Throwback Tuesday: Unschooling at Its Best

 *Originally posted July 16, 2012 when my boys were 4, 6, & 8

They're talking about a heat wave hitting our area this week.

It's only Monday morning and I already feel like it's too hot to teach/learn (and we have A/C!).  We had errands to run this morning before my sister comes up with her boys to cool off in the lake (since that's where we'll be all day anyway).  

I knew we wouldn't do any schooling today.  

Or at least that's what I thought...  

Not even thinking I was schooling I gave Ian a pen and paper on the ride to Target and had him write up my list of what we needed.  He sounded out most of the words correctly and wrote fairly neatly for being in a moving car.  As we were finishing up it did cross my mind that we had just done a mini spelling/ writing lesson!  

He then turned on his MP3 player and listened to Harry Potter (so we did reading too!).
           
On the ride home we passed McDonald's which my kids just LOVE.  However, they know it's junk food and we can't go there much.  Next thing I knew Alec and Evan started this whole discussion on junk food versus healthy food and started listing all kinds of junk food.

My husband has this theory he has shared with the boys where if something tastes absolutely delicious and you can't resist it then it's probably bad for you.  It makes me laugh because we do like fruits and vegetables in this house (well at least all but my youngest-- who won't eat any! Grr!) and I always argue they are delicious but I know what he means.  If given the choice between cookies, cakes, ice cream, French fries, etc. or a plate of veggies 9 times out of 10 everyone in this family would not choose the plate of veggies.   But I tuned into the boys' conversation and contributed a few other things that might be considered junk food.   That conversation only lasted about 5 or 10 minutes but I thought what a wonderful, self- guided, impromptu health lesson!  

We got home and as I was throwing together some salads and stuff for lunch, Alec picked up one of the animal books and sat down on the couch.  He read it from cover to cover.  He loves non- fiction animals books and I had bought them with him in mind, I just didn't think he'd read the whole thing today.  He finished the Australian animal book and then read the whole Up Close Critter book too!  So Alec had a self-guided reading, science, (and since he's a very visual learner) spelling, and language arts lesson all on his own! 

The boys helped make supper too- it was make your own pizza night.  Once I flatten out the crust they're responsible for putting all their own toppings on.   I always call this kitchen science-- they help mix, measure, and assemble simple recipes.  The way the crust rises, cheese melts and flavors blend is a form of science that not all people manage to master or understand.  I hope my boys do someday and I'm trying to include them as much as I can lately.