My Laid Back Approach to Teaching

My original plan was to have an actual schedule where we sit down and learn stuff three or four days a week. After a few half-hearted attempts I’ve come to the following decision: since I don’t hafta, I’m not gonna. If play is a child’s work, my girls are way into overtime! I see a lot of learning going on when they play: getting along (kinda), sorting, stacking, fine and gross motor skill development, physics (what’s the highest thing we can jump off of? What will happen when I drop, throw, slam this? Math (Can I have THREE Oreo cookies?) And so much more.
I concluded that The Explode the Code book is too advanced and not that interesting yet. We try to do Right Start Math and Handwriting Without Tears at lest three times a week and one craft project a week. We do it at no particular time, although it’s easier if we do it in the morning. We read at least a bedtime story daily and recently more during the day. I downloaded about 30 stories to the iPod, but they seem to prefer ME reading to them than listening to a story being told by a stranger with no book to look at. We’ll keep trying that one, since I see numerous opportunities for quiet time with it.
We are currently in the middle of a birdhouse project. Ava is so worried that if we don’t put them out, the birds won’t have a place to live. I keep reassuring her that the birds will be OK until we finish our houses.
Between playing and official learning, there are outings, house work, conversations and an infinite number of questions.