Zane-Centered Learning

Zane has learned some great math games from his sister.

I'm often asked by others what curriculum I use with my kids. I guess since I work on developing curriculum others assume I must use them with the kids. I do have exercise books and such at home but we do not have any set routine or devotion. We definitely go with a natural flow of activity and hope for spontaneous growth. Not obligating ourselves to the routines of various programming out there has allowed us the freedom and flexibility to follow his interests, which encourages him to discover and retain. It seemed to work well with his sister and seems to be working well with him too. However, what I do with him in those spontaneous moments doesn't mean it's also great or even an interest for another kid. He's lucky to get moments of my undivided attention. His progression has been so much different than his sister. He doesn't know he's being taught and that's a good thing since he fights for independence with what goes into his brain and what comes out.

One day he asked me how to spell joy. Then he asked me to remind him how to make a J. I told him to think of a candy cane. When he asked how to make the Y, I reminded him that it is kind of like a V (cause he mastered V a long time ago in honor of his sister) only it has a really long stem. Apparently my reminders worked since I didn't have to physically help him.

 Unlike his sister, he attempts to color in the lines.

Although letters may be upside down or turned backward (so appropriate), I was proud of him for filling in the sound bubbles all by himself.

He likes play math games with dice so much that he's practiced determining greater than and less than. That monster of a number loves to eat the smaller number.

Is gluing an academic skill? Zane thinks so.

And can I tell the kid no when he asks to do addition on the iPad?