so, here are all the kids in their own self-loving glory.
beautiful all in their own precious ways.

make your own family or co-op group portrait: ArtProjectsForKids.org

it rained at this cherry blossom festival

but we didn’t know and didn’t care until it was time to leave
because it was gorgeous inside!

the great hall of the National Building Museum put us in a very blossomy mood as the girls made mini shoji screens.

trying on colorful kimonos...

...and geta (traditional japanese sandals).

the crafty folks from the Textile Museum helped us to make puffy cherry blossoms with a little fabric, batting and thread. cute!

check out the Textile Museum’s monthly Art for Families programs for more family fun crafts.

until next year: sayonara! さよなら!