Nearly December again!!

Well I haven't been on here for a couple of weeks so thought that I'd better get another update in before the final month of the year is upon us and Christmas mania sets in - maybe life as we know it too if the Mayans have anything to say about it.  I do hope they are wrong though as Jasmine has just be inspired (through the lure of winning a prize it has to be said) to try a local library book challenge which starts on the 21st Dec.  Would be a bit of shame if the world ended on the same day, then again maybe that is the transformative event - children everywhere actually wanting to read more real paper books that can be held in their hot little hands ;)

Anyway all jokes aside we did agree to engage in the aforementioned challenge after going to a presentation of 'Reading Rocks', with the home school group here.  It was held at a local school which was exciting for the kids and made me remember just how horribly hot and sticky classrooms get in warm weather with lots of bodies in them.  The guy was funny and entertaining as he juggled and joked along however while he made his point that books and reading were cool it became very evident to me that my kids were a world away from most of the school kids in the room.  There were so many references to movies, DVD's and television programmes that many of the 'jokes' were lost on two little ones without TV and who don't watch DVD's or movies.  I did notice that there was one other girl who sat as quite as my two during certain parts and guessed that she too was TVless (confirmed shortly after by her friends making comments).  It was somehow comforting though to know that I wasn't the only one who didn't put much importance on such things.

Jasmine making her Flat Traveller

Even when we went to send off a 'Flat Traveller' (a glorified pen pal system for homeschoolers based on a book Flat Stanley) I was asked if we could email journals and photos rather than posting so that the kids could practise keyboard skills.  What about writing skills and going down the post office to send it!!  So often I think I may be depriving our kids of important media and technology knowledge then I remember that all the big players in the IT world certainly didn't grow up with the technology that is around today, if any.  Instead they used other life skills such as problem solving, communication and thinking skills to create, design and engineer the world surrounding us today.  I'm not against technology - obviously otherwise you would be getting a handwritten letter each month ;)  It is just I don't see that the benefits of being computer savvy at 6, 7 or even 10 out weigh all those other skills that can be had through playing, reading, making, talking, writing and good old imagination. 

So that's my unintended rant ;) Goodness who knew!!

Hope this finds you happy, well read and prepared.

Arohanui
Y
www.becominghealthy.co.nz