The "Learners Closet"

One of the important tools in a TJEd family is the closet. In our home, we call it the "Learners Closet".

The special closet should be located within the family room area, if possible. Ours is just outside of our family room by a couple feet so it's still extremely convenient for the kids to access it. The items in the closet should be sorted by "phases". The Core Phase items should be on the lowest shelves and the Love of Learning Phase items should be on the upper shelves. That way the Core kids somewhat look forward to being "big enough" to get into the Love of Learning stuff as they stare at the higher shelves.

The closet should be filled with tons of educational toys/games and should only be accessed during "learning hours", which in our house is 10am-4pm. At four o'clock, the door is closed and the items within it are, for the most part, off limits. It keeps the items within the closet as "things to look forward to", which then helps the kids not to lose interest in them.

Some of the items in our Learners Closet are...

Core Phase: different types of blocks, Legos, puzzles, Leap Pad, animals, foods, tent, learning games...lots & lots of items for imaginary play!
Love of Learning Phase:  Love of Learners can use any item from Core Phase along with additional learning games (Monopoly, Boggle, Which Way USA, etc), flash cards, white boards, educational puzzles, WrapUps, play money, arts, crafts, math items, etc.


Here's a picture of our current "Learners Closet"...

It's not fully finished yet but I keep finding wonderful things to add to it. I believe within the next year, I should have it where I'd like it.  I'd like to have things such as....Lincoln Logs, more educational games, a "vehicles" tub, a "puppets" tub, and Tinker Toys (hopefully Santa will bring some of these items). In the perfect world, I'll also get that top shelf cleaned off and have that level full of Love of Learner's stuff as well!!  I can't wait!!

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Let's Read and Find Out Science

One of the best things I've came across by borrowing books from the local library is the "Let's Read and Find Out" science books. They come in levels 1 & 2 and are filled with lots of facts and fun experiments.

I initially had borrowed the "Volcanoes" book from this series from the library. I decided after reading it the first time that I wanted my own copy for our "Learners Book Shelf". I went on Amazon, of course, and found that there are MANY MANY books in this series!!

I ended up purchasing lots of these wonderful books instead of just the one I had initially went on there for. I did stay with the same author, which was Franklyn M Branley, but the series has several other authors. Now that we have all of Branley's books, I'm going to be branching out into the others.

I absolutely love how they use basic words and phrases to explain not so basic subjects. Both Hannah and Gabe love listening to me read these books. And my favorite part are the simple, fun experiments we can do directly after reading the book. I love to see the "ah-ha" moments on their faces as they connect what I had just read to what they're currently seeing. The "Oh I get it" look appears on their faces!!  Priceless!!

Needless to say, the kids will be getting several more of these for Chirstmas. I highly recommend these to EVERY mother out there...whether you're a homeschool family or not, these should be on your families book shelf!!

Check them out...you won't regret it!!!

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White Boards

I absolutely LOVE dry erase white boards and so do my kids!!

Since we are learning about our wonderful Nation's geography and our world around us, I invested in a white board that has the map of the U. S. on one side and a map of all the continents & oceans on the other.

The board is 11" x 16" and is very durable. Here's a pic of what each side looks like...

I purchased others as well, such as, "skeletal system", "division", "periodic table", "telling time", "basic place value" & "advanced place value". There are still several others that I want to invest in as each of the kids grow older.

I believe these whiteboards will last a long time and are a great tool for our TJEd home!

Here's the link if you're interested...
http://dryerase.com/


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Spanish

One of Hannah's goals from her current Six Month Goals is to begin learning Spanish. I have found several fun tools to help her with this goal. I have decided to give them to her as part of her birthday gifts, since knowledge is one of the greatest gifts!  I know she's gonna love them and I honestly believe that they will motivate her to "love to learn".

The products are...

Spanish BINGO! 

I purchased the "States BINGO" by this same company (which covers all the states, their capitals, their nicknames, & a fun fact about the state) and our family LOVES it!!  I think it's amazing how my 5yr old is picking up on the facts right along with his older sister.  I'm sure the same thing will happen when we start playing Spanish BINGO. It's amazing how many facts kids will pick up when they think they're just playing a game and having fun!!

Spanish Flashcards

I LOVE flashcards!! I think we have a set for almost every subject. Flashcards are so easy to use and it's amazing how many ways they can be used. The reason I chose this set of Spanish Flashcards is because they have the English/Spanish on one side and the picture on the other, allowing the child to guess then turn it over to see if they got it right. There are several sets that have the picture & the answer on the same side....not sure how you can memorize something with the answer's right there.

Spanish WrapsUps!

I purchased the "US States" WrapUps a little while back and Hannah really likes using them. I was THRILLED when I found that they also made Spanish WrapUps!!!  YIPPEE!!!  I know she'll dive right into these as soon as she gets them! The downfall?  Tapes?!?  Do they still make those??  Obviously they do!! 

 

I also invested in several computer programs for Beginning Spanish. I got a really good deal on all of them on Amazon.com.  I purchased all basic Spanish programs, which Gabe should be able to do shortly. If he's interested in learning Spanish, they'll be available for him as well.

I can't wait for Hannah's birthday!  I can't wait to see her reaction!!  I'll make sure I post a pic of  the big moment. It makes me so happy to see how Hannah is truly beginning to love to learn!  She enjoys gaining knowledge on subjects lots of subjects, especially the goals she's chosen for herself.

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A Vacation Can Be Educational

We went on a long-awaited vacation to visit some friends in Texas for about 3 weeks. While we were there, we tried to have a few "educational trips" for the kids.

Some people may say that a "vacation" isn't necessarily educational but I say....it can be!!  I love the fact that you can be having fun and learning at the same time!! 

Since I was alone in Texas with all four kids (without my husband), I did chose to keep it pretty low-key but we still managed to have a few outings.  If my husband would have been with me, I'm sure we would have added a couple more.

Our first educational outing....The Woodland's Children Museum!  I had been there a few years ago when they were located in The Woodland's Mall. The new location is in a strip mall and it was only about 1/5 of the size it used to be. I was really bummed but the kids still seemed to have a good time.

Gabe chillin' in his "Fireman" outfit. He loves to dress up...especially when he gets to pretend he's putting out a fire!

This was a fun little place to play. The whole pit was filled with cut up tire material. Gabe was in heaven with all the trucks!

The twinners liked playing in them as well. It took them a little while to get used to the feel of the pieces but they ended up having lots of fun!

The Children's Museum was definitely not for Hannah's age group but she was a good sport about it. Her and I had a fun game of Giant Checkers, which she liked. She also liked seeing the babies toddle around the "toddlers" area. She's such a wonderful big sister and an amazing young woman!

In the "toddler" area, there were some really nifty toys available, as you can see, even Hannah was trying them out. I really liked these magnet boards! I did some research when I got back to my friend's house and found the website. The site was AMAZING!!! I've already ordered several things off of it. I posted the link just prior to this post.

Our next outing....The USS Texas!!  This was my little 5yr old boys DREAM field trip!! He got to sit by several HUGE guns and pretend he was shooting them. We don't have toy guns in our home so I had to explain that these guns were real. That they were used in both WWI & WWII. Even though my little guy was entranced by them, I wanted to educate him on what they were designed for(killing/defending) and how important they are to have to maintain our freedoms that we have in this country!

The USS Texas!!  It was HUGE!!! And it got HOT...we were in Houston!!! 

It has a lot of history to offer to those who are willing to take the time and learn.

My little gunner...I had mixed feelings about him sitting up there BUT I know he has a huge interest in the military so I allowed him hands-on. He was able to turn the base around,while riding on it, which he thought was so cook,  and then raise or lower the gun to aim wherever he was pretending to shoot. 

Here's Hannah on a similar gun. She liked it, as well, but not nearly as much as Gabe!

I loved how they had many plaques around the ship with information on them. It was like a real life history book!! I loved reading them to the children. I was hoping they'd have a great book to purchase for our "Learners Book Shelf" but they didn't. I think I may go on Amazon and see if there's one out there. The stories of this battleship are amazing and I'd love to continue revisiting it's history.

They also had a great film that the kids really enjoyed, but once again, they didn't offer it

in their gift shop!! A major bummer!!

Hannah had a wonderful opportunity to learn how to sew while in Texas. She went to a church meeting with my friend's daughter, and thus had the opportunity to sew her own apron. My friend helped her with it (because she wanted it to be a surprise for me) and I have to say, Hannah did a terrific job!!  She's such an amazing example to me!!

Hannah showin' off her apron!  She's definitely got some talent in the sewing department...unlike her mother!  I try to sew at least twice a year, just to keep my basic skills still intact but I have to admit, it's not my cup of tea. I find it stressful (my unpicking tool becomes my best friend) until it's all finished....then it all seems worth it, when I see the finished project.

Our last outing was to the Houston Zoo...always a educational field trip!!  Houston has an AMAZING zoo. When we move back there (keeping my fingers crossed), I'm sure we'll become members so we can return multiple times because it's just so huge, it's almost impossible to see it all in one visit.

Here's Hannah with her new friend...they seemed to have an instant bond!

When I found out they allowed people to feed the giraffes, I jumped at the opportunity! The kids thought it was great and I'd never been so close to giraffes before. It was awesome!!

I absolutely LOVED how this Zoo had plaques all over the place with educational information on them. And what I liked even more, was that I kept noticing Hannah stopping to read them. I can see that she's beginning to understand that it's not about just coming and "seeing" the animals, it's also about coming and "learning" about the animals. I felt more than willing to see less animals, if it meant to stop and allow her to read about the one we were presently seeing. I can definitely see how a TJEd education is changing her in the most wonderful way!

So there you have it...our "educational outings" in a nutshell. I'm so grateful for my understanding that an education usually isn't gained from work books but from life experiences, mentors, and classics!!!  I see the growth in my children and in myself...and I'm LOVING it!!

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A Wonderful Online Site...

Just found a wonderful online site for buying educational tools. Most of the items I'd get from here I'd put into my "Learners Closet".  I haven't yet talked about our closet but I will do a post about it when I get back from vacation!

Hope you enjoy this site....

http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/home/home.jsp


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Allowance & Chores

A very important part of a TJEd home is to teach your children not only the love of learning, but also the love of working. They need to be able to enjoy working and to find a sense of worth by completing a task that has been assigned to them.

Every home does their "chore system" differently but I thought I would share mine in case you are looking for a different point of view.

Allowance:

In our house, the kids don't "earn" allowance...they don't get paid "per chore completed". We feel strongly that the kids should be helping around the house because they are a member of the family, not because they want to earn some money. We want to teach them that the reason we do things for others (our family, in this situation) is because we love them, not to get something in return.

I began searching the scriptures to find some guidance. I prayed for quite a while about the subject because I did feel so strongly about "helping out because you are a member of this family". I decided to analyze how our Father in Heaven blesses us and did some research on the subject. I found that the Lord has blessings already waiting for us, blessings he wants to give us, blessings because he loves us. I then realized that the Lord usually withholds blessings, instead of giving blessings. I found that to be very interesting....He has blessings he's going to give us but then has to withhold some due to our choices. This was just what I needed to more fully understand and it became the basis of our "chore & allowance" system.

I dedicated one family night to this subject and found that the kids easily understood why I had decided to take this different approach. I explained to the kids that they would each get a certain amount of money per week (varying by age) and they were expected to help out where needed, do their duties, be kind to one another, not have a bad attitude and obey. I explained that we, as their parents, really wanted them to receive all the money (aka: blessings) we had waiting for them. But it was up to them if they received it all because some could be withheld if they were having problems in any of the areas I listed above.  I explained that they were not getting a "reward" for a certain act but it was a "blessing" we wanted to give them for overall good behavior.

When we do have to withhold money, we talk with the child about why and try and help them see how they can alter their choices to ensure they are able to receive all we have planned to give them.

Chores:

So in our family the "daily chore" system really doesn't work. They do have a "duty" that they are expected to complete whenever it's needed.  Hannah's duty is dishes, so it's an all of the time type of thing. Gabe's duty is feeding and watering the cats whenever it's needed.

Instead of doing "daily chores" we decided to do "Monday Morning Cleaners". Every Monday morning the kids know they have certain duties to complete. Both kids need to "clean" their room (not just straighten), they have to "clean" their playroom (not just straighten), Hannah vacuums & dusts the entire house, and Gabe cleans the upstairs bathroom.  Their duties are to be completed before lunch. After lunch we usually make a special treat, like brownies or cookies as a fun reward for a clean, pleasant home.

I feel my kids are much more focused when they are expected to "really" clean only once a week. For some reason, it doesn't feel so daunting to them like it would if I spread the duties throughout the week.  During the rest of the week, we just randomly tidy things up as needed.


I truly believe that having a responsibility in the home is very important to children. They begin to realize how needed they are in the family and gain that much-needed self confidence.

We are definitely still working toward the "love of work" with both of them, but I think they are making progress and so is their mother...yes, I'm still learning how to "love" work...it's interesting how much I'm growing in that area as I travel down my "Love of Learning" path  :)

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