A Captain Idea for us, — Education is the Science of Relations. — A child should be brought up to have relations of force with earth and water, should run and ride, swim and skate, lift and carry; should know texture, and work in material; should know by name, and where and how they live at any rate, the things of the earth about him, its birds and beasts and creeping things, its herbs and trees; should be in touch with the literature, art and thought of the past and the present. ~ Charlotte Mason
I've had such a busy spring that paper sloyd with Pamela has taken a back seat. Fortunately, I taught paper sloyd to the students at our school for the last term of handwork. I am so delighted to report that Pamela can follow directions in a large group and work independently! This is major progress for her! The students at our school made the first four projects from the paper sloyd handbook.
To some, making paper projects seems like a waste of time when we could spend that half-hour (elementary class) or hour (primary class) pouring more knowledge into their heads. Think back to when you were in school. How many of you do anything “productive” much less learn anything “important” in the last hour before the weekend starts — especially after spring fever has infected the brain?
I am now convinced that kids today need handwork more than ever.
I am now convinced that kids today need handwork more than ever.
I've seen kids struggle to use tools (scissors, rulers, glue, tape, needle and thread, etc.) at older ages than expected. I've seen older students be unsure of how to make props for Shakespeare scenes. The kids in our church afterschool program beg for clay every week! It's like they're starving.
Children gravitate toward screens during their free time. If we find educational games that teach them something academic, we feel a little better about it. Families are so busy making ends meet that we are too exhausted a little bit of mess into the home for handwork.
Children gravitate toward screens during their free time. If we find educational games that teach them something academic, we feel a little better about it. Families are so busy making ends meet that we are too exhausted a little bit of mess into the home for handwork.
Schools under the gauntlet of boosting standardized test scores squeeze it out as well. A friend of mine remarked that she is seeing more and more typical students referred for occupational therapy because they cannot use their hands well. Temple Grandin outlines many reasons why hands-on classes need a comeback. Kids who struggle with academics look forward to handwork. It teaches them problem solving, careful execution, improvisation, etc.
We found the opportunities to problem solve. The first time we made pinwheels we made the mistake of using cardstock. One student in the next class decided to make a pinwheel in cardstock and another with colored copy paper. The students learned really quickly that too much glue ruins the paper. They figured out how to tilt the pinwheel just so and blow in the perfect spot to make it spin.
Plus, I inserted proper math terms into the conversation. I really despise the hamburger versus hotdog terms for portrait and landscape. Why? Because when you use real computer software to set up an image or document, they use the latter terms.
We had a blast making our pinwheels!
We found the opportunities to problem solve. The first time we made pinwheels we made the mistake of using cardstock. One student in the next class decided to make a pinwheel in cardstock and another with colored copy paper. The students learned really quickly that too much glue ruins the paper. They figured out how to tilt the pinwheel just so and blow in the perfect spot to make it spin.
Plus, I inserted proper math terms into the conversation. I really despise the hamburger versus hotdog terms for portrait and landscape. Why? Because when you use real computer software to set up an image or document, they use the latter terms.
We had a blast making our pinwheels!