Home Education gets our vote!

I had plenty of time to think back over the week as I set off for Broughton on my C2B preparations today.

It's been a busy week. My husband has just taken his last exam in his diploma for the Institute of Fire engineers which should mean that he is an accredited engineer if he passes. Learning at home seems to have become a habit for all of us. The other day he sent me a text "Have you heard of  Sugata Mitra?Google him!"
At first I thought he must be someone sinister but then I realised he was the Indian professor who introduced a computer into a whole in the wall in a street in Delhi and watched the Indian children as they played with it.You can read about it here:- http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_shows_how_kids_teach_themselves
His ideas are similar to those of John Holt- children learn for themselves, you just need to facilitate them.

I smiled as I remembered back to  when my Autistic son was struggling so much at school . I began to read about home education and a weight was lifted off when I realised it would work. My husband took longer to convince but he is a convert.He is now advocating autonomous education because he knows that it works- he's seen the evidence!

My daughter came back from her trip from London even more convinced, having attended a performance of Wicked that she wants to study drama and dance. Her brother meanwhile has struggled with his dad being away and has stuck rigidly to routine to help him through. Food has been an issue for a couple of days- he's hungry but refuses anything you offer and ear defenders have been firmly planted on his head. He managed a KFC but offers of a meal at the Brewers Fayre or Pizza Hut were refused as they are places you eat "as a family". Teaching has mainly been through discussion although a new World War 2 book has been devoured.

My daughter spent the day curled up in bed yesterday reading Divergent . She wanted to finish it before we see the film tonight. It's lovely to see her enjoying books so much. Meanwhile, I've been gardening, planting seeds, making plant lables and cutting back.

Home made plant labels

Wall flowers

The wallflowers are doing well too in the fish crate we rescued from the beach last year!

I also took part in the ladies choral class of the South Cumbria Music Festival too. We didn't win but we got our highest mark ever and a fantastic feeling of achievement. Perhaps the judge's best comment was that we " Brought lots of Joy". We can't really complain at that can we?