Today’s assignment for the UBC is to write about someone you admire. I admire my kids. I know that sounds hokey as all get out, but seriously, they’re great people. They are curious, they want to learn all the things, and they’re always trying things that make them nervous. Today we got back to homeschooling after an extended break for the holidays and for recharging, and upon my 8-year-old’s insistence, we engaged in some baking fun.
Easing In
They actually came to me last week and insisted they wanted to start up again with their schoolwork. So, each day we did just three subjects to gear up for today. Even today, we didn’t do everything, instead, we did the main subjects and had fun, and eased back into our homeschooling routine. Halfway through the day, Miss 8 decided she wanted to learn how to make muffins from scratch, so she opened up Baking Class by Deanna F. Cook and chose a recipe – French Breakfast Treats.
Baking
So I did what you do when the kiddo wants to bake. I helped her check to see if we had the ingredients and set the kitchen up so she could do so. She did everything except melt the butter – she can’t reach the microwave well just yet – and put the pan in the oven and take it out. I supervised, offered advice, and put together a very impromptu lesson on adding fractions. After the baking, we decided to scrap the rest of the day and call it good.
Life Skills Are an Important Part of Homeschooling
Not only was baking great for an impromptu fractions lesson – much less a way to gauge her reading ability and comprehension (she read the whole recipe herself and followed the directions to a T), but adding things like baking and cooking into our homeschooling routine gives kids a great sense of self-confidence. When my husband got home, the 6-year-old and 4-year-old worked with him to make their dinner (we grown folks had leftovers to eat, and the kiddos wanted canned chili and mac & cheese).
In all, it was a great day to get back to homeschooling!
Experiential learning is always the most impactful way to learn. All of the senses are plugged into the task and the information is therefore retained at a higher rate. Great photos. Not only for the post, but to help remind her of foray into baking. Kudos to you for throwing a lesson of fractions into the mix. Still hate fractions to this day.
You’re amazing! I love what you’re doing and yes, definitely with caffeine. Keep it up. You’re an inspiration to so many moms.