Mentor Meetings . . .

I have been reading in A Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion and am finding the information so refreshing and helpful. I like that it is full of actual ways that the authors have incorporated TJEd into their lives. I have had "mentor meetings" with each of the kids. This is simply a time that I have talked one on one with each child and asked them how they think things are going. What do they think about our family work time, devotion time, free time? Is there anything that they are interested in learning more about? I got them each a small yearly planner. Some of them had specific things that they expressed interest in learning more about, so we wrote them down in the notes section of the planner and each day when it is time for free time, if they are interested in doing some learning, they can get out the planner and look through their options and move on from there.

Ky, for example, said that she wants to learn more about composers and their music. She has also challenged herself to learn the song, "He Sent His Son", on the piano like the article in this month's Friend magazine. Bugaloo wants to learn more about art and art technique. She also wants to learn about hummingbirds. Peaches said that she wants to get books about adventure. They all want to learn more about soccer. They are playing in the spring league and want to learn the rules and how to play better.

I will provide books and other forms of information on these topics for them to absorb whenever their little hearts desire. Ky and Bugaloo have helped with meals this last week. They seem to really love it and I think Ky is not too far off from independent cooking.

Ky and Bugaloo are definitely ready for Love of Learning and so I am trying to slowly transition; giving them time to get into it. I want to make sure that we don't completely miss the benefits of a strong Core Phase. Well, that is about it for now. I am still reading and trying to mold our home learning into the vision we have.