Almost Back To School

We have a very relaxed schooling schedule. I believe learning happens naturally all the time so it does not need to be forced. We don't really take a summer break but we do slack off on what most people consider school work, like phonics practice and math worksheets.

I personally enjoy lesson planning (even though I know our lessons rarely go the way I expect). This time of year it's hard not to get swept up in the back to school hoopla. I have a lot planned for the upcoming school year. Our official back-to-school date is September 1st but the boys just can't seem to wait. This just goes to show you can try to force kids to learn new things on your schedule, with mixed results, but it is hard to stop them from learning when they are ready and allowed to follow their interests.

Today, Thomas decided to make a word search for his Cub Scout den. I helped him make a list of words and set him up on the computer in Excel. He has been working quietly by himself all morning while Jacob pulled out a letter matching activity. This is a bit below his skill level but he says he is going to write all the words in his notebook after he gets them laid out.